Hopes for an end to the war were renewed under a climate of tension and fear in the run-up to the New Year in Ukraine and Russia, countries that have been fighting each other for over ten months. In China, the arrival of 2023 was celebrated with concern related to the explosion of new cases of coronavirus.
The night in Moscow was silent, without the traditional celebrations with fireworks in Red Square, in the heart of the city. In the midst of the war with Ukraine, the authorities closed the square, justifying restrictions to combat Covid-19. They also reinforced the police force in the vicinity.
“We hope there will be world peace, however strange it may seem in such a situation,” Moscow resident Alexander Tsvetov told Reuters news agency. “We hope that people on both sides of the conflict will be happy.”
With Red Square closed, Muscovites were limited to walking through the wet streets of the city, visiting the Christmas markets and admiring the windows and trees lit up and decorated with trinkets.
“We must not pretend that nothing is happening. Our people are dying there [na Ucrânia]. A holiday is being celebrated, but there must be limits,” said Yelena Popova, 68. She believes the cancellation of the fireworks display should be interpreted as an act of solidarity with the victims of the conflict. “I am sure that the unexpected, harsh events and aggressive will be moderated. Next year we will have a turn for the better.”
Even President Vladimir Putin’s speech was different from previous years. It was a nine-minute speech, the longest he has given since he took power, initially in 2000. The combative tone also did not resemble generally more festive speeches — the president recorded the message alongside military personnel at a headquarters, not alone in the Kremlin.
The leader said “moral and historical justice” was on his side and that Russia was fighting in Ukraine to protect its homeland and guarantee its people’s “true independence”. At the same time, missiles were terrorizing the population of Ukraine.
Explosions were reported across the country and at least one person was killed. Obviously, there were no official parties or fireworks for the New Year in the invaded country. Instead of celebrations, the population continued to fight for survival in the harsh winter and faced lack of energy, heating and running water. On Thursday, authorities reported that 40% of Kiev was in the dark.
The bellicose tone also marked the New Year in North Korea. The country’s military fired the first missile of 2023 just hours after the turn. According to South Korean officials, a short-range ballistic missile landed in the sea, signaling that the neighbor will maintain a threat posture in 2023.
Also in Asia, thousands of people gathered in the center of Wuhan, the first epicenter of the pandemic, for the first time in the health crisis. Almost everyone present wore a mask to protect against the coronavirus, amid the explosion of cases that worries the country and has been increasing since the regime relaxed the Covid-zero policy.
According to an estimate by UK-based health data company Airfinity, approximately 9,000 Chinese are dying from the disease every day.
“I’m scared,” said a lady surnamed Jin, referring to the possibility of being reinfected. “I’m still afraid, but since everyone left, I decided to leave too”.
Despite the Covid wave, thousands of people released balloons into the sky when the clocks struck midnight, as is tradition in the central Chinese city where the pandemic broke out three years ago.
“Last year, I felt that Covid-19 was very serious and some of my family members were hospitalized,” a 17-year-old high school student from Wuhan, surnamed Wang, told Reuters. “I hope they stay healthy in this new year.”
In the city of Shanghai, which also faced lockdowns in the pandemic, many people gathered for the turn of the year. But, according to traders, the movement did not equal that of previous years.
“I’m looking forward to the New Year, but I’m also very nervous,” said teacher Lily Zhao, a 37-year-old Wuhan resident. “I wonder when this epidemic will completely end.”
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
