[bouncycastle]

The best way to describe it is that it's unfinished conflict from WW1, WW2 and the Cold War, and therefore seeing it as Russia vs the west makes sense if you look at the entire history. Quite crazy that this is still happening in 2023.

[lostlogin]

Is it that, or is it Russia acting as the imperial power it once was? Ukraine has been a meaningful part of Russia for a long time, with its achievements (social, arts, science etc) being a big part of Russian history. I’m not sure that Russia is taking the loss very well. I’ve encounter Russians who dispute the existence of Ukraine “it’s all Russia”. The feelings run very deep.

[thriftwy]

A Russian would travel to any interesting part of Ukraine (usually Kiev, Crimea, Odessa, Kharkov) and notice that nobody actually talks in Ukrainian around them.

A week of not hearing anybody actually use the only official language of the country, that Russian would conclude that Ukraine is mostly fake.

Of course that led Russians to underappreciate the willingness of Ukraine citizens to actually fight for it.

[lostlogin]

When an English person goes to USA, Australia or any other former colony, is it reasonable for them to assume those countries are fake?

[thriftwy]

Are they trying to limit the English language usage?

[Scarblac]

Was Ukraine? Hard to believe if Ukraine was heard nowhere (according to you) and their president spoke Russian.

Now, yes, of course.

[thriftwy]

Yes, it was, but that's not even relevant to the fakery issue.

[lisasays]

That Russian would conclude that Ukraine is mostly fake.

If they have the social and political awareness of a 12 year-old, perhaps.

Nobody actually talks in Ukrainian around them.

Absolutely not true for (and a very weird thing to say about) Kyiv.

In Odesa/Kharkiv Russian is clearly dominant, but it's not like you'll never hear Ukrainian spoken.