This week…in your letters

A selection of some of the letters we got at our office in the past week

Vlad Palcu, 12.03.2022, 14:00

Being a long
time regular listener to RRI broadcasts I would like to share a happy and
delightful piece of news with my friends at RRI. The topic appeared in the
Indian Press on 5th March 2022. This concerns the appreciation and gratitude of
Indian students who have found love and affection in Romania in times of war.
It was reported that hundreds of Indian students who have returned from Ukraine
to India have deep gratitude for Romanians and now wish to donate to the
shelters run by local families who gave them care and refuge in their darkest
days. They were overwhelmed by the love and care given when they were hungry,
weary and in many cases traumatized. Having seen the worst while crossing the
Ukrainian border their trust in others was almost destroyed. However, the
kindness of Romanians restored their faith in humanity. The locals put up
stalls of food, shoes and other utilities for every student coming from
Ukraine. They made them feel cared for and comfortable. They recall how
Romanian families would visit them at the shelters bringing smiles and asking
whether they needed anything with the comforting words that they need not worry
and consider Romanians as their family. The care, love and warmth received have
set an example of how Romanians like to help foreigners in such terrible
conditions. Having being blessed with such hospitality the students want to do
something for those who had helped them. They cannot of course repay for what
Romanians have done for them but as a token of gratitude they have decided to
pool money and send it across. The local population of Romania have proved that
humanity is the best thing on earth.

Jayanta Chakrabarty, India

By the way, I
was surprised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia, a member of the UN
Security Council for peace, is not allowed to invade other countries by force.
And, it is ridiculous to justify the logic of the beginning of the war in the
20th century. The war situation is confusing, so I cannot predict the future.
Why Putin could not have seen that if Russia were to be defeated, its power,
economy, and world leadership position would be significantly impaired? I’m not
a historian, but I think the logic of the war in the 20th century early period
will defeat Russia due to the logic of war in the 21st century. An example is
United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. Even if a puppet government is
created in Ukraine, its maintenance will be very expensive and will hunt down
the Russian economy. I think that the solidarity of the people of neighboring
Romania with the people of Ukraine will help achieve peace in Ukraine.

Mikio Kohara, Japan

Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has obviously created a lot of problems for Romania what
with the influx of tens of thousands of refugees into the country. More than
1.000 Ukrainians have so far come to Sweden but I suppose we can expect a lot
more over the next days. It is such an unnecessary war as there has never been
any threat to Russia – rather the opposite. Only this morning I heard a report
that the number of nations with democratic governments has gone down. Sadly, it
seems many Russians tend to support the country’s dictatorial régime.

Chyrister Brunström, Sweden

My thanks to
you all for all your programmes and news from your part of Europe, doubly
important at the moment with ‘Vlad the Invader’ and his poisonous cronies
causing so much death and destruction to the poor victims in nearby Ukraine. We
can only hope that sanity prevails before too long, and it’s good that Romania
is doing so much to help the refugees driven from their homes by the Russian
Madman. Let us hope that this dangerous man doesn’t start World War 3, I
thought we were past all this nonsense when the Cold War ended back in 1989.

Alan Gale, the United Kingdom

It was really great to hear RRI stand with
Ukraine through these troubling times for their country and to put the
country’s culture on the international spotlight through this program, I know
that Canada stands united with Ukraine and the rest of our European allies.

Baden Mercer, Canada