RUSSIAN UKRAINE CONFLICT..

                                                  RUSSIAN UKRAINE CONFLICT

                                            

                 Colonel    Dr K Prabhakar Rao..retd. Ph D (strategic studies), USA, Ph D  Mech Engg RMLU

   The way Russia has invaded it's neighbour without caring for world opinion speaks tonnes and tonnes. China which is a bully state and a bosom friend of Russia    can always justify Russian actions. in the present Russian conflict ,world powers are not risking a major action by military intervention physically.They have supplied arms and ammunition to ukraine and washed hands.  Now, things are rather fait accompli. Same situation can be foreseen for expected Chinese action in taiwan and Indian areas that are being contested By china   in case china follows Russian path to settle it's disputes. Chinas  proxy wars and destabilising actions in Punjab , Nagaland  and naxal movements in Indian states like telangana , AP, jharkhand and chattisgad, part of orissa and maharashtra   states can be a great threat  to india.  On the other hand  , there  are ample persons in India  who want India to disintegrate  .we know that Nehru former  pm erred greatly believing china in fifties  and rubbed  shoulders with china saying hindi chini bhai bhai. He had a miopic clouded vision about chinese motives. in the present context  ukraine is a weak country and has no nuclear  weapons. Russia   that  boldly stepped in. Corollary is that in present times  to ward off powerful enemies , it is essential to have nuclear weapons. Ukraine earlier gave up its nuclear weapons  expecting protection. It never came. War has already crossed initially expected 15 days and Russia is still struggling to conquer Ukraine that is  reportedly is putting    up  very stiff  and stubborn fight   resulting in  loss of thousands of tanks and  vehicles apart from scores of deaths of  Russian  military personnel. 

In fact, RUSSIA is much worked up with expansion of NATO and it has been warning USA  against it.. but west has been relentlessly pursuing it's expansion of NATO. Thus, US  war heads  have been getting close and closer to Russian soil. With Ukraine getting into fold of NATO  ,the last line has been crossed and RUSSIA decided to strike as last resort. 

 Some one said  ..war is curse to  humanity and war should be avoided at all costs.This is a good sermon. No doubt. No one wants war that causes devastation of men and materials, economy and peace. But what happens when it is forced on you. Example is on- going war between Russia  and Ukraine. As stated by some, this   war is really between RUSSIA   and NATO nations and Ukraine   is a victim. Different versions  are being discussed all over. Fact  is that  war was forced on a far  less powerful  nation.  As per sermon, what can Ukraine do in these circumstances. It has to display stiff spine. The expectations that  NATO countries  will  involve with  materials and troops   did not materialise fully. NATO played safe. They supplied arms ammunition, equipment , war hardware, artillery etc and washed  hands off. Of course,they built up negative propaganda against Russia successfully.   

Now Ukraine is resisting boldly that was not expected by russia..  Every one expected that Ukraine will be a walk over for Russia. However, situation appears to be different. Some critics have written that RUSSIA willingly is, delaying capture of Ukraine  such that least damage is done to Ukraine's army equipment, men materials. Infrastructure   agricultural resources etc so that the captured nation will not be a liability  to them. Realities are not clear. In show  of power, Russia is displaying nuclear power too threatening to strike if required.. 

 Thus, we see that noble sermons  as preached by India to avoid  war  at all costs do  not really become a feasibility. Many wars in past were fought  to protect honor  come what may and they went down in battle field to last man and did not surrender. These are  related to passions in human beings.. 

I must quote the  famous  between bobbili kings army in AP state in India  and armies of vjayaramaraja aided by Gen Bussey of French forces and Hyder jung of Hyderabads nizams army  in 1757.The war was forced on Bobbili by Vijaya Rama Raja  ruler of coastal Andhra   fully knowing that Bobbili army was too small . The Bobbili fought  to last man in battle field  and they vanished into folklore,

Sermons are good to  preach but almost impossible to practice  in reality. A country like India is always first in giving unwanted sermons all over. We in India fought four major  wars and a localised kargil  bitter skirmish with Pakistan . We are also fighting war against  terrorism by Pakistan since 1989  with no end result. we  claim that our borders are very safe while every day intrusions by Pak army irregulars and mujahids terrorists infiltrate and  Indian security forces are busy in battling them. Every day our men of paramilitary, police and of course army soldiers and officers  are sacrificing their lives battling the thugs. Do we want to fight this undeclared  war? Surely no. it is forced on all of  us by Pakistan . Is Pakistan responding to our  sermons? Russia being a, strong nuclear state  has unleashed  this war and is black mailing   the world. The way Russia is bombing Ukraine  all  over destroying civilian areas and infrastructure  to rubble speaks very poorly of  statesmanship of Mr Putin the supremo Of Russia. Even Hitler  unleashed Blitzkrieg   on Poland in 1939 starting a wwii  overnight. it went on for six long years  causing great suffering. In response allied  forces bombed entire German cities to rubble destroying  infrastructure, factories production centres, hospitals, residential areas very badly.  

                    When India fought the Chinese in 1962, but for American warning  by the great illustrious  President John F Kennedy,the Chinese  troops would   have entered Tezpur town plains in Assam. they were just few km from Tezpur on mountain downward slopes. If chinese had entered the Indian plains  It would have been imp[ossible to expel them from our country. Russia  played safe and kept aloof as china was it's bossom friend. But in  later  years, Indian army was mostly equipped with Russian  equipment   like battle tanks, field guns, personnel   carriers, Russia has also helped India in developing indigenous missiles and delivery systems  . In 1971 Russia   played great  role in keeping away British and American naval fleet  from bay of Bengal  by sending it's own fleet. Since   then, India has good relations with Russia. 

Thus, India in this conflict is on side of Russia although Ukraine is not our bosom friend. USA  understands this aspect. We also absented ourselves at security Council voting against Russia making Russia very happy. The continued disastrous war is resulting in great human suffering, loss of lives on both sides, destruction of buildings factories, ports, godowns,  residential areas. Russia occasionally threatens to use nuclear bombs on ukraine that could escalate the war into world war. Hope wisdom would prevail over Putin who is getting desperate day after day 

1‌.It is high time the war is put to end and settle issues amicably and prevent human suffering. 

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 2.UNO  and Security Council have  utterly failed in its duties and it is time to  find a new effective organization In its place.

3.The present crisis is the outcome of expansion of NATO MEBERSHIP. European  pro west nations are joining NATO  one after the other, there by causing great concern to Russia. These countries will permit AMERICAN   MISSILE SYSTEMS to be located on their soil and they will be targeting  Russia undoubtedly. USA   has to examine the issue in view of lasting world peace  and not precipitate matters that can plunge the world in to deep crisis leading to a world war and nuclear confrontation. that can spell doom to the world.