Star comment: War in Ukraine is not some distant threat

There might be a small number of people who imagine the crisis in Ukraine has nothing to do with us. There might be those who think the problems between Russia and its smaller neighbour are far away from home and are unlikely to affect us.

Such thoughts are for the birds. The prospect of war is alarming and it would have terrible implications. In addition to the huge human impact of a conflict and the humanitarian disaster that would ensue, even the prospect of war is having implications.

Stocks have crashed, meaning our pension funds are losing their value. The price of petrol at the pumps is up, with Russia a contributory factor. If war happens, we can expect those issues to get even worse.

There are already catastrophic cost of living issues as energy prices spiral. The situation in the event of war would become far worse as gas supplies stalled and other providers were employed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is flexing his muscles as he tries to bully Ukraine into disowning its wish to become part of the West. He claims he has no intention of attacking Ukraine but many experts believe this week could spark military action. That would be a disaster, not only for the people of Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe.

Beyond the obvious, disastrous implications, there are also concerns about unintended consequences. The potential for a war to escalate is glaringly obvious and we must avoid the sort of bloodshed that occurred on European soil when the former Yugoslavia fragmented.

Putin has designs on a Soviet Union from a bygone era and Ukraine is within his sights.

Covid is losing its grip. Virus rates, deaths and hospitalisations are all falling, which gives us hope for the future. Covid is a virus that is becoming endemic and we must learn to live with it as society changes.

However, while the pictures surrounding Covid is less bad, waiting lists for treatment on the NHS are going up. We should therefore not be complacent about the pressures our NHS faces. It is in a difficult position.

While we should seek help where needed, we should also be responsible and not immediately add to the numbers at A&E or by calling an ambulance. And, while we do our bit, the Government should put all its resources in getting the NHS back on an even keel by helping hospitals reduce waiting times for routine operations and treatment.