The war between Russia and Ukraine appears to have no end. If either country ‘wins’ or ‘loses’ the outcome will be unstable and impossible to maintain in the long term. Russia aims to reconquer Ukraine and take it back into the Russian fold; Ukraine aims to regain territory and retain its independence. Similar impasses occur elsewhere in the world where only borders separate warring countries.
The answer may be the creation of ‘buffer zones’. Each zone would incorporate territory supplied by both warring nations to create a neutral area between them and its integrity guaranteed by the United Nations. In the case of the Russian v Ukraine war, the buffer zone would be made up of the Donbas region, Crimea and adjacent portion of Russia proper. The buffer zone would have the following features:
- A balanced population of Ukrainians and Russians with limited and unique citizenship
- No army or armaments of any sort
- A separate government system with equal representation and sovereignty guaranteed by both countries.
- Children born in the buffer zone could choose to remain as independent citizens or take up citizenship with either country.
Sounds like pie in the sky? But what is the alternative? How many more deaths will occur before Russia gives up? Or will the conflict spread to include the rest of Europe? After two World Wars with the loss of millions of soldiers and civilians and vast damage to property and resources why have we not learned to get along together? Are we ‘clever animals’ still not capable of preventing conflict? And see posts on my other blog on The human animal.
An old codger's comments 