Russia has halted an unprecedented wartime deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed people into poverty.
And what power do Russian expatriots have to effect change in their home country exactly? Huge numbers left precisely because they disagree with the politics, which poses a huge demographic problem for Russia. Forcing them to go back would be counterproductive, not to mention plain xenophobic.
Because authoritarian dictators have never been overthrown by their people? Not entirely disagreeing with you, it’s a big hurdle to overcome for change but it does happen in plenty of countries
Because the only way to force change in a country, is to push it’s people to make that change. It mught not be pretty, but it’s reality.
And what power do Russian expatriots have to effect change in their home country exactly? Huge numbers left precisely because they disagree with the politics, which poses a huge demographic problem for Russia. Forcing them to go back would be counterproductive, not to mention plain xenophobic.
You can’t simultaneously call Russia an authoritarian dictatorship and say that its people have the power to change the country’s trajectory.
The correct way to say this is: “the only way to force change in a country, is to push the people who can make change to make that change”.
Because authoritarian dictators have never been overthrown by their people? Not entirely disagreeing with you, it’s a big hurdle to overcome for change but it does happen in plenty of countries
Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime.