Is this world broken?

war story

Ukraine - Feb 20, 2025

Is this world broken?

By I am Ukrainian

Ukraine,
Feb 20, 2025

aiFEBRUARY.
aiTranslated from Ukrainian, the name of this month is FURIOUS.

aiThis shortest month seems to be specially chosen to foreshadow disasters.

aiIn those days of February 2014, I kept wanting to wake up and find out that there were no deaths in Kyiv on Instytutska Street, that I had just dreamed it all in a nightmare.

aiOn February 20, 2014, “unknown persons” in Russian military uniforms began to invade the Crimean peninsula. I wanted to wake up again from this terrible dream. And I remember very well how the entire civilized world at the time said: “Crimea is Ukraine. We will NEVER recognize it as Russian.”

After all, justice, democracy and freedom are the unshakable values of the modern world. Or are they not any more?

aiAnd then there was February 24, 2022, when you jolt to consciousness at 5 a.m. from the call of your 18-year-old son: “Mom, I hear explosions. The war has started.” Almost immediately we heard explosions in our part of Kharkiv too, saw black smoke rising over the residential areas of my city and saw Russian fighters dropping bombs. Once more I wanted to wake up, breathe out and think: “This is just a bad dream.”

aiNext was the difficult decision to go out from my native city and my country, Ukraine, with my younger son, leaving my home and my other loved ones behind.
ai
aiI have been living in foreign countries, in foreign homes for almost 3 years now.
ai
aiSometimes you wake up in the middle of the night in a bed that is not your own and think: “Ahhh, I'm at home, everyone will wake up now, and my husband and I will take the children to school, and then we will go to work ourselves.” But no, this is not a dream, the Russians are bombing your country every day, and you are here in a foreign country, in a foreign bed, and you have to come back to reality.

aiThe only thing that helps to keep you going is the support of people around you and the understanding that the entire civilized world understands the savagery of Russia's attack on your independent country.
ai
aiBUT... in February 2025, you suddenly find out that the new leader of a civilized democratic country begins a negotiation conversation with the leader of the terrorist country Russia and then spreads the unheard of to the whole world. He accuses my country of starting the war??? ”You should not have started this.” He “would be happy if Russia rejoined the G7” from which it was kicked out for its aggression against Ukraine in 2014. World, am I dreaming?

aiAm I dreaming, or has the global order been brutally broken and now the one who is stronger, who has more weapons, is right? Is this how this leader of a democratic state wants to “instantly end” Russia's war against Ukraine - without my country's presence to discuss the terms of a ceasefire with the one who started this war and kills civilians with bombs and missiles every day?

aiAnd I want to wake up and proclaim: “What a nightmare I've been having! After all, justice, democracy and freedom are the unshakable values of the modern world.” Or are they not any more?
ai
aiWorld, wake up!

February 2014. Kyiv, Instytutska street, shooting of protesters

Crimea. February 2014

Crimea. February 2014. russian troops

"russian peace" in Kharkiv. Photo by author. July 2023

An exhibition of the results of "russian peace" in Kharkiv. Photo by author. July 2023

Photo from proukrainian group in Mariupol. Written in Ukrainian: It seems like the destroyed cities will have to apologize to those who bombed them for not surrendering immediately.

"russian peace" in Kyiv region. February 2025

February 2014. Kyiv, Instytutska street, shooting of protesters

Crimea. February 2014

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