Hope of a peaceful settlement came when the President of Ukraine emphasised that to pursue diplomacy is more productive than to pursue a military solution. Within the same period the UN Secretary General undertook to work for a humanitarian corridor to enable soldiers and civilians trapped in Mariupol Steel Plant to enable them to be evacuated.
The world also witnessed the secretary of state leading a delegation to Kiev to meet President Zelensky. One expected that a press conference would be held after the visit to indicate the immediate and ultimate proposal for ceasefire and peaceful settlement.
Yesterday, the message brought out by US officials has lowered the spirit of those who were hoping for the end to the death and destruction. The message that is now being broadcast by the media is that Ukraine can win the war by herself. One can imagine how that message will be received in Russia whose generals are ordering a high tech war to save the lives of their soldiers who appear to be used only to encircle cities and towns when all their military installations are razed to the ground.
The Ukrainian leadership and those who back their resistance with weapons without employing any diplomatic initiative will have to rethink. They should not be taking the approach that would allow the destruction of lives and property and Ukraine to continue unabated. The African Union should not sit back and allow others to lead them in handling conflicts that have international implications.
