Yale University historian Timothy Snyder says the evidence of Russian genocide in Ukraine is “clear” but argues that many in the West remain reluctant to directly accuse the Kremlin as this would oblige them to act more decisively 

by Business Ukraine magazine

Sept 11, 2023

American historian Timothy Snyder believes most people in the West are well aware Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine, but says many remain deeply reluctant to say so as this would oblige them to intervene more decisively while also explaining their earlier inaction.

Speaking to Yevropaiska Pravda in Kyiv in early September, Yale academic Snyder explained how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already produced ample evidence of both genocidal actions and genocidal intent. In particular, he pointed to the widespread use of explicitly genocidal language by senior Russian officials and throughout Russia’s heavily censored state media. “So for me it’s a very clear case,” he noted.

However, relatively few members of the Western establishment have so far been prepared to openly accuse Russia of genocide. Snyder said this reflects practical concerns over the consequences of employing such unambiguous language. “The reason people don’t say it’s genocide is because they know that it is. That sounds paradoxical, but I think people in the West avoid saying ‘genocide’ because if they said that it was, it would require more action, and it would require them to ask themselves why they didn’t do something earlier on.”

Snyder’s comments came days after the head of a UN Commission leading a probe into potential war crimes in Ukraine told journalists there was not yet conclusive evidence of a Russian genocide in Ukraine. UN Commission chairman Erik Mose commented in Kyiv that his team had not assembled “sufficient evidence to meet the legal qualifications of the United Nations Genocide Convention.”

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Prof Snyder in conversation with the equally brilliant Volodymyr Yermolenko:

Sep 11, 2023 #StandWithUkraine#WarInUkraine#AnneApplebaumWhy is freedom the highest value? Are we really born free? Or is freedom instead a great task and mission for both society and the individual to achieve? Why is the negative idea of freedom (freedom from) not sufficient today, and why should we strive for positive freedom, the freedom to? What can the experiences of Ukraine and Eastern Europe tell us about other parts of the world about this value of freedom?

This episode is a recording of Timothy Snyder’s conversation with the Ukrainian cultural and intellectual community, organized by PEN Ukraine and UkraineWorld on September 6, 2023. The conversation was moderated by Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, president of PEN Ukraine, and the chief editor of UkraineWorld.

Timothy Snyder regularly travels to Ukraine. We had this conversation during his visit to Ukraine in early September 2023. He traveled to the southern regions affected by the war and also stayed in Kyiv to finalize his new book about freedom.

We dedicate this conversation to the memory of Ihor Kozlovskyi, a prominent Ukrainian intellectual, religious scholar, and activist, who passed away on September 6th.

Thinking in Dark Times is a podcast series by UkraineWorld. This series seeks to make Ukraine and the current war a focal point of our common reflection about the world’s present, past, and future. We try to see the light through and despite the current darkness.

UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs.

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You can support our work at patreon.com/ukraineworld You can support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com 💙💛 UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, so subscribe and stay tuned: / ukraineworld

Anne Applebaum is an American journalist and historian, Pulitzer Prize winner (2004), author of numerous books about Eastern Europe and global politics, and Washington Post columnist.

Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld, speaks to Anne Applebaum about the deep roots of the Ukrainian resistance, the history of Russian totalitarianism, KGB politics, and the cult of impunity. The goal of the series Thinking in Dark Times is to make Ukraine and its current war a focal point of our common reflection about the world’s present, past, and future. We try to see light through and despite the current darkness. It’s important to know! UkraineWorld.org is one of the most popular websites in English about Ukraine run by Ukrainians. It is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. …………………………………………. 🎙 Volodymyr Yermolenko — Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor 🎙 Anne Applebaum — an American journalist and historian, Pulitzer Prize winner (2004), author of numerous books about Eastern Europe and global politics, and Washington Post columnist

🎙 Anne Applebaum — an American journalist and historian, Pulitzer Prize winner (2004), author of numerous books about Eastern Europe and global politics, and Washington Post columnist …………………………………………. 🎬 Check out similar videos: ⭐️ • Izyum. A Town With Mass Graves | Ukra… ⭐️ • Timothy Snyder: Ukraine, the War, and… ⭐️ • Jonathan Littell on Ukraine, war crim… …………………………………………. 💛 Support UkraineWorld on Patreon: http://patreon.com/ukraineworld …………………………………………. 🫂 Follow UkraineWorld on: 💛 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukraineworld… 💛 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ukraine_world 💛 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukraine__wo… 💛 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ukra… 💛 Website: https://ukraineworld.org/ 💛 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_ukraineworld_ …………………………………………. #StandWithUkraine#WarInUkraine#AnneApplebaum

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