Truly disturbing. Snyder is well qualified in the area of genocides in central Europe so when he says he is unable to find precedent for this kind of publication by a state actor, it resonates. Likewise he has in previous works documented how the worlds worst atrocities in Central Europe took place within a geographic region that was rendered stateless by virtue of first the Russian occupation followed by the Nazis. Innocent people are trapped inside a black hole of evil. I am coming to the view that one way or another the Russian State needs to be confronted by a greater force and this cannot be left to the heroic efforts of a people who are likely to be defeated in the end.
That "greater force" can be the cutting off of Russia from the international community completely: expelled from all international bodies and agreements; cut off from all trade; left to rot until either Putin and his gang of Chekist scum are overthrown, or the country ceases to exist.
The "genocide handbook" is chilling indeed. I appreciate Professor Snyder's perspective, as always. Your proposal, though, that Russia be "confronted by a greater force" -- by which I assume you mean more direct military intervention by the West -- is lunacy. Whether it's a "no-fly zone," US-supplied fighter jets, or furnishing NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine, these approaches are guaranteed to escalate the already too real risks of a nuclear conflagration. (Perhaps take a listen to Joe Cirincione's discussion with Robert Wright on this subject: https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/63919)
Or if it's pressing for regime change in Russia you have in mind -- either by our efforts to drag this war out (a "quagmire") to turn Russians against Putin, or by more aggressive means -- it's important to bear in mind that regime change never works. We were 0 for 72 on that front during the Cold War, and spectacularly unsuccessful in more recent years. Who's to say the person replacing Putin won't be even worse? (That wing exists in the Russian government.)
What no one seems to be asking Jen Psaki in White House press conferences is what the Administration is doing to help Ukraine in the peace negotiations. From all appearances at least, the US isn't empowering Zalensky/Ukraine to make their own decisions about how to negotiate its way out of this war. If, for example, Zalensky can't say at the negotiating table that he'll accept X terms and then the sanctions will be lifted tomorrow, then the situation gets more complicated and dangerous. If the US isn't participating in a peace process -- and thus far it doesn't seem be -- then the appearance that this is a proxy war between Russia (with China's tacit support) and the US becomes a reality.
So the West capitulates to nuclear blackmail now and in the future? How can there be a peace process in the midst of a systematic genocide? Putin must be defeated or he will be emboldened to do this again.
We seem more than ready to fight to the last Ukrainian for their independence, but offer no way to save Ukraine from further tragedy. A negotiated settlement — offering Putin an escape — will be ugly for sure. But that is the only way to prevent the utter destruction of Ukraine… and maybe even nuclear war.
What's happening now results from the weak response to Putin's other brutal incursions into Ukraine. Either the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction born in the Cold War prevents nuclear war, or more countries in Eastern Europe will be given the Putin treatment. Give in to blackmail and the blackmailer will raise the stakes time and again.
Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Michael. Rick, why can't you understand this? It's not just Ukraine Putin is after. He wants to rebuild the Russian Empire. Do you not understand that he will not stop at Ukraine?
You've not only forgotten to ask the Ukrainians about the matter, but Putin has shown us repeatedly throughout the years that there is no such thing as a negotiated settlement. Are you not aware of the recent threats to Poland made by Dmitri Medvedev? Why do you think Poland, just a few days ago, asked for nuclear armaments and more American soldiers on its soil? "'The eastern flank must be much better protected in the future than before,' ['Poland's deputy prime minister Jaroslaw'] Kaczynski told Germany's Welt Am Sonntag newspaper, asking America to station 50,000 more troops—a 50 percent increase—with most of the total in the Baltics and Poland, which are NATO allies" (https://www.newsweek.com/natos-poland-open-hosting-us-nuclear-weapons-1694540). Why do you think Finland, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, and other countries near Russia have been begging to join NATO? Because they know from centuries of experience that Russia's ambitions exceed the mere acquisition of Ukraine. My friend Jadwiga, who is from Poznań, will never forgive or forget Katyń. Whenever we talk about it she bows her head and stares at the floor for a few minutes until she can finally gather her thoughts before continuing.
First let me say that we agree that Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a criminal act of aggression. Second, of course we are -- and should be -- listening to what the Ukrainians want. That doesn't mean we can meet all their requests. The US and NATO countries are providing a pipeline of advanced anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, as well as other weapons-- not to mention military intelligence. Ukraine has also asked for a no-fly zone, fighter jets, and 500 additional Stinger and Javelin missiles per day. How far would you go?
I am only suggesting that there are going to have to be serious negotiations, which means compromises and empowering Zelensky in terms of the sanctions. Words like "capitulation" and "nuclear blackmail" aren't really helpful here. We are only a few blunders away from a nuclear war. Informing Putin that there's no way out, that it's only being deposed and The Hague for him, will leave Ukraine utterly destroyed.
You write, "That doesn't mean we can meet all their requests." Ukraine is a sovereign nation whose history is distinct from Russia's. It is not "Little Russia." It is Ukraine. If all Z. is asking for is to have the territories that were stolen from Ukraine returned, and to be given assurances that its sovereignty will not be violated in the future, then what is your answer? Russia has already violated the Budapest Memorandum of 1994--"Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons" (https://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/12/13943175580.pdf). Ukraine was the 3rd largest nuclear power in the world when it agreed to give up those weapons in exchange for security from the Russian Federation, the UK, and the U.S. Let us take a look at the very first item in this agreement: "1. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act, to respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine". Well would you look at that? The very first item reads, "to respect the INDEPENDENCE and SOVEREIGNTY and the EXISTING borders of Ukraine." Russia was a signatory to this agreement! And, as Prof. Snyder pointed out recently, if Putin does not consider Ukraine to be a nation-state distinct from Russia, in his mind he can lay claim to it. Yes, then Ukraine can be returned to the loving arms of Mother Russia, and be clobbered to bits while he's at it! If you are not familiar with the mythological past that Putin has constructed for himself, I strongly urge you to learn about it, because all those crazy ideas are at the center of this war.
There can be no peace negotiations with a genocidal maniac leading a Fascist Nation. Even before I found out about this manifesto of Russian intent, It was clear Russia had no intent of stopping at the Western Border of Ukraine. Today, he pressuring Belarus to add their army with his because the Russian Army is in retreat. If we don't help Ukraine stop him here, he will find an excuse to roll to the English Channel and beyond. I grew up during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. There was a saying then, better dead than Red. Russia is basically the same International actor as it has always been, A genocidal territory grabber! We must never even hint that we are afraid of their nuclear threat, it only encourages Putin to issue more saber rattling threats. As far as tactical nuclear weapons, one thing we need to keep in mind, the winds in the Northern Hemisphere have a prevailing west to east direction. He would end up poisoning his own "Beloved Russia". We mustn't Blink!
After reading the "handbook", I feel beyond disturbed. This can't be left in the nether regions of the internet. It has to be front page, letter to the editor, whatever means necessary to inform.
The publication of the 'genocide' handbook', an inconceivable act of 21st c barbarity, is sufficient evidence to bring charges of 'crimes against humanity' against Putin and his cabal of monsters.
I hope others are reading "the handbook". Tragically LePen is within striking distance of Macron (no matter how you feel about him) which means there is extreme danger where the French election is concerned. I was listening to a podcast with Dr. Snyder yesterday with an MSNBC reporter/commentator, and he described the situation we are enduring like being inside a hall of mirrors, where no one can be sure of what they are seeing or who is doing the projecting. We must all keep our eyes on the truth of the current situation and the times. I do that best by doing the necessary reading of Dr. Snyder's books among other books and authors he has recommended. Then at least I have a context with which to understand if I'm getting a news report that appears to be less than truthful or complete. I have always considered myself if not a pacifist at least someone seeking a just peace. But in this situation when one party is willing to kill and destroy an entire population and their nation, there is no real way to negotiate. I wonder when NATO will realize that the leadership of the Baltic nations are correct in their assessments of Putin and that to think the current war can be kept within the borders of Ukraine produces a false sense of security. While the Russians are "regrouping" for more destruction there should be an attempt to attack their war machine and supply lines. I hope the sanctions eventually cause the war machine to grind to a halt, but the danger is that Putin's war will go on far too long. If Putin can figure it out, he'll hit a NATO base. He wants a wider war because it makes him more of a "hero". And he's looking for a victory to "celebrate" May 9. No one should want him able to celebrate that date ever again, given that Stalin and HItler signed a non-aggression pact which caused untold agony for millions. Fortunately at the time Finland defeated the Russian invaders.
Hi, Linda. I listened to that podcast, too. I'm linking it for others who might want to listen as well. April 6, 2022 "Chris Hayes Podcast with Timothy Snyder | Why Is This Happening? – Ep 208" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRiDdvG-BDc. I'm also deeply concerned about the upcoming election in France.
As an international lawyer who cut my teeth on the atrocities committed in the Balkans and the Rwandan genocide and the criminal tribunals created to address them, I concur with every word of Prof Snyder's analysis. I read both RIA pieces and my first thought for both was "genocidal intent". These pieces will be introduced in courts of law - hopefully sooner rather than later - but in the meantime should serve to remove any hesitation policy makers still have to engage in countering Russia's war with meaningful action.
As a retired diplomat and analyst of language use in political discourse, I also share Prof Snyder's concern about Russia's weaponization of language to create space for fascist ideology. We see this daily here in North America, too, where words like "freedom" and "patriotism" have come to be imbued with meanings that, when their use is analyzed, turn out to be the polar opposite: the first move of a successful propaganda operation is to deprive your opponents of the words they need to oppose you.
How can Putin's Russia remain in the UN Security Council? Kick their regime out. Stop buying their oil and gas. Seized and frozen Russian assets should be funneled into a reparations account for the Ukrainian people.
Professor Snyder: are you able to offer an opinion as to what proportion of Russians believe (live within) the mytho-history that underlies this document? Not the immediate propaganda of the invasion of Ukraine, but the myth. Not sure this matters, but feels significant.
The entire handbook is an obscene perversion of language (I read the English translation Snyder links to), but one passage stands out for me in particular: Sergeytsev declares that "War criminals and active Nazis must be punished in such a way as to provide an example and a demonstration. A total lustration must be conducted."
The word "lustration" is what demands my attention.
I assume it's the translation of "lustratsiya", which I was introduced to by Masha Gessen in her book The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. As Gessen explains, the term arose in the ealry-90s "in former Eastern Bloc countries to denote the process of banning former Party and secret police operatives from holding public office" (3).
Here Sergeytsev inverts the meaning of the word. Instead of a process of inoculating a political system from the return to power of thugs and murderers, in this latest form of NovyySpeak "lustration" now is held to mean the elimination of those who oppose a genocidal assault. Moreover, he extends the application of this now-tortured-beyond-recognition meaning:
"However, besides the highest ranks, a significant number of common people are also guilty of being passive Nazis and Nazi accomplices. They supported the Nazi authorities and pandered to them. A just punishment for this part of the population can only be possible through bearing the inevitable hardships of a just war against the Nazi system, waged as carefully and sparingly as possible relates civilians [sic, indicated both for grammatical error and for the notion that Russia's not deliberately intending to inflict maximal pain and suffering on civilians]. The further denazification of this bulk of the population will take the form of re-education through ideological repressions (suppression) of Nazi paradigms and a harsh censorship not only in the political sphere but also in the spheres of culture and education."
For Sergeytsev, "lustration" now mandates the decapitation of Ukraine's ruling sectors, the "just punishment" of huge sectors of the civilian population, and the obliteration of any cultural or educational elements inconsistent with the fascist Russification of Ukrainian life. In sum, the grotesque application of this word demonstrates how thoroughly public Russian is driven by anti-democratic, anti-pluralistic concepts and priorities.
Ty Prof Snyder for posting this document...having read every word, my fear is this is the roadmap for putin, et al. to destroy, obliterate decimate and nullify any and all things Ukrainian.....what can be the response of the west?
That is why I find it so shameful that Germany refuses to supply heavy weapons. Germany has come to terms with its own nazi-crimes but unfortunately has not understood the international policies that made them possible in the first place. At the latest after this text, they should provide Ukraine with everything it can defend itself with against genocide.
Prof. Snyder, what is you take on appropriation of the idea of decolonisation in this text? The text argues Ukraine is a colony of the West and is decolonised now by Russia. I heard a similar trope from a Chinese historian arguing that China is decolonising the countries it draws into the Belt and Road pact. It is remarkable, I think, that Russia and China not only see us as power bloc abusing its power but see themselves as liberators. Given the many laws that limit speech and rights of minorities in both countries, the dissonance is starking. I think the appropriation of the avant-garde concept decolonisation in the text tries to wrestle the application of a moral category from the hands of historians.
Truly disturbing. Snyder is well qualified in the area of genocides in central Europe so when he says he is unable to find precedent for this kind of publication by a state actor, it resonates. Likewise he has in previous works documented how the worlds worst atrocities in Central Europe took place within a geographic region that was rendered stateless by virtue of first the Russian occupation followed by the Nazis. Innocent people are trapped inside a black hole of evil. I am coming to the view that one way or another the Russian State needs to be confronted by a greater force and this cannot be left to the heroic efforts of a people who are likely to be defeated in the end.
That "greater force" can be the cutting off of Russia from the international community completely: expelled from all international bodies and agreements; cut off from all trade; left to rot until either Putin and his gang of Chekist scum are overthrown, or the country ceases to exist.
The "genocide handbook" is chilling indeed. I appreciate Professor Snyder's perspective, as always. Your proposal, though, that Russia be "confronted by a greater force" -- by which I assume you mean more direct military intervention by the West -- is lunacy. Whether it's a "no-fly zone," US-supplied fighter jets, or furnishing NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine, these approaches are guaranteed to escalate the already too real risks of a nuclear conflagration. (Perhaps take a listen to Joe Cirincione's discussion with Robert Wright on this subject: https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/63919)
Or if it's pressing for regime change in Russia you have in mind -- either by our efforts to drag this war out (a "quagmire") to turn Russians against Putin, or by more aggressive means -- it's important to bear in mind that regime change never works. We were 0 for 72 on that front during the Cold War, and spectacularly unsuccessful in more recent years. Who's to say the person replacing Putin won't be even worse? (That wing exists in the Russian government.)
What no one seems to be asking Jen Psaki in White House press conferences is what the Administration is doing to help Ukraine in the peace negotiations. From all appearances at least, the US isn't empowering Zalensky/Ukraine to make their own decisions about how to negotiate its way out of this war. If, for example, Zalensky can't say at the negotiating table that he'll accept X terms and then the sanctions will be lifted tomorrow, then the situation gets more complicated and dangerous. If the US isn't participating in a peace process -- and thus far it doesn't seem be -- then the appearance that this is a proxy war between Russia (with China's tacit support) and the US becomes a reality.
So the West capitulates to nuclear blackmail now and in the future? How can there be a peace process in the midst of a systematic genocide? Putin must be defeated or he will be emboldened to do this again.
We seem more than ready to fight to the last Ukrainian for their independence, but offer no way to save Ukraine from further tragedy. A negotiated settlement — offering Putin an escape — will be ugly for sure. But that is the only way to prevent the utter destruction of Ukraine… and maybe even nuclear war.
What's happening now results from the weak response to Putin's other brutal incursions into Ukraine. Either the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction born in the Cold War prevents nuclear war, or more countries in Eastern Europe will be given the Putin treatment. Give in to blackmail and the blackmailer will raise the stakes time and again.
Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Michael. Rick, why can't you understand this? It's not just Ukraine Putin is after. He wants to rebuild the Russian Empire. Do you not understand that he will not stop at Ukraine?
You've not only forgotten to ask the Ukrainians about the matter, but Putin has shown us repeatedly throughout the years that there is no such thing as a negotiated settlement. Are you not aware of the recent threats to Poland made by Dmitri Medvedev? Why do you think Poland, just a few days ago, asked for nuclear armaments and more American soldiers on its soil? "'The eastern flank must be much better protected in the future than before,' ['Poland's deputy prime minister Jaroslaw'] Kaczynski told Germany's Welt Am Sonntag newspaper, asking America to station 50,000 more troops—a 50 percent increase—with most of the total in the Baltics and Poland, which are NATO allies" (https://www.newsweek.com/natos-poland-open-hosting-us-nuclear-weapons-1694540). Why do you think Finland, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, and other countries near Russia have been begging to join NATO? Because they know from centuries of experience that Russia's ambitions exceed the mere acquisition of Ukraine. My friend Jadwiga, who is from Poznań, will never forgive or forget Katyń. Whenever we talk about it she bows her head and stares at the floor for a few minutes until she can finally gather her thoughts before continuing.
First let me say that we agree that Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a criminal act of aggression. Second, of course we are -- and should be -- listening to what the Ukrainians want. That doesn't mean we can meet all their requests. The US and NATO countries are providing a pipeline of advanced anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, as well as other weapons-- not to mention military intelligence. Ukraine has also asked for a no-fly zone, fighter jets, and 500 additional Stinger and Javelin missiles per day. How far would you go?
I am only suggesting that there are going to have to be serious negotiations, which means compromises and empowering Zelensky in terms of the sanctions. Words like "capitulation" and "nuclear blackmail" aren't really helpful here. We are only a few blunders away from a nuclear war. Informing Putin that there's no way out, that it's only being deposed and The Hague for him, will leave Ukraine utterly destroyed.
You write, "That doesn't mean we can meet all their requests." Ukraine is a sovereign nation whose history is distinct from Russia's. It is not "Little Russia." It is Ukraine. If all Z. is asking for is to have the territories that were stolen from Ukraine returned, and to be given assurances that its sovereignty will not be violated in the future, then what is your answer? Russia has already violated the Budapest Memorandum of 1994--"Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons" (https://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/12/13943175580.pdf). Ukraine was the 3rd largest nuclear power in the world when it agreed to give up those weapons in exchange for security from the Russian Federation, the UK, and the U.S. Let us take a look at the very first item in this agreement: "1. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act, to respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine". Well would you look at that? The very first item reads, "to respect the INDEPENDENCE and SOVEREIGNTY and the EXISTING borders of Ukraine." Russia was a signatory to this agreement! And, as Prof. Snyder pointed out recently, if Putin does not consider Ukraine to be a nation-state distinct from Russia, in his mind he can lay claim to it. Yes, then Ukraine can be returned to the loving arms of Mother Russia, and be clobbered to bits while he's at it! If you are not familiar with the mythological past that Putin has constructed for himself, I strongly urge you to learn about it, because all those crazy ideas are at the center of this war.
There can be no peace negotiations with a genocidal maniac leading a Fascist Nation. Even before I found out about this manifesto of Russian intent, It was clear Russia had no intent of stopping at the Western Border of Ukraine. Today, he pressuring Belarus to add their army with his because the Russian Army is in retreat. If we don't help Ukraine stop him here, he will find an excuse to roll to the English Channel and beyond. I grew up during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. There was a saying then, better dead than Red. Russia is basically the same International actor as it has always been, A genocidal territory grabber! We must never even hint that we are afraid of their nuclear threat, it only encourages Putin to issue more saber rattling threats. As far as tactical nuclear weapons, one thing we need to keep in mind, the winds in the Northern Hemisphere have a prevailing west to east direction. He would end up poisoning his own "Beloved Russia". We mustn't Blink!
After reading the "handbook", I feel beyond disturbed. This can't be left in the nether regions of the internet. It has to be front page, letter to the editor, whatever means necessary to inform.
The publication of the 'genocide' handbook', an inconceivable act of 21st c barbarity, is sufficient evidence to bring charges of 'crimes against humanity' against Putin and his cabal of monsters.
I hope others are reading "the handbook". Tragically LePen is within striking distance of Macron (no matter how you feel about him) which means there is extreme danger where the French election is concerned. I was listening to a podcast with Dr. Snyder yesterday with an MSNBC reporter/commentator, and he described the situation we are enduring like being inside a hall of mirrors, where no one can be sure of what they are seeing or who is doing the projecting. We must all keep our eyes on the truth of the current situation and the times. I do that best by doing the necessary reading of Dr. Snyder's books among other books and authors he has recommended. Then at least I have a context with which to understand if I'm getting a news report that appears to be less than truthful or complete. I have always considered myself if not a pacifist at least someone seeking a just peace. But in this situation when one party is willing to kill and destroy an entire population and their nation, there is no real way to negotiate. I wonder when NATO will realize that the leadership of the Baltic nations are correct in their assessments of Putin and that to think the current war can be kept within the borders of Ukraine produces a false sense of security. While the Russians are "regrouping" for more destruction there should be an attempt to attack their war machine and supply lines. I hope the sanctions eventually cause the war machine to grind to a halt, but the danger is that Putin's war will go on far too long. If Putin can figure it out, he'll hit a NATO base. He wants a wider war because it makes him more of a "hero". And he's looking for a victory to "celebrate" May 9. No one should want him able to celebrate that date ever again, given that Stalin and HItler signed a non-aggression pact which caused untold agony for millions. Fortunately at the time Finland defeated the Russian invaders.
Hi, Linda. I listened to that podcast, too. I'm linking it for others who might want to listen as well. April 6, 2022 "Chris Hayes Podcast with Timothy Snyder | Why Is This Happening? – Ep 208" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRiDdvG-BDc. I'm also deeply concerned about the upcoming election in France.
Thanks for the link Rose!
After overcoming my horror, I shared this with the president, my congressional representative, and my state's senators. Everyone please do the same.
Done!
As an international lawyer who cut my teeth on the atrocities committed in the Balkans and the Rwandan genocide and the criminal tribunals created to address them, I concur with every word of Prof Snyder's analysis. I read both RIA pieces and my first thought for both was "genocidal intent". These pieces will be introduced in courts of law - hopefully sooner rather than later - but in the meantime should serve to remove any hesitation policy makers still have to engage in countering Russia's war with meaningful action.
As a retired diplomat and analyst of language use in political discourse, I also share Prof Snyder's concern about Russia's weaponization of language to create space for fascist ideology. We see this daily here in North America, too, where words like "freedom" and "patriotism" have come to be imbued with meanings that, when their use is analyzed, turn out to be the polar opposite: the first move of a successful propaganda operation is to deprive your opponents of the words they need to oppose you.
How can Putin's Russia remain in the UN Security Council? Kick their regime out. Stop buying their oil and gas. Seized and frozen Russian assets should be funneled into a reparations account for the Ukrainian people.
Professor Snyder: are you able to offer an opinion as to what proportion of Russians believe (live within) the mytho-history that underlies this document? Not the immediate propaganda of the invasion of Ukraine, but the myth. Not sure this matters, but feels significant.
The entire handbook is an obscene perversion of language (I read the English translation Snyder links to), but one passage stands out for me in particular: Sergeytsev declares that "War criminals and active Nazis must be punished in such a way as to provide an example and a demonstration. A total lustration must be conducted."
The word "lustration" is what demands my attention.
I assume it's the translation of "lustratsiya", which I was introduced to by Masha Gessen in her book The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. As Gessen explains, the term arose in the ealry-90s "in former Eastern Bloc countries to denote the process of banning former Party and secret police operatives from holding public office" (3).
Here Sergeytsev inverts the meaning of the word. Instead of a process of inoculating a political system from the return to power of thugs and murderers, in this latest form of NovyySpeak "lustration" now is held to mean the elimination of those who oppose a genocidal assault. Moreover, he extends the application of this now-tortured-beyond-recognition meaning:
"However, besides the highest ranks, a significant number of common people are also guilty of being passive Nazis and Nazi accomplices. They supported the Nazi authorities and pandered to them. A just punishment for this part of the population can only be possible through bearing the inevitable hardships of a just war against the Nazi system, waged as carefully and sparingly as possible relates civilians [sic, indicated both for grammatical error and for the notion that Russia's not deliberately intending to inflict maximal pain and suffering on civilians]. The further denazification of this bulk of the population will take the form of re-education through ideological repressions (suppression) of Nazi paradigms and a harsh censorship not only in the political sphere but also in the spheres of culture and education."
For Sergeytsev, "lustration" now mandates the decapitation of Ukraine's ruling sectors, the "just punishment" of huge sectors of the civilian population, and the obliteration of any cultural or educational elements inconsistent with the fascist Russification of Ukrainian life. In sum, the grotesque application of this word demonstrates how thoroughly public Russian is driven by anti-democratic, anti-pluralistic concepts and priorities.
Prof. Snyder, have you translated this valuable post itself into Russian?
Ty Prof Snyder for posting this document...having read every word, my fear is this is the roadmap for putin, et al. to destroy, obliterate decimate and nullify any and all things Ukrainian.....what can be the response of the west?
That is why I find it so shameful that Germany refuses to supply heavy weapons. Germany has come to terms with its own nazi-crimes but unfortunately has not understood the international policies that made them possible in the first place. At the latest after this text, they should provide Ukraine with everything it can defend itself with against genocide.
Prof. Snyder, what is you take on appropriation of the idea of decolonisation in this text? The text argues Ukraine is a colony of the West and is decolonised now by Russia. I heard a similar trope from a Chinese historian arguing that China is decolonising the countries it draws into the Belt and Road pact. It is remarkable, I think, that Russia and China not only see us as power bloc abusing its power but see themselves as liberators. Given the many laws that limit speech and rights of minorities in both countries, the dissonance is starking. I think the appropriation of the avant-garde concept decolonisation in the text tries to wrestle the application of a moral category from the hands of historians.
Thank you for writing about this -- I can't understand why it hasn't been getting broader media coverage. My colleague at the City University of New York, Susan Smith-Peter, has also been working on drawing more attention to it: https://twitter.com/SSmithPeter1/status/1511398561572966400?cxt=HHwWgMC-if2-yPkpAAAA
I think people have started to pay more attention
This move by Russia moves the final resolution of the tragedy of Bloodlands another generation into the future.
Is it possibly fake? The timing is suspicious.
No, it's real.