#standwithukraine

Слава Україні!

My dear kittens and puppies, it might be my last post. But I do hope it’s not and I’ll come back to all of you. The situation right now is difficult. There’s no way now for me or my family to leave the country. My brother Victor was working in UK when the war started, we have no opportunity for now to meet or help each other. Bridges are ruined, Russia is firing by civil evacuating cars, trains, hospitals, houses, people. Yes. Everything’s burning. But we won’t give up! In my city already formed defense among militaries and civils. I’m staying with them. I never wanted war. I never wanted to kill Russians or anybody, I never wanted to make anyone suffer. But I will defense my home.

Thank to all of you! For your support, care, prays, thoughts about us. We had good time here in our safe Sims place. It was the best time. And let’s pray to meet up again.

——-

Россияне! Если вы ещё фоловите мой блог, моя убедительная просьба - НЕ ВЕРЬТЕ Путину, НЕ ВЕРЬТЕ своему СМИ. Они вам лгут! Когда вы боролись за weddingsforeussia вы просили западных симмеров верить вам, тем людям, которые живут в России и лучше знают законы своей страны. Я прошу вас о том же, верьте нам, украинцам. Тем людям, которые прямо сейчас под обстрелом российских оккупантов. Именно так, оккупантов! Нет и никогда не было в Украине никаких фашистов против русского населения! Верьте мне! Я здесь родился и вырос, я - украинец. Я постоянно общался с русскими симмерами, я поддерживал их когда ЕА собиралась не выпускать на территории РФ последний набор. Я никогда не имел ненависти против какой-либо нации, расы, веры И я не один. Я отражаю настроение всей страны. Я повторяю, все, что вы видели, слышали или знали о “фашистах в Украине” это жирный и наглый фейк! Все, что вы видите по своим СМИ про войну России против Украины - ложь! Я не желаю Северной Кореи для России и я надеюсь у вас, русских, будет достаточно смелости и силы победить тоталитаризм!

———

Українці,@its-adrienpastel, якщо ти живий (Боже, я дуже сподіваюся що ти живий!) це наша земля. Я розумію, ніхто з нас не був готовий до збройного конфлікту. Я ніколи в житті не бачив та не тримав реальної зброї. Але такі часи, ми маємо допомоги тим супер-людям що зараз стримують натиск ворога. Ми не можемо бігти, тож нам залишається лише одне - битися та допомогати бійцям! Чим можна. Якщо дуже страшно - то не заважати нашим захисникам працювати, чекати та молитися у бомбосховищах, домівках. Я залишаюсь у Кривому Розі. Якщо почнуться відкриті бої я зроблю все можливе аби Україна вистояла. Боже, нехай вона вистоїть! Бо іншої нема.

З любов'ю до вас всіх, кошенятки та цуцики,

Ваш полтергейст,

Женя

eowyntheavenger:

I’ve been really frustrated to see people I was following reposting Kremlin propaganda. Some of you are under the impression that propaganda is only obvious stuff like “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is completely justified” and so you think you can’t fall prey to it. But a lot of disinformation and propaganda about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is less overt than that.

So here are some examples of Kremlin propaganda that I have seen being spread around and shared uncritically by people who should really know better:

1) The idea that NATO is responsible for the war in Ukraine or the idea that Ukraine itself is responsible for Russia’s invasion.

Russia invaded Ukraine—I don’t know why I should have to spell this out, but the country literally sending soldiers, tanks and missiles into a neighboring country is the one that is at fault for the war, and that country is Russia. In addition, the narrative that NATO expansion caused the current conflict ignores the agency of Eastern European countries; it is Ukraineand other Eastern European countries that have sought to join NATO, not the other way around. And why shouldn’t they? Russia’s aggression against Ukraine illustrates exactly why many countries have sought to join NATO in the first place. I’m not saying that NATO cannot be criticized (for instance, NATO has bombed countries in the Middle East). But it is inaccurate to claim that NATO caused the current conflict. As for the idea that Ukraine is to blame for the war, that is also patently false: before Russia invaded, it built up over 100,000 troops on its side of the border. Ukraine did not do the same. 

2) The idea that Ukraine is a right-wing state governed by Neo-Nazis.

Propaganda will often take a small grain of truth and completely blow it out of proportion. There areNeo-Nazis in Ukraine, like there unfortunately are in most European countries. But they are not in power—Zelenskyy’s government is not far right, and he is certainly not a Neo-Nazi; he is a Jew who lost family members in the Holocaust. Putin has pushed the lie that Ukraine is led by Neo-Nazis to justify his invasion, probably in part to garner support among Russians who feel proud of the Soviet Union’s victory against Nazi Germany. But, obviously, Ukraine is not Nazi Germany. And the very existenceof far-right groups in Ukraine cannot justify Russia’s invasion and the subsequent loss of life. People who are spreading the idea that Ukraine is led by the far right/Neo-Nazis are doing Putin’s work for him. 

3) The idea that the Ukrainian government represses Russian speakers and the idea that Russian speakers should be part of Russia.

Ukraine does not oppress Russian speakers, as Putin has claimed. Many Ukrainians are bilingual, and Zelenskyy himself is a native Russian speaker. There have been efforts to popularize the Ukrainian language in recent years—attempting to reverse the effects of the Soviet Union’s systematic eradication of Ukrainian language and culture—but that is not the same thing as oppressing Russian speakers, although the Kremlin has tried to frame it as such. In addition, it is absurd to claim that just because there are Russian speakers in Ukraine, they should be part of Russia. Should all English-speaking countries be subsumed back into the British Empire? Should all Spanish-speaking countries become part of Spain? The answer is obviously no.

4) The idea that there are “no good guys” in the war.

I’ve seen a lot of people spreading the idea that Russia’s invasion is wrong, but Ukraine’s government is bad too (often using the other pieces of Kremlin propaganda about Ukraine as evidence). This is bothsidesism at its worst. The narrative that there are “no good guys” seeks to draw attention awayfrom Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, its killing of innocent civilians and children, its blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and self-determination, etc. and instead frame the conflict as something in which both sides are equally bad, somehow.

But the idea of “no good guys” in the Russia-Ukraine war places some of the blame on Putin, so how could that be Kremlin propaganda, you ask? This brings me to another important point: 

If you think something isn’t Kremlin propaganda because it does criticize Putin, you don’t understand how Kremlin propaganda works. 

Kremlin propaganda that is aimed to influence Western audiences can and does criticize Putin and Russia so that it can slip under your radar. You have to ask yourself: who benefits from the narrative that there are “no good guys”? The Kremlin benefits. Because that narrative is designed to reduce sympathy for Ukraine and to reduce people’s desire to help Ukraine. Kremlin propaganda isn’t going to necessarily try to convince people living in Western countries to support Putin. But it isgoing to try to convince you to notsupport Ukraine.

Always fact check. Always ask yourself: who benefits from this narrative? 

Sunflowers for Ukraine

This is Kateryna, nicknamed ‘Ptashka’ (Birdie), one of the brave defenders of Azovstal, Mariupol. The indomitable spirit of these warriors is legendary, but our heart breaks to see them fight to death in real time.

Update on Mariupol from Ukraine’s MFA: https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1523235399896043521?s=20&t=N3tPslHvGg5cZ3GD-4aJOA

Petition for UN to save people of Mariupol and its defenders: https://www.change.org/p/save-mariupol-192ea846-9fe1-476c-bb72-5474538c7c06

The tangled molten metal chamber of the soviet tyrant. This, where a human keeps a heart.

Note these names of equal cadence. Putin = Satan … mere translation.

Step away from the cage wannabe Trump.

Morning All … I’ve decided to join the lovely makers on Folksy, who are trying to raise some money to help the Ukrainian people. I’ll be making a few pieces and donating 50% of the money raised, to the Red Cross Appeal for Ukraine. My heart is truly breaking and I have to do something, however small.

I’ve ordered some gorgeous blue and yellow Paracord, and hope to make some bracelets and keyrings. But to start the ball rolling, I’ve added this Sunflower Brooch to my Folksy shop collection ‘Stand With Ukraine’.

If you can, please pop over to Folksy and check out the other makers too, we’d really appreciate any support you can offer … Xx

I have returned home to Kharkiv.

Kharkiv was under shelling during more than two month. Now Ukranian armed forces are liberating the Kharkiv region with success. But russian bombs still reach city and peaceful villages. Every night people fall asleep to the sounds of close death because russia is waging war against ordinary people.

These sounds also mean that somebody is still fighting and dying for life and freedom of Ukraine. We are safe and sound because of them. They are heroes but they are also people. Every Ukrainian was peaceful before the russian invasion. But now our heroes have to defend our right to exist. They go through the hell in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Mikolaiv, Herson, Zaporizhzhia… And we should do everything to support them.

We need our heroes to come back alive. If you want to help you can donate in official Ukranian fond.

wistfulpoltergeist:

Слава Україні!

My dear kittens and puppies, it might be my last post. But I do hope it’s not and I’ll come back to all of you. The situation right now is difficult. There’s no way now for me or my family to leave the country. My brother Victor was working in UK when the war started, we have no opportunity for now to meet or help each other. Bridges are ruined, Russia is firing by civil evacuating cars, trains, hospitals, houses, people. Yes. Everything’s burning. But we won’t give up! In my city already formed defense among militaries and civils. I’m staying with them. I never wanted war. I never wanted to kill Russians or anybody, I never wanted to make anyone suffer. But I will defense my home.

Thank to all of you! For your support, care, prays, thoughts about us. We had good time here in our safe Sims place. It was the best time. And let’s pray to meet up again.

——-

Россияне! Если вы ещё фоловите мой блог, моя убедительная просьба - НЕ ВЕРЬТЕ Путину, НЕ ВЕРЬТЕ своему СМИ. Они вам лгут! Когда вы боролись за weddingsforeussia вы просили западных симмеров верить вам, тем людям, которые живут в России и лучше знают законы своей страны. Я прошу вас о том же, верьте нам, украинцам. Тем людям, которые прямо сейчас под обстрелом российских оккупантов. Именно так, оккупантов! Нет и никогда не было в Украине никаких фашистов против русского населения! Верьте мне! Я здесь родился и вырос, я - украинец. Я постоянно общался с русскими симмерами, я поддерживал их когда ЕА собиралась не выпускать на территории РФ последний набор. Я никогда не имел ненависти против какой-либо нации, расы, веры И я не один. Я отражаю настроение всей страны. Я повторяю, все, что вы видели, слышали или знали о “фашистах в Украине” это жирный и наглый фейк! Все, что вы видите по своим СМИ про войну России против Украины - ложь! Я не желаю Северной Кореи для России и я надеюсь у вас, русских, будет достаточно смелости и силы победить тоталитаризм!

———

Українці,@its-adrienpastel, якщо ти живий (Боже, я дуже сподіваюся що ти живий!) це наша земля. Я розумію, ніхто з нас не був готовий до збройного конфлікту. Я ніколи в житті не бачив та не тримав реальної зброї. Але такі часи, ми маємо допомоги тим супер-людям що зараз стримують натиск ворога. Ми не можемо бігти, тож нам залишається лише одне - битися та допомогати бійцям! Чим можна. Якщо дуже страшно - то не заважати нашим захисникам працювати, чекати та молитися у бомбосховищах, домівках. Я залишаюсь у Кривому Розі. Якщо почнуться відкриті бої я зроблю все можливе аби Україна вистояла. Боже, нехай вона вистоїть! Бо іншої нема.

З любов'ю до вас всіх, кошенятки та цуцики,

Ваш полтергейст,

Женя

Мирное небо над Украиной. Нет войне!