WHICHEVER view we have about the ongoing war in Ukraine, most of us will have two lasting memories: first, the dreadfulness of war at any time but especially in 2022 and second, the amazing power the Ukrainian President has managed to bring to his words of encouragement rallying his people.

Those who remember then-UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill's speeches at the start of World War II (WWII) will find some resonance in what President Volodymyr Zelensky has been saying. Indeed, he has admitted that Churchill's speeches have given him guidance in the dark hours his country is facing. Great words seldom lose their power to motivate and inspire.

Why is that? Almost everyone has an aspect of their character that yearns for good. Our day-to-day living, with all its pressures, means that we behave practically, not perfectly. We trim our sails to suit the wind. Politically we use the word 'pragmatic' to describe this need to adjust our attitudes towards those who may be friends and others we suspect are enemies. Our worldwide political system, based as it is on individual countries, is set up to generate competition that is often only a short step from war. Through all this we remain keen to be decent citizens. No civilised society can sustain itself unless the majority of its people have this objective.