OPINION
To Take up Arms?
Kent Barker poses some uncomfortable questions about opposing military might.
Where does a pacifist-minded person stand on the Russian invasion of Ukraine? It may not be a very popular question given the widespread revulsion against Putin’s brutal expansionist policy and the waves of support for the Ukrainian people. But is there not at least an argument that the plight of these citizens has been made worse by the decision to take up arms and oppose the invaders?
Accurate figures of casualties are hard to come by. On the Russian side, according to NATO figures, of the 200,000 troops involved in the operation, up to 40,000 have been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Even Moscow itself admits that almost 10,000 fighters have been killed. (Figures quoted have come from the Russian Defence Ministry on 22 March). Ukrainian casualties are even harder to pin down, but on 13 March Kyiv admitted that it had lost 1,300 of its soldiers.
Regardless of precise statistical accuracy, it would seem that at least 12,000 combatants have lost their lives in this war so far. Add to that the official figures from the start of April of 1,611 civilians killed and you have an appalling number of lives wasted and families grieving.
Was there an alternative? Well, let’s play ‘what if’ for a moment. What if President Zelenskyy had not opposed the invasion? What if the Russian tanks had rolled in and ‘peaceably’ occupied the country? As, effectively, they did in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968? No one condones those military interventions and, arguably, they were of countries already in the Soviet sphere unlike Ukraine which had been independent since 1990. But the point is that many fewer people lost their lives in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. And within about a generation they had gained their inde-pendence and freedoms again. Yes, it must have been appalling to live under a Soviet dictatorship. But the key word here is live. Better to live under a repressive regime than die opposing one?
There are other considerations. Figures are elastic, but possibly up to four million Ukrainians have fled as refugees leaving behind everything – homes, possessions, mementos, friends and often family members –possibly forever. In many cases their houses and flats have been reduced to rubble. For most of us born in Britain since the war this is simply unimaginable. Let’s not dwell on the other sufferings in Ukraine – the rapes, tortures, mass killings and enforced incarcerations that are being reported daily. But again, you have to ask, was it worth it?
The strongest argument for opposing the invasion is that if Putin can get away with it (as he did in the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk and parts of Moldova and Georgia) then it will fuel his imperialistic tendencies and nowhere will be safe. But is there not also a potential danger that by aiding the opposition, NATO countries could be pouring petrol on an already dangerous flame that could engulf us in a new pan-European war?
Pacifism is not an argument for doing nothing. Refusing to trade with Russia and blackballing them from every international event and institution could and should be done. But it is anyway. And, tragically, there’s still a high probability that Russia will ‘win’ this war and swallow up parts, if not all, of the country. If that happens will all those who died still be lauded as martyrs? Or will they have sacrificed their lives for nothing? Will Ukrainians still be inclined to shout “Heroiam slava!” – glory to the heroes?
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