Or maybe even much earlier, when a “friendly” neighbor-state published anti-Ukrainian books (like Mikhail Kalashnikov’s “Independent Ukraine: Breakup of a Project”), produced movies in
which Ukrainians are shown as traitors and cowards.
Or when, according to Kommersant.ru source, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the NATO Bucharest summit in April 2008: “…Ukraine is not even a state. What is Ukraine? Part of its territories is Eastern Europe, but the greater part is a gift from us.” Russian government started this war against Ukraine not today and not yesterday, but didn’t say this aloud.
When Russian servicemen invaded Crimea we called them “green men” or “Crimean Cossacks,” When a Moscow citizen planted the Russian flag atop the Kharkiv State Administration we called it an “anti-government protest.” When Russians occupied key posts in the so-called, self-proclaimed ‘People’s Republics’ of Donetsk and Luhansk, we called them “Ukrainian rebels.”
And even after the Russian army shelled Ukrainian territory, Russian helicopters killed border guards, after tanks, artillery and infantry have crossed from Russia the border of sovereign Ukraine, we still call it “fighting between governmental forces and pro-Russian militants.”
In spite of all the proof we have, all evidence we know, the world continues to use the phrase “pro-Russian rebels” instead of “Russian forces.”
Of course the most convenient, but not correct, term for Ukrainian politicians in this diplomatic game is to use the word “terrorists” – no one wants to have war with Russia, but every country is ready to help fight the terrorist.
It also gives Putin a chance to retreat and take a role of “peacemaker,” since officially Russia has no
attitude to “civil” war inside Ukraine.
Until recently Ukraine did a lot to prevent the open intervention and used all diplomatic means to stop the aggression, but now, when regular armies of two states are facing off in a third front in a fierce battle outside the southeastern city of Novoazovsk, isn’t it the time to announce openly at the international level that we have not a civil conflict, but Russian-Ukrainian war?
And those countries that cooperate with it support the aggressor? Isn’t it the time finally to call Russian not a green man, rebel or separatist, but Russian?
Victoria Petrenko is a Kyiv Post website editor.
