When The Nightmares Are Real

Sunday in Kyiv. They were walking with luggage.
Lynsey Addario/The New York Times

Back in the Dark Ages, when bloggers were bloggers, and opinions were opinions, a guy from Ukraine reached out to me. He'd seen several of my comments in The New York Times online, and followed the link to my blog. He explained he was a high school English teacher and wondered if I would be okay if he used the blog in his English class. 

I was thrilled. We exchanged a few emails, I assured him if any kids wrote I would answer (and I did,) that I would be happy to answer any questions he had, and I would always make sure to use links for stuff they would have to look up online. He asked me not to edit or adjust my topics in any way, that he wanted the kids to see what Americans wrote about for Americans. Before the cookie wars in Europe, I used to just smile as I watched the hit-o'meter spin with hits from Ukraine.

I have not heard from that teacher in a while...maybe a couple of years. I know he was close to my age (he told me) and that one day he and his wife dreamed of having a little place near the Black Sea. Last week's email to him bounced. I can only hope they are alive and safe. 

But I keep thinking about those kids. I'm sure lots of them would be married with kids of their own by now. And both the guys and girls, now men and women, would be taking up arms in defense of their country. These kids loved freedom of expression. I would read their notes and be amazed at the publications they read regularly: The Economist, The Washington Post, The Times of London, just about any reliable news source they could find. These kids who wanted to know more are out there with guns because a newly arisen madman wants lebesraum.  And the Soviet Union back. 

The world stood passively by while Hilter rolled across Europe. Neville Chamberlain's attempt to appease Hitler cost millions of lives. The big question is: have We, the Global People, learned anything about staying silent? For the last few days, Russia has been bombing residential neighborhoods and targeting civilian gathering places, like airports and train stations. The UN is loath to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine because there is the possibility that Putin will use that as an excuse to unleash his nuclear arsenal already pointed at Europe, thereby igniting World War III. From The NYTimes:

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has warned that any nation that tried to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would in effect be “participating in the armed conflict,” raising the threat of Russian retaliation. NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Friday that its members had rejected a no-fly zone out of fears it could lead to “a full-fledged war in Europe.”                               

If Putin is as unhinged as he is beginning to appear, this is an incredibly inflammatory statement that must be considered in the conversation. And the UN is not the only one with concerns about how crazy this guy is. Former Ambassador to Ukraine, Kurt Volker did the Sunday chat shows this week. On CBS's  FACE THE NATION, Volker said, 

We have to understand that Putin is bent on a military victory. He wants to destroy Ukraine, decapitate the leadership. He doesn't care about how many casualties this causes, what happens to the civilian population. This is a messianic mission that he is on. This is why he has to be stopped.

Messianic mission. That stopped me dead in my tracks. IF he was right, that Putin believes this is some sort of "divine" mission, he can and will use WMD at will. That's what crazy people do. Volker goes on to say the US should be supplying much more in the way of hardware than we are doing. That seems to be the direction we are going in. Someone has to stop this guy.

On a brighter note, only four countries are standing with Russia at the UN: Belarus, Syria, North Korea,  and Eritrea. With friends like that, who needs enemies? 

And that humanitarian cease-fire Russia offered for the protection of refugees? ONLY if they are crossing the border into Belarus or Russia. REALLY?????? Can you say from frying pan into the fire, boys and girls? I can see the beckoning finger now: Come, leetle pipples, come to Mother Russia. Ve have lovely winter camping ready for you. [to be read with Yakov Smirnoff accent.]

Train station in Kharkiv, Ukraine/
Jack Losh for Foreign Policy

Meanwhile, over one million people have fled for places other than Russia and Belarus. In so many instances, men are dropping their families at the border before returning to the front. Train stations are packed, but not the way they were in 1939. Thousands of people are waiting to get on a train, but these are not boxcars. There is real help waiting for them on the other side. We must be thankful for that much. The last time, that wasn't what happened.

My friend Natasha is here in the States, but her mom and most of the family are in Ukraine. We texted the other night:

Strollers left by Polish women
for Ukrainian moms carrying kinds

Poland is stepping up in unimaginable ways to shelter the women and children fleeing for safety. The internet is full of the Polish Stroller picture for very good reason: it has been vetted as accurate:The Poles have set up shelters, tents, and feeding stations. They are helping to organize the refugees so they have someplace to go. The overwhelming refrain is that they want to go home to their country; they have no wish to settle elsewhere. 

Folks, this will not stop with Ukraine. 

If Ukraine falls, Belarus' President Lukashenko previewed the map: Moldova is next. 

The world did not stand up to Hitler when he could've been stopped. Millions of people died because of that. Are we smarter than we were in 1932? 1933? 1938? 1939? 

I sure as hell hope so.

SPECIAL REPORT: After I published, the transcript of Zelensky's speech tonight was released in translation. Here it is:

Monday. Evening. You know, we used to say: Monday is a hard day. There is a war in the country. So every day is Monday. And now we are used to the fact that every day and every night are like that. 

Today is the 12th. 12th evening of our struggle. Our defense. We are all on the ground, we are all working.  Everyone is where they should be. I am in Kyiv. My team is with me. The territorial defense is on the ground. The servicemen are in positions. Our heroes! Doctors, rescuers, transporters, diplomats, journalists… 

Everyone. We are all at war. We all contribute to our victory, which will definitely be achieved. By force of arms and our army. By force of words and our diplomacy. By force of spirit, which the first, the second and each of us have. Take a look at our country today. 

Chaplynka, Melitopol, Tokmak, Novotroitske and Kherson. Starobilsk. Everywhere people defended themselves, although they do not have weapons there. But these are our people, and that’s why they have weapons. They have courage. Dignity. And hence the ability to go out and say: I’m here, it’s mine, and I won’t give it away. My city. My community. My Ukraine. 

Every Ukrainian man and woman who protested against the invaders yesterday, today and will protest tomorrow are heroes. 

We shout at the invaders together with you. We stand in the squares and streets with you. We are not afraid with you when the invaders open fire and try to drive everyone away. 

YOU do not back down. WE do not back down. 

And the one who repeated: “We are one people” – certainly did not expect such a powerful reaction. 

In the south of our country, such a national movement has unfolded, such a powerful manifestation of Ukrainianness that we have never seen in the streets and squares there. And for Russia it is like a nightmare. They forgot that we are not afraid of paddy wagons and batons. We are not afraid of tanks and machine guns. When the main thing is on our side, truth. As it is now. Mariupol and Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy. Odesa and Kyiv. Mykolaiv. Zhytomyr and Korosten. Ovruch. And many other cities. 

We know that hatred that the enemy brought to our cities with shelling and bombing will not remain there. There will be no trace of it. Hatred is not about us. Therefore, there will be no trace of the enemy. We will rebuild everything. We will make our cities destroyed by the invader better than any city in Russia. Enerhodar. Chornobyl. And other places where barbarians just don’t understand WHAT they want to capture. WHAT they want to control. Your work, your hard work on critical objects is a real feat. And we see it. We are sincerely grateful for it. The Ukrainian army holds positions. Well done! It inflicts extremely painful losses on the enemy. Defends. Counterattacks. If necessary – can take revenge. Necessarily. For every evil. For every rocket and bomb. For each destroyed civilian object. 

Today in Makariv, Kyiv region, they fired at the bread factory. For what? The old bread factory! Think about it – to fire at the bread factory. Who should you be to do that? Or to destroy another church – in the Zhytomyr region. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin built in 1862. 

These are NOT people. 

There was an agreement on humanitarian corridors. Did it work? Russian tanks worked instead. Russian “Grads”. Russian mines. They even mined the road, which was agreed to transport food and medicine for people and children in Mariupol. 

They even destroy buses that have to take people out. But … At the same time, they are opening a small corridor to the occupied territory. For several dozen people. Not so much to Russia, as to propagandists. Directly to their TV cameras. Like, that’s the one who saves. Just cynicism. Just propaganda. Nothing more. No humanitarian sense. The third round of negotiations in Belarus took place today. I would like to say – the third and final. But we are realists. So we will talk. We will insist on negotiations until we find a way to tell our people: this is how we will come to peace. 

Exactly to peace. 

We must realize that every day of struggle, every day of resistance creates better conditions for us. Strong position to guarantee our future. In peace. After this war. Apart from the dead people and the destroyed cities, the war leaves destroyed the aspirations that once seemed very important, but now … You don’t even mention them. 

Almost three years ago, as soon as the election took place, we entered this building, this office, and immediately began planning our move. I dreamed of moving from Bankova. Together with the government and parliament. To unload the center of Kyiv and in general – to move to a modern, transparent office – as befits a progressive democratic European country. 

Now I will say one thing: I stay here. 

I stay in Kyiv. On Bankova Street. 

I’m not hiding. And I’m not afraid of anyone.  As much as it takes to win this Patriotic War of ours. 

Today I signed a decree to present state awards of Ukraine to 96 Ukrainian heroes – our military. Including… 

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the second degree is awarded to: 

Major Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Sak. Commander of the mechanized battalion who entered the battle with the battalion tactical group of the enemy and won thanks to a rational approach to combat and non-standard tactics. 

Captain Rostyslav Oleksandrovych Sylivakin. Commander of the mechanized battalion, which successfully fought the overwhelming forces of the enemy, liberating Ukrainian towns and villages in the Sumy region. 

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the third degree is awarded to: 

Lieutenant Ihor Serhiyovych Lozovyi. Acting as part of the group, he stopped a column of enemy vehicles numbering about 150 units, which was moving in the direction of the Zhytomyr-Kyiv route. Destroyed. 

Lieutenant Vitaliy Viktorovych Poturemets. He showed exemplary courage and composure in the battle, destroying a column of enemy equipment near the city of Kyiv. He was wounded. 

The Order “For Courage” of the third degree is awarded to: 

Master Sergeant, Commander of the Automobile Platoon Valentyn Viktorovych Baryliuk. Thanks to his brave actions and personal determination, the tank unit received fuel in time and left the encirclement, destroying the enemy on the way. 

All 96 of our heroes are like these five! 

Our gratitude to all the military.  Our gratitude to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!  Our gratitude is boundless.   

Glory to Ukraine!