Why Vladimir Putin has already lost this war (The Guardian)

Yuval Noah Harari · 28 Feb 2022

Yuval Noah Harari did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Putin's claim that Ukraine is not a real nation is a lie; Ukraine has more than a thousand years of history

Their wordsThat’s a complete lie – Ukraine is a nation with more than a thousand years of history, and Kyiv was already a major metropolis when Moscow was not even a village.
Our reading
It is much easier to conquer a country than to hold it

Their wordsAs the Americans learned in Iraq and the Soviets learned in Afghanistan, it is much easier to conquer a country than to hold it.
Our reading
For oppressed nations, hatred of the occupier can sustain resistance for generations

Their wordsHatred is the ugliest of emotions. But for oppressed nations, hatred is a hidden treasure. Buried deep in the heart, it can sustain resistance for generations.
Our reading
Nations are ultimately built on stories

Their wordsNations are ultimately built on stories.
Our reading
The war in Ukraine will shape the future of the whole world, and everyone will suffer if tyranny and aggression win it

Their wordsThe war in Ukraine will shape the future of the entire world. If tyranny and aggression are allowed to win, we will all suffer the consequences.

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The other pieces are the ones whose claims are worded most like this one's. That measures language, not agreement: they may argue the opposite.