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Ukrainian Messianism: A Long Way To Victory
Memories of a nation that changed the world
It is the hot summer of 2019. I am in northern Ukraine with my family. The Russian border is only 30 km away and the Belarusian border is about 40. My friend Sergei who fought in the Ukrainian armed forces in Donbass in 2015 is worried about the future.
“We don’t want a big war. We, Ukrainians and Russians, are Slavic peoples and that is why I would very much hate to see your tanks cross the border one day. We will destroy them. We will destroy everything.”
His grandfather fought the Nazis in western Ukraine during World War II. My grandfather at the same time fought the Nazis on the Mannerheim Line in Finland. We have a lot of similar backgrounds and a lot to talk about. I tried to reassure Sergei as I did not believe in a big war. Yes, the danger exists because Putin has created a criminal illegal system aimed at strengthening his personal power. But he is not an idiot, he will not dare to open aggression. I was wrong then, and Sergei was absolutely right. His simple view of the world, refracted through the historical experience inherent in all Ukrainians, was more effective than my political analysis.
My godmother, an incredibly hardworking and kind woman, puts her cherry pies on the table. What do you think, I ask…