War, as we all know it, is a terrible thing. Lives are meant to be lost, because of the decisions of certain men at the helms of affairs.
Along the line, we tend to understand that while certain wars are necessary, others are not. Sometimes, we do not tell a man how to fight against the enemies who obviously want his life, because we aren’t wearing the shoes itching him. Harsh decisions could be his last resort, in order to protect his family.
Maybe we would end up making similar decisions as he did, should we find ourselves subjected to the anguish that comes from wearing the same itching shoes.
Many nations seem to blame Russia for waging a war against Ukraine. The actions of its President – Vladmir Putin – have been constantly criticized in the media, and terrible sanctions have been placed on the country.
But are we entirely to blame the man for his actions? Let us expound this with examples, using African countries.
Let us assume Russia to be Nigeria while regarding Ukraine as Biafra. We can also understand this analysis better when we have a country like Cameroun, in place of the USA.
See it that Nigeria and Cameroon are arch-rivals that dislike each other. Let’s say Cameroun is the most powerful country in Africa, and hate Nigeria for failing to recognize her supremacy. Nigeria, being the third most powerful in Africa, makes it obvious that they are also developing weapons of technological warfare that can equal or outdo whatever the Cameroonians have in their possession, should in case, a need arises to use the weapons.
Cameroon, in trying to monitor the affairs of Nigeria, finds it hard to succeed, given the fact that their spies haven’t gotten close enough to establish the real capacity of what Nigeria has in her possession.
Seeing that Biafra is the closest and easiest access to Nigeria, Cameroon begins a romance with the supposed independent country. This Romance later led to Biafra wanting to join an organization that comprises of a league of nations with common interests and goals – an organization that Nigeria has sworn not to join, especially because it is mainly controlled by Cameroon.
Nigeria gets angry with Biafra and warns her leaders not to be involved in the organization while making it clear that they do not want anything pertaining to the organization around their border.
Oh yes, the Nigerian Government, in trying to protect its borders from drills of enemy troops disguised as an organization, decides to take over Biafra, so the plans of Cameroon wouldn’t work.
Russia and Ukraine were once under the Soviet Union, and following the dissolution of the USSR which had its capital in Russia’s Moscow, you wouldn’t blame the country for disliking the USA.
America scattered the USSR after the war and decentralized its power. There is this funny and common fear, that Russia will one day seek means of dividing the USA into countries, as a form of payback. Imagine the USA losing a war that will scatter the big states into countries. Imagine California being a country of its own.
In January last year, the news had it that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had urged US President Joe Biden, to let Ukraine join NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations with an aim of providing collective security against the Soviet Union.
This decision of Zelenskyy angered Russia, who sent troops to the Ukrainian borders.
According to Al Jazeera news: “Russia has demanded an end to NATO’s eastward expansion and said Ukrainian membership of the US-led Atlantic military alliance was unacceptable.
Shelling had intensified since Monday when Putin recognised two separatist regions as independent and ordered the deployment of what he called peacekeepers, a move the West called the start of an invasion.”
Already, it is observed that countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, including: Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyzstan, seem to stand by Russia.
Putin had told Ukraine to surrender, and denounce their romance with NATO – this way there will be no need for bloodshed, and they can still have their country back. I guess the offer wasn’t good enough to stop the already- happening war.
If you were in Russia’s shoes, what will you do? Will you just allow NATO troops to do their military drills around your border when you’ve made it obvious that you want nothing with them?
What would you have done differently when you know that the US wants to monitor you under the disguise of NATO?
Written by: Edward Amah
