Ukraine Risks Suffering The Same Fate As Gaza And Syria

Few would have thought waking up on 1 January 2022 that the single largest event in Europe's modern history since the Second World War was just around the corner. That it would unfurl with such devastating rage through all of our lives.

- Bel Trew

But on 24 February, President Putin decided to subject Ukraine and the planet to this - forging a new world order for all of us for generations to come. It reverberated well past the borders of the two protagonists in this story, igniting everything from bread shortages and near famine to a cost of living crisis.

And so it has been a bewildering year - with Ukraine and the war ravaging her as the centre of gravity. But for how much longer? So devastating has the conflict been, sparking Europe's worst refugee and humanitarian crisis, that it has unfortunately eclipsed other world catastrophes and other wars. The global spotlight has been on the extraordinary scenes captured in now iconic images and words.

But as a bitter artillery war sets in, as the lines become entrenched, as bloody battles drag on with perhaps increasingly little gains, my fear is that after that anniversary of Russia's invasion next month, fatigue will ultimately set in. This is what Putin is banking on. And it will be the job of journalists and aid workers alike to keep the story alive and relevant.