It has been a year now since Russia invaded Ukraine. The news lately has been full of reviews of the Ukraine situation, including a UN resolution condemning Russia for its aggression. So, let’s start with the UN.

There are five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, USA, and the UK, and all of these members have veto power. As a result of Russia’s veto power, the UN appears to be incapable of intervening in any meaningful way in this conflict. Does anyone believe that the general assembly resolution passed last week will have any influence on Vladimir Putin? Has the UN outlived its usefulness?

I want the UN to do more. Specifically, I believe that the UN could, and should, broker a deal whereby the borders of Ukraine remain as they are currently recognized to be, which means that they include Crimea. To address Putin’s claim that he is there to rescue Russians who are being persecuted in Ukraine, the deal should guarantee very generous re-settlement terms to any citizen, within the recognized borders of Ukraine, who wishes to renounce Ukrainian citizenship and return to Mother Russia – say a limited time offer with a three to five-year sunset. Similarly, Ukrainians who “escaped” to Russia during the conflict, would be empowered to return to Ukraine if they so choose.

Such a deal would be funded by all of the NATO and EU countries currently funding the war. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper and fewer people would die, so we should cheerfully agree to support the relocation efforts. Would Putin accept that deal? Maybe, and it would be great if it did. But probably not.

And if probably not, what value would that deal attempt have?  Well, that deal would force Putin to admit to the world in the General Assembly that his motivation has nothing to do with rescuing Russians, but is instead the securing of territories with great strategic and economic value. And that revelation might at least steer some of the fence-sitting countries in the right direction. 

What more can Canada do outside the powerless UN? Well, in the National sense, we can continue to try to support Ukraine militarily. We’re sending tanks. I have no problem with us sending fighter jets.  I heard Melanie Jolie on CBC this morning, and she said “we’re all in” and I support that sentiment. I’d feel better, however, if the sentiment was being backed up in a concrete way. But it isn’t.

The Parliamentary Budget Office, analyzing Canada’s latest budget, has determined that we are projecting to increase our military spending from 1.33% of GDP to 1.59% of GDP over the next five years. In other words, our response to serious aggression that threatens world peace and security is to fail by 20% to achieve our agreed upon NATO spending target, even on a five-year runway. By contrast, Germany doubled their defence budget and targeted 2% this year. (The Economist reports that they’re having trouble getting that spending mobilized, but that’s a matter of organization. The seven-year procurement process for the Liberals to select the F35 illustrates how difficult military spending can be.)

One area where we could be spending is to develop an in-country munitions industry. The gravest threat to Ukraine right now isn’t the lack of fighter aircraft, nor tanks nor artillery pieces. The gravest threat is that they’re running out of ammunition for those weapons to fire. According to the Economist, “Ukraine is firing roughly as many shells in a month as America can produce in a year.” I recognize, of course, that you can’t snap your fingers and produce a munitions industry. Guns nowadays don’t just fire a big lump of lead. Missiles are fueled, they’re computerized, they’re guided. Nevertheless, there’s a world-wide shortage and the global signals for a peaceful world are weak. One senses there’s a market out there, so let’s jump in and help meet the need.

So OK, we could push our government to increase defence spending and to continue to provide Ukraine with anything we have that might help. And we could agitate for new and urgent investment in a Canadian munitions industry. Is there anything else we could do?

Yes, there is. The biggest story in war is always the military story. Who’s winning and who’s losing? What threats exist and what opportunities are being presented for victory?  What new strategies are being developed? But that story is really the superficial story. The real story is the story of displacement and suffering and death. Ukraine has been pounded relentlessly for a year. Half of their electrical power infrastructure has been destroyed. Certain cities, Mariupol, for example, now exist only as points on a map. Civilians have lost their homes, lost their possessions, lost their lives. Estimates of children forcibly relocated to Russia range from 13000 to over 300000. 

When the invasion happened, there was a surge of charitable giving in support of Ukraine. But, it hasn’t been sustained. CanadaHelps.org reports “With no end in sight, the people of Ukraine continue to face ongoing food and water shortages, risk of physical injury, lack of medical care, and safe shelter….Charities are struggling with declining donations to support relief efforts in Ukraine – an 80% decrease compared to the first six months of the war.”

An 80% decline. That’s not really surprising. It reflects the surge of anger and resentment that Putin’s action brought about, and the flood of sympathy and concern for Ukrainian victims, followed by the onset of war news saturation. We’re tired of Ukraine war news by now. Nothing seems to change much and the news is always grim. But if the news is grim for those of us who watch it on TV, it’s much grimmer for those who are living it.

Recently my wife and I were talking about how much we should contribute to the earth-quake victims in Turkiye and Syria. For various reasons we delayed the decision a little. And then, one day last week, I strolled into the TV room and said “you know, I’d rather give that money to Ukraine”. The earthquake nightmare has an ending. The Ukraine nightmare goes on and on and on. 

Here’s my challenge to all of you who read this blog. Pick an amount that you can afford. A hundred dollars a month? Five hundred dollars a month? You decide. But be generous. And then set up an ongoing monthly donation that you can direct towards Ukraine. It isn’t enough to make a one-time donation. The need for humanitarian aid goes on and on, so let’s stay committed on a continuing basis  to establish a sustained program of giving.

I went to do that exact thing almost two weeks ago, when I first penned this article. I went to the Canadian Red Cross web-site and tried to set up a monthly donation to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Unfortunately, the web-site didn’t permit me to make a monthly donation. It would have been happy to take a one-time donation, but not a continuing one. So, I called them, and they told me that they were looking for donations for Turkey and Syria, but the Ukraine Humanitarian appeal was closed. I was flabbergasted. I wrote them a letter asking for an explanation. I got a letter back which explained that the appeal really was still open, and I could try at a certain link, or I could call. So, I tried the link. It was exactly the same result as before. Then I called, and I got a confusing response that said there were two funds, and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund was closing March 20^th, but the Ukraine Fund in Canada would remain open. I gave up.I turned to the UNHCR refugee fund. They have a Ukrainian appeal open, and I was able to donate online on a monthly basis. I’m happy with the avowed purpose of that fund, because obviously the war is creating millions of refugees. So, it can be done. I urge you to get out and do it before you forget.