Europe's future can be found in Ukraine's people
In a time of disillusionment, we can find inspiration in Ukraine
Listening to the news is rarely a fun event these days. A climate crisis, a cost of living crisis, the rise of toxic populists, war in Europe and Africa, while in Britain we have the legacy of a catastrophic decision over Brexit which has shredded (correctly) our global reputation, aided by two joke Prime Ministers who have made my country a laughing stock.
But despair and giving up is not an option we can afford to embrace. To encourage ourselves I think we should look for examples of people rising above adversity and driving forward.
For me, Ukraine provides many such examples. They were meant to be crushed by the megalith next door and its mighty Russian army. Not only did it not happen, but the way it did not happen is inspirational, because at its heart was the unity of individuals coming together to resist tyranny through a combination of courage, belief, initiative, and skill.
Yes, the Russians proved to be something of a hollow shell, but in part that was because they were a monolithic, kleptocratic, tyranny, who had mass but little more – the system made them much less than the sum of their parts. In contrast, the emerging Ukraine, still undergoing a painful and difficult transition from its corrupt and Soviet legacy, has still progressed enough to unleash the potential of individuals who share our best values and are prepared to fight and risk all to defend them.
We are seeing this in so many ways, and this article in The Atlantic by Anne Applebaum highlights that harnessing of individuals and their skills in a common cause https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/06/counteroffensive-ukraine-zelensky-crimea/673781/
However, I have been lucky enough to have a personal link to some of this individual initiative through connecting with the Ukrainian PR Army (https://www.pr.army/). This is a network of communicators who have parked their civilian jobs in areas like marketing and PR to use their specialist skills to work to support the Ukrainian cause.
Last autumn, they contacted me, asking for a virtual meeting so they could seek some advice about StratCom. They had heard of me due to my regular visits and activities in Ukraine as part of NATO’s StratCom effort from 2014-20.
At the end of that first call, it was obvious what a talented bunch they were, but I offered to continue advising them as long as it useful to them, and so it has gone on. In particular, from our discussions it was suggested that aside from their general activities they should focus on the issue of Russia’s policy of forcibly deporting Ukrainian citizens, both adults and children.
This barbaric policy is not only a war crime, but also a repeat of Soviet and Russian Imperialist policies to control conquered territories by literally changing their demography through mass deportations. It has happened, especially in Stalin’s time, in the Baltics, Moldova and Ukraine and elsewhere. Putin is literally trying to repeat history, and for the same reason – dictatorial control.
As a result, the PR Army launched the ‘Where are our People’ (WAOP) campaign (https://deportation.org.ua/). At the time, many were aware of forcible deportations, but it was not a major talking point in the public debate. The PR Army helped change that, elevating the issue at all levels, both with some governments (including Ukraine), NGOs and the media. Of course, most notably, Putin is now under indictment by the International Criminal Court for the unlawful deportation of children (https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and).
Of course, it is impossible to know whether the WAOP campaign made a specific difference here, but I think the attention they generated, putting more focus on this barbarism must have helped. In any event, the PR Army’s work has been recognised by a variety of awards they have won or been put up for.
But that is not the key point of this Substack – it is the inspiration that we should take from this group and others like them.
They are kind enough to say they appreciate my support but, frankly, I regard it as a privilege to help them and be in any way useful. They will probably blush at the praise, but they are the kind of people who are the bedrock of a future Europe.
They are young, energetic, well-educated, highly capable, hard-working and committed to both their country and the values represented by the best of Europe. They are mostly female because many of their male friends are on the frontline doing their bit as well – the PR Army is typical of so many, not atypical.
For, in my visits to Ukraine after 2014 I met many others like the PR Army, typical of those who rescued their country during the Euromaidan protests. Hugely impressive people with an idealism about what could be that was inspiring, and also an antidote to the jaded cynicism that leads to passivity. It was that direct experience which fed my commitment to supporting Ukraine’s people.
I am not blind to Ukraine’s failings either. There is still major corruption and systemic problems and, even beyond the current conflict, the country’s road to stability and prosperity will be both long and probably rocky. But Ukraine has produced literally millions of people committed to the kind of future most of us want, and also very capable of contributing to making it happen. That is provided we help as well – and if we do then Europe will also be the winners.
I would go further. As others have argued, support for Ukraine is a test for us – a trial by combat between our democracies and autocracies. Putin’s aggression is not just a threat to Ukraine, but if he wins, a threat to all of Europe, both from the psychological effect of our defeat and also the physical loss of Ukraine’s resources. Not just industrial, agricultural, technological, and geopolitical but including its human capital such as the PR Army. Who could not want people like these on our side?
Ukraine and what happens there is our future, literally and metaphorically – a challenge and an opportunity.
So, to return to how I started. It is easy and understandable to look at the world around us and feel a little despair at the direction of travel. But to find some inspiration that we can all make a difference then we do not have far to look.
Thanks Mark. Really interesting and very happy for you that you have managed to contribute to the cause. I think we have all been looking around to see how we can help, directly or indirectly, so thanks for sharing your story. You will remember the days before the end of the Cold War. When the May Day parades in Red Square witnessed huge missile laden vehicles rumbling past the Kremlin. Huge missiles that were made of papier-mâché (ok, maybe not literally). We saw the same again in Feb/Mar/Apr last year when they were found out for what they are. The great line about cheques from the original Top Gun movie comes to mind. But now is the time for cool heads. The battles are no closer to being won, yet. Russia will unleash all it has to avoid a humiliating defeat and withdrawal. Your PR Army will need to earn every penny to stay ahead of Moscow’s propaganda machine.