WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT TO FIX THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION?

While reading the statement of Charles Michel that, and I quote, “EU borders should be opened to Russians fleeing from mobilisation,” I couldn’t help but wonder, who, in Charles Michel’s view, should fix Russia? A country that raged wars for the duration of its existence; a country that attacked Moldova, Chechnya, and Georgia; a country that annexed Crimea, a country that has been carrying out a genocidal war on Ukraine for 7 months already. Who, if not Russians, according to Charles Michel, has to fix their state.

I find it a living disgrace to call Russian men, who try to avoid mobilisation, war refugees. There is no war in the country that they are fleeing. Moreover, it is precisely their country that has invaded its neighbor. Even bigger nonsense is to call the protests, that occurred after the mobilisation announcement, anti-war protests. Make no mistake – these Russians are not against the war; in fact, they are en masse supporting it. The only issue they have is that they don’t want to risk their lives for this cause. Any time you see a protest now in Russia, just ask yourself: were there any mass protests after the occupation of Crimea? After the start of the full-scale war on Ukraine? After Bucha? After Izium? No? Well then, these Russians don’t mind Russian aggression on Ukraine; they just don’t want to sleep in trenches.

I can’t refer enough to Georgian sources that claim Russians are fleeing to Georgia with the Z symbols still on their cars and on the haircuts of their children. When Georgians do not let them through, they threaten them with denazification as well.
Screenshot from Telegram channel

In addition, I find it a real threat to European security to allow large groups of fit men that despise the European Union and believe they are at war with NATO within its borders. Those who condone state violence in their own country, those who overwhelmingly hate everything western, those who do not share one single value with the EU – they would be let in.

Would you let people into Belgium people who massively support nuking Brussels?

The TV show of propagandist Solovyov in Russia gains billions of views. And let’s be honest, no one forces Russians to watch it – they do because they enjoy it; they watch it because they agree with what’s said. They watch it because it resonates with them. All other explanations you might have stem from a very strong need to think of Russians as better than what reality is.

Allowing hordes of hateful Russians is truly putting European citizens at risk, and also the Ukrainian refugees who are currently unable to go back home due to the ongoing Russian aggression. And here, I really want to underline that the only refugees from Ukraine are women with children, older or disabled people. Our fit and strong left to fight for Ukraine whilst from Russia, you can expect a completely different demographic that is also known to be more aggressive and trouble-making. My heart breaks from poor raped women and children who had to escape from Bucha or Irpin to face Russian young men walking freely in their neighbourhoods in Brussels: you either support the victim or the aggressor – you cannot host and support both.

And the last argument I want to make, a very crucial one: If Charles Michel, the German foreign ministry, or anyone else keeps infantilising Russians and helping them escape their direct responsibility – they will never grow as a nation, and they will never create civilised and sane statehood on their terrain. I can’t agree enough with Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis – Russians should not flee from their country; they should stay and correct it, make it right, speak their mind, overthrow their dictator and make Russia a safe country for the rest of the world. Not flee to other safe countries they actually aspire to destroy.

See, I know resolutions are hard, and it is not easy to fight dictatorship, but I speak from experience that it is possible. I was 16 when the Revolution of Dignity took place in Ukraine, and I was taking part in it because I knew – If not me, then who else could save this country? Who else can make it democratic and right? Who else will overthrow the dictator?
You know, we managed. We made sure that our country stays free, democratic, and independent, that there are human rights and a free press. And now I strongly believe that it’s high time Russians do something similar for their own good and for the safety of the world. But they will never get to it, if they are not in Russia.

LESYA MAGAS, ACTIVIST OF THE NGO PROMOTE UKRAINE / PROMOTEUKRAINE.ORG // UKRAINIANHUB.EU