A sea of tears
The humanitarian crisis Putin's war has created. Death. Russia's disgenuine peace offerings.
A sea of tears. That is what I am thinking about. The human suffering and pain the is only just beginning. Millions of Ukrainians are on their way to Europe, leaving everything behind, including husbands, fathers and sons. They didn’t think this would happen. No one thought this would happen. I met some of them today, and wrote about it in the thread below. You will look around you in Austria today and see many Ukrainian license plates, you will see many women and children who just spent days on trains trying to get out of cities with bombs and rockets flying around them. Don’t look away. What happened to Ukraine can happen to any of us.
TLDR: women and children left with nothing but a backpack full of documents, a small suitcase, and perhaps the family dog. They are travelling through Austria to other destinations in Europe where friends or family are waiting for them. Some are reaching Austria and hoping to stay here. They need a place to stay, an opportunity to earn some money, food, clothing, a plan for their children, will there be kindergarten? School? Everyone is in a state of shock to varying degrees. I feel like this is the very first wave of what will be a long, protracted storm. We must get ready to help. A few stories from this morning, more in my thread:
Mariupol — the tragedy there are no photos or videos of because sons don’t know if their parents are still alive. No one has had electricity in days. People are huddled in cold wet basements with no supplies as Russia razes the city to the ground. Read this entire thread from a Ukrainian MP whose parents refused to leave and are trapped in Mariupol now. He hasn’t heard from them since yesterday morning.
Kyiv Diary: Was I right not to leave? from the FT a few day ago.
Bunkered down in Kyiv in the New Yorker.
Bila Tserkva
Kharkiv
Also Kharkiv
Horrific reports from the suburb Irpin west of Kyiv.
The Russians are targeting civilians. The mayor of Irpin says he watched the Russians kill eight civilians long well known evacuation routes. Entire families have been killed. This is what I refer to when I argue Putin is trying to destroy the Ukrainian nation one citizen at a time. This is a genocide. Right here in Europe in this year 2022, no matter how much that realisation might shock some bobo journalists.
And as I keep saying, why would Putin stop in Ukraine if he is successful? Why wouldn’t he simply keep going?
A third round of “peace” talks are scheduled to begin at 4pm today Kyiv time. I would not put a huge bet on them. Russia apparently offered to put all its arms down if Ukraine meets three “simple” conditions. Again, it is just to look like Russia is doing something while it tries to destroy what is left of Ukraine’s brave cities. A glimmer of hope some kind of talks between foreign ministers in Turkey on Thursday, but just a show? Israel’s prime minister went to Moscow first and then called Zelensky, what does that all mean? Who knows. I just don’t have the feeling anything will stop Putin right now short of a real response from NATO. The Russian economy is in free fall. Those who could leave left. The Americans finally promised Polish jets last night.
Read this POW interview with an Air Force pilot. They are numb. That’s what I really got wrong. For a few days at the beginning, I thought you could just knock out Putin and all will be well. But the cancer is deep, deeper than I thought, within the regime.
I don’t dare make any predictions. I don’t expect this horrific war to end anytime soon. I still fear it spreads beyond Ukraine’s borders. I am very worried about our collective humanitarian response to help the millions of Ukrainians now fleeing for their lives westward, to Europe.
A not comprehensive but initial list of organizations trying to help now in Austria on the ground. Will add more in the coming days as I learn more. I will go back to HBF tomorrow to help and do a shift of translation and on the spot support.
Please do let me know which international aid organizations are best to donate to for those who want to make a financial contribution towards helping refugees from Ukraine, as I have a lot of readers from many different countries so I would like to share those links, too.
Thank you!
Only the second one, Postgasse 8, (English version https://homesforukraine.eu/en/help-eng/) has their content translated into English. They accept bank transfers. Opening the others in a Chrome browser translates most of the important content.