2024: TIME FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE?

Too many have died on both sides. Both sides would quite clearly prefer a normalisation of affairs if at all possible... or better said, as soon as possible. We are all human beings after all when the essential fundamentals are admitted. Killing, wounding and attempts to do both don't come naturally to human beings. They enter this arena under certain circumstances only.

Many mistakes have led to this occurring. Too many to count stretching back too many years now in Ukraine. Ultimately no borders are required or should be required, especially not among the Slavic people. They, in their natural state should live as brothers and sisters, enjoying the basic usual things in life we all value most. The rise of false differences through extreme nationalism is the enemy of all we share as people, it rots the bonds that are so precious. Then, after those with extreme minds have done their work we see the fabric binding all decent, ordinary people together begin rapidly to fray. Knitting back that fabric becomes impossible then for a painfully long period of time.

The process cannot even start until perhaps half a decade... or even more passes. During this time many horrors are experienced. While the fighting goes on all descend to a human hell. It will take people of strong hearts and goodwill to start the process of knitting the fabric of life together across the Slav peoples of Ukraine and Russia. If that process can be started by certain brave and selfless hearts out of a compassion that has been distinctly absent then the process can begin... and ultimately normalisation can move forward. And in perhaps as little as a half decade borders need no longer be important as all hearts have come to see the benefits, the invaluable benefits of common, simple purpose and the joy that can slowly emerge from the healing process.

Sooner or later of course this must all end and the healing process will then start, most likely with glacial slowness.

To all intents and purposes, gauging the number of years the attempt was made, Vladimir Putin DID wish to see the Donbass remain inside the territorial borders of Ukraine. It is hard to believe that BOTH negotiating teams were merely playing for time in order to build up their strengths. In 2014-15 Putin rejected calls by those in the Donbass who called to be allowed to join the Russian Federation. With a view to taking them in at a later date by decree/force? Doubtful. But doubts may well exist within Ukraine. Nevertheless we are where we are.

What now? Russia does not require to take more territory. And Ukraine does not require to regain what has been lost. In what scenario? In the scenario of a future time when all this is in the far past, when the borders are open, trade going on as before and no nationalistic violence occurring... that is, when normalisation has taken place and bedded in.

THIS is where we ought all to be looking. There is no decent future available along the path we are presently taking for those increasingly threatened by the spread of violence we see now and that which appears likely to emerge in the days, weeks and months ahead. It’s time to start a renewed peace process. Some may say it is not yet time for this, however, the USA at least, if not the UK/EU, has expanding commitments elsewhere and appears to be readying itself to end its active engagement in Ukraine.

Before this conflict reaches an even more more bloody and destructive stage, with the threat of a general collapse of the Ukrainian nation and dangerous anarchy is let loose, before we reach a stage where the great powers begin thinking in terms of nuclear weapon use… is it not perhaps the time to begin searching for a peaceful resolution to this? A peaceful resolution that guarantees the Russian-speaking population of the Donbass a renewed peace and security, safe in the knowledge that their pro-Russian culture, legacy, affiliations and education system are guaranteed for all posterity. And renewed peace and security too for the people of Ukraine as they clamp down on the Nazi-mentality extremists in their midst and start to rebuild.