The war in Ukraine has called into question or rather brought out the concepts of state, nation and homeland. In fact, Ukraine is a state because it is made up of a territory, a population and exercises its sovereignty over the whole territory through government structures.
Ukraine is at the same time a nation because its population is a community of individuals who share not only the geographic location, but also the culture, along with language, religion, history and traditions, as well as ethnicity and a government.
In short, it is a sovereign state that can decide together with its inhabitants all the choices useful for the well-being of its community. Instead, although it is a sovereign state in which its citizens through regular elections have chosen their destiny of belonging to what we call the "Western world" for brevity, since February 24th it has been the object of aggression, of a war to overthrow its its legitimate government. It is the first war close to us in which television, social media, war correspondents, experts in international politics, the military, the press every day and for long hours inform us, show us what war is up close. . The effects of the bombings on isolated dwellings or condominiums, on hospitals, on museums, theaters, sports facilities.
War cannot be the means for resolving conflicts which, in this case, did not exist except in the mind of those who started the war. But even when most UN states condemned Ukraine's aggression, Russia continued not to stop its army. Therefore? It is clear that we cannot remain neutral. This is a war of civilizations that pits different worlds. Ours, Western, which places individual freedoms, social solidarity and opportunities as the growth of the community and of the individual at the center. Those who oppose our ideals and models of free societies try to act without the consent of the citizens and as in this war they have no respect for the life of others.
The strength of those on the right side of history can be understood in the words of Golda Meir who, referring to the Arab world, made us understand the depth of the values of Israel and beyond: "O Arabs, we could one day forgive you for killing our children, but we would never forgive you for forcing us to kill yours ”. This turn of the century is confronting us with crucial challenges: Climate change, the pandemic and war. Global and local challenges that threaten our societies and the whole world. It does us good to remember, in conclusion, that Ukraine is a homeland, understood as the land of the fathers, for which a strong sense of belonging has been created. Alex accompanied his wife Irina and their son to Poland to whom he gave the name of the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko.
