Arestovych @arestovych

- The investigation into alleged abuse and deaths of mobilized soldiers in Ukraine’s “Skelya” assault unit is a defining test. The issue is not only justice for the victims. It is whether wartime necessity can be allowed to override the rule of law. A democracy ultimately proves itself not only by defeating an external enemy, but by refusing to sacrifice its own principles in the process. If a state can justify abuse or even the deaths of its own mobilized soldiers in the name of an existential war, it creates a precedent that can ultimately be used against anyone. The real goal is not only accountability, but reform: a military that protects its soldiers before asking them to sacrifice their lives.

- Russia was offered sanctions relief, international reintegration, major investment projects, and a path toward a negotiated settlement. In Moscow, however, these proposals seem to have been interpreted as signs of weakness rather than opportunities for peace. The irony is difficult to miss: a war launched in the name of strategic independence has left Russia more dependent on both China and the West than before. In international politics, the distance between a valued partner and a defeated adversary can be shorter than leaders imagine.

- A war that began over territory has unexpectedly called into question the very value of territory itself. If a region can no longer be protected, supplied, and developed, it ceases to be an asset and becomes an increasingly costly liability. Should Crimea - the very issue around which the events since 2014 were centered - become too expensive to sustain, the implications would extend far beyond a single region. They would challenge the broader logic of historical territorial restoration itself. - More fundamentally, the conflict raises a deeper question: what does it actually mean to «possess territory» in the century of deep&cheap-strikes?..

- The only Ukraine worth fighting for, in my view, is one where no person is condemned for who they are or what they believe. A country where disagreement is not a crime, where people are judged by their actions rather than their convictions, and where both society and the state protect the dignity of every individual. True freedom is measured by our willingness to defend the right of even those we disagree with to remain themselves.

- Mass return of Polish decorations is a teenage rebellion. The problem is not the rebellion itself. Without it, no political subject emerges. The problem lies in the quality of the symbols chosen for self-definition. A teenager almost always chooses the figure who irritates their parents the most. An adult chooses the figure who is most helpful in building the future - including, for example, integration into the European Union. That is the whole difference.

- Iran was a key energy supplier and strategic partner for China. Viewed together, the proposed Iran deal, developments in Venezuela, the IMEC corridor, and competition over major maritime routes suggest that Washington’s focus extends beyond Tehran. The broader objective appears to be reshaping China’s strategic environment: -reinforcing Western influence over critical trade and energy corridors. Whether this strategy succeeds remains to be seen. The central question for the collective West is this: - are the United States and the European Union pursuing this strategy together?

- Poland and Ukraine are destined to be competitors. The question is not how to avoid competition. The question is whether, as France and Germany once did, they can channel that competition into a shared strategic project. The Polish-Ukrainian rupture of the seventeenth century strengthened Moscow and helped reshape the course of European history. Today, history has offered a second chance. The challenge is to be wise enough to seize it.

- In Russia, many name “left globalists” the main political evil in the world. I agree, Tramp administration increasingly thinks so too. But naive me assumed we should fight globalists directly with institutions and policy. Instead, Moscow has chosen a different path: to defeat an ideology by firing rockets at civilians - Ukrainian and Russian alike. A question to Mr. Putin: - how many of our children, and how many of yours, must die before you count this as victory over left globalists?..

If you believe free speech is for you but not your political opponents, you're illiberal. If no contrary evidence could change your beliefs, you're a fundamentalist. If you believe the state should punish those with contrary views, you're a totalitarian. If you believe political opponents should be punished with violence or death, you're a terrorist.

- Putin’s invite to Zelensky to Moscow with “100% security guarantees” is a challenge. Not to go - look weak. To go - have a unique chance. 34 years of mutual mistakes and insults - time to face the roots of the conflict. But this chance will be missed. Putin dares a historic step. Ukrainian politicians can’t - they only think in elections.

The Strategic Dilemma of Ukraine: Project Choices and Historical Continuities: - The key task for Ukraine today in all these Alaskan tales is to preserve political independence in the long term. Despite the shared symbolic capital with Russia and Belarus, there are evident fundamental divergences in views on rights and freedoms, and on what is proper and possible in forms of political organization. The inevitable paradox is that within the framework of a narrow, nationalist project, Ukraine has not preserved these views but has lost them (in practice), becoming maximally similar to Russia and Belarus, adopting the form of an authoritarian dictatorship - an excessive trait of shared historical roots, stemming from Byzantium. Russia’s fundamental decision to convert symbolic capital into political capital, i.e., the forcible seizure of former imperial territories, and the collective West’s refusal to share symbolic capital with Ukraine (we are not considered part of Europe and have been denied entry into the EU and NATO), raises the question of the prospects for the independence that still remains. Ukraine has only one way to preserve it: acknowledging the shared symbolic capital with Russia and Belarus, adopting a neutral status, and building good-neighborly relations with Russia and Belarus while maintaining political independence and the unique role of a “crossroads of worlds”- between Russia and Europe. Economically, the most promising role is that of a “steppe corridor” - between Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the EU. In short, this is about a fundamental shift in project orientation - from a narrow, nationalist one to a broad, transit-oriented one. In a sense, this could be called a “Great Return” - to Ukraine’s natural historical and cultural role. By way of analogy - modern Kazakhstan. If this is not done voluntarily, the change in project orientation (the main directions of foreign and domestic policy and development strategy) will happen forcibly. The timeframe is 10–15 years. The cost will be the loss of political independence, and instead of Ukraine, there will be a federal district called “Little Russia”- with all the ensuing consequences for discussions about rights, freedoms, and distinctive features. Any negotiations, any strategies that do not address this shift in project orientation are meaningless - truly, “bandages for the dead.” Such is the choice, and such is the price. In conclusion, the fundamental challenge for Ukraine lies not in tactical maneuvers but in recognizing the strategic perspective: the necessity of reimagining its role as a neutral, transit-oriented state in order to preserve independence in the emerging geopolitical order.

- The murder of Andrеy Portnov is 99% likely Zelensky preparing for elections. Threats of murder from Telegram channels associated in Ukraine with the Office of the President, immediately directed at me and Anatoliy Shariy, and a possible threat to Oleksiy Honcharenko, reveal the intent: - to deprive the so-called “OPZZh” (The Opposition Platform – For Life) electorate of potential “leaders.” Yesterday, even the completely controlled KMIS (Kiev International Institute of Sociology), taken hostage by Zelensky, gave me “…7% trust,” although not long ago it was “…1-1.5%.” This means, in reality, it could be even more interesting, and that’s already looking like a parliamentary fraction. The political terror unleashed by Zelensky’s regime has turned into blatant international terrorism; a Ukrainian citizen was killed on the territory of a NATO and EU country. It will be interesting to see how Zelensky’s “…dear European partners” react to this. As for me. I won’t just keep speaking, saving people’s minds from the khutor dictator and his hoodie-dictatorship. One day, I will come back for him.)

- The sanctions imposed by the Zelenskyy regime against Ukraine’s fifth President Petro Poroshenko and me are an illegal mechanism to exclude political competitors from future elections. The Constitution of Ukraine expressly prohibits the use of sanctions against its own citizens. Zelenskyy has already imposed such measures on 8,300 citizens. He employs them as a tool for extrajudicial reprisals targeting political and business rivals. This constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights. I am confident that democratic nations will judge the true nature of this regime by its actions.

Burning kropyvnytskyi.

- The Russians struck Kropyvnytskyi at night (four children wounded), while we hit the Engels airbase (Russian strategic bombers). This is how both sides show Donald Trump that the sum of the contradictions he’s taken on to resolve is somewhat greater than he anticipated. Still, I believe he’ll manage. The photo shows a target hit near the Engels airbase.

- Vasyl Chebanyk, the author of the brilliant font “Ruthenia,” has passed into eternity at the age of 91. It is impossible not to admire Ruthenia. Ruthenia is the soul and style of Ukraine. May the Kingdom of Heaven embrace this Man.

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