Daniel Kemp

I read this today on another social media site and thought it far too relevant to leave to just one site.

The rest of this is the work of one man, whose photograph is at the end of the post.

Nazar Rozlutsky
PhD in History,
Author of 6 books
Junior Sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is the biggest war of the 21st century with the highest stakes, and Ukraine isn’t going to surrender.

“2 years ago, I wrote a post that went viral and was translated into various languages — the post was about Ukraine’s determination to fight to the end,” writes Nazar Rozlutsky, PhD in History, author of 6 books, who is now a junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“At that time, people were pushing Ukraine to negotiate. I wrote then that Ukraine would not negotiate until the russian occupiers retreated from our territory. Neither independence nor territorial integrity can be a subject of negotiation.

Now, 2 years later, I want to reiterate my statements. I say this at a time when russians have been launching mass rocket attacks on our cities for several days in a row.

When American politicians cannot agree on a critical aid package necessary for Ukraine to defend not only the front lines but also cities in the rear. When senior US officials try to persuade us not to attack russian oil refineries.

When Polish farmers block the Ukrainian border. When a joint team of Americans and russians is preparing to launch into space. When the war in Ukraine has long disappeared from Western newspaper headlines.

I do not retract any of my prior statements. Furthermore, I want to add. We will not just fight to the end or to victory. We will fight as we see fit and will not listen to any “concerned voices.”

We will bring the war to russian territory, we will attack their military, metallurgical, and oil plants. We will invade russian territory. We will make sure they have no peace until the last russian soldier leaves Ukraine.

We listened to “advisers” for too long, telling us not to escalate, not to irritate russia — but it did not help us. We listened to those who verbally supported us but continued to buy russian oil, planning joint projects with the russians. We will no longer listen to them.

The price of these calls for peace and negotiations — is that, as a writer and historian, I still have to fight the occupiers. The price of these meaningless words is the destroyed houses today in Zaporizhzhia, the trolleybus with civilians hit by a russian rocket.

It is the death of the wonderful poet Maksym Kryvtsov, who instead of writing poems went to war. It is the death of my colleague Yuriy Juice, who like me was a professional historian, but instead of sitting in an office, he went to the trenches.

It is the death of the poet Viktoria Amelina, who was not even a military person, but it did not save her from a russian rocket containing elements made in Western countries. I can tell thirty such stories. Thirty people russians forever took away from me.

So the next time American politicians, Polish farmers, Slovak voters, or anyone else thinks of pushing us to compromise or wage war in a way that won’t hurt their interests — I will ask them to shut up.

We fight, and we will fight as we see fit. Until we drive the last russian occupier from our land. You can help us by giving us more weapons and blocking trade with russia. Or you can betray us. But even if you betray us, we will still continue to fight.

I would like this text to be reposted and shared around the world. Spread it, copy it, translate it, send it to politicians.”