“Abaholi bamabhizinisi emhlabeni wonke bebebuka ukwakhiwa kwamasosha aseRussia kanye nemishini emngceleni wase-Ukraine ngokukhathazeka okukhulu. Lokhu kube yingxabano eshunqayo iminyaka eminingi, nokuqubuka kwezikhathi ezithile, njengokuthathwa ngokungemthetho kweCrimea yiRussia ngo-2014.
"Kodwa eminyakeni yamuva akukaze kube nengozi enkulu yempi engapheli emhlabathini waseYurophu - impi leyo, njengabaningi ngaphambi kwayo, engenzi inhloso efanele noma esemthethweni. (Kunzima kunoma ubani wethu ukufihla ukucasuka kwethu ngalesi sikhathi. Ngo-2022, yini emhlabeni izwe elilodwa elenza ukuqongelela amathangi emingceleni yelinye izwe?)
“Ngichithe ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kwami njengomuntu omdala ngiphikisana nalokho engangikubheka njengezimpi ezingenabulungisa zesikhathi sethu. Ngo-March 1968, ngahlanganyela namashumi ezinkulungwane zentsha eTrafalgar Square yaseLondon ebhikisha ngokumelene neMpi YaseVietnam, impi eyakhula ngokushesha eyabulala abantu abaningi, yakhubaza amakhulu ezinkulungwane zezingane kanye nabantu abadala, futhi yaphetha ngokuhlulwa okuhlazisayo kwe-US futhi. abalingani bayo. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-35, ngaba phakathi kwezigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke ezangena emigwaqweni zibhikishela ukuhlasela kwe-Iraq, umzamo woklebe nobudedengu owathunaza iMpumalanga Ephakathi futhi wenza ukuba umhlaba ungavikeleki kangako.”
“Eminyakeni eyisishiyagalombili edlule,” kuqhubeka uMnu. Branson, “lapho izinhloso zikaPutin e-Ukraine sezibonakala kakhulu emhlabeni wonke, saqala umzamo wokuhlanganisa abaholi bamabhizinisi baseRussia nabase-Ukraine ukuba babe abagqugquzeli besinqumo esinokuthula phakathi kwamazwe abo. Ngikhumbula imihlangano eminingi enokuqonda kanye nezingcingo nabaholi nochwepheshe kwezombusazwe namabhizinisi, futhi sathuthukisa ukuqonda okungcono kakhulu kokuguquguquka kwamandla okubhebhethekisa lokhu kungqubuzana. Saphinde sathola ngokushesha ukuthi akekho noyedwa kwabathintwayo baseRussia, nakuba emelene ngasese nokungenela kwezempi kweRussia, owayezimisele ukuphakamisa izwi lakhe obala. Sikhiphe isitatimende sebhizinisi esathi abaholi bamabhizinisi baseNtshonalanga nabase-Ukraine bajabulele ukusisayina, kodwa sehlulekile ukuthola ngisho isiginesha eyodwa yaseRussia ngenxa yokuthi ukwesaba kwabo ukuphindiselwa umbuso eMoscow bekukukhulu kakhulu.
“Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi namanje labo engakhuluma nabo babenombono owodwa wokuthi noma iyiphi impi phakathi kweRussia ne-Ukraine yayiyoba nemiphumela ebuhlungu nesabekayo. Okokuqala, izophinde ihlukanise iRussia nomongameli wayo emhlabeni wonke futhi ibhidlize umnotho waseRussia. Futhi-ke, kungadala ukulimala nokuhlupheka okukhulu kubantu abasha nabadala abazama ukuhlala ngokuthula nhlangothi zombili zomngcele. Njengenjwayelo, kuzoba izakhamizi ezizothwala kanzima kulolu dlame. Impi yombango yaseSyria echitha igazi, lapho amasosha aseRussia kanye namasosha ebambe iqhaza elibi, iyisikhumbuzo esicacile salokho okusengozini.”
UMnu. Branson uqhubeka athi, “Lokhu akukona ukungqubuzana uMongameli uPutin angakunqoba ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Yize ebonakala engenandaba nokuthi umhlaba uthini ngezifiso zakhe zezwe, kufanele akhathalele kakhulu ukuthi ikusasa lezwe lakhe liyoba yini. Ngesinye isikhathi, abantu baseRussia abavamile bazobona ukuthi bafanelwe okungcono, ikakhulukazi uma isimo sifinyelela ezingeni lapho ukuvukela okungenakugwemeka kwabantu base-Ukraine abavikela amakhaya abo, amadolobhana namadolobhana kubuyisa umbono oshaqisayo wokwehluleka kweSoviet e-Afghanistan kanye nenani elibulalayo. emadodaneni aseRussia, abafowabo nobaba.
“Kubaholi bamabhizinisi, lesi yisikhathi sokuhlangana silwele ubukhosi base-Ukraine. Ngisho noma kufika ngentengo ephansi, sonke kufanele sithumele umyalezo ocacile wokuthi ubudlova obuhlangene ngandawonye akwamukeleki nokuthi umphakathi wamabhizinisi womhlaba wonke uzokweseka uhla oluphelele lwezijeziso ezibhekiswe kunoma yisiphi isizwe esifuna ukwephula ubukhosi besinye.”
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- In March 1968, I joined tens of thousands of young people at London’s Trafalgar Square demonstrating against the Vietnam War, a rapidly escalating conflict that cost countless lives, crippled hundreds of thousands of children and adults, and ended in a humiliating defeat for the US and its allies.
- Even if it comes at a price, all of us should send a clear message that unilateral aggression is always unacceptable and that the global business community will support the full range of sanctions against any nation that seeks to violate the sovereignty of another.
- At some point, ordinary Russians will come to realise that they deserve better, especially if the situation reaches a point where the inevitable insurgency of Ukrainians defending their homes, villages and towns brings back the haunting spectre of the Soviet failure in Afghanistan and its deadly toll on Russian sons, brothers and fathers.
