We seem to lurching from one horror to another these days. Many of us are still nervous about Covid-19 despite our vaccinations, as well as finding it hard to adjust to the lifting of the restrictions. Then comes along the harsh realization that there are serious economic consequences to the pandemic. Some countries, and some individuals, are cushioned against the worst of it, but the world as a whole will find the aftermath of the pandemic hard, the poorer people and nations being hit disproportionately hard.
Into this mix of gloom of pervasive uncertainty and fear, came news of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine—into its third week now as I write this. ‘Peace in Europe’ is no longer to be taken for granted. The pattern of aggression and territorial ambitions and the tactics employed by Putin in Ukraine are not dissimilar to those observed in World War II, although Putin is playing out his aggression over a longer time scale. He is also testing the water bit by bit: when will the enemy (the West) stir into (re)action? His invasions are scaling up:
Chechnya: 1999 - 1 million people
Georgia: 2009 - 4 million people Syria: 2015 (by proxy)- 17 million people
Ukraine: 2022 - 44 million people.
The more ‘red lines’ (such as the use of chemical weapons in Syria) are crossed by dictators unchecked by the West, the more emboldened they become in ignoring new red lines. It is really sad that even peace talks and ceasefires often turn out to be just opportunities for the aggressor to re-group.
I can’t be unique in admiring the incredible courage and integrity of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the sheer resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people faced with the far superior military might of Russia.
An Anglican prayer starts by invoking God ‘whose Son went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain’. As Christians look forward to Easter, the time of renewal and new life, let us hope that all those who are suffering pain at this time will find peace and joy.
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