An article in the British newspaper "The Guardian" warned that failure to stop the Russian war on Ukraine and punish the regime in Moscow - which he described as rogue - will have costly repercussions at the global level, especially for European countries.

In his article for the newspaper, Simon Tisdale, a commentator on international affairs for the Guardian, said that Russia's victory in its war on Ukraine would herald a new era of instability, economic fracture, famine and social unrest.

The writer highlighted that there is a disturbing discrepancy in the positions of some Western countries and the United Nations regarding the war, which indicates weak coordination between those countries and UN bodies in this context.

contradictory positions

He said that there is an astonishing contradiction between the position of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the position of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson;

Guterres launched an initiative to urgently stop the war in Ukraine, and his spokesman announced his intention to discuss urgent steps for peace, and hold immediate personal talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at the same time that Guterres announced his initiative that Putin was untrustworthy, and asked: “I really don’t know how the Ukrainians can sit (at the negotiating table) so easily and reach an agreement… How can you negotiate with a crocodile? When your leg is between its jaws?"


The writer explained that this blatant disparity in attitudes indicates a lack of coordination on the most effective ways to deal with the war, and highlights a broader problem that is a disparity and even opposition to the approaches taken by Western leaders towards the crisis, which are sometimes governed by self-interest, despite their affirmation of the unity of their goal.

He said that the anger of Western countries sparked by Putin's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 has begun to fade, as has the wave of optimism that followed Ukraine's success in repelling the Russian advance towards Kyiv.

With Moscow's massive and slow military campaign in eastern Ukraine, there is now growing concern that the conflict will be protracted and that the massive economic and human damage it will cause may be permanent and of a global dimension.

lack of planning

The writer pointed out that Johnson, in dealing with the crisis, does not look beyond the current moment, as he stated that the United Kingdom and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will continue the strategy of imposing sanctions on Russia and providing Kyiv with weapons.

Although Johnson supports Ukraine's freedom and independence, he, like other NATO leaders, lacks a well-thought-out, long-term plan to make it happen.

The writer wondered: What would happen if the Ukrainian forces began to lose the war?

What if Ukraine is divided or on the verge of collapse?

He pointed out that the bill for failure and Putin's victory in the war would be very high.

He said that the past week offers a glimpse into the bleak future that awaits humanity if Putin manages to continue his war unchecked, continues to commit atrocities and threatens to use nuclear and chemical weapons, undermining the UN Charter.

The repercussions of the war are beginning to unfold, as the International Monetary Fund has drastically lowered its growth forecasts due to the conflict, and predicted a rupture of the global economy, increased debt and social unrest.

Serious repercussions

The writer touched on aspects of the repercussions of the catastrophic war on several levels, including the flight of 5 million Ukrainians from their country since the beginning of the war, in a way that exacerbates the refugee crisis in the world.

And he quoted World Bank President David Malpass as saying that a humanitarian catastrophe is looming as a result of the unprecedented increase in food prices, which is estimated at 37%, due to the interruption of supplies due to the war, noting that this increase has thrown millions of people into poverty, and caused a rise The number of malnourished people, and the reduction in funding for education and health care for less affluent peoples.

And the writer concluded by saying, "Let's be realistic: Ukraine may lose this war despite the heroism and sacrifices of its people, and Putin may win. If the West abandons its principles and values ​​and allows this to happen, the long-term price that awaits everyone will be a new world of pain."