What if we had a chance to change something, if we had any opportunity to appear in the past and influence the war or at least some events, what it could have been. And what must we do today to change and influence our real future, we ask ourselves these questions every day.
Julia Krasii, Kyiv:
I should have been more conscious and understand that this war would happen. Wait and see was the wrong choice.
Victoriia Dzhim, Kyiv:
If I knew, I would stop consuming russian content once and for all. I would delete all the russian songs and told friends to do the same. Also, I would say to my cousin to stop talking russian when talking to people in Kyiv.
Marharyta Yanets, Berlin:
As everyone knows, the war in the east of Ukraine continues for almost eight years. And we understand that the goal of russia and putin is to occupy all of Ukraine. We should not wait and see, we should act now. We have to show all the world the real face of russia.
Mariia Ponomaryova, Berlin:
I guess if we knew that Russia would start a full-scale war, our victory would have been short and sweet. Our army, volunteers and civilian would unite even earlier and this would give us the strength to win instantly
Valeria Hodasevich, Kyiv:
I’ve been thinking about what would be if we knew it a few years ago, or even months ago. What would I do. But I still don’t have an answer. Both then and now we don’t have ins and outs, the whole picture. My mum saw something on the night before war, but she waited and saw what happened. And there we are now
Maryna Yanovska,Ukraine:
Well, by and large, I don’t think that I could have change something. I doubt I would have been heard that way by government. But I would prepare to it much more than I did this time, I would try to make my best friend live Irpin’ before the 23th of February, or another from the Chernihiv without listening to their ifs and buts (like: I don’t want to, I’ll be Ok, don’t worry)
Яна Bereznyak,Ukraine:
If I had known about this war, I would have tried to warn everyone, of course. But it would be so complicated to explain. I reckon, even my relatives wouldn’t believe it’s going to be a “sink or swim”. I would somehow prepare. But I definitely wouldn’t leave my country
Dasha Dikova, Ukraine:
I think that I would not make extreme changes by and large considering my personal life because my position to support Ukraine in any situation was established once and for all, and I didn’t need war to rethink it.
Halia Kunashuk, Poltava:
The situation we have now demands to realise who you are, on what side and what would you do: sink or swim. As for me, if I had been sure in the beginning of Russian full-scale invasion a year ago I would have learned and trained to handle different kinds of weapons. Now I have just some insufficient skills.
Gleb, Ukraine:
If I had known about the fact that there would be a war, I would have bought more petrol in advance. Moreover, I would once and for all have found an opportunity to buy or to find weapons at any time during the day.
Moreover, I would convey this information to the top leadership of Ukraine in every possible way so that our country could better prepare for war. At the same time, I would by no means talk about it publicly. 5 days before the start of the war, I would have initiated a complete evacuation of people from potentially dangerous territories (if I had such powers and capabilities.)
Anastasia Kovalenko, Ukraine:
If I appeared in 2021, knowing about the war, I would rather wait and see, because I don’t want to do something that can change everything in a bad way. Our government had already known everything at that time, they had a reason not to tell it. I will tell maybe in January to my friends and family, who lived in cities that were bombed and occupied, and try to convince them to get ready to get out there. Of course, I would spend money differently (my family was doing apartments repair)
Polina Kondratieva, Ukraine:
2021, a year ago, if only I had known that happy period of my life is short and sweet, I’d prepare more for the war period.
If I had waited and seen, I’d have more opportunities to help our people with humanitarian aid.
If I hadn’t taken into account all the ifs and buts on the first days of war, I’d be the part of the territory guards.
Kate Grynchuk, Ukraine:
If I had had an opportunity to change the historical cruel period, I’d have given ins and outs about the war in Ukraine far and wide
I’d have found the right people in the nearest surroundings to the President, to prove that I know the future and to warn him for doing the give and take with political force abroad.
Sophia, Tenerife:
If I had known the future, I would do everything to make our government to prepare for the war as well as it would be possible. I don’t believe that it would be possible to give and take in this case, I would try to make to prepare everyone: not government only, but people too, especially citizens of Bucha, Mariupol, Chernyhiv, Volnovakha, mothers with children and women who are planning pregnancy.
Kateryna Poshukailo, Ukraine:
Once and for all, I would recommend myself to say “Thank you” and “I love u” to my dearest and nearest. Next year we will face war, we need to be strong
Anastasia Lukyanenko, Kyiv:
I want war to be ended once and for all. We should give and take to other countries for helping us, and also we should explain our conditions short and sweet.
Daria Ivchenko, Kropyvnytsky:
If I had known about the coming war, I would have moved my relatives from Mariupol, and wouldn’t have sat at home while weekends, but gathered my friends all together. But, even if every one of us had known about this, we couldn’t have been completely prepared. It’s something you can’t be ready for
Victoria Yurchenko, Ukraine:
I wouldn’t change anything in the past and I wouldn’t let people know anything. It may sound strange, but I think things should run their course. So you just have to wait and see
Olga Slipchenko, Ukraine:
Don’t wait and see, but I would have worked hard to ensure security, peace, and faith in the future for myself and my loved ones, but I really don’t think it’s possible to prepare for this
Daryna Petlushenko, Ukraine:
Once and for all, all Ukrainians needed to understand that Russia is not a brotherly people for us. The events in our country have clearly proved this to us.
