Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Larisa Sotieva: How myths and narratives are dominating events in Ukraine
Participants of Eurmaidan Rally at Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv made Holodomor years (1932-1933) out of candles on the ground.
I have always admired the expressiveness of the Russian language. Popular turns of phrase that have become enshrined in everyday language reveal quite colourfully Russians' attitudes towards themselves and ongoing events. In particular I am struck by the way Russians reflect on failure with easy humour, as captured in the phrase 'they hoped for better, but it turned out as usual', Larisa Sotieva, Senior Advisor for peacebuilding NGO International Alert, writes in her blog for The Huffington Post.
This particular phrase keeps coming to mind when thinking about the Ukraine crisis. Europeans, Russians and Americans alike all meant well, but what we got was something quite different.
