IT speaks much for the degeneration of moral standards in the world that so far, it’s only the Western countries which have fully condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the incredible amount of destruction caused by Russian bombardment of Ukrainian towns and other habitats.
One need not take any notice of what the Westerners say, of course, since they have many invasions of foreign countries on their own consciences – such invasions as that of Iraq and Afghanistan, in particular, and several others.
All invasions should be condemned, for they have caused dozens of deaths in the world, in both the 19th and 20th centuries, and been sadly carried over to the 21st century.
Those Africans who do not see the need to condemn the Russian
invasion of Ukraine usually say that “NATO was courting Ukraine”, and that “Russia attacked Ukraine because” attack is the best form of defence.
That notion is as illogical as it is dangerous. Just because someone has good relations with someone else that you might consider an enemy, must you attack that first person? If you know how to attack, why not attack the one whose relationship with the first person is annoying you?
Ahah! You cannot attack that person because he is strong enough to hit back at you? But you can attack the other person because he is too weak to cause you any loss of sleep? That, I am afraid, is the way cowards behave. Pick on the weak, for the strong may give you a bloody nose.
Any country that picks on weaker countries for attack must be seen as an ogre to be feared by all other weak nations. For, if today, it’s Country “A” that’s been selected for brutal attack, tomorrow it may be Country “C”.
Those who know African history will tell you that when Italy invaded the African country of Ethiopia on October 3, 1935, those with eyes to see realised that Hitler and his fascist friend, Mussolini, were using the invasion to “test the waters” for bigger acts of brigandage elsewhere in the world in years to come. And as sure as sunrise, they launch a full-scale war against most of Europe in 1939.
The invasion of Europe, of course, became The Second World War! That was because European countries controlled many African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin-American countries, which they sourced for commodity and manpower supplies from their colonies, many of whose people had not even heard of the so-called “enemy” countries.
For instance, soldiers drawn from my poor, remote village in the Eastern Region of the Gold Coast, went and died in East Africa and Burma, without ever getting the opportunity to explain to their relatives at home, where they were being killed and why.
Few people in the African hinterland had ever seen the sea, and they could not imagine that there were places like Burma, Abyssinia or Tobruk, where people were sent to shed their blood without ever meeting any of the people they were “fighting against”.
After the Second World War, hope arose that the idea of being “at war” would vanish from the world forever. The “United Nations Organisation” was set up, with the objective to ensure that all future disputes between nations were settled by “peaceful means”.
But that has turned out to be a daydream. Human selfishness or short-sightedness has stymied peace in such different countries as Korea, Indo-China, or Afghanistan. And now, Russia has, by invading Ukraine, brought the world back to a feeling of real, tangible insecurity.
Russia claims (as already remarked) that she invaded Ukraine to prevent Ukraine from bringing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to Russia’s doorsteps. But what has happened since Russia invaded Ukraine?
Finland and Sweden, two European countries that live in close proximity to Russia, and some of whose politicians had always tried to get them to join NATO for safety’s sake but had been resisted by the rest of the populace, have now given almost universal approval to a new move to take the two countries into NATO!
Is that what President Putin hoped would happen when he invaded Ukraine? Attack is the “best form of defence”, say Russia’s apologists. They will soon learn that unprovoked invasion can be extremely costly in the consequences it brings about.
Right now, Russia is practically cut off from the Western economic system. Germany, arguably the richest country in Europe, is seeking oil and gas supplies from elsewhere, in order to stop buying those items from Russia.
And by blockading Ukrainian food exports to the rest of the world, Russia is creating famine and food shortages in many countries, and collecting widespread blame for that.
And what does Russia gain from all that? I can’t see it.
I just can’t see it!
BY Cameron Duodu