Dharamshala, 1st March: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, voiced his sorrow over the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Monday, appealing for peace to be quickly restored in the eastern European country. “Our world has become so interdependent that violent conflict between two countries inevitably impacts the rest of the world. War is outdated – non-violence is the only way. We need to develop a sense of the oneness of humanity by considering other human beings as brothers and sisters. This is how we will build a more peaceful world, “In a statement on his website, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama remarked.
“Genuine peace comes about through mutual understanding and respect for each other’s wellbeing.” Dalai Lama said, reiterating that difficulties and disagreements are best resolved through discussion. “We must not lose hope. The 20th century was a century of war and bloodshed. The 21st century must be a century of dialogue,” His Holiness continued.
The Dalai Lama’s comment comes as Ukraine defends itself for the sixth day in a row against Vladimir Putin’s Russian military. More than 3,500 Russian servicemen have been killed, with over 200 seized as prisoners of war, according to Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian authorities, 352 people were killed, including one child.
However, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has worsened, with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimating that about 4 lakh people have been forced to flee the country since Russian soldiers launched a full-scale invasion on February 24.
Meanwhile, an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly will be held to try to address the increasing crisis in Europe. In the meantime, a Russian delegation has arrived in Belarus to meet with Ukrainian officials.