# data[].attributes.body
I would say yes, whats happening in Ukraine is genocide. Aside from the bombings and legitimate military threats posed by Russia against Ukraine, which in itself is genocide, I think Russia is also pushing a cultural genocide on Ukraine. Because of these attacks, thousands of Ukrainians have fled their hometowns. While these people (of course) still share their cultural identities, this forced immigration leaves people to abandon their national pride, even temporarily. As a result, Ukraine as a country loses that culture and sense of community that it’s people shared, as it becomes increasingly emptier with the continuous attacks by Russia.

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, I think what is happening is genocide. The main points that Snyder brought up that convinced me of this were the ones he made about intent. I knew that war is happening, although I didn't realize the extent of the violence that is occuring. I also didn't realize Russia's motive behind the war. I guess I thought that the war is happening for territorial and political reasons, not for the fundamental hatred and genocidal beliefs that are really behind it.
- Snyder uses quotes both as his opening to his speech, and then addresses them later on. In these quotes, the person speaking says that millions of Ukrainians will be killed, including children. This encapsulates a big part of the definition of genocide, and these quotes confirm that this is not just a war for political power or land.
- Ukrainians are told that they should not exist as a people, and "they should not exist at all". For me, this contributes to another aspect of genocide, which is the killing of people for who they are. Russia does not think that Ukraine should exist as a country and does not think that Ukrainians should exist as a people. These beliefs are leading them to commit the violence that is happening.
- Another large part of what Snyder talked about was the prevention of the Ukrainian people. Fertile women are being sent to Russia, with the hope that that will prevent Ukrainian children from being born, and Russian children will be born instead. Ukrainian children are being sent to foster homes in Russia, so that instead of growing up as Ukrainians, they will grow up as Russians. 10% of the population of Ukraine has been deported from the country.
- The sheer violence that is occuring is one last thing that really moved me to fully believe this is genocide. Ukrainians are being tortured and executed, bombings are taking place, cities are being destroyed. Means of life are also being denyed to Ukrainians. Russia is witholding water and electricity. They are trying to wipe out the entirety of Ukraine as a country and as a people.
A lot of the time, I think it feels like there is very litte we can do to help. As individuals, as students, or even as a school or city. Honestly, I'm not even sure what we can do as a state or a country. However, I think the first step we need to take, is to make sure that people know what is happening, and that what is happening is a genocide. That means newspapers need to keep covering it, TV stations need to keep talking about it, and schools need to be teaching about it. I think that once we make sure that everyone is aware of what is going on and the severity of it, we will be better equipped to help as a nation.

# data[].attributes.body
● Do you think that what is happening in Ukraine IS genocide perpetrated by the Russians?

I think the atrocities committed by the Russian government and military against the people of Ukraine qualifies as genocide. Snyder was extremely concise and direct in his talk, naming multiple occasions in which the 5 categories of the legal definition could be applied to the conflict. He goes into detail and names multiple instances of genocide being enacted against the Ukrainians. I simultaneously understand that the general public believes the word genocide implies total annihilation of a people, which I feel is a reductive take. Not only does it introduce a passive narrative that makes many people think that taking arms against the oppressor makes it into war or something other than genocide, but hand in hand with that last point I think it ultimately erases many genocides that occur during war, and it speaks to a larger history of genocide denial that protects and informs white supremacy. Suddenly Native American genocide isn't really genocide since they attacked white settlements. Suddenly Korea and Vietnam are all stories of how terrible things were for veterans (don't get me wrong, the military failed them) and not about how 20% of the Korean population was killed or how twice as many bombs were dropped on Vietnam and Southeast Asia than all warring countries during World War II; because the Viet Cong were ruthless guerillas. Snyder had a point when he said that total annihilation of a group of people is too rare to be all that genocide is, and in law it is written as otherwise because of that. However, in practice, and in law, genocide is much more than our general idea of it and it is being enacted in Ukraine today.
On another note, I noticed this question says "perpetrated by the Russians". It is to my understanding from reading about Ukraine and Russia, as well as discussing the conflict with my Russian peers, that many Russians do not agree with the Russian government and are against their actions in Ukraine. A small minority of the Russian people are actually for this war, as apart from the moral catastrophe in Ukraine it also is severely damaging to Russian economy and society. I think that it is worth noting this, as not all Russians are to blame, and many actually have taken stands or spoken out against what has happened and they should be respected for that.

● What’s the evidence that Snyder cited that was most convincing for you? (Feel free to bullet those examples.). Cite at least 4 examples of evidence, including some from his
nine classifications (which begins about 20 minutes into the talk).

- He listed all the categories of genocide under legal definition, and provides multiple examples for each despite only one being sufficient to categorize something as genocide.
-He describes his credentials, how he is describing the conflict from the perspective of a historian, and how his studies on fascism and genocide inform his opinion. He also states how his research comes directly from Ukrainian journalists and citizens who put themselves at risk to broadcast the truth.
- He leads his argument by addressing the many objections to his thesis: That what is happening in Ukraine is genocide. He explains how he understands that in the context of war there are war crimes and crimes against humanity that are committed and how you can easily shift your viewpoint of the war as two peoples committing terrible things together, but it is eorth acknowledging that genocide and war can happen simultaneously, and that taking arms against the oppressor doesnt cancel out genocide. He also describes how claims like "inability to prosecute" are ultimately wilful ignorance and genocide denial.
- He describes dehumanization and propaganda in detail

● And then weigh in: what do you think we (individually) and we (the U.S. and the rest of
the world not in this war) should do?

Snyder says that once you see genocide, you cannot be a bystander, and I agree with that stance. If you see genocide, you cannot do nothing. I think that the United States and the rest of world should send direct military aid and supplies to Ukraine. I understand that the big reason why not is fear of war with Russia as well as fear of being cut off from oil. The war has already made gas prices super high. However, I think that if sustainable technology were made more available, as it is at this point in time both effective and relatively affordable, this would be solved. I believe that it is unjust to just watch with our useless thoughts and prayers, sat far away from it. I believe more can be done for Ukrainian refugees, more can be done to aid Ukraine, more can be done in a lot of areas.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you think that what is happening in Ukraine IS genocide perpetrated by the Russians?

Based on Timothy Snyder’s lecture and the news that I have read about the war on my own, I believe that the violence being committed by the Russian government against the people of the Ukraine does qualify as genocide. It does seem that the majority of this violence is only supported by a minority of the population, mostly those revolving in Putin’s inner circle. In an interview on the Ezra Klein Show, Snyder also mentioned the unpopularity of the war, and the destructive effect that it is having on Russia’s economy and social structure. He discussed how the motives for this war seem largely related to the Russian propaganda system, propelled by Putin’s own ego. However, especially since Russia’s new drafting rules have come into effect, some citizens are either becoming more vocal in their opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or fleeing the country to avoid military conscription, both of which can hopefully contribute to bringing about an end to this ongoing war.

What’s the evidence that Snyder cited that was most convincing for you?  (Feel free to bullet those examples.).  Cite at least 4 examples of evidence, including some from his nine classifications (which begins about 20 minutes into the talk).

Some of his most convincing examples included the attacks on civilian centers, the violence against women, the dehumanizing ways in which the Ukrainian people are depicted in the Russian media, and the reluctance of leaders in other countries to define the situation as genocide. When explaining the legal definition of genocide, two of the examples of mass violence against a given population that he names are attacks on place such as hospitals or religious centers that are gathering places for non-combatant civilians, and the use of sexual violence against women in an effort to permantly damage the psyche of that population. He also mentions the ways in which the Ukrainian people are depicted to the Russian people, in an effort to demonize them and justify the mass invasion of their country, and the attempts to wipe out their national culture and identity. Finally, Snyder explains how the reluctance of world leaders to condemn the acts of the Russian government as genocide furthur speaks to the guilt of the Russian government, as it is easier for other Nations to avoid condemning the actions of the Russian government as genocide than taking action to prevent it, or dealing with the guilt of inaction.

And then weigh in: what do you think we (individually) and we (the U.S. and the rest of the world not in this war) should do?

I believe that further actions need to be taken both regarding the economic sanctions against Russia, and the amount of aid (both military and non-military) that is being sent to Ukraine and its refugees that have fled to neighboring countries. I have read that one of the major economic roadblocks in creating these sanctions is the fact that much of the EU relies on oil from Russia as fuel. Creating these sanctions, as in the case of Germany, can lead both to potential economic instability in the countries creating the sanctions, as well as raising the levels of greenhouse gas emissions when turning to other power sources such as coal. If more attention and funding was given to this, this could both increase the use of renewable sources of energy across Europe, (nuclear, geothermal, solar, etc.), as well as significantly crippling the Russian economy, and thus their ability to mobilize their military operations, by ending demand for their largest export. It is also crucial to lend more direct support to the Ukrainian people themselves, in terms of increasing international funding for humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, and in neighboring countries such as Poland that are currently harboring a large number of those who have been displaced by the war.

# data[].attributes.body
What's going on in Ukraine is undeniably genocide. Although it may not fit our vernacular definition, which is killing every single person, it still fits *all five* categories of the legal definition, which is what matters. Our vernacular definition is inherently flawed because, as Snyder points out: if every single person of a group was killed, the event would be so rare that the word wouldn't even have much application. Ukrainians have been killed, tortured, and separated from their families and communities. None of the evidence that supports the five categories of genocide taking place in Ukraine is obscure information; it is all public knowledge being broadcast on a global scale thanks to modern media. Russia *itself* has let its intentions be broadcast to the world via their state television, which is controlled by non other than Vladimir Putin, who launched the attack on Ukraine. The information Snyder presented that convinced me, and I truly believe can convince many others are the following:

He did not only list one category of genocide, despite that being all that is needed to legally classify something as a genocide. He described in detail all five and provided numerous examples for each. He mentioned the bombings of schools and hospitals, the executions and death pits, the systematic raping of Ukrainian women, the campaigns to deny Ukrainians basic needs such as water an electricity in the winter, and the mass deportation of millions.

He mentions the demonization of the Ukrainian people. Dehumanizing, escalatory, and metaphysical evaluations are aspects Snyder himself would use to come to a conclusion about Russia's intentions. Denying the Ukrainian identity- claiming they belong to no land, claiming that they are mentally ill and confused about being Ukrainian, that their lack of identity means they are manipulated by foreign powers, and claiming to an orthodox Christian population that Ukrainians are possessed by Satan- veils the situation with false realities that don't make sense as they are, but also contradict one another.

He explains the dangers of fascism and exceptionalism feeding into a narcissistic Russian rhetoric, that not only is the genocide okay because it is being committed against Ukrainians, but because it is being carried out by Russians. Rules only have value because we as a collective decide that they do, so what stops Putin from saying that the rules don't apply to his country? The answer is...nothing...because the Russian Federation is supposedly the only hope for the betterment of the world. The Russian identity currently is, and has been, revolving around this concept. The Russian identity is fueling this genocide, because they are the only "hope", but this genocide is fueling the Russian identity, because what would Russia be without it?

Finally, he not only provided evidence to support his stance, but he provided reasoning as to why others are so hesitant. It's one thing to present information to an opposing side and hoping that they can see your viewpoint is stronger than theirs, but its another to show why an opposing side thinks that way in the first place. The reason so many are hesitant to call what's going on in Ukraine what it is, is because they simply don't want to. Acknowledging it as a genocide makes us bystanders, and there's just no way that us in a 1st world country would ever be bystanders in something so horrible, right? Snyder thinks that it's so much easier to work more towards not acknowledging a genocide, than to grapple with the reality that we are letting it happen. This in particular is a repeat of how Americans viewed the Holocaust. In the documentary, we learned that the vast majority of American's didn't acknowledge the scope of the horrors that took place in Europe, and as a result were okay with America's minimal assistance.

Individually, as high school students who live an ocean away, there is not much that we can physically do to help Ukrainians. However, we won't be high school students for long, and in the meantime we have so much influence on the people around us. We need to work towards understanding what is happening and why, and putting that information to use. We are a nation of representatives who constitutionally have power because we, as the people, give it to them. We're the only nation with a giant green statue whose one hand holds a message saying give me your huddled massed yearning to breathe free, and the other hand holding a giant torch to light the way- so why can we not even be indirect upstanders, but are settling for being passive bystanders?

# data[].attributes.body
- I believe that the genocide being committed in Ukraine is perpetrated by Putin and allies of Putin.  Not by all Russians but rather a smaller sect of the population, there is large amounts of propaganda as well as restrictive rules built to force compliance.  Most Russians do have the option to fight against the established government because of the vice grip that it has on their lives.
- I had a belief that Russia is a country that is falling to irrelevance or global dispowerment and is trying to take anything it can down with it.   My feelings towards this have been flipped on their sides after hearing examples of things exclaimed by Synder. The quote
that had the largest impact was "They should not exist at all, we should execute them by firing squad, we will kill 1 million, we will kill 5 million, we will obliterate them all, we will drown the children in the raging river, we will throw the children into burning wooden huts." as he read this I immediately thought Hitler, but when I found out that it was Russian I was taken aback. Synder discussed various instances where the Russians spewed fascist talking points such as replacement theory and the separation of 4 million Ukraine immigrants. Along with those he discussed how we try to hide genocide by standing behind the law, he then brought up how there are no exact documents of Hitler saying to kill every jew yet we still consider what he did as genocide.
- I'm not really sure what we should do politically but morally I think at the very least we should open up immigration here.
Or set up plans to get Ukraine citizens out and to safety if they want to.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you think that what is happening in Ukraine IS genocide perpetrated by the Russians?

Yes, of course what is happening in Ukraine and what has been happening for almost a full year. Even though we, being a majority of the world, really see it as a war, the type of violence and the direction of that violence very clearly genocide, as much as Putin and the rest of Russia wants to deny it.

What’s the evidence that Snyder cited that was most convincing for you?  (Feel free to bullet those examples.).  Cite at least 4 examples of evidence, including some from his nine classifications (which begins about 20 minutes into the talk).

One main classification of Genocide is dehumanization. In this situation, Russia is taking away the physical space for Ukrainian's to live but also their being. As repeated many times during the speech "We will kill one million. We will kill 5 million", is a prime example of this.

Another classification is colonization. As brought up in the speech, some Russians and specifically Putin and his people believe that Crimea was always part of Russia so it is rightfully theirs to take back.

In addition, the type of "cleansing" that is going on in Ukraine is astonishing. The Russians are trying to completely wipe away the Ukrainians's for being Ukrainian. This can be parallel to the Holocaust and how Hitler felt about Jewish people. Something interesting about the Holocaust that was said in the speech was that we, as a world, usually use the Holocaust as almost a jumping off point of the "never agains" or statistic that is used in wars instead of a remembering event. But, the cleansing in Ukraine will have both life-cycle and generational effects on Ukrainians now and in further generations.

The last of many of the "criteria" for genocide that are being displayed in Ukraine right now is that Russia seems to think that they are above all of the actions and the repercussions. To Russia and Putin in specific, this is something that "needs" to happen for the good of the country and the world when in actuality all he is doing is committing mass murder and allowing, encouraging and ordering a genocide of the Ukrainian people. Not only is he pushing for this, but he also seems to think that he, his party and his supporters/the army will face any consequences for their actions.

And then weigh in: what do you think we (individually) and we (the U.S. and the rest of the world not in this war) should do?

I think that individually we can help out by staying educated and informed on the situation to help get the correct information to others to raise awareness on the subject. On a more International level, the US can continue to support Ukraine through this war but with that being said there isn't a whole lot that we can actually do without getting directly involved. One way that we could show our support would be to cut ties with any country that supports Russia but with China being their biggest supporter and our biggest trading partner, that is virtually impossible.

# data[].attributes.body
What is happening in Ukraine is definitely genocide perpetrated by the Russians. Snyder's speech provided help for my opinion even more to this being a genocide. Colonization is one form of evidence that what is happening in Ukraine is genocide. Snyder claims that during colonial times, Europeans never recognized the countries or groups under their control as individuals and instead regarded them as a part of their own. Which is very similar to Putin's treatment of Ukrainians. Putin has never mentioned Ukraine as a separate country, only as a part of Russia. Whenever Ukraine is mentioned, Putin always makes it clear that it is about Ukraine and Russia, not just Ukraine. The disrespect toward the Ukrainians also impacts my opinion. According to Putin, Ukrainians are not Ukrainians. He claims that the people there are not from the land and have been duped. A specific quote that relates to the disrespect that Ukrainians are going through is, “They should not exist at all, we should execute them by firing squad. We will kill one million, we will kill 5 million”. Just the quote alone should raise eyes to how their views are very genocidal. Ukraine does not exist in his mind. According to Russian propaganda, Ukrainians are simply Russians who are mentally ill and can only be cured through the use of violence. It also claims that the Ukrainians have no idea who they are. This is similar to the idea of Jews spreading mental illness. This leads to the next piece of evidence: fascism. It's their responsibility to fix this, and they are the only hope for the rest of the world. Because there is no truth and it is acceptable to lie, the Russians see everything they do as good and unforgivable. This explains a lot of what the Russians are doing now, and we can see where their ideals originate through the controlled propaganda. I don't believe there is much we can do as individuals. aside from raising awareness of what is going on, regarding the countries outside, I believe it would be beneficial if they provided Ukrainians resources that they need

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, I absolutely believe that what is happening in Russia can be directly defined as genocide. The mass killing of groups or cultures can be directly correlated with the Russian agenda. The rich history that Russia has with Ukraine, convinces Putin and his followers that it is the “moral obligation” to take Ukraine. Whether by force of peace, the Narcissist mindset of Putin, runs rampant throughout the war and military standpoint he takes. Willing to go to the extreme in order to achieve success, even further pushes Putin's self obsessiveness and ill advised will to be powerful. The word colonial has a sense of power to it when it rolls off the tongue, a kind of power that most dictators spend years looking for. In colonizing this area, Putin is directly removing Western influence and replacing it with the Patriarchal hierarchy of Russia. From the government controlled media of Russia, quotes relay the hopes and aspirations that Putin has for Russia. Summed up in one word, Dehumanizing the quote reads, “They should not exist at all, we should execute them by firing squad. We will kill one million, we will kill 5 million”. When you start talking about killing millions of people, you are immediately associated with Genocidal viewpoints. That’s why this piece of evidence was so convincing to me. We know the media is controlled by the Russian government and in turn we know that the ideas spewed in the media are a direct product of what Putin and his disciples think. As a country I think our military resources have proved to be very effective in helping the Ukrainian military hold their ground. But I do think the US needs to do a better job of spreading  awareness as to what is going on in Russia on a day to day basis. The rest of the world, including the US, should continue the process of bringing Ukraine into NATO. While also bringing surrounding countries into the protection of NATO thus preventing future wars between Russia and countries that are likely to be taken over by russia. This can all be spelled out due to Russia's known fear of western influence  (ex: countries that were once under KGB influence)(we will never be able to figure out Putin's next move

# data[].attributes.body
What is happening in Ukraine is definitely genocide because genocide is defined in many different ways, including the intent to kill members of a specific group, causing bodily or mentally harm to members of the group, forcibly transferring children of one group to another group. Russia is sending bombs, missiles, and drones to Ukrainian cities, schools, and hospitals targeting Ukrainian citizens, and they are being killed by the 100,000s. Their water and energy supplies are being destroyed, which is destroying cities. Ukrainians are being told daily that they do not exist as a people and that they do not have rights as a people, they are being mass deported by the millions. There is systematic torture happening, and torture chambers are everywhere that Russia occupies in Ukraine. The Russian government is trying to stop Ukraine babies from being born. Ukrainian women are being raped by Russian soldiers and are forced to have children that they would not want to raise, and would not want to have future children. Infiltration camps are set up where fertile women and children are sent deep into Russia, which would prevent the birth of Ukrainian children. Ukrainian children are being deported to Russia by the 10,000s and are adopted by Russian families deep into Russia and are spread out so there can not be a Ukrainian community in Russia. Any one of these things would be defined as genocide. In the legal definition of genocide it says "with the intent", and there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that Russia intends to wipe out Ukrainian people. They are boasting about the deportation of Ukrainian people, about the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, and it was a clear goal of the war, and there are thousands of quotes on Russian state television, which is controlled by the Russian president confederation, that say that they will kill Ukrainian people and their children. I think that we should spread the harmful actions that are happening in Ukraine so that people in power can learn about it and hopefully take action. Most people in power, i.e. government officials and politicians are only really focused on things happening in America, so we as students can help push them to learn about what is really happening in Ukraine, and they can try to use their power and resourced to help the people of Ukraine.

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, I believe what Russia is doing in Ukraine is considered genocide. They deport children from their homes, and they kill members of Ukraine, and this is the basic idea when people think of genocide; however, there are many other types of genocide occurring there as well. There are many types of genocide, and many different forms of it as well and the genocide occurring currently is colonial genocide. This whole war has occurred due to Putin's greed for building Russia, and he wants to take over the eastern part of Ukraine which is why this whole war has started. The Russians continue to spread fake information to their citizens in order to receive continued support from the people. They tell the people that Ukraine was originally part of Russia, and still belongs to them and that they never actually recognize the people in Ukraine, and as an actual country. The Russian government continues to lie to their people in order to garner enough support to last throughout the war, and while the people are living peacefully, they have no idea what atrocities their country is committing due to communist rule. They know they are committing genocide but choose to deny it by not telling their citizens the truth, and another example from Snyder through a quote is “They should not exist at all, we should execute them by firing squad we will kill 1 mil 5 mil we will obliterate them all, we will drown the children in the raging river we will throw them into burning huts”. This is a very simple definition of genocide just mass killing, and what makes it even worse is that the people have no remorse for the lives they have taken. Snyder also cited that the people in Russia were torturing and killing the people of Ukraine falling directly under the definition of genocide. He also talks to us about how the Russians were deliberately causing physical harm to a group representing the genocide that Russia has committed over the span of this war. And lastly, Snyder tells us about how the Russians are transferring children, kidnapping them, and sending them somewhere else helping to convey the atrocities of Russia during this war. I don't believe we can do much individually by ourselves, and it is hard to achieve anything major individually, however as a nation, we are seen as one of the strongest nations in this world in terms of manpower, and I believe that if we step in as a nation and are not going to be scared of the aftermath, but instead focusing on saving the people we will be able to bring a lot of change in Ukraine.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that what's going on in Ukraine is absolutely genocide perpetrated by Russia. Based on Snyder's arguments as well as the literal legal descriptions, this is undoubtedly genocide. It shouldn't be disregarded in comparison to other events which are classified as worse for the sole purpose of hiding from the truth. It is absolutely clear that this war fits the very definition of genocide, whether defining by the legal or vernacular definitions.
Any single one of the terms set by the UN, as well as any of Snyder's 9 classifications are sure evidence of this. To me, the most convincing arguments were:
- "Deliberately causing physical or mental harm to a group." This definition definitely fits  facts of what is happening in Ukraine right now. The killing, torture, and hardships that Russian attacks and occupation have imposed on the Ukrainian people are prime examples of this.
- "forcibly transferring members of a group from one group to another." This fact is backed by the number of kidnappings of Ukrainian children and fertile women. This ties into Snyder's classification of replacement and how Russia is tying to erase Ukraine through the separation of its people.
- Narcissistic classification: I think that this classification is so relevant because it is true on so many levels. The fact that Russia views Ukraine as inferior, or just a thing to be taken back shows that its actions and intentions are self serving with no regard for the people who will suffer because, as stated in classification 3, there is something wrong with them and they need Russian intervention.
- Opening quote: I think that this quote was extremely powerful in proving Russia's perpetration of genocide. The fact that this horrible language and blatant hate was issued by a government agency for all Russians to hear and agree with is appalling. It makes Russia's intent towards Ukraine very clear as it shows just how hateful they are willing to be in public, and how their words are in alignment with their actions.
I think that the broadest idea of what we should all do is to break out of the bystander role. This is obviously a very difficult thing to do- at many different levels. On a personal level, not much can be done without funding. I think that something that could help is raising money to send to programs that help sponsor refugees or those who are trying to survive within Ukraine. It is difficult to directly help from so far away but with research and the right means of connecting, I think it's possible to make at least a small difference.

# data[].attributes.body
The Russians are absolutely committing genocide in Ukraine. Russia is aiming to take over Ukraine and make them part of Russia. In order to do this they are killing many innocent civilians to intimidate Ukraine's leaders and army. The ultimate goal of Russia is to abolish Ukraine, and killing civilians because of this goal is the definition of genocide.
Some of the evidence provided that made me take my stance are the facts that Ukrainians are being tortured and killed, that once we do nothing we are effectively choosing the side of the oppressors, the fact that Putin thinks being Jewish is a "disease", and that the Ukrainian population is framed as "satan worshipers" by the Russian controlled media. These all had an impact on my stance because of how outrageous the claims are, and how badly  human beings are being mistreated. Putin is mirroring Hitler with these claims, and despite how crazy that may sound, it is not an overreaction. Especially with all of the recent anti-semitism these ideas are becoming more and more common, but taking a drastic of action against Jewish people by killing, torturing, and displacing them falls under the direct definition of genocide.
Individually, I don't think there is much that we can do besides standing with Ukranians and Jewish people. Coming together in protest would be a nice gesture, but in a war of this magnitude it will not persuade one side or the other enough to end it. However, as the rest of the world, we can continue to do what we are doing and economically shut out Russia. This would cause a collapse so large to the point where Russia could potentially become a failed state. I do not think joining the war is the right idea because it would escalate into World War 3, and nuclear weapons would be used, which might cause the end of the world as we know it. I think that other countries near Ukraine should supply as many soldiers and weapons as possible, and that if need be they should help Ukraine by declaring war.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that what is happening in Ukraine is genocide by Russians. Genocide, using the legal definition given by Snyder, is the killing of a group of people. Regardless of what definition is being used, Russia is leading a genocide. Snyder also stated that genocide is not only a legal term, but a "human test" as well.
-The first example I want to weigh in on is the quote stated at the beginning and end of the presentation. "We will kill One Million. We will kill Five Million. We will obliterate them all... they shouldn't exist at all. We should execute them by firing squad." This sentiment was given by the Russian State Television, which is controlled by the President of the Russian Federation. It is clear that there is an intent to kill the Ukrainians. Going as far to say that they shouldn't exist and that they should be eradicated is directly comparable to the Nazi regime. This is a telltale of genocide.
-The second piece of evidence is how the Russians held executions and targeted killings in Russian occupied places in Ukraine. Russians are following through on what they said, showing that they truly do want to achieve their goal in genocide.
-Arguably, the most shocking piece of evidence was the scale that the ethnic cleansing has gotten to. Snyder stated that millions of Ukrainians have been deported, killed, or kidnapped. This is followed by the claim that Ukrainians don't know that they are truly Russian and that they are possessed by Satan.
-The last piece of evidence I want to bring up is the systematic torture. Torture chambers are spread out through Russian occupied territories in Ukraine as well as the destruction of cities, targeting hospitals, clinics, and schools.
Individually, there is not much for us to because we are spectators. Snyder suggested choosing a side, whether that is perpetrator or victim is up to the individual. People can donate and give as much aid as possible to help support Ukrainians. However, the US and the rest of the world is able to provide a lot more help. Countries are providing military assistance to Ukraine as well as offering shelter to Ukrainian refugees.

# data[].attributes.body
What is happening in Ukraine is genocide perpetrated but he Russians. The Russians, under the direction of Putin, they are deliberately murdering and causing many types of harm to Ukrainians with the intention of eliminating and/or assimilating home into Russian culture. Russians bombed, tortured, rapped, kidnapped, and deported many Ukrainians. Children and fertile women were sent to different parts of Russia in the hopes of producing more Russians, while Ukrainian men were killed.
Snyder argues that you can’t know someone’s true intention because they never write it down, but you can make a reasonable judgement of their actions and words to prove their intention. Putin has made several comments relating to the replacement theory (theory where a group of people would be replaced by others that are different to them) and claiming that Ukraine is not a country, when it has clearly been for many years. The Russians have been trying to get rid of the Ukrainians, so he tried to limit the amount of Ukrainians born - like sending girls, women, and children to Russia to increase their own population.
Snyder says:
- “When you deny a specific crime with people whom you identify with carried out in the past you are affirming that crime” (~26:55) → Russians deny Ukraine’s existence as its own country and they use this reasoning to justify their genocidal acts towards the Ukrainians
- “From that perspective it did feel more like genocide and I’m going to submit that if we’re talking about feelings, we might want to privilege that perspective from our own, from the outside” (that refers to him seeing the drawings and death counts in the basement of the former school he visited in Ukraine where many Ukrainians were kept with little food, hygiene, and water) → It might not feel like genocide from our standpoint, but seeing the destruction and harm that is being done to the Ukrainians shows you how the violence they are experiencing is in fact genocide.
- He talks about how religious purity plays a part into the motivation/justification the Russians have for their ethnicity cleansing in Ukraine. Russians, although most rarely attend church, see themselves are pure Christians, make Ukrainians, by default, satanists and were mentally ill. That claim was unreasonable, especially after Snyder points out how Ukrainians attend church a lot more frequently than Russians.
- The belief that Putin along with many other Russians hold of the rules not applying to them since they were truing to “cleanse” the world and bring back order let them to believe that their acts of genocide were completely justified.

From America, I feel like there isn’t much we (as students) can do to help Ukrainians  other than push politicians to help them and fight against Russia. We should try to push not only politicians in America, but also the UN to provide aid, troops, and try to come to an end to the violence and fighting.  America as a whole should continue providing funds and military aid to Ukraine and open their borders to Ukrainian refugees fleeing from the Russians.

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, I do think that Ukraine is experiencing a genocide perpetrated by the Russians. Snyder states that the war in Ukraine is being persecuted as a genocidal war. The war fits into all of the subcategories that define a genocide, including the killing and torture of members of the group and the deportation of children. As for the classifications, the war could be described as a colonial genocide because Putin has never recognized Ukraine as its own country and has spread propaganda convincing people that it has always been a territory of Russia. It could also be an excelatory genocide because many Russians believed that conquered Ukraine would be a three day war. When it was not, Putin argued that foreigners assisting Ukraine was proof that Ukriane was not a country and that Ukrainians are agents of international powers. They have also linked Ukraine to replacement theory, which is the idea that white, usually Christian people are being replaced. This idea ties a lot into antisemitism which Russia has also been using. They argue that God connected Russia and Ukraine and that people who disagree are Satanists, or Jewish.

I think that individually we need to not be bystanders. Snyder said that in the case of a genocide you can’t be aware that it is happening and stand by; once you do nothing you choose the side of the oppressor. For this reason people try very hard to not see a genocide and to convince themselves it does not exist. We have to make sure that this doesn’t happen. However I also feel like there’s not much we can do as far as not being bystanders. It saddens me that all people can really do is post on social media, but in my opinion that will never help anything. If everyone in the United States was made fully aware of what’s happening in Ukraine, what difference would that actually make? But as people who are not in this war, we can’t just write it off and say that it is happening far away; that’s what happened during the Holocaust. If we don’t try to recognize what is happening we will repeat history.

# data[].attributes.body
I do think that what’s going on in Ukraine is genocide perpetrated by Russia. As Snyder said, when we think of genocide, we often think of the vernacular meaning, but there’s also a legal meaning, which fits into every single thing that is happening in Ukraine right now. Snyder also states many interesting evidence to support his claim, for example:

One of the legal meanings of genocide is “deliberately inflicting harm on one group”. Ukrainians are currently being deported, tortured, and killed by Russians + their cities are destroyed.

Fascist metaphysics - Russia associates itself with light/purity while associating Ukraine with Satanism; they also describe the war as “de-satanization”, similar to the Nazi’s excuse for killing Jews.

Russian officials also come up with the most out-of-pocket information about Ukrainians. They describe Ukrainians as agents of international power aka not really “Ukrainians”, that they are mentally ill and can only be cured by violence, etc.

Putin believes in the Replacement Theory and wants to “undo” replacement (aka send men who are non-Russian to die in war in Ukraine and assimilate Ukrainian children into Russia). This fits in with the fifth meaning of genocide: forcibly transferring children of a group to another group.

The only reason we’re denying it’s genocide is because, like Snyder said, we’re not willing to believe that it’s happening in front of our eyes and we’re not doing anything about it.  Some actions we can take are donating to Ukrainian organizations (if you can), educate other people, go to protests, and most importantly, don’t dismiss their experiences. I’ve seen some people bring up other wars/genocides when Ukrainians talk about their story and that’s extremely insensitive. The U.S. should be more like Poland, and help Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country, but I understand that it could be hard since the U.S. is much further away than Poland is.

# data[].attributes.body
With the actual definition of genocide and especially based off the genocide convention of 1948, it's not even an opinion of whether or not what is happening in Ukraine is a genocide. It is a genocide point blank.
The utmost crucial and convincing pieces of evidence that Snyder gave as reasoning for what Russia is doing to Ukraine being genocide was all of his 6 criteria for what makes something genocide based off of the convention- specifically #2- and the quote he took from that Russian television station.

Serious bodily or mental harm inflicted onto members of a group. Systematic torture including deportation or ethnic cleansing. Torture chambers. Torture is an ordinary part of the Russian regime. Bombings of hospitals and schools.

“They should not exist at all, we should execute them by firing squad we will kill 1 mil 5 mil we will obliterate them all, we will drown the children in the raging river we will throw them into burning huts” this is from Russian state television in the last few days.

Another extremely obvious reason that it's genocide from the 6 criteria:

Deliberately inflicting onto a group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. Deliberate destruction of whole cities in Ukraine. Campaign that's trying to deny water and electricity to Ukranians in the winter. Russian politicians make no secret of this.

The most convincing of his 9 classifications for me was:

Dehumanizing- dehumanizing language. Putan claims Ukraine does not exist. They don't exist because people who claim to be Ukrainian are not really from there. They are alienated from the soil. They can't be Ukrainian because being Ukrainian does not exist. This is an echo of what hitler said about the jews. They were alienated from the soil and they have no real home where they come from. These people exist only because they are a foreign threat. The Russian war plan is to destroy top level of society. Intent of killing and rounding up elite ukrainians.

Based off of the actual definition of genocide and the genocide convention of 1948, something is considered genocide if it has just ONE criteria of the six that Snyder listed. Every single criteria applies to the war. It is genocide to the highest extent. Even more examples that prove it:

Putan believes Ukranians are satanists because of deep rooted belief that Jews are possessed by satan, and the Ukrain president is Jewish. Them being possessed by satan is more than enough of a reason for them to execute Ukranians

genocidal intentions to their own soldiers. they are inflicting mental and bodily pain and damage onto the irrational groups of men they're forcing into the war. Putan is literally sending these people into Ukraine to die (huge example that goes with this is the phone calls we listened to on the washington post a few weeks ago in class)

There is so much proof of concrete intent from Putan and other Russian powers

Russia planning on cutting of water and material supply in the winter- which is one of the 6 criteria (idk if I already said this)

As of what we should do, it's hard to say. Unfortunately we're pretty much powerless right now. The utmost important thing that we can do individually is educating ourselves on the war which we've absolutely done by listening to this lecture. I didn't know any of this stuff before I listened to Snyder and simply understanding just how bad and violent it is and understanding the extent of genocide it is is really important because now we really can't ignore it and make excuses. Just by having been educated on the subject and making maybe a small donation to Ukranian funds is enough to put you on Ukraine's side and it's something you could do that could actually help someone.
The US as a whole and the rest of the world that's not in the war can't really get involved much because that's putting a lot more people in danger, but every single country and especially the US needs to be sending money to help pay for damage and to give families food and such and if it's safe, figuring out a way to get Ukranians to escape and find refuge in other countries, like what Poland is doing right now. Everyone should be like Poland. Once Ukranians get to Poland they can be sent to any country with homes that are willing to take them in (the US!!)
In conclusion, there is no question of whether or not the war in Ukraine is genocide. It is 100% genocide in every single possible way, literally. Also, people are not putting enough energy into helping Ukraine and they're especially not acknowledging how bad it is. Any small act of kindness towards Ukraine could make a difference, big and small.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that what is happening in Ukraine is indeed genocide perpetrated by the Russians. Through Snyder's talk he listed many convincing details that points to the direction that this is a genocide. One evidence that states what is happening in Ukraine is genocide is colonization. Snyder states that in colonial times Europeans have never recognized the countries or groups under them as individuals and see them as part of their own. Which is similar to how Putin is treating the Ukrainians. Putin has never spoke about Ukraine as its own country but rather that it is part of Russia. Whenever Ukraine is brought up, Putin always phrase it in a way that it's Ukraine and Russia, and not just Ukraine. This leads to the next evidence, dehumanization. Putin states that the Ukrainians are not Ukrainians. He says that the people there are not from the land and just seduced, mistaken to this. To him, Ukraine does not exist. This is similar to Hitler, they both state that the respective group of people do not belong here and do not belong anywhere. A third evidence is metaphysical. A propaganda that is spread in Russia is that the Ukrainians are just Russians that are mentally ill and can only be cured by the application of violence. Additionally it states that the Ukrainians do not know who they are. This is very much like the idea of how Jews were spreading mental illness. This leads to the next evidence, fascist. Russia sees the world as spoiled and because Russia is unspoiled, it is their responsibility to fix this and they are the only hope for the world. The Russians see everything they do as good and unforgivable because there is no truth and it is fine to lie. This explains a lot of things that the Russians are doing right now and we can see where their ideals come from. I don't think there is much that we as individuals can do. Other than spreading awareness of what is happening As for the countries out there, I think it would help if they provided refuge, weapons and money for the Ukrainians.

# data[].attributes.body
I absolutely think that what is happening in Ukraine is genocide perpetrated by the Russians. After Snyder clarified the difference between the vernacular and legal definitions of the term genocide, I am very confident that the violence in Ukraine fits the term.

This was the evidence that was most convincing to me:

Dehumanizing Ukrainians

Putin says that Ukrainians do not exist. He claims that the people who claim to be Ukrainian are simply misunderstood. Much of what Putin says directly echoes what Hitler said about Jews. They both used the argument that these groups of people “do not belong anywhere”.

Metaphysical

The idea that Jews spread mental illness is parallel to the idea that Ukrainians are Russians that are mentally ill. Both Putin and Hitler made the argument that these groups can only be “cured” with physical violence. There is also a prevalent idea that is being spread by Putin that Ukrainians are possessed by Satan. This war is the “desatanization” of Ukrainian people, and if the Russians fail to “exorcize” them, then they have no choice but to kill them.

Replacement

Putin is a replacement theorist because he is worried that his race will be overwhelmed by others. He is “replacing” in both directions. What happened to the Crimean Tatars is very strong evidence.

Exceptionalism

The idea that the rules do not apply to Russia because they were not the ones who made those rules. “You might say this a genocide, but who made those rules anyway”. The idea that is consistent with Nazi legal theory in which power comes from the ability to make an exception to the rules.

I do not know what we as individuals or the rest of the world should do. It is easy to put nations on an ethical standard and point at what other people “should” be doing, but it would be naive to not be self-aware and put ourselves on that same standard in asking what “I” should do, since these nations are made up of individuals. I think that I (individuals) could help spread some awareness, but to what extent does spreading awareness really help? Many of us, including myself, like to think that we are against what is going on in Ukraine and in no world would we condone these actions. Like Snyder said, since we like to believe that we are not bystanders, then the genocide that is happening cannot really be that bad. Otherwise, we would fight against these wrongs because we all are good moral humans that act on what we believe is right. This narrative that we all tell ourselves is comfortable. It is the easy way out for anyone not interested in making a sacrifice to help others. In the current state of the world where everything, especially related to global issues, is economically driven, I am quite pessimistic about how these conflicts will turn out. I think that one way nations could help is to provide actual refuge to Ukrainians, but there is a risk of intensifying the war.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that what's happening in Ukraine is absolutely a genocide and Russia knows it. Key evidence that points to Russia knowingly caring out a genocide lies mainly in their rhetoric; the Russian Government is labeling Ukrainians as an "unnatural" enemy controlled by "higher powers." As stated by Snyder, the Nazis used similar tactics during the Holocaust, claiming that the Jews had no true homeland and only wanted to invade others. Putin and the state-controlled Russian media frame Ukrainians as "Satan Worshipers" in order to portray their genocide as a "holy crusade." Putin also uses similar, religious language when he talks about "unifying" Russia and Ukraine, claiming that the countries were divinely ordained to be one and the same due to a baptism 1,000 years ago. In addition to Putin's rhetoric, there is plentiful physical evidence of the genocide presented by Snyder. School buildings have been converted into prisons, where captive Ukrainians are starved and executed daily, monumental to the Holodomor famine have been destroyed, erasing Russia's role in it, and the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia will derive Ukraine of many future generations. Beyond sending supplies to Ukraine, there's not much that the US or other nations can to do stop the war without provoking a nuclear strike from Russia; the best we can do is to provide actual aid to victims and refugees.