Ukraine has chosen to confront evil directly, unlike post-WWII Germany, analysts explained at the 2023 Lviv Media Forum.
From Euromaiden Press BY ORYSIA HRUDKA
During the 2023 Lviv Media Forum, amid the backdrop of an ongoing war, historian Franziska Davies (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), photojournalist Christopher Occhicone (Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and Stern), and philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko (Pen Ukraine) discussed the values that define modern-day Ukraine. The country’s distinct identity is rooted in the repulsion of violence, love for the land, and a warrior ethos. The struggle for dignity and the fight against colonialism and imperialism have shaped Ukraine’s character, proving that societies and people have the power to effect change.
Repulsion of violence
Volodymyr Yermolenko: When we talk about in which way Ukraine is different from Russia, I would not only talk about freedom but also about the attitude to violence. I was born in 1980 and what I see is increasingly less tolerance to all sorts of violence — though that doesn’t mean we have progressed to an ideal state. I do think that totalitarian regimes – and Russia is an heir of totalitarian regimes – are the fabric of society built upon this verticality of violence. You either suffer from violence or exert violence.
Voice of Ukraine 