Again pushing the big lie? The 2014 referenda in Donbas was for autonomy within Ukraine, not independence. Nor was independence needed to preserve the Russian language. Following the Minsk accords, Ukraine passed a law, twice, to grant Donbas autonomy. It is only Russian occupation that prevented it. As for the 2022 referenda, I will not even give them the time of day. Putting aside Luhansk and Donetsk, does anyone really believe that Zaporizhzia and Kherson, with 70% and 80% Ukrainian majorities respectfully, really voted to be annexed by Russia.
Precisely. They have repeatedly expressed their fervent desire through voting to preserve their religious beliefs, language, and culture. They were denied this basic human right. You’ve picked your team and now insist that they fight until their young men are more than decimated even to the point of forced conscription with no thought of the human or moral question. This is not a game. This isn’t our fight. The young men on both sides are as real as you and me. This isn’t some abstract argument or debate. Every dollar that we send now prolongs the very real suffering and death. As a rule, when someone wants to leave it’s best to allow it.