War in Europe – While the World was distracted, Putin prepared for invasion!

It has been nearly eighty years since the end of the Second World War and during that time, Europe has enjoyed relative peace, free from conflict and tyrannical dictators, that really defined the last century. I suppose my generation was the first to enjoy life, without the prospect of having to go to war. On Thursday 24 February 2022, all that calm and tranquillity was shattered, as one man's dream, to build an empire after the fall of the Soviet Union, came to fruition. The increasingly dictatorial President Putin of Russia, invaded his neighbour Ukraine and began a fight to restore the old communist satellite states to Russian control; while the World was distracted, Putin prepared for invasion on a scale that no one has seen since the 1930s.

I am like everyone, every sane, normal person that is; I am appalled and shocked by the blatant criminal act against a sovereign state. This is 2022 for God’s sake, have we really learnt nothing over the last eight decades; we are at a terrible crossroads in history, that none of us thought possible. The evil dictator in Russia has crossed a line, and it feels like there is no going back. Once you let the beast out of its box, it's very difficult to put it safely back in. This tyrant has unleashed a war on the continent that could be the catalyst for something far worse, the consequences of which, don't bare thinking about. There are never any winners in armed conflict, just the casualties left behind; lives broken, homes and livelihoods destroyed and a nation in mourning for its dead. I don't mind admitting, I cried on the day I heard the news and I have a feeling, many more tears will yet be shed!

It feels that Putin has taken advantage of a terrible situation and used it to prepare for war. I am of course talking about the pandemic. While countries fought hard to save their citizens during the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak of 2020-2022, this psychopathic mad man spent the time building up resources, capital and military supplies, in order to unleash his inhuman fighting machine on Ukraine. In some respects you could almost, yes almost believe, that the last two years were a smoke screen, staged by communist China as a catalyst for the ushering in of the new World order. One has to remember just how much nations were preoccupied with COVID-19; yes, they did take their eye off the ball and didn't think for one minute that Russia would launch an attack in the heart of Europe. Of course this is just speculation and whatever the circumstances behind this new war, the fact is, the west allowed it to happen, and the consequences will live with us for generations to come.

Watching the scenes unfold from Ukraine on our television screens, I was as shocked as anyone at what I was witnessing. The sirens sounding across the city of Kyiv, people running for cover to underground shelters in the city's metro system, echoing the scenes from London during the Blitz in the 1940s, a bygone era. Cruise missile hitting civilian areas, blocks of flats and refugees heading west on trains out of urban areas. Carrying a few belongings, children in hand, pets in carry cases with a single suitcase would not have looked out of place in Hitlers Germany, as Jews were transported to concentration camps. The emotions I feel now, as I write this, are real and bring yet more tears to my eyes; this is a war like no other and a fight all of us will have to endure.

These last few years have been traumatic for all of us living through the pandemic. We have all had to make sacrifices for the greater good of our friends and neighbours, each of us protecting one another living through lockdowns, restrictions and draconian measures, designed to stem the tide of COVID-19. As we move out of this terrible period in history, it seems we are now entering yet another even more agonizing, anxiety inducing time, with the beginnings of a European war. These dangerous days herald the start of what could be a World destroying event, that will result in catastrophic loss of life and the end of our planet as we know it. This is probably the most perilous period in modern history, and none of us know where it will end.

My biggest fear is a wider world war, as Russia crosses the boarder into NATO territory. Part of the NATO charter states that any action against one NATO nation will result in a swift, decisive action against Russia from the other NATO members. If President Putin is as mad as we are told, then he will not think twice about launching attacks against other states bordering Russia. The word unhinged is being used to describe this egotistical maniac, and after the events of the last few days, it is easy to see why. The attack on Ukraine has clearly been planned for a long time and constitutes war crimes not seen in Europe since the late 1990s. With his finger firmly on the nuclear trigger, Putin could single-handedly destroy the World whenever he wants. This would of course be a worse case scenario, but alarm bells are already ringing. Mr Putin wants the old USSR back, and it seems he will stop at nothing to achieve it.

These are indeed dark days for the World, as all of us hold our breath. Sadly I don't have a crystal ball, but I am aware of my own anxiety and that of friends, family and colleagues. The next few weeks and months are going to get bumpy; I am scared for the future, but just like I did in the pandemic, I will carry on, doing what I have to, to survive. At the moment there is no hint of what's to come, so like the rest of the World, I pray for a positive outcome and continue to look forward to a future that may or may not exist. All of us have to do our best to support our Ukrainian friends, donate to charities in the region and keep the message of hope alive. At this fork in the road, it's time to stand up and be counted, don't bury your head in the sand, wake up to what's happening on our doorstep. Evil exists in the World, it's time to confront it head on!

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