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Today, in my group and smaller discussion groups I learned about the "law of the jungle" that is used by politicians all over the world and even in Ukraine. I didn't realize that corruption in Ukraine was a big issue until now because we have been primarily focusing on Identity and the loss experience by those affected in the war. But of course, corruption is a part of our world and especially with the "law of the jungle" at play the strong will always prey on the weak, it just makes sense that there are Ukrainians who side with Russia because they think that they will win in the end.

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My biggest takeaway from today was discussing the model of unity in Ukraine in comparison to the US. We discussed a lot of ideas of resilience and peace that the US seemingly lacks due to moral divisions. Ukraine's strength in this way, truly, makes them a force to be reckoned with. Another thing that was interesting to talk about was this concept of historical unity as a defense for violence. Putin's essay specifically I find really fascinating. To continue, false narratives have been such a root of this war and I find it really heartbreaking. We discussed a lot about how Ukrainian culture has been such a strong defense in this war as well.

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A big takeaway from today was the quote I came upon from Snyders article that says “the claim that a nation does not exist is the rhetorical preparation for destroying it”. I think this is very interesting because we see it play out over and over in the words and actions Russia chooses when discussing Ukraine in a way to justify the decision they are inflicting upon Ukrainian civilians. I also was very interested by Hyrtsak’s critiques of the article by Snyder, and it made me reflect more on different interpretations of the current issues, even among people who are of the same “side” regarding Ukraine and the war.

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Today I took away how Russia has always been this expansionist power and how they have had a history of suppressing the Ukrainians and even out right stating it for example here: "In 2012, he described Russia as a “state-civilization,” which by its nature absorbed smaller cultures such as Ukraine’s." We can see how Russia is not even scared to admit that they absorb smaller cultures into this larger Russian one. Trying to erase their identity, culture and history and its Russification of the Ukrainian people. Another quote During the discussions that came up was "Russia becomes itself only by annihilating Ukraine" we can see how Russia is trying to justify the war and continue this ongoing horrible violence and trying to "reclaim" this Ukrainian land that they took during their Empire even though it doesn't belong to Russia and Russia doesn't care how many people are affected by this.

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My biggest takeaway today was learning how Ukraine has been developing its own national identity for a very long time. What I read about was the Soviet Collectivization and the colonization of peasants in Western Ukraine. I learned that during the time of Collectivization, the peasants revolted against the Soviet Union and through this revolt, they developed a national identity calling for an independent Ukraine. Because they called for independence, the Soviet Union then hit them harder. I tied it to the war by looking at the 2013 revolution in Ukraine. When the authoritarian government (which had close ties to the Russian government) was overthrown, Russia's relationship and how Putin talked about Ukraine changed. Especially because Ukraine was developing and rebuilding its government as a democracy. This just reinforces my idea that Putin is trying to reestablish the Communist Bloc but with authoritarianism.

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In today's class, I learned about how Harari's examination strikes a chord with the historical memory of previous confrontations and the decisions that have molded the development of humanity. He warns against reverting back to a state of chaos and competition, which could undermine international collaboration and put the very survival of humanity at risk. Drawing on the lessons of the past, Harari implores leaders to carefully contemplate the repercussions of their choices and the impact they will have on future generations. He draws inspiration from the case of Ukraine, where despite a tumultuous history of oppression and bloodshed, the citizens opted for democracy and autonomy, showcasing the immense potential of human will in shaping the course of tomorrow. I have never heard about Harari before so it was interesting to read a new perspective on the topic.

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In most of the readings, it talks about the idea of the human ability to create peace. Yuval Harari mentions "I do believe in the possibility of change. I don’t think this is naivety- it’s realism”. I find this interesting since a part of me sees this message as too optimistic and very naïve. However, change is evident, but it takes time and effort for the change to occur. In one of the articles the phrase "memory laws" was mentioned that prohibited individuals in Russia from utilizing the word "war" in retrospect to the invasion of Ukraine. This relates to the Checka police force in the USSR, where political leaders who spewed their viewpoints were prosecuted in various trials and even imprisoned. This relates to how history repeats itself, and it relates to the quote Harari made that there is a “possibility of change”, which contradicts the actions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since this has occurred countless times in Russian history.

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The biggest takeaway I had from this class period today was Hararari's quote “To enjoy peace, we need almost everyone to make good choices. By contrast, a poor choice by just one side can lead to war.” This quote really sticks with me about what has proceeded right now, and that Putin alone can initiate such brutal attacks on Ukraine to completely disrupt the peace the UN along with many other allied forces have worked so hard at maintaining. I also learned a lot more about Russia's history with Ukraine, and that from the 18th century to the iron curtain Russia has always been heavily involved in Ukraine and continuously tried to claim it as its own.

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In today’s class I was able to takeaway more knowledge and history of Ukraine and the reasons behind and leading up to this invasion. I also learned it is actually illegal in Russia to call the “invasion” a war. In my group I was able to find new key ideas and connect them to past articles especially since the article was meant to focus mainly on the colonial war in Ukraine and how they struggle to keep their national identity. I still have questions on the current ongoing war but mostly how they are fighting back against Russias invasion.

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Today was important for me in terms of learning different aspects of the mindset that can be in place in order to justify wrong doing. In a quote from Snyder’s article,“As we see in the ruins of Ukrainian cities, and in the Russian practice of mass killing, rape, and deportation, the claim that a nation does not exist is the rhetorical preparation for destroying it”. I think it’s interesting ti take this viewpoint as I haven’t thought of it that particular way. It definitely makes a point that they try and right their wrongdoings by putting down the nation first.

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My biggest takeaway has top be the evolution to the definition of the word peace and how it has change throughout many decades. Originally (early 1900's), the word was used to describe to countries or the world in general as a temporary pause in war. Not any conflict resolution, but more or less a timeout so there is time to plan/get ready for another war. This is just so fascinating to me because we don't even think about America being in war at all since I was born. I cant imagine have to constantly fight in wars over and over again and only get a short break when one side decides they've had enough for the time being. But then decide to come back in a year or two. Now a days, the word peace when talking about war describes a permanent stop in war instead of the temporary pause from years before.

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My takeaways from today are about how the language that Russia is using to talk about Ukraine is the same language used by past countries before erasing another country from existence. Claiming that it never existed as an excuse for their actions against the Ukrainian people. You need to understand the long term history of Ukraine and Russia, they may be similar in language and culture, Ukraine has never been a strong authoritarian state and the main difference is political standings. The identity of the Ukrainian people is nothing alike to the Russian people. Russia aggressively brainwashes its citizens and uses force to keep them in line, while the Ukrainian people are all in their own political nationalist groups.

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Through my own writings and ideas and analysis shared by other groups, I was able to better understand the history of this conflict between Russia and Ukraine. I learned that Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, actually existed long before Moscow. I also was reminded of how much progress we have made as a society in trying to stray away from the "solution" of War, and Russia igniting this war with Ukraine will only spread around the world, and reverse that progress. As I learn more about the culture of Ukraine, it saddens me to know that Russia believes they should be one.

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This lesson I learned about the impossilbity of how the Ukraininans established democracy. From harari's article, I was shocked by the perseverance and resilience that it likely took after everything that they endured. They were under tsarist rule and autocracy for so long, but still they (uniquely) had leaders of different parties regularly took office and Ukraine was able to unite. It might be because, not despite, of their experiences that the Ukrainians are so united as a people, because they were constantly being brought into question as a nation. I also learned about the diversity of Ukrainian people (such as in their ethnic groups and/or language spoken), which makes their unity all the more impressive.

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My group talked a lot about Ukrainian identity specifically the connection between Ukrainian Cossacks and the rest of Europe. Hrytsak explains how Ukrainian Cossacks were an integral part of Ukraine's history and identity, this correlates with how Russia has had a long history of claiming that Ukraine has no existing identity or culture. But for a long time throughout history, the nationalization of the Cossacks goes hand in hand with Ukraine's path to independence. We also discussed the effects of Russia's erasure of Ukraine's history and culture. The effects of Russia's actions on Ukraine make it extremely difficult for Ukraine to claim its history and identity.

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A big takeaway from today’s class was the thoughts behind the war, and what is considered to be the best way for Russia to regain power over Ukrainian territory. I found it specifically interesting how “God” is used to make civilians believe Russia should be unified with Ukraine and take power over the land and people. Regardless of how much Ukrainians have fought against this, Russian powers do not want to pull back, and instead see violence as the best way to gain power over the territory. Peace is not taken into consideration, Russian powers will continue to see warfare as the best way to intimidate Ukrainians into submission.

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My awareness of the complex history and contemporary issues confronting Ukraine has improved as a result of today's readings and conversations, which highlighted the nation's ongoing battle for sovereignty and national identity. The resiliency and will of the Ukrainian people were highlighted by learning about the past fight against the Soviet and subsequent Russian dominance, especially via movements like Soviet Collectivization and the 2013 revolution. Conversations on the possibility of human peace, the impact of past experiences on present decisions, and the harsh reality of corruption brought to light the intricate relationship between hope for change and the practical difficulties of internal and external politics. As I think about these issues, I realize how important it is to maintain unity, cultural identity, and historical context while moving toward democracy and autonomy, even in the face of internal "laws of the jungle" and exterior attacks. My understanding of Ukraine's past and present, as well as the larger ramifications for international relations and the pursuit of a peaceful global society, have all improved as a result of this session.

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Today I furthered my understanding of the complexities surrounding the identity of Ukraine. Something not necessarily touched on out group discussions, but something I gathered from the readings was the deep interconnectedness between colonialism vs imperialism, which seems like a very surface level connection. However, understanding the intricacies and differences between both perspectives is imperative for reconciliation. Russia's imperialist ambitions in Ukraine have molded Ukraine's sense of unity, enhancing the need for integration of language and beliefs to maintain hope of retaining the country's history. However, we must recognize that Ukraine has long been torn by external invasions, and imperialism has played a major role in cultivating the identity (perseverance, strength, and hope) they currently are trying to save.

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I reintroduced myself to the identity crisis that Ukraine suffers but this time I learned that this identity crisis has been happening for a very long time. Reformation and political globalization in the past has staggered yet grounded Ukrainian people to their roots and peaceful culture. Ukrainians did not choose to be molded so heavily relying on its passivity and peaceful morals. It’s almost like, overtime, this slow but steady overtaking of the overall culture and population that Ukraine once held, lead to the thought that Ukrainian history and early culture is being lost. My deeper understanding of the identity loss in Ukraine solidifies the fact that Putin's views of Ukraine are a repetition of past attempts at political reformation, except in a violent way that does not serve any purpose but to demonstrate power. The worst part is that his choice is a resurgence in the normalization of colonialism and conquering just for the sake of being more powerful than their neighbors. The violence and conquering is an old way that should be left in the past. War is unnecessary.

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Today I learned from Hrystak's reading about the history of Ukrainian identity which was based on the Cossacks. It was interesting to learn about it. It is important to learn about their identity because that is a really important aspect of their history. I also learned more about how Russia has wanted to expand their "empire" for several centuries. The quote that stuck out to me the most from all three readings was the one from Harari: "It argues that the world is a jungle, that the strong prey upon the weak and that the only thing preventing one country from wolfing down another is military force." This quote really relates to what Russia is doing to Ukraine. Russia, who is the strong predator, is attacking Ukraine, who is the smaller prey. This quote made me realize how this invasion is like a war in the jungle between the predator and prey which I found that comparison fascinating.