Ukraine used to be a Russian friend

This is a graph[1] which shows how the Ukrainians attitude towards Russia changed over time. I want you to look at it and remember the way it looks. Please note the two sharp attitude changes in 2014 and 2022.

Graph showing changing attitude of Ukrainians towards Russia, first 90% had good attitude, after 2014 it fell below 50%, after 2022 it fell to 2% Dynamics of good and bad attitude of the population of Ukraine to Russia, KIIS research

The graph is pretty self-descriptive. But I will still explain it.

Now it’s difficult to imagine, but Ukraine used to be one of the friendliest country for Russia. Lots of Ukrainians watched Russian movies, listened to Russian music and read Russian books. Ukraine and Russia lived in a common cultural space and had lots of common projects. Most of people could use Russian language depending on occasion, about half of population even used Russian as a language of daily communication. Ukraine was the second largest country in the world, where Russian language was used in a daily lives (the first one being Russia). Ukraine was a country where Russian Orthodox Church had the second largest following (after the Russia itself). There was even a Russian military base on the Ukrainian territory and Ukraine gave away all its nukes together with some other arms to Russia, hoping that Russia will protect us. What a trust!

Then 2014 came and Russia annexed Crimea. This felt as a stab in the back. Even if the Maidan 2014 was a coup (which it wasn’t) — that does not mean that Russia should have invaded Crimea. Poland did not invade Lviv, Hungary did not invade Transcarpathia, Romania did not invade Bukovyna, Turkey did not invade Crimea. It was Russia which invaded Crimea. And about half of Ukrainians changed their attitude towards Russia.

Then 2022 full-scale invasion came. With rockets, bombs, artillery, tanks and planes. And almost all Ukrainians now hate Russia. Those people who warned against friendship with Russia even before 2014 because they considered Russia to be an eternal Ukrainian enemy appeared to be right. Those who were sure that Russian atrocities were left in the past, that Russia has changed and it will protect us, Ukrainians, if anything bad ever happened with Ukraine appeared to be wrong. I was among those wrong.

Russia produces lots of lies about how hatred towards Russians was instilled in Ukrainians through some kind of propaganda, but a fair look at the graph shows the obvious and logical truth. Ukrainians started hating Russia because of Russian actions. Because bombing a country is not a way to make its citizens love you. Russia lost the battle for Ukrainian hearts for good.

[1] Dynamics of good and bad attitude of the population of Ukraine to Russia, KIIS research: https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=1112&page=1