Mohd. Siddiqur Rahman :
At this juncture when the whole world is still engaged in fighting with the Covid-19 and its variants and upset with the myriad troubles, Russia has made invasion on Ukraine to the wonder of this populous world on 24th Feb, 22. Conscious global people are seen very much loud and vocal against this conflict and contention urging to make a halt to it in no time. We also want the same, express solidarity in tune with them.
Covid -19 has taken a toll of about 70 lac people till to-date, and its invasion is yet to be over, infection and death is still in continuation. Obviously when all 197 countries of the world are going through the manifold sufferings, the current Russian invasion is a stinging blow on the people of the world. This invasion has naturally given rise to a great anxiety and pushed us into the fear of global economic depression and worldwide political instabilities.
Nevertheless, military aggression from Russia is in continuation, occupied a few cities by this time at the cost of thousands of lives and of wounded people. Russian forces are preparing to bombard Odessa on the Black Sea Coast. Ten days after Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 1.5 million people have left the country as informed by United Nations. On the 11th day hundreds of thousands of mostly women and children fled into the neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania or Moldova for refuge. There are plans to take over the capital: Kyiv then whole of Ukraine. On the contrary, the West and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are very keen to protect it and keep it in their grip. According to experts, Ukraine is historically and geopolitically most important to both of them. The West has imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russian businesses, banks and billionaires in a bid to choke off the country’s economy. In an efforts to freeze Moscow out of the world economy , US-based card payment giants Visa and MasterCard announced they would suspend operations in Russia , while world leaders vowed further punitive action if Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to change the course of warfare . The Ukrainian Military said it was engaged in fierce battles with Russian forces for the control of borders at the southern city of Mykolaiv and the Chernihiv in the north. Since Russia escalated air attacks, President Zelensky appealed to NATO to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine but it was rebuffed. Putin has threatened colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe but also the whole world if a no -fly zone is set up.
Politically the USSR was divided (1940 to 1991) into 15 union republics – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Estonia , Georgia , Kazakhstan , Kirghizia, Latvia , Lithuania , Moldavia, Russia, Tazikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. At the heart of the current crisis between Russia and Ukraine is NATO, a group of 30 countries including the US, UK, France and Germany. The decision of Ukraine to join NATO and NATO too is open to make Ukraine its member outraged President Putin and forced him to invade Ukraine. Russia does not want at all NATO to allow Ukraine to become its member as it will expand grouping’s footprints to its border. Ukraine border, being strategically and geopolitically crucial, Russia cannot afford to allow Ukraine to be NATO’s member as it would pose a great threat to the security of Russia.
Now the great question in public mind how long will Russian aggressions continue this way. In February and March 2014, Russia Invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. God forbid, if there is any design for having the lost unions rescued in future, it would be leaving a devastating impact all over the world. Previous occupancies and deadly attacks to grab the territories prove that Mr. Putin is an extremist and imperialist and he would not stop if he is not stopped. Russia is most resourceful with its largest deposit of gas and oil and equipped with highest defense force in Europe. Ukraine asked help from allied powers and the United States to resist the aggression. European Union and the US have extended all possible assistance but NATO will not set up no-fly zone and send any army to the land of Ukraine to avert possible risk in the region as reported.
The whole world is very much concerned to think about the future, being turned into a global village, we are closely connected with one another. If big powers stay involved in war, global supply chain of food, oil and gas would be seriously affected; many people will die facing unprecedented worldwide economic repression. And the world order will be shattered once again. It is a good sign that efforts are under way to bring the major stake holders to the negotiating table for finding out peaceful solutions to this deadly crisis. As conscious citizens of the world, we wish from the core of our heart major breakthrough over the issue. The United Nations should come out and play out its due role to bring an end to this unwanted war. It should be ended before it is too late to be ended.
(The writer is an ex-country manager of Biman, Bangladesh Airlines in Frankfurt, Germany).
