1. Truly disappointed in my country's lack of foresight in not redirecting those helicopters to the Ukrainian cause. I hope they somehow change their minds before consigning them to the scrapheap. China's nearby but supporting Ukraine with physical objects isn't going to cause Xi Jinping to suddenly lose it.
2. That interview with the former POW (and I say former lightly because just reading his experiences makes me wonder if you can ever escape the mental and emotional experience of that terror) should be made more widely available so people can understand not just what Ukraine is dealing with but what we will all be dealing with if either they lose, or they have to enter negotiations. I am concerned about what will come out eventually about the treatment of women either attacked or taken prisoner by Russians, particularly at Mariupol. Thank you for sharing these interviews.
Dear Liz, thanks for commenting. There are vehicles and some armaments here in Italy that could be sent to Ukraine as well, so Australia is not the only country holding back. We don't know the full picture as there may be more than just political reasons for holding back. That said, I just wish UA gets what it needs to fight. Point two: Agree totally. The psychological trauma to former POWs is something that is not discussed, as isn't the actual torture they went through, which they bring home to their loved ones. My friend, Paul Niland, runs Ukraine's suicide hotline for veterans--it's a real problem. We can't sit by and allow Russia to take territory as we all know what happens to the civilian population under occupation. This is one of the reasons that Ukrainians will never give in to the Russians. Anyone who has lived under the Russians have the same viewpoint. If you have time, please read this article written by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia, in the Economist: https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2021/12/07/toomas-hendrik-ilves-on-why-liberal-democracy-matters.
Also if you can, Stanislav Aseyev's, The Torture Camp on Paradise Street:
My reading list is already insane so I am happy to add to the insanity! We Thanks for the links! I also just read Sky Above Kharkiv which reminded me a lot of a book I read as a child during the Bosnian War called Zlata's Diary.
Hi Monique - a couple of things.
1. Truly disappointed in my country's lack of foresight in not redirecting those helicopters to the Ukrainian cause. I hope they somehow change their minds before consigning them to the scrapheap. China's nearby but supporting Ukraine with physical objects isn't going to cause Xi Jinping to suddenly lose it.
2. That interview with the former POW (and I say former lightly because just reading his experiences makes me wonder if you can ever escape the mental and emotional experience of that terror) should be made more widely available so people can understand not just what Ukraine is dealing with but what we will all be dealing with if either they lose, or they have to enter negotiations. I am concerned about what will come out eventually about the treatment of women either attacked or taken prisoner by Russians, particularly at Mariupol. Thank you for sharing these interviews.
Dear Liz, thanks for commenting. There are vehicles and some armaments here in Italy that could be sent to Ukraine as well, so Australia is not the only country holding back. We don't know the full picture as there may be more than just political reasons for holding back. That said, I just wish UA gets what it needs to fight. Point two: Agree totally. The psychological trauma to former POWs is something that is not discussed, as isn't the actual torture they went through, which they bring home to their loved ones. My friend, Paul Niland, runs Ukraine's suicide hotline for veterans--it's a real problem. We can't sit by and allow Russia to take territory as we all know what happens to the civilian population under occupation. This is one of the reasons that Ukrainians will never give in to the Russians. Anyone who has lived under the Russians have the same viewpoint. If you have time, please read this article written by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia, in the Economist: https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2021/12/07/toomas-hendrik-ilves-on-why-liberal-democracy-matters.
Also if you can, Stanislav Aseyev's, The Torture Camp on Paradise Street:
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674291072
Or his earlier book, In Isolation:
https://www.amazon.com/Isolation-Dispatches-Occupied-Ukrainian-Literature/dp/0674268784
I've read them all. Aseyev was a prisoner in a camp in Donbas. It's worth your while.
Cheers
Mo
My reading list is already insane so I am happy to add to the insanity! We Thanks for the links! I also just read Sky Above Kharkiv which reminded me a lot of a book I read as a child during the Bosnian War called Zlata's Diary.