Eng
Esp

Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Russia’s war in Ukraine must not be ‘forgotten’

byPaul A. Goble
01/02/2017
2 minute read
Russia’s war in Ukraine must not be ‘forgotten’
Edited by: A. N.

Yesterday, the BBC described the fighting in and around the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka as “the front line of Europe’s ‘forgotten war,’” a characterization if accepted ranks alongside Nevil Chamberlain’s dismissive remark about Hitler’s demands on Czechoslovakia as “a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing.”

The BBC title at least put the term in quotation marks suggesting its problematic nature, but tragically what the British news outlet is saying is true: Many in the West are forgetting or out of laziness or self-centeredness pretending to forget the bloody consequences of Russia’s continuing aggression in Ukraine.

Hands clasped in friendship, Adolf Hitler and England's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, are shown in this historic pose at Munich on Sept. 30, 1938. This was the day when the premier of France and England signed the Munich agreement, sealing the fate of Czechoslovakia. Next to Chamberlain is Sir Neville Henderson, British Ambassador to Germany. Paul Schmidt, an interpreter, stands next to Hitler. (Image: AP)
Hands clasped in friendship, Adolf Hitler and England’s Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, are shown in this historic pose at Munich on Sept. 30, 1938. This was the day when the premier of France and England signed the Munich agreement, sealing the fate of Czechoslovakia. Next to Chamberlain is Sir Neville Henderson, British Ambassador to Germany. Paul Schmidt, an interpreter, stands next to Hitler. (Image: AP)

In the 1930s, Prague truly was further away psychologically and in terms of media attention than is Avdiivka today. Many in Britain were still in shock from the trenches of World War I, faced the difficulties of the depression and wanted above all to turn inward and away from the broader world.

Now, Europeans and the West more generally have no such justification, if justification that can be said to be. Not only has Russian aggression in Ukraine been documented by all observers not desirous of cooperation with Moscow “uber alles,” but the Internet means that anyone who has not plunged his or her head in the sand can see what is going on.

The problem now is not the lack of information but its superfluity, the fact that people are bombarded with so much information that they fail to pay attention to anything for very long and the equally important fact that some regimes like that in the Kremlin exploit that fact by promoting a fog of “alternative facts” and suggesting it’s time to “look beyond” the past.

The “look beyond” argument has always been a favorite of authoritarians. But it is fundamentally flawed: There are some things that can’t be forgotten however much some would like them to be, and among those are Russia’s illegal Anschluss of Ukraine’s Crimea and its continuing aggression in eastern Ukraine.

Many buildings and houses in Avdiivka damaged and destroyed as result of shelling by Russian heavy artillery. (Photo: pravda.com.ua)
Many buildings and houses in Avdiivka damaged and destroyed as result of shelling by Russian heavy artillery. (Photo: pravda.com.ua)

And that is all the more so, because Moscow shows no sign of reversing course. The Kremlin said yesterday it has no plans to cut its military spending despite economic hard times, and a Russian senator openly talked about Russian forces taking Kyiv.

Many like to cite George Santayana’s classic observation that “those who forget the past are condemned to relive it.” That sage advice needs to be expanded with the words that “those who ignore what is going on at present will only hasten the return of the worst aspects of the past now and in the future.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine must never be “forgotten,” especially at a time when Russian forces are killing some Ukrainians and seeking to enslave more of them.

 

Edited by: A. N.
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!