The war between Russia and Ukraine will have negative socioeconomic effects which would be felt by other innocent countries. Countries are socially and economically connected like a bicycle chain.

Once the chains of unity snap, socioeconomic progress is impeded and citizens of the world will be greatly affected by the unreasonable fuel and food price increases. I would like to make my strongest appeal to President Vladimir Putin for peaceful negotiations to end the war.

We may not know the real cause of the conflict but ordinary citizens in Ukraine are suffering; many have died while others have been uprooted from their homes. I would like to urge European and African heads of states to strongly condemn the killing of innocent people and children in Ukraine.

It would be more advisable for the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to be considerate of the vulnerable citizens before they engaged in a bloody war. If they had failed to engage in talks, they had to seek advice from their counterparts to help in untying the knot of their unending differences.

War is the expression of hostile minds which failed to reach consensus, it certainly does not solve any problem.

Aggression would merely beget regression and withhold socioeconomic progress even for uninvolved countries.

The least Russia and Ukraine can do is to obey the holy scripture which says: Love thy neighbour as thyself.

Amos Tebeila, Mohlaletse, LImpopo