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[–] 38 points 3 weeks ago (47 children)

It is darkly hilarious russians can still enter the EU for tourism.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 weeks ago (46 children)

    Why? Is Russia at war with Europe? Are russian tourists responsible for the russian invasion of Ukraine?

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  • [–] 38 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (39 children)

    Is Russia at war with Europe?

    Explicitly, yes, and Europe is kicking russia's ass in it when the rightwing isn't sabotaging resistance to russia.

    Are russian tourists responsible for the russian invasion of Ukraine?

    Yes, at least partially.

    Russia is a nation of cowards too afraid to stand up for their freedom, which always leads to violence and war.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 weeks ago (14 children)

    Explicitly, yes

    Ok. No point in arguing with someone that delusional.

    Russia is a nation of cowards too afraid to stand up for their freedom, which always leads to violence and war.

    .... and obviopsly racist.

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  • [–] 11 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)
  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

    It's culturallyeabout as European as Russia is. But before 2022, westerners usually didn't consider Ukraine as "European". That framing happened afterwards.

    Also, the original statement implied that Russia is supposedly at war with the EU.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

    Oh come on, lets not be pedantic, do you honestly think russia isn't at war with the EU? Even if you define the terms and framing so it technically isn't we are talking about splitting hairs at this point in a way that is completely unproductive to a broader discussion.

    Insofar as russia is not at war with the EU it is because russia is incapable of taking on more than a single country or two at a time... not because russia's aims are inherently localized to whatever nation it is attacking currently.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    Believe me: As a citizen of the EU, I would fucking notice if the EU was at war with Russia.

    The biggest attack on German infrastructure (for example) that happened since 2022 was actually carried out by Ukrainians (i.e. the Nord Stream explosion).

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  • [–] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (7 children)

    No, the helplessness of russians is learned, russians are the same human species as me, the difference is I wasn't raised to have a learned helplessness about politics.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (6 children)

    What is it? Are they "cowards" or "raised to have a learned helplessness"?

    Either way: You're spouting racist bullshit. The EU is not at war with Europe and russian civillians don't really have a say in the invasion.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 child)

    What is it? Are they “cowards” or “raised to have a learned helplessness”?

    Yes

    russian civillians don’t really have a say in the invasion.

    bullshit bullshit bullshit

    Dictatorships are nothing new, that never fully excuses a populace, it gives important and necessary context yes but it does not absolve responsibility.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

    russian civillians don't really have a say in the invasion

    Who invades ukraine?

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    Do you think wars happen, because the soldiers like to murder?

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  • [–] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 child)

    So easy to stand up against the Russia government, they must be real cowards for not wanting to be locked away forever, right?

    I am also only an internet person, but i fully understand people not wanting to throw their life away. Even if they don't agree, if there is no organised movement you can hardly blame individuals. If you do that, we all in the west are at fault for what happens in palestine. Well..i guess we are, for all the governments supporting israel. So how can we condemn russian citizens for crimes of their leaders? (Citizens, not soldiers).

    Instead hate on the people responsible, the Putins, the Trumps and Musks in this world. Hating on civilians is only divide and "those up there" are the only ones profiting.

    Edit: to clarify, i do not condone the russian armies invasion and i wish they would fucking stop yesterday, but i don't blame civilians for this and applaud everyone of them who does risk their life fighting the government

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago (19 children)

    quick question: what happens to the opposition and protesters in russia when they get too influential?

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (17 children)

    quick question: is this a unique problem for russians no other nation has faced or does russian culture just enforce a unique character of learned helplessness in its citizens?

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (16 children)

    no. russia isn't the only country in the world that violently oppresses its population making it impossible to influence the government's decisions. what a stupid question

    edit: also to the second part that i initially ignored cus it was so stupid, how do you think the soviet union came to existence? do you think the country just peacefully decided to vote the czar out in favor of communism or something lol

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (15 children)

    no. russia isn’t the only country in the world that violently oppresses its population making it impossible to influence the government’s decisions.

    Which is precisely why you can't pull the "Average russians don't have a say in the matter, russia is a dictatorship!" card every time someone brings up the complicity of average russians in the Ukraine War.

    Also, they are going on fucking vacation, not seeking asylum, are you serious? Do you think your arguments actually sound logical and intelligent?

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (14 children)

    Which is precisely why you can’t pull the “Average russians don’t have a say in the matter, russia is a dictatorship!” card every time someone brings up the complicity of average russians in the Ukraine War.

    Also, they are going on fucking vacation, not seeking asylum, are you serious? Do you think your arguments actually sound logical and intelligent?

    yes, getting asylum is as easy as walking in a country and saying "russia bad, asylum pls". no lengthy proof of prosecution needed.

    in fact, when it's that easy, it's so weird that there aren't more russians flooding into the west. huh, strange!

    it's also very easy to leave your home country and familiar culture to a foreign land. very easy to integrate, get degrees verified and get fluent in a language to get employed. i'm sure you've moved abroad and learned another language to the point of fluency since you make it seem so easy. :)

    edit: also, you can't claim asylum without entering the country except for very few cases, genius. they need those visas to claim asylum

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (13 children)

    in fact, when it’s that easy, it’s so weird that there aren’t more russians flooding into the west. huh, strange!

    facepalm

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_emigration_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022%E2%80%93present)

    During the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present) since February 2022, more than 300,000 Russian citizens and residents are estimated to have left Russia by mid-March 2022, at least 500,000 by the end of August 2022,[not verified in body] and an additional 400,000[1] by early October, for a total of approximately 900,000. This number includes economic migrants, conscientious objectors, and some political refugees.

    https://www.politico.eu/article/russian-vladimir-putin-quietly-preparing-another-mobilization/

    More than 113,000 Russians left their country last week via the so-called Upper Lars checkpoint — a spike in movement that reflects growing fears that the Kremlin is poised to announce a new mobilization effort.

    In recent months, Russian authorities have adopted increasingly aggressive recruitment measures, ramped up data collection on reservists, and expanded the National Guard’s remit, all fueling talk of another call.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_wave_Russian_emigration

    The fifth wave of Russian emigration (also Putin's emigration, sometimes "Putin's exodus") is emigration from Russia during the rule of Vladimir Putin. Researchers count the fifth wave either from the 2000s, when the composition of emigrants changed qualitatively and educated, promising people began to leave Russia; or from the mass protests of the early 2010s, Putin's return to the presidency and the establishment of a repressive authoritarian regime. In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine and mobilization Russia went through two peaks of emigration, which became the largest in the modern history of the country. As of 2020, according to the UN, in terms of the number of emigrants in absolute numbers, Russia ranks 3rd in the world (10.65 million people or 6.8% of the population) after India (17.79 million people or 1.3% of the population) and Mexico (11.07 million people or 7.9% of the population).[1]

    https://fsi.stanford.edu/publication/russian-emigration-patterns-during-russia-ukraine-war-interviews-wartime-emigres

    Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia has experienced its largest wave of emigration since 1917. While estimates on the number of Russians who have fled wartime Russia vary widely, most sources estimate the number to be anywhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000. The majority of wartime émigrés have fled to nearby destination countries including but not limited to Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, while a smaller number have gone further, relocating to countries in the EU, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Broadly speaking, the émigrés are younger and more prosperous than the average Russian citizen, have higher levels of education, and are driven more so by political push factors than members of previous waves. Many of the recent émigrés were engaged in political activism against the regime before emigrating; some worked as journalists, NGO employees, academics and activists, while others were dissidents of the regime at large.

    https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/the-putin-exodus-the-new-russian-brain-drain-2/

    Human capital is fleeing Russia. Since President Vladimir Putin’s ascent to the presidency, between 1.6 and 2 million Russians – out of a total population of 145 million – have left for Western democracies. This emigration sped up with Putin’s return as president in 2012, followed by a weakening economy and growing repressions. It soon began to look like a politically driven brain drain, causing increasing concern among Russian and international observers.

    In this pioneering study, the Council’s Eurasia Center offers a comprehensive analysis of the Putin Exodus and its implications for Russia and the West. The study, which is authored by Ambassador John Herbst and Dr. Sergei Erofeev, examines the patterns and drivers of Russian emigration to the West since 2000 based on the findings from focused interviews and surveys with new Russian émigrés in four key cities in the United States and Europe.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (12 children)

    The majority of wartime émigrés have fled to nearby destination countries including but not limited to Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan,

    lmao you didn't even read your own copy pastes. almost all of these people moved to non-western countries where they speak russian and have favourable visa policies to russians.

    only 12,655 russians applied for asylum in 2025, out of 146 million russians

    i'm just gonna ignore all of that cus your different copy pastes contradict eachother

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (11 children)

    only 12,655 russians applied for asylum in 2025, out of 146 million russians

    Yes because the average russian is ultimately fine with the Ukrainian War until it directly affects them at which point it is usually too late for them, thus the average russian is complicit in the Ukrainian War. You have proved my point over and over again.

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  • [–] 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

    Deluded Russian or Russia supporter spotted.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (2 children)

    Sure. Not being a fan of Sippenhaft makes me a supporter or even worse: a Russian. /s

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  • [–] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    Hybrid warfare, and it's at least partly those posing as tourists who are engaged in the action.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

    "Hybrid warfare" is a propaganda term used to escalate the population's fear of war, resulting in higher preparedness.

    Most "terrorist" attacks are quickly pinned on Russia without any proper proof. And everytime Russia is mentioned as an aggressor (without actually having a motive to attack/get info/...), it solidifys the population's image of Putin who wants to annex Europe.

    Sometimes the term "soviet union" is uttered. But anyone comparing Putin to anything socialist is a fool - be it liberal or tankie.

    The biggest (eco-terrorist) attack on Germany since 2022 was done by Ukrainians. Not Russians.

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  • [–] 12 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

    Good. Why are they allowed into the EU anyway?

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

    To flee the terrorist dictatorship and give their workforce/money to the EU? People who are leaving the oppresive state deserve a chance for better life. Don't give an equal between the people and the state/government, please.

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  • To flee the terrorist dictatorship and give their workforce/money to the EU?

    On a tourist visa ? I don't think so.

    You can't legally work on a tourist visa, and if you're only here for a holiday you're hardly fleeing the Putain dictatorship are you ? Just taking a pleasant break from it.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 weeks ago

    I've met these "Russian refugees" you speak of. They just don't want to fight the war, but they whole-heartedly support it. They come over completely brainwashed talking about how "the West is too LGBT and DEI", unable to see what that propaganda did to their country. If Pootin wasn't president there, they'd be praying to some other shitty God who tells them how the West is the enemy.

    Russians shouldn't get VISAs, they should be classified as refugees and put into refugee camps where they learn the local language and have to learn what democracy is.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

    While you're at it, at least stop visa-free travel for israelis and US americans. Seems like a much bigger long-term threat.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

    They would never, because it's perfectly fine when their allies invade and genocide.

    They have to uphold the "western supremacy values" somehow.

    P.S. Putin is a war criminal and deserves horrible death. Calling out western hypocrisy doesn't mean I support an authoritarian parasite, feeding his own citizens to the meat grinder.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 weeks ago

    P.S. Putin is a war criminal and deserves horrible death. Calling out western hypocrisy doesn’t mean I support an authoritarian parasite, feeding his own citizens to the meat grinder.

    Fully agreed. In fact I protested putin's regime when I was living in russia and had to flee because of that when the war started.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    Israel? America? On a thread about Russia?

    My friend your brain is cooked. Either that or you're working for them.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

    The thread is less about Russia and more about EU immigration policy.

    Israel and US has been repeatedly shown to constantly spy on european elected officials and citizenry, and be a significant threat to child safety. Both are currently committing genocide of much greater proportions than what russia is doing in Ukraine.

    It doesn't make sense to allow them to travel visa-free, with virtually no checks except matching the passport to its holder at the border, while banning russians to enter even after quite rigorous checks of the Schengen visa application process.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago

    Germany to EU: We can’t stand it. We know they planned it

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