Are any countries accepting refuges from Russia that seek asylum? I know some Russians that are wholly against their Government's actions. I hope some provisions are being made to allow those who wish escape to do so...
This is an important topic. Some EU countries like Czechia are even blocking visas for Russian citizens now and I think this will be a trend in other EU countries.
AFAIK, since Russia is the aggressor here and is (on paper) a democratic country (but not really), then its citizens are not considered yet victims of the war, and are most likely not falling under the rules of refugee status, unless they can clearly prove that the Russian government is a threat to their life, which would be a bit difficult (like if you're in political opposition to Putin).
I honestly don't envy the Russian people now. They're forced into a conflict they don't want to be in, and are suffering the consequences.
Ukrainians are also forced into a conflict they don't want. Unfortunately, it's up to both the Ukrainians and Russians to do something about it, not Ukrainians alone.
The Ukrainians clearly made their decision. Now it's up to the Russian people to make theirs.
There's nothing we can realistically do. It's up to the military to start a civil war.
> There's nothing we can realistically do.
Then you get to collectively carry the responsibility for that "inability"; for, by not rising up as one against the dictatorship, passively allowing it to continue. That's what was seen as appropriate for the nation you fought in your Great Patriotic War, so why shouldn't it be appropriate for yours?
When enough citizens revolt there will be a point where police forces realize that they are on the wrong side, either for moral or self preservation reasons. Once they start refusing to defend the dictator, that dictator's power is done.
Russia is a non-democratic country...
That's not true. The President of Ukraine who was overthrown in 2014 (Yanukovych) was democratically elected in 2010 in an election that international observers called fair, truly competitive, and an impressive display of democracy.[1]
That President was supported mostly by the people of eastern Ukraine and opposed by the people of western Ukraine.
1: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/08/viktor-yanukov...
It's an incredibly difficult thing to do, and it can't come from the outside. Russians have to collectively decide that they don't accept the situation anymore, and that they're prepared to pay the price with their blood. They did in 1918, and I wish I could support them to do it again.
Of course it's easier said than done. And yet I'm not claiming that it's easy, quite the opposite.
So was Nazi Germany. Everyone there still had to accept thorough "de-Nazification" after WW2, though.
(This makes it doubly ironic how exactly that is what Putler claims to be doing to Ukraine.)
One out of every two Russians (50%) says it would be right, while only a quarter (25%) say it would be wrong. The other quarter (25%) are unsure, according to the survey.
But the poll also found that more Russians think it would be wrong than right to use military force “to reunite Russia and Ukraine” – two countries with a long and complicated history of being intertwined.
It’s a close call, but 43% of Russians said use of military force against Ukraine to join it to Russia would be wrong, while 36% said it would be right. (The rest of the respondents said they didn’t know if it would be right or wrong.)
https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/02/europe/russia-uk...
I was recently chatting with an old coworker. Their mother is still in Russia. The mother watches state run TV and listens to state run news.
She doesn't really believe this is happening because the news says otherwise. She may believe there is some fighting but not that Russia is the aggressor.
Obviously this is one relayed experience but it's important to keep propaganda machines in mind when talking about volumes of support.
> Who do you think initiated the aggravation of the situation in eastern Ukraine?:
50%: U.S., NATO countries
> In the event of an outbreak of hostilities in eastern Ukraine, should Russia engage in armed conflict on the side of the DPR/LPR? (percent of respondents)
Exactly split down the middle, 14% said it's difficult to answer.
> How, in your opinion, would the attitudes of Russians change toward Vladimir Putin in the event of a full-scale war with Ukraine? (percent of respondents)
8% net bias towards thinking that it would make him less popular.
> Do you think Russia needs to improve relations with the U.S. and other Western countries? (one response allowed)
Overwhelming yes (79%)
source: https://www.russiamatters.org/analysis/5-polls-contextualize...
> 50%: U.S., NATO countries
What would have been somewhat encouraging would have been if the other 50% were like 45-49% "Russia" and 1-4% "Undecided" or "Other". Turns out, though, that:
> 16% think that Ukraine was the initiator. Meanwhile, only 4% named Russia
So, either they are pretty much deluded nationalists, or Putin's state-media brainwashing has been overwhelmingly successful.
(Any particular reason you left that bit out of your comment?)
This is why I find the recent cancellation of many public Russian individuals concerning. We should be offering them citizenship (I exaggerate!), not shaming and dropping them. Rossophobia against normal Russian citizens is counterproductive.
Thread: https://twitter.com/pwnallthethings/status/14979877099686051...
The current refugee crisis is going to be a challenge for Europe. I think most countries would rather spend their resourcing on helping the direct victims of the war rather than Russians fleeing from the consequences of the sanctions.