Taking a longer view

An inside look at what's happening in Ukraine

There’s plenty to write about from Kansas, and the legislature this week. But for now, I want to take a slight detour to the current events in Ukraine.

Back in 2017, I had the luck to meet a group of people from the Ukraine. They came through Kansas, and Hutchinson, as part of a Rotary Club international program - and I was asked if I would visit with them about state government.

The meeting has always stood out to me - previously because of a conversation we had about the way in which some unsavory politicians would constantly change voting laws so that what a child learned in school wasn’t applicable by the time they could vote. At the time, I parked that information in my mind as a lesson worth remembering.

During that meeting, I visited and became friends with Tetiana Shyriavieva, who lives in Kyiv. Shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, I reached out to her to see how she was doing. She shared a number of local photos, as well as some commentary. With her permission, I’ll share some of that here.

As I write, I’m streaming some nonsensical children’s sing-along show on Netflix for my granddaughters. My heater is running. The lights are on. There’s food in the refrigerator. I made a fresh pot of good coffee to drink this morning. Later, I’ll hop in my car and run errands around town.

And at no point will I worry that I’ll encounter military operations from an occupying force, bombs dropping on my house, or that I’ll get caught in combat crossfire. I think there are a lot of things we take for granted in our daily lives here in America, and in the middle of Kansas, and the Ukrainian situation serves to remind me of that.

Before I get to Tetiana’s comments, it seems a brief review is appropriate. Because what’s happened last week didn’t just happen - it’s been simmering for a long time, even if we were too focused on the latest celebrity news to realize it.

This article spells it out pretty well. Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is claiming that he’s attacked Ukraine because he seeks the “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine. He also claims that there has been genocide in Ukraine, although there’s no evidence to support the claim. It’s also worth nothing that Ukraine’s president, Volodymr Zelensky, is Jewish.

Putin has claimed that Ukraine has been overrun by extremists since 2014, when pro-Putin Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted after months of protest against his rule. Russia retaliated by seizing the southern area of Crimea and supporting rebellion in the far eastern part of Ukraine.

Ukraine has made efforts to join the European Union and NATO, something Putin has long resisted - with his view that Ukraine essentially belongs to Russia.

The other element at play is a shift in power dynamics between the three largest players on the world stage - the U.S., Russia, and China. This has been widely studied and written about since the early 2000s. We’ve also seen evidence of a “non-linear” or “hybrid” war being launched against other nations - including the U.S. and the Ukraine - for the past several years.

Tetiana told me that if one were to watch Russian news, they would think that Ukraine was the aggressor - and that Russia is a benevolent force doing the good work in the world.

“The Russian TV does not say a word about their actions in Ukraine other than it is a peacemaking operation in Donbas. Many of the captives from Russian army confess they were not informed about where they go and why. So they were not informed they are sent to Ukraine.”

“Russian TV is censored and shows that Russia was afraid of NATO attacking it, so they attack strategic NATO objects on the territory of Ukraine, which is clear lie.”

“They use Ukrainian data about numbers of killed and in captivity and present it opposite way. They shot a kid in the main kids hospital in Kyiv which they marked as a strategic point.”

Areas with the most Russian military activity

When I viewed some of the news articles from Russia’s largest news service, TASS, it’s clear what Tetiana says is true. I even found one article that claimed damage to a building in Kyiv was not caused by the attack, but by Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunfire.

Tetiana also indicated that the Russians - despite their claims to the contrary - are in fact targeting civilian areas, including schools and hospitals.

“Russians are hitting hospitals, kindergartens and the blood donor centers….They shot into the kindergarten and there were 50 kids, luckily in the attached room, so no victims.”

I asked about life in Kyiv through all of this. She said work and university life keeps going, though school for children has been disrupted.

“In Kyiv the sirens go off quite often informing civilians about avia (air) invasion so ppl hide in the subways.

Schools are not working as well as universities. Work is not stopped, the country should continue operating to survive. Sirens are all the day/night round. Some ppl come to hide temporarily, some stay there for long.

Civilians are informed about how to act in case of attacks. Ppl are scared but trust our army and hope for better. The only big concern is avia (air) attacks. The probability is high as none of Putin's plans worked out. And of course the potential risk is if he attacks nuclear plants.

I asked about the spirits of the people in Ukraine, and whether they were worried or apprehensive about the attack and the outcome.

“I think people are hopeful. I am hopeful as well. I am a human being, so I do feel scared and not angry, but cross with what happens. But I am hopeful. Ukraine is a beautiful country with great nature, interesting history and immense potential to prosper. We know how to fight and deserve to live the life we as the nation chose.”

When I asked if I could use the information she was sharing with me for a column, she not only agreed, but thought it was important.

“It is so important to know there are ppl who are not indifferent. We are under a very serious attack. Putin is getting more and more angry with Ukraine withstanding his aggression. As of now, we stand against huge force. Hope we will be able to win our right for life.

I just wonder why USA and NATO are staying aside. Seems we are still not welcomed there as a country who is ready to partner.

Certainly, the more the world understands it has nothing to do with peacemaking operation of Russia in the eastern part of Ukraine, the more Putin can think about his actions.”

I’m glad to have this connection in Kyiv, but it also makes the situation in Ukraine more than news headlines. I know a number of people who have some connection to someone in Ukraine, and I know they feel the same way.

Probably the thing that stood out the most to me was Tetiana’s statement that it’s important for people in Ukraine to know that the world isn’t indifferent.

What’s occurring in the Ukraine gives us an opportunity to think outside of our own existence, to consider what life is like right now for someone in a far-away place, and to be grateful for the security of our own existence. And done right, it might also give us the chance to realize that many of the things that we complain about - the things that dominate our political discourse - are somewhat trivial when compared to what the Ukrainians are facing on a daily basis.