Having read of Putin's background and career, I have no doubt that his motivation is personal; that he is intent on rebuilding the Russian Empire; and that he sees himself as some sort of modern day Tzar.

In my view, Putin began this invasion & did so without provoction on a feeble pretext of it being necessary to protect Russia's security at a time when, regardless of his rhetoric, no other nation was threatening it and neither is any still.

Throughout the months before the invasion, Putin repeatedly claimed that Russia, (i.e. Putin), had no intention of invading Ukraine. This was just one of a series of lies that Putin has offered to the World.

So, for me, given Putin's current deceit and his past aggressions, as well as the autocratic, even dictatorial style he has and the use of, (skewed), laws allowing the detention and jailing of anyone who voices oppositon to Putin's regime, it seems to me that Putin is guilty of creating this humanitarian disaster and has done so without even any possibly reasonable excuse.

Putin began these hostilities and Putin could stop them, instantly. The deaths and destruction, on both sides, are down to Putin and Putin alone.

Whether Zelenskyy is a hero or not, is certainly debatable. My own view is that there are few, if any, heroes and that if they do come about, it is by accident rather than intent and spontaneous response to a situation rather than tenacity over a long period. That may well be deserving of admiration and indicative of strong character and determination, as well as other positive, (and probably some negative), characteristics but I don't see it as 'heroic'.

There is what seems to be reliable evidence from even before this invasion of less than morally acceptable behaviour by Ukraine in its fight against the Separatists and I have also read accounts of other extreme and prejudiced treatment of groups within Ukraine, though I remain open to discovery of the extent to which these accounts are true.

The style of media reporting and choice of content is also, in some cases, questionable and in some cases clearly skewed towards one side's support or another so, to me, it all has to be taken with a healthy skepticism. At the same time, I do avoid the sensationalist press and most commercial tv channels and I do attempt to consult a variety of news sources and expert commentary, as well as accounts given by people on the ground.

That said, it has appeared to me that there have been several, instances at least, of Ukrainians intimidating, threatening and preventing others of different race, nationality or colour, from gaining places on transport evacuating people fleeing from devastated cities under bombardment.

All in all, then, it seems to me that there is no real clarity for outside observers at present. What there seems to be is much emotional attachment to one notion or another regarding what is happening, with a range of theories from US and/or NATO conspiracy to conspiracy by Zelenskyy himself.

I believe that it is a general universality that human beings experience heightened emotions when witnessing, even from a distance, horror, destruction, distrought mothers and children, injured and dead civilians and soldiers and even just the chaos of calamity and disaster. I think that most do not think, analyse or assess at their most objective given those heightened feelings.

For the above reasons, I find many of the comments about this article to relect speedy and perhaps well intentioned and movivated reactions, as opposed to well considered and objective responses.

I think that the questions raised by Maxwell Hawthorn are legitimate ones and, to be fair, are raised as considerations, not as definitive assertions. Perhaps more of us ought to be taking a broader and more critically objective view of the whole abhorrent event and of the contributions of all involved, whether obviously so or not and whether positve or negative.

Only time will expose the truth of a complex situation, if indeed even time does so. Perhaps we ought to be glad that someone has the forethought to raise the type of questions that, more usually, only gain prominence and exploration by those with the considerable hindsight of the distance of time.

Thank you, Maxwell, for reminding us to assess with open minds, objectivity and the realisation that rarely is there a single truth or a right or wrong side but far more often, a mix of both on either side.