Shche ne vmerla Ukraina

Listen to the Ukrainian National Anthem here.

I have said this before, but here I am saying it again: I actually don't like posting about politics on this blog.
I may have to start a separate one just for that after I graduate, so at least then it would all have a home.

But my family and I were talking about the whole situation with Ukraine and Russia last night, and my sister brought up some points that were nearly verbatim what I had discussed with a friend.
Now let me just say this: my family and our church family have very close ties to Ukraine. Our church sponsors an orphanage there, and my mom, my sister, my brother, and a lot of my friends have gone there on mission trips.
I say this to let you know that, yes, I am biased.
But I still think my sister and I are right about this.

The one really huge thing that doesn't seem to bother people is that Russia outright invaded Ukraine, forced a "vote", and annexed part of what is legally Ukraine.
Um, this is a big freaking deal.

"Oh, but Crimea voted on it. They want to be part of Russia."
Oh really? The voting was not done via secret ballot. Russian troops were literally occupying Ukraine and Crimea. Civilians had already been killed. Do you really think they were going to vote "no" with a ballot that had their name on it while Russian soldiers were marching up and down their street?
To be honest, I know I wouldn't.
And I know that nobody would want Russia to cut off their gas supply again, which resulted in the slow deaths of thousands not even a decade ago.

"But they speak Russian. It just makes sense that they be part of Russia."
No, it actually doesn't.
Yes, they do speak Russian because in the 50's when Crimea was given to Ukraine (not saying that was totally on the up-and-up, by the way) a lot of people were displaced.
Also, John Green makes the point that it's much easier to administer an area that's actually, you know, attached to you.
When Russia legally gave Crimea to Ukraine, that was that. Until Russia decided it wanted the warm water port back, and illegally occupied and annexed it.
No, that doesn't make sense.

"Well, it's over now, so there's nothing we can do about it."
Don't get me - or my sister, who's got a pretty darn solid view of the whole thing - started on what this administration could have and should have done.
Don't even.
But who said this was over?
Am I the only one who's reminded of Hitler's invasion of basically all of Europe?
In my humble opinion, anyone who trusts Vladmir Putin at this point is either completely uneducated about his background as a KGB agent or an utter fool.
Or both, which honestly is much more frightening.

All I can say is that our prayers are with the people of Ukraine, because clearly our support as a country won't be.