Anuranjan Jha
It has been a week since the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Russia may have previously expected that it would settle Ukraine in 24 to 48 hours, because it was sure that NATO countries would not extend their hand to Ukraine with their military powers, because that step would only lead to the third world war. . As has been the case so far, Britain and other European countries have limited themselves to defensive military aid in the face of economic sanctions. It has been so, but inside in an attempt to crack down on Putin, Britain is definitely mobilizing other European countries.
On the one hand, Britain has imposed all kinds of economic sanctions on Russia and Putin, as well as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also traveled to Poland and Estonia. Speaking in Poland, Boris Johnson bluntly accused Vladimir Putin of killing innocent Ukrainian children with “barbaric and indiscriminate” bombings. He said the Kremlin dictator is killing innocent civilians by launching airstrikes on Ukrainian cities with his deadly rockets.
“I could not have imagined such a time in international affairs, when the distinction between right and wrong, good and evil has become clear,” with Johnson saying it was “tragedy” and horrifying. Maybe because the barbaric Putin will go further. Ever since Putin ordered his nuclear system to be on alert, the whole world has been watching him with skepticism. Obviously war cannot be the solution to any problem and when you attack any independent nation just because you fear that it may meet enemies in future, then what else would it be called if it is not madness. Certainly the war between Russia and Ukraine is standing at a point where it can lead to anything.
The opposition to Russia and Putin is no longer just political and diplomatic, voices are being raised against the attack across Europe, including Britain. Protests against Putin and support for Ukraine are now on the streets across Europe. Here in Britain, people in big cities as well as in small places have started raising their voice against Putin. The crowd gathered at Trafalgar Square in London was enough to tell that not only the government of Britain but also the people here are with Ukraine, but they have no opposition to Russia or the people of Russia, but they are directly against Putin’s imperialist policies. Raising their voice against
Thousands of people demonstrated there for hours, including hundreds of Russian citizens who were directly blaming Russia’s power for this war and placards in their hands saying that they do not want war, they are in favor of Ukraine. They are standing because they want that the personal freedom of any human being should be given the highest importance. The entire Trafalgar Square was lined with blue and yellow flags, the national flag of Ukraine.
Anger towards Vladimir Putin was visible from the words of the protesters, at the same time the pain and despair of this war was clearly visible on their faces. When I was talking to Philipp, an employee of the department store Aldi in Shrewsbury, and I said that this was a kind of terrorist attack, he replied with aplomb that this is not just a terrorist attack, now it is a war and we are all Europeans of Ukraine. are together.
Anger was clearly visible in the eyes of the man who always looked calm. Demonstrations in support of Ukraine had started in different parts of Britain since Saturday, which are continuing. In Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Shrewsbury and Norwich hundreds or thousands of people are raising their voices in favor of Ukraine. The people here know that if the war drags on for a long time, there will be difficulties for the people of Britain, inflation will increase. Britain, already reeling under Brexit, will find it more difficult to bear the burden of inflation, but they are also concerned about the common people of Ukraine as their lives are in danger.
Holding a placard of slogans written against Putin, Richard said that we have an idea of the consequences of the kind of economic sanctions Britain is imposing on Russia, first of all we will have to pay a heavy price for fuel. Richard was right because the very next day there was a tremendous jump in the price of petrol in Britain, which has reached the highest price ever. Shropshire’s senior journalist Peter Rhodes said Britain was the only person in Europe who knew Zelensky before the war, and those who knew did not take him very seriously. But the way in which they have stood against Russia to save the freedom of their people, now the whole world has started knowing them, we are with them and history is written like this.
Apart from Britain, there are also fierce protests in countries like Germany, Netherlands, Poland and Estonia. Obviously, not only the governments of Europe, but also the common people here are with Ukraine and when talking to the people here, it is clear that human rights are at the first place for them, so everyone is opposing the war.