Name? Vladimir Putin
Westphalian identity? Russian
Age? 69
Why is he in the news? This morning Russian President Vladimir Putin made another address to the Russian nation, announcing a “special military operation” against Ukraine after he recognised the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic and the Lugansk Republic on Monday. Putin explained his large scale attacks on multiple fronts as efforts “to protect people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the regime in Kyiv for eight years. And for this we will pursue the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, as well as bringing to justice those who committed numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation.”
Why do we care? Because we care about a full-on inter-state war involving one of the world’s major powers for the humanitarian side and the international relations implications. Due to the fast-changing situation we refrain from any further comments on the news cycle, but implications from this (especially economically) we will all feel!
Why should you care? The same reasons why we care, Putin’s decision affects everyone on this planet in one way or another. You should care 10/10.
Who else cares? Little children in Kyiv seeking shelter in basements while holding on to their colouring books, representing children all over the world in war zones. In every conflict you can think about, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Tigray, children are the ones most affected and least protected by Putin’s and other leaders’ actions.
Any further comments? A lot of hope to resolve this conflict rests on China as President Xi’s goodwill is important for Putin to carry on his agenda in Ukraine. China is primarily concerned about its economic well-being and how it will be affected by Western sanctions on Russia, especially secondary sanctions targeted at Chinese firms or institutes that have links to Russia. China’s foreign ministry already called on Putin to de-escalate and use diplomatic means … so far without an answer.
