Reaction to Putin's Speech Tonight

Moscow seeks to erase the idea of a free Ukraine

The easiest way to hear the stories and voices of Ukraine: Follow our Ukrainian Freedom News Telegram Channel for immediate updates or visit our info-clearinghouse at LvivLab.com.

Other options: Follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and bookmark LvivNow.com. If you find this information valuable, please consider forwarding to others. —Joe Lindsley, American journalist in Ukraine, with a team of Ukrainian journalists

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Raw Reaction from Lviv, Ukraine, to Putin’s 22 Feb Speech | Speak Freely Podcast
with Joe Lindsley, American writer, and Zakhar Pikh, Ukrainian bartender

[Listen to other episodes here.]

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A quick look at what’s happening, the night of 22 February 2022

Hello, after President Putin's speech just now, the mood has darkened; the threat of war seems more real than ever these past months. Putin is making a case to erase Ukraine's existence.

And just after I posted these words on our Ukrainian Freedom News Telegram Channel, a wise friend replied:

"This is the main message Ukraine is trying to deliver to Western World since 2013!"

Indeed while the world talked about Putin's demands re: Ukraine and Nato the past months, many Ukrainians with whom I spoke said, 'no--his goal is to end the Revolution of Dignity; to end a free Ukraine.'

In the speech, Putin mocked Ukrainians for their 'de-communinzation' efforts the past decade; I'll de-communize you he essentially said, saying that Ukraine is a creation of the Soviet Union.

After 8 years of playing coy, Putin said he is now going to recognize the independence of the two regions of Ukraine Moscow has helped occupy.

He suggested that those in Kyiv "seized power"; that they are not legitimate, in an attempt to undermine Ukraine's Euromaidan Revolution of 2014 when the people stood in the streets until the pro-Moscow regime fled.

"Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood,” Putin said.

"From the very first steps they began to build their statehood on the denial of everything that unites us," Putin said, sounding like a UAE prince trying to imprison a wife. "They tried to distort the consciousness, the historical memory of millions of people, entire generations living in Ukraine."

The language of Putin's speech is one of entitlement and denigration. "Ukraine is ours," he more or less says.

President Zelenskiy's speech in Munich on Saturday, on the other hand, was one of urgently seeking peace. And based on this premise: Ukraine is where Ukrainians live. This is their homeland.

"We will defend our land with or without the support of partners. Whether they give us hundreds of modern weapons or five thousand helmets. We appreciate any help, but everyone should understand that these are not charitable contributions that Ukraine should ask for or remind of," Zelenskiy said.

And defiantly Zelenskiy said, " And I hope no one thinks of Ukraine as a convenient and eternal buffer zone between the West and Russia. This will never happen. Nobody will allow that."

He alluded to the fears of countries like Sweden and Finland re: Moscow aggression.

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“It’s Better Than Hiding in the Basement”: Lviv Women Who Undergo Military Training

Lviv residents Iryna Shpak and Iryna Tykhenko work as recruiters at SkillReveal.io, a Lviv-based IT company and are convinced that now, it’s important to acquire skills that would help in case of an emergency. For this reason, they are undergoing military training after work. Read the story here.