The Russian Invasion — A View from Central Europe
Perspective, learning, wariness, and hope
Russia invaded Ukraine again two years ago today. Invaded again, because as too many had already forgotten, eight years earlier, Russia had invaded Ukraine and illegally seized Crimea. Putin said that Ukraine doesn’t exist as a nation state and is in fact Russia. This is wrong. Ukrainians are not Russians but are a separate people who have long suffered from Russian aggression.
A View from Down the Street
I grew up in the United States, in 2012; I emigrated to England to earn my PhD, and in 2018; I emigrated to Prague, Czech Republic. These years as an immigrant have taught me a lot and have given me a perspective on the world and events I would never have been able to have otherwise.
Prague is down the street metaphorically. Also with a history of suffering from Russian aggression, Prague is the exact same distance from Kiev, Ukraine, as Chicago is from New York City. Not next door, no, but not that far away. Putin says he wants to return the Czech Republic to the Russian sphere of influence. I take him at his word.
Over the last two years, I have written about Putin’s war of aggression from the perspective of an immigrant in Central Europe. Here are those articles…
