We came across some hot takes on Twitter disparaging Ukraine, its government, and its people. Unsurprising. We took a break from regular reporting to think about how Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine is understood in the West. Do we understand it? Do we provide the Ukrainian people any justice by trying to view this war through a geopolitical lens? Surprisingly, some folks on the Far Left and Far Right of US politics see the war as something of a lost cause - is President Zelinskyy selfishly leading Ukrainians to their deaths? Some think so. This thought completely undermines the sovereignty of Ukrainians as individuals, who have not been led to the slaughter, but have found slaughter descending upon them.

Over two parts, Poking the Bear dissects the hot takes on social media to make up the difference between geopolitics and the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people. Slava Ukraini!