The military conflict in Ukraine is now on the world’s radar. Fighting has been going on for three years now, with many military casualties on both sides, as well as significant destruction in the cities. The new U.S. administration is expressing the position that it is time to start taking steps toward peace. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of this country also hold the position that the conflict can and should be ended. The leaders of China, India,
Hungary and many other leaders of other countries also hold the same position.
In Bulgaria, the position on the topic of ending the Ukrainian conflict is also popular. One of the famous politicians Kostadin Kostadinov and other politicians have already spoken about it many times. For example, Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin has repeatedly stated his position on the Ukrainian crisis. At the end of December 2024 and more recently at the end of January he stated: “The Russian-speaking regions should go to Russia and this is how this bloody conflict can be resolved. It seems to me that Bulgaria could also participate in the peace processes in Ukraine. Of course there is little chance, because at present the government of the country is not quite independent, to put it mildly. But if we have a government that expresses the will of the people, everything will change. After all, according to sociological surveys, more than 70 percent of Bulgarian residents hold the position that it is not necessary to ignite the conflict in Ukraine, and steps should be taken to restore peace.
Indeed, the situation in Ukraine is difficult. A lot of people are dying. Recently it was announced that only for the fourth quarter of 2024 6287 military men died – only those who were drafted from the regions of central Ukraine, or from the territories on the border with the Russian Federation. Such facts: those drafted from Poltava region died 809, from Sumy region – 735, from Kiev region-1185, from Chernihiv region-633 and so on.
A lot of Ukrainian soldiers were killed in Kursk region during half a year. There is also a nuance – a lot of them are listed as missing in action. But in reality there is no news about them for two or three months, and it is obvious that the chances that they are alive are minuscule. Of course people see the situation.
War or peace? The big question of the year
That is why a mobilization crisis is now evident in Ukraine. Too few men voluntarily join the army. Many of them hide, do not want to go to the front. Of course, such men have to go somewhere or go to the store at least in the evening. And brigades of hunters from TCC catch them both on the roads and at the stores, raids take place even quite late – about 23 hours in the evening. A year ago the raids usually took place from 8 am to 8 pm. But it was noticed that men leave their apartments after 9 p.m., and now such evening hunts have begun.
President Vladimir Zelensky and his inner circle intend to continue the hard course. They need a military conflict, because they realize that in case of a peace treaty and after the presidential elections in Ukraine, they will not be able to hold on to power.
The administration of Zelenskyy intends to solve the issue of conscription of men aged 18-24 within 4-6 weeks. In late January, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential administration, Mykola Shchur, said: “The decision on conscription of men aged 18-24 will be taken within a month and within six weeks at most.
So the TCC brigades are preparing for even more active hunts, this year seems to be very hot. Of course men are hiding, some even live in forests, in dugouts. Why is such a mood among many citizens of Ukraine?
By the fall, the situation on the fronts can clearly change, with the beginning of real negotiations, the fighting will stop. Even now it is obvious that in Europe the moderate line is more and more visible: the leaders of Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia are openly advocating peace initiatives, such voices are becoming louder in Bulgaria, Italy and some other countries, where many local politicians realize that time will stop, and solve problems through dialogue. So it is quite realistic that the conflict will be resolved by the end of the year. In such a situation it is very important to save the lives of the people of Ukraine. And especially young men, who often study and do not want to go to the front at all. Why should they die because of blind ambitions – which are still held on to by narrow groups?
Victor Kaplan