Ukraine and Russia: What Caused the War?
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- čas přidán 14. 03. 2022
- In which John explores historical and political context to understand what caused the Russian government's invasion of Ukraine, and how we arrived at this awful now. There is a LOT of misinformation in comments, so why not read directly from SOURCES? But first, CORRECTIONS:
The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. "National languages" as a phrase was confusing. I should've just said that 30% of Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language. Also, the etymology of "Ukraine" is not settled as "borderlands." Many Ukrainian linguists argue that the etymology of Ukraine comes from words meaning "In My Land," not "borderlands." Thirdly, I misspelled Kyiv as Kiev. If I made further mistakes, let me know and I'll amend here.
Now, SOURCES:
Putin's claims that Ukraine never had "real statehood" have been stated in both essays and speeches. Here's some coverage of one such speech: time.com/6150046/ukraine-stat...
And a fact-check of the same speech: www.washingtonpost.com/politi...
If you want to read Vladimir Putin's essay where he expounds his theory that Ukraine "was created entirely by Russia," you can read Putin's meandering, surreal, ahistorical essay about it here: en.kremlin.ru/events/president... (This is an insecure site owned by the Kremlin so bear that in mind)
This article goes into far more detail about Putin's theory of Ukraine's illegitimacy than I could cover in the video: www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/wo...
You can learn about the Holodomor here: www.britannica.com/event/Holo... or at this thoroughly researched wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor
And about Stalin's forced deportation policies here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populat...
Putin's reference to assault in the context of invading Ukraine: www.businessinsider.com/putin...
The 1991 Independence referendum results: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Uk...
Huge thanks to Rosianna Halse Rojas for editing the script and help sourcing images.
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Thanks for being here. If you like this video please share it. Points of clarification and answers to your questions:
1. There will be a lot of misinformation in comments. I have posted sources in the video info above. I will add to the sources and add clarifications here in response to any (good faith) questions.
2. CLARIFICATIONS/CORRECTIONS: The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. "National languages" as a phrase was confusing. I should've just said that 30% of Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language. Also, the etymology of "Ukraine" is not settled as "borderlands." Many Ukrainian linguists argue that the etymology of Ukraine comes from words meaning "In My Land," not "borderlands." I also misspelled Kyiv as Kiev.
3. Why are you talking about this humanitarian catastrophe and not other humanitarian catastrophes? Caring about something does not mean not caring about other things. Here's a video I made about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen: czcams.com/video/OdYDkcjTK2k/video.html And here is just one of the many I made about Syria: czcams.com/video/KVV6_1Sef9M/video.html
4. Why didn't you talk more about recent Ukrainian history? I discussed a lot of it in detail in this video from 8 years ago, but I didn't think it was essential to understanding Putin's rationale for war. Here is that video from 2014: czcams.com/video/A2nklduvThs/video.html
5. Why didn't you talk more about NATO? Because NATO is not the reason Putin invaded Ukraine, just as it wasn't the reason Putin invaded Crimea in 2014, and it wasn't the reason Putin went to war with Georgia in 2008. I think NATO could've handled this crisis better (and could still be handling it better), and as I say in the video I don't want to minimize the complexities of NATO's expansion. But Ukraine did not join NATO. Before the invasion, Ukraine's leader said that joining NATO was probably "just a dream." None of that deterred Putin.
6. What about biolabs? That is Putin propaganda, and it is completely false. www.bbc.com/news/60711705
-John
This is the way (or, at least, an excellent way) to handle an ongoing story when you can only make a video at a specific point in time. Thank *you* for being here, John.
I love that even after researching and producing a video you put these thoughts and sources out there. Thanks for being you.
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Putin and his forces are killing thousands of lives and ruining millions. Disinformation campaigns will target this video. Support Ukraine.
I’m a Russian-speaking Ukrainian from Donbass region and my supposed need for protection by Putin was certainly news to me when I first heard it
This is one of the best comments here. Thank you for making it. Best wishes for your safety.
Best comment of the day so far.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope you stay safe, and that dark humor helps carry you through the horrors.
I'm gonna leave this comment pinned overnight so it gets the upvotes it deserves. -John
@@vlogbrothers I second this choice.
May peace find your doorstep sooner than later 🙏
From a Ukrainian, one note about languages:
It's an important neuance that the vast majority of Ukrainians understand/speak *both* russian and Ukrainian. EVERYONE in Ukraine is more or less bilingual. The older generation spoke it because it was the state language of the USSR. And young generation knows it because even up until mid-00s, all the movies in cinemas, TV shows, and ads, were mainly in russian - everyone was used to doing it that way by innertia. Nowadays there is a plethora of Ukrainian original media and high quality locilizations, and more and more people are switching to Ukrainian as primary language.
But again, as John said: language does no equal nationality. Even though the main language you would hear in Kyiv is russian, that doesn't mean we want to be part of russia. Just like all the Americans who speak English, and yet none of them seem keen on re-joining England.
I mean, prior to Brexit I would have been happy to jump back in with Britain
@@SpeakShibboleth Slow-moving political train wreck or no, I'm grateful in hindsight that the UK did not have to take up arms to defend their claims of independence.
@@41-Haiku freedom sure is nice... dictators all be damned
@@SpeakShibboleth why did brexit change your mind
Same over here in brazil, we speak portuguese but I can't see a near future where brazilians want to be ruled by portugal.
As a Russian, I highly appreciate such an honest video. The history of the relationship between the two countries does sound like an abusive household relationship, which is horrifying. Those historical references about gholodomor and repressions are true, but the scale was a little bigger: not only Ukraine was starving to death, but the huge area of southern Russia, where the best soils are, as well. Thousands of people died, thousands were deported to Siberia. This is the part of history nobody wants to hear about, but it's the most important part, really.
During the WWII my great-grandfather was defending Kupiansk, a big railway nod near Kharkov. He died there, protecting the city, his name is on a memorial there, and so for me Ukraine never was an "enemy" or a place to consider less than a beautiful and generous country, full of nice people. I have friends in Kharkov, a destroyed city by now, and I want to scream because of how helpless I feel, not being able to help them...
I'm so sorry this is happening. I've never, ever voted for Putin in my 15 years of voting life. Moreover, none of my friends or relatives have. That's telling something, eh? You were talking about Stalin... oh boy, the history does have a form of a spiral, doesn't it?
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Jeer, tears and prayers for an end to bloodshed and the opportunity for peace for all you beautiful people on both sides! Down with bullying and murder!
Putin has things tied up so that he can cling on to power for another decade and a half. I wish that there were some way for you and your fellow citizens to push him out of power. Where could he ever safely retire?
My grand grandparents used to live in Russia, near both Ukranian and Belarusian borders. They survived Gholodomor by fleeing to Moscow where they lived in barracks. The hunger was so horrific that they had to refuse to eat their family dog, which became a normal thing to do. The poor boy died of starvation on his own.
It was not naive to say "let's hope it bends toward peace". It was hopeful. Hope is necessary ... vital to the vision of a better future. Without hope, there is no better future to aspire to. Whatever adversities we face, without hope, there is no overcoming them. Thank you for sharing your hope, John. Keep shining your light.
Say what you will about the most recent Star Wars movies, but they nailed it with General Leia's line:
Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it, you'll never make it through the night.
@@Rachel-fi4scthat's actually beautiful 🥲
As a Polish person living in an English-speaking country, I appreciate this explainer. I find that many English-speaking people don't have a nuanced view on my corner of the world (which is not an accusation; there are many things in the world I don't know about) and I'm grateful that you're using your position to spread information. 💕
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Thank you John, as a Ukrainian and long time subscriber I really appreciate your words of support
Thanks. Sending you my deepest hopes for better times. -John
@@vlogbrothers Hi John, I'd love to caption this video in both English and Polish, both because it would help with accessibility and because I would really like to share it with my Polish family and friends. I know CZcams doesn't feature community captions anymore, so I don't know how this could work though?
Good luck mate. Stay strong!
Ух ти! Приємно бачити що автор каналу, на якому я усі відео дивився, адекватний)
Wish in 2018 Ukraine was sent back in time to 3300 BCE
Better than dealing with Covid and Russia
I am from Kharkiv, Ukraine. The city, which is under severe bombing every day. Me and my family were forced to leave it and luckily we had the chance to escape. My collection of books, including all of your books, stayed at home. That shelf is one of my most precious possessions and I don't know if I will ever see it again. Anyway, I teared at this video, because having one of my most favourite people in the world saying that my nation is in fact recognized as a nation is precious. It means a lot, John, thank you so much. ❤️✨
I'm so, so sorry. I can't even imagine.
You have lived through one of my worst nightmares, but I won't do you the insult of calling you "brave" or "strong" or "inspiring". You are, but if your only other choice is death, it doesn't feel like bravery or strength to keep going.
I'm so, so sorry. I wish the world could do more for you and your people. I wish you safety and security and health and joy and basic human respect. I wish you may return to your books as soon as possible.
Hi LisaAugust, I hope you are somewhere safe. I would like to re-buy for you John's books. A little support from Italy 💜
@@Rachel-fi4sc thank you so much for your kind words , it means so much! 💕💕
@@LisaAugustL book shelf 💀
I will be hosting a podcast for Newcastle University, with two professors on the war in Ukraine. Obviously this has required a lot of reading, research and sifting through highly aggressive discourses from both sides. This video (like your one from 8 years ago) has dealt with the issues at hand, in a nuanced and considerate way- thank you for this. Your two videos on Ukraine are fantastic, and based on notions of peace.
As a student of geopolitics, keep making these videos. We need more discussions about war, in a way which doesn’t seek escalation or retaliation.
I would love to have you on as a guest some day, It would be the privilege of a lifetime.
thanks, james! I'm not doing many podcasts at the moment but that may change someday! In the meantime, thanks for covering the invasion of Ukraine on the pod! -John
I think what's most crazy is how quickly this has escalated in my life. Ukraine was independent 2 years before I was born. Russia invaded Crimea when I was 20, and has now invaded Ukraine as I turned 28. For most military age Ukrainians, they lived most if not all their lives in an independent Ukraine.
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"No war will crush the Ukrainian identity or language." I'm not finding the words to express how meaningful this video is to me. But from an American who spent upwards of 7 years in Ukraine (most recently I taught English there from 2014-18) to an American who has -- as far as I know -- never been there, thank you. You probably know that the opening line of the Ukrainian national anthem is "Ukraine has not yet perished," and I have to believe that the arc of history bends in favour of its people.
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Thank you for the video! But as ukrainian I have one important note - Ukraine doesn't mean borderlands. The problem is "Украина" - that's how Ukraine is written in russian sounds close to "окраина" which means borderlands, so russians used to prove that Ukraine historicly is borderland of russia and as a result part of russia. The truth is Ukraine or Україна in ukrainian came from very old slavic word "країна" adding the prefix "У". That word almost in all slavic languages means state, country or land.
Супер пупер що бачу ще одного Українця який це помітив!
Ukr is part of russia
Дякую, саме так! Кажу як філолог.
Lol… nope
Была и будет окраиной т.е. пограничьем😅
I'm a Ukrainian, and a long time fan of you and your brother. This is incredibly accurate, especially for a 9min video. One thing to add: you mentioned Stalin deporting Crimean Tatars. They got back to Crimea after USSR collapsed. Only to be forced back from their homes AGAIN by Putin in 2014, because they were against that "referendum". A lot of them moved to Ukraine, a lot still imprisoned by Russia. I met a lot of them in 2014 as an independent election observer. Truly tragic.
There are any tatars in Russia. Maybe you know nothing about them at all
The deeper reason is that the United States does not want the European Union and Russia to get too close. As long as there is a war between Ukraine and Russia, Europe will be forced to impose sanctions on Russia. In this way, Russia will cut off its energy supply to Europe, and at the same time, Europe's economy will be further weakened. This achieves America's strategic goal of weakening both Europe and Russia while increasing its influence in Europe.
I am Ukrainian and I can't thank you enough for this video. All my life, foreign political analysts have been talking about us as a pawn in some geopolitical game where "Russia's interests" are to be respected, while Russians very casually had intellectual debates about how fictional our country/language/people are genuinely not seeing anything wrong about that. Thank you for acknowledging that we have a right to have our own agency. For me, this war feels very much as an existential test for our nation, the one we cannot afford to fail. But as grim as our history may seem, it gives us all tremendous determination and hope that if we have survived this far, we can persevere despite any odds. Thank you, John!
This is such a beautifully written comment. Wishing you and all Ukrainians peace and safety. -John
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@@vlogbrothers We can feel your support, what you're doing is very important ❤
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As a Ukrainian, I can say this is exactly how we perceive it ourselves.. And we are not going to give up in fight for our freedom, whatever it costs us 🇺🇦
💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛 -John
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Please stay safe.
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Very good video, as a Ukrainian I thank you for hopefully clarifying the situation for a lot of people. One small criticism, "Ukraine" has never meant "borderland", it's another (very old) piece of Russian propaganda.
That person's comment on Tiktok is really well put, thank you for including it in the video.
Hello everyone. I am from Russia and it is pure hell out here... The frustration,the rage,fear... is so huge. Everyone is terrified, so many are likely to believe that Russia "saves" Ukraine. People are drawing "Z" on their cars... I guess anifashist felt quite the same way as my friends and I. I never felt anything like that in my life. The powerlessness and guilt just eat you alive. If i weren't a student right now,i would pack my things and go somewhere really far away. This breaks my heart.
Wars are evil.
Glory to Ukraine.
With other words you brainwashed by the west. Than you will never look at the people of donbass region who were massacred causing them to form separatist. You on the other hand can join NATO and US in hell
I hope you fled Russia while you could. Or are fighting for your freedom.
@@BadOompaloompa79I hope so aswell, I’m pretty sure Russians can get in trouble for speaking badly about the war online
Begi suka, begi
Run suka run
I always really appreciate when you guys break things down like this. I know that it’ll be a safe space to be educated and know what’s happening without being overwhelmed by the doom and terror of social media news. It helps my brain so much. Thank you
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Hi, John. I am Ukrainian and a long time subscriber. Thank you for your videos.
I want to comment on your phrase "(Ukrainian) history as a nation state begins in WWI". This is a bit misleading. Ukraine existed as a separate country since Vth century. I would argue that we can talk about national identity and national consciousness since the Ukrainian statehood called Zaporizhska Sich in 15-16 century. National states are generally tricky to pinpoint, but as suggested in "Imagined communities", war may play a big role in boosting identity. Zaporizhska Sich as it was placed between several empires had to fight a lot. And the people were fighting to maintain their independence.
I know, you didn't mean that Ukraine emerged in WWI. But to me it sounded kind of post colonial and misleading for people on the internet who don't know our history.
russian empire did it's best to exterminate everything Ukrainian already in 19 century, example of which is the Ems Ukaz, which legally forbit printing and using Ukrainian language. It did not start with Stalin.
Other issues have already been mentioned and corrected in your pinned comment. Apart from this minor detail I found your video very good and informative. Thank you. All the best! 💛💙
This is a very clarifying video. I had not really understood that 1. Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence, and 2. Putin believes it has no right to exist. Many thanks.
If Putin "has long been maintained that Ukraine should never have existed", why did he persuade Ukraine for seven years (!) to implement the Minsk agreements that Ukraine have signed? "Whether you like it or not" - that was about Minsk agreements, the last warning. If Ukraine had fulfilled them, Donbass would have been reintegrated, and there would have been no war. But, as it now turned out, Ukraine was not going to implement them, and the Western leaders who signed them, themselves admitted that they simply wanted to give Ukraine time to prepare for the war.
Your just a western bot. Putin literally said that Ukraine does not need to be conquered. In fact he recognised it more independently than the west did. Who used a couple to place a western puppet.
One thing about the Vlogbrothers community is that we acknowledge all human struggle regardless of its origin and we do what we can to empathize and feel with those who mourn. Thank John and Hank for always keeping us human. Much love
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So true
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Thank you for this video. It means a lot to me. I'm a Ukrainian and I've been a Nerdfighter for 8 years now. My hometown is Kharkiv, it's the second largest city in Ukraine after the capital Kyiv and it's primarily a Russian speaking city. Russian troops keep destroying Kharkiv, they are shelling and bombarding the historical center and the residential areas, killing innocent civilians (and let me repeat - Russian speaking civilians). I spent first 10 days of the war in Kharkiv but then I had to flee to the western Ukraine: when two missiles exploded just 120 meters away from my apartment building, my family and I realised we were in grave danger and we had to leave our city immediately. We put everything we could in backpacks and left everything behind, not knowing if we would ever come back. As of today, more than 600 buildings were destroyed in Kharkiv, there's problems with electricity, water supply, heating. My friend's family is in Mariupol right now (another Russian speaking city), the situation is even worse there: the city is surrounded by Russian troops, the don't let people out, don't let the humanitarian aid in. And they keep shelling the city like hell. More than 2500 civilians were killed there. People live in basements and drink rain water. It's a horrible humanitarian catastrophe.
This is the center of Europe in the 21st century. We couldn't imagine it in our worst and wildest nightmares. It's the 20th day of the war. My previous life seems unreal at this point. It feels like it's been forever.
But we are not going to give up. I've never seen Ukrainians so united. The whole nation resists the invasion: people are volunteering and helping each other, donating money and blood for the army, evacuating people from the sieged cities; in areas occupied by Russians people go to the streets with Ukrainian flags, singing national anthems, sometimes trying to block tanks with their own bodies. You cannot beat that. You can defeat an army, but you cannot defeat a nation!
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Thank you for sharing this perspective with us and holding onto hope in this difficult time. The sentiment at the end is so beautiful: "You can defeat an army, but you cannot defeat a nation." I pray you are home someday soon. -John
Best wishes for you and yours--stay safe, take care, and absolutely take the hope where you can find it.
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John, thank you for this video. I was re-watching your video from 2014 a few weeks ago and wishing you still made explainer videos. I’ve spent a lot of time watching videos trying to piece together nuanced context on various issues and I still believe the ones you and Hank have done are among the very best for getting to the unbiased root of a subject.
Thank you so much for making this video. My five year old has been asking about Ukraine a lot lately but the news has been fairly graphic and I’ve been struggling to explain it to her. This video was the perfect balance of sensitive and truthful. She has lots of questions so I’ll follow up as they come. Thank you for your amazing work!
As a Ukrainian American and a nerdfighter this video means so much. My Great Grandparents survived the Holodomor and came to America in the 1950s with my grandmother and great-aunt. Thank you John from the bottom of my heart for making this video to educate people. I cry almost every day about what is going on in Ukraine and I thank you for speaking about this complicated War.
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lyubov for my girlfriend
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Having lived in the cities that you hear about every day in the news these days (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv), and having followed these developments closely over the last 15 or so years, I just want to add that this is basically as straightforward and accurate a picture as you can paint in 8 minutes. John has exactly hit what the broad strokes of this conflict are about. Thanks for making this!
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Thanks for sharing your support and perspective.
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I honestly was a bit scared to watch this video so it was popping up in my recs every so often..
I'm glad I watched it. You always find a way to address the worst topics with calm and a somewhat hopeful outlook.
Your conclusion is so on point. Most of the people don't understand that this war is not about NATO or whatever, it's about Ukraine's sovereignty. And you forgot to mention that it started way before USSR. Russian empire also systematically denied Ukrainians their culture, language, etc. They didn't want Ukrainians to see themselves as a separate nation, calling them 'little Russians.' Russian imperialism hasn't died.
thank you again for talking about this and thank you for quoting my comment. it really means a lot. I'm terrified by the fact that people in 21the century still choose war as a way of showing power, but I believe that humanity will win. right now I agree with one of your quotes from The Anthropocene Reviewed more then ever. the quote is: "for me, finding hope is not some philosophical exercise or sentimental notion; it is a prerequisite for my survival". it's hard to hope in this conditions, but it's one of the most important things. so I hope for the brightest future ✨
Thank you for contributing to the video! I've been thinking a lot about the Emily Dickinson poem:
Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all.
Thank you. Thank you for sharing your perspective, and for holding on to hope in these conditions. 💙💛💙💛💙💛 -John
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this made me cry, sending love💙💛
John, thank you for this video! I’m from Ukraine and i can definitely say, that our country has never been so united. We are fighting for our independence, but we are also fighting for our human rights. We don’t want to be part of Putin’s “Great Russian world” which is filled with lies, propaganda and corruption. We are fighting for freedom, be it freedom of speech or freedom to choose our own government, which would be impossible if we were occupied by Russia.
Wishing you and all Ukrainians safety and security. -John
@@vlogbrothers Thank you! And thank you for sharing the truth about this situation, it really does make a difference!
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I’m Ukrainian and I’m grateful to you for helping us restore historical justice!
I know these explainer videos are difficult to write, research, and balance perspectives, but I love them. Thank you, John.
Thank you for this video. It isn't just Ukraine, unfortunately Putin has been doing this for years. I'm from Georgia and 20% of my country is occupied by Russia. in 2008 Russia invaded my country the same way as it is doing now. Many people died and lost their homes and land, they were displaced. To this day creeping occupation continues. I'm glad that 2022 war has the whole world listening now, our invasion and Crimea 2014 was a warning sign for everyone, unfortunately they weren't heard enough. I just want this ongoing crime to stop and let people live in peace on their land.
I made a video about this back in 2008, but it was heartbreaking to watch the world fail to respond to Putin then--and again and again and again since then. Thank you for this comment and for calling attention to this ongoing illegal occupation. -John
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John, as a Ukrainian I want to thank you for delivering such a great and accurate piece of information to the world!
💙💛💙💛💙💛 -John
Best wishes to you and yours. Stay safe and take care.
Speaking as a Central European person, thank you for making this video John. And thank you for being as factual as possible and for focusing on Ukraine - I've seen a lot of commentary on the invasion focus solely on the Western perspective and overlook the Ukrainian one, so this video was a breath of fresh air.
I feel like parts of my comment weren't worded as well/clearly as they could have been, but hopefully I got what I wanted to say across.
I think so. Thank you for such a thoughtful, kind comment.
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This is just about how good this topic can be in such a condensed, sub 10 minute format. Good job! This is for sure a good thing for those not inclined to longer videos/reading sessions.
I used to absolutely revile learning about history, but watching you and Hank over the last...omg...ten years, taught me how important history is in understanding how and why the world is the way it is now.
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I highly recommend Indy Neidell's World War Two channel then. They go over that war week by week.
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Despite the fact that Europe is once again in at war, I think the last two weeks actually shows that the arc does bend towards peace. Putin chose the path of a warlord, telling other countries to stay away and let him do his thing like in the old days, and almost the entire world's reaction was: "Nope, that's not how we do things these days!" The world has united, sending supplies, weapons and emotional support to Ukraine, initiating trade blockades as well as welcoming ukranian refugees. These are dark days, but when history looks back at now it may view this as the beginning of an era of unification and the end of authocratic nations. Here's hoping!
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I haven't been around long enough or educated enough to know that the way this war is being responded to is better than previous wars, and your comment is the first one to point that out to me, I've been feeling hopeless, and like there's nothing we can do, but now I know things can get better, because they have.
@@prayingmantis8148 I felt really touched by the initial global response to the war. UK and US intelligence reported months ago that Putin would invade; as such, NATO was able to plan and formulate a response much faster than Putin ever expected. They'd been giving Ukraine supplies for months. Countries all over the world, including in Europe, North America, and Asia, passed sanctions that are supposed to be tough enough to actually have an effect on the Russian economy (a departure from past, weaker sanctions). US and German military units were invited into Poland to help provide the anticipated mass exodus of Ukrainian refugees with medical care, shelter, and food; even before 100,000 refugees had fled Ukraine, these countries were working together in anticipation of receiving 5 million refugees into Poland. Right now EU nations are giving Ukrainian refugees the automatic right to live and work in the EU for one year. Israel flew to Ukraine to help mediate a negotiation. Thousands of Russians are protesting the war, and even some important oligarchs don't seem on board. I got all of this information from the Economist, including from the article "Rose Gottemoeller says that NATO has proved its worth in dealing with Russia".
I hope you’re right.
Thank you John. I have been waiting for a succinct explanation of context. I appreciate your pinned comment and the resources you have shared. Over the many years I have come to view you as a reliable source of information. When I read your sources and consider your perspectives I learn a great deal. DFTBA
As a Ukrainian, I would like to thank you for the fairly accurate information related to the coverage of Ukraine's history.
Ukraine has been exploited by the United States.The deeper reason is that the United States does not want the European Union and Russia to get too close. As long as there is a war between Ukraine and Russia, Europe will be forced to impose sanctions on Russia. In this way, Russia will cut off its energy supply to Europe, and at the same time, Europe's economy will be further weakened. This achieves America's strategic goal of weakening both Europe and Russia while increasing its influence in Europe.
If NATO had not expanded into Ukraine, this war could have been completely avoided, and the sacrifices of the Ukrainian people could have been completely avoided.
John, I know that you considered going to seminary, and while you might not be a priest you’re certainly acting as a chaplain for us right now. You remind me so much of Mr. Rogers, and his ministry to the nation through kindness. I feel like you and Hank are doing something similar. Thank you so much for your heartfelt and informative videos. Years ago, I met you after the fault in our stars came out, it was the week before I started CPE as a hospice chaplain. You told me it would suck but it would also be great. It did and it was. Thank you.
I remember that! (I think?) It's great to hear the update. I hope you're well--despite the circumstances. I really appreciate the kind words about the work I'm trying to do; I think of Mr. Rogers a lot and look up to him. -John
@@vlogbrothers thank you! I became a college chaplain. I’m so grateful for your ongoing words of encouragement and wisdom (and the jokes, got to love the jokes).
John, I know that this video was probably difficult to make, considering how you have been targeted in the past. I applaud your bravery, and I appreciate your willingness to help. DFTBA
Nothing compared to the bravery of the Russians protesting the war, or the Ukrainians enduring it. But thanks. -John
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I love when John brings these kind of topic to discussion. Sometimes is needed. Thanks John🙏
thank you, john. this helped me understand what's happening a bit better.
I am from Latvia which similarly was occupied by Soviet Union for 50 years. You don't forget about your freedom, your country, you keep fighting and you teach your children to fight. Nothing has unified my country like supporting Ukraine because we know their pain and we fear similar future.
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As a Ukrainian I totally second that no war will crush Ukrainian identity or language. Thank you for your support now and 8 years ago when you recorded the first video about our country. It is also worth noting that this war is not only fought on the battlefields, it's being fought in media as well. It is of tremendous importance that the fact we are sovereign nation is stated loudly and even more - that our history is real and stretching before 1991 or even World War One. Too often we still see history videos/essays/textbooks that don't recognize that it is Ukraine who gave birth to Kievan Rus and was a prosperous country when there was no Moscow yet even in plans. I firmly believe Ukraine will prevail and thank you for your part in vanquishing the Orwellian country with a mad dictator.
Hope to see you in Ukraine one day for some vlog festivals!
Russia is not an Orwellian country its has more free speech then america
I don't comment on your videos much John, but you and Hank are really good guys and I really admire you for all of the good you do with your platform. Keep it up.
Thank you for sharing your sources of information John! I really appreciate the work you out into this video. I ma still trying to formulate an opinion on this war however I am acutely aware that things are insanely complicated to understand I'm a single lifetime.
But not trying to understand is a death sentence.
"I belive that day will come.
But I fear for every day untill it does. "
Thank you for putting into words what I have felt for the past few weeks. And thank you in general for adressing the issue.
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It is so great that someone in USA takes time and makes good and informative videos with fact checks. I am estonian and so very familiar of Russia and its history. Not only from Ukraine but from Estonia, Latvia and other countries were mass deportation to Siberia (our first one was in the middle of summer and nobody knew where they were taken so they had summer clothes in the Siberia)
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I recently watched a video of Estonia and what Estonians thought of the invasion of Ukraine. I learned a lot - I had no idea Estonia was treated so badly by the Soviets and that they forcibly moved Russians into Estonia in an attempt to displace the native peoples. Seems that is a tactic Russia has used for decades. I hope you are now living in peace and that it stays that way for the people of Estonia. I understand Latvia and Lithuania have very similar experiences and that Poland was treated very harshly. Such horrible stories for you all when you all have the right to just live in peace.
Very well done video. I'm an American who's parents came over from Ukraine in the 1950s. I think you really hit it when talking about Stalin. The biggest reason why Ukrainians want an independent Ukraine, is because of the decades of Soviet suppression of Ukrainian culture and language. Even under the Russian empire, Ukrainians were really second-class citizens. My parents grew up in Western Ukraine which was part of Poland and at the time, and post WW I Poland also treated Ukrainians as second class citizens.
I think most Ukrainians feel that the preservation of their cultural identify is directly tied to having an indpenedent state as distant from Russia as possible.
Time has shown that Polish attitudes towards Ukraine and Ukrainians has changed. But the attitude of Vladimir Putin, a cold war relic, has not changed. Clearly, with the number of protests we're seeing in Russia, and Putin's need to hold support rallies, the opinions of the Russian people are not the opinions of thier leaders.
Ukraine minus Novorossiya is what I think the new Ukraine will look like.
Thank you for this. I am a big fan of both you and Hank. I am in the process of researching my GreatGrandmother, who was born in Odesa, Ukraine, in 1888, escaped and made her way to Montana, a place my family still lives. She never spoke fluent English and had a friend translate a letter of her journey, and it breaks my heart to see how Ukrainians have fought for so long for their freedom. She was a tough lady, and the more I found out about Ukraine and its struggles, the more I saw how she got her strength. Much love to all of Ukraine, and thank you again.
Many have expressed their opinions already, but I'll quickly interject myself. As a Ukrainian, this was very gratifying to watch. I can't express how much this means to me. Brilliantly researched and very heedful. Thank you, John, hope you'll have a chance to visit once we rebuild.
Thank you for your comment. Sending you and yours best wishes for your safety.
Thank you for making this video. Especially thank you for distinguishing that Putin ≠ Russians. I was born in Russia but moved at a young age, and I am scared of the hate and discrimination I could experience for what a government that I never wanted or could vote for is doing… Slava Ukraini 💙💛
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For the probably hours of footage I've watched, this is more informative and valuable than all of the new sources I see on TV and the internet put together. Bless. 🙏
Thanks for posting this- I'm a political science major yet have little knowledge of history in Eastern Europe and am trying to understand what's going on. I remember watching your video 8 years ago about Ukraine. Never could have imagined this would be the part 2.
Having the historical context is so important for understanding what's currently happening! Thanks for making this video 🌻
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He did leave out the more recent historical context of the 2014 coup that overthrew the democratically elected government, supported by Neo-Nazis (Azov Battalion) and the shelling and attacking of the eastern regions killing 14000 people in the Donbas Region by the Azov Battalion. Russia is wrong and this is in no way a does this justify the invasion or their actions since, but Ukraine is not good in this situation ether. Ignoring that context does a massive disservice. All of this stuff is easily researchable from reputable news sources over the past 8 years with tons of stories about it.
@@Evirthewarrior calling it a coup is disingenuous. The President fled the country because a popular uprising pushed him out after police became violent with protesters. These protests happened after the President pivoted from and EU deal that the population had wanted for decades to immediately announcing a deal with Russia instead, likely under pressure from Russia. Not to mention Russia had been meddling in their politics long before that, poisoning a leading opposition leader before an election inn2005. Russia has always stood behind Ukraine with one hand on its shoulder threatening to stab in in the back of it takes too many steps West.
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Thank you very much. I’m Ukrainian, and seeing how the whole world supports us means a lot in these dark times.
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Am 74, a student of history and in favor of a free standing Ukraine , yet I learned critical info I did not know. Kudos.
Hello 👋 Mary, how are you doing?
I appreciate your willingness to discuss the difficult topics.
Thank you, John. I am a long-time Nerdfighter and my husband and I have been in the process of adopting our "daughter" (hopefully legally soon to be) from Ukraine for almost three years now. We were in Ukraine in January 2022 for the adoption, (I proudly donned my pizza john shirt, so I like to think all of Nerdfightaria was with me in a small way) and we were only weeks away from completing the adoption and finally gaining custody of our daughter when war broke out. Now all bets are off and she's trapped in a country with a vicious war raging around her, and her guardian is holding her documents and refusing to allow her to evacuate (her guardian evacuated, but left our daughter behind).
Hearing your voice on this topic - a voice which has both reminded me of the kindness of the world and brought me clarity on hard issues for many years - blesses my weary soul. Thank you for this video. Thank you, to both you and Hank, for always doing your best to educate and bring clarity to impossibly complicated subjects. And thank you to all of Nerdfightaria for never, ever forgetting to be awesome.
I know this might seem like a negligibly small advantage to Ukrainians, but negligibly small advantages are the only ones I feel like most of us have any control over at this moment: I think one of the things we can continue to do is maintain a clear stance on the fact that Putin is the abuser, and Ukraine needs and deserves the help of the rest of the world to survive this atrocity. If the general public maintains a clear consensus, our governments will continue to act accordingly and support Ukraine. Ultimately, our governments answer to us in the end - as much as it rarely feels like it.
I'm Canadian, but there are also countless American families in the adoption process who are in the same position as us. If anyone reading this wants to help children in Ukraine reunite with the families who already love them, please write your local government representatives and ask them to support hosting and adoption from Ukraine at this time.
Thank you again, John.
DFTBA
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Oh my goodness I can’t imagine this level of heartbreak for you, the daughter you are trying to get to Canada, and all the folks in a similar position. I’m a Ukrainian Canadian, and this hurts my heart in so many ways. I hope you will be reunited with your little one soon.
@@vlogbrothers ♥️🇺🇦 (same person as the original poster. Just commenting from a different account by accident)
@@lyuba881 thank you so much for your kind words. ♥️ We have been so encouraged by the kindness of so many. We are hopeful and believing and praying for a miracle. (same person as the original poster. Just commenting from a different account by accident)
I don't know who I feel about some Anglo Saxon trash ripping away some poor Eastern European girl away from her culture and people. You better make sure that "your daughter" knows her roots. You better make sure that she knows her true language, her culture, her traditions. Frankly, I see you a colonizer come to separate Eastern European babies from their culture and anglonize them. And the only people who should be adopting Ukrainian babies is real Ukrainians so that the kids can know their culture. You may think that your helping but your also participating in the destruction of Ukrainian culture by separating this poor girl from her people. Please, colonizer give this girl back to her true people, to some Ukrainians who live in the west. God, white Western European should be completely banned from adopting ethnic babies, including Eastern European babies.
Especially in such dark and turbulent times, I fear it becomes really difficult to educate yourself on topics like the topics out of fear of the grave conclusions they imply. So thank you for the insightful context John. Especially for the fact-checked secondary resources in the doobly do.
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Thank you so much for this video and your correct points and facts about my country and the war we are fighting not even for 35 days now, but for the past 300 years or more. Being fun of your books and videos it`s really touching to watch this kind of content for the worldwide community.
thank you for your work. it is very important for Ukrainians and for the people of the world. since 02/24/2022, I am a woman who is an internally displaced person (IDP) who saved her child at the beginning of the war. your videos help foreigners understand the realities of our present and block russian propaganda. Thank you❤😊
I know this was a complex video to embark upon, to craft and edit the script, not to mention posting for existence on the internet. Thank you, John, for being one of my favorite history teachers, and for as always, sharing good information on complex topics. DFTBA.
I went back to rewatch your "Understanding Ukraine" video around the end of February. The quote you mention here ("The arc of history is long, let's hope it bends towards peace.") literally made me break down crying having gone to the video directly from hours of doom scrolling social media and news outlets covering the devastation. The last 5 or so years have felt like one national/global crisis after another and no chance to breath. I do cling to the optimism this channel promotes even amidst it all, but that quote specifically made it painfully clear how much had happened since then. The video felt as if it were from some sort of "before", holding our big hopes and little worries like a time capsule. The me that had watched that video when it originally came out so completely unaware of how bad things could possibly go. Blinded by a stability I'd been privileged to have my entire life. And I'm not even from Ukraine. So I go to work and fold my laundry knowing, guiltily how many people have had those constancies robbed from them.
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Thank you John for holistically covering what’s going on in Ukraine, background is necessary in the quest for understanding concepts that many of us have not undergone or experienced
Thank you for making this video! It was really informative. As an addition to point #3 in the comment, I would also be interested in a video about the civil war in Ethiopia.
Thank you for always bringing context to your discussions of the present. I've so often felt like I don't understand global current events bc my understanding of the historical and cultural context they're occurring in is limited. I so appreciate your efforts to make sense of the present by understanding the past
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You know what I really love: the fact that, despite John's expectations, the commentators on this video are kind and encouraging. The misinformation is not given a foothold on this channel. You all make me hopeful
I've found the reminders not to engage with misinformation when it does show up and report it instead really encouraging. Very proud of nerdfighteria. DFTBA!
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Thank you John. Every morning for the past few days I've made it a habit to watch a CZcams video about Ukraine instead of watching the news. Your video came just at the right time.
I really appreciate this video. It reminds of crash course history by John Green
Thanks for the explainer John, I always appreciate getting historical context with as much acknowledgment of complexity as possible.
This is by far the biggest geopolitical event of my lifetime, and it such a strange feeling to know that “history” can happen right now, and it really is that big and that scary as the “history” of the past
Even scarier to realise that, by the end of all this, there maybe no next generation to read and learn of that history.
@@Mikaboba100 that is pretty unlikely tho
@@connierobinson1090 is it? Putin has stated recently that if there is no Russia there will be no planet. He also believes Ukraine is Russia, and he's not going to get that. A narcissist who's cornered will blow everything up - usually that's relatively metaphorical. In Putin's case, not necessarily so.
@@Mikaboba100 probably not. dont even think a nuclear war would really be enough to do that. like, i get distress about the future, but words have meaning, and saying that we literally might not have a next generation just sounds like straight hyperbole. even in the worst case scenario, we will. it's just that, in the worst case scenario, reading and learning the history might not matter much, coz theyll still be living through the cruel consequences of it.
@@TheRandomzcookie a nuclear war definitely would be enough to do that. Even if the planet didn't literally blow up, food wouldn't grow, the air would be toxic and much of it would be uninhabitable for human life. The Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombs are a pittance of the nukes of today. MAD theory only works if those in power are sane - and the person in charge of the greatest stockpile on the planet isn't looking particularly great mentally right now.
Thank you for great understanding and explaining the history of this period
I know these videos make you nervous, so thank you for doing this. They make a difference ❤️
i know you said on twitter that this video was scary to make but thank you so so much for doing it, this was such a great breakdown of the situation and i found it really helpful
I’ve been wanting to educate myself about this, but every time I tried I’ve been overwhelmed by news headlines and gave up. This video was approachable, clear, concise, and thoughtfully made. Thanks John!
In general, I also recommend the videos Vox makes. Pretty sure I learned a lot about Ukrainian history there, too.
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I'm a Ukrainian who is working as a social science teacher at a school in China. I think I will show this video to my students in class (I hope you don't mind). I regularly watch many other videos with you. Thank you so much for your work and especially for your support of my country! 🙏
Thank you for speaking out and teaching us about this awful conflict.
I'm so grateful to you for presenting the history and background to this horrible situation so clearly.
Oooh, a vlogbrothers explainer. Haven't seen one of those in a bit.
It has been a while. In general I think there are lots of really good explainers on the Internet now so there is less purpose to us making them, but in this case I felt like there is some historical and political context that I'm not seeing much online, so I wanted to make a video. -John
@@vlogbrothers absolutely acceptable. I still remember the "why we stopped making explainers, explained" video
@@vlogbrothers We love them though :p Wish you'd make more.
The way you phrase things and approach a topic is unique to you, and something we appreciate. (Also I think this community is very into educational videos in general.)
Hi John, I just want to say thank you for deciding to make this video. I understand you and Hank try to distance yourself from making these types of political commentary video as it can be often be a divisive topic. But please never sensor your thoughts and opinions for others, the historical context you provide to help so many of us be better informed and more aware is invaluable. Thank you.
Oh my God, I'm so impressed by this video! Greetings from Ukraine and thank you. Thank you for spreading this information. You managed to give a short but pretty good picture of our history to this point.
The way you convey information is impeccable. In writing, in talking, in expressing what is fact and what you feel. Thank you John.
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thank you John! a concise and helpful rundown of a tragic situation ❤️
Thanks for good explanation 🇺🇦
until Russia invaded Ukraine the majority of people I encountered in UK had never heard of Ukraine, never mind where it is on the map, and the ones who did automatically thought that it is a province in Russia. So I am so pleased that last the world is learning the true story of Ukraine.
Thank you so much from Kharkiv, Ukraine. This is fairly accurate, i would say. It is very surreal to post this while i hear bombs are ruin my city, but what can i say is our spirit strong, and we will not only survive, but we will won this fight. You made very rare point, among tons of videos, putin wants to destroy our identity itself, which is so stupid idea, that i cannot even wrap my head around how you could do that in theory. We say thank you for spread this word, it is so important to us. If someone else read this, boycot companies who stays in russia, they pay taxes, which transform in to bombs. CocaCola for example worked with nazis in past, never learn their lesson, history repeats, spread the word, push your politics, thank you and to all of you stay safe and take care of your family 🇺🇦
Best wishes for you and yours as well. Stay safe.
Praying for you all for strength, health and to keep hoping. Stay safe
I want to emphasize as strongly as I can:
*_It is NOT naive to hope for peace!_*
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Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Andriy, 28, Ukraine.
This is a careful and nuanced take, John. I think it will stand the test of time well.
I really appreciate this historical context, John. You’re a gem.
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Y'all present difficult information so succinctly. Thank you for sharing such valuable knowledge with us.
Thank you, John, so very much. You pour so much of yourself into your work and it shows.
I can honestly say that it is amazing the diversity among people within the world. We all will have our differences, but we can see, in most cases, when wrong is clearly wrong. Very well said. Thank you, John.
I'm glad you waited another week to post this video, John. You did an excellent job of it and we're all thankful for it.
Great video as always John. I know you guys don't like doing explainer videos much any more, but I really wish you would. You don't have to get it perfectly right to help a lot of people understand a situation better. You don't need to be an expert to be great at explaining concepts. These are my favorite videos you make.
Thanks. I think there are two reasons we don't do them as much anymore: 1. Other people do them very well now, and CZcams is plenty big enough for people to find that good content, so we feel less of a responsibility to make them. Also, 2. In the past I've often felt like making a large percentage of vlogbrothers videos explainers made nerdfighteria worse--bringing in divisive, outrage-driven conversations that made the other parts of our community less healthy. I think I am less concerned about 2 in a world where people are much more alive to how quickly the well can get poisoned. I still feel like others do them better than we can, but I am open to doing more of them! -John
@@vlogbrothers Very much appreciate the answer :)
You're right that there isn't the responsibility any more, but I think for us it's nice to hear how you approach and think about a topic. Other channels aren't going to discuss this stuff the same way you and Hank do -- there's something unique here that we love. In particular, I think you're unusually good at making folks connect with a situation on a human level and care about it in a deeper and more thoughtful way. The number of times you've made me cry unexpectedly, or feel deeply moved by the beauty of the world is impressive. I know it's enriched my life.
And yes, I agree #2 is probably less of a problem now. Maybe partly because there are so many political channels with comments sections for folks to be angry in. And trolls are often very obviously trolls. The core community here is so wonderful, and I can't see it going anywhere, even if trolls do descend from time to time.
Thank you for your input and shedding light on the language aspect in Ukraine. It's fascinating to learn that the majority of Ukrainians are bilingual and have a good understanding of both Russian and Ukrainian. The shift towards Ukrainian as the primary language is indeed significant, with the availability of original Ukrainian media and localizations. This linguistic evolution reflects the changing cultural landscape of Ukraine. 🇺🇦🗣🌍
Also, John, I hope you take this to heart. It is *never* naive to hope for peace. The hope for peace keeps us human.