(International Observer) On the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calls for peace and talks are getting louder

　　China News Service, Beijing, February 24th: On the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calls for peace and talks are getting louder.

　　China News Service reporter Shang Yong

　　February 24 marks the second anniversary of the escalation of the Ukraine crisis.

The prolongation of the conflict has caused a huge impact on the economies and people's livelihood of Russia and Ukraine, and many people hope to see peace as soon as possible.

Affected by the sanctions against Russia, Europe is suffering from energy crisis, economic recession and many other pressures. Anti-war demonstrations broke out in many countries last year, calling for a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

A few days ago, American reporters revealed "private talks between the Russian and Ukrainian military" and British media revealed that "Germany and Virtue persuaded Ukraine to accept peace talks." Although the news is vague, it also reflects the "sense of fatigue" in Western society about this protracted conflict.

　　In the two years since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, the international community has generally supported the two sides in resolving the crisis through dialogue and negotiation, and the calls for peace have become louder.

　　Ukraine: Recovery, but also demographic distress

　　Two years of war and bullets have not only left scars on the hearts of the Ukrainian people, but also left the country devastated.

Ukraine’s State Grid Company previously announced that more than half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed; Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmigal said that more than 700 billion U.S. dollars are needed for urban reconstruction.

Some economists pointed out that the conflict has caused the Uzbek government's fiscal deficit to continue to expand, and reconstruction costs are huge. These factors have created uncertainties for Uzbekistan's economic recovery.

　　Ukraine’s demographic crisis is long-standing.

The country's population has continued to decline due to low birth rates and high immigration rates.

A previous report by the Ukrainian independent think tank "Ukrainian Institute for the Future" pointed out that from independence in 1991 to 2014, the population of Ukraine decreased by nearly 7 million.

　　The Russia-Ukraine conflict that broke out in 2022 once again triggered a "migration wave". At the same time, the number of casualties on the front lines increased sharply, making Ukraine's population problem increasingly severe.

Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko claimed in the YouTube channel "Direct Attack" program last month that "the Ukrainian army has suffered 500,000 casualties since the conflict in 2022."

According to the latest statistics from the United Nations, there are approximately 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees scattered around the world.

According to Russian media, the population of Ukraine exceeded 50 million in 1991 and the current population is about 25 million.

　　Ukrainian President Zelenskiy once said that "the economic development of Ukraine requires more people who have left to return home."

The serious shortage of labor will become one of the major challenges for Ukraine's economic development and reconstruction.

　　Russia: High military spending and high inflation

　　According to data from the Russian Statistical Service, Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 3.6% in 2023, reversing the downward trend of GDP in 2022.

Some analysts believe that the Russian economy has grown driven by investment and defense needs, but huge military expenditures, labor shortages, and high inflation have all become factors that drag down Russia's economic development, and its economy has not yet embarked on a path of sustainable development.

　　Bloomberg said that Russia’s defense spending will increase by nearly 70% in 2024, to nearly US$120 billion; high military spending will reduce allocations to relevant parts of the national economy.

　　Affected by factors such as declining birth rates, massive brain drain, and conscription, Russia experienced its most serious labor shortage last year.

Russian media said that nearly 90% of companies are experiencing labor shortages.

　　Russia's inflation rate in 2023 reached 7.4%, and the prices of some food and consumer goods increased by more than 20%. Low-income people were severely affected, causing social dissatisfaction.

In October 2023, the alcohol sales area in a supermarket in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Photo by China News Service reporter Shang Yong

　　Europe: Public dissatisfaction surges and protests take place

　　Affected by the sanctions against Russia, Europe has fallen into an energy crisis and encountered supply chain disruptions. People in many countries are suffering from high energy prices and high inflation caused by the conflict; the continued influx of Ukrainian refugees has placed a huge burden on European public services; in Against the background of economic recession, the European Union's continued financing of Ukraine triggered strong public dissatisfaction.

　　Recently, farmers have become the mainstay of protest movements in Europe.

Protests broke out among farmers in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and other EU countries. The protest demands have something in common: they oppose the EU's possible extension of the tax holiday for agricultural products imported to Ukraine.

Foreign media said that Ukrainian agricultural products that are exempt from import tariffs have had an impact on the local market and damaged farmers' livelihoods.

　　Last year, people in Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Austria, Greece and other countries took to the streets to hold anti-war demonstrations.

People demanded that Europe stay away from NATO, and carried slogans such as "Europe should not blindly follow the United States" and "The United States controls the world for its own interests", calling for a peaceful resolution of conflicts.

　　Analysts believe that Europe followed the United States in imposing sanctions on Russia and suffered backlash, causing severe economic damage and threatening its security interests.

TASS said that in terms of oil, Europe has become the largest export market of the United States; in terms of liquefied natural gas, the U.S. supply to Europe will increase by 170% from 2021 to 2023.

Foreign media said that the EU's sanctions against Russia have made the United States "a lot of money."

　　Global: Calls for peace and talks are getting louder

　　"Ukraine and Europe are nothing but 'strategic game tools' in the eyes of the United States." Cui Hongjian, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University's Institute for Advanced Studies in Regional and Global Governance, said, "The essence of this conflict is the game between the United States and Russia. The United States has consolidated its position on Russia through this crisis. strategic advantage and control over European security, while avoiding conflicts that interfere with its global strategic deployment.”

　　Ding Xiaoxing, director of the Eurasian Institute of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, believes that there are no winners in conflicts and wars.

The Russian-Ukrainian brothers turned against each other, resulting in numerous casualties. It was a tragedy for the two nations.

Russia wants to resist NATO's eastward expansion, but Finland, which was originally friendly to Russia, joined NATO, and the security environment in western Russia has further deteriorated.

　　In the past two years since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the international community has become increasingly vocal in promoting peace and talks.

On the first anniversary of the conflict, China released the document "China's Position on the Political Resolution of the Ukrainian Crisis"; in May last year, Li Hui, the Chinese government's Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs, visited Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, the EU headquarters and Russia to discuss the political settlement of the crisis. Mediation was launched with all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis.

China's position has been widely recognized and appreciated by the international community.

Public opinion generally believes that all parties, especially major powers, should adopt a responsible attitude and create conditions for promoting peace talks, and should not add fuel to the fire, let alone take advantage of the opportunity to make profits.

Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, October 2023.

Photo by China News Service reporter Shang Yong

　　A peaceful resolution of the conflict is also the wish of many people in Russia and Ukraine.

Eva, a 15-year-old Ukrainian girl, and her brother came to Canada with their mother a few months ago.

She said, "I came to Canada just because it is safe here. In the past year, what I have seen is a war-torn world." She hopes that the conflict will end in the new year and return to her hometown as soon as possible.

　　Vera Pavlovna, a resident of St. Petersburg, Russia, said, “The war has had too many impacts on us. As the largest tourist city in Russia, St. Petersburg has lost the many foreign tourists it used to have, and there are fewer and fewer European products in shopping malls. The war has changed our way of life and the cost of living is increasing." She hopes that peace will come soon and the peace of the past will be restored.

(over)