– This is not the only war on the ground in Ukraine. We in the West have turned it into a war for dominance, and then Jet F says we have nothing to give. Christensen says in the last episode.Ukraine Podcast».
He believes the West has been too permissive of Russia over the years, and mentions Russia’s war against Georgia in 2008.
– When you turn this war into a war between democracy and autocracy, says Christensen, the West must stay until the war is over.
Listen to Netavision’s podcast on Russia’s war against Ukraine here:
A worrying development
Christensen did not seek re-election to the Storting and will resign as a national politician after the 2021 general election. Today, he is a writer and leader
– Norway is one of the highest-ranking democracies in the world, and then we have an even greater responsibility to stand up for values that depend on others to follow, Christensen says.
Also Read: “On Putin’s List”: – Could end very badly for Russia
In the book, he looks at the democratic weaknesses in Norway.
– Not because I care deeply about democracy, but because I care deeply about our security. That’s it. If we’re going to preach democracy to the world, Christensen says, it’s very difficult if we don’t practice it at home.
He insists that he is not worried about Norwegian democracy, but that we cannot take it for granted.
– He says in “Ukraineboden” that it is worrying that Norwegian under-14s know less about democracy now than ever before.
Also read: Ukrainian pilots say they were tricked into flying around
Half of the world’s population is going to the polls next year
2024 is an election year for almost half of the world’s population. Among other things, a new European Parliament will be elected, a new president in the United States, Indians will elect a prime minister, and Putin will be re-elected in Russia.
– Then support for Ukraine will often be a matter of domestic politics in many countries. Especially in the US, which is our closest ally and Ukraine’s. It is important that as many people as possible understand what we are fighting for. Not just for Ukraine, but for our own security, says Jet F. Christensen.
Jørn Sund-Henriksen, Nettavisen’s Ukraine columnist and president of the Norwegian-Ukrainian Friends Association, knows that Russia is trying to influence the social debate here in Norway.
– It’s almost impossible to go on social media now without seeing fake accounts or at least false stories being spread. It worries me that there is not more awareness about this, says Sund-Henriksson.
Also Read: Russian researcher sounds the alarm: – Something drastic has to happen
Fake accounts with strong opinions
He highlights the toll and poaching debates in Norway, where he believes Russia tried to create controversy with fake accounts with strong opinions.
– Not because they are worried about the Norwegian wolf or the toll rings, says Sund-Henriksson, but because they are trying to create discord and create conflicts that already exist.
– What should the West do to counter this? Should Western officials create their own fake profiles and spread their own stories?
– No, washing with clean water does not cure brainwashing. The technology we have is not only an enemy but also an opportunity. The advantage of fake news is that it is possible to expose it. The challenge with false narratives is that they cannot be exposed in the same way, and democracies have a challenge there. Democracies are slow and subject to restrictions. That’s why autocracy has won the race for technology, says Christensen.
Also Read: Russian Super Tank Discovered In America
However, she believes she is seeing an awareness of this. NATO has begun to focus more on information influence, and research is being conducted on this topic.
– The solution is not to spread your own false interpretations and stories. The solution, says Christensen, is to spread the truth through an editor-controlled media and something as boring as broad, democratic and free education.
Corruption in Ukraine
One of the stories being circulated is that Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. That’s right. Transparency International Ukraine ranked 116th among the most corrupt countries in the world in 2022. Admittedly, it has gone up a notch since 2021. 180 countries are ranked, and the country is the most corrupt country further down the list. Norway is in fourth place, while Russia performs worse than Ukraine at 137th.
read more: Russian fighter jets with “technical defects”: – like driving a car without a seat belt
– Ukraine has a huge corruption problem. To fight for democracy, we have to fight against corruption. But since the outbreak of this war, Ukraine has chosen what kind of country it wants to be. Aid recipient countries are characterized by high levels of corruption. Christensen jokes in “Ukraineboden” that if you didn’t give aid to corrupt countries, we would only give aid to Sweden.
Christensen highlights Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts and says they have been very successful in, among other things, municipal and decentralization reform.
– Corruption likes to centralize things for a few, says Sund-Henriksson.
Read on
The youth may be gone: – It goes the wrong way
He points to another factor he believes is less relevant when talking about corruption in Ukraine.
– Many people think that corruption is caused by demand but corruption is caused by supply. Corruption has a very strong distribution in Ukraine, because it is one of the most effective ways for Russia to control other countries. In the literature, one can read corruption as strategic-economic warfare. Sund-Henriksson says corruption is not something that can only happen because people need money or have bad morals, but is an active tool that can be used to influence states.
Read on
I think this film shows a big Russian problem
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
