[Opinion] Is there a stigma around this type of thinking in Ukraine?
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I was inspired to write this opinion in response to an article from Oksana Kukurudza's Sunflowers Rarely Break about “Demystifying Corruption in Ukraine” on Medium.
I highlighted her concluding remarks. See it below:
Along with the highlight I made this comment:
“I admire your concluding remark so much. Most people from Ukraine wouldn’t dare make this comment, but everyone is thinking it. I wish that people from Ukraine would stand up for themselves as a progressive country in the international community. There seems to be a stigma around this type of thinking, in my opinion, though my perception could be false. What do you think?”
I wasn’t surprised to find that Oksana’s response was full of anectodal wisdom. See her comment below:
And then Jaimie Hileman chimed in, with such a long response that I could not even fit the whole screenshot onto the page. Go to the article to read her full response. Here’s part of it below:
Both of the two comments above make me think deeply about the subject of international politics. In the context of the United States’ role in the Ukraine war, there’s clearly a lot questions surrounding the stigma of being either pro-Russia or pro-Western in Ukraine.
My opinion is that this stigma will continue to exist among Ukrainian people, regardless of the war’s outcome, because the ties between Russia and Ukraine extend beyond the Cold War. We are talking about two societies that have integrated with each other extensively: through marriage, business and politics. Are the three mutually exclusive?
I think not. We are living in a more globalized world, and perhaps Russia’s invasion is an attempt to make Ukraine believe that it is powerless in the face of its aggressor. But, the United States has come to their aide militarily, while the EU sanctions have added extra economic pressure, so Russia has to commit all of its resources to this war effort, which frightens me to think of what they might be planning in war room for the future.
I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but the feelings on this subject are running high, as evidenced by the comments I shared above from Oksana’s article.
Read the full article: Demystifying Corruption in Ukraine.
If you like my opinion about current affairs, check out some of the previous opinions I wrote for [The Weekend Brief] newsletter below: