Moscow fears republics more than war

"Why would I need a system that works against me!" — I saw that on many posters.

This question isn’t rhetorical anymore, it’s turning into a political statement. Every time Ukrainians deal with the authorities — in courts, at checkpoints, in hospitals, or when seeking justice — they don’t see an ally, but a machine built for deterrence, punishment, and disdain.

This isn’t a state, it’s a system working against us. And more than that — it’s afraid of its own people.

The youth came out — because the government’s propaganda ignored them.

These aren’t rallies for NABU. This is steam released from years of injustice and abuse by their own authorities during wartime.

The youth who didn’t live in the rhetorics of “strong leader” came out. They didn’t watch Servant of the People, don’t follow the TV news marathon, and don’t treat the state as an untouchable idol. They haven’t been infected with televised fear.

And that’s why they didn’t ask for permission to protest. They’re not scared of being called “Kremlin agents” — because they know the biggest Kremlin agents are sitting in the middle of Ukraine’s power structure.

“Putin is shocked” — because we’re not afraid of our own voice.

Russian strategists — both in Bankova and across the border — didn’t see this coming.

Everything had been calculated: four years of marathon messaging, pressure on businesses and activists by law enforcement, public apathy, war used as a free pass for anything.

But the fact that Ukrainians dare to rise up against their own system during wartime — that changes everything. This isn’t just protest — it’s an act of national liberation.

That’s why Putin is shocked: because he sees Ukrainian subjectivity is still alive. That the new statehood isn’t yet institutionalized — but it’s already rooted in a generation. And that is more frightening than any weapon.

Moscow fears republics more than wars.

For the Kremlin, the biggest threat isn’t just Ukraine’s military — it’s Ukrainian civic consciousness. The kind that can organize, resist, demand answers, and treat government as a service, not a monarchy. What’s being built here with the help of those supposedly “in power” is Little Russia. A place where the court isn’t justice, but loyalty. Where laws don’t apply to everyone. Where repression isn’t a glitch, but the system.

But the new Ukrainian republic is being born right now — not in offices, but in public defiance.

We don’t need a system. I need a state where I’m not a suspect, not a victim, not a shadow — but a citizen.

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About the author. Vladyslav Smirnov, Ukrainian entrepreneur, public figure, specialist in planning and development of the healthcare system

The editorial staff does not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.