Whether or not Putin’s invasion of Ukraine ends soon, what is certain to continue is his abiding hatred and mistrust of the United States and other Western powers, which he believes left him no choice but to launch an unprovoked war. These views are shared by the many Russian elites and have been a chief reason for his domestic popularity. Putin and the many officials, elites, and scholars who support him not only don’t want to be part of the West and its postwar liberal value system but believe Russia’s destiny is to be a great-power bulwark against it.
“Western values” means rule of law, democracy, private property, open markets, respect for the individual, diversity, pluralism of opinion, and everything else one has never found in Russia.
TC, your post is a good explanation of why Russia is how it is. Thank you 😊
"Surkov predicted that Russia would exist in geopolitical solitude for at least the next hundred years."
I am tempted to suggest that Tucker Carlson and the other Putin apologists who are living in this country might pack up and move to the land of the exiled. We won't miss them and apparently, they are considered "heroes" to Putin and his sycophants. Murdoch could take over their state TV and continue doing exactly what he is doing right now. And TFG might find a safer haven than his soon-to-be-drowned estate on the Florida coast.
Thank you so much for this essay— you filled in so many of my Russian history gaps. I love the spirit of the Ukrainian people. I don’t think Putin’s aggression ends well for anyone. Your point about the despot not having people who will challenge or accurately inform is enlightening as well. I’m afraid of how this ends though because I don’t think Putin has any tolerance for defeat.
Thank you for this history lesson. I had a conversation about Ukraine today with a friend in her 40s who moved to the US from the Czech Republic 15 years ago. Fascinating. She hates Putin, and lived under Soviet rule for the first 16 years of her life, until the Velvet Revolution happened. She said that as a 6 yr old, kids were taught to fire weapons. She's not positive about Ukraine, saying the country is totally corrupt, and that all Putin wants is the uranium deposits in Ukraine. But she understands how the corruption came to be, admires the peoples' spirit & courage. She also said that she's a conservative in voting, but thinks that Biden and team have been brilliant in how they've handle this situation. Her concern is that Putin is so awful, that unless he wins something, he will go with a nuclear attack on the west coast (where we live). She's making contingency plans.
This post is one of the most concise descriptions of Russian policy/policies that I’ve read. “For 500 years, Russian foreign policy has been characterized by ambitions
that exceeded the country's
capabilities” is the most succinct description I’ve read. Thank you.
Wow. What an essay. I love you, TC, and the brilliant and fascinating historians in my brain. I always feel better about everything I post after some ‘splaining that tells me exactly why I’m posted it. My intuition gets ahead of my logic sometimes but I trust my spirit. This forum is such a guidepost for me.
'This is a special installment of our newsletter as we come to you with an urgent message. We don't usually send this kind of e-mail to this entire distribution list but this is an urgent situation, and we need all of the support we can get from our network to stop the horror in Mariupol. We, and the upwards of 1,000 people still stuck in the rubble in Mariupol, are all counting on you. We can save them. Help get us more airpower and air support.'
Dear Razom Community,
'By latest reports, over 1000 people are still stranded under the rubble of the Drama Theater of Mariupol right now. We ask you to be their voice. Please call for international leaders to give Ukraine air power and air support to protect the sky so that rescuers can dig out the survivors and save these lives.'
'Please help get this message out by sharing on your social media.'
'Right now all of us together have an opportunity to make a difference for Ukraine simply by using our voice. Mariupol is a city that has been encircled by russian forces for the past two weeks sustaining some of the most brutal shelling, bombing, and urban warfare out of any city in Ukraine since the start of the war. Reports indicate that dozens of bombs are being dropped on the city per day. On Wednesday, March 16th, russian forces struck the theater, even though the word “children” was written in large white letters on the ground at either end of the building to indicate it was used to shelter innocent civilians.'
'Don’t look away from this attack on civilians - raise your voice and stand with Ukraine. Make a post on your twitter, instagram, and facebook now. Here’s an example:'
'Hey experts & policy makers do your job! Ukraine needs air support & air power. Don’t take your eyes off of Mariupol and the 1000+ women and children stuck under the rubble of a theater there for 3 days @JoeBiden @JensStoltenberg @EmmanuelMacron @BorisJohnson @Bundeskanzler @USDoDGov get to work!'
'Thank you so much for your support. You are all doing your part, whether that’s donating, packing & sorting aid supplies, or raising awareness, and for that we are tremendously grateful. It’s time for the policy experts to do their part too.'
'Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes deeply in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. Razom works towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner and do.'
“Western values” means rule of law, democracy, private property, open markets, respect for the individual, diversity, pluralism of opinion, and everything else one has never found in Russia.
TC, your post is a good explanation of why Russia is how it is. Thank you 😊
"Surkov predicted that Russia would exist in geopolitical solitude for at least the next hundred years."
I am tempted to suggest that Tucker Carlson and the other Putin apologists who are living in this country might pack up and move to the land of the exiled. We won't miss them and apparently, they are considered "heroes" to Putin and his sycophants. Murdoch could take over their state TV and continue doing exactly what he is doing right now. And TFG might find a safer haven than his soon-to-be-drowned estate on the Florida coast.
Thank you so much for this essay— you filled in so many of my Russian history gaps. I love the spirit of the Ukrainian people. I don’t think Putin’s aggression ends well for anyone. Your point about the despot not having people who will challenge or accurately inform is enlightening as well. I’m afraid of how this ends though because I don’t think Putin has any tolerance for defeat.
Thank you for this history lesson. I had a conversation about Ukraine today with a friend in her 40s who moved to the US from the Czech Republic 15 years ago. Fascinating. She hates Putin, and lived under Soviet rule for the first 16 years of her life, until the Velvet Revolution happened. She said that as a 6 yr old, kids were taught to fire weapons. She's not positive about Ukraine, saying the country is totally corrupt, and that all Putin wants is the uranium deposits in Ukraine. But she understands how the corruption came to be, admires the peoples' spirit & courage. She also said that she's a conservative in voting, but thinks that Biden and team have been brilliant in how they've handle this situation. Her concern is that Putin is so awful, that unless he wins something, he will go with a nuclear attack on the west coast (where we live). She's making contingency plans.
Deep gratitude to you, TC, for this rich essay. It appears that the world is in for a bunch of hurt…compounded by China’s actions around Taiwan.
This post is one of the most concise descriptions of Russian policy/policies that I’ve read. “For 500 years, Russian foreign policy has been characterized by ambitions
that exceeded the country's
capabilities” is the most succinct description I’ve read. Thank you.
Wow. What an essay. I love you, TC, and the brilliant and fascinating historians in my brain. I always feel better about everything I post after some ‘splaining that tells me exactly why I’m posted it. My intuition gets ahead of my logic sometimes but I trust my spirit. This forum is such a guidepost for me.
United!
Putin The Terrible
SO unexpected. At 68, I thought I was done. What an astounding surprise. How wondrous ❣️
https://razomforukraine.org/
'This is a special installment of our newsletter as we come to you with an urgent message. We don't usually send this kind of e-mail to this entire distribution list but this is an urgent situation, and we need all of the support we can get from our network to stop the horror in Mariupol. We, and the upwards of 1,000 people still stuck in the rubble in Mariupol, are all counting on you. We can save them. Help get us more airpower and air support.'
Dear Razom Community,
'By latest reports, over 1000 people are still stranded under the rubble of the Drama Theater of Mariupol right now. We ask you to be their voice. Please call for international leaders to give Ukraine air power and air support to protect the sky so that rescuers can dig out the survivors and save these lives.'
'Please help get this message out by sharing on your social media.'
'Right now all of us together have an opportunity to make a difference for Ukraine simply by using our voice. Mariupol is a city that has been encircled by russian forces for the past two weeks sustaining some of the most brutal shelling, bombing, and urban warfare out of any city in Ukraine since the start of the war. Reports indicate that dozens of bombs are being dropped on the city per day. On Wednesday, March 16th, russian forces struck the theater, even though the word “children” was written in large white letters on the ground at either end of the building to indicate it was used to shelter innocent civilians.'
https://razomforukraine.org/
'Don’t look away from this attack on civilians - raise your voice and stand with Ukraine. Make a post on your twitter, instagram, and facebook now. Here’s an example:'
'Hey experts & policy makers do your job! Ukraine needs air support & air power. Don’t take your eyes off of Mariupol and the 1000+ women and children stuck under the rubble of a theater there for 3 days @JoeBiden @JensStoltenberg @EmmanuelMacron @BorisJohnson @Bundeskanzler @USDoDGov get to work!'
Hear from an officer in Mariupol: https://youtu.be/4LBQTsIgQc0
'Thank you so much for your support. You are all doing your part, whether that’s donating, packing & sorting aid supplies, or raising awareness, and for that we are tremendously grateful. It’s time for the policy experts to do their part too.'
'Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes deeply in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. Razom works towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner and do.'
Our mailing address is:
Razom, Inc
140 2nd Ave Ste 305
New York, NY 10003-8385
'Add us to your address book'