до біса війна

I've been always condemn violence. Especially unprovoked one. 

I always hate US Govt for their military action in Iraq and Libya, and any other places where they spill innocent people's blood for their own agenda. I always hate the zionist for what they did (and still doing) in Palestine. To a lesser extent, I hate NATO too, bcos they're just like US cheerleader, joining them whenever the war is happening. (Doesn't mean i support Saddam or Khadaffi, though. But under them, their country might be in a better state, not as destroyed as after US send them democracy and freedom via F-16 and barrages of tomahawk missiles).

For some reason, maybe since 9/11 and George W. Bush started war on terrorism (or more like war on Islam), Russia always stood on the opposite side, somehow counterbalancing USA's global influence. Putin stood high like a single knight countering USA's dominance in the global theatre. I remember countries like Iran, Bolivia, Venezuela were called axis of evil bcoz their opposition to the western world, particulary US. I viewed them as brave little countries.

Then BRIC formed, as an alternative economic power to counter the hegemony of the west. Sounds cool.

I started following and admiring Russia as a brave country, albeit just a shadow of its former (relative) glory of USSR (never been a fan of communist ideology, tho). I just love to see whoever stood against the arrogant USA. 

Do you remember the good old "Command and Conquer: Generals"? I always love to play as GLA.
Do you remember "Red Alert"? I always love to play Soviet.

Then when I began to fascinated on military tech, and the history behind it, I fell in love with Russian war machines. The Sukhois (especially Flanker family and Su-57). The array of anti-air defense. Their long range artillery and rockets. Their ICBMs, anti-ship, and hypersonic missiles. Their biggest submarine, biggest plane, biggest helicopter, etc. How they could maintain their military might (consistently number 2 behind USA) despite their economy had been wobbled for years with sanction over sanction by the west. Even without sanction, their economy is far behind USA's/China's economy. For me, Russia had been always my favourite underdog against USA dominance. Putin, the man behind Russia's might over the last two decades, the strongman with images of him holding weapon barechested or riding-a-bear-meme, seems lika a brave, albeit twisted man. A symbol of resistence against western imperialism. 

But of course, he's a dictator with oligarch channel and twisted democracy, aiming to became a lifetime president of Russia, making Russians daily life harsher economically, but to the outside world that had seen enough western arrogance, he might be seen as a saint, a savior.

Then Ukraine war officially begun. Putin is the main antagonist here. He's a certified psyco now.

Actually, we all could see this coming. 2014 conflict was just like planting the seed. Crimean annexation is just the beginning. Ukraine had been on war since then. A hybrid war, denied by Russia every now and then. A war that Ukraine couldn't win by themself. Let's see the numbers. They are totally outnumbered on every front.

Ukrainian President said that they will defend themselves, and the agressor will see their face, not their back. What a brave statement from a former comedian who happened to be a president (while in certain country, a popular 'humble, anti-corruption' figure who became a real president turned out to be another oligarch puppet, rallying around the archipelago, running a comedy show by executing lots of policy which contradict his own earlier statement). 

But we all understand that Ukraine will never win by themselves. They need help. And this is where Putin already won, it seems. 

I know, war is like football sometimes, in terms of unpredictability. Who thought that Barca could lose 8-2 to Bayern that day?

Everyone remember Lebanon, 2006? Where Merkava Tanks were blown by the Hezbollah? Maybe Ukraine will win, and the agressor will be back home in shame, their economy will be more detoriated. But on the paper, Russia had won the war already.

The conflict started since 2014 is tiresome for Ukraine, it had costed them a lot. Russia suffered casualities, too, but they are not as devastated as Ukraine. 

The west helped Ukraine, but seems like just a little help, and a little bit too late.

If NATO decided to help (real help like, more than just Javelin missiles), there will be consequences. The war  will be spread all over Europe. (But to be honest, a lot of Javelin could force Russia to enter an urban warfare; a war they didn't really fond of. Remember Georgia?)

If NATO didn't join the war, nobody knows who will be the next Ukraine (Poland be like sweating intensifies).

Would another European countries really want to be involved in the war? How if Putin stop the gas flow to European country? Seems like they (the leadership? or the oligarch behind European goverment, maybe?) love the smell of Russian gas and not wanting Russia to stop the gas flow. 

Putin threatened the world that there will be consequences for those involved in the war (read: wanna stop them). And when the threat is issued by someone who has total control for thousands of nuclear warheads, everybody has he right to be afraid.

Just imagine this. Just two weeks ago, Russia just sent MiG-31 armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missile to Kaliningrad. A small Russian enclave near Poland. Those missile has 2.000 km radius. And it could be equipped with 100kt nuclear warhead. Little Boy (the nuke that wiped out Hiroshima) was rated at 15kt. Means that, a single nuke warhead on it could be at least six times stronger than the one dropped on Hiroshima. Everybody within 2000km radius from Kaliningrad had a good excuse for having a nightmare right now.

This is the attack radius of Kinzhal missile, if launched from Kaliningrad. Image from the article on the link above

Moreover, the world is still recovering from C19 pandemic. Nobody prepared themselves for war. What a time to be alive right now.

Seems like it's already win-win solution for Russia. Sorry, i mean Putin and his henchmen, actually. Because many Russians are also agaist the war. Just like any other normal person out there. Just like how American people were against Bush invasion on Iraq.

Even if NATO decided to join the war, Russia could always threaten to escalate the war into a nuclear one. And they have enough warhead to be sent into every major European cities. With Intercontinental ballistic missile, launced from their nuclear triad (from airplane, like Tu-160 or Tu-22, even MiG-31; sea, like submarine or even corvette; and land, wheter from mobile ICBM launcher like Topol, or from railway). In short, nobody wants a nuclear war. It's the last thing we need.

Normal people are against this kind of war.

But the question is, what can normal people do now?

I don't think thought and prayers would be enough, tho.

Maybe, a little act to show which side we are on. Some brave people in Russia did. The were standing against the tyrany of their own president, and badly beaten by the cops. Just as we know that the war is not wanted by normal people, even in Russia. And elsewhere.

Maybe, we who live thousands of miles away, could start by avoiding products from the agressor. And support products from Ukraine. Who knows, it might help them recover after the war ends (when?).

In the end, we all have to unite to condemn and avoid unnecessary blodshed everywhere, by anyone. In Palestine. Libya. Syria. Sudan. Ukraine. Everywhere.

Hope everything will be better soon for our Ukrainian friends.

It is said that the Ukrainian flag was inspired by the color of wheat field under a blue sky, a common scenery for a place once called "breadbasket of Europe". Image from wikimedia commons

What's your idea, fellow violence-hating normals?

*sorry for grammatical errors. English is not my native language

Sorry for the long post. Here are some деруни (deruny) or Ukrainian Potato Pancake

image from here