> How do you hope to defeat Russia without coordinating with the lawful and most powerful institutions in the country?
Unfortunately, Ukrainian government extremely corrupted, and Ukrainian army affected by this corruption.
- Ukrainian officials so much feared about potential military junta (btw, like Putin and all officials of exUSSR countries), so purposefully hold army weak, make all possible to assign least initiative army tops, and slow down reformation of army.
For example, I hear from insiders, that to build in Ukraine factory of NATO standard rifles/shells, West have to "hook Ukrainian tops balls", because all normal human measures where ineffective.
Other important thing, you may not believe, but just today I seen calls from most trusted Ukrainian activist, to buy to Ukrainian army food.
Tell me, how possible, army in Kiev does not have normal food supply?
- Even in USSR regulations, written, that every military unit, should have long last food supply for at least 10 days, and today is just 3rd day of invasion, and we hear calls.
I think their supplies are just plundered by officials.
If you interested, later I will supply long list of what where designed for army in Ukraine, but Government does not made payment or used some other bureaucracy tricks to not buy those things.
> probably all foreign government assistance...will be going through the Ukranian government
Sure. Western officials MUST at least show, they act openly, because Western people will not understand.
But in exUSSR countries, many things are not done acting openly, because extremely large part of officials here working from USSR times, they just do not have modern habits.
And even young officials are not ordinary persons from street, but mostly relatives of old officials.
For example, after 2014 revolution, activists created database of Ukrainians with good western background, even from ivy League, who want to become officials, even considering extremely low compensations and begin from very beginners positions.
- Totally about 3000 persons enroll, but less than 200 where accepted by govt organizations, and in just one year only about 30 still worked there, all others quit, because of extremely toxic atmosphere.
- In Ukraine now near 300k people considered government workers, and approx 80k officials.
> How will creating business opportunities do anything to protect the freedom of the Ukranian people or defeat the Russian invasion?
You remembered me words of Poroshenko, who once said words, which every person lived in USSR or in other totalitarian country, understand absolutely right, as: "do not critique me! Or Putin will invade!"
And it is extremely important, that Russia invades its neighbors all few hundreds years it exists.
And I have not seen any serious scientific foundations that this Russian behavior will end in some observable future.
So we have situation, very similar to Israel-Iran, one of our neighbor will be our enemy forever, constantly waiting for good opportunity to attack us.
You really think, we should not make reforms now?
Sure, I don't ask to drop support on official channels just now, but hot phase will not last more than cup of weeks, and than we will return to the same words, "do not critique me! Or Putin will invade!"
> Calling the Ukranian government undemocratic is a leading talking point of Russia and their allies. How do we distinguish what you are saying from them?
Easy. I talking with people, I answer all questions, and I learn, and act, but nearly no one of exUSSR presidents will.
We name this phenomena, "they become bronze man".
> in this atmosephere, how can we take the word of an anonymous person on the Internet? Would you trust such a person? How would you distinguish them?
I'm understand your words very well. Because I have worked as CTO of startup, and have to hire people I cannot get much info about.
So what to do? - I have talked with few candidates, asked them questions; than I have tried to work with them; for some of them I created test assigns, etc.
And yes, some of my choices where mistakes, but others where good enough fit.
You may say, that we in Ukraine should make similar, again and again choose new officials on elections, but Ukraine have elections for more than 20 years,and results are very far from good for now.
For example, Poland is just few years ahead, but their results far better, even 10 years ago, they perform much better, and last year I hear opinions, Poland just become country of 1st world.
So I have made conclusion, that I have to make something more, something other, than just participate in elections.
I'm not too much scientific person, to write foundations to trust me, I'm practitioner.