Alexander Likhotal, now a professor of international relatons in Geneva, was formerly executive director of Green Cross International, appointed by Mikhail Gorbachev, whom he served as press secretary both during and after Gorbachev's presidency. His pessimism about the future is based on the universally shared conclusion that 2023 has been tragic in many countries and for many failures. We discuss Zelinsky's policies in Ukraine, the prospects for an end to the war in Ukraine, and the tragic war in Israel and Gaza.