A minority, that is roughly 18% of the United Nations’ members, did not think it just to condemn Russia for its "limited operation" in Ukraine. They chose, for reasons analyzed in differing dimensions, to take a "neutral" position. Some later explained, there were justifications of security for Russia to have done so.
The vast majority thought otherwise, that the security matter wasn’t a persuasive argument. Their view of Russia as an aggressor and guilty of war crimes is one that the media as we know it supported in skewed coverage.
For all, the much taunted technical gizmos at hand, Russia’s tactics, intent, and resilience against counter measures could neither be forecast nor worked out. Two months into the conflict, no one knows anything for sure, barring speculation that sounds stale.
Seven years ago, when Russia annexed Crimea and created the restive border areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, neither the world nor Ukraine chose to, indeed could, do much about it. With pro-Russian administrations effectively running affairs there, the world and Ukraine went about their everyday activities.
That that was a shrewd, tactical approach was misread by all. Except Russia. Then again, maybe not.
Three odd years ago, there were murmurs in the media that at least one of the Baltic countries had put their security apparatus in preparation mode for a possible Russian attack. Little was made public any further, but it seems incomprehensible that the West hadn’t taken cognizance.
Just as obtuse is having expected Ukraine’s NATO ambitions not to be perceived as a threat by Russia. Vladimir Putin didn’t let matters be resolved by chance.
So here we have Volodomyr Zelensky appealing for a no fly-zone that he can’t enforce; that NATO doesn’t want to enforce. And we have a climb down from NATO ambitions.
The first, Russia knew. The second is one it won’t trust. The chances are a split of Ukraine by which a buffer zone can be established from any future NATO threat.
The war in Iraq was mostly about energy safety for the West. This one has scuttled such "safety." At stake is one third of Europe’s energy needs, and 41% of Germany’s. The sanctions imposed hits that hard and has prised out the United States zealously guarded sticks of shale oil and gas reserves.
Of further concern will be the shutdown of one third of the world’s wheat crop combined between Ukraine and Russia.
With wilting agricultural production causing food shortages and climbing prices, the added phenomena will wrinkle more foreheads than up for comfort. Edible oil supplies, in particular sunflower, all coming from Ukraine and Russia have been squeezed for Europe.
Europe’s moves away from dependence on Russian exports will take both time and the ability of OPEC and the US to cough up supporting supplies. That won’t come without cost. Yet, whatever cost sanctions were made to have on Russia could well be circumvented by the country coming to agreement with India and China to begin with.
Geo-political analysts haven’t asked the question why Russia with its borders with China never consider that as a threat. It’s because the western media don’t want it seen that way.
Some of the images from Ukraine turn the stomach. Paste that alongside images of Iraq or Syria, and there are gruesome similarities that never got portrayed as such.
Western media have been unabashedly racist in their coverage, and the United Nations, in its outrage, has exposed its colours too. Yes, the concern about women and children fleeing or unable to flee the conflict is disconcerting. But when Poland and others open their doors to refugees from Ukraine, the question beggars why a few months ago they took such a hard line against those from the Middle East that desperately sought refuge.
Humanitarianism cannot be one-sided.
Zelensky speaks daily to keep his nation’s spirits up. What he achieves by speaking to parliaments and elected bodies elsewhere is up for question. No one will send troops or aircraft to fight this battle for him. His soldiers have been heroic in a one-sided war that he cannot hope to win.
Putin knows when and where he will stop. Till then, it’s just a matter of all bark and no bite by the rest of the world. He has prepared well, and no one could see through his moves.
What he has effectively done is poked the world in the eye to show, once more, that there are more ways than one of skinning the cat called territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Mahmudur Rahman is a writer, columnist, broadcaster, and communications specialist.
