Russo-Ukraine War 2017-2018

[Azor]

Azor,

I am aware of much of the history you cite and I would recommend, possibly again, this excellent history book: 'Borderland: A Journey through the history of Ukraine' by Anna Reid, pub. 1997. A second edition was published in 2015, with good reviews here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Borderland-.../dp/1780229275

All those who hosted us were Ukrainians and some undoubtedly had been Communist Party members, probably to ensure professional advancement.

I offer my memories as they indicate why for years they appeared to be silent - until the Maidan "moment".

Thank you for the recommendation, David. In return, I would recommend Snyder’s “Bloodlands”. I will say that despite mentioning Ukrainian anti-Semitism, Reid devotes more time to excusing mass murders committed by the Cossacks and UIA than detailing the crimes themselves.

However, the fact is that the Ukrainians of the Lwow/Lvov/Lviv area collaborated with the NKVD in 1939 and the Germans from 1941 on (the Ukrainian Auxiliary Police were established before the UIA), and only fought the Soviets from 1944 on. Ethnic Ukrainians did suffer somewhat under Soviet rule in 1939-1941, but overall the Soviets were anti-Polish and the executions and enslavement reflect this bias. The UIA engaged in some sporadic clashes with the Germans, but there was overlapping membership between the UIA and various auxiliary and SS units, and a rough and unspoken truce for most of the war.

Therefore, their World War II memorial is less than factual. I remain puzzled why you associated the Lwow Uprising by the AK with ethnic Ukrainians, given that it was by ethnic Poles.

The criminals of the OUN and UIA are still lionized in Galicia and Volhynia today, and the black-and-red flag has been prominent in pro-EU/anti-Russian protests in Kiev. How is lionizing war criminals in any way Western, considering what the West meted out to Germany, Japan and Serbia? There is not even an attempt here to dissociate with these crimes, as the French and Italians have tried i.e. every Frenchman or Italian was part of the resistance, etc.

Now, we can say that Ukrainians are ignorant of their history or suffering collective trauma from Stalin and Hitler, but the starting point has to be the truth.

Nor is this problem limited to Ukraine. The Belgians, Danish and Dutch had far more collaborators and volunteers than resisters to the Germans, and the French and Norwegians are roughly even.