New Year of Peace and Hope? |
In spite of all the knowledge we have in our time, we have not even come close to solving how to avoid wars and conflicts between countries and peoples, ethnic groups, classes, and more. We could have done more, but we have not given priority to it. This is indeed evident as regards the major wars currently raging in the world, in Ukraine, Palestine, the Sudan, and elsewhere.
The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, but it started earlier, with the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and even before that in eastern Ukraine. Today, with the use of drones, it certainly also affects civilians and infrastructure in many cities, especially electricity supply in the cold winter weather. Every month, the fatal casualties continue to be many thousands on both sides, and many suffer terrible physical and psychological injuries which can never heal. After the meeting between Zelensky and Trump last Sunday, the two presidents seem to believe that there may be hope for peace in 2026. President Zelensky wants to hold some form of referendum, so that people can express their opinion about the peace plans that are yet to be finalised. And then comes the challenging part of trusting that the plans will actually be honoured by Russia, which is the aggressor, and it will also face difficulties in gaining acceptance by the people in Donetsk, Donbas, and other Ukrainian provinces in the east, which Russia occupies and wants to take permanently. The millions of displaced Ukrainians abroad will be needed at home, and the country will need major long-term assistance from the West to rebuild the land, and also establish some kind of future relations with Russia, remembering, too, that the people of the two
National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency issues New Year safety advisory for mobile & data users
countries have close ties.
The Israeli war in Gaza, and also in the West Bank in Palestine, has gone on for over two years, although there is a formal ceasefire since 10 October 2025. The war began........