- The ongoing conflict between Russia-Ukraine appears going nowhere with both sides stubbornly sticking to their respective stands. As the wise gentlemen before and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned recently, there is no clear winner in a war. This maxim is proving to be correct yet again in the case of the present conflict too. Huge losses of lives and property at both ends alongside considerable damages to the economy have failed to make the opposing leaders see the futility of waging a war. History is replete with innumerable destructive wars yielding anything but miseries on the people. Lessons are not learned despite destructions.
PC: Rezaul H Laskar
- Why then do our modern-day leaders fail to recognize this simple fact of life but royally ignore it to press ahead nonetheless? Did someone say elephantine egos are at play? It is. Why then would Russian President Vladimir Putin keep pushing ahead with his ill-advised move against Ukraine despite not gaining much traction over the last few months? Debilitative sanctions imposed by the European and Western Countries have obviously not deterred nor stopped Putin from waging a war nobody desires. Let’s look at where the situation stands right now. Ukraine’s victory in the Southern Kherson region comes after military gains in the country’s east.
- Over the last weekend, Ukrainian forces recaptured Lyman – a strategic rail hub that will be a staging post for pressing into the Russia-claimed provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. The latter, along with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, was recently declared annexed by Moscow. This has raised the possibility that Russia’s nuclear cover will extend to these areas. With Ukrainian forces now clearly operating inside Russia-claimed territories, things could get hairy if President Putin believes he has no option but to up the ante, which, of course, will be catastrophic for Europe and the world. Otherwise, he may be given a reprieve by the winter, and therefore the war will carry on for far longer.
PC: RFE/RL
- Looking at the way the war has panned out, despite all the sympathy Ukraine deserves and the courage shown by its armed forces, there must be cool calculations of the costs that are only bound to escalate even further. A thought is gaining ground that Ukraine needs to be realistic even though it is difficult to swallow. Ukraine must realise that Putin may prefer blowing up everything rather than surrender now. That he does need something so he can spin away a retreat. Plus, the war has taken a massive toll on the Ukrainian economy, and cannot afford even more damage to its own well-being.
- We know how India has reached out to both Moscow and Kyiv by walking a difficult diplomatic tightrope. India can help with peace talks what with PM Modi recently speaking to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and calling for the cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue dialogue. This is sensible and Putin knows even his main strategic partner China isn’t happy with his Ukraine operations. This gives some leverage to bring him to the table. Some European countries want the conflict to end, and not wait for a victory over Putin. It makes sense to try and persuade Ukraine. As of now, peace looks elusive but isn’t impossible to make the leaders see reason.
