Gazebo4 wrote:And I would not stand and watch, I would try to find a non-violent resolution. In whatever form that might be in that moment.
Do you know about the Minsk II agreement? Russia and Ukraine were supposed to implement the terms of this ceasefire years ago. Ukraine could not accept this agreement, because it would allow Russian agents in the separatist republics to influence Ukraine's government (especially with regard to European integration). Most Ukrainians want to disconnect from Russia, and join the EU. In fact, Ukraine became an EU member candidate just this week. Implementing the Minsk agreements would have made all of that impossible, but it might have prevented the war.
So the key question here is whether or not you believe that the right to self-defense includes the right to defend one's political freedoms. Some people in the West are now suggesting that Ukraine should cede some or all of the land currently occupied by Russian forces in order to end the war sooner. If we wish to stop the violence at any cost, then we would probably favor this policy.
However, if Russia is allowed to establish another 'frozen conflict' zone, as they did with Donbas previously, they will almost certainly make a second attempt to capture the entire country at a later date. Also, the Russian occupation has been, and will continue to be, brutally oppressive. So does the Ukrainians' right to self-defense encompass their right to defend themselves from harsh political oppression? If so, they must fight until all invaders have been expelled from their homes.