Private Equity | Ukraine
April 14, 2024
BUT, let me tell you something. At the beginning of the war roughly half of Russian population did not support the invasion. Instead of working with that group and try to grow it, short-sighted Ukrainian influencers and state media started making fun of dead Russian soldiers, called them pigs, dogs and other names and the prevailing message those days was “join an army to slaughter Russian pigs”. Of course, none of those influencers or state media reporters joined an army to show us a proper way of slaughtering Russians. As a result now nearly 100% of Russians support the war.
Then Ukrainian ambassador to Germany called German chancellor “offended sausage”. Then Secretary of Ukrainian Security Council said as a response to some comments made by Chinese foreign affairs minister: “some d*cks won’t be telling us what to do”. Then was a famous Zelenskyy’s tweet which left him completely estranged at NATO summit. Then was appointment of a new ambassador to Bulgaria, who only had an experience working as sex psychologist.
Let me put it mildly, diplomacy is not Ukraine’s strong side.
Now I see same thing happening to Ukraine-US relationship. Fraction that does not support Ukraine is still in the overwhelming minority, however it is growing. Because intelligence officers in Russia know how to work with and nurture that group. Ukrainian intelligence officers know how to blow up things, which is also good I guess…
We are all stressed out and are starting blaming each other, which is, by the way, a sign that we are losing. But we need to stop this and work together, so that sacrifice made by real patriots in the military and diplomatic fronts was not in vain.
P.S: On the picture is my platoon upon arriving in combat zone. Nearly half is dead or wounded by now. They sure all hope that we will get more things done and talk less shit to each other. Take them as an example.
…………
Another post from Ivan from April 8:
Life is all about hard choices. War gives you the hardest ones. Next time when you hear Ukraine critics talking about things we could do better think about some of the challenges we face.
1. Most combat capable age is 18-25 years old. But youth is also the future of any country. Would you send them to fight or would you try to preserve their lives?
2. Would you risk being “free speech absolutist” or censor potentially harmful enemy inspired media resources?
3. Would you run an election in the midst of war to maintain democratic order, knowing that most likely it will be exploited by an enemy?
4. Would you be transparent about realities of war and losses to your population or would you try to hide it behind heroic epos, to motivate the resistance?
5. Would you increase taxes to finance the defensive? What % of your budget would you allocate to defence and what % to maintain your economy and infrastructure?
6. You ran out of volunteers, in particular in the infantry. Would you mobilise people by force? If so, how do you make this process fair? Is life of a truck driver worth just as much as that of a famous university professor?
7. Would you shut the border and prevent men from leaving the country even if they don’t want to fight?
8. Would you try to centralise decision making authority to speed up the processes at a risk of being called a dictator?
9. If you make a mistake in any choice of the above would you recognise it and display vulnerability and weakness or would you project confidence, knowing that you made a mistake?
We all want somebody who knows what he’s doing in a matter as delicate as war, is there somebody like that at all?
P.S: picture attached is my POV after an assault on our positions.
