One year on from Russia’s full-scale invasion, the international repercussions are still being felt
The shock of Russia’s full-scale invasion has been replaced, one year on, by horror at the toll that it has taken on Ukraine. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost, including those of civilians; tens of thousands have been injured, and more bear psychological scars. The country’s infrastructure has been pulverised. In September, an estimate suggested that rebuilding Ukraine would cost upwards of $349bn, a figure that will have risen sharply. Millions have fled their homes and often their country too.
The reverberations of Vladimir Putin’s attack have been felt, too, far beyond its borders. This illegal act of aggression has entrenched a growing food crisis, claiming more lives and threatening stability in other nations. Its reshaping of international relations will define the decades to come.
“The whole world faced a test for the age,” Joe Biden said in Warsaw this week. “The world would not look the other way.” The west rightly threw its weight behind Ukraine. Mr Putin did not expect the full scale of sanctions to hit Russia, nor the breadth of condemnation. On Thursday, the UN general assembly was expected to pass another resolution demanding Russia’s unconditional withdrawal by an overwhelming majority.
