The Russia-Ukraine conflict has now lasted for over 100 days, with thousands dead and millions homeless. Civilians are undoubtedly the biggest victims. In contrast, the biggest beneficiaries of the conflict, who are probably toasting to the surge in arms deals and share prices, are the arms contractors in the U.S.

If the Russia-Ukraine conflict were prolonged, it would trigger a worldwide food crisis. Russia, is the world's largest exporter of wheat, and Ukraine is often hailed as Europe's breadbasket. The conflict between the two has already caused a supply shortage of grain, skyrocketing prices, and bans on exports of staples by many countries. Food crises are most likely to trigger riots in the least developed countries.

A prolonged conflict will continue to cast shadows on global energy safety. Europe, highly dependent on Russian energy, is already suffering the most. The U.S.-led Western sanctions have kicked Russia, a major exporter, out of the global energy market, leading to soaring energy prices, high inflation, and causing unexpected suffering in people's lives. However, the U.S. has seized the chance to export more energy to Europe, making a big fortune in the process by forcing its European allies to foot the bill.   

The U.S. also took advantage of the conflict to fulfill its long-expected dream of NATO expansion. As a legacy of the Cold War, the Washington-led organization has become unpopular among the majority of the world. But the deceptively attractive U.S. bait of "security aid" seems to be getting new members "hooked." Being under the so-called NATO protection, its members have already lost their strategic autonomy at large, instead, helping the U.S. promote its hegemony in Europe.

The world should not become an arena for a certain nation to seek hegemony, nor a bloody battlefield. As the pandemic is still plaguing the world, people should realize that to achieve a shared future for humanity, promoting a ceasefire and peaceful talks are indeed the "right side of history."

Credits: 

Scriptwriter: Yuan Xin

Designers: Wang Shiqi, Cao Yi, Ricardo Galvão

Chief editor: Ge Jing

Managing director: Mei Yan

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