Ukrainian people: example of valor and courage

There is no better example today of valor and courage than the people of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine – which has been going on for almost a year – has become the center of major global concern with its wide-ranging impact, especially on poor countries.

“Russia’s war in Ukraine and the related fallout have created a challenging external environment for the post-pandemic recovery of low-income countries. Food and commodity prices linger at elevated levels with worsening food security,” reported the International Monetary Fund in its latest policy paper titled Macroeconomic Developments and Prospects in Low-Income Countries – 2022, warning about tightening global financial conditions as major economies are fighting inflation.

Shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I wrote that the last thing the world needed was another major conflict since the global economy was still fragile, with countries just beginning to see hope in their fight against the pandemic through booster shots and antiviral drugs. Even early on, it was obvious that the war in Ukraine would trigger another global crisis as seen in the immediate soaring of oil prices to over $105 per barrel for the first time since 2014, while the global financial markets came crashing down.

As European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen put it, “The Russian invasion of Ukraine reverberates around the world.” She correctly points out that what is also at stake are “the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world who fear they will not be able to afford to heat their homes or feed their children.”

Russian forces have been repeatedly conducting missile and drone attacks on the water and energy infrastructure of Ukraine, disrupting the water, heat and electricity supplies in many cities. One can only imagine the suffering that Ukrainians – especially women and young children – are going through with the harsh conditions they have to endure in the wake of freezing winter temperatures.

Early footages of bombings, particularly that of a maternity hospital in Mariupol with the bloodied bodies of people and pregnant women and children crying as chaos reigned all around them, was difficult to erase and many people told me that seeing the footages moved them to tears.

When Pope Francis spoke about the suffering of Ukrainians during a traditional prayer to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception last Thursday, the thought must have been so heartbreaking that he broke down and cried. The pontiff’s voice trembled, and he was unable to continue for several seconds. When Pope Francis resumed praying, his voice cracked.

“Russia’s war on Ukraine is a moral outrage,” former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon wrote in the online newsletter of The Elders, an independent international organization of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights that was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007.

“The people of Ukraine have the right to their sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-defense, and continue to demonstrate resilience and courage in the face of oppression and adversity. Russia’s war on Ukraine is a moral outrage and the world must strongly resist the normalization of the war’s horror and injustice. We owe it to all those who continue to suffer, and to all the lives already lost, to do everything we can to end Russia’s aggression and see a just and sustainable peace achieved,” Ban Ki-moon, who is Deputy Chair of The Elders, asserted.

Everyone is hoping that peace will come, but there is no doubt that President Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine will continue to bravely and courageously fight for their freedom and independence. Even before the Russian invasion, the people of Ukraine have been prepared to defend their country, with women taking lessons on self-defense and learning how to load and shoot rifles from volunteer instructors.

The refusal of Ukrainians to give up and abandon their motherland in the face of enemy forces with superior firepower – with death staring them in the face, so to speak – demonstrates the kind of sacrifice that people are prepared to make in order to protect their motherland.

“Instead of running for their lives, many Ukrainians grabbed whatever weapons they could find and ran to defend their towns and cities against an invading force armed with tanks and attack helicopters,” book author and Time magazine reporter Simon Shuster wrote in a recent article.

No wonder then that Time magazine chose President Volodymyr Zelensky along with “the spirit of Ukraine” as the 2022 Person of the Year.

“For proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defense of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy – and of peace – Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine are Time’s 2022 Person of the Year,” explained Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal.

When you love your country, you are willing to go to great lengths to defend it to the death – and this is what Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelensky have shown to the world as an example to follow.

No one wishes any kind of war or conflict on any peace-loving nation – certainly not ours. But when push comes to shove, Filipinos will stand up for their rights and will fight any invader, no matter how big or powerful. From the Spanish colonization to World War II and the Battle of Bataan – history has shown the kind of valor, courage, strength and indomitable spirit that Filipinos have – ready to endure hardship and sacrifice in defending their freedom, protecting their nation and all that they love.

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