Russians struggle to understand Ukraine war: 'We didn't choose this'

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

Meanwhile, members of Russia's "intelligentsia" -- academics, writers, journalists and others -- have issued public appeals decrying the war, including a rare "open letter" to Putin signed by 1,200 students, faculty and staff of MGIMO University, the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which produces most of Russia's government and foreign service elite.

The signers proclaim they are "categorically against the Russian Federation's military actions in Ukraine."

"We consider it morally unacceptable to stay on the sidelines and keep silent when people are dying in a neighboring state. They are dying through the fault of those who preferred weapons instead of peaceful diplomacy," the letter says.

The letter is strikingly personal, with signers explaining that: "Many of us have friends and relatives living in the territories where military action is being carried out. But war has come not only to them, war has come home to each of us, and our children and our grandchildren will feel the repercussions. Many generations of future diplomats will have to rebuild the trust in Russia and the good relations with our neighbors that have been lost."

(snip)

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/europe/russia-reaction-war-ukraine-dougherty-intl-hnk/index.html

[elleng]

1. and I just saw, from a friend,

'Martial law is going on. These were targeted.
Hey Putin said he wanted to bring back the USSR.
This is why BBC is going short wave,' and fb/meta largely blocked.

[More_Cowbell]

2. What would "peaceful diplomacy" be, I wonder?

Ukraine did nothing to cause the invasion. So what would "peaceful diplomacy" involve, according to these Russians, other than Ukraine agreeing to give up its land to Russia?

[Uncle Joe]

3. I believe it may be as varied as the 6400+ people that have been arrested or detained so far.

Their call for no more war and risking arrest being the most common thread that I'm aware of.

The only thing I know is that the President of Ukraine is calling for diplomatic solution as well.

My own belief is that space time can have great effect on what's considered most important to all parties involved in diplomacy.

I agree, Ukraine did nothing to cause the invasion; it was unjustified.

[thesquanderer]

5. Other possible diplomatic solution could be...

...Russia agrees to withdraw, provided Ukraine agrees to not join NATO or the EU for at least 20 years. Or something along those lines.

[AZLD4Candidate]

6. In that case, Russia can regroup and invade.

Nope. That should be DOA for Ukraine. Russia cannot be trusted.

Case in point in a different venue: HKG was given back to China with the assurance that China would do nothing to interfere in HKG for 50 years. That agreement lasted about 20 years.

[thesquanderer]

7. Worrying about years from now is better than losing today. Also...

...if the agreement just outlasts Putin, the next leader may be more reasonable. Even the Hong Kong agreement might have worked, the problem was Xi Jinping. There's no way to predict what a future leader might do... heck, Trump pulled out of the Iraq nuclear treaty, and we're a "responsible" country. But the idea that countries shouldn't make agreements because one side might eventually withdraw from or not abide by them would mean that all diplomacy is pointless.

[L. Coyote]

4. K & R