luttefrance's blog

It still seems almost unbelievable that Russia launched its unjustified war on Ukraine a year ago (to say nothing of Crimea and Eastern Donbas). Since then, Russian media have been ever more heavily censored and repressed, and the government has crushed any visible opposition within the country. Meanwhile, an estimated 1 million Russians have fled - mostly among the better educated and more highly skilled. The population appears largely supine in the face of state propaganda claiming that the invasion is a response to alleged western aggression, and that Russia is under attack from NATO.

To us in the west, with our free media and global outlook, Putin's narrative is clearly just as false as that of the communist era. One of the great aspects of this community is its international reach, and our ability to share our common passion across borders and continents. This war is changing the shape of Eurasia for generations, creating new barriers between east and west and threatening any real future for Russians outside the narrow confines of their few allies.

I've engaged with Russian friends on here, trying to explain that their leaders are lying to them and sending Russian soldiers to die for no reason. Some have concerns about border disputes and ethnic and cultural representation, but these issues in no way justify the invasion and can be settled peacefully, as they have been elsewhere.

Meetfighters doesn't have a large Russian membership - only 55 as of today - but if you have any contacts there it may be worth reminding them that while we may hate what Russia is doing in Ukraine, we don't hate Russians, we understand that they may have little access to accurate information about what's happening in Ukraine, and we hope that one day normal relations between us can be restored.