24
Feb
Stop war
The world is a collective witness to what is happening in Ukraine right now. Although it is not a good time to be a bystander, nothing more was expected by the Ukrainian people, as it becomes obvious from the comments of Lesia Vasylenko, Ukrainian MP and a brave mother-of-three.
Kira Rudyk, another Ukrainian MP, who analyses the reasons and details of the current situation makes a British journalist feel so uneasy with her opinions that the interview gets to an abrupt end. This is a vivid example of the inconvenience the G7 officials experience because of the undying desire of eastern European states to be free, independent and democratic.
The majority of the leading developed countries have a very poor understanding of the current affairs over there since only some nations had ever faced a situation similarly inevitable to be able to feel for the people of Ukraine. Whoever does and wills to support and help out the Ukrainian people to survive today, does not have enough military recourses and political power. And those who have the ability, have no desire to give a good use. No need to look over the shoulders, G7, each of you is to take responsibility for this war as well as all wars that occurred after WWII.
Technically, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States did less than nothing to protect Ukraine from the current invasion. So far, five out of Group of Seven have done a big, fat goose egg in assisting the Ukrainian people to survive. Some call it the result of western hypocrisy, others call it economic selfishness, or political stupidity.
Thirty years ago, Ukraine decided to trust the West, play a fair game in modern politics and handed their nukes to Russia in exchange for a solid promise to be protected if needed. In return, Ukraine has been left unprotected in the face of danger. Twice. For eight years during which over 14,000 Ukrainians have been killed on the land of their ancestors by warriors from the neighbouring country.
Now it is pointless to discuss the mistakes that led to this war. Later, when the fire is ceased, everything can be analysed and the guilty parties will face international criminal law, hopefully. Right now the most urgent issue is to look for the solution or at least the options for a solution.
Ernest Hemingway demonstrated his solidarity with the allied groups fighting the fascists during the Spanish Civil War by referring to 'for whom the bell tolls'. Many intellectuals around the world at the time considered it their moral duty to fight fascism, which they feared may take root worldwide if not stopped.
The modern world shies to take initiative in their hands in the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, there is hope offered by some of the progressively thinking Russian people. They oppose the Putin administration now and have been opposed in September 1999 when two residential tower blocks were blasted out in Moscow – the fact that marks the beginning of a long career of the mastermind behind the current Russian politics.
One-person picketers are the only form of protest that require no prior approval from the authorities. Citing coronavirus restrictions, the Interior Ministry of Russia stated on television for people to refrain from unsanctioned protests or face arrest. The Russian police keep arresting random citizens out of those who take part in the demonstrations against the war in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities and towns across Russia, 44 locations in total.
There is hope until there are the Russians who love their country. They have to be listened to and heard by G7. The Ukrainians and the rest of the progressive world can only count on those who care about their own land and people because they are able to feel concerned about other nations too.
Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre in Yekaterinburg (Russia), founded in 2015, made a statement regarding the war in Ukraine: "Realizing the full measure of responsibility that lies on us as citizens of the stronger side of the fratricidal conflict, we call for an immediate halt to hostilities".
Thousands of Russian doctors, nurses, and paramedics signed an open letter to the President of the Russian Federation, pledging him to stop hostilities on the territory of Ukraine: "We strongly oppose the military actions carried out by Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine. We are not looking for the guilty and we do not judge anyone. Our mission is to save human lives... As always, we do not divide people into friends and foes. We have sworn to help any human being, regardless of nationality, religion or political views. But our help is not enough right now".
Over a hundred Russian scientists, media studies scholars, members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academicians, employees of research institutes, as well as journalists signed an open letter protesting against the war in Ukraine: “The responsibility for unleashing a new war in Europe lies entirely on Russia. This fatal step leads to huge human losses and undermines the foundations of the established system of international security”.
405 Russian NGOs made an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop hostilities on the territory of Ukraine: “We oppose the military actions that our country is carrying out on the territory of Ukraine".
Yevgeny Chichvarkin, the Russian businessman, expressed his support for Ukraine: “I am Russian and I love my country but I don’t want Putin, militarism, totalitarianism and the restoration of the USSR in any form. My country is an aggressor today and I don't want that. I want us to build, learn, trade and invest. I want to see Ukraine and Russia as part of European civilization. Therefore, in this conflict (read "war crime") I am for the Ukrainians”.
Many Russian and Belarus celebrities such as Liya Akhedzhakova, Boris Akunin, Chulpan Khamatova, Danila Kozlovsky, Leonid Parfyonov, Yuri Shevchuk, Andrei Makarevich, Kati Varnava, Maxim Galkin, Kristina Orbakaite, Boris Grebeshnikov, Ivan Urgant, Artemiy Troitskiy, Alexander Gudkov, Russian rock band Neschastny Sluchai, Russian rap group Kasta and others demand to stop immediately the Russian war against Ukraine.
“This is our shame and, unfortunately, a generation of young and yet unborn Russians will have to share the burden of such responsibility too. We do not wish our children to live in an aggressor country, we do not want them to be ashamed of their army having been attacked by a neighbouring independent state. We call on all Russian citizens to say no to this war,” the Russians against the war said in a joint statement.
Valerian Meladze, a musician of Georgian origin who works in Russia, was one of the first to oppose Russian aggression. “Today has happened what should never happen. History will judge everyone accordingly and put everything in its place. But today let me ask you, or rather I am begging you to stop hostilities and try to negotiate. Human beings are supposed to be able to negotiate. That's why we have been given a tongue, for this, we have been given language and all other abilities. People shouldn't die. This needs to be stopped", he addressed the Russian government and militaries.
Andrey Rublev, a Russian tennis player, used a marker to write on a TV camera “No war, please” after he reached the final of the tournament in Dubai. The audience applauded him for this gesture. This video was uploaded by journalist Ilya Varlamov. Earlier this year, Rublev already stated that he considered peace on earth the most important thing.
Russian musician Noize MC, born Ivan Alekseev, addressed his fellow citizens: "Is there anything you still don't understand? Russia attacked Ukraine. The fact that the representative of the Russian Federation in the UN 'forbids' calling it a war does not change the meaning of what is happening. The first time I attended a rally against the Putin regime was in 2011, and the last one was in 2021. Unfortunately, all these attempts did not succeed and they could not prevent my country from turning into 'it'. There is no excuse to justify what we are seeing right now".
Oxxxymiron, born Miron Fyodorov, one of the most popular Russian rappers, cancelled his six sold-out concerts in Moscow and St Petersburg: "I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine—when residents of Kyiv are forced to hide in basements and in the metro, while people are dying. I cannot stay silent in this situation. I know that the majority of Russian citizens are against this war. More of us voice our attitude, quicker this can be stopped". He calls for creating an antiwar movement, putting an example from the history of the United States where part of the American society declared their disagreement with the Vietnam War and part their country played in it. Oxxxymiron has a long personal experience of publicly declaring his attitude towards the aggression of his beloved country against an independent state like Ukraine.
There is information spread in the media that Russia has been prohibited from competing in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest due to its recent invasions of Ukraine. However, the EBU announced that Russia was still eligible to compete. While the situation seems unclear about the events in May, Manizha, representative of Russia at Eurovision 2021, made a statement online: "This is the morning when you regret waking up. You don't know where to go, who to help. I sit on the corner of the bed and cry. I cry because it's not my choice. The current aggression is against my will, against the will of my family, I believe that it is against the will of our people".
Kantemir Balagov, a Russian movie director and screenwriter of Circassian, commented on his Instagram: “This is a real nightmare right now. It's shameful and painful for us. It becomes bloody difficult to love my country with each new step of aggression it takes. It is convenient to pretend that only one person is to be blamed in this situation. Let's not pretend. We are all to be blamed because of not doing anything to prevent this from happening".
In different cities and towns, some citizens of Russia protest the war against Ukraine despite being arrested by the Russian police. On 24 February, Russian citizen Anton Mikhalchuk burned his passport in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Tbilisi to protest the Russian invasion of the independent neighbouring country and explained: "I renounce my citizenship of this country. I do not want to have this passport," said the Russian citizen and set his passport on fire demonstratively.
Roskomnadzor – the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring the Russian mass media – issued an ultimatum towards ten independent media outlets in Russia to delete 'fake news' regarding the situation in Ukraine from their platform. Also, the agency makes the ten obliged to refer to the situation in Ukraine as an 'operation' rather than 'attack', 'invasion' and 'war'. If they do not remove their publications, Roskomnadzor threatens to block those media outlets. In addition, all ten of them – Дождь, Эхо Москвы, ИноСМИ, Медиазона, The New Times, Свободная Пресса, Крым.Реалии, Новая Газета, Журналис, Лениздат – might be fined up to five million rubles. Despite this, the journalists of these media outlets keep covering news and providing a platform for the professionals and intellectuals to express their opinion, different from censored information offered by Russian mainstream media.
Dmitry Muratov, a Russian journalist, television presenter and editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, made a video statement on 24 February: "Our country, by order of President Putin, started a war with Ukraine. And there is no one to stop the war, so we not only grieve but feel shame because of this. The commander-in-chief plays with the nuclear button like a toy. We'll publish the next issue of "Novaya Gazeta" in two languages because we will never consider Ukraine as our enemy and the Ukrainian language as the language of the enemy. Finally, I suppose that only the antiwar movement of Russians can save life on this planet". Dmitry Muratov who was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Maria Ressa for "their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace", is an example what kind of Russians can succeed in finding the way out from the current political dead end for their country.
All these are examples of smart, intelligent people from Russia who can be allowed to help the rest of the world to stop the current aggression and then try to make their country a bit more democratic. However, mistrust and carefulness of the West have a huge reason. There are a few such as Vladimir Bortko, Nikita Mikhalkov, Marat Basharov, and Nikolai Baskov who back the Russian 'military operation'. Even some of those Russians who openly go against the invasion of their country in Ukraine zealously defend the members of their family who voted for the 'operation'. And some of those Russians who show antiwar feelings still keep a dream about a new, 'democratic' union or federation, including all former Soviet republics. These people still do not understand why the Russians are stereotypically hated despite having valuable qualities to be appreciated. In a long run, the Russian imperialistic mind is still strong and such thinking is an extremely tough walnut to crack. Even the death of innocent people is not enough to influence the fixed idea of a 'modern Russian empire'. Shame on them, as an antiwar protester Russian woman said about her own citizens.
The Russian Criminal Law considers up to 20 years imprisonment for the holders of Russian citizenship for assisting and supplying Ukraine in the current situation (Article 275), TV Rain reminded their audience (4:20). For those who neither reside on the territory of the Russian Federation nor are eligible for the responsibility according to Article 279 and are willing to donate, British Red Cross has opened the Ukraine Crisis Appeal page.
Хай живе вільна Україна! Брамсовцы з тобою. Тримайся!
