We are on day 39, and I had seen some of the awful footage from the Bucha and Irpin over the past few days, but since then the brave reporters have interviewed locals and looked at the wreckage left behind. There are horrifying images of people being bound and executed, stripped of their clothes and possessions and dumped in a pile in the road. They tried to burn some bodies, and these are scenes we saw back in the archives of the Second World War—how can we as a civilized society allow this to happen? Naturally, the Russians claim that the images are staged and are false, and the story is fake news. So far, there have been 410 bodies found in Bucha and there are some in mass graves.
Those of you who have studied wars know that rapes, executions, looting, kidnapping, and torture are the norm, and while the world leaders express horror, what did they think the Russians were doing? We knew this would happen and it still is, so why don’t they do something about it and prevent it rather than argue over oil, and not to escalate war. I have little time for the politicians who come back quoting the ICC and to put them all on trial, for I have said you need to catch them, then arrest them first and that is no justice for the families that have had watch their loved ones executed or raped. If you have ever studied the ICC, they are not particularly successful at prosecuting these types of crimes because you need evidence. None of the recent images and stories are a shock, but were expected and that is why many of us historians are yelling for those with the power to stop this to do so. Justice is when you couldn’t prevent what has happened—in this case, we all knew it would happen and that in a way the bodies (EU, UN, and NATO) enabled these tragedies.
Last week, I was browsing the bookshelves of a charity shop and found a copy of a book, ‘One Christmas in Washington’, which delves into Churchill inviting himself over to see Roosevelt just after Pearl Harbor. The US had wanted to stay out of the war, and during the initial talks, Roosevelt wanted to attack Japan first (because they have attacked them) rather than Europe. He wasn’t experienced in military tactics and declared that the US would be prepared to enter Europe to attack Germany in 1944, a good two years later.
As one can image, Churchill and the British delegation who had been fighting the war for two years already were shocked that Roosevelt thought he could wait that long to allow troops to go to Europe. We are fortunate that Churchill was bullish and wasn’t having any of it, and that the British delegation had facts to back up their proposals. It makes you wonder in this era what kind of procrastination talk is going on behind closed doors. A planned advance takes at least 10 days to organize properly, and we are in week six of this war where things are shifting by the day.
The US were caught ‘napping’ when Pearl Harbor happened, just as the EU and NATO were caught napping here. The difference is that the US moved quickly to formulate a defence, and that’s why Churchill was welcomed for they needed some guidance on the war strategy if they were to work together with the allies. What have the EU,UN and NATO done? They have staged a number of summits and assemblies, and made grand gestures of humanitarian aid and to offer refugees a home, but we all know that is not enough to stop this war. If Putin voluntarily leaves the war, then it will be only a matter of time before he returns to finish the job. That is why the world must be united in stopping him and his army.
I also watched someone interviewing Russians on what they thought about the war, and there are some brainwashed people who think Poland should be taken next after Ukraine, and that Ukraine belongs to Russia, and that Russia is saving the Ukrainians and Putin will offer them a better life under Russian rule. It is quite hard to believe that people can be easily misled or have a lack of morals, but ironically it was a teenager who said they didn’t know what to think. He probably had found a way to access other media, but can’t say what he thinks for fear of being arrested.
From reading what Ukrainians think of how the West is handling matters, they are grateful for the UK and Poland for being so proactive. Poland has infrastructure set up for refugees to begin a new life, and has a border to allow humanitarian aid and supplies to be delivered to Ukraine. They also know that they are too close to the action and if Ukraine falls, then they will be on Putin’s list.
The majority of the world is dismayed and disappointed with the lack of action from the bodies (EU, UN, and NATO), but this is exactly what Putin expected. He knows that career politicians would not be brave enough to be proactive, and is preying on their weakness and vanities in wanting to retain their titles and jobs.
The Hungarian elections have been taking place today, and the current party line (Orban) is that if you vote against him, then the opposition will send tanks and weapons to help Ukraine. Their tagline is to put the interests of Hungary first. Well, if many countries had adopted that attitude and didn’t help Hungary during the previous wars then it would be part of Russia by now. In an unprecedented move, all the opposition parties have been united and have chosen one person to represent them in order to oust Orban, who has been on good terms with Russia and China recently. A change of governance in Hungary will help Ukraine and also the EU, but it will also tell us what the people of Hungary think.
Day 39 (3 April)
The news is dominated by the Bucha massacre, where those who are still there tell their stories. Some people were held hostage, tortured, then executed. Others were raped in front of their families, while Russians broke into homes and stole everything. We all knew this would happen, but the EU, NATO and other world leaders wanted to carry on trying to reason with a dictator who has no interest in peace talks.
Lithuania has ceased to use any Russian gas and encourages other countries to to stop too.
More Ukrainian officials have been kidnapped, one in Sumy who was accompanying a humanitarian aid convoy, and others have been taken in occupied areas and replaced with pro-Russian supporters.
As expected Odesa has been attacked. The Russians are focusing on the east and the south borders. An oil refinery and three fuel depots were attacked.
The town of Mykolaiv has seen further attacks, which is near occupied Kherson and near the port of Odesa.
Sweden is bracing itself to defend the island of Gotland and is stepping up their air defences in the region as the Russians invaded the Swedish airspace last month.
An oil refinery in Kremenchuk (central Ukraine) has been destroyed. Many consider the west and central Ukraine to be safe but it is clear that is not the case.
Olha Sukhenko was head of the village of Motuzhyn in the Kyiv region. Both she and her husband were abducted and have been found killed. Other leaders have been kidnapped in Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv.
I continue to be appalled at the "Big 3" (NATO, EU, and UN) and their deplorable lack of action to date. I don't understand how all those politicians can look at themselves in the mirror, or sleep well at night, knowing how their inaction has led to so many deaths and so much destruction. And how their continued 'blah-blah-blah' talking is not ending anything, nor will it, as Putin has never shown true willingness to end anything except on his terms of 'winner-take-all.'
I can't believe the fence sitters can justify the horrors that can only be described as inhuman and barbaric! I wake each day hoping someone somewhere can see Putin must be stopped before Ukraine is pulverised and its remaining citizens anialated! Sounds melodramatic but how else can this war end if no one can walk the walk instead of talk the useless talks!? So much evil is now emerging of the atrocities, and much more to reveal as this war goes on. How much longer can this war be watched and observed without positive action?