Ukraine’s Brothers
A sad story of big brothers watching their little brother being cut.
To make the situation understandable, imagine the world superpowers as a family, where the USA, Great Britain, China, Russia, Germany and France are all brothers.
Swords are Guns, and Guns are Nukes
Like all siblings, some are stronger than others. The strongest of the brothers are the United States and Great Britian. As for Russia, he’s about as strong as his brother China, being nuclear capable.
Right now, Russia is cutting into adolescent Ukraine, having attacked him unprovoked. Russia has guns (Nukes), but he’s decided to use his sword, seeing no need to hurt Ukraine too badly. After all, Russia is trying to cut just deep enough to make Ukraine submit.
As with any boy being attacked by a full grown man, Ukraine can’t win. He might put up an admirable fight, for a bit, making his older brothers proud. Nevertheless, in the end, his aloof big brothers know what will happen, if they don’t intervene.
“Don’t grab your guns, brothers! Even if you take up swords, I’ll fire my gun. I don’t care who gets shot, so long as Ukraine is my slave.”
Not willing to begin a gunfight with Russia (nuclear war), the Allied Powers stand back, yelling from afar, “Go Ukraine! You can do it!”
Instead of doing nothing, the big brothers take action.
“Here, Ukraine. Take this sword. We know it’s heavy, but it will scare Russia away.”
Small, bleeding and tired, Ukraine thanks the Allies for the sword, though its weight causes his arms to shake. Swinging wild, he makes a few superficial cuts on Russia’s knees.
“You’ll need more than that, little boy,” says Russia, as he stands outside Ukraine’s burning house, where cries of anguish lift out of the smoke.
“We’re dying! Help us!” they say, steeling Ukraine to swing his blade, panting like a chased dog.
“Ha! I knew they wouldn’t help you,” Russia scoffs. “Sooner or later, you will be mine!”
“I’ll die first!” Ukraine shouts, stabbing his sword with all his might, the tip connecting with Russia’s little finger.
“What about your family? Will you let them die? Submit, and I’ll let most of them live.”
Feeling the heat of his burning house, Ukraine is undone. His eyes beg his brothers to stop Russia, as they look down from their many-storied houses, oiling their guns.
Ukraine remembers how is brothers the Allies stood by, as Russia cut off his Crimean foot, in 2014. “Give Russia your guns,” they said, after the Berlin Wall fell. “He’s a good brother. He’s promised to destroy your rifles for you. Give him your guns and we’ll protect you,” they said. How hollow are their words now.
To save his family, Ukraine drops his sword. “Have mercy,” he begs.
“Da. I will have mercy…slave.”
