Janayugom Webdesk
September 26, 2022 5:00 am
R215 days have passed since the Sia-Ukraine war. The military operation launched by Russia, which gave the impression that it would achieve its goal very quickly, has not been seen for seven months, and the severity of its consequences has affected the whole world. Not only the rise in prices and availability of petroleum fuels, food grains and chemical fertilizers, it has created a severe crisis in the world economy and politics. There are warnings from many quarters that the blockage of grain and fertilizer flows from Russia and Ukraine could lead to famine and unrest in developing countries. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been forced to cut global growth rates for the fourth time in a row. The growth rate has decreased to 4.9 percent from 6.1 percent in July 2021. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) estimates that more than seven billion people around the world were pushed into poverty in the first three months of the war alone. They also predict that more than 18 crore people in 41 countries of the world will starve if the war continues. Reports from there say it will be dark days staring down the people of Russia and Ukraine as they are dragged into the war. Europe is entering winter. The economic sanctions imposed on Russia under the leadership of the US are leading not only Germany, which is the best economy there, but also the European economy to a severe crisis and people’s lives are suffering. Concerns are strong that the lack of Russian natural gas could even lead to mass deaths of the continent’s poor populations.
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The signs that the Russia-Ukraine war is leading to a strong return of right-wing fascist forces in European politics cannot be ignored. War-induced inflation, collapse of economies, loss of jobs and misery of the common people become fertile ground for such reactionary politics. Germany, which has been heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, has seen its supply cut, with factories and other businesses employing thousands of workers on the brink of closure. The neo-fascists are using it as an opportunity for political exploitation. As of this writing, the results of Sunday’s election in Italy are yet to be announced. However, the democratic forces in Europe are looking at the prediction that the right-wing party will come to power after Mussolini, in which the fascists have a decisive participation. The right-wing victory over the Social Democrats in last week’s parliamentary elections in Sweden is not an isolated incident. The right-wing party also made a strong showing in the French presidential and parliamentary elections. The right-wing party also secured power in the Hungarian elections. Peacemakers and democrats around the world need to recognize that the Russia-Ukraine war has weakened democratic forces in Europe and that the far-right and neo-fascist forces are benefiting.
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Popular protests against war and conscription are growing in Russia. Even those who have so far supported Putin are raising voices of dissent. Over two thousand people were arrested in the last two days. Putin’s bold actions and leadership are being questioned in the news. The indications given by the news that India and China, who have not dared to publicly question Russia’s position so far, have asked to try to solve the problem through negotiations at the UN and Shanghai Cooperation Organization platforms are clear. They call attention to the fact that the continuation of this war will lead to a serious crisis not only for Russia and Ukraine but for the whole world. It cannot be assumed that Russia will abandon its national interests to end the war. For that, the US and Europe will have to reconsider their positions. The world is looking forward to see what global organizations including the United Nations can do in that regard.