Should Superman intervene in the Russia/Ukraine situation?

[superduperman]

If Superman really existed, should he try to stop Russia from invading Ukraine?

[PCN24454]

I don’t know.

Typically, Superman interfering in politics just makes things worse for literally everyone even when it shouldn’t matter.

As someone else put it, Superman is a political figure whether he likes it or not.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

If Superman really existed, should he try to stop Russia from invading Ukraine?

Probably but he'd try to be a deterrent or a peace broker.

[DochaDocha]

I think if Superman existed, the Ukrainians would pretty much do what the President of the United States in Superman II did. And Superman would do what Superman did in Superman II.

[achilles]

I think if Superman existed, the Ukrainians would pretty much do what the President of the United States in Superman II did. And Superman would do what Superman did in Superman II.

Sleep with Lois?

[seismic-2]

It's different from when Superman fought against the Axis in WWII, because now the Russians have Red Son on their side. That means that the Supermen are engaged in a strategic stalemate.,so neither one would get involved in Ukraine.

[bat39]

No.

Superman isn't an instrument of US state policy.

But let's suppose all on his own, he decides that he has a zero tolerance approach to any kind of 'evil' i.e. any attempt at threatening of subjugating innocent people.

If he's going to be 'objective' about it, where does he stop?

Does he intervene in Afghanistan? In the Israel-Palestine conflict? In Taiwan?

What is a big enough 'situation' to warrant his involvement? Should he get involved in the trucker's protests in Canada? And who would he side with? The protestors who are causing disruptions to normal life but are agitating for rights which they fell have been taken from them? The government using force against what they consider ''violent, racist, misogynist'' protestors in the name of preserving democracy?

The harsh reality is that Superman, and superheroes in general, are designed for largely black-and-white fictional conflicts. The real world is a lot murkier and infinite more complex. There are seldom 'good guys' or 'bad guys' in any objective sense...just people fighting for what they feel is right, or in their interests, depending on the situation. And sometimes resorting to extreme measures in the process.

[Matt Rat]

If Superman really existed, should he try to stop Russia from invading Ukraine?

[manwhohaseverything]

Superman would get involved.As an independent agent.

[The Watcher]

If I were Superman I'd totally destroy Russia's military and then burn Putin's arms off to teach him a lesson.

But unfortunately I'm me and thus can't interfere.

[seismic-2]

[JAK]

As a story, not really.

If Superman was real, I'd like a Golden Age approach: everyone in the area wakes up on the morning of conflict to find that anything beyond small handguns is gone. This just keeps happening every time they're about to start something. After they've all blown enough money, maybe they'll talk.

[RobinGA]

If you read the early Golden Age stories then Superman didn't have a problem with intervention.
But then often they would make disputes the problem from arms dealers.
Modern Superman, leaving his politics to the side, is often hesitant to intervene.
There are exceptions which I suppose people could point out.

You would like to think that Superman would care about what Afghanistan is like, rather than washing his hands.
Much the same with the Russians invading with the result that refugees are fleeing in terror.
But then it becomes if Superman is going to intervene where is the line where you don't?
There is a part of Superman that believes in constructive engagement that he doesn't intervene everywhere against oppression.
That people are going to have to solve this question on their own.
It was one of the issues that led to a divergence between Batman and Superman. Which led to Batman going to form a group the Outsiders
that had a more interventionist pose.

[The World]

After watching the rest of the world collectively sit on it's ass while they marched into Crimea I think he would have known better this time around. Sanctions didn't work, condemnations didn't work, and supplying Ukraine with munitions didn't work, so I'd say it's probably time to start putting foot to asses. But I'm of the opinion he would have figured out the American's were up to no good in Iraq and stopped that as well. The idea that Clark can just up and wash his hands of the mindless brutality humans gets up to seem at odds with the nature of what created him. Why deal with Lex? He's just another human causing problems for humans half the time.

No other character gets asked why they don't fix the many problems of the world nearly as much as Superman. It's just a natural extension of what the character is about. Fixing problems humanity can't seem to wrap it's mind around.

[RobinGA]

Sanctions have a mixed record.
They seem to have played a role in undermining Apartheid.
But then you have plenty of countries that have had sanctions, where it played little role in changing things.

The American people right now have no stomach for intervention. American men and women aren't going to be sent to die
for the freedom of the Ukraine. That is simply a fact.

I really don't have a good feel for what the Supers would do. Although I do think that Power Girl would probably feel
enough of this crap. It is pretty hard to imagine Power Girl, Supergirl, or Wonder Woman looking the other way
in Afghanistan while girls can't go to school, have to live in fear.