Opinion

Ukraine: Freedoms must be fought for, but peace has to be pursued – The Irish News view

As the Russian invasion enters its third year, we pray that the guns will soon fall silent

A resident looks for belongings in an apartment building destroyed during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Borodyanka, Ukraine (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
A resident looks for belongings in an apartment building destroyed during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Borodyanka, Ukraine. The war is entering its third year (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
By The Irish News

Today marks the second anniversary of Russia’s morally indefensible invasion of Ukraine and a senseless conflict which has done nothing but bring bloodshed, death and horror.

There have been thousands of deaths and casualties since Vladimir Putin directed his soldiers, tanks, drones and missiles at Ukraine’s towns and cities. The United Nations says it has been able to corroborate the deaths of more than 10,500 civilians, with almost 20,000 wounded, and admits that the actual numbers are significantly higher. It is thought that more than 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed.

Russia’s losses are almost incomprehensible, with 315,000 of its military personnel believed to have been killed or injured. And yet Putin presses on, even though it is entirely unclear what he really hopes to achieve.

Another aspect of the unfolding human tragedy is the more than 14 million Ukrainians - around a third of the population - who have been forced to flee their homes during the war. More than 6.5 million are living beyond the nation’s borders as refugees; we have been privileged to welcome many to our own shores.

When they will be able to return home remains profoundly uncertain. As the war drags into its third bloody year, the resolve of Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s courageous and inspirational president, seems as firm as ever, yet he is asking whether his Western allies’ commitment is waning.

The Russians “are taking advantage of delays in aid to Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said this week. An enormous $60 billion aid package from the United States has been bogged down by politicking in Washington; it’s a scenario that makes many fearful for what might happen if Donald Trump, who has said he admires Putin, returns to the White House.

The death last week of Alexei Navalny and the subsequent crackdown on those Russians brave enough to seek to pay tribute to the Putin critic is a reminder of at least part of what is at stake, and why Ukraine is fighting so hard. “They know what freedom of speech is, they know what a better life is in terms of a life in a democracy,” Tánaiste Micheál Martin said this week.

And yet we must also say that war cannot be the only answer. As we in Ireland know only too well, peace must also be pursued. Even as the war rages on, we pray that the guns will soon fall silent.