(Photo credit: Postermywall/Commons)
Tentative peace talks have been intermittently held to end the war in Ukraine virtually since Russia launched its invasion on February 24. Yet, despite the saturation of the conflict that has continued to dominate headlines for the past two months, very little has been mentioned in the UK about ending the bloodshed.
There have even been cynical suggestions that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been using the war to deflect attention from his domestic woes, namely calls for him to resign over the “Partygate” scandals.
The invasion rightfully provoked outrage and led to a barrage of economic sanctions against Russia by several Western governments.
Unprecedented support, often in many novel ways, has been drummed up to support the embattled Ukrainian people, with millions displaced and seeking refuge in other countries.
Some, such as Germany, have boosted their military spending, while others have sent arms in addition to the military training provided in preparation for the inevitable conflict.
The Ukraine war has been seen differently in many non-Western countries, with many countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America not supporting the campaign to preserve the status quo world order that has allowed the US and its allies to run roughshod over international laws.
This was emphasised when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for Russia to be suspended from the Human Rights Council, which resulted in nearly half of member countries voting against or abstaining.
It should be remembered that it was the former US President, Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council over its frequent criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Regarding taking Russia to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine, it should be recalled that Washington, as well as Tel Aviv, are not even members, as they do not want to be prosecuted for their crimes against humanity. The UK itself has resisted calls to have the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, charged over the illegal war in Iraq.
The World Health Organisation Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is among those who have implied that the media coverage of the war in Europe’s second-biggest country is racist when questioning whether “the world really gives equal attention to Black and white lives.”
Militarized conflicts elsewhere in countries like Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and the Occupied Territories are virtually ignored.
Much of the aggression is often aided and abetted by the sale of Western arms, including weapons produced in Britain.
The invasion by Russia represents a failure by all parties concerned, fully aware that war has long been on the horizon, but doing nothing to stop it.
