03 Mar Peace??Oh, Please!
- ‘Kidding …now what??’
- On the day
- Peace?? Oh, PleeeaZe!
Pointing on 180 degree angle — it’s 6 o’clock, by the way. The screeching wheels on the rails. The smell of a burning copper, pasty and coffee, burning cigarets mixed with a Channel’s or Dior’s fragrance… Me sitting at the train station, hearing the news: Dollar went up; COVID 19 pandemic is canceled…’WOW! YEEEAAAh ! COOL..ohh WHAAH FINALLY! ‘; Russia started a military operation in Ukraine…’what …whaAAAAT???’
At first what to say, um, 22nd of February of 2022 year— I was in Minsk — all of a sudden the day become a turmoil for all, or how could I describe the feeling after seeing the President Putin at his red-green-brownish Kremlin’s office putting on a frosty face — strong and vigorous — looking straight to the camera, um, straight-through the camera…looking at us — calmly announcing ‘a special military operation in Ukraine just begun’.
Can’t say what I thought, or what I felt exactly at that moment, more likely the mix: proud to be Russian, for the courage to call on War, and a pinch of anxiety ‘how…? what…? And where this all goes?’. ‘Predictions’ were the cover page at that time : how long, how fast, who will take this and that territory, what’s next — the aftermath of this overall.
'...r u kidding...now what?'
In this 5 to 10 min live speech, Putin said what is happening and how we came to this edge to either lose it* or…fight tall for the role, left a BIG wow-effect. Just simply describing this open-mouth, teeth clinching faces that I saw beside me.
The case here was certain and quite transparent in all this announcement: We were coming to this cross-boarder discourse slowly right after the Soviet Union collapse (1991). Russia and Ukraine had territorial, language disagreements (naming a few and the most knowing ones). Rattle much on absurd things, like to not be called as a smaller Russia (Мало-россия).
Many of us, living in Russia, especially the youngest (zoomers) generation, still had no idea what is happening in Ukraine, and saw this “special military operation” on 2022 year as something out of a blue, hold up to the Western idea about the Rus-Ukr dispute, which was a simple black-and-white setback : who invaded is the bad guy, the aggressor and must be banned from the rest, from the ‘civil’ so-called living in peace world.
So passing the most boring version to look at any conflict.
No matter how ridicule that sounded to me this black&white method mocking the one and only one — the invader — works very VERY well with the crowd.
Don’t forget, in 2022, we were all just trying to finish this pandemic madness : vaccination, non-stop masks-to-wear rules, travel PCR tests.… This war save us from this. A good destruction from this “patient zero” virus-spread hysteria., right away canceling all the COVID-19 rules:
’WHOOP WHOOP!, no more this blaaaa vaccine, anti vaccine groups! NO NEEED to make this test for travel,… check what country requires it, flashing the QR code in the shop’. Ugh, indeed a big, A BIG RELEAF. We wanted this pandemic to end — to finally zippu-du-dah never ever again — and didn’t really know or cared much of national wars and a scope of it that was coming on us. Pity. Sad. Expected?
*Lose it all — by the “all” I meant the promising future of a sovereign state. Not to say that Im very experienced politics but for “sovereignty” its worth to fight for.
On the day
In cafe, in Minsk, hearing one man talking how sick and annoyed he is with Covid rules that stops him from travel…er to Prague. Huh, if he only knew, he wont see a Czech beer for another year or two or more…
To start an operation in the Ukraine was not seen as bad, rather something inevitable but we were not thinking that this conflict would take us years to stop it, would bring so many sanction on us, and almost all European folks would turn their back on us. The ship was sailed, canceling mask-on regime was the KEY NOTE that we waited for — the mountain just fell off our shoulders : we were done with COVID-19 de jura… clearly not de facto.
Other things also happened. The rising number of most corrupted men/women among authorities in 2022- 2024. What was surprising is to have military men on a general level, in spect for money laundering deeds, and they would likely get away with it if not the War that ‘LOW SCORE’ ’em.
*No direct flights. Most flights to Europe is through Turkey with few hours of wait and not that cheap as you cool think of. And there is also the difficulty in getting the Visa ( Schengen) with the line for an appointment ( in three to 9 months of wait).
*Not that i was sanctioned by the officials, because i had bank accounts for the studies in Germany and when sanctioned came in I couldn’t reach the bank and close my account, physically I was in Russia.
Peace?? Oh, pleeeeaZe!
2022
The whole time, during this conflict, well if taking 2022 diplomacy, as we know it, has been about managing major fallout: negotiating way-out corridors for aid, humanitarian access, prisoner exchanges, striking hills and deals (grain deal was particularly in our face), and trying to come up with an alternative to all Western products and services…
The grain deal: ships were sailed but never reach Africa’s ports in 2022…Bet someone took ’em over.
European leaders catch this Russophobia phrenia;
-cancelling Schengen Visas for Russians (more documents needed; got more expensive; instead of 2 – 4 weeks it was now 3 – 6 months to get an appointment + another 3 months for a verdict (put a visa sticker on or not); then the term of stay also shortened and tightly linked to a country to where you applied for Schengen visa (29 EU countries, France was and still giving the longest Visa)),
– got harder to trade with Europen+ South Korea, Japan, Australia… (blocking the SWIFT system, basically cutting Russia from bank transfers, stop the partnership with Russian federal bank)
-closing shops and business in Russia ( all EU and American brands left the country for good…as they thought in 2022)
The Nord Stream pipes were bursted…cut off. Seeded so many absurd versions from sabotage to tourist diving accident… face-palm. Was shocking news but then were taken as smth brought by Russians and echoing with EU rhetoric ‘hey, this is good, now we are not so dependent on Russia’. Huh yeah, guess so you broke the pipeline, the cheapest Gaz for EU — Bravo ! Pay more now for the gas traded from the US. Am i wrong?
On the battlefields , for the first 3 months — the first flock of solders that had to face the most radical opposition — the conflict had became the deadliest of all to what we have expected. The deadliest for the civil and for the warriors, who fought in Syria, in Africa in private military campaigns before this conflict started. Heroic moments, rising death toll, pics and videos of tortures…
With billions and billions spend on aid ( according to CNN), the ‘new’ war tool — drones — was in change for the most random sudden deaths. I know its hard to differ what is most and what is less random where bullets flight over you shoulder every sec. Those who has been and saw how this front line look like now, could tell, this War turned to some kind of a hell zone, “unimaginable” level, just by this distant navigat. tools alone: ‘have a skill, you cost no bill’ — no matter how big… or tough… or skilful you are; how equipped you are; you could be dead in a sec. A far the most horrific thinking that no matter where you at, and who you are, all could just double your chances to catch a bomb from a tinny tiny gadget flying over your head.
In 2023rd year many things changed…
2023…
What are we fighting for? Was getting cleared and cleared to Russians since 2023. We saw the gruesomeness of the regime in Ukraine , the cancelation of our culture in the West, we saw the corruption and ‘fluguery’ a weathercock moves from people on the top general level, betrayal from long-term Russian/ Soviet pop-culture idols, who left and mocked Russians for being barbaric and poor valued.
Cool …cool, we heard it all : We as the most hated nation by the start of 2023rd year , but not for China, not for India, not for Middle Eastern countries, and not for Africa. And we were so thankful for that. In Russia we felt that we’ve been supported from abroad, from very powerful and sovereign states. Was very patriotism kicking feeling: ‘Oh good, China knows what is happening… Xi knows Putin… so China will not stand by those nagging pissed-off idiots from EU’ .
In the military sector, we faced big replacement, could call rather refreshment, new DM ( defence minister) and the commanding generals on the ground.
The rise of a private military group, Wagner. Popularising their ways of fighting at the front line, punishing the most traitors (executing ’em and recording it but not all could watch it. Thankfully, it was censured on the social media and never showed on the tv). They took over the city of Bakhmut (Artemovsk for Russian) in the most brutal fight off all; troops of civilians were everywhere, most skilful mercenaries were fighting each other day and night…The life expectancy was about 5 min or less, only the lucky ones survived there. So after that blood-spilling battle…
One-day rebellion (23 -24th of June) inside Russia. The Wagner group vs Russian military commanders, but all was solves in one day, to calm all sides was a spicy deal, Belarusian president took that role of mid-fielder. After that incident, in July, all private military campaigns signed into the Russian forces, to be officially as Russian officers and solders.
Mobilisation ( Spring and Fall of 2023). Was the most avoided term that many men feared and also women who didn’t want to lose their men. But after the first wave of recruits — mostly those who were currently serving in army (army contract) or being personally motivated defending their home — , the conditions for soldiers got much better : the wages went up, the past issues were promised to be taken care of ( financially erasing all the debts and mortgages, which were the main burden for many young families )… So basically the reasons to join an army for a Special Military Operation in Ukraine went up to the roof : you join and you have your all problems solved back home; you don’t join you would have difficulties in government related jobs. Also the whole situation on the battle field was favouring Russia: Donbas area was almost freed, day by day hearing positive posts from the war-zone, very soothing itself to know if you go you would be a part of a team that is winning at the moment, join men who is doing well, bigger chances to stay alive for longer — comparatively to the first 3 months back in 2022 — and might even clip medals of honour to your jacket after successfully coming back, which is a big bonus for your further career in almost anything.
2024
What’s now ? Hearing more and more territories are now under Russian military; the change of main commanders in Ukraine and minor ‘replace’ in Russia; the cancelled presidential elections in Ukraine. And what’s now? Round table? Um, not… not so quick as it could look like : smack down the good luck of Russians on the field wait for another counterattack ( the 1st one was in 2023), Yeah. so that happened…
Promised counterattack that would change the game, the turn point for Ukraine, earn that needed position of power when negotiate. But, these counterattacks of Ukrainian forces failed…
Look like both sides of the conflict with their alliances looking to seize more land or power. Almost everybody thinks that things are going to be modified in a better version if they would wait… those who borders Ukraine in the west thinking of taking territories by default when this war would be over, while Russia would only care about the coastal part of Ukraine — Odessa.
Would this be the case only time could tell..
How far it will go now also is quite unknown, we might just guess based on facts we know and how fatigue is the world from this. The conflict in 2024 turned into a bloody fight for more territories and more resources, with civilians of all ethnicities, who thought they were living far from war zone, becoming victims of horrendous crimes. Surprising incursion of the Kyiv’s attack in Kursk region ( Russia) and the bombing at the paces nearer Russia is still ongoing …
2025
Clock runs eating out more of a Ukrainian land…
Trump inaugurated, are we heading to a peace deal now? Nah, doubted.
Rather ready to see most awkward U-turns, extraordinary shouting at formal events, ceasefire arguments and humiliation, foolish talks when backing sides for self interests, empty promises, kiddish smirks on economic crisis, praising for Dems to come back in 2028…
We, as Russians, are not really revel in the spectacle when someone who spoke bad about Russia got punished or humiliated… We just kinda feel….um, sorta relief, like finally someone heard or saw what we were seeing and now might slightly understand us, without accepting or backing our side of a story.
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