Dear Editor:

The Boothbay Register publishes Joe's Journal which had two recent articles about the Russian invasion of Ukraine; “War drums redux” and “Ukraine: a local analysis.” We’ve all seen the news of Russia’s war in Ukraine; Putin doesn’t call it war, and a recent law makes it illegal to call it such. Unfortunately, the pillage increases daily. I’ve been numerous times to Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine is a beautiful country, with beautiful and friendly people. It’s a modern city with stores, buildings, churches, monuments, and cars and roads very similar to ours. It was considered The Bread Basket of the Soviet Union, and agricultural exports are still an important part of its economy. This snippet regarding Ukrainian history will help explain why Putin says, “Ukraine isn't a real independent nation, Russia and Ukraine are one nation,” and “Ukrainians are Little Russians.”

Beginning in the 9th century A.D. there was the Kievan-Rus’ Empire which included much of what we now consider eastern Europe. Later, Ukraine was part of the Lithuanian-Polish Empire. Three present European states, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, consider the origin of their cultures, languages, and Orthodox-Catholic faith to be in Ukraine. Belarus and Russia show this in their names. Belarus, earlier Byelorussia (literally White Russia), and Russia speak the same language. Ukrainian, while similar to Russian, is a distinctly different language. Most Ukrainians speak both.

Of course, this intimate relationship doesn’t justify what we see happening today. Opinion writers, and Putin himself, begin to talk about World War III and even nuclear war. I consider Russia's actions illegal, scary and insane.

Doug Reilly

Los Alamos, New Mexico

and Sprucewold