euractiv.com/section/global-europe/opinion/a-letter-from-a-russian-friend/
" The Russian invasion of Ukraine is so brutal and ruthless because this is where the fate of the so-called "Russian world" is decided, writes Orhan Dragaš.
Dr Orhan Dragaš from the International Security Institute is the author of the books "Two faces of globalisation - truth and deceptions" and "Post-Truth in South-East Europe".
I received a short letter from a friend from Russia with a request to publish it, hoping that at least part of the world public will hear a Russian voice whose opinion differs from the narrative dictated by the Kremlin. Of course, he can't publish his views in his country because the danger of reprisal is real. Here is the letter:
"Nowadays, many are wondering what happened to Russia and how to solve it. Let me explain to you that nothing happened to Russia. You are witnessing "normal" Russia. Russia has always been like this and will remain so as long as Russia is Russia.
Russian nationalism was always present in Russian society, even during the Soviet days. Just like people in America have degrading jokes about rednecks, similarly, even during the Soviet days, the people from the Russian republic of the USSR had many insulting jokes about people from Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, and the minorities that were a part of the Russian republic of the USSR.
Russian society has always been anti-Semite and chauvinist and has had resistance and prejudice against all different and alien ethnicities and nations. The unity was always held with force and terror was always imposed by the government. All territories that now comprise Russian Federation were acquired by force, bribery, or both. Imperial Russia added more territories, Soviet Russia added more territories, and today's Russia is adding territories.
A few examples: Imperial Russia occupied north Caucasus tribes, Russia occupied Chinese territory, and Soviet Russia attacked and seized Finnish territories.
What today's Russia does in Ukraine is the same as what Soviet Russia did in Finland. Russia was and still is an occupier.
Russia cannot be a decent democratic state because a decent democratic state will not be able to hold the territories Russia already has.
Russia attacked Ukraine dominantly because Russia needed to exercise the Russian world narrative. The current Russian doctrine perceives Ukraine as a breakaway region that must remain under Russian control. If Ukraine succeeds in escaping Russian dominance, other regions and republics like Kazan and North Caucasus might try the same.
The global community must understand that ongoing madness and aggression will only grow if Russia succeeds in Ukraine. Russia will not stop. Russia can only be stopped.
The West must stop Russia in Ukraine, and the West must disintegrate Russia, so that Russia will not attack ever again."
The author of this letter, my friend Sergei, is swimming against the current, and his views on Russia are completely different from the opinions of the vast majority of his compatriots. More than 80% of them support Putin's aggression against Ukraine and their army's crimes against the Ukrainian people. But that does not make Sergei a lesser patriot, on the contrary. He is just a free man, unlike most."