A Clarion Call: Tūt!

Do just war principles allow resort to war, or require it? For those who feel the force of the question, the ongoing war in Ukraine has provided an urgent case study. A video shot in late February 2022 gave the world a quick lesson in the Ukrainian language, with special emphasis on the word tūt, “here.” President Volodymyr Zelensky used the monosyllable to punctuate a roll call of Ukrainians present for duty in the face of foreign intimidation and invasion. First, he mentioned four of his administration’s top officials and then referred briefly to himself before reaching the crescendo appropriate to a proud democracy.