While the world is on tenterhooks wondering whether the US will attack Iran, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passed on Tuesday unnoticed by many.
Yet Russia’s brutal daily bombardment is continuing unabated. The Ukrainian Association of South Africa planned protests in front of the of Russian missions in South Africa, and in São Paulo, where I’m writing this, I went to protest at the Russian consulate.
The fact that this war is still raging notwithstanding the outrage it caused at the outset, and despite the death, destruction, suffering and grief Russia’s relentless, indiscriminate and barbaric attacks continue to cause, is an indication of global war fatigue. Yet leaving Ukraine to its own devices would amount to a gross global moral failure.
Many continue to hope the US will play a meaningful role in bringing the conflict to an end. But President Donald Trump’s nonchalant attitude towards Ukraine, his vicious personal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, and his deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicate it would be naïve to expect him to bring about successful peace negotiations.
Trump is more than happy for the US to make money out of the conflict by selling arms to Europe that it can supply to Ukraine to defend itself. This leaves Europe almost alone in standing by Ukraine, a task it is not capable of fulfilling effectively with a weakened Nato alliance.
Sanctions have not had the desired effect of stopping Putin’s continued aggression, though they have taken a toll on the Russian economy. But let’s be clear, Putin will not stop the war unless he can show something for it, such as the Donbas region, no matter how many Russian soldiers and duped foreign mercenaries he sends to their deaths.
Trump is more than happy for the US to make money out of the conflict by selling arms to Europe that it can supply to Ukraine to defend itself.
Putin faces no meaningful resistance at home from a largely subservient populace, a relic of the Soviet propaganda machine he is using to great effect. That is not to say there are no courageous dissident Russians.
I recently had the privilege in São Paulo of getting a firsthand account of what life is like for Russian dissidents when I met a self-described queer Russian couple. They hail from opposite ends of Russia, showing how love can overcome not only vast distances but also Putin’s hatred of the LGBTQI+ community.
They fled Russia and applied for asylum in Brazil, where they can be themselves without fear of persecution. We had a long chat over sushi about life in Russia under Putin. One of the anecdotes they told me was how happy Russia is about Brazilians raving about a pro-war movie that is ostensibly being shown to great acclaim in full movie houses in Brazil.
Russian propaganda
Except it’s not true. The movie in question is not being shown anywhere in Brazil. But that doesn’t matter to Russia. Putin feeds the country’s population propaganda to convince them the whole world is supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. With no independent news sources, the criminalisation of dissent and state control of information, most Russians believe what they are told.
This includes that they are the greatest nation on earth, reinforced by a cult of personality around Putin fighting a righteous battle against the evil West which, according to the propaganda, is hellbent on destroying Mother Russia.
This brings us to a stark contrast. On one hand Ukraine refuses to cede any territory to Russia — its constitution actually prohibits this under any circumstances — while Putin won’t stop the slaughter until he has something to show for the sacrifice his people have made. He must be able to sell them a great victory, something that portrays Russia is the great freedom fighter it was during World War 2.
Until he has something to show for his effort, thousands more Ukrainians and Russians will be killed in a war many analysts believe is unwinnable by either side as things stand. That could change if the world decides it’s time to fight for what is right — for the rule of law and democracy — and supports Ukraine in a way that would allow it to drive the invaders back over the border.
The rule of law and respect for it must triumph, because otherwise autocrats the world over can and will redraw frontiers as they please. Trump’s talk about annexing Canada and Greenland are prime examples of what goes on in the mind of a leader with autocratic tendencies when they are unconstrained by the rule of law.
Our constitution is clear that we are a nation governed by the rule of law. It makes no sense for us to go align ourselves with countries that trample on human rights daily, such as Russia and Iran.
The problem with the rule of law is that it cannot protect or stand up for itself. It needs people, countries and even militaries that are prepared to fight to uphold it against aggressors like Putin. One of the most important reasons for coming to Ukraine’s aid must be to defend the rule of law and democracy against violent aggressors.
It is also time for South Africa to reassess where it wants to be aligned. Our constitution is clear that we are a nation governed by the rule of law. It makes no sense for us to go align ourselves with countries that trample on human rights daily, such as Russia and Iran. We took on Israel at the International Court of Justice due to its invasion of Gaza and alleged human rights violations that some call a genocide, which followed Hamas’s brutal October 7 2023 attacks on Israel.
The unconvincing traditional explanation given for why countries, including South Africa, often react differently to attacks on democracy and the rule of law in different countries, is that they have to defend the national interest. That is an unsustainable fallacy. One cannot oppose one aggressor while supporting another, even under the guise of nonalignment, only because of vaguely defined interests.
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has no justification and never had one. The excuse that Russia had to act to pre-empt Nato’s potential expansion in Ukraine, and that Ukraine therefore brought it on itself, is a product of the same Russian propaganda machine as the fake news concerning Brazilians raving about a Russian movie.
The sooner more countries start standing up for the rule of law and democracy, even if only vocally, the quicker Russia’s ruse will fall apart. We cannot let more Ukrainians be killed in a war that has no justification because some insist “our interests” somehow outweigh our commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
• Myburgh is an attorney practising in Johannesburg and São Paulo.
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