This week marks the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. keithgessen reflects on the days leading up to the outbreak of war and speaks with Russians—some of whom stayed and some of whom fled—about what has changed in the year since:
the constitution so that he could stay in power, if he wanted, until 2036. The comparison people made most often was to the Brezhnev years—what Leonid Brezhnev himself had called the era of “developed socialism.” This was the era of developed Putinism. Most people did not expect any sudden moves.
For liberals, it was increasingly a period of accommodation and consolidation. Another friend, whom I’ll call Kolya, had left his job writing life-style pieces for an independent Web site a few years earlier, as the Kremlin’sgrew increasingly meddlesome. Kolya accepted an offer to write pieces on social themes for a government outlet. This was far better, and clearer: he knew what topics to stay away from, and the pay was good.
When Gorbachev began dismantling the empire, one of his most resonant phrases had been “We can’t go on living like this.” By “this” he meant poverty, and violence, and lies. Gorbachev also spoke of trying to build a “normal, modern country”—a country that did not invade its neighbors , or spend massive amounts of its budget on the military, but instead engaged in trade and tried to let people lead their lives.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine nearly one year after Russia's invasionThe clandestine journey into the war-ravaged country comes as Biden also heads to Poland to demonstrate U.S. solidarity.
Read more »
Watch Live: Biden speaks in Poland to mark one year of Russia's war in UkraineSPECIAL REPORT: President Biden is speaking in Poland ahead of the one-year mark of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Read more »
Russia conducts 22 airstrikes, three missile launches in one day: UkraineMoscow's latest offensive falls on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Read more »
Russia lost over half of its T-72B battle tank stock in one year—ISWUkraine is set to receive powerful new tanks over the coming months from its Western allies.
Read more »