The brutal invasion of Ukraine has entered its sixth day with missile attacks on civilian areas. The Russians claim that only military installations are being targeted but if so, they obviously can’t hit the broad side of a barn, which does not bode well for the ongoing campaign. Western governments are sending everything except troops (but are not preventing their citizens from volunteering to fight) while hammering the Russian economy with (almost) everything they have in the way of sanctions. One suspects the last few arrows in the quiver will be loosed soon.
Meanwhile, China covers its eyes and sings “La, la, la, nothing to see here,” while slowly inching away from actual support for the “non-invasion.” And why not, trade with the USA and Europe is ten times as big as that with Russia and China’s carefully cultivated post-colonial partners in Africa and elsewhere are wondering exactly where China stands on national sovereignty.
Russia may well win this battle for Ukraine territory. Despite the reported ineptitude of their soldiers, they have a lot of them compared to their opponent and they are better armed. Fire enough missiles and some are likely to find vital organs. But what will victory look like—an ongoing insurgency at tremendous cost, paid for by a crumbling economy? Perhaps Muscovites might get used to bombs going off in their city the way they did with the interminable Chechen resistance. Or perhaps they will seek a kinder gentler president. As to relations with the west, Russia can threaten to nuke their cities (is he truly that mad?) but what use are nukes against your own people?
We’re not there yet and maybe we won’t get there. Strong voices in Russia—billionaire oligarch voices and brave ordinary citizens—are beginning to question this adventure. Are those voices being echoed in political and military circles? We are likely to find out in the coming weeks.
Sitting here, far from the battle’s fray, it can easily seem like something happening to someone else. I’ve never been to Ukraine (it’s not even on my bucket-list) but I have friends stationed at the Canadian embassy who have managed to convey the beauty of the country and the strength and kindness of the people there. Some of my closest friends in Canada are of Ukrainian background (more than 15% of all Albertans are) and I share their concern for their ancestral homeland and the relatives that live there. The war in Ukraine is also here, by the way, with two incidents of Ukrainians being targeted for hate crimes in Toronto this weekend. No arrests have been made but I expect the culprits will have been inspired by Putin-infatuated conservatives south of the border.
There is little that individuals here in North America can do but we should do what we can to stand in solidarity with Ukraine, because, Ukraine, by embracing democracy, is standing in solidarity with us against all the would-be dictators in the world. I’ve made a little donation to provide humanitarian aid to the country and placed their flag on my Facebook page. I will boycott Russian products (though I’m not sure yet what that entails) and will politically support on-going sanctions of the Russian economy, even after the fighting stops, if that doesn’t include the full withdrawal of Russian forces.
It’s not much but magnified millions of times it might just make a difference. Which is how freedom works. Nobody is free unless we are free together.
10 Minutes of Words 