In Focus

Things visible from space: The Great Wall of China, the oceans, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s balls.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been the hot topic lately, many believing this is the start of World War 3. Remember saying this about the war in Iraq/War on Terror (that is still ongoing)? While I hope and pray it will not come to that but, yes, the conflict is increasing and repercussions will be immediate to long-lasting.

When the Russo-Ukrainian war began in 2014, Ukraine's president skipped town. Now Zelenskyy, president since 2019, was asked by the U.S. if he would like to be relocated. He simply said, “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.” Then he suited up and headed to the front lines to join his soldiers in combat.

This worsening conflict is no laughing matter but you can’t help but appreciate how Ukraine is responding to Russia. Let’s take the now infamous Snake Island 13 who told a Russian warship to “Eff off” before their island was bombed. Those thought to be dead are actually alive. Or how about the digital road signs in Ukraine that were all changed to “go eff yourselves” intended for the Russian invaders.

Ukraine just gave itself a new motto for the war without even trying. Brilliant.

These Ukrainian people are done with Russia and their constant bullying, the shelling, and continuous conflict. We can’t forget about the people’s symbol of hope, the ace fighter pilot The Ghost of Kyiv. He was recently shot down and believed to be dead but later it was told he jumped back into another fighter jet to shoot down Russian planes. And my personal favorite is the Sunflower Grandma. The sunflower is the official flower of Ukraine and this unfazed grandmother offered sunflower seeds to a Russian soldier to put in his pockets so when he died sunflowers would bloom. Epic.

It’s amazing to see the global show of support for Ukraine. Iconic landmarks donning Blue and Yellow, rallies of support, and my personal favorite, hackers joining the fray.

As companies pull out and shut off their resources to Russia, and some liquor stores are pulling and dumping Russian-made vodka, you also have the keyboard warriors going after Russia’s infrastructure. The hacker group Anonymous has infiltrated the Russian government and shut down their websites, messing with their state TV so that channels play footage from the fight in Ukraine. Even the kid that got in trouble for tracking Elon Musk’s private jet, has set his sights on the Russian hierarchy’s movements. Google maps turned off live traffic in Ukraine. Even Musk turned on his Starlink satellite internet for the Ukrainians.

I think Russia is screwing themselves. Even their own people are protesting against Putin. Ukraine and Big Balls Zelenskyy want to handle this conflict on their own. Sending ammunition is one thing, sending troops is another. Zelenskyy did open it up to people in other countries who have police and military backgrounds if they wish to volunteer. And, yes, soldiers are coming. They are even releasing convicts with combat backgrounds to join the fight.

The world is literally on standby waiting for Zelenskyy to say “send in the troops”. For now, they want to de-escalate this as peacefully as possible, because the more countries directly involved will further escalate the situation.

All we can do for now is watch how this unfolds and pray for it to end quickly.