Not only about the term "racism": why the Law on National Memory is important

Having read the Law on the Principles of State Policy of National Memory, I must say that I am glad that it has finally been adopted.

This is a very important recognition of reality.

Simply put, he explains whose missiles they were, from which direction they were flying, and for what purpose, and leaves no room for ambiguity as to whether things are suddenly "not so clear.".

To put it more complicated, it introduces a number of terms into the legal field (national memory, historical anti-Ukrainian propaganda, crimes against the Ukrainian people, etc.).

But most importantly, the law recognizes Russia's consistent imperial policy aimed at denying and destroying Ukrainian statehood and the identity of the Ukrainian people as the root cause of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

In other words, the war does not look like an accidental conflict, but a natural outcome of Russia's long-term policy, the result of a deliberate denial of Ukrainians' right to their own state.

What else:

- the law distinguishes the stages of the current war – from the occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia, countering Russian aggression in Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ATO as the first form of armed resistance to the aggressor) – to the present day;

- establishes the definition of the term "rashism": it is "a new kind of totalitarian ideology and practices that underlie the regime formed in the aggressor state and are based on the traditions of Russian chauvinism and imperialism, the practices of the communist regime of the USSR and national socialism (Nazism)";

- speaks of the special importance of preserving the memory of Ukrainian soldiers who took part in the struggle for independence – along with those who fought against totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century (this is about the continuity of the defense of Ukraine's independence and sovereignty);

- the protection of memory, the Ukrainian language and cultural heritage is (finally) called a part of national security in the law, and not some kind of "culture" or "humanitarian".

And most importantly: the war against the Russian occupiers (also finally) has a name – "the war for Ukraine's independence".

Perhaps this seems obvious to some people.

But no, unfortunately.

I remember very well the kind of "gray areas" in journalism from 2014, when a whole bunch of people among us, not necessarily Russian propagandists, but also people among us, were getting a little bit sick from not understanding what was going on.

We see that this is still present in various foreign media, from Eastern to Western.

We can still see this in Ukrainian citizens who have once again failed to understand where all the money is coming from.

We still see doubts at the level of diplomacy: does it still matter who started first.

Whereas Putin seems to speak directly about Ukrainian identity as a threat to Russia in every text, in every Valdai and in every Alaska.

This is their official ideology.

So yes, this law is very important.

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