Письмо к голландским друзьям
Моё письмо к голландским друзьям по поводу референдума 6 апреля (англ. яз.): https://www.facebook.com/mikhail.golubev/posts/10206116939511251
или http://xsovietunion.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/letter-from-ukrainian-to-dutch-people.html
или (PDF) https://mikhailgolubev.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/golubev-21march2016-letter-ned-ukr-vote.pdf
***
Dear Dutch friends,
On April 6, your country will vote on deeper cooperation between Ukraine and the EU. Somehow, I feel more or less obliged to write to you about it.
You may agree or not, but in my opinion it will be primarily a moral choice. Because you will either support Putin's imperial ambitions, or support my country, which is fighting against the Russian military intervention.
In Ukraine we are living in permanent stress because of these events, but we also know that most likely it will all continue for years. And Ukraine will never be fully safe until Putin's aggressive regime in Russia ceases to exist. Ukrainians will defend our own country under any circumstances, but it is also true that with more economic and moral support from the free world our mission gets easier.
I am grateful for the support which Ukraine has received from Western countries so far. I was sure for years that NATO would not fight for us militarily in the event of a Russian attack, which was no longer unlikely after the unjustified Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. I think that what the West is doing now is in line with what we Ukrainians could have realistically hoped and expected.
Because of the Russian invasion, in the last two years we have faced many terrible things for which we were not ready, to put it mildly. Once again, my condolences on the MH17 tragedy, and deep apologies if our Ukrainian government committed any mistakes which allowed or did not prevent Putin's gangsters from shooting down the plane.
I know that Putin's propaganda is quite strong in Western Europe. Russia does not have enough money to make a better life for its own people, but indeed finds big money for this. A number of good websites refute the Russian lies and fakes about Ukraine on a daily basis. If you have any Ukraine-related questions for me, I would be glad to answer them.
With best regards,
Mikhail
(Journalist and chess player from Odessa, winner of the 1998 Noteboom Memorial tournament)
или http://xsovietunion.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/letter-from-ukrainian-to-dutch-people.html
или (PDF) https://mikhailgolubev.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/golubev-21march2016-letter-ned-ukr-vote.pdf
***
Dear Dutch friends,
On April 6, your country will vote on deeper cooperation between Ukraine and the EU. Somehow, I feel more or less obliged to write to you about it.
You may agree or not, but in my opinion it will be primarily a moral choice. Because you will either support Putin's imperial ambitions, or support my country, which is fighting against the Russian military intervention.
In Ukraine we are living in permanent stress because of these events, but we also know that most likely it will all continue for years. And Ukraine will never be fully safe until Putin's aggressive regime in Russia ceases to exist. Ukrainians will defend our own country under any circumstances, but it is also true that with more economic and moral support from the free world our mission gets easier.
I am grateful for the support which Ukraine has received from Western countries so far. I was sure for years that NATO would not fight for us militarily in the event of a Russian attack, which was no longer unlikely after the unjustified Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. I think that what the West is doing now is in line with what we Ukrainians could have realistically hoped and expected.
Because of the Russian invasion, in the last two years we have faced many terrible things for which we were not ready, to put it mildly. Once again, my condolences on the MH17 tragedy, and deep apologies if our Ukrainian government committed any mistakes which allowed or did not prevent Putin's gangsters from shooting down the plane.
I know that Putin's propaganda is quite strong in Western Europe. Russia does not have enough money to make a better life for its own people, but indeed finds big money for this. A number of good websites refute the Russian lies and fakes about Ukraine on a daily basis. If you have any Ukraine-related questions for me, I would be glad to answer them.
With best regards,
Mikhail
(Journalist and chess player from Odessa, winner of the 1998 Noteboom Memorial tournament)