Ukrainians Are Sick of the War. But We re Not Allowed to Say It. | The Free Press

And in just over a month, Ukraine managed to achieve the impossible we drove the mighty Russian army out of the Kyiv region. It was hailed as the defeat of the ages. Russian soldiers fled in disarray, abandoning equipment and supplies as our forces pushed them out. In dozens of villages all over Ukraine, citizens emerged from their shelters and hugged soldiers in the streets. Despite the devastation, there was a profound sense of triumph. It felt like a moment of victory. To me, it was victory.

But instead of seizing that moment to negotiate from a position of strength, a political decision was made to push forward. As a former actor, our president, Zelensky, is highly attuned to public perception and perhaps that s his biggest weakness. His image is of paramount importance to him. His heroic actions in the early days of the invasion rightly earned him a place in history, but by April 2022, his focus appeared to shift. Optics took priority over human lives. And now, nearly three years later, that sense of unity feels like a distant memory.

via www.thefp.com

Dmytro Filimonov.

Luke and Anya will be with us for Christmas, thank God. We’re going to try to convince them to stay in the US.