Bucha Horrors Test Europe in Putin's War (Bloomberg)

Every war is remembered in history by places, even hundreds of years later. For Ukraine, the two names now known around the world are Mariupol and Bucha.

The eastern port of Mariupol has been under siege for weeks, with those left in the ruins of the city scrounging for shelter, food and medicine.

The northern town of Bucha, on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, has become the center of claims of war crimes committed by Russian troops. Pictures of unarmed dead civilians, some with hands tied behind their backs, have ignited global outrage and calls for more sanctions on Moscow, which says the images are staged.

As Ukraine retakes territory formerly held by Russia, the US and European allies will be faced, directly, with evidence that will test their resolve to remain outside the conflict. Personally, I think we've been too timid by half.

We've been aware of the atrocities and war crimes for weeks, but have been content with half-measures. If "we" believe in the defense of democracy and the western world order, we should be willing to put up.