Ukraine, an admirable patriotism that puts Western patriotism to the test

After abandoning the Julian calendar, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God on October 1.

This is how Putin's Russia has been supporting the anti-Spanish black legend
Russia's support for separatism in Spain and the support of Spanish separatists for Russia

This is the second year that this holiday has been celebrated on this day, which in Ukraine is linked to a patriotic holiday: the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, a day dedicated to paying tribute to the men and women who defend that country, especially those who have fallen in its defense, which are already many since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, and also, before that, in the eight years that Ukraine has been fighting against the Russians in various areas of the country.

The defenders of Ukraine are today an admirable example of patriotism, because of all the forms of love for the Homeland, the most worthy of homage is that of those who are willing to risk their lives for it when it suffers an attack.

In the West, the example of Ukraine’s defenders deserves the admiration of all of us who appreciate the virtue of patriotism. Those who love their homeland understand those who fight for theirs against an invader. We are also talking about an unprovoked invasion, driven by expansionist ideals and seasoned by Russian propaganda with a wave of lies. With many of these lies, the Kremlin has sought to defuse the support of Western patriots for Ukraine by fomenting isolationism among us, by circulating messages that this war is not for us, and by trying to foster fear that will override our admiration for Ukrainian patriotism.

The reality is that the Russian invasion of Ukraine affects the entire West, because it is the greatest threat to peace in Europe since the end of World War II. Let us remember that since the beginning of this invasion, Russia has launched threats against Finland, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Moldova. At the time of these threats, four of the threatened countries - Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - were members of NATO (now Finland and Sweden are also members), allied countries with which we are committed to mutual defense against any aggression.

Thus, the patriotism of Ukraine's defenders is putting the patriotism of Western countries to the test. Ukraine is fighting alone against the greatest geopolitical threat to Europe in our time, and the least we owe it is military and economic support to sustain its just struggle for freedom and independence - the same help we would ask for if we were in that situation.

Those who call for us to turn our backs on Ukraine and isolate ourselves from what happens outside are pushing us to suffer the effects of this isolationism in the future. Let us imagine for a moment what would happen if our country were to suffer an attack by Morocco. The same people who are now calling for us to turn our backs on Ukraine would also call for us to turn our backs on our country, and they would do so with the same arguments. It is not patriotism that drives these speeches, but rather a selfishness that benefits those who seek to take advantage of our weakness.

Without allies, all Western countries are weaker and the Kremlin knows it, that is why the propaganda it directs at Western patriots paradoxically seeks to make them close their eyes and extinguish their sense of patriotism in relation to Ukraine and favor the invader, the one who is threatening our allies, the one who has supported anti-Spanish separatism, the one who promotes the Hispanophobic far-left and the one who promotes the black legend against Spain.

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Photo: Serhii Nuzhnenko/RadioSvoboda.org (RFE/RL).