Three years after the large-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine reports millions of displaced people and cities in ruins, challenging Europe to rediscover its role as a promoter of peace.
By Massimiliano Menichetti
Three years ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and war returned to the heart of Europe. These have been three extremely difficult years in which death, horror, and suffering have marked the lives of millions of people.
There are no official numbers on military and civilian casualties. News outlets worldwide report the exodus of almost seven million people, according to data from UN agencies, who were forced to leave everything behind to flee to neighboring countries that offered hospitality or a transit route to other places of refuge.
During these months gripped by the harshness of winter, with temperatures dropping as low as minus twenty degrees Celsius, nearly four million displaced people in Ukraine are seeking shelter from the violence.
Men, women, children, and elderly people often live in tunnels for protection from bombs or drone strikes in border areas. Many cities are now reduced to piles of rubble, electricity is often unavailable, and there is no way to heat homes, find meals, or receive medical care.
In Pope Francis’ message released on Sunday for the Angelus, he described this anniversary as “painful and shameful for all humanity.” He continues to strongly emphasize that “war is always a defeat,” tirelessly calling for “a just and lasting peace” and dialogue. The emphasis is entirely on the adjective “just,” because a just peace is based on the principles of fairness, mutual respect, and sustainability over time.
At the same time, everyone must be committed to the path of negotiation. Therefore, it is not just about stopping bombs and tanks, but about acknowledging the mistakes made, having the courage to step back, seeing the face of the other, and building and supporting a system that guarantees rights, security, and well-being for all parties. It means, as difficult as it may be, starting anew together.
So far, the approach has involved using weapons, making strong statements, and even discussing apocalyptic nuclear scenarios for the whole world. Appeals and attempts to end the conflict have been in vain. But hope has not been lost, nor has the solidarity of many organizations, institutions, and people of good will stopped.
Many testimonies have been gathered and shared over these dark years: stories of sacrifice, solidarity, love, and passion for one’s land, for humanity, even in the face of torture, mutilations, or loved ones torn apart—showing the determination to prevent hatred from taking root, despite the aggression endured and the need to defend themselves, even with many fueling hostility between Russians and Ukrainians.
It’s crucial to put an end to all violence, rebuild trust, and relaunch an “International Conference,” as the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, suggested a few months ago, with the goal of reviving what has been called “the spirit of Helsinki.”
In 1975, it was precisely the willingness to sit together around a table that allowed for the promotion of cooperation among European nations and the reduction of tensions during the Cold War.
The call, therefore, is also to Europe, urging it to rediscover itself, to return to the roots of the founding fathers: Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, Alcide De Gasperi, and to truly be a strong and credible actor of peace, hospitality, and an example of universal fraternity.
