War

War has always been an integral part of human history. Military conflicts, clashes and full-scale wars regularly take place on every continent, sometimes drawing in other countries.

In 2022, the whole world is following Russia's war against Ukraine – the largest-scale hostilities of the modern world, Ukraine's heroic struggle against Russian terror and Putin's criminal regime.

The aggressor has been cynically trying to seize Ukraine for almost a month now – and for some reason is surprised that Ukrainians are fighting back and driving it off their land. Russia's war against Ukraine has already become a war of national liberation.

And although many politicians and ordinary people are now trying to justify the Russian people and separate them from Putin, it is worth remembering that Russia is not only now showing aggression towards Ukraine – Russian terror has continued for at least several centuries.

Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for centuries

Throughout its history, Ukraine has in one way or another resisted Russian oppression and Russian imperialism, which remained unchanged even under different regimes.

From the founding of Moscow in 1147 to the present day, Ukrainian lands and Ukrainian identity have been under the constant oppression of an unwanted neighbour.

The war aims to destroy everything Ukrainian

Although Russia has repeatedly spoken of "brotherly peoples" and the "centuries-old friendship" of Ukrainians and Russians, it is Russia that has been trying for several centuries to destroy everything connected with Ukraine:

• The language – harsh Russification took place;
• The achievements of Ukrainian public figures and artists, folklore, clothing and dishes automatically became Russian;
• Culture and self-identification – repression against Ukrainian politicians, public figures, writers and poets, playwrights and others who wanted Ukrainian independence.

World War I became the first direct clash between the Russian and Ukrainian peoples. Although the parties were officially on the same side, it was Russia that had designs on Ukrainian territories. World War II unfolded in the same way – the eternal Russian "liberators" literally occupied Ukrainian lands devastated by Germany.

During the USSR and the period of the Cold War between the USA and Russia, the Ukrainian people continued to be destroyed and assimilated by Russians – it was then that the well-known narratives appeared about the "decaying West" that allegedly incites countries against the "great power", the criminal NATO and the eternal threat to the Russian people from the Americans.

And even after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia did not stop terrorising Ukraine – it continued total Russification, imposed the concept of "brotherly peoples" and unsuccessfully tried to create a pro-Russian state with a puppet government. In 2014, Russia criminally occupied Donbas and Crimea, and 8 years later openly went to war with Ukraine – now the whole world is watching the "brotherly people" commit genocide against Ukrainians, hiding behind outdated Cold War narratives.