The war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis unfolding

A week ago, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, and the toll of the war has already been devastating. One million people have fled to neighboring countries, and the UN estimates that close to 10 million will soon be displaced, leading to an even greater humanitarian crisis.

Putin’s assault on the country has also increased in recent days with attacks on the country’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, and the siege of two seaports. And there appears to be more indiscriminate bombing and targeting of civilians, with hundreds killed, including children.

Putin has turned down multiple opportunities to negotiate a peace and appears single-minded in capturing Kyiv. How does this war end, and is there anything the rest of the world can do besides watch it unfold from the sidelines?

Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczekwska, freelance journalist who is in Poland covering the refugee crisis for Al Jazeera. @aga_pik

Tom Nichols, professor at the U.S. Naval War College and an adjunct at the U.S. Air Force School of Strategic Force Studies. He’s also a contributing writer at The Atlantic. @radiofreetom

Malcolm Nance, Counterterrorism expert and former military intelligence analyst. He’s the author of the forthcoming, They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency. @malcolmnance

Recommended reading

Al Jazeera, ‘It was hell’: Long lines of Ukrainian refugees at Poland border –

The Atlantic, Stay Calm, America – Putin’s violence may still get worse. But Americans shouldn’t root for a dangerous escalation of hostilities.

The New York Times – How Russia’s war in Ukraine came back to bite Putin at home – “Everyone is scared. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” one Moscow resident said.