Special Issue: Learnings from Dmitry Muratov, a Russian Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist
Dmitry Muratov reminded the audience that Ukraine was still in crisis mode, and that support cannot wane.
This is a special issue built around a dinner and talk I was able to attend with Dmitry Muratov, the co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. He is the leader of Novaya Gazeta, an independent news outlet in Russia that is highly critical of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The next issue will be a standard A6 newsletter.
A dose of perspective
It was a frigid night in Bozeman, Montana, dropping to -9F (-22C) when Muratov’s speech began. The weather must have been on the lips of all the locals, who worried about the comfort of their guest of honor.
“It gets just as cold in Ukraine,” he said. “But all of their power stations have been blown up. You have a chance to warm up. They don’t.”
A somber silence descended on the crowd.
He then told the story of a translator born in Mariupol, Ukraine, where some of the war’s worst crimes occurred. He explained how the building where she bought an expensive ring was gone, the place her parents met and fell in love had been bombed to rubble, or how the picture on her computer was of a city that barely existed.
The twist was that this particular translator was sitting right next to Muratov, translating her own story to a room filled with hundreds of people. They had met for the first time earlier that day.
The translator fought back the tears as she was forced to relay her own trauma to the audience. It was a brilliant, albeit cruel, narrative tool to turn an abstract war into a reality for the people sitting in the room.
Suddenly, the war was staring them in the face, helping to facilitate the evening they were a part of.
“When you think of why we should still support Ukraine, think of her,” Muratov said, as the translator repeated his words.
Support will wane, but it hasn’t yet
Muratov arrived in Bozeman just a few days after Joe Biden pulled off a surprise visit to Kyiv. Vladimir Putin had spent that time giving increasingly bellicose speeches. In a world where the two leaders had openly despised each other for years, tensions were particularly high at that moment.
The question on everyone’s mind was, “What did Biden’s visit mean for the war?”
Muratov responded, “Do not grow weary of a war that does not appear to be yours.”
Support for Ukraine from the Americans will wane, he said. It is inevitable. Politicians will grow weary of stubbornly high gas prices, inflation and lagging trade. They will think: “Maybe it is OK to sacrifice Ukraine to get the world out of this mess. Ukraine will figure it out somehow, right?”
That is unlikely, said Muratov.
More than 8 million people have registered as refugees in Europe since the war began. This type of chaos is intentional, designed by Russia to cause problems in neighboring countries and create pressures that decrease support for the Ukrainian war effort.
The collapse of Moldova’s government is an excellent example. The government could not handle the rising energy costs, the surge of refugees and the economic impact of the war. Now, Russia is laying alarming rhetorical groundwork that sounds like an excuse to put even more pressure on, or even attack, Moldova. If Ukraine falls, it would be naive to think other countries would be safe.
But, at the moment, NATO has yet to wobble. Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv last week showed that the United States was still openly and actively supporting the Ukrainian people and would continue to do so in the near future. NATO support has successfully allowed Ukraine to fight to a standstill.
“There will be a lot of tragedy — it is a tragic story — but Ukraine needs to maintain its borders,” Muratov said.
The war may seem far away, and most people do not pay attention to the day-to-day changes, but Ukraine is still in crisis mode — and in some ways is the worst it has ever been. So, while the average American may question why the Biden administration has spent over $76.8 billion on Ukraine since January 2022, the US government has not swayed, which is what matters at the moment.
“Let’s learn not to grow weary of a war that does not seem to be ours,” he said.
A final note on empathy
The dinner and talk often veered towards dark and scary topics — regime change in Russia, nuclear codes, the nefarious nature of propaganda and, naturally, the personal safety of Muratov himself (the only question he refused to answer).
Muratov acknowledged that the war is overwhelming and that it can feel impossible to make a difference. His solution was surprising: turn inward and practice empathy in our community.
“The best thing to do is to help those who have it worse than us,” he said.
Despite the war, which created immense chaos in his personal life, Muratov is an affable man, quick to smile and make a joke. He is a true believer in the potential of young people, and, somewhat remarkably, he is an optimist.
If people like Muratov (and the average Ukrainian) can maintain their decent humanity despite the war, the rest of us don’t have much of an excuse.
So, if you’ve made it this far in this article, plant a seed in the back of your head to practice empathy today.
If they can do it, we certainly can.
For anyone inspired to donate money to support Ukrainians, here is a list of organizations trying to help, curated by NPR.
Such a powerful event and thank you Kevin for writing this article to share Dmitry's message.