The war in Ukraine and Russia: an Update

Abstract

The declared reason of the Ukraine invasion was the anti-separatist activity in the Donbas since 2014. Apparently, it has been exaggerated. Fighting separatism within national borders is justifiable, exemplified by Russian activities in the Caucasus. The 1991 borders of Ukraine were recognized by all nations. All provinces of Ukraine voted for independence in the 1991 referendum. Admittedly, majority of residents in the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine are Russian-speaking whereas some people were disappointed that their region had not become a part of the Russian Federation. Ideally, peace should be achieved by negotiations, producing a reasonable solution. This seems to be impossible in the face of the current Russian leadership. Certain foreign actors may be interested in a continuation of the fratricidal war, and there are misgivings that Vladimir Putin has come under their influence. If the power in Europe shifts to the East, it would come along with losses of liberties. History teaches that rejection of liberalism and human rights leads to usurpation of the rights and freedoms by unscrupulous individuals. Freedom is a precondition of any morality. Only to those who are free, the moral discourse can be addressed. Autocratic regimes tend to be kleptocratic. Dictatorship monopolizes corruption, which becomes systemic. Elimination of dictatorship in a society, which is unprepared to liberalism, may lead to anarchy, illustrated by the events in Russia after 1989 as the communist regime broke down. This tendency is known, discouraging the opposition. The latter is further discouraged by mass intimidation. The intimidation policy with exaggeration of crime-related dangers is perceptible in Russia since the last decades. Russian leaders are blamed for aggression. Should the world become multipolar, armed conflicts may become permanent. In some ways, this would be a return to the 20th century, or even earlier times. A constructive alternative is a global leadership based in the most developed parts of the world. Gigantic projects could be realized by united humankind instead of rivalries and military expenditures.