It has been 9 days since the beginning of the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian nation, which unfortunately has been catastrophic for this country. More than 1 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, mainly Poland and several Ukrainian cities have been heavily bombed.

All western countries have condemned this unprovoked invasion in unison and have uniformly applied sanctions against the Russian regime. Hopefully, they will make it economically impossible to sustain this senseless war.

Slava Ukraini

View of the Freiburg im Breisgau city center, including the cathedral from the top of the Schlossbergbahn last weekend.

Last night, when I passed near the Rathaus in Basel, I found that a Ukrainian flag had been placed on the flagpole of this emblematic landmark. There was also a group of young people gathered in the square with peace signs and notices imploring an end to the unprovoked invasion of this European country. Sending my love and best wishes to all my Ukrainian friends.

An invasion is defined as 'an instance of invading a country or region with an armed force.' Ukraine has been an independent country since the signing of the Belovezh Accords in 1991, which dissolved the Soviet Union. The news that the Russian president has recognised the independence of two Russian-controlled territories in east Ukraine—territories that call themselves the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics—and the subsequent incursion of his military forces into this region of Ukraine, fits the definition of an invasion.

Diplomacy is always the preferred option to avoid a military conflict, but I feel bad for my Ukrainian friends because it seems that the conflict is already there :/, and the world should act accordingly. Next page