No End in Sight: How can we put an end to Ukraine’s tragedy?
[객원 에디터 3기/ 한동민 기자] Since Russia’s troops first trespassed into Ukrainian territory on the 24th of March this year, the Eastern European nation has found itself engulfed in one of the most brutal conflicts of the 21st century.
In response, countries across the globe have enacted firm economic measures against the Kremlin – banning the entry of new investments into Russia, freezing the foreign assets of the country’s two largest financial institutions, Alfa Bank and Sberbank, and sanctioning crucial state-owned enterprises and top government officials, including president Putin’s children and relatives of foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. In addition, multinational companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola have ceased operations in Russia. While severe in nature, these economic retaliations have – up to now – proven no use in stopping Putin’s ambitions of absorbing Ukraine into Russia’s territory and regaining the former glories of the Soviet Union.
In a recent United Nations Security Council session, China, India, and North Korea abstained from voting on measures against Russia. In particular, India’s neutrality has induced US president Biden to urge Indian prime minister Modi to decrease his country’s reliance on Russian oil and gas imports in a virtual meeting on the 11th of April. This concern reflects the extensive reliance on Russian energy for many European states, forcing governments to navigate the tricky waters between containing Russian aggression and protecting domestic industrial activities.
The world economy has decreased its dependence on oil over the years, with oil intensity – the number of barrels of oil consumed per real dollar of gross domestic product – falling to half of its level in the 1970s. While this may signify Russia’s gradual weakening role in the global energy market, the heavy dependence on Russia to power national economies remains an unresolvable obstacle to sanctioning the core of Russia’s export industry.
Furthermore, recently surfaced reports have revealed atrocious human rights violations across Ukrainian cities such as Bucha, where more than 500 people have been killed and signs of rape and torture have been observed, prompting Biden to accuse Putin of genocide on the 13th of April. “More evidence is coming out about literally the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine, and we’re going to only learn more and more about the devastation,” he stated. “We’ll let the lawyers decide, internationally, whether or not it qualifies [as genocide,] but it sure seems that way to me… I called it genocide because it’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian.”
As global citizens, we can support the victims of war in Ukraine by donating to relevant charitable organizations and petitioning our local government officials to accept more Ukrainian refugees. More crucially, international organizations like the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) must stand up during these times of human injustice and take a firmer stance to bring about peace and order in Ukraine.
As more countries and leaders across the globe voice their opposition to the Kremlin – whether through public speeches, lobbying at international conferences, sending weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, or going on a state visit to Kiev – there is rising hope that Ukraine will not only successfully resist Russia’s intrusion, but show the world that the notion of humanism – that humanity will fight for a brighter and just future – is still well and alive in our contemporary age.
Sources: The New York Times, Euro Times, NBC News, ABC News, Wilson Center, The Washington Post, BBC
