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By Richard Lamu
“Everyone has gotten used to the fact that Ukrainians are dying – that’s not escalation for people,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says following recent intensified attacks by Russia.
Russia has so far fired thousands of missiles and drones at Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. On May 10, Russia launched an assault in the northeastern border region of Kharkiv which resulted in their biggest territorial gains in a year and a half, according to Aljazeera.
And on Tuesday, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 28 out of 29 drones used by Russian forces in an overnight attack on seven regions, including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson.
The drone attack damaged four private residences, 25 trucks and buses in Kharkiv, injuring five people, according to the region’s Governor Oleh Syniehubov and the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statements on the Telegram messaging app, Aljazeera further reports.
Zambia maintains position on Ukraine War: “It’s symptomatic of suffering inflicted upon innocent and vulnerable victims.”
So far, there have been at least six UN General Assembly resolutions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, requiring countries to pronounce themselves on the aggression.
Zambia has consistently voted to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, with the exception of one abstention. This suggests Zambia’s foreign policy is supportive of Ukraine – at least significantly more so than other Southern African countries such as South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which have abstained or voted “NO” to these resolutions.
A statement issued by the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 February, 2024 to mark two years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reiterated Zambia’s opposition to Russia’s actions, noting that it was symptomatic of “suffering inflicted upon innocent and vulnerable victims amid the relentless pursuit of power and resources through conflict”.
In July 2023, President Hakainde Hichilema and other African heads of state travelled to Kyiv in Ukraine and St. Petersburg in Russia as a member of the Africa Peace Initiative. This visit stressed how the Russian invasion is negatively impacting Africa – for example, by contributing to rising food and fuel prices – and highlighted Zambia’s commitment to finding peace via diplomatic solutions.
President Zelenskyy has also engaged directly with President Hichilema, with the respective heads of state sharing details of phone calls on at least two occasions. These phone calls have reportedly stressed the importance of food security and the challenges posed by Russian attacks in the Black Sea which prevent Ukrainian merchant ships transporting grain to market.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry calls for support from African countries
During a visit of the African journalists, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuleba had hinted that getting support from African countries when it comes to voting for Ukrainian resolutions at the United Nations was a challenge.
“… You can’t agree that let’s be consistent unless you keep voting for Ukrainian resolutions in the United Nations but not abstain. You can agree that next, when the next voting takes place and you will vote pro, then you say ‘yes we will support’ but it doesn’t mean in a way that the resolution after will be supported by this nation,” Kuleba had said.
Zambia’s involvement in peace solutions for the Russia-Ukraine war is therefore crucial for global stability, African solidarity, and diplomatic relations, as it promotes peaceful conflict resolution, reduces global tensions, and encourages international cooperation, setting a positive precedent for other global disputes.
Zambian Civil Rights activists condemn the war on Ukraine
Civil rights activist and political analyst Dr Alex Ng’oma says one of the most immediate concerns resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the disruption in the supply of critical commodities such as gas and crude oil.
“Moreover, the government’s response to the conflict can influence Zambia’s international relations and internal political dynamics,” Dr. Ng’oma noted.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian soldiers have been leaving a massive trail of destruction, with hundreds of buildings completely destroyed, with some almost reduced to rubble. The recovery and reconstruction process has started, albeit slow as the undertaking requires huge sums of money to be fully executed.
Lawyer and human rights defender Ngande Mwanajiti has condemned the war and the involvement of young men, including one from Zambia and another from Tanzania.
“A disability anywhere is a disability everywhere,” Mwanajiti said. “When democracy is affected in other countries, it won’t be long until it’s affected in Zambia too.”
International Solidarity Sought
“We have to bring this war to an end; it may not be to someone’s liking but it has to end, it has to be done,” Zelenskyy said during his November meeting with African journalists.
Ukraine is currently also negotiating with international partners to use their weapons to strike Russian military hardware at the border and further inside Russian territory, Zelenskyy has revealed, but adds that “so far, there is nothing positive.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday arrived in Kyiv and called for more international support for Ukraine’s air defences.
Zelensky has previously outlined a ten-point peace plan that seeks to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity, withdrawal of all Russian troops, protection of food and energy supplies, nuclear safety, and the release of all prisoners of war. He had previously said Russia’s agreement to even one of the ten-point peace plan could be a significant step toward ending the war.
With the Ukraine peace summit coming up on June 15-16 in Switzerland, the Swiss government has said the considered the participation of Brazil, India, China and South Africa that form the BRICS was crucial. However, Russia is unlikely to attend the peace summit in the first round of discussions, Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd had said in February.
Moscow had dismissed the Ukraine peace conference as “pointless” and said it was doomed to fail if it doesn’t take Russia’s interests into account.
