By Emeka Obasi

Technology grants power more bite than neo media. If you want to make fast returns in investment, definitely social media comes in handy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is a lawyer who did so well acting films.

The globe keeps going round. We have heard of balance of power, we passed through balance of terror and at a time, it was like everything went mad under Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). Weapons are full of acronyms.

Zelenskyy, 44, understands Russia because he was born in the Soviet era. There is a thin line between his country Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In the old Soviet Union, one of the popular faces was Leonid Brehznev. He was Ukrainian.

My fear is that the President of Ukraine does not understand international politics. The West looks more alluring than Moscow, but in dealing with super powers, a good leader must know when to crawl, when to pause and when to run.

The bloody war in Ukraine should cease. Zelenskyy should spare me what I consider mass suicide. You do not go to war simply because you want to rub shoulders with your superior. Militarily, Ukraine is an orphan and cannot stand in Russia’s way.

The United States and Russia are so close, through Alaska which was purchased by the Americans in 1867. Russia did not lose that territory in the battle field. Both countries made a deal. They have not fought themselves head on, ever since.

Washington and Moscow know their way round the world. They recognise that China, Great Britain and France have key roles to play in keeping the environment safe. Lesser nations may pull weight and even cause the United Nations sleepless nights. The big five call the shots.

Zelenskyy thought that because NATO was taking in former Soviet countries, it would be easy to detach Ukraine from Russia. He foresaw America and Europe coming to the rescue his country in the event of fighter jets and missiles flying all over Kiev.

Unfortunately, some of these actors do not reckon with Africa. I will quote Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary who changed Upper Volta to Burkina Faso. He was eliminated in a conspiracy that went beyond the West African State.

Sankara said : “If Lenin was still alive, he would send us tractors…and engineers to build our Bagre and Kompienga dams…we must therefore rely on ourselves because to rely on a big brother or some ideological big brothers is no longer a guarantee.”

Vladimir Lenin was a key player in the Bolshevik revolution that amalgamated so many nations into one powerful Bloc called Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). At the end of the second world war, the world belonged to the Americans and Soviets.

Putin’s father fought in world war two. Zelenskyy’s grandda, a colonel in the Red Army lost three brothers during the holocaust because they were Jews. I thought this should guard the Ukranian leader. He speaks Russian, I expect him to read the handwriting on the wall.
I was a Biafran boy during the Nigerian civil war. I should hate Russia with all my heart because Ilyushin MiG jets, piloted majorly by Egyptians for the Nigeria Air Force, bombed schools, markets and hospital all-around me. However, in the present situation, I go with Putin.

Ukraine cannot run away from Russia because 17.3 percent of the population are Russians.

It does appear the people fared better in the old Soviet Union. Ukraine was the second most industrialised republic after Russia. Before this war the country was one of Europe’s poor.
Signs of things to come emerged when Viktor Yanukovych, the pro Russian president, was yanked off power by Ukranians in 2013. Putin reacted by invading Crimea in March 2014. Donbas saw war in the next one month.

Some people who do not understand history are outraged. Zelenskky is disappointed. Putin has been described as a descendant of Lucifer. Curses do not fight wars. Wars are caused. The people of Ukraine apparently do not realise that we all are pawns in the chess game played by America and Russia.

I have a very soft spot for the United States and I am not hiding it. They know when to get cracking. Ukraine is no threat to America, Ukraine is Russia’s business. Others may yell and riot, Washington cannot step into a war that is so close to Moscow.

Yes, Iraq was invaded. Libya was destroyed. The world did not go to war. Ukraine will be destroyed if Zelenskky does not remove his Hollywood glasses. In international law, there may be war crimes but war is not criminal. I see Zelenskky ending up in Hollywood to act new John Wayne roles.

Robert McNamara, the former World Bank boss said it all in 1962, when he was US Defence Secretary. Let Putin haters hear this loud and clear.

“ No sane nation wants nuclear war, or any kind of war. But war has to be conceivable in support of vital national interests. Otherwise you have no national power,” McNamara told the world 60 years ago.

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