Power Games, Human Costs

The Russia–Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, has inflicted untold misery on millions and left both nations’ economies in ruins. To grasp the roots of this tragedy, we must look beyond the battlefield to the history and geopolitics that set the stage.

For decades, the United States sought to weaken its Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. Through the CIA, it channelled billions into unrest and internal dissent, pursuing a larger hegemonic goal. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 was no accident, critics argue, but the result of Western manoeuvres. Mikhail Gorbachev, under pressure, agreed with President George H.W. Bush to dissolve the Soviet Union and dismantle the Warsaw Pact. Washington, in return, gave assurances that NATO would not expand eastward. Yet almost every former Warsaw Pact nation was soon drawn into NATO, creating what Moscow viewed as an existential threat.

Ukraine became the next flashpoint. The elected government of Viktor Yanukovych was toppled and replaced by a pro-Western regime. In the Donbas, Russian-speaking communities faced discrimination, violence from extremist groups, and forced displacement. Orthodox churches were attacked, and unrest deepened. Against this backdrop, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a political novice and vocal critic of Russia, rose to power with Western support.

The Minsk Agreements, brokered by Germany and France to stabilise Donbas, offered a chance at peace. But repeated violations eroded trust and left the conflict unresolved. Meanwhile, a new generation of European leaders emerged—more hawkish than their predecessors. Figures like Boris Johnson, Ursula von der Leyen, Kaja Kallas, and Emmanuel Macron pushed for escalation rather than dialogue, often echoing Washington’s line. Over it all loomed the unpredictable shadow of Donald Trump.

For the U.S., the aim has remained clear: to secure a unipolar world order. Acting as a global policeman, it imposes sanctions freely, bends international institutions to its will, and justifies interventions under the familiar pretext of “bringing democracy.” The United Nations, once a check on such power, has been reduced to little more than Washington’s voice.

Today, Ukraine is a dangerous tinderbox. Instead of pressing for negotiations, Western leaders continue to funnel arms and money, prolonging the war and deepening instability. Conflict-related deaths are now at their highest level since the Second World War. Violence is spreading, peace is receding, and entire regions stand at the brink of chaos.

The need for saner, peace-minded leadership has never been greater. Citizens worldwide must raise their voices against warmongering and reckless geopolitics. Humanity deserves a future where nations coexist in peace, not one consumed by power games. Our world is far too precious to be squandered by ambition and arrogance.

Views expressed are personal