The Ukraine war has devastated and increased the humanitarian crisis in Europe. Exposed to several fault lines on the basis of race and geopolitics across the world. Ukraine is suffering from a major setback from this war, as things are not coming to any kind of end meet.
It has been a month since Russia has invaded Ukraine and announced its “special military operation” on February 24th. To liberate the self-declared republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine and “DE nazify” them. The war has led to numerous political developments, some of which are unprecedented in world history.
According to the UN, in one month of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, 1035 civilians have been killed. This includes people who have been killed in areas controlled by the rebels in the Donbass region. The number of armed forces personnel killed on both sides is also uncertain as neither side gives factual data. Both sides have accused each other of violating agreements over humanitarian corridors to provide safe passage to people trapped in war zones, such as in Mariupol and Kiev.
The Russian forces have declared a unilateral ceasefire on several occasions to facilitate the evacuation of people from these cities, which helped thousands of people reach safety. Ukraine has however refused several times to adhere to such concessions. The West, bias nature has refused to accept Russian claim regarding the presence of neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine in the early phases of the war, has gradually accepted their presence but seems to be condoning their actions.
Neo-Nazi groups have reportedly been using civilians as human shields against Russian advances in several places. They have used war to abuse people of the Third- world nations by not allowing them to leave the country. The western media has either ignored these events or called them “Russian propaganda”. Meanwhile, government across Europe and the US, have exposed their racist outlook during the course of the war.
After witnessing the humanitarian crisis and large-scale destruction caused by the war, most Western countries have refused to address the core concerns raised by Russia. Russia recently explicitly stated that it is seeking to establish a “peaceful, neutral and friendly state [in Ukraine” and that peace could be achieved after Ukrainians accept these terms. But, both Zelensky and NATO members have refused to make any assurances. US President Joe Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and vowed to increase military and financial aid to Ukraine to face the Russian threat.
Russian banks and businesses have been subjected to multiple rounds of sanctions and illegal acts of property seizures by European states. These sanctions will cause hardships for common Russians. Also, the fuel prices have shot up in the last week after the US and some other countries announced sanctions on energy supplies. Despite champions of democracy, the EU and several other countries have issued an unprecedented ban on Russian TV channels and news portals, such as RT and Sputnik, claiming that they spread Russian propaganda.
Thus, as said by Clausewitz, “War is the continuation of policy by other means.” And this has been proved in this war between Russia and Ukraine. Where there is no way ending and it only seems to go in a parallel direction, where the lines never meet. The war, causing havoc on both sides should come to peace-making instead of sanctions and giving out racist calls.
