To feel distressed and heartbroken re Ukraine’s increasingly desperate pleas for help?

[UltraLightfly]

You can hear the desperation in their president’s (and former presidents) voices now. They are BEGGING for physical help. Begging for a no-fly zone to be implemented.

I KNOW we can’t do anything as it’ll cause WW3, but tonight, listening to a former presidents and the current presidents desperate pleas is actually quite distressing. Heartbreaking. Those poor people being left to their fate with the Russians

[quote AgnesWestern]@alltheapples what do you suggest we do? The West is sanctioning the hell out of them and giving them weapons/aircraft etc.

If we do boots on the ground or a no fly zone many many more innocent people and children will die. And possibly the end of civilisation as we know it.[/quote]
I am not sure I believe that. The west is practising appeasement. I do not think that works with Dictators like Putin.

^’s not hard to understand.
Europeans feel more empathy towards and fear because it is happening within the same continent. It’s close to home. It’s a form of (unconscious, or not) racism, but it’s certainly not hard to understand.^

It's not racism and I feel really annoyed at people trotting this line out. The wars in Syria and Afghanistan had religious and political complexities that were difficult for many of us to fully understand, given that they live (in the most part) in a very different culture to many Europeans. People have felt great distress and omnipotence at watching the slaughter and carnage in Syria and Afghanistan but feel powerless to make a safe contribution to help. The war against Ukraine is far more clear cut.

What is happening in Ukraine is awful, but I can't say that I feel more empathy towards Ukrainian refugees than I do for refugees from Syria or other places.

I find the argument that Ukraine is in Europe a little odd. Technically, western Russia is in Europe, but I don't consider us particularly similar to them. Geographically, Syria is closer to the UK in miles (measured as a straight line) than Ukraine is.

However, I think that a lot of people lack sympathy for refugees from the Middle East because most of those crossing the channel are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees. The difference with Ukraine is that it is clear who the genuine refugees are, and they are primarily women and children.

@MidnightMeltdown Geographically, Syria is closer to the UK in miles (measured as a straight line) than Ukraine is.

No, it’s not. Ukraine is nearer by about 1000 miles.

For me, it’s the proximity of this war and the fact that Russia has nukes and Putin is unhinged. It’s in Europe, just more on our doorstep, more familiar. It’s only natural that we are paying more attention (and it’s dominating the media) but that doesn’t mean there’s no empathy for wars and refugees further afield.

Europeans feel more empathy towards and fear because it is happening within the same continent. It’s close to home. It’s a form of (unconscious, or not) racism, but it’s certainly not hard to understand.

It's complicated. I agree with the poster above who noted the religious and political complexities. But also, if we are talking about the willingness to accept refugees, I think there is a huge difference between receiving young men who have left their women and children behind in the war torn country they are fleeing, and receiving women, children and old people who are leaving their prime aged men behind to defend their country.

@Applesonthelawn

Europeans feel more empathy towards and fear because it is happening within the same continent. It’s close to home. It’s a form of (unconscious, or not) racism, but it’s certainly not hard to understand.

It's complicated. I agree with the poster above who noted the religious and political complexities. But also, if we are talking about the willingness to accept refugees, I think there is a huge difference between receiving young men who have left their women and children behind in the war torn country they are fleeing, and receiving women, children and old people who are leaving their prime aged men behind to defend their country.

I agree. As humans we are wired to protect the vulnerable people, so children and elders. There is nothing discriminatory about it. The other aspect about the situation in Ukraine is the fact that they are literally next to Poland, so that's logical they are fleeing there. Poland being part of EU changes the dynamic completely and it cannot be compared with accepting refugees from ME or Africa.

I've been carefully minimising my exposure to the news to try and protect my mental health.

But I've just seen Russia has bombed a maternity hospital. Women and newborns killed, some while in labour. Horrific. Those poor women 😭😭😭

I am trying to stay off the news and only read it once a day as the images are so distressing. It just makes me feel angry and completely helpless.
However, I'm trying to do what I can like everyone else and have donated money and supplies.

As an animal lover, it's also heartbreaking to think of the innocent victims of war. I was reading this article in the Daily Mail about a guy rescuing abandoned pets: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10577489/Polish-Pen-Farthing-risks-life-rescue-100-cats-dogs-stuck-Ukraine.html?
I've donated as he has a clinic and his Facebook page is Centrum Adopcyjne "Ada".
I just wish we could wake up tomorrow and find Putin's had a massive heart attack 😡

"I am not sure I believe that. The west is practising appeasement. I do not think that works with Dictators like Putin."

In hindsight the appeasement policy with Hitler was wrong, but with this situation we cannot see into the future so I really do think that for the moment we have to do everything we can to avoid a world war.

Western Europe seems so determined not to intervene, but didn’t this start with the Crimea? He poked lots and lots of times to keep checking that Europe would let him do absolutely anything before he actually invaded a whole country? Double checked many times that trade came first?

You could argue that it was actually not getting involved that got us all here. The (Sudetenland) Crimea effectively handed over to appease (Hitler) Putin, who will use it as a pretext to invade (Czechoslovakia) Ukraine. Even the talk of the pretext of language speakers being put in

@userxx

Surely we could take the fucker out ?

I’m hoping it’ll be done from inside. His megalomania will be recognised for the danger it is and he’ll conveniently “have a heart attack/stroke” with a takeover.

@VisaQuestions

Western Europe seems so determined not to intervene, but didn’t this start with the Crimea? He poked lots and lots of times to keep checking that Europe would let him do absolutely anything before he actually invaded a whole country? Double checked many times that trade came first?

You could argue that it was actually not getting involved that got us all here. The (Sudetenland) Crimea effectively handed over to appease (Hitler) Putin, who will use it as a pretext to invade (Czechoslovakia) Ukraine. Even the talk of the pretext of language speakers being put in

Yes, you may be proved right in future. We don't know yet how it will all pan out.

I don’t think I would get very good odds with any bookmaker if I placed a bet that he wouldn’t invade any other neighbouring countries in the near future.