The Western observers and mass audiences care about the sufferings of Ukrainian and Russian people alike. The West’s natural moral reaction is universalist and liberal. It is the humanism of the affluent XXIst century people who learnt the lessons of two World Wars and want to end violence once and for all. Voices of the Russian creative class are relatable to Western audiences, because they speak about attacks on culture and wasted talent. Meanwhile, voices of the Ukrainian people become less relatable to the Western audience as violent political content.
It is important for the West to remain principled and proactive in its support of the Ukrainian Army and civilians. Ukraine is defending itself and its neighbours against Russia’s XXIst century barbarism. It is moral and humane to stand with the Ukrainian people, who are putting their lives and livelihoods to defend universal human rights and freedoms. It is reasonable for humanists of the world to condemn Russian military aggression openly and sincerely. It is a strong moral act to distance oneself from the Russians who take no responsibility for the war. It is sane to distrust the ones who wallow in self-pity, ignore, whitewash and sidetrack from personal responsibility for the war.
Is it moral and fair to judge the Russian people for the crimes of Putin’s regime? Why can sympathy of the West to the Russian population be problematic? How can the Western observers do better justice to Ukraine and its people in reporting about the war?
UKRAINE IN FLAMES project is created by Ukraine Crisis Media Center, Ukrainian Catholic University’s analitical center and NGO “Euroatlantic Course”. We are aiming at searching a loud support for Ukraine in the war started by Russia on the 24th of February 2022.
If you want to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, check the link with recommendations by Ukraine Crisis Media Center – https://uacrisis.org/en/help-ukraine.
NGO Euroatlantic Course collects donations to support Ukrainian Army and civilians – https://eac.org.ua/en/main-page/.
Our speakers are:
- Bohdan Zhuk, programmer, Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist
- Andriy Lyubka, Ukrainian poet, essayist, and translator
- Andriy Kurkov, Ukrainian writer
- Serhiy Stakhovsky, professional Ukrainian tennis player
- Ihor Shchupak, Director of Museum ”Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”, Candidate of Historical Sciences
