The ambition of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent deadly shivers across the globe. Russia's Vladimir Putin should learn from the humanitarian cost of military warfare in the aftermath of the historic fall of the Soviet Union In 1991.

Russia cannot be blamed alone, but the unholy trinity of the EU, Nato and Western powers has been causing civil unrest in smaller nations with their divide-and-rule policy. What is so disheartening is that the world's superpowers like Russia and the US are using smaller nations like Ukraine and Syria as boxing grounds: many small nations have been laid desolate because of their loyalty to either superpower.

Russia, China and the US should lead by example in being pro-peace, for Iran and North Korea to exercise restraint in the production of nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine does not help anyone but it deepens the humanitarian crises in the awake of the new coronavirus pandemic.

On the other hand, the US and her allies must stop provoking Russia by causing security concerns on her borders. Jimi Hendrix said, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg