Republicans and conservatives, including those who are wary of war with Russia, should lead the way on this message. Some conservatives, for complicated reasons, are engaging in the sophisticated argument about whether Donetsk and Lugansk really are Ukrainian or Russian and which side is best respecting self-determination or territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party establishment is condemning Putin unambiguously, which is proper, but is not doing it the right way. Instead, they’re appealing to these vague abstract arguments that sound like geopolitical principles.

Why get into these weeds? Maybe it’s because the Left lacks the confidence to say the important truth that Putin is the bad guy and the U.S. is the good guy.

If you believe that America is fundamentally a white supremacist nation, which is the official viewpoint of the liberal elite, can you say that we are the good guy?

If you believe the U.S. is the world’s leading climate criminal, can you say we are the good guy?