Maria Salustio
Anne ApplebaumUkraine's survival, Zelensky's triumphant speech - none of this was inevitable. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if the US and Europe had not helped Ukraine, if Russia had occupied the country, if the Ukrainian political class and creative class had been wiped out, if Russian troops were now based along the Polish border. What would the world look like now?
📎🖐️ Alan Taylor 🎬 📚
Elizabeth Rynecki@anneapplebaum In a good way, your article reminds me of WISŁAWA SZYMBORSKA’S poem, “COULD HAVE”
Martin Vermeer FCD@anneapplebaum Lifting this quote up.
"Zelensky came to Washington to thank Americans on behalf of Ukraine, but in truth, it is we who should be thanking them."
Robert Martin@anneapplebaum fucking scary as hell
Ted Seuss 
@anneapplebaum what if I only want to receive and read your articles, do I still have to subscribe to Atlantic?
@TheodoreSeuss I think so. But let me ask....
Warmearthling@anneapplebaum this is exactly the conversation my husband and I had last night…how different Ukraine would look with Trump as president. The world would be much different.
Steve Popovich@anneapplebaum and if we still had the 🍊 🤡 in office, we would likely be seeing all of what the article describes, and more. The whole world dodged a bullet on 1/6.
MysticBasil 🇺🇦@anneapplebaum just tagging this with #StandWithUkraine for better search coverage. Thanks for great article!
Richard Konarski@anneapplebaum As always, thank-you for the cogent analysis!
Meme@anneapplebaum Wow, this is a frightening picture of what could've easily happened if the US and its allies didn't stand with Ukraine. May we continue to do so until victory is fully secured! #StandWithUkraine #UKRAINEWAR #SlavaUkraini
івась тарасик#quote | «Ukraine’s continued existence as a sovereign state was not inevitable either. Back in February, many considered these things to be improbable»
a great thank you goes to the united states, — the nation and its leaders. however, the war is still going on, and #fascist #russia is still killing people while trying to keep it's grip on the occupied ukrainian territories including #crimea.
Toxteth O'Grady@anneapplebaum But some people are unhappy we care so much...
https://twitter.com/johncardillo/status/1605902298156306435?s=20&t=IL_Bgb4LdP0g21uHTaolTA
https://twitter.com/johncardillo/status/1605902298156306435?s=20&t=IL_Bgb4LdP0g21uHTaolTA
Jim Vernon@anneapplebaum Excellent article. I like the addition of sources to head off those who would try to say that the talk of Ukrainian genocide is hyperbolic. The Russians have already been working toward it in the midst of a war, and to imagine what would have happened to if they'd been unopposed makes me shudder.
Sean Ketchem@anneapplebaum In other words if Trump's coup attempt had succeeded
Ellen Jæger@anneapplebaum China would have invaded Taiwan. And Putin would be ogling the Baltic states and invading Moldova.
Alexander Karn@anneapplebaum Enagaged, committed leadership + investment of resources + public engagement/outreach (explaining the stakes). That’s the way to nourish and sustain #democracy.
SueD@anneapplebaum GREAT article!
Danatheone@anneapplebaum Game this out— moderate loss of tanks, soldiers by Russia. Putin would likely amass forces and invade, why not, nobody is willing to stop him, impossible to prove but this is just a game and this is a credible guess
Pēteris Krišjānis@anneapplebaum if Putin would have been boosted by taking Ukraine in a week, WW3 would be very hard to prevent. It is just a simple truth. We dodged tens of bullets this year. But we are not out of woods yet.
Swedryk@anneapplebaum Jesus, I and my family could've been lying in a cold ground right now...
Lynne Rickards@anneapplebaum This is a chilling and powerful article, one I would like to share far and wide.
Vivian Creekmore@anneapplebaum
We 1000% support #Ukraine.
It is in the best interests of
#Ukraine, Europe, the USA, the world
They are fighting for #Democracy
We 1000% support #Ukraine.
It is in the best interests of
#Ukraine, Europe, the USA, the world
They are fighting for #Democracy
Giraffe Slava 🇺🇸🇺🇦@anneapplebaum it all would have happened that way if Trump had remained in power.
Kathy E. Gill 🇺🇦Thank you for shining a light on America’s Putin-loving GOP members. Are they compromised? Simply grasping for power? True believers?
This tidbit from the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) needs amplifying as well: ~5% of our defense budget to help decimate Putin’s Army seems like a good ROI to me.
https://cepa.org/article/its-costing-peanuts-for-the-us-to-defeat-russia/
JeremyCaradonna@anneapplebaum Genius piece!
John Venditti@anneapplebaum You are correct and we should thank Zelensky and Ukraine for their courage. Also, we shouldn't excuse America's previous administration for emboldening a tyrant.
Silvia Rasmussen@anneapplebaum it’s terrifying to contemplate.
Chris Shaw@anneapplebaum Bravo. Exactly right
Jerry Goff@anneapplebaum Congrats. One for the history books. Please expand when it's appropriate. You're right on target.
Ted_Cville@anneapplebaum if trump had been reelected, it might well have worked out this way!
Statmonkey 🙊@anneapplebaum
Excellent concept and piece. Appreciate this.
Excellent concept and piece. Appreciate this.
Reino Koho@anneapplebaum We Europeans would be now in very big trouble with Russia if Ukraine hadn't stood up and fought for their freedom. And defending whole Europe at the same time. We need to do everything we can and beyond that to help Ukraine.
John Mullahy@anneapplebaum
"Zelensky came to Washington to thank Americans on behalf of Ukraine, but in truth, it is we who should be thanking them." 🇺🇦
"Zelensky came to Washington to thank Americans on behalf of Ukraine, but in truth, it is we who should be thanking them." 🇺🇦
SomersetWhovian 🇺🇦💙@anneapplebaum
A clear, and sobering analysis of what might have been ... The murder, torture and kidnapping of #Ukrainians is horrific enough now, but your analysis shows just how much worse it could have been. Thank you.
Kathy Andrew@anneapplebaum Excellent point. Things would be looking pretty darn scary right about now!
cowboybanjobiker 🤠🪕🚴@anneapplebaum A very thoughtful piece, thank you!
@anneapplebaum scary to think of that alternative...
Miguel Duarte@anneapplebaum we don't know what would have happened of course.
But a lot of the western reactions we saw would have been inevitable, like cutting oil and gas from Russia and army building in Europe. Putin regime would have lost credibility as a commercial partner with the west and it was a failure for him not to understand that.
I don't believe Russia would invade a NATO country however. But believe all other countries in the region would have been considered fair game by Putin.
Andy Brice@anneapplebaum "Zelensky came to Washington to thank Americans on behalf of Ukraine, but in truth, it is we who should be thanking them."
Inc Hulk 🧪@anneapplebaum I am pretty ancient I know, but in my lifetime Soviet tanks have rolled into the eastern EU where I now live. If Ukraine had folded easily then the evil Putin could easily have moved further, risking a wider conflict, while hoping to spread more disharmony between nations. Weak and compromised leaders are very dangerous.
𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚔@anneapplebaum amazing piece. Thank you.
Anthony Jeffries@anneapplebaum It would have been the Cold War all over again.
I grew up wondering if every day was going to end in Mutually Assured Destruction because some hothead lost his senses. I don't want to go back to that. #nonukes
@anneapplebaum why must we imagine it, so you can write a piece? I mean the reality is awful enough…