Today, February 24, 2022, marks one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine with his army. His justification for the invasion is based on his opposition to Ukraine becoming a member of NATO and the European Union. This has been a significant gamble for President Putin. He had anticipated that his forces would overrun any opposition and that Russia would achieve its goal in a matter of weeks. Not so. With tens of thousands of casualties, destruction of cities, and millions fleeing the country, the war has brought major headaches for President Putin.
Around 8 million Ukrainians have been displaced across Europe and further afield, while thousands of soldiers have died on both sides. Various Western sources estimate the conflict has caused 150,000 casualties on each side
Europe has been more united than before, and Russia is on the receiving end of hard sanctions imposed by the West. One year on, global support for Ukraine remains strong.
The invasion has been denounced by the international community at large since it began. Even Pope Francis has demanded that the conflict end right away. China, Iran, and India, close Russian allies, have attempted to distance themselves from the conflict by requesting a cessation of hostilities and the promotion of dialogue to resolve their dispute.
“All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said, stressing that “nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought.”
Furthermore, the United Nations General Assembly, overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution calling on Russia to end its hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. Although the resolution is non-binding, the vote serves as a barometer of world opinion.
Pakistan, on its part, has clearly and rightly stayed away from taking sides and has also called for dialogue between the two warring parties. It retains a close relationship with Ukraine, and Russia, in defense and economic areas.
“We have always advocated for peaceful settlement of disputes and believe that peace and dialogue are important in resolution of this conflict as well,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on the eve of the first anniversary of invasion of Ukraine by Russia on Feb 24.
The war is still a threat to Europe and the world, and has impacted global oil and food prices. There will be no winners, only losers, and the world will pay a high price unless common reason prevails and all parties agree to negotiate about bringing an end to this tragic and senseless war.
