Thanissaro Bhikkhu recently posted an essay here: At War with the Dhamma
It appears to be a response to Bhikkhu Bodhi’s recent essay, Buddhism, Nonviolence, and the Moral Quandary of Ukraine - Lions Roar in which he takes a position that the precept against killing may be violated in order to stop and oppose the killing and destruction being caused by violent regimes, using the invasion of Ukraine as an example.
In the essay he especially applies this to Buddhist practitioners who are engaged in a longer path of practice compared to those who are aiming for a shorter, more direct path to liberation.
Ven. Thanissaro, on the other hand, denies that there can ever be a willful violation of this, or any, precept under any circumstances.
Neither Venerable brings up the Buddha’s teachings on bright and dark kamma, and kamma neither bright nor dark, which seems to offer a more complete and practical way of viewing this issue, as in AN4.237
Ven. Sujato has spoken about this (though I’m not sure of there is a specific post), and it seems to make the most sense as a way to meet this challenge from a Dhamma practice standpoint.
But what do people on this forum think?
If you were in Ukraine, particularly as a lay practitioner, would you fight to defend your family and country against people who wanted to take over violently and then run the whole show?
These are actual events and many people, including Buddhist practitioners, are faced with these challenges and choices.
(BTW, I’m not taking or stating a position here to hopefully allow for a more open discussion).