The statement that in principle no one wins a war is very relevant in this age of globalization. In a situation where the world has shrunk to a global village, what is happening in any corner of the world today can have international repercussions and repercussions. Kovid 19 was the greatest example of this. It is in this context that Russia must look at the Ukraine war.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he would launch a military operation against Ukraine at 8.30 am Indian time, and then the occupation began. As Russia intensified its offensive, Ukraine began to resist in its own way. It has been a month since the war began on March 24.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 953 civilians were killed in the Russia-Ukraine war in a single month. Of these, 78 are children. 1559 people were injured. This includes 105 children. Ukraine says 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed. But Russia has not confirmed this. Russia also claims that 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers were killed. More than 35 million people have fled Ukraine. Who won when these figures were checked? Who lost? Assuming that 15,000 Russian soldiers were killed, it is safe to assume that the dependents of so many families were orphans and homeless.
The same is true of the families of Ukrainian soldiers who lost their lives. In a lifetime, 3.5 million people have fled, abandoning everything they built. When will they get their lives back? The damage and suffering of the Russian-Ukrainian war is not limited to these direct tragedies. It has affected exports and imports and has had repercussions internationally.
With the imposition of sanctions on Russia, the countries that import crude oil from that country are in trouble. Similarly, the industrial and commercial sectors are facing a setback as exports of many minerals from Ukraine to many parts of the world have come to a standstill. In addition to this, there is the suffering of foreign nationals who have been to Ukraine for education and employment.
The people of the world, along with the innocent citizens of that country, have to pay the price when dictatorial rulers try to tackle problems that could have been resolved through negotiations and consensus with force and military force.
There are many historical and geographical facts behind the seemingly unnecessary and irrational Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine’s desire to join the NATO alliance prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky has called on Ukraine to join the NATO alliance in January 2021. The. The President had asked Jobidan.
Russia, however, opposed the move and called on Western nations to ensure that NATO does not carry out any military operations in Ukraine. NATO allies Norway, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia share borders with Russia. Putin estimates that the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine could pose a threat to Russia. Based on these concerns, Putin justifies the occupation of Ukraine.
The threat of the Cold War that existed with the United States during the Soviet era of imperialism still exists in another way. Russia, the central nation in the divided Soviet Union, still cannot accept the US increasing its power and influence through the NATO alliance.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, many areas were divided. Putin, the current ruler, insists that although they have become independent nations, they must remain loyal to Russia. Russia and Ukraine have been embroiled in controversy since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
There have been a number of clashes between the two countries over the past eight years. At the same time, Ukraine is an independent country. Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe in terms of area, certainly has the power to decide its own policies. But there had to be adequate diplomacy when adopting policies. NATO nations, including Ukraine and the United States, which are not yet members of NATO, are not directly involved in the war other than providing military equipment.
The Ukrainian people are almost alone on the battlefield. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Selensky has failed miserably in maneuvering to deal with Russia, the world’s second-largest military power, and its neighbor. However, despite the growing public outcry against Putin in Russia, Selensky is unaware of the displeasure of his own people.
Peace talks began on the fifth day after the start of the war, but to no avail. The UN-led talks will continue to pave the way for a ceasefire. This is because the war is no longer limited to Russia and Ukraine.
The Ukraine-Russia war has plunged India into a number of diplomatic crises. Russia, NATO and Ukraine are allies of India. In a state of impunity, India has adopted a non-violent diplomatic approach. Therefore, it was up to India to repatriate the last remaining Indian to Ukraine on Operation Ganga.
The Central Government has rescued more than 20,000 Indians stranded in Ukraine through Operation Ganga. The death of Naveen, a medical student from Karnataka, in the Russian shelling in Harkivil still haunts us.
Madhavan B Nair
The author is the Chairman of the World Hindu Parliament (USA)