Also, what is the evidence that the War in Donbass was an act of genocide on the part of Ukraine, and that Ukraine had provoked Russia? Once again, I am asking in good faith, I am merely looking for the truth.

  • CriticalResist8@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    11 days ago

    Esha K has filmed a short documentary in the Donbass, I think this is it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTiibGdsHus. I haven't watched it yet myself but it documents what's been happening for the past 10 years and I assume it talks about genocide at some point, knowing Esha. I get from your wording that you know about the Donbass War but are asking if it constitutes genocide specifically. On that we can do a two-for-one, and point to the UN definition of genocide: destroying or intending to destroy, in whole or in part, an ethnic group. However, that is where I limit my agreement with the UN. I don't believe they are capable arbiters of genocide, and I don't rely on an authority other than my own to recognize genocide. So the question isn't does international law (the UN) say it's genocide, but do you personally believe Ukraine was specifically targeting civilians in the Donbass with the intent to destroy the ethnic Russians living there. Ukrainians in the Donbass are by and large ethnically Russian and I assume you know the history of the Euromaidan coup that put a Ukrainian fascist in power who started the war in the Donbass, and the two People's Republics being formed as a response to those military attacks on civilian populations.

    I imagine for evidence you might want testimonies and the historical record, if the documentary doesn't go into it (like I said haven't watched it yet!) just looking up the "missions" of the Azov Battalion prior to 2022 should open up some avenues of further exploration.

    The reason you might have heard that Ukraine provoked Russia is probably because of the two agreements that were signed, called Minsk I and Minsk II, to put an end to the war. They were brokered with Russia's help (and some Western observers), and Ukraine signed the agreements but, at the first opportunity, completely ignored them. The failure of Minsk II is actually what started the Russian invasion. Minsk I was supposed to start a ceasefire, and Minsk II would have gone further by giving autonomy to Luhansk and Donetsk.

    You can also find a bit more about it here: https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/2022_Russo-Ukrainian_conflict but tbh we could really expand that page lol