3 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2022
      • "Restoring the Russian empire" requires an easy victory over Ukraine, as it's meant as a "liberation" from the western "empire of lies".
      • The fierce resistance by the Ukrainian people invalidates this premise. Their national identity is strengthened through the resistance in this conflict.
      • This means Putin pushed Ukraine further away from Russia, rather than integrate them.
      • If he extracts political concessions from Ukraine (e.g. that they won't join NATO), the only way to enforce them is through intimidation. The effectiveness of economic sanctions may prevent this from working longer term
    1. The president who refused to flee the capital, telling the US that he needs ammunition, not a ride; the soldiers from Snake Island who told a Russian warship to “go fuck yourself”; the civilians who tried to stop Russian tanks by sitting in their path. This is the stuff nations are built from. In the long run, these stories count for more than tanks.

      Individual acts of bravery that shape people's cultural identity.

  2. Sep 2020