The war launched by Russia in Ukraine nearly a month ago smacks of Soviet nostalgia as ordinary citizens mount a stoic defense of their independent homeland, experts and commentators alike argue. Meanwhile Ukrainian cities are collapsing into ghost towns in the face of Russian tyranny and constant indiscriminate shelling.
Monday | March 21, 2022
Russia is hell bent on razing Ukraine to the ground from all directions bar the eastern periphery for the most part. By the look of things, it is unwilling to consider any position that is against its 100% gain of objectives on invading and occupying a neighbouring state. After pounding and crushing Ukrainian critical infrastructure and decimating innocent lives at the beginning of the war, resistance had grown in the interior and Russian soldiers had to delay and regroup in some instances.
It is a war that is now dragging, a pronged slug out experts profering it caught Putin’s henchmen by shock. On the contrary, economic sanctions are hammering Moscow’s industries at an alarming rate as the clock ticks by. Yet, there is no sign of retreat but reinforce by Russia as the talk of enlisting mercenaries become common jargon. As a matter of fact, the local police are running a heltersketter out of breath to contain anti-war protests in different parts of Russia. And this too, is occurring more than usual. The Kremlin must be spooked.
As Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged Russia President Vladimir Putin for one-on-one negotiation about the war in Ukraine, Putin demanded that Mariupol administrators surrender. That for him will show headway in his eastward expansion through annexation of Ukraine’s sovereign provinces. And Ukrainians are paying a heavy price with their lives to fend off Putin’s relentless thirst for their land. The mayhem scholars content last seen in World War II.
Meanwhile United Nations UN) Secretary-general António Guterres called for Putin “to stop the war” on February 24, the night of Russia’s invasion, United States President Joe Biden called him “a war criminal” after blowing up a theater that reports suggest it sheltered children, women and vulnerable people.
Countries supporting Ukraine during this war like Poland, Romania, Slovakia by taking in refugees, United States, and the West are treated as their allies, thus, Russia’s enemies. On the other hand, countries assuming a neutral posture or explicitly pro-Russia in the garb of Belarusian and Syrian colours are viewed by the West and humanitarian organisations with skepticism and are Russia’s accomplices and enablers.
All wars end through negotiations, Zelensky bellowed in one of his reassuring diplomatic pronouncements in the midst of Russian shelling of the state he leads. Appearing from the capital city, Kyiv, which is seen as Putin’s most prized grab, cut across a confident and stoicism of a true war president fully in charge of a population under siege yet existential combat.
The UN Security Council and general sentiments across the world are calling for talks between these two countries and their allies. In the same vein, no word uttered by Putin nor emerging from Moscow can be believed, Former Ukraine President Pedro Poroshenko said in the earlier developments of the war.
On Monday Mar. 21, Poroshenko appeared on Al Jazeera where he said that “do not only put pressure on Russia” through sanctions but support the people of Ukraine on the ground.
Roundtable resolution
Not Poroshenko’s warning outstanding, Zelensky still hopes for an around the table negotiation with the aggressor, Russia. To pin his hopes on the talk mast on Saturday Mar. 20, 2022, Zelensky told GPS host Fareed Zakaria on CNN that he is prepared and willing as ever to end the war by talking to Vladimir Putin. He went further to caution the whole globe of a potential World World III if his request falls on (Putin’s) deaf ears.
Instead of talking to Zelensky’s message of straightening and fixing the two countries’ differences, Putin has been calling for Maripol to be surrendered to Russian forces with arms. Again, Ukraine rejected that order from Moscow. Therefore, deciding to stay the course to fight and buffer their cities with whatever little they have. Still, Ukraine is suffering heavy losses, mainly the ordinary citizens, much less properties that took years to build. Mariupol Deputy Mayor Sergei Orlov told CNN that 90% of the city is destroyed.
At the moment, those who have the strength and means continue to leave their bombardment in their neighbourhoods to seek shelter in underground bomb shelters. While others skip the country and leave everything they knew and culture behind. Ukrainian infantry continue steadfast to push back the Russian assailers.
Now there is fear that Russia may unleash deadly weapons haphazardly. Consistent with this level of uncertainty is a hysonic missile that struck the military barracks near Poland border killing tens of soldiers. Quoting the governor, Al Jazeera reported on Mar. 13 that “Russia launched more than 30 missiles at the training facility near the western city of Lviv, killing 35 people”.
As the war on Ukraine territory gets prolonged unabated, the government ordered all its men between the ages of 18 and 60 to stay put and lend their hands. In the meantime support in different forms keeps coming for those left behind. Since the advances of talks with Putin are being initiated by the Zelensky, there seems to be very little if any shred on what preoccupies the Russian President’s mind. The world is hoping for peace in this dark hour which befell Europe in the midst of many atrocities unleashed mainly in Africa and the Middle East in recent history.