Futility: Sixty kilometres — that is the progress President Vladimir Putin’s Russia has made in Donbas since
early 2023. Every centimetre of it is soaked in human blood. Photo: Dimitro Sevastopol
On the fourth anniversary of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to offer a gift to South Africa and allow the return of some South African citizens whom he allegedly tricked and lured to fight on Russia’s side.
Luring Africans to be meat for a meat grinder in Europe is a classic imperialist trick. It is as vile as it is illegal under South African law.
And yet, in Russia’s classic manner, there were no public apologies, no statements of regret and no admission of wrongdoing.
Typical.
Those who see the world in terms of empires and puppets, masters and servants, the strong who “do as they wish” and the weak who “suffer as they must” do not understand the meaning of international law, human decency or accountability. Empires (especially the shameless empires of today) see an apology as something beneath them, no matter how low they sink.
For four years, Russia has been conducting a war of conquest against Ukraine.
What was planned in 2022 as a three-day stroll to take Kyiv and a 15-day blitzkrieg to occupy most of Ukraine became Russia’s years-long walk of shame, with complete rejection by Ukraine’s civilians on the one side and the unbreakable resistance of Ukraine’s military on the other.
Blinded by imperial arrogance, the invaders expected flowers from the “inferior” nation — and met only fire and death instead.
But most importantly — What for?
Despite huge casualties, the Russian army has managed to occupy only one of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts.
To put things in perspective, if its advance continues at the same rate as it has in the past three years, it will take Putin 100 to 140 years to occupy the whole of Ukraine. I wonder if he plans to live that long.
Sixty kilometres — that is the progress Russia has made in Donbas since early 2023. Every centimetre of it is soaked in human blood.
Which explains Russia’s sudden interest in recruitment in Africa. They want it to be African blood, not Russian — as simple as that. Since Russia earns enough oil money worldwide, for now it can afford to pay for it.
It would be smart for Africans to avoid this trap — physical and moral.
Even if they survive the meat grinder and come back to their families, they will return from a war that will not make them proud and will not make their families happy.It will be tainted money, made from the death of innocent Ukrainians who just want to live on their land and be free.
Invading your home, destroying your life, spilling rivers of blood and declaring: “From now on, what was yours is mine” — this is what Russia does in Ukraine.
Historically, it must ring a bell for Africans who, for centuries, faced the same cruelty and audacity from old empires.
Well, the “new empires” are not much better.
Seeing Africans fight and die for this insane comeback of imperialism in its cruelest, boldest form is wrong on many levels.
It is wrong for Russia to claim that this war of conquest is somehow supported by “the global majority”, which includes the Global South, which includes South Africa as well.
Aggression, torture, rape, mass looting and abductions — Russia pretends that all this imperial vortex of insanity is somehow serving the cause of anti-imperialism and is in the interest of the Global South. It clearly is not. Imperialism does not serve anti-imperialism.
Maybe it is time to say loudly and clearly: :As you did not ask us before starting this war, do not hide behind our backs when what you did comes to haunt you.
“This war is on Russia — not on the Global South and most importantly, not for the Global South. Do not play your mind games with those who have nothing to do with your decision.
Now is the moment of truth about Russia’s true objectives in Ukraine.
It is amazing how cynically Putin plays with the world’s desire to restore peace.
Four years ago, he justified his decision to go to war by claiming that Russia’s “legitimate strategic interests” were disregarded and that the world order was unfair, implying that somehow Ukraine was a threat to Russia, not the other way around.
But look at what is happening: Russia is using the so-called “peace negotiations” to twist everyone’s arms to get more of Ukraine’s territory as a precondition for ending the war — the very territory it could not conquer in four years.
In the end, what was announced as a resurgence against the unfair world order turned out to be a plain, good old land grab.
Which is one more reason to draw a line between this imperial war on the one side and Africa on the other.
The continent that has suffered too long from one sort of imperialism cannot become a blunt instrument in the hands of another.
Sadly, Russia does not want peace. It wants more land (as if it does not have enough). It wants more power. It wants a bigger piece of the global pie, starting with Ukraine.
As Putin says: “There is no end to Russia’s borders.” The only way to stop this insanity is for the sane nations of the world that respect international law to hold together.
Europe and the Global South, Ukrainians and Africans, we might be different. We have different historical backgrounds and skin colours but there is something more important that connects us: we do not attack our neighbours.
We respect borders. We believe in freedom, kindness and hard work instead of worshipping the “dear leader”, soaking land in the blood of others and looting their homes.
Therefore, my appeal to South Africans is this: Thank you to those who understand and help.
And to those who believe what Russia says, please look at what Russia does. Because what it does to Ukraine is not that different from what other empires in other time periods did to you. Please feel our pain. Forgive us for every time we did not feel yours.
For people of goodwill, holding together in this time of global darkness is the only way to prevent this century from completely unravelling — or from becoming, in the words of Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin, “the age of new empires”.
Dr Olexander Scherba is the ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa