The worrisome warfare.

Soon we will be completing two full weeks into the war. Ever since the war has erupted, the world has been grouped into three parts; one backing Russia (Belarus), second rooting for Ukraine (USA and NATO) and the last, walking a tightrope walk (India). Recent developments of the war can lead us to the assumption that Putin is in no mood to withdraw his forces off Ukraine in the near future. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has turned out to be a great leader who did not prefer leaving the country gripped into the war. His recent warning about likely Russian invasion of Baltic States has sent terrifying vibes to the world. In case Russia invaded Baltic States, the Russian influence would stare at Western Europe.

Baltic States which comprise of three independent countries i.e. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were part of erstwhile USSR. Following the dissolution of the former USSR, the Baltic countries announced their sovereignty and declared themselves as independent states. In 2004, Baltic States membered themselves to NATO and EU, showing a major tilt towards western world and reversing the previous world order on its head.

Justifying his sinful attack on Ukraine, Vladimir Putin questioned his predecessors (Lenin, Khrushchev and Stalin) for committing mistakes and vowed for regaining the lost glory of Russia. Here it becomes pertinent to throw some light upon the so called ‘mistakes’ which Putin referred to.

First of all he blamed Vladimir Lenin, the leader of Bolshevik revolution which helped topple the Romanov dynasty in 1917. According to the speech given by Putin, Lenin in order to stay in power handed over some lands to Ukraine following the fall of Romanov dynasty. The second target of Putin was Joseph Stalin who succeeded Lenin. Stalin was blamed for transferring some lands to Ukraine previously belonging to Poland, Romania and Hungary. Thereafter, came the turn of Nikita Khrushchev who served as the leader of erstwhile USSR for as many as 7 years. Putin inculpated Khrushchev owing to his decision of transferring of Crimea from Russia to Ukraine.

A close analysis of Putin’s discourse would lead us to the understanding of his indomitable will of not lending recognition to Ukraine as a separate entity from Russia. With the granting of independent status to Luhansk and Donetsk and rooting for a possible coup in Ukraine, if media reports were to be believed, Putin has clearly rolled out his expansionist policy - a vital instrument of communist ideology.

At a time when Ukraine is reeling under the devastation channelized by Russia, some countries of the world are busy calculating the diplomatic equations and safeguarding the interest pertaining to their foreign policy. We sitting here in India, located miles away from Ukraine cannot even feel the minutest of the sufferings felt by Ukrainians. No matter how brutal the war is, history has always shown table top discussion to be the sole contributor in announcement of ceasefire.

Diplomatic solution, a term being mentioned intensively these days, by the countries who are either outrightly voting in favor of Russia giving grounds for its invasion or choosing to abstain from voting, signaling a pro-Russian stand, is the only way out to quell the lingering tensions between Russia and Ukraine. When the danger of nuclear bombs cannot be written off completely, considering Russia’s attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia, the international fraternity must chalk out a solid strategy so that pacification can be accomplished steadily.