| It is tempting to think that distance means that what is happening on Ukraine’s borders is not really going to affect our lives here in Lancashire. After all, hundreds of thousands of troops massing thousands of miles away from us can’t really have that much of an impact, can it? In reality, the decisions made by President Putin and the responses from (most of) the rest of the world are going to affect us all. For a start, more British troops are likely to be drawn into any prolonged conflict, leading to casualties, while supplies of gas from Russia could be cut off to Europe, meaning potential blackouts and rationing of power. Then there is the spectre of cyber attacks - there have been plenty of those by Russia even before any conflict - and most importantly it would likely mean a humanitarian crisis with potentially thousands of refugees requiring new homes. And all of this because one man believes that NATO has more power than him. It doesn’t look likely, but let’s hope sense can prevail and war in Europe for the first time since 1945 can be avoided. Before it is too late. Until next time, take care, Gillian Contact me at gillian.parkinson@jpimedia.co.uk | 
