I hope the Ukrainian spirit which represents freedom is not crushed
It’s a sunny, peaceful morning here. Birds fly and sing over the rooftops, and squirrels swing from trees. At the same time, beautiful Kyiv is under siege. Traces of smoke from homes rise into the sky. A once peaceful and progressive country, now gradually reducing to anarchy with alarms and drones as a daily acquaintance. I’m concerned that in this era of technological sophistication, free will and freedom suffer suppression. The human race will never learn from the past. In Russia, people are awake to sip on warm tea, cuddle, and love, while in Ukraine, people are terrified, hiding, with death and destruction hovering over them. Children will go to school in Russia, but their peers in Ukraine will not. This is not one of those war movies we see on Netflix. It is reality.
While this reckless brouhaha continues, I’m left to wonder why the heart of some leaders are full of arrogance and aggression. I’m left to wonder why good men who want to protect their land die in unnecessary strife. I’m left to wonder what will happen to thousands of international students and workers who contribute to Ukraine’s economy and how the mass exodus will impact the growing economy. I’m sad that families will become fatherless, childless, jobless and homeless in a few weeks. What about the destroyed infrastructure, the schools, roads, airports and residential buildings? I tried to follow the events leading to the war, and I realised that Ukraine had been under siege for almost a decade. This invasion was the final wrap-up. However, I hope the Ukrainian spirit, which represents freedom, is not crushed.
World leaders need to speak and act. No sanction can stop the bully. Sanctions are business-related. We know how business transactions end in the long run. If the supposed world leaders chose to stay quiet over this destruction meted by Russian forces, let them remember that the world changed again under their watch because of indecision or fear to act. I’m sure; good must win at the end.
Finally, note that all destructive wars in history started in Europe. I want to raise some questions; maybe there’s a problem with the foundation of European civilisation? How will modern Russia feel when foreign forces invade their territory? Have we ultimately arrived to dance on the war drums beating since 2020? I hope not.
Oke Iroegbu's Blog 