Putin may have started the war, but he is not the only one supporting it. In fact, 74% of the Russian population support the war, and 78% agree with Putin’s decisions. It is a collective passion of the Russian people to destroy Ukraine. Russians believe that historical, social, political and economic connections that the Russian Empire and the USSR have entangled its neighbors in are still relevant and should be respected.
To deal with the totalitarian past, Russia has developed a mythology of past victories. It refused to process its traumatic experience, which led to resentment, revanchism and militarism. Russia’s self-image heavily relies on re-winning battles of the past, ritualistic victory frenzy, and the transformation of dead tyrants into ‘effective managers’. Meanwhile, Ukraine has worked through its traumas. The sovereignty, anti-colonial spirit and European ambitions of modern Ukraine betrayed the past-oriented Russian world.
As a result, the Ukrainian ‘little brother’ became an enemy and needed to be subdued or punished. We are reflecting on further reasons for Russia’s war against Ukraine in Ukraine in Flames #30.
Speakers:
- Dr. Hanna Shelest, Editor-in-Chief, UA: Ukraine Analytica
- Pylyp Illienko, film producer, Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Film Academy
- Vita Dumanska, leader of the “CHESNO” civil movement
- Larysa Yakubova, phD in historical sciences, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
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/.