- Despite several efforts at diffusing the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, there are no visible signs of a thaw in the conflict even as the human costs, as well as economic costs, keep mounting by the day. Even though the Western and European countries led by the USA have announced a slew of sanctions on Russia, autocratic Putin appears unperplexed in pushing ahead with his agenda to achieve intended objectives. The United Nations General Assembly and Security Council have failed miserably to contain the genocide thereby baring naked the impotency and the increasingly irrelevant roleplay of the organization in the altered global scenario.
PC: MARIAM KHAN
- Since the war continues unabated on the ground, every international leader worth his/her salt has only succeeded in raising unyielding sabre-rattling rather than scuttle the aggressive Russian strongman Putin’s uncalled-for warmongering. It is disappointing to observe how the once mighty America is hardly being heard with attention having considerably lost traction, heft, and weight over the years. Against this backdrop, US President Joe Biden’s call to prosecute Vladimir Putin for war crimes at the reported discovery of civilian killings and mass graves in Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv merely reflects outrage and hollow mutterings, nothing more.
- Of course, he may also be reflecting political motives to shore up his presidency and restless Democrats, who are reportedly not happily placed for this year’s midterm polls. Unfortunately, it adds nothing to efforts at stopping the ongoing war after almost a month-and-a-half. Make no mistake, leaders must know how to read a situation and prioritize their goals with clarity. And we are aware there is no way Putin, the autocratic leader of nuclear power with a seat at the UN Security Council, will actually be prosecuted. Nor does he care about such charges seeding the day of light in the event of peace being called sooner than later.
PC: Rajesh Singh
- Given their respective positions in the international order, the US and Russia should work at some level to end the war in Ukraine. Here, countries like the UK, France, China, India, and some other relatively better-positioned leaders too can essay an important role. Of course, this is also in Ukrainian interest as well. As mentioned above, despite a slew of sanctions against it, Russia has not exactly crumbled. Moreover, Russia may have misread the depth of the Ukrainian resistance and overplayed its hand with its military operation. However, Putin cannot afford to lose face after pushing ahead so far.
- Therefore, even if it costs Russia economic setbacks and loss of military personnel and material, Putin will very likely persist with military operations in Ukraine till these meet some objectives. He must be aware of the fact that NATO has made it abundantly clear about not getting directly involved in Ukraine. As such, the US should work on finding diplomatic solutions, in consultation with Kyiv and the EU, to offer Moscow a facile face-saver through negotiations. Thus, US officials should undertake clever diplomatic maneuvering to nudge Putin to the negotiation table. War dragging on incessantly will not benefit anyone, least of all the under-the-pump Ukrainians.
