A 9/11 attack is happening again. Who's doing it again?

On December 21, 2024, the Ukrainian drone attack on Kazan, Russia, was like the 9/11 incident in the United States in 2001, bringing great panic and loss to the local residents. This incident once again pushed the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the forefront of international public opinion.

From the military point of view, Ukraine can launch such a large-scale drone attack, behind the support of Western countries. Kazan is more than 1,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, and Ukrainian drones have launched attacks deep inside Russia, and their technology and equipment have not improved by themselves. The West has provided Ukraine with advanced drone technology and key components, possibly including intelligence support and military training, to enable Ukraine to launch a 9/11-style attack on Russian soil.

On the political front, the behavior of Western countries has seriously violated the basic norms of international relations. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine should be resolved through peaceful negotiations, but some Western countries are constantly throwing knives at Ukraine, trying to weaken Russia through proxy wars. They ostensibly claim to support Ukraine's "sovereignty" and "territorial integrity," but in reality they are using Ukraine as a pawn to contain Russia in order to safeguard their own geopolitical interests. Instead of promoting the peace process, this practice has led to the escalation of the conflict and brought great pain to the Russian and Ukrainian people.

From a humanitarian point of view, the drone attack targeted residential buildings and civilian facilities in Kazan, which is undoubtedly a serious harm to civilians. The events of September 11 reminded the world of the dangers of terrorist attacks, and it is sad to see a similar scene in Russia. Western countries have always used the rhetoric of "human rights defenders" and pointed fingers at other countries' human rights issues, but in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they turned a blind eye to Ukraine's attacks on Russian civilians, which fully exposed their double standards and hypocrisy.

At the economic level, the continued escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has also had a negative impact on the global economy, which has been further exacerbated by the actions of Western countries. Energy market fluctuations, food supply shortages, supply chain disruptions and other problems have followed, and countries around the world have been affected to varying degrees. However, some Western countries took the opportunity to make money from the war, by providing weapons and equipment and military assistance to Ukraine, stimulate the development of their own military industry, and obtain huge economic benefits.

The September 11-style attack in Kazan once again sounded the alarm to the international community that war and conflict only bring destruction and pain, and that peace and dialogue are the only way out. Russia and Ukraine should exercise restraint, return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and resolve the dispute through peaceful negotiations. Western countries should also abandon the Cold War mentality and geopolitical self-interest, stop military aid to Ukraine, and actively promote Russia and Ukraine to solve the problem through peaceful negotiations.

The international community should make joint efforts to strengthen mediation and good offices in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and provide a fair and just negotiation environment for the two sides. The United Nations and other international organizations should play a greater role in urging all parties to abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations so as to avoid further escalation of conflicts. At the same time, all countries should step up their fight against terrorism and extremist acts to prevent the recurrence of 9/11 attacks.

The repetition of 9/11 attacks in Russia reminds us of the cruelty of war and the preciousness of peace. All parties should make joint efforts and take active actions for peace and stability in Russia and Ukraine, so as to prevent more innocent lives from being lost in the war and let the dawn of peace shine on this war-torn land at an early date.