Ultimately, bridge-building requires guardrails. The UN World Summit Outcome (2005) articulated the Responsibility to Protect, a doctrine Annan championed, affirming that compassion toward civilians can entail firm action against perpetrators. Targeted sanctions, independent investigations, and neutral monitoring—such as the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (2014–2022)—align empathy with enforceable norms. In this way, bold kindness refuses both cruelty and complacency: it protects people while preserving the possibility of reconciliation. [...]
