As if the atrocities inflicted by the pandemic were not enough, on the 24th of February, 2022, the ongoing dispute between Russia and Ukraine descended into tyranny.
The current president of Russia has justified his doings by calling this war a "special military operation". The Russian leader's aim is to overrun Ukraine and depose its government, permanently ending its desire to join NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a western defense alliance that guarantees the safety and security of all its members through military and political means.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, recently stated that “democratic Ukraine was not a sovereign country, but a mere extension of Russia” and states that the independent state of Ukraine is nothing more than an ‘Anti-Russia project’. Although many attempts by powerful bodies like the United States government and United Nations have been made to convince both parties to come to an agreement, they have all been proven to be futile thus far. This has led to one of the most controversial events in the 21st century. Both sides have wreaked havoc not only on the battlefield but in all sectors of the world. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has predicted that the war will lead to slower growth and faster inflation. This can prove to be detrimental to the overall growth of mankind. Such a financial crisis could lead to even more problems, such as world hunger, poverty, spreading of diseases, unhygienic living conditions, lack of resources, failure of businesses, and much more. This shows how war doesn’t just affect the parties involved, but the entire world as a whole.
Statistics show that over 4000 civilians were killed out of which 268 were children. Thousands of proud real estate owners lost their land. They were forced to flee, unable to get jobs as a refugee. Even providing for their families seemed to be an impossible task. The destruction that was wrought upon by the war, scathed the innocents.
War can also cause mental stress, as can be inferred by the emotional turmoil that was faced by people worldwide. Even tourists, students, innocent men, women, and children faced the ill effects of war, directly or indirectly.
Food, construction, petrochemical, and transport industries in Europe have been immobilized. The entirety of the world has been put in a very complex and delicate situation.
This war has ruined the lives of millions and made life a living hell for all those who were affected. There are no winners in war. And although war has its fair share of ill effects, it has shown us that humanity still prevails in today’s time as even sworn enemies have come together to assist those in need.
Bibliography:
n.d. "Number of civilian casualties in Ukraine during Russia's invasion verified by OHCHR as of June 1, 2022" Statista. 1 Jun, 2022. Web. 5 Jun, 2022. <https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293492/ukraine-war-casualties/>
Neuman, Scott. "In Ukraine, the road to war was paved by the failure of diplomacy" NPR.org. 24 Feb, 2022. Web. 5 Jun, 2022. <https://www.npr.org/2022/02/24/1073015013/ukraine-russia-invasion-war-diplomacy>
n.d. "Ukraine conflict: What we know about the invasion" BBC. 24 Feb, 2022. Web. 5 Jun, 2022. <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60504334>
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