In February 2014, Russia initiated open aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian army, torn apart and bled by enemy agents and internal traitors, along with volunteer units from the Maidan, stepped up to defend Ukraine. They didn't have to do this, as the forces were unequal. It was a conscious choice made by each individual, not by many. But had they not taken this step in February 2014, there would have been no one to do it in February 2022!
Warriors learned to fight, convictions were forged in the fires of the Maidan, and combat skills were honed in battles against the hybrid Russian occupier and its local mercenaries. They managed to halt the enemy, but everyone understood that it was just an intermission in a bloody drama. You can never negotiate anything with Russians; you can never trust them in anything. Russians can only be defeated! There can be much debate about how effectively the years of partial respite were utilized. However, on February 24, a powerful army of 250,000 and hundreds of thousands more in uniform confronted the enemy. There was no need for agitation; the Ukrainian people made their choice.
Russia had planned to seize Ukraine in three days, at most three weeks. But the Russians didn't anticipate that Ukrainians can learn, and the lessons of 2014 were not in vain. The example set by hundreds became a lesson for hundreds of thousands, igniting millions. It turned out that many people had kept uniforms, body armor, and Kevlar helmets since the Maidan days. Without hesitation, they put on their armor and became conscientious defenders of their families, their homes, and their homeland.
In February, there were 250,000 defenders; today there are millions. And this is just those in active service. Ukraine is a unique nation, a nation of defenders, and it doesn't matter if you're on the front lines or in the rear. Over nine years of war, Ukraine has given rise to a unique phenomenon: in difficult times, society transforms into a unified organism. Volunteers in the rear are just as much defenders as those on the front lines. Everyone, in their own place, is bringing victory closer!
Ukraine is the first post-Soviet state that didn't flinch when the "Russian bear" roared and lunged. Ukraine simply gave this "bear" a punch in the face, and it froze in surprise.
Ukrainians stopped the predatory beast when it tried to destroy European dreams in 2014, and they stopped it in 2022 when it sought to swallow Ukraine. Today, Ukraine, together with the civilized world, is defending Europe and the global order! Nine years ago, Ukrainians were ready to give their lives for a civilizational dream, and now, together with the democratic world, they are defending civilization against savages.
And as is customary after Ukraine's great victory, all people of goodwill will say, "never again," and they will severely punish the perpetrators, so that the painful idea of "we can repeat it" never crosses anyone's mind again!
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