To be scared to live in the UK

th[e] war ... comes from a Polish born person
Can you clarify that for me, please?

In Baltic countries, Poland, Scandinavia countries there's an awareness that some Russians are influenced by Moscow's narrative due to limited exposure to outside information, while others are simply victims of a system that suppresses dissent. How many families in Russia have lost loved ones, leading to resentment toward the state? Not every Russian is to blame, many Russians don't want that war and it comes from a Polish born person.

However, I don't think that " It is going to be Ok": the conflict will escalate within next months. Thousands of soldiers, tanks, and planes pass through Poland daily toward the Eastern NATO border. 5-6 armies from a Western countries will enter Ukraine with a "peace mission" that will evolve into a conflict. Listen to what Macron said, Listen to what NATO Stoltenberg and Huges say. We must prepare for uncertain times ahead. The played out territory in this proxy war will be in Eastern Europe.The first sign may emerge as early as June. This year it is only preludium...remember my words. I wish I could relay more optimistic news.

Im thinking of leaving the uk because im so fed up with it.

Op you know it’s safe and fine here. You have been here for two years.
My Russian friends are embarrassed of Putins decision to invade Ukraine but glad to be thousands of miles away quite frankly.

Post deleted. Sorry.

I felt bad for the Russian families in ds's school when they plastered Ukrainian flags and I'm sure they have nothing against Ukraine and never supported the war as they are just average families who have nothing to do with the war which is why I'm against schools taking sides although this was a private nursery attached to a prep school who had many Russian families but overall, i can understand your concerns.

I don't want to hijack this with my what about so and so nor do I want to brush off your lived experience but being a Muslim is very hard in this country and generally in the west. Even when the sad event where the Russian concert was terrorised recently with many casualties, I just thought to myself I wonder which thugs (mercenaries) were hired and paid to carry out this act to blame Muslims again. The tabloids do hate Putin though with passion and the way it's governed but they hate the whole Muslim population and other immigrants 100 times more.

I can empathise- there is a lot of vitriol online towards Russians, and "Othering"
I say this as a Palestinian myself, living in the UK, that I am on the daily, reading and hearing (online mostly) how I pretty much might as well be responsible for the Middle East and that I don't want peace, that I am vermin and that the occupation my family are living under on a daily basis in the WB is made up, that we technically don't exist, never have and never should; that apparently Palestinian women have no rights and no education and all we have is evil in our hearts. I am made to feel responsible, and hearing that me saying enough is enough is hate speech.

Im so sorry you’re going through this datcherygrateful. The antisemitism in the UK is in the news daily, but there’s virtually no mention of how Muslims are bearing the brunt of this too. None of us are accountable or responsible and shouldn’t be in a position where we are scared to open our mouths. As if the ongoing fear and high level stress of what is going on in Palestine, Russia and Israel, we have to hear how we don’t deserve to live in our original homelands. Or in your case, that yours isn’t even really a place in its own right. It’s tragic and utterly horrible.

You’re panicking OP. I work in careers with experienced hires and with international MBA students, quite a few of my clients are Russian (I’m Russian) - I have not yet come across a single instance of them being disadvantaged or mistreated, they get promotions, change careers, start businesses just like everyone else. Overwhelmingly there is nothing but sympathy for them.

I understand the feeling though but I think if you reflect on it, it’s very likely coming from the consumption of online news/social media - I’m active on LinkedIn for professional reasons and god knows what I haven’t seen there in the past years. Not just Russians being demonised but now Israelis, and many other not necessarily nations but identities. But online is not real life!

I have very consciously moved away from online news and SM for exactly these reasons - I think it makes you see the world and people at their worst. It gives you nothing but anxiety. In real life you meet - overwhelmingly - kind, good people.

I have a 1 year old that I am making a lot of effort to teach Russian so she can speak to my family. My English husband is extremely supportive, and generally when people hear me speak to her, they often ask about the language and we have a chat about Russia. I am yet to come across a negative reaction IRL.

Most nations have done terrible things in their past. It doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of good in there too. I hate the war but I am not disowning my roots and my family based on politics.

What do you honestly think, is this likely to happen?

Zero chance

You're worrying necessarily. Don't get me wrong I understand why you're worried, but if we do go into war we will not be taking action on people like you who've been here for years.
The reality is that a war with Russia is likely to be nuclear (several despot communist leaders could press the button - China are acting like AHs at the mo...) and then we're all doomed.

I don’t think you have to worry. I think most people know it’s Putin and his cronies causing the problem and not the general Russian people. I work in an environment where there are some Russian people and have no issue with them.

In the same way that most people don't associate Jewish citizens with the abhorrent actions of the Israeli government.

Enough do feel like that though. The Jewish chaplain at our university is living in a safe house with his family, after a campaign of hate on campus.

The electricity box on our street has had swastikas and vile comments graffitied on it. I’ve had people who know I’m Jewish making regular references to whatever they may say, Jewish people all support the way. I’m an atheist. I have no belief in a God or any higher power. But I’m ethnically fully Jewish and don’t want to feel I’m at risk because this is what I happen to be. I don’t want to have to feel ashamed or complicit or have people being hostile . I don’t go into certain parts of the city because I don’t feel safe there anymore. I don’t feel the police or the government take responsibility for safety. They say the right things but in reality we aren’t remotely safe .

The only families I know with a Russian parent (older - all with teens now) just say that their teens are moody about going to visit grandparents in the holidays because they don’t want comments from their friends about it. But other than that I haven’t heard of any problems.

If you might want to live abroad (or even if you decide not to) please teach your children Russian. It's a very useful language in many countries, and you never know what opportunities might open up for them later in life. DS is very glad to have learned some from his dad, even though he's mostly self taught these days. We live in the EU and I think he probably knows more Russian speakers than English speakers at this point!

My DHs grandfather defected from Italy during the war. There was always a couple of people with a comment but by and large people were welcoming.

its like every aspect of life: most are rational and intelligent but there may be a few idiots out there but you have to try ignore that minority

Unless your surname is Putin I don't think anyone would associate a random Russian woman with the actions of the current Russian government.

In the same way that most people don't associate Jewish citizens with the abhorrent actions of the Israeli government.

As a Brit, if people held me responsible for the actions of our government I'd be pretty horrified!

And blaming Jews for Israel's behaviour

I can relate to your feelings. I was born in Bosnia to Serbian parents, we escaped in 1994 to Serbia only to live through the 1999 air campaign. My family never supported Milosevic and his cohorts yet when I came to UK to study I was repeatedly called genocidal, asked if I feel guilty over Srebrenica etc. I felt I needed to justify myself over and over again, to complete strangers, and for years I felt hesitant to say I was Serbian.

From that point of view, I can understand your concern as these things DO happen - people do believe in collective guilt and they do look at you differently if they don’t have the ability to distinguish between government and civilians. But, I’ve lived here for the last 20 years and I do think that things have changed for the better. I wouldn’t go as far as some apps to claim that there is no prejudice at all (see what’s happening to Muslims in general/Palestinians/Jewish…), but I don’t believe physical violence etc is likely. And even at its worst (for me!) I didn’t feel let down by the system here (jobs, uni, etc)

you are white and not a Muslim you should be Ok OP.

I don’t recommend being Jewish either . I’ve never felt as terrified as I have over the last 7 months. I feel every Jew is somehow personally complicit in the deaths of the innocent civilians caught up in this nightmare. All I want is for Jews and Palestinians to stop wanting to wipe one another off the planet but there’s nothing I can do to make it stop and for the crazy extremists in both areas to stop the madness. I feel heartbroken for all of us but don’t want to be unsafe whenever I go out. I feel your pain OP. You have no influence over Putin and his henchmen . And in an ideal world no one will hold what is happening in Russia against you. You don’t have to try be the right sort of Russian anymore than I should have to try show I’m the right type of Jew or any Muslim should have to show they’re not supporting Hamas. Stay strong everyone. We aren’t the ones with blood on our hands 💐

THIS

I think your average person couldn't care less to be honest. I think they've moved on to Gaza vs Israel.

Oh god, don't forget Brexit!
I still get an irrational urge to apologise to people about that when we are abroad!