Russia must stop
War has reared its head in Ukraine. It is a dreaded moment for the rest of the world. Counter threats by the United States and the West about economic sanctions may have little impact. The rest of the world needs to unite to arrest any further escalation of the events and prevent the horror of another world war that may cause incalculable disaster in the nuclear era. Saner counsel should prevail.
B. Gurumurthy,
Madurai
The world’s worst fears have come true at a time when every effort was being made to de-escalate the crisis; in this the efforts made by France and Germany must be noted. If NATO comes to the aid of Ukraine, there is every chance that the situation could transform itself into a bigger war. It must be added that the world has not seen a major event of this scale for some time. Time is of the essence and UN intervention with an immediate ceasefire is a must. India should make every effort to get all sides to the diplomatic table.
A.V. Narayanan,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
It is very unfortunate that the Russians have begun a war against Ukraine despite calls for a peaceful settlement through diplomatic efforts. Russia seems to have ignored the situation where the world has still to reach a near-normal state following the havoc caused by the pandemic.
In a globalised environment, happenings in one corner affect stability — as far as peace and the economy are concerned — in other remote parts as well. A rise in oil prices will destabilise the global economy as Russia is a major oil player. Any sanctions against Russia could boomerang. However, if Russia continues to maintain its strident stand for long, it may face a threat of isolation as even its new ally, China, is very cautious in its reaction on the Ukraine issue. Finally, with superpowers calling the shots time and again on how the affairs of the world are to be conducted, the role of the United Nations as a body of standing can be questioned.
V. Subramanian,
Chennai
Russian President Vladimir Putin must be held accountable by the world’s statesmen for the unilateral attack on Ukraine in the interest of saving the region from devastation in what is unwarranted warfare. Unfortunately, there is no sanctity of saner voices from the United Nations. There is no reason why the issues cannot be resolved amicably.
Brij B. Goyal,
Ludhiana, Punjab
India’s new chess hope
Master Praggnanandhaa deserves a pat for his stunning win over world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. The prodigy’s win underscores the fact that beyond cricket, India can consistently produce world champions in other sports also. The game of chess demands a lot of mental stamina and there is no doubt that the 16-year-old possesses this in abundance. He is another Viswanathan Anand in the making.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
