For 30 years, since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has been at the crossroads of Europe and Russia, democracy and autocracy. The geopolitics are deeply complex, but for the nearly 16,000 Ukrainians in Baltimore, it is not a distant battle in an unfamiliar country. It is a struggle that hits close to home, for families and friends and the independence they thought was achieved decades ago.
It’s also about technology and society. Tech and social media are part of the war – for good and bad – as both the rails for disinformation and the channels of communication between Ukrainians within and outside the country.
We may look back at this moment in decades to come as one that not only set the course for Ukraine, but also for technology and open societies. We’ll all be impacted by this fight for the future. Our hearts are with the brave Ukrainians standing up for democracy far away, and here at home.