In order to end the immense violence by Russia's dictator, Vladimir Putin, against the people of Ukraine it is imperative that the EU immediately stop all purchases of fossil fuels from Russian sources. Every single euro that goes to Russia for fossil fuels, is ammunition that kills people in Ukraine and brutalizes those that survive. Is avoiding making a moderate sacrifice a good reason to implicitly enable the severe harming of other people? Are not the democratically elected governments of the EU responsible for the current dependency of the EU upon Russia's fossil fuels?

One of the biggest and most intrenched consumers of Russian fossil fuels is Germany. Germany also has the influence in the EU to sway other countries that are resistant to cutting loose of their addiction to Russia's fossil fuels. So far it has indicated its intention, along with the rest of the EU, to take a full year to cut its Russian gas purchases by only two-thirds. More disturbingly, it has completely resisted all of the many heart-felt requests for it to stop its purchases of the more lucrative Russian oil. These purchases of Russian gas and oil allow Putin to continue killing Ukrainians and raping their motherland. 

Ending the purchases of the misery-contaminated oil and gas will require self-sacrifice, work and careful planning from all democracies, not just those in the EU, although those countries that have become the most dependent upon Russia will require the greatest sacrifice from its citizens. Let us make things right! In hindsight, it is very clear that the EU becoming dependent upon Russia was a very costly mistake. This should not be a complete surprise after Putin has over the last eight years clearly demonstrated to the world his disregard for human rights, sovereignty, international laws, and quite simply, the well-being of other humans.  Now, even more clearly, Putin has shown himself to be a threat to all people everywhere, especially those who value freedom. For the sake of the people of Ukraine, for the sake of all people of this world, for the sake of the world our children will inherit, it is the responsibility of all of us to make the measured sacrifices, which include immediately stopping ALL purchases of fossil fuels from Russian sources, that can lead to a more humane and democratic world by ending a dictator of a nuclear superpower's ability to conduct an unprovoked, murderous assault upon a peaceful neighboring nation. 

The German government can still lead its people, and the rest of the EU, to make a stand for human lives and human dignity rather than protecting them from the inconvenience of temporary austerity, the need for which is the democratically elected German government's own creation, sooner rather than later. However even if Germany and other countries in the EU continue to sweep aside the pleas for it to place full sanctions upon Russian fossil fuels, the time will eventually arrive when the EU will change its collective mind. Such a time will eventually come because Putin will avoid the humiliation of defeat at all human cost and the people of Ukraine will not accept life again lived under the boot of tyranny.