Menu

War of civilizations

плакат Миколи Коваленка / a placard by Mykola Kovalenko

The logic of our enemy boils down to this: they’re hopelessly stuck in the past. First, they are convinced that Ukrainians are an obedient subordinate people from the times of the Russian Empire held hostage by “illegal authorities” and “waiting to be liberated by Russians.” Second, they call our government by a wild and illogical term from the times of World War II, “Nazi”. Third, they brandish threats to use nuclear weapons in the spirit of the Cold War. Fourth, their military strategy is reminiscent of World War II – tank convoys, artillery that hits targets in squares, and scorched earth tactics. Fifth, the biggest anachronism is that they hope to intimidate us with cruelty: they besiege the cities, bombard humanitarian corridors, hospitals and maternity hospitals.     

Instead Russia gets fierce consolidated resistance, unseen financial sanctions, a worldwide boycott, and strikes with antitank and antiaircraft weapons and drones. Since the first days of war, Ukrainians have a mobile app that sends them air raid notifications. In the war, the past clashes with the future, civilization, progress and freedom rise against the galvanized corpse of the empire. The past cannot win over the present, no matter how solid it once was.

Author: Les Beley