Russia, ruination and resistance
27 February 2022
Sitting here in Barbados it’s hard to believe that a major war is being fought once again in Europe and that a modern western nation faces ruination.
As many of you will know my partner is Ukrainian. Like many Ukrainians overseas she’s upset and feels guilty at not being able to be there to support other civilians, the military and police. In WhatsApp video chats with her family and friends, we can see and hear bombs and missiles striking buildings and installations not far away from their homes in Kyiv.
Many have organised themselves into local neighbourhood watch groups in contact with the army and police. Apart from watching and reporting on Russian movements, the women are busy making Molotov cocktails while the men are familiarising themselves with an assortment of guns supplied by the army — surreal. Those who cannot leave and who’ve chosen to resist are determined to account for at least one Russian soldier each. Tragic.
Putin is reaping a legacy left behind by the Soviet Union when all children and teenagers had to join local Pioneer groups, think a combination of Girl Guides, Cubs, Scouts and Hitler Youth. That applies to all those now 45 and over. Antonina was taught how to strip, clean and reassemble an AK 47. She could do it in under one minute and hasn’t forgotten how. She was also trained to shoot it. Many of her generation will have had the same experience.
The Russian military is encountering unexpectedly stiff resistance as those with this experience support their armed forces.
Ukrainians can be a divisive crowd but when faced with a common enemy they put their differences aside and are working together to attempt to repel the invader. They also share a similar sense of sardonic humour with the British when faced with adversity as many online posts show.
I’m not about to get into the reasons behind Putin’s decision to invade but I thought a Japanese professor of strategic studies had it about right when he said while the West didn’t appear to see Russia’s security concerns as legitimate, NATO being a defensive alliance, whether we like it or not Russia has been obsessed with such security concerns for decades. It is a matter of principle for the West not to deny the right of a sovereign state to choose to join NATO but the reality is that by not addressing Russia’s concerns we have provided Putin with an excuse to invade Ukraine. A more balanced Russian leader may have continued the dialogue but it also appears as if Putin has other reasons.
I don’t know how it will end but as the body bags increase back home Russian mothers will vocally ask why their country is invading a neighbour that shares a similar heritage and many Russian soldiers will ask themselves what they are doing in a hell, not of their making.
Let’s hope some sort of peaceful settlement is arrived at before the country is obliterated which is something, I believe, Putin doesn’t want or envisaged.
