Putin’s war machine has entered the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, to take over an independent, sovereign, and autonomous space in the Eurasian Theater. In this hour of armed hostilities, the Ukrainian President has the responsibility to defend the territorial integrity and statehood of his country from the military offensive drive and violent assault of the authoritarian leadership of Russia. Russia’s economy can only rise if a democratic system is introduced and its opposition is given a space to express and question Russian public policy, including foreign and security policy. A free and open society galvanises its strength when it is reposed in a system that is responsible, accountable, and transparent. A war against Ukraine is Russia’s war against its identity crisis. Ukraine must defend itself to rise to the occasion that the world is behind principles and purpose that acknowledge freedom, liberty, justice and truth.
The ammunition of the foreign and security policy of Ukraine must counter-attack violence. And in this case, the Transatlantic Community is wholly supportive of Ukraine in defending what 1990 set in motion for its future. The triumph of liberal democracy is braving the assault of extremism and its varied forms and salience around the world and in this country. In contrast to the pessimism of hard power reality, liberalism promotes positivism in human nature and progress in human society. The current conflict resembles images and reality from World War II, and it categorically divides the modern world into blocs of freedom and peace versus blocs of authoritarianism and violence. So it is the choice of a free and open mind to choose peace and to defend peace against the warmongers. Building peace is uneasy and apathetic to those who cultivate hatred and psychopathology towards violence-laden regimes. Peace is defended not through war, but war is defeated through peaceful approaches. Peace at all costs must be preserved, and civil society and public intellectuals must vehemently defend the ethos and principles of democracy where deliberations are peaceful and creative conduct.
Many sages and wise leaders advocate peace. When violence is perpetrated, it is the responsibility of the guardian to defend those who infringe the right to existence and the credible right to defend their brethren and kith and kin. In this hour of brutal invasion, Ukraine must defend itself and every peace promoter urges dialogue and diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict situation by convening leaders to sit at the table to recognise the pillars of non-interference and non-aggression. This principle has been violated by the Russian state in the past and in the present to divide and destroy the Ukrainian system when Russia got many privileges from it when Russia quit the legitimacy to remain in Soviet Ukraine. And it is to be kept in mind that the flow of history is not in Russia’s favour but towards the destiny of freedom and the spirit of fraternity of a country that sees the European dream and continental identity aligned in democratic design. This is the difference between the worldviews of Moscow and Kyiv.
Russia is paying a high price for its isolation from the international community, and the situation will never return to its pre-isolation state. It is the Russian people who are going to suffer from the Russian leadership. Multi-polarity and multilateral world orders have their future in democracy and not in autocracy. Democracy is perceived as a perverted nature of a utopian myth instead of a reality in the 21st century. A free and open society even differs from the notion of the Westphalian unit of the nation-state. Such societies follow their democratic trajectory in international relations, concomitant with the globalising world that has enabled and empowered rights and liberty for the people who consider themselves citizens of a country, as well as global citizens concerned with policy choice and political voice.
Human history has never gone so far as to open eyes and ears to images, constitutions, and communication on such a grand and massive scale. It is portending that world society is converging on the one hand and nativism is withdrawing into localism on the other. Our common issues and common concerns are contested, and we can achieve their fruition in a democratic society and not in a system that might prevail over civil rights and liberties. Ukraine and its people must stand firm in defence of their country and resist attacks on the principles and purpose of existential space and time. Russia will be confined within a perimeter of its frontier where a democratic consortium of peoples and nations will put sanctions and the European Community will be united to mete out punitive measures for conducting “unprovoked and unjustified warfare.”
There are glaring examples of countries where big powers could not overcome the resilience and stamina of victimised people and countries that endured the ordeal and hardships of violence. So great a power may experience defeat brutally, and they will be detested vehemently for military adventure in an innocent country. The price of innocence is dearer than the price of war, conflict, or violence. This cost not only great power’s esteem, but also its failure, for example, to morally enrich life and liberty in order to lead the weak. Power will flow through a robust society, a vigilant critical civil society, and a democratic state in the coming epochs. Power is not defined by waging war but explained in action by defending the principles of democratic conviction in political society. The tenets of an open and free society are based on liberal values and norms where a fair, just, and honest system prevails over dark rooms and chambers where undemocratic and untrue churning of fiction or disinformation is cooked and fed. Liberal rights must prevail over undemocratic might and its inhuman wrongs. Peace must prevail over war. Humanity must prevail over insanity. Ukraine is fighting to be free and independent, and the world must renew its commitment to liberation and justice, as well as to relentlessly pursue and serve the truth.
