Pri la Milito - About the War

A Russian Esperantist's thoughts on the invasion of Ukraine.

About the war

Undoubtedly, February 24, 2022 will remain for a long time one of the most embarrassing dates in Russian history. However, it will be shameful not only for Russia.

For the last hundred years, Western authorities have at least sometimes preferred to choose dishonour over war.

As a result, however, they have received disgrace and world war. Alas, but no one understood anything. Apparently today's elites do not understand that it is not always possible to overcome evil with the help of business tricks. If in the wake of current events Putin's tanks come to Berlin and Paris, this will be at least fair.

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes of resistance past, present and future!

[End translation]

This was written early in the conflict before it became clear how much trouble the Russian Armed Forces invasion was in. I won't give out any information that could be used to identify the speaker, as the penalties for even calling a war a war are severe and will be made even more so following a Duma amendment on laws covering dissent. 

I've gotten to know several Russian citizens over the years and have been reading their responses in several languages. All of them are horrified by this invasion and dealing with it in their own way. Another acquaintance talked about how his best friend a citizen of Kharkiv had told him that a close friend of his had been killed in the early fighting in the area around Kiyv.  Others were equally bleak. 

I've already translated the declaration of the Russian Esperantist Union, I'm sharing these bits of information because while much of the world has been appalled and scrambling to find ways to support Ukrainian people, I have started to see a handful of voices talking about Russian's as if they're a hive mind, all slavishly loyal to V. Putin and his cronies. Thankfully, these voices so far are in the extreme minority and are often drowned out in disgust, but as the conflict continues and more footage of atrocities and suffering come out, I have no doubt that these ugly revanchist and frankly racist sentiments will continue to grow like weeds.

In addition to my small circle of acquaintances I have seen reports, photos and videos of massive demonstrations, one man protests and walls covered in anti-war graffiti in the Russian Federation. Despite the police violence and prison sentences.

Here is Food Not Bombs Moscow members

Combating xenophobia especially in times of war is the correct thing to do morally, but it is also the correct thing to do practically. The Russian Federation has justified its aggression on the idea that the world particularly the "west" and NATO member nations despise Russians and wish to attack and destroy them. This isn't true, but if I were a propagandist for the Russian government I can think of worse strategies than trawling the media and social media for the rare statement of blood thirst or racist comment about Russian culture and its supposed "war like" and "backward" peoples.

There's very little I can do, there have been several collections for clothing, food and medicine organised in my area that I'm contributing to, and I'm using my tiny platform to the best of my ability, and if you're part of my audience I hope you'll remember this.