Sooo… what example does this set, exactly? Treating these people like criminals and spies plays directly into Putin’s propaganda that “The West” is broadly hostile to Russians as a people rather than merely to his regime. If their asylum claims are denied, they will simply be shipped home and then what? The guy will get drafted and given the most meat-grinder assignment and his wife will live on as a disillusioned cautionary tale. Repeat times a hundred thousand.

In fact, this has been the standard party line in pro-Kremlin Russian social media channels on Twitter and Telegram since this exodus began. None of them seem to lose any sleep over the big Western news stories of all the thousands of Russian citizens fleeing mobilization, because “eh, the cowards will come crawling back soon enough”.

We’re about to prove them right.

Did Mr. Zelensky also care to explain why his country was still utterly reliant on “communist-era rubbish Russian infrastructure” three decades after gaining independence? Prior to the invasion, Ukraine was considered one the most corrupt countries in Europe. Until steps are taken to address this fundamental issue, it almost doesn’t matter how much money you pour into Ukraine’s reconstruction.

I mean, we literally have three-letter agencies dedicated entirely to subverting their government. We do not hide this in any way, and our politicians openly call for regime change in their country (and many others). How is their reaction at all a surprise?

“Bruh, you really gonna nuke us?”

“Nah fam, you gonna nuke us?”

“Wasn’t actually planning on it.”

“Ok, cool”

“Cool”

secret handshake

Bro, this isn’t Twitter. Rein that shit in.