The year 2023 was a year of large relativization. In spring, summer, autumn, winter 2022 Europe was shocked. It turned out that Russia, the largest and most militaryly powerful country on the continent, is indeed able to easy and even without apparent pretext to throw tanks, rockets and aircraft across the border, bomb and shell cities, occupy and annex lands.
The feeling that everyone was attacked immediately became common in Europe and rather common even in Russia. Ukrainian flags appeared where not even national flags had previously hung – over museums, theatres, embassies of European states in abroad capitals, construction sites and roadside cafes. Europe has besides become accustomed to a fresh image of a refugee: not necessarily badly dressed or hungry, but 1 who goes to a cafe, theatre, concert, looking for a good school for children, sometimes comes with a good European car, sometimes better than those who accept it.
