Boris Nemtsov: 'This is Vladimir Putin's war'

Editor's Note: The following is the English-language translation of an op-ed by Boris Nemtsov, originally published on Sept. 1, 2014 in the Kyiv Post. The Russian version of this op-ed appeared in Ukrainska Pravda. Nemtsov, the Russian opposition leader, was assassinated on Feb. 27, 2015, close to the Kremlin's Red Square, before he was going to lead a March 1 rally in opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At first glance, and from the point of view of a sane person, the war between Russia and Ukraine is some sort of a nightmare, a madness that only brings grief, conflicts and problems to all.