Russia never freed itself from the Tatar yoke experience. Ukrainians were barely touched by it. Similarly, like Poles, they believe that in his place, a man is equal to the governor and does not need anyone to tell him what to do.

During my short visit to the Soviet Union in 1973, the most often phrase I heard was “нельзя спрашивать,” which Google translates as “you can’t ask,” but I would translate it as “you should not ask” with the meaning that asking is forbidden. I recall that, on a few occasions, my Russian friends dragged me out of the confrontation with an inconspicuously looking sad man of apparent authority, stopping me from entering a public place where I believed I should be able to enter. For me, it was unimaginable to accept “нельзя спрашивать” as a satisfactory answer.

I elaborate on that subject in “Why do most Westerners misunderstand Russia?” but my other articles about the war in Ukraine well complement the reasoning presented in your essay.