LET'S THINK ABOUT THE WAR IN UKRAINE.

 

 

Volodymyr Zelenskiy: The unlikely hero of the Ukrainian resistance

The country’s president, initially perceived as a political lightweight and an easy target for Putin, now represents a legitimate commander in chief of a country at war 

 

 

 ( from El Pais in English) 

What do you think of this image. Think of adjectives that can be applied to both characters.

 

Have a look at the adjectives in the link. What of these would you use to describe Putin and Zelenski? 

 

WHO IS WINNIG THE WAR? 

Less than a week into the war, it seems increasingly likely that Vladimir Putin is heading towards a historic defeat. He may win all the battles but lose the war. Putin has the  dream of rebuilding the Russian empire. The lie below is that Ukraine isn’t a real nation,  and that the inhabitants of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv want Moscow’s rule. But Ukraine is a nation with more than a thousand years of history, and Kyiv was already a major metropolis when Moscow was not even a village. But the Russian despot has told his lie so many times that he apparently believes it himself.

 When planning his invasion of Ukraine, Putin  knew that militarily Russia was militarily superior to  Ukraine. He knew that Nato would not send troops to help Ukraine. He knew that European dependence on Russian oil and gas would make countries like Germany hesitate about imposing stiff sanctions. Based on these known facts, his plan was to hit Ukraine hard and fast, decapitate its government, establish a puppet regime in Kyiv, and ride out the western sanctions.

 But there was one big unknown about this plan.  It is much easier to conquer a country than to hold it. Putin knew he had the power to conquer Ukraine. But would the Ukrainian people just accept Moscow’s puppet regime? 

 With each passing day, it is becoming clearer that Putin’s gamble is failing. The Ukrainian people are resisting with all their heart, winning the admiration of the entire world – and winning the war. Many dark days lie ahead. The Russians may still conquer the whole of Ukraine. But to win the war, the Russians would have to hold Ukraine, and they can do that only if the Ukrainian people let them. This seems increasingly unlikely to happen.

Unfortunately, this war is likely to be long-lasting. Taking different forms, it may well continue for years. But the most important issue has already been decided. The last few days have proved to the entire world that Ukraine is a very real nation, that Ukrainians are a very real people, and that they definitely don’t want to live under a new Russian empire. The main question left open is how long it will take for this message to penetrate the Kremlin’s thick walls.

• (From The Guardian.  By Yuval Noah Harari is a historian and author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

   

   

   

  WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULD WE SUPPLY WEAPONS TO UKRANIANS? ARE YOU A PACIFIST AND THINK THAT WEAPONS WILL BRING MORE DEATH AND DISTRUCTION? 

  
  

  WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE "NO A LA GUERRA" CAPTION? iS THIS A WAR ? IS THIS AN INVASION? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? 

  
  

  HOW CAN WE HELP? WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO HELP?
  

  Spain backtracks and will send weapons to ‘Ukraine resistance’

  Spain will supply "offensive military hardware" to Ukraine following Russia's invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told parliament on Wednesday, only two days after he'd ruled out that Spain would send weapons to Ukraine separately from the EU.

   

  https://www.thelocal.es/20220302/spain-backtracks-and-will-send-military-hardware-to-ukraine-resistance/

   

   

  
  

  PART 2. 

  CLASS PROJECT. WAR, ART AND PROPAGANDA. 

  To put it in a simple way, wars are normally disputed between two parts with two different visions of the conflict. The choice of words is already important. Russians are speaking now of the Ukrainian conflict whereas Ukrainian's and the rest of the world use the word WAR. The story told is different in one part of the conflict and in the other. We take parts according to the information we get. 
  

  READING 

  How long has Ukraine been in war? 

  What is the last news you have heard about it?  

  Read the following text and answer the questions below.
  

  ZELENSKY COMPARES UKRAINE'S WAR WITH GUERNIKA. 

  1. What is the text about? 

  2. What historical event does Presedent Zelensky refer to? Which two towns does he compare? 

  3. What do you know of Guernika? 

  4. How many people have died in Ukraine since the beginning of war? How many people have fled? 

  5.  Do you know the following works of art? What can you say about the one below? Who painted it? When? Why? How important is art in war propaganda? 

   

   

  
  

   

   

  Do you know Bansky? Find some information about him. Copy and paste some of his images about war. How do you interprete them?