Current Affairs Ukraine

[Lobster Johnson]

I think the issue with language is an interesting one. Said this before, but my partner is originally from Odessa but moved to the UK when she was around 8/9 years old, 7/8 years after independence.

For the record, she's completely against any military action, she's anti Putin, but she is also very critical of the Ukrainian Government. She's Ukrainian/Russian and speaks Russian. But there is a genuine fear that Russian is fast becoming a second class language in the country.

Its a complicated picture. As you say the western cities have always spoken the language in large numbers, but when it's being forced upon people in other regions it can cause a sense of alienation for some.

I used to work with some Bulgarian/Turkish guys who told a similar story about a piece of Bulgaria basically being annexed by stealth when the Turkish army started driving around handing out passports to anybody who wanted them.

 

[ToffeeTim]

@[Deleted Member] I've just seen this where they're using cluster munitions and Grads (MLRSs) to indiscriminately attach population areas.

It supports the earlier comment where it was suggested that they were now targetting population areas with heavier weapons.

That looks like a residential area? Not good

 

[stipe]

Speaking Ukrainian is not a measure of Ukrainianess, historically the cities in the north west like Lviv, Lutsk and Ivano Frankovsk have always spoken Ukrainian. The cities of Kiev, Kharkov, Dinipro, Odessa are all massively patriotic Ukrainian cities but all spoke almost entirely Russian until the 2014 revolution, since then schools have begun teaching Ukrainian as the primary language but the older generation all speak Russian still but are patriotic Ukrainian’s.

Lviv (know as Lemberg under Austrian rule) was majority Polish speaking city until end of ww2, there was a lot of Jews living there.

From Austro-Hungarian census in 1911, Lviv was majority Polish speaking while countryside was Ukrainian.

Germans in ww2 and nationalistic Ukrainian UPA militia decimated Poles and Jews there during WW2

 

[bluebud]

I think the issue with language is an interesting one. Said this before, but my partner is originally from Odessa but moved to the UK when she was around 8/9 years old, 7/8 years after independence.

For the record, she's completely against any military action, she's anti Putin, but she is also very critical of the Ukrainian Government. She's Ukrainian/Russian and speaks Russian. But there is a genuine fear that Russian is fast becoming a second class language in the country.

Its a complicated picture. As you say the western cities have always spoken the language in large numbers, but when it's being forced upon people in other regions it can cause a sense of alienation for some.

I understand your point, It is a complex issue but kev’s “persecution”comment is utter rubbish.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

He’s a typical case of powerful/wealthy man, surrounded by yes men and loses touch with reality. He’s convinced himself that he is doing the right thing and no one dared say otherwise. It happens more often than you’d think, just not with nukes thrown in.

 

[Tin-Tin]

This is the main threat to all our futures

 

[stipe]

I'm reading that those guys from Snake Island might be alive, maybe Russian propaganda?

 

[Tin-Tin]

 

[Tin-Tin]

I'm reading that those guys from Snake Island might be alive, maybe Russian propaganda?

Think Ukraine have confirmed they were captured.

 

[Tin-Tin]

Not sure how long they can withstand

 

[stipe]

So if Belarus join they will probably rush toward West Ukraine, opening 4th front.
Ukrainian Eastern front also facing danger of Russian pincer movement from the direction of Crimea

 

[Kev The Rat]

I understand your point, It is a complex issue but kev’s “persecution”comment is utter rubbish.

Well thats how the Russians view it

But dont worry, I'm sure its all propaganda

 

[Gabagool]

Lviv (know as Lemberg under Austrian rule) was majority Polish speaking city until end of ww2, there was a lot of Jews living there.

From Austro-Hungarian census in 1911, Lviv was majority Polish speaking while countryside was Ukrainian.

Germans in ww2 and nationalistic Ukrainian UPA militia decimated Poles and Jews there during WW2

There's a fantastic book called 'East-West Street' by Philippe Sands, which covers exactly this subject in Lviv/Lwów/Lemberg during this period:

East West Street by Philippe Sands review – putting genocide into words

A compelling memoir reveals the Jewish legal minds who sowed the seeds for human rights law at the Nuremberg trials

www.theguardian.com

 

[Prevenger17]

Well thats how the Russians view it

But dont worry, I'm sure its all propaganda

 

[sbbefc]

I understand your point, It is a complex issue but kev’s “persecution”comment is utter rubbish.

This is just my opinion but I'd agree with you on that. I think there have been isolated incidents of far right attacks on Russians and Putin has taken full advantage of this for his propaganda campaign. But persecution is wide of the mark.