Russia invades Ukraine: Optimism that Vladimir Putin will fail and good will prevail may be naive – Ayesha Hazarika

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has profoundly affected us all. There’s a particular emotional connection with the events unfolding, even among us black and brown people who, shock horror, “don’t look like them”.

Perhaps it’s geographical proximity, but many of us know Ukrainians. They are in our lives. I wept as I listened helplessly to my friend who told me she wished she could swap places with her family in Ukraine so she could fight and, if necessary, die defending her country.

It’s been an incredible David and Goliath story so far, steeped in the extraordinary leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the comedian turned global hero.

Much has been made about how strange it is for a comic to possess such bravery. Having been a stand-up myself, anyone who’s had to battle through their set in front of a rat-arsed hen or stag do will know comedians have hearts of lions. Zelensky is the hero we need.

Of course, we’re comparing him to what we have on offer here. Our Prime Minister’s only recent experience of hand-to-hand combat was getting ambushed by a cake. In his own home.

We’re overwhelmed by stories of Ukrainian men and women bearing arms to resist the Russian army. The defiant female Ukrainian MPs refusing to leave. The grannies with guns. The Snake Island soldiers who told the Russian army to “go F themselves”.

We’re also humbled by the resistance we see in Russia, including from children. So moved are we by these acts of selflessness and raw courage, that even though we watch the horror of the bombs, we have this slightly mad sense of optimism. Even the gruffest of former Army commanders say the Ukrainians have exceeded expectations and the Russians have fallen short.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become a hero of the free world (Picture: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

But we need to be careful. We should be mindful of unrealistic optimism. It’s easy to get carried away, especially as a liberal progressive type.

Maybe this will be the turning point we’ve been waiting for? Putin will fall, the world order will be restored and, somehow, we’ll rejoin the EU? In our defence, we like to see the good in people, to assume good faith and rational behaviour.

But we mustn’t be naive. Watching Jeremy Corbyn sigh, “why don’t we cut out the fighting zone and go straight to the talking zone” was definitely left field. If only Putin could watch that truth bomb, maybe the real ones would stop. Am I right, guys?

Not many people are being that ridiculous. We love Zelensky and want good to triumph over bad. But we need to be honest about how twisted this could get.

Yes, Putin looks like he has lost his grip on reality, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been planning for this. He’s not likely to throw in the towel because he’s seen a couple of memes about how much the West has the horn for Zelenksy.

Any uprising in Russia would be incredibly dangerous. And there is every likelihood that there will be an escalation in the types of weapons that are deployed and the cruelty of tactics used.

Of course, we have to hope for the best, but we must also steel ourselves for the unimaginable worst. I’m not sure if we are psychologically prepared for what lies ahead. I know I’m not.

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