APD | Suffering of small nation in game of big powers

Kathmandu, 2 March 2022 Wednesday / War is never an answer or the solution, everyone agrees with this statement. But it is unfortunate that a war has almost broken down quickly in one part of the world since last few days, one of the severe in post-World War II era.

Last week, when the Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s two regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities, it led to the escalation of the ongoing crisis between the bordering nations.

Since then over 350 have been killed while over 400,000 civilians have fled the country turned into refugees, seeking safety and shelter in the bordering countries, while there is prevalence of bloodshed, high logistics cost and changed international reactions.

It has only been three decades of independence in Ukraine as it gained autonomy after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

But all of sudden, dramatic changes occurred in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale attack against it. Following this, many countries from across the world came forward to condemn Russian aggression together and joined in trade and financial sanctions.

Russian tanks and fighters got down on Kyiv and other cities leading to a drawing of a thick gap between the West and Russia.

While Putin is condemned each moment for the invasion, which he claims as the need for “legitimate security concerns”, the role and responsibility of the West, world super power US in particular, has repeatedly been questioned.

The US had promised to protect Kiev at critical moments, however its unwillingness to extend the most urgent and needed support to Ukraine has disappointed many, who claim it of benefitting from the “add fuel to the fire” situation.

Earlier in a video speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment that the Western countries have abandoned Ukraine and left it to defend itself alone. The President was quoted as saying that “the fight is here” and he needed anti-tank ammunition but “not a ride.”

The US reiterated that it wouldn’t send troops to Ukraine, but came up with the shallow diplomatic rhetoric by saying it “will support the Ukrainian people as they defend their country,” and “will provide humanitarian relief to ease their suffering.”

This has upset Ukranians and other close observers who express disappointment over the US and its selfishness to the world. The current crisis is a result of a geopolitical tragedy in which many have added the fuel to the fire for their own interests.

The recent failure has reflected how the small nations can become victims and are left behind of the Western assistance. Experts are of view that the smaller countries like Ukraine can easily fell prey to the illusion of backing by West, be it the US, the UK, or EU.

As they say, nothing comes for free, the classic example is the West’s support and action coming in the form of selective economic sanctions currently.

Ukraine is not the only example. The Afghanistan crisis and its fall is a living example to understand how far the West can go in taking benefits from of smaller and weak nations. When the American troops opted withdrawal from Kabul last year, the country was forced to face the ill fate alone in front of Taliban, with devastation and displacement of millions in the last decades.

According to reports, at least 37 million people have been displaced in several war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Syria among others. Many claim it as a direct result of the wars fought by the US since 2001.

As people from across the world are pleading for the war to stop, social media, particularly Twitter, has been filled with concerns and comments and analysis of the current crisis.

“For Americans, the conflict is not expected in civilized European Ukraine as it is not an Iraq or Afghanistan. This is the crux of world’s problem,” one wrote, while another one wrote, “The barbarism will lead to more bloodshed, more killings of innocent civilians and children and more tragedy. To be noted, Saudi Arabia’s airstrike has been killing the people of Yemen since 2015. In between 6 years, it has been said that at least 377,000 Yemenis have been killed.”

A commentator Ashok Swain stated that the “US interventions since World War II is not new, be it in engagement of bomb attacks, sabotage or attempted regime change….The Americans need to realize that the world has changed. “

Referring to the US President Joe Biden’s approval of 350 million US dollars in military aid for Ukraine, Swain further stated, “Sending arms to an urban insurgency in Ukraine will kill more Ukrainians. If you cant put your soldier on the ground, don’t instigate a civil war like Syria, and it will lead to massive loss of life and make many refugees.”

The Professor further mentioned, “Thousands of Russians are protesting on a dictatorship against Putin’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But thousands of Americans were cheering in a democracy to support Biden’s unlawful invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is a difficult time, but also time to reflect.”

Other analysts are of view that as the US is crying for invasion in Ukraine at present, its necessary to remind it of its own invasion in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and other small countries. “They have become the victim of US imperialism for decades. Allies are divided, “another post read.

Powerful states, be it the US, Russia or China cannot impose their political will on smaller and weaker nations through colonial approaches. Small countries should never be used in the game of big powers.

The super powers should be mindful if they are preaching the slogans of democracy and human rights, while overlooking these principles for their interests and igniting conflicts in smaller nations. Hypocrisy might serve them for the short term, but not for long.

Today, the world, which is just struggling to recover from the deadly pandemic, needs dialogue and a peaceful solution, not war and destruction.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)