VOX POPULI: The war in Ukraine enters its 3rd year with no end in sight
Time:2024-05-19 10:36:14 Source:healthViews(143)
On Feb. 24 exactly two years ago, acclaimed Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov was jolted awake by the boom of a missile landing in Kyiv.
There were three strikes at 5 a.m., then two more one hour later.
“There was no doubt anymore that a war (with Russia) had begun, but I still did not want to believe it,” Kurkov wrote in his “Diary from an Invasion.”
In the book, he serenely chronicles his life over a period of a little over six months, interspersed with his observations about the history of his beloved Ukraine and the complexity of its language.
He, too, was one of many Ukrainians who were forced to flee far away from home.
War destroys routine life. But sadly, war has become a way of life in Ukraine in the last two years. In his recent social media post, Kurkov commented to the effect, “This war will be drawn out, and we must learn to live with it.”
According to a colleague of mine who is reporting from Ukraine, air raid alerts were issued in Kyiv 25 times in the last month or so, totaling 29 hours.
Once issued, an alert can last for several hours. When parting with a friend, there is the thought that their paths may not cross again.
That is probably what living in wartime boils down to.
Ukraine is not the only victim of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Also under attack are freedom of speech in Russia and international social order. We must not forget that.
Kurkov noted in his diary that the lives of Ukrainians have been segmented into “before the war” and “during the war.” And he added to the effect, “Of course, we are all praying for the eventual arrival of the ‘postwar’ era.”
Its arrival can never be too soon.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 24
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Previous:EU changes pace on migration and asylum policy
Next:Residents forced out of Canada's oil sands hub by wildfire cleared to return, officials say
You may also like
- Heather Graham wows in a strapless red gown for screening of her film Chosen Family
- Senators hire Travis Green as coach. Green leaves the Devils after serving in an interim role
- Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total
- Unexpected Michigan Senate race could determine control of the chamber
- Trump will address the NRA. He's called himself the best president for gun owners
- Victim of road
- Jewish student is ordered to leave Oxford encampment after refusing to sign up to radical pro
- More GOP states challenge federal rules protecting transgender students
- Israeli army enters center of Rafah: source