A new world war. Why the wars in Iran and Ukraine will affect everyone
For Ukrainians, the war does not seem close to ending, and society itself is living in conditions of exhaustion and constant threat. The writer Oleksandr Mukhed, interviewed by a New Statesman journalist, said that the future has become a luxury for Ukrainians whilst people are subjected to shelling, kidnappings and drone attacks.
The article describes Ukraine as a militarised state where everything is increasingly subordinated to survival. The war, which has been ongoing since 2014 and escalated into a full-scale conflict in 2022, has gradually ceased to be front-page news in the West, although it continues to reshape the world.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously described the current phase as the start of the Third World War. The column also discusses the fatigue of Ukrainian society after four years of full-scale war, the militarisation of the country, and the growing role of the army and new military technologies.
Particular attention is paid to the town of Izium in the Kharkiv region, which lost around half its population after 2022. Following its de-occupation, a mass grave was discovered there, where Ukrainian investigators found 447 bodies.
The text also addresses demographic issues. It cites an estimate by a British official suggesting that Ukraine’s population could fall from over 40 million in 2014 to around 20 million by 2025. At the same time, it is noted that this figure is lower than most public estimates.
Separate emphasis is placed on the development of Ukrainian drone technology. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in March that the production of modern drones and the associated expertise had become a kind of ‘oil’ for Ukraine.
Towards the end, the column links the war in Ukraine to events surrounding Iran. It is noted that following the start of the war against Iran, attacks by Shahed drones have spread to the Persian Gulf region, and damage to energy infrastructure could have global economic consequences.
The main point of the article is that the war in Ukraine is not over and is gradually extending its influence far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
