Thanks for this. A side note: Putin also has misunderstood the character of the Western mind. Firstly, by assuming a unity of thought that doesn’t exist, and secondly accepting the myth that our core values have been entirely replaced by commercialism. This is the autocrat’s historical mistake and, having walled himself off from much of history, he is doomed to repeat it.
Not only is it genocide, but I would even add a form of autogenocide. Not only because Ukrainians are a Slavic brotherly people, but also because he is forcing his own soldiers into death physically and is slowly reducing the Russian citizens to will-less zombies. Why? Fear of free spirits like Nemtsov, Kara-Murza, Navalny, Politovskaja,.... Fear of the free world.
Thank you James for this very well argued article. Although any sensible person can only be horrified by what is happening in Ukraine, the use of the term genocide is legitimately debatable. The whole difficulty appears between your lines: can we link the exactions of Russian soldiers and mercenaries to the policy of Russification of the conquered territories? It is not so obvious, because: (1) the Russian army (like the army of any authoritarian regime) is prone to war crimes wherever it is deployed, regardless of the strategic objectives; (2) the policy of Russification on the occupied-conquered territories does not seem to differ in nature from the repression and terror exercised in Russia itself. To qualify (not legally, but intellectually) Russia's actions in Ukraine, I would be more inclined to speak of genealogical murder: no one but Russia, according to Putin, can claim to be the heir of the father of all Russians, which the city of Kiev has symbolised since the 9th century (see Wikipedia: Kievan Rus').
Thanks for this. A side note: Putin also has misunderstood the character of the Western mind. Firstly, by assuming a unity of thought that doesn’t exist, and secondly accepting the myth that our core values have been entirely replaced by commercialism. This is the autocrat’s historical mistake and, having walled himself off from much of history, he is doomed to repeat it.
Not only is it genocide, but I would even add a form of autogenocide. Not only because Ukrainians are a Slavic brotherly people, but also because he is forcing his own soldiers into death physically and is slowly reducing the Russian citizens to will-less zombies. Why? Fear of free spirits like Nemtsov, Kara-Murza, Navalny, Politovskaja,.... Fear of the free world.
Thank you James for this very well argued article. Although any sensible person can only be horrified by what is happening in Ukraine, the use of the term genocide is legitimately debatable. The whole difficulty appears between your lines: can we link the exactions of Russian soldiers and mercenaries to the policy of Russification of the conquered territories? It is not so obvious, because: (1) the Russian army (like the army of any authoritarian regime) is prone to war crimes wherever it is deployed, regardless of the strategic objectives; (2) the policy of Russification on the occupied-conquered territories does not seem to differ in nature from the repression and terror exercised in Russia itself. To qualify (not legally, but intellectually) Russia's actions in Ukraine, I would be more inclined to speak of genealogical murder: no one but Russia, according to Putin, can claim to be the heir of the father of all Russians, which the city of Kiev has symbolised since the 9th century (see Wikipedia: Kievan Rus').