From Natascha Janssen
As many of you may know, my mother was born in the Soviet Union, in Ukraine, where my extensive family is a mix of Russians and Ukrainians . I feel called on this to share my vision on developments in Ukraine .
With my Russian/Ukrainian roots, I love both nations very much, centuries-old brotherly nations merging with each other . When you asked my Ukrainian-born mother if she felt more Russian than Ukrainian, she replied, ‘That’s a weird question I have no answer to . There is difference in our language, our music and dance but our hearts are one… ‘
And this is how I was raised and spent 40 years the most beautiful holidays of my life, in love and togetherness, experienced in Russia and Ukraine, in the Soviet Union .
Nice that everyone in the Netherlands is now speaking out against waging a war, who’s for that now?
But why not now? Why was everyone silent when that war started 8 years ago?
Why is everyone swearing at the slaughter of thousands of citizens in Eastern Ukraine?
Why did everyone swear by Ukraine for not following the Minsk agreements and now using the word judicial order .
Where was everyone who looked away when 52 people were burnt alive in Odessa .
Where was everyone who thought it was fine that a 2014 elected government was overthrowing a major European country and a bunch of neo-nazis took over .
Where was everyone when the Ukrainian regime took away Russian Ukrainians their basic human rights: speaking Russian was banned, the right to pensions disappeared for Russian Italians and children who spoke Russian and had Russian names and were no longer welcome at school .
When torch tours were organized by neo nazis with lies like “Russians on the gas”…
And finally: where was everyone who was silent when large parts of this beautiful country, once Europe’s grain barn, were sold to banks and investors for an apple and an egg, e.g. exploitation for genetic manipulations of Monsanto and the Wre Europe’s latest mega bio industry .
My niece in Ukraine saw such a megastal appear in front of her house . The scream and scream of those animals stacked together, and then those big unhealing silences… Take note: In Ukraine there was only one small-scale breed of beef, before the country came into possession of western brick .
Ukraine has been transformed into a wingwest of the West since 8 years . A Colony . And all this at the expense of man, animal, nature and environment..
So why now, that compassion with the people, that rage against the war? The Ukrainian population has been living in war for 8 years, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have already fled to Russia . Also my relatives, like my niece and her family .
Of course I know that most Dutch people have no idea about this side of the story because our news service gives a one-sided picture of the situation . I’m now providing information from the other side . Do what you want but silence is no longer an option for me .
Further, I can only hope that peace will come soon for ALL Ukrainians, Russian and Ukrainian speakers .
Finally: I have been a member of the Party for the Animals .
With a heartache and a great illusion part, I just quit my party membership . I have joined because of the view that the interests of human, animal, nature and environment always prevail over profit defeat by exploitation of human, animal and nature .
Unfortunately, I haven’t or hardly heard ‘my’ party for the last 8 years about the violations of human, animal and nature rights in Ukraine .
That’s why I have no choice but to withdraw myself, I want to be able to look at myself straight in the mirror . And I don’t want to wrong my late mother’s postum . After all, I learned everything from her about respect for every human being, regardless of their origin, and respect and love for animals and nature .
I will erase reactions with threats, bullying and caste like ‘All Russians are dead’ .
I’ve already received too many of these in my inbox . Just like many Russians living in the Netherlands .
Text: Natascha Janssen
