Departing Ukraine
Even in war, people don’t abandon their beliefs
The news trickling out of Ukraine continues to shutter the outside world. The pictures capture the ills of humankind. Video plays across the screen and emotions of fear, anxiety and unmistakable horror infect the heart. Also, there are moments of pride. Times where hugging a complete stranger seems an apt reaction. This is Russia invading a neighboring democratic country to feed one man’s ego.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has a personal mission to reform as much of the old Soviet Union as possible before he takes his last breath. He holds an immense level of power. Specifically, due to the fact that he, alone, controls the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet with at least 6,200 nuclear warheads. That brings credibility and more importantly, fear.
Since the fighting began, NATO has spoken on the matter delicately. In the press, through the filter of diplomacy concerning the war between Russia and Ukraine. They have no choice. Declaring war on Putin could bring the planet to ruin. The United Nations passed a resolution last week condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Of 193 member nations, 141 voted in favor of the resolution; 35 declined to vote for or against. Five countries — Russia, North Korea, Syria, Eritrea and Belarus — voted against sanctioning Russia. Evidently, the five seem unburdened by the plausible and grim possibility of nuclear war. The rest of the world, namely the United States government, has that outcome seared on every plan of action they’re considering.
The U.S. is pulling lever after lever to ensure that American troops are not on the ground. Not in an official capacity, to be clear. There’s a delicate exchange of fighter jets in the works and the Russian response to it will be compelling. The U.S. is working on a trade of arms where Poland would donate Russian-built fighter jets to Ukraine. Ukrainian pilots are familiar with the technology on the Soviet-Era aircraft and therefore it’s easier to operate them without a learning curve. From there, the United States would replace the jets that Poland donated with American-made fighter jets. This is as close to the U.S. directly engaging in the war since it began. How this unfolds will be a major chapter in the conflict.
This is war. Millions of Ukrainians are fleeing directly to Poland. From there, greater Europe. Everyone fleeing has the same fears: Death, torture, oppression. Bombs, grenades, missiles and bullets don’t discriminate.
People do. Even in the middle of a war zone. In a firestorm where everyone in Ukraine faces the same peril, everyone is not equal.
Sobering reports from cities across Ukraine explain in detail that some, hoping to outrun the danger posed by Russia, are hitting roadblocks. Ones they cannot climb, control or readily change. (By the way, they shouldn’t have to.)
Race.
African and South Asian Ukrainians have experienced different levels of treatment in contrast to white Ukrainians when it pertains to critical access to transit out of Ukraine. International students, visitors, professionals, tourists, etc., who are non-white are being held at border crossings. Others are ushered from trains. Some removed by violent force. There are cases where some, white, Ukrainian citizens questioned why Blacks would gain access to departing trains before them. Non-Ukrainians, who coincidentally happen to be people of color, are scared and isolated. Some are shuttled to lines that don’t move for hours while other Ukrainians aren’t impeded at all. Africans have been developing networks to escape the country. It truly is a byproduct of a life or death circumstance combined with, well, humans and their beliefs.
This is discrimination of a specific group of people fleeing a war zone.
This is the biggest displacement of Europeans from a country since World War II. Every hour, five to ten thousand people arrive at the Lviv train station to depart. Exhausted, hungry and dreary souls are waiting 20 hours to cross borders into Romania and Poland. A large number taking the trek without cars. Doing it in boots, shoes and a backpack. These people may never return home. Everyone needs safety.
Countries around Europe are accepting Ukrainian refugees with a policy of warm hugs and loving hearts. Come to us. They’re offering work-visas, long-term residency, and access to benefits that only official citizens of said country can claim. It’s a shard of light in the cloak of darkness. More than two million Ukrainians have left their homeland with the total number expected to double in the approaching months. The respect and care they’re receiving is remarkable. Greater Europe wants them.
Thousands of refugees fleeing a war they wanted no part of in 2015 came pleading for help from the same European countries. They were turned away en masse. They were met with barbed wire and police. There were no offers to stay, no free train tickets, no path to temporary or permanent visas. European leaders told these refugees to “stay home” and “not to come here.” The EU paid Turkey to keep Syrians from getting to Greece. Poland initially said they would aid those refugees but changed their position soon after. “We will not be receiving migrants from the Middle East and North Africa in Poland,” said Poland Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He’s accepting people from Ukraine. Thousands at a time.
What Russia is doing is abhorrent. Without provocation they invaded Ukraine and are trying to beat them into submission. To snatch them back under the old Soviet Union and increase the tensions between Russia and the NATO alliance. This is a power move from Putin. It’s not just a land grab. It’s an exercise in dominance on full display. Putin knows the world powers — especially the United States — are reticent to engage militarily. Putin holds the upper hand and Ukraine has all his attention. Putin feels aggrieved that Ukraine calls itself a separate country. The thought of them turning towards Western European sensibilities and joining NATO enrages him.
This move by him isn’t just. Families, people with no drive for politics are dead. Dying. Fleeing a country Putin would rather evaporate from the planet than allow to forge its own future.
In the center of all this…humans revert to human flaws. To learn about someone, all you need sometimes is stress. Pressure. Make someone uncomfortable — and grab a pen and pad, or your cell and hit record.
You see, people will be people. Prejudice springs to the forefront even when everyone in Ukraine could be bombed any minute. Soldiers are fighting in the streets as this hits your screen. There is no place immune from racism. It is everywhere. It is always active — and infinitely thriving. Even in Ukraine, where the outside world, overwhelmingly, is rooting for them to keep their country. One ruler absorbing a free democracy sends alarms that cannot be unheard. To other dictators taking notes for their global expansion. To leaders of free democracies that have to evaluate their ability to keep their countries free indeed.
Ukrainians are brave people. There’s no counterargument from any reasonable observer. They’ve been called heroic. The military — and the citizens-turned-soldiers. Admiration for the locals standing up to Russia continues to grow. The human collective pulls for them. They’re fighting a much bigger force and have yet to break. Instead of bowing or running away from the fight, they armed themselves for a battle. The bully expected to tie a victory ribbon around Ukraine in a week, tops. Now, the bully has some light bruising under both eyes with muscles that are cramping. Even if it’s temporary, they know they have a willing and fierce opponent.
Over the course of human existence there have been few heroes even though the title gets stamped on anyone. Heroes, mostly, live in fictional universes. In comic books, novels and in film. Humans should rarely be called heroes. Human nature will often fall short of such lofty adulation.
Ukrainians don’t deserve to be the target of a vicious war. They didn’t ask for a bloody conflict. They didn’t raise their hands and request tanks to roll down their streets or a missile strike to annihilate a family escaping gunfire on a sidewalk. They deserve decency.
Everyone fleeing Ukraine does. Every person.
People don’t have to be racists. Those who do are making a choice.
Additional reading: Read Kamil. Her poignant writing is well worth a few minutes of your time.
