It’s always the same with these conferences…The Great Men don’t know what they’re talking about, and have to be educated.
Sir Alexander Cadogan, Yalta,
6 February 1945
GREAT leaders are sometimes
unable to grasp the true nature of a problem. What is going on in Ukraine right
now is devastating. In any conflict, ordinary people, particularly women and
children, are the primary victims.
More than two million
Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced from their homes and have now become
refugees. Families have been split from fathers, brothers and husbands. It is
unclear whether they will be reunited with their families anytime soon.
Ukrainian authorities have
instructed able-bodied men to remain to defend the country from the Russian
aggression. According to reports in the media, Ukrainian military have stopped
some of their citizens at railway stations and border checkpoints, urging them
to protect their motherland.
The Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported 1,424 civilian deaths in Ukraine
as of March 8.
OHCHR claimed that explosive
weapons with a huge effect area, such as heavy artillery shelling and
multi-launch rocket systems, as well as missile and air strikes, are to blame
for the majority of civilian deaths.
The actual figures, according
to the OHCHR, are far higher, particularly in Government-controlled area and in
recent days, because information from several locations where significant
battles have been taking place has been delayed. This includes, for example,
the cities of Volnovakha, Mariupol and Izium, where hundreds of civilians are
said to have died.
When I observe the current
crisis in Ukraine, I have a few things in mind.
To begin with, what is
expected of a country’s leader when a crisis looms? Whether it is to protect
the people and the country’s borders, or to face a formidable foe with the
knowledge that “friends” will come to his help and he or she will do whatever
it takes.
Sun Tzu wrote in his book, The
Art of War, that if you know your adversary and yourself, you will not be
afraid of the outcome of a hundred wars. If you know yourself but not your
opponent, every victory will be followed by a defeat.
And you will lose every war if
you do not recognise the adversary or yourself.
This phrase perfectly
describes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s stance to the country’s
dispute with Russia.
Even though the indicators are
evident, Zelenskiy was nonchalant of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
intention to “invade” Ukraine. He also believed too much in the North-Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders’ assurances, particularly those from the US
and the UK, that they would stand behind him in the event of a confrontation
with Russia.
When he was requesting
military assistance from other countries, I am also curious as to why he
invited his own people and foreign fighters to fight against the powerful
Russian army.
Putin undeterred by sanctions
Per the apnews.com, Poland’s
Border Guard said that 22,000 people from all over Europe crossed into Ukraine
to defend Ukraine. Zelenskiy has made it illegal for men between the ages of 18
and 60 to leave the nation. Foreign volunteers are also being sought to fight
to defend Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities.
History has shown that some
self-proclaimed “great leaders” endanger the very people they lead, putting
their country and its people in wars they cannot win.
Ukraine is an example of that.
People died as a result of a leader’s gaffe. Again, please do not mistake me
for a Putin admirer; rather, I am examining this matter objectively.
When windows of opportunity
appeared to find a peaceful settlement rather than start a war, Zelenskiy squandered
on the opportunity.
The issue here is, Putin does
not want Ukraine to join NATO, which was explicitly rejected by Zelenskyy, resulting
in the current war.
Ukraine is a sovereign
country. It has the option of joining whichever organisation it wishes.
However, Ukraine has a long history of close ties with Russia, and any move to
ignore the historical ties will enrage Russia.
Zelenskiy should have
considered the ramifications of going against Russia. The EU and NATO’s “false
assertions” led him to feel he had the required support to combat Russia, which
backfired spectacularly. Instead of listening to those with vested interests
against Russia, Zelenskiy should have considered the interests of the Ukrainian
people as a whole.
In the wake of Russia’s
conflict with Ukraine, Zelenskiy declared a few days ago that he had simmered
down about Ukraine’s quest to join NATO. He also stated that the alliance is
wary of difficult issues and conflict with Russia. He also did not want to be a
country that was pleading for help on its knees. He was willing to talk about
the control of Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, which may
pave the way for peace talks with Moscow.
Before Russia began an attack
on his country, Zelenskiy should have comprehended this. The current trajectory
indicates that Putin intends to utterly overrun Ukraine. The West’s
unwillingness to participate in this conflict, particularly NATO, as well as
continuous economic sanctions against individuals deemed close to Putin,
propels the Russian strongman to go all-out to win it.
History has shown on several
occasions that when windows of opportunity to resolve conflicts are lost, a humanitarian
crisis will emerge. That is precisely what is happening in Ukraine at the
moment. – March 13, 2022.
Source:https://focusmalaysia.my/zelenskiy-made-a-fatal-mistake-by-trusting-nato-part-1/
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