The war is casting shadows on the world

What rights does someone think they have to oust an entire population from their houses, cities and country, destroying a nation? Nothing justifies a war, not even the repossession of land, oil wells, political and religious ideologies, or diamonds and other precious stones. Yet, what I am watching in the news about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is the suffering of people who used to live in peace. I see mothers taking flight to save their children, while elders seek shelter in the basement of their houses and men who are not military and unready for battle.

Fortunately, the world is welcoming refugees from this war. Families from other countries such as Brazil are giving a bit of relief to families who arrive here traumatized by this barbarism. Based on the Statute of Refugees enacted by the United Nations in 1951, the Refugee Law in Brazil gives people who leave the conflict zone the right to freedom of thought and practice their religion, access to public health and education services, as well as to work.

Beyond the humanitarian crisis, that war is causing financial damage to world trade because both countries' economies are based on international commodities markets. Therefore, the effect of the economic sanctions imposed by the western countries on Russia is affecting Brazilians because of the high price of oil and gas, increasing the cost of all products. And besides that, Brazil imports fertilizer and other items related to agriculture from Russia so that we will be in short supply for the production of soy, corn, sugar cane and cotton. Another example is wheat, quoted internationally and determined by Russia, one of the largest exporters in the world. Although Brazilian business people buy it from Argentina, the rising grain price also affects the costs of industrialized products made with wheat flour.

And as if that were not enough, the invasion of Ukraine is taking place when the world and Brazil are in an economic crisis because of the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Anyway, in war, there are no winners.