KYIV: A few kilometers from the front line in eastern Ukraine, Nadija, an army lieutenant, told AFP she felt “empty” after watching the clash between President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
Nadija said she wondered what Ukraine had done to deserve getting harangued by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and not “thankful” enough for US support.
“We did everything we had to,” said the round-cheeked 21-year-old soldier in the Donetsk region.
“I could have lived a calm life but instead of that I am fighting,” she said.
The fighting is raging in Ukraine, particularly around the town of Pokrovsk — an important logistics hub.
The Ukrainian army is outgunned and outmanned and struggling to hold back Russia’s steady advance.
Nadija said the unprecedented argument in the White House would likely boost support for Zelensky and the army in Ukraine.
“I think that more people will pay attention to the need to serve in the armed forces,” she said, explaining that the army needed “young recruits.”
With the risk of a cut in US military assistance, Nadija said she hoped for backing from Europe, adding that countries bordering Russia would “wake up.”
“If the support weakens, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will have achieved his aims and Europe will be next” to be attacked, she said.
Near the snow-covered front line, Oleksandr, a 41-year-old sergeant, held a cup of coffee to stay warm.
An imposing figure with blue eyes, he said he was “proud” of his president and “not surprised” by Trump’s words, adding that the US leader “likes dictators.”
“I think there won’t be any more aid to put pressure on us to capitulate to Russia as soon as possible.”
Oleksandr said he also hoped for support for Europe, pointing out that Russia had “reliable” partners such as North Korea which sent soldiers to fight Ukraine.
“They (European countries) will help us but not all of them,” he said.
Two other soldiers, who go by the nicknames Smile and Rybachok, were also having coffee between missions.
Smile said he felt “betrayed” and “abandoned.”
“They way Trump behaved is unacceptable,” he said, adding that the situation at the front was “serious.”
He said he too wanted to believe Europe would come to the rescue — “otherwise, what else can we do?.”
“Of course Europe will help us,” said Rybachok, 38, who is staying optimistic despite having lost an eye in combat and having several scars on his face.
Ivan, who was away from the front for a break to try and forget the horror, said Zelensky had replied “as he should have” to Trump.
Asked if he was afraid of what would come next, he replied: “I no longer know what fear is.”
Ukrainian soldiers put hopes in Europe after Trump clash
https://arab.news/cqvet
Ukrainian soldiers put hopes in Europe after Trump clash
- The fighting is raging in Ukraine, particularly around the town of Pokrovsk — an important logistics hub
- The Ukrainian army is outgunned and outmanned and struggling to hold back Russia’s steady advance
UN’s top court opens Myanmar Rohingya genocide case
- The Gambia filed a case against Myanmar at the UN’s top court in 2019
- Verdict expected to impact Israel’s genocide case over war on Gaza
DHAKA: The International Court of Justice on Monday opened a landmark case accusing Myanmar of genocide against its mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.
The Gambia filed a case against Myanmar at the UN’s top court in 2019, two years after a military offensive forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from their homes into neighboring Bangladesh.
The hearings will last three weeks and conclude on Jan. 29.
“The ICJ must secure justice for the persecuted Rohingya. This process should not take much longer, as we all know that justice delayed is justice denied,” said Asma Begum, who has been living in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district since 2017.
A mostly Muslim ethnic minority, the Rohingya have lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s and have faced systemic persecution ever since.
In 2017 alone, some 750,000 of them fled military atrocities and crossed to Bangladesh, in what the UN has called a textbook case of ethnic cleansing by Myanmar.
Today, about 1.3 million Rohingya shelter in 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar, turning the coastal district into the world’s largest refugee settlement.
“We experienced horrific acts such as arson, killings and rape in 2017, and fled to Bangladesh,” Begum told Arab News.
“I believe the ICJ verdict will pave the way for our repatriation to our homeland. The world should not forget us.”
A UN fact-finding mission has concluded that the Myanmar 2017 offensive included “genocidal acts” — an accusation rejected by Myanmar, which said it was a “clearance operation” against militants.
Now, there is hope for justice and a new future for those who have been displaced for years.
“We also have the right to live with dignity. I want to return to my homeland and live the rest of my life in my ancestral land. My children will reconnect with their roots and be able to build their own future,” said Syed Ahmed, who fled Myanmar in 2017 and has since been raising his four children in the Kutupalong camp.
“Despite the delay, I am optimistic that the perpetrators will be held accountable through the ICJ verdict. It will set a strong precedent for the world.”
The Myanmar trial is the first genocide case in more than a decade to be taken up by the ICJ. The outcome will also impact the genocide case that Israel is facing over its war on Gaza.
“The momentum of this case at the ICJ will send a strong message to all those (places) around the world where crimes against humanity have been committed,” Nur Khan, a Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist, told Arab News.
“The ICJ will play a significant role in ensuring justice regarding accusations of genocide in other parts of the world, such as the genocide and crimes against humanity committed by Israel against the people of Gaza.”
