The famous British billionaire, founder of the Virgin Group corporation Richard Branson called on business leaders to unite and defend the sovereignty of Ukraine in the face of aggression from Russia.
I have spent most of my adult life speaking out against what I considered to be the unjust wars of our time. In March 1968, I joined tens of thousands of young people in Trafalgar Square in London who staged a demonstration against the Vietnam War, a rapidly escalating conflict that cost countless lives, maimed hundreds of thousands of children and adults, and ended in humiliating defeat for the United States and its allies.
35 years later, I was among the millions of people around the world who took to the streets to protest the invasion of Iraq— a thoughtless "hawkish" event that destabilized the Middle East and made the world less secure.
Eight years ago, when Putin's intentions regarding Ukraine became much more obvious to the rest of the world, we made efforts to mobilize Russian and Ukrainian business leaders, motivating them to become supporters of a peaceful settlement of relations between their countries.
I remember numerous in-depth meetings and telephone conversations with leaders and experts in politics and business, and we had a much better understanding of the dynamics of power (Russia. - Ed.), fueling this conflict. We also quickly realized that none of our Russian contacts, although they opposed Russian military intervention in private conversations, were not ready to talk about it publicly.
However, then and now those with whom I spoke were united in the opinion that any war between Russia and Ukraine would have devastating and terrifying consequences. First of all, it will further isolate Russia and its president from the rest of the world and destroy the Russian economy. And, of course, it will cause great harm and suffering to people, young and old, who are trying to live in peace on both sides of the border.
As it often happens, the main burden of aggression will fall on the civilian population. The bloody civil war in Syria, in which Russian troops and mercenaries play a terrible role, is a vivid reminder of what is at stake.
This is not a conflict that President Putin can win in the long run. Although he doesn't seem to care much what the world thinks about his geopolitical ambitions, he should care what the future of his own country will be. At some point, ordinary Russians will realize that they deserve better, especially if the situation reaches a point where Ukrainians will inevitably rise up, defending their homes, villages and cities, and this will bring back to life the ghost of the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and its deadly losses: Russian sons, brothers and fathers.
For business leaders, this is the moment when it is necessary to come together and defend the sovereignty of Ukraine. Even if it has its price, we must all send a clear signal that unilateral aggression is always unacceptable and that the global business community will support the full range of sanctions against any country seeking to violate the sovereignty of another."