Battle in Ukraine – What I Noticed

I lately returned from driving non-military provides to Ukraine. I’m an American enterprise chief primarily based in Boston with a full life. I lately printed a well-received guide, Create the Future, on the best way to make troublesome selections. I’m not searching for issues to do.

I’ve traveled to Europe many instances, together with the seashores of Normandy, and consider that battle in Europe is tragic historical past to not be repeated. I’ve adopted the information in regards to the battle in Ukraine—Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy impressed me by his response to President Biden’s supply of assist: “The struggle is right here. I want ammunition, not a experience.”

Quickly after the invasion, I hosted a digital occasion for Harvard Enterprise College alumni to listen to from Ukrainian enterprise leaders how they had been adapting their companies to assist defend their nation.

The battle dragged on, and each Europe and the US appeared ambivalent about supporting Ukraine. They offered navy provides however not sufficient to defeat the invasion. Pres. Trump’s election raised extra doubts about America’s help. Trump requested why the US must be concerned if Europe is just not totally supporting Ukraine.

Pres. Trump and Pres. Zelenskyy had a disastrous assembly in February adopted by the US limiting its help of Ukraine. Pres. Trump then initiated a gathering with Russian Pres. Putin adopted by conferences with Zelenskyy and European leaders making an attempt to start out direct negotiations for ending the battle. I can solely hope this course of will probably be profitable.

Whereas taking part in a retreat over New Yr’s weekend, I met somebody who had organized different Individuals to drive donated, non-military provides to Ukraine. After listening to his experiences, I requested for a heads up if he organized one other provide convoy.

He got here again to me with information {that a} provide convoy was coming collectively, I stated, “rely me in!” I wished to see and perceive first hand what was taking place in Ukraine. In a small manner, I wished to assist. I’m sharing with you what I noticed and skilled.

In June, I flew to Warsaw, Poland, and met twenty-five Individuals and Finns. Our job was to load donated reduction provides into vans and vehicles and drive them from Warsaw to Kyiv, Ukraine. We additionally drove a donated hearth engine and ambulance.

Our first cease was Lviv in western Ukraine. Air raid sirens went off as I walked right into a small lodge at 9 PM exhausted from driving a van all day and into the night time. The following morning, we stopped at a big park within the metropolis that had been became an enormous graveyard. Flags and photos of younger males and lady solders killed by Russia adorned each grave.

We then drove throughout limitless rolling farmland to Kyiv, a metropolis of three million constructed on hills alongside the Dnieper River. It has been a significant buying and selling middle exporting agricultural merchandise throughout the Black Sea for a thousand years.

I walked across the metropolis exploring its streets and public parks. I met with civilian and navy leaders. I talked to bartenders, waitresses, and lodge clerks. Here’s what I noticed and skilled.

• I noticed dilapidated, Soviet-era condominium blocks and ultra-modern industrial buildings and residences.
• I noticed the faces of THOUSANDS of women and men killed by Russia.
• I noticed new graves dug for fallen troopers.
• I noticed tall condominium buildings with large craters of their facades from Russian missile strikes.
• I noticed huge metropolis morning commuter site visitors going to work and heard air raid sirens at night time.
• I noticed fairly women posing for pictures whereas strolling with their boyfriends.
• I noticed burned-out Russian tanks in a Kyiv sq..
• I noticed pleasure and disappointment as mates separated earlier than curfew to allow them to be in or close to the bomb shelter.

I didn’t expertise a direct Russian missile assault, although the air raid sirens blared at night time. Listed here are my key takeaways.

The largest takeaway, for me, was the magnitude of the dying. The US press gives the look that casualties are rare and that life in Ukraine is disrupted, however largely persevering with as regular. Public experiences say 200,000 Ukrainians are useless or wounded, with Russian casualties of about 1 million. The cream of Ukraine’s youth, largely younger males, are dying day-after-day.

After being in Ukraine, I spent a number of days in London and visited the British Museum. The Museum’s artifacts inform the story of human civilization from the Egyptian conquest of the Nile Valley to the Greek, Roman, and English colonial empires. The Romans conquered Britain in 43 AD. French Normans conquered Britain in 1066. Germany’s navy campaigns to broaden its empire led to World Battle I and World Battle II. Battle and conquest are the human story.

We’re at a essential historic second in Europe. Europeans have conquered one another for 1000’s of years. After World Battle II, we hoped that wars of navy conquest had ended, no less than in Europe.  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues that story in our time.

I didn’t go to the entrance traces in japanese Ukraine, however I noticed a rustic at battle. Ukrainian flags are all over the place. Whereas we’re spending billions of {dollars} to ship rockets to Mars, I used to be in workshops the place Ukrainians are salvaging decades-old Soviet navy gear and elements to make them serviceable once more. I noticed drones that the Ukrainians are making from off-the-shelf industrial elements to make Russian (and American) tanks out of date.

I hope Europeans will assist Ukraine defeat Russia’s invasion, with American assist, and at last put an finish to wars like this in Europe. I went to Ukraine to study, to witness, to assist, and to make a press release about who I’m.

Written by Rick Williams. Have you ever learn?
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