A tale of Two leaders
Tags: ukraine afghanistan russia war
After the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and Fall of Kabul, year 2022 was supposed to instill normalcy back into the world. However world looks more topsy-turvy than before with the advent of war between Ukraine and Russia.
Wars is a terrible tragedy with no winners. United States has spent more than $8 trillion dollars on the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and elsewhere1. The Soviet Union had to splurge more than $50 billion in continuing the protracted war in Afghanistan2. Wars drag countries back for decades due to insurmountable economic loss.
"Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die" - Herbert Hoover
However wars, though most unfortunate, is a perfect platform to test a leader. Adversity is the tool that separates the chaff from the wheat. I could not help but compare Ashraf Ghani, the former President of Afghanistan, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the current President of Ukraine.
When the Taliban was advancing its onslaught against the Afghanistan army, Ashraf Ghani panicked and fled the country.
Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled Kabul as Taliban forces reached the outskirts of the city last month, apologized for the abrupt fall of his government but denied that he had taken millions of dollars with him https://t.co/kBcLdbvvg0 pic.twitter.com/AdqgYqgPFJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 9, 2021
However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to be evacuated and continues to lead against the Russian onslaught.
🇺🇦 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other government leaders vow to stay and defend Kyiv as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with airstrikes. #UkraineRussia pic.twitter.com/aFUcP871HR
— euronews (@euronews) February 25, 2022
Numerical strength or a huge stash of weapons alone doesn't guarantee success in a war. The psyche of the armed forces is affected by the response of their leaders. Afghanistan army had fought valiantly against the Taliban on multiple occassions. However post withdrawl of United States army and lack of political will of Afghan politicians, Afghanistan army began to lose morale and some of their forces started to flee without fighting the Taliban.
In contrast, Ukrainian border guards at Snake Island, refused to surrender to a Russian warship despite knowing inevitable decimation.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would posthumously honor the Ukrainian border guards at Snake Island, whose voice recording refusing to surrender to a Russian warship went viral. pic.twitter.com/E5vnjYAyJw
— DW News (@dwnews) February 25, 2022
Life has been on a roller coaster ride since the Covid-19 pandemic. The only likely event that is yet to unfurl is a full-blown alien invasion. However, with the maddening sequence of events on earth, aliens would most likely change their trajectory away from earth.
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