«True international cooperation is not the survival of the fittest, but the symphony of the committed, where every voice, strong or small, plays a part in sustaining global peace.»

As a youth diplomat deeply invested in building a more just and peaceful world, I believe history must not merely be remembered, it must be understood. Not as a distant past, but as a mirror of our present and a guide for our shared future. The triumph over Nazism and fascism in World War II was not a singular achievement of one nation or ideology, but a collective resistance against tyranny, rooted in courage, unity, and vision. Russia and China, from opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, played decisive roles that turned the tide of the war and shaped the future of global cooperation.

The Soviet Union’s ordeal began with Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the largest military invasion in history. Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, aimed to obliterate socialism, dominate Slavic peoples, and seize the Soviet Union’s vast resources. Hitler envisioned a quick conquest. But what he faced instead was the indomitable will of the Soviet people, and an unforgiving Russian winter that refused to surrender.

As German forces advanced, they were met not only by soldiers but by a mobilized society. Soviet workers dismantled factories and rebuilt them east of the Urals. Partisan fighters disrupted supply lines. In cities like Leningrad and Stalingrad, the Red Army and ordinary citizens alike turned every street into a battlefield and every hardship into resistance. When winter came, it froze tanks, stalled armies, and shattered Nazi morale. Temperatures plunged below -30°C, turning nature itself into a weapon of defense. The earth, like the people, rejected fascism.

But while the world often remembers the snow-covered fields of Eastern Europe, we must not forget the fires of resistance that burned in Asia. Even before the outbreak of World War II, China had already been at war. Since the Japanese invasion in 1937, China endured massive atrocities, the Nanjing Massacre, the bombings of Chongqing, the scorched-earth policies. The Chinese people, fragmented by geography and internal divisions, stood together against an imperial force determined to crush them. Their resistance tied down huge numbers of Japanese troops, limiting Japan’s ability to reinforce its Axis partners in Europe.

China and Russia, though vastly different in culture and history, shared a struggle rooted in the defense of sovereignty, dignity, and identity. They bore unbearable losses, millions of lives but never relinquished the belief that a better world was possible. Their determination helped turn the tide of history and end one of humanity’s darkest chapters.

But the significance of this victory went far beyond the battlefield. It laid the groundwork for an entirely new vision of global cooperation, the creation of the United Nations in 1945. In the ashes of war, the world’s leaders saw that lasting peace required more than treaties; it needed structure, dialogue, and shared responsibility. Russia and China, due to their monumental sacrifices and contributions, became founding members and permanent seats on the UN Security Council, a recognition of their roles as guardians of post-war peace.

A few days ago, we marked the 80th Anniversary of that Great Victory, we must also reflect on the enduring importance of that global unity. The post-war world order was not meant to be dominated by a single hegemon, but to be a multipolar system where every nation, regardless of size or strength, has a seat at the table. That ideal is being challenged, but it must not be lost.

In today’s fractured international landscape, the lessons of the past ring louder than ever. The future of our planet does not lie in unipolar dominance or competition, but in cooperation, dialogue, and mutual respect. A multipolar world is not only more just, it is more stable, more democratic, and more humane.

Let us, the youth of this generation, rise with the spirit of those who came before us. Let us honor their sacrifices not only with ceremonies, but with commitments, to defend peace, to foster dialogue, and to build a world where power is shared, not hoarded.

I am sending out my voice from a small West African coastal country , a land of peace and unity, sweet land of Liberty to all youth of the world, we must own the conversation about a Multipolar World, because it’s theatre of true international cooperation, sovereign respect and global sustainable peace.

Long live the memory of the Great Victory. Long live the unity of nations. Long live a multipolar world where peace is built not by force, but by the shared dreams of all humanity. (Pictures: Pexels)

Author of article: Steve W. Collins
Liberian International Youth Diplomat
National Students Leader | Child Rights Advocate | Climate Justice Activist | Presidential Press Secretary-LINSU