"War is a huge catastrophe, and this catastrophe carries a huge cost. In every meaning of this word. People lose money, reputation, quality of life. They lose freedom. But most importantly, people lose their loved ones. They lose themselves."
Words uttered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a direct address to the Russian people — in Russian — early in the morning on Thursday, 24 February 2022: the same day that Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy's emotional speech still resonates powerfully today, exactly one year later. So far, Russia's invasion has led to the deaths of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Ukrainians, including up to 1,000 children. It has physically maimed thousands more — in many cases, permanently — and led to a soaring mental health crisis among both Ukrainian adults and children. It has shattered Ukraine’s economy, caused severe damage to numerous historical and cultural sites, and virtually destroyed entire cities.
Approximately 14 million Ukrainians have also been forced to flee their homes. Millions will likely never return — indeed, because of the wanton destruction the war has unleashed, many no longer have a home to return to.
Pain beyond Europe
Furthermore, because of Ukraine's status as the "world's breadbasket" and Russia's role as one of the world's largest exporters of energy, the war has had profoundly tragic — and similarly lethal — ramifications outside of Ukraine.
Millions of citizens in developing countries, including many children, now face severe malnutrition or even starvation as a result of soaring food and energy prices. Many poorer Europeans, although far less adversely affected than those in the developing world, have also struggled to cope with the war's economic fallout: a November study by The Economist predicted that 147,000 Europeans would die this winter due to high energy prices — roughly the same number, incidentally, of Russians who are believed to have been killed in the conflict so far.
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But in addition to unleashing a near-unimaginable amount of human suffering, this particular conflict does something potentially even worse: for the first time in history, a war unfolding on the European continent has pushed humanity to the very brink of nuclear war.
"Who will suffer the most from [the war]?" Zelenskyy asked one year ago. "The people. Who doesn't want it the most? The people! Who can stop it? The people."
He added: "Do Russians want the war? I would like to know the answer." Given the stakes, Zelenskyy's question is as powerful as it is pressing.
