1 Month Later: Life after Evacuation

The longer the stalemate in Ukraine is prolonged, the more civilian lives are being lost. The Russian military must stop the invasion and withdraw from the area immediately.

One month has passed since the start of the Ukrainian invasion. The early capture of the capital city of Kyiv envisioned by President Vladimir Putin has failed in the face of Ukrainian resistance, which made full use of weapons supplied by the U.S. and Europe. According to an analysis by the U.S. Defense Department, the Russian military has been unable to maintain the supply of weapons, fuel and food necessary for an invasion. Some troops have also left due to suffering frostbite.

General after general are being shot. NATO officials estimated Russian casualties at between 30,000 to 40,000 people. The situation in Ukraine bogged down and a mess.

While the advancement of ground forces has reached a deadlock, indiscriminate bombing by long-range weapons continues. Residential buildings and hospitals, schools, and large-scale commercial areas have become targets. Death and injury to civilians continues without stop.

The invasion has been especially intense in Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. Buildings have been entirely demolished and a theater that served as a civilian bomb shelter was bombarded with aerial attacks. The humanitarian crisis is grave as food, water, and medical supplies run dry.

Cease-fire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia appear unable to find common ground. Ukraine will not accept Russian sovereignty in Crimea nor the independence of its eastern, pro-Russian region.

The Joe Biden administration has warned that the prospect of Russia’s military resorting to chemical weapons to break the stalemate has become a reality. Britain has also reported that related troops had entered the eastern region in the middle of this month.

Russia repeatedly claimed at a U.N. Security Council meeting that the U.S. is developing biological weapons in labs across Ukraine. The U.S. and Europe believe that Russia is creating an excuse for its own utilization of such weapons.

Putin has said he is prepared to use nuclear weapons. In response to question about the possible use of nuclear weapons, a Kremlin spokesman told CNN, “If [there] is an existential threat for our country, then it can be used.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4bBgcmnZEQ)

Following his meeting with NATO, Biden will attend Group of Seven and EU summits, where the focus will be strengthening united action against Russia.

The use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons is becoming a problem that is not limited to Ukraine and Russia. It is critical we consider every way of addressing the problem. We must work together to prevent the use of these weapons.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 3.6 million Ukrainian people have fled to other countries, and including people who are displaced inside Ukraine, the total number of evacuees exceeds 10 million.

It is likely that a great many people will be living as refugees for an extended period of time. The international community must come together to provide sufficient support for employment, educational opportunities and medical care for those displaced by the invasion.