A Year Ago

Posted 1 year ago today:

The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Norway, Latvia, the Netherlands and Israel not only have evacuated the Families of their Embassy Staff in Kyiv, but have also told their Citizens in Ukraine to evacuate within 48 hours because of more evidence Russia is bent on taking over the whole country (and not just the Occupied Territories of Crimea and Donbas they have been in since 2014.)

Russia has over 130,000 Troops on 4 Borders with Ukraine (along the 281 mile border with Russian-Occupied Transnistria, Moldova; in Russian-Occupied Crimea, Ukraine; in Russian-Occupied Donbas, Ukraine; along the 1,282 mile long Russian-Ukrainian Border and along the 606 mile Belarussian-Ukrainian Border.

That only leaves the following Borders open: the 478 miles of non-Russian-Occupied Moldovan-Ukrainian Border; the 337 mile Polish-Ukrainian Border (Poland is in the European Union and in NATO); the 60 mile Slovakian-Ukrainian Border (Slovakia is in the EU and in NATO); the 84 mile Hungarian-Ukrainian Border (Hungary is in the EU and in NATO) and the 381 mile Romanian-Ukrainian Border (Romania is in the EU and in NATO.)

Ukraine’s 2nd largest city (Kharkiv) with 1.4 million people is only 18 miles from the Russian Border so a Russian Invasion and it’s Capital and largest city (Kyiv) with 3 million people is 236 miles from the Russian Border and equal distance from the Russian Troops in Belarus.

Ukraine is no stranger to war. Kyiv was almost completely destroyed by the Germans during World War 2 from 1941 until 1944. Even when occupied the Ukrainians became anti-German Partisans fighting in the cities and countryside (and from 1944 to the 1960s many became anti-Soviet Partisans fighting in the cities and countryside.) 

44% of all Soviet Civilian Casualties happened in Ukraine with 5.2 Million Non-Jewish Ukrainian Civilians killed and 1.3 Million Jewish Ukrainian Civilians killed. 1.6 Million Ukrainian Soldiers in the Soviet Military were killed.

Today, Ukraine has a population of 42 Million people. It has been a Democracy since EuroMaiden removed it’s Dictator (who fled to Russia where he still is) in 2014 and has worked hard in the past 8 years to deal with it’s Soviet Communist Past (starting in 2015), its Corruption, modernizing its Military and raising the Standard of Living for its Citizens.

From 1991-2013 Ukraine had Military Conscription for Men. After the 2014 Russian Invasion and Occupation of Crimea and Donbas, Ukraine Conscription was brought back. Women have been allowed to fight in Combat since 2016 (for reference Women in the US Military have been allowed to fight in Combat since 2015 and Women in the Russian Military are not allowed to fight in Combat.)

Ukrainians can travel Visa-Free - including to the Schengen Area - to 141 countries and territories (for reference Russians can travel Visa-Free to 118 countries and territories, but can’t go to the Schengen Area and Americans can travel Visa-Free to 187 countries and territories – including the Schengen Area.)

Putin is afraid of Ukraine because it shows how you can modernize and transform your country into a Democracy and raise the Standard of Living in just under a decade  - even when being occupied by a foreign country and fighting a war with them.

In the past 8 years, Russia has continued to be ruled by Putin’s 22 year Dictatorship which has seen the Democratic gains of the 1990s wiped away and the Standard of Living for ordinary Russians at the lowest level since the Collapse of the USSR in 1991.

 Putin spends all the money on building its Military and fighting wars (in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Syria and in Africa) rather than focusing on improving the Health Care, Pensions and life of Russians (something the USSR did and which helped led to its Collapse.)

I have lived in Russia 2 times. I have visited Russia 3 times. I have visited Ukraine 1 time. I have Ukrainian and Russian friends (throughout Russia, Ukraine, the US, Cyprus, Canada, Germany and Israel.)

 I know the difference between what the Ordinary Russian Citizen privately believes and what the Russian Government Officially does and they are not the same.

Russians are scared to speak up publicly against Putin’s Dictatorship because the vast majority of Russians remember living in the 74 Soviet Dictatorship where speaking up sent you to a Gulag or a Psychiatric Hospital. Speaking up in Putin’s Russia sends you to a Forced Labor Corrective Colony or poisoned by the FSB.

Ukraine just wants to be left alone and not have to fight with anyone. They want to deal with their internal problems by themselves and make the lives of their Citizens better (shown through their actions.) Sadly, Putin does not want that to happen.

^ Russia attacked Ukraine with 130,000 Soldiers and nearly 1 year later 180,000 Russian Soldiers have been killed and another 20,000 Wounded (Russia Mobilized 300,000 more Men - Criminals in Prison, University Students, the Disabled and the Elderly in September 2022 - it was the first Mobilization since 1945.)

Russia was beaten-out of northern Ukraine and they never made it to Kyiv or Kharkiv thanks to the courage and resistance of the Ukrainian People.

Ukrainian Men, Women and Children are being tortured and massacred throughout Russian-Occupied Ukraine; they are being wounded and killed by Russian Missiles targeting Residential Areas, Hospitals and Schools; they are being arrested and forcibly deported to Infiltration Camps in Russia; their children are being kidnapped and forcibly adopted by Russian Families  - even if they have Parents and they are suffering through a cold and snowy Winter with no homes, heat or electricity.

Despite all of that the Ukrainians continue to defend their homes and defeat the Russians at every corner. The only ones not smart enough to see what is actually going on are the Russians who blindly follow Putin and his Nazi Zs as they commit their War Crimes on innocent Men, Women and Children.  ^