Inquiring minds want to know

informations about Polish border guards not letting non-caucasian refugees into Poland are NOT true:

to enter Poland, it's good to have a valid ID but you do not need a visa,

according to Polish lawyers who are on the site, the best choice for non-Ukrainians is to head to crossing points in Bytomierz and Dołhobyczów (easier procedures),

any problems with letting non-Ukrainians in are probably caused by Ukrainian side (not blaming them, of course, I assume things can get complicated when your country's at war).

Good people are there all the time, to provide any refugees with supplies, food, drinks, clothes, and everything you might need.

Always? Hmm. Let’s see.

In an historic referendum/presidential election on 1 December 1991, residents of Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence and chose Leonid Kravchuk, the chairman of the republic’s Supreme Soviet, as president. Hundreds of neutral electoral observers, foreign observers, and correspondents watched as 84 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. Over 90 percent of participants, including many non-Ukrainians, cast ballots for independence.

On 1 December 1991, more than 92 percent of voters in Ukraine approved the Verkhovna Rada’s August Declaration of Independence, including the Crimea. Mere days later, the Soviet Union dissolved and an independent Ukraine was born.

Ukraine’s emergence as an independent state ended any prospects of salvaging a federated or even confederated USSR. The results of the voting provided the direct impetus for the December 8 agreement among the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to create the Commonwealth of Independent States as the successor entity to the Soviet Union, which they formally declared dead.

Let me put this another way that less bright people than yourself might understand. Let’s look at the bigger picture that may serve as a helpful guide to clarify the situation of Russia and Western Europe. I hope it proves informative for anyone before they take the leap from understanding geography to doling out a geo-political lesson.

So, history lesson.

Ukraine's beginnings can be traced to late 9th to 13th century, to something called Kyivan Rus. It was a big strip of land from the Black Sea up to modern Scandinavia, and to make it even more descriptive, think central-western Ukraine, Belarus, eastern part of Poland and western Russia.

Kyivan Rus was destroyed during the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, including a total destruction of Kyiv in 1240. Another step was a creation of a medieval state called Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia, a sligthtly smaller state, still covering most of modern Ukraine, south-east part of Poland and parts of Belarus.

Southern Ukraine, which means Crimea and surroundings, after the Mongol invasion became Crimea Khanate.

Still nothing about Ukraine being Russia and we're four centuries deep.

14th century - also wars. This time a campaign initiated by king Casmir III of Poland that resulted in creation of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with a dynastic union between Poland and Lithuania. Some time later, in 1569, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was established, and a lot of modern Ukraine territory was actually a part of Kingdom of Poland.

Then came... more wars. Or actually just one, called "The Ruin", between Russia, Poland, Crimean Khanate, Ottoman Empire and Cossacks. Just some 30 years of blood and fighting.

In 1783 Ukrainians and Russians created something called "Novorossiya" and while Ukrainians and Cossacks were promised a lot of freedoms and autonomy, they basically became part of the Russian Empire. Ukrainian language couldn't be used in print or in public due to a policy of Russification of that region.

The whole Russian Empire came to a big and crushing end in 1917, following the Russian February Revolution. After that the name "Ukraine" appeared, as the modern Ukraine territory belong to a state called the Ukrainian State, which later became Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR).

After Germany and Russia invaded Poland, Galicia and Volhynia became part of the Ukraine and for the first time in history the Ukraine had their whole country united. Not independent, but united.

And as we all know, the modern Ukraine territory stayed under the control of Russia during the second world war and the cold war, and then gained independence in 1991.

To sum it up, saying "Ukraine has always been a part of Russian" is a HUGE simplification of a very complicated and long history of wars, uprising, periods of Russification and revival of Ukrainian identity.

Languages are different. Cultures are different. Ukrainian people want to be their own sovereign state. So fuck you for saying that Ukraine has always been a part of Russia, ignoring long centuries of them being separate countries.

so im fairly new here and im gonna need someone to explain to me why Tavares leaving was so controversial and like isles fans hated him for it, was it because he was the cap or something? is there like a story behind that I dont know?

But he was not signing the contract extension. The season started, no contract. He still claimed in the interviews that he is not thinking about playing anywhere else, but he wants to focus on the season and playing hockey.

When it got pretty close to the trade deadline, there were quite a few rumours that the Islanders were planning to trade him (and would have gotten quite a lot for him, even as a rental) - while it was not confirmed, apparently he went to the then-GM and owners, asked not to be traded. This made people think he will sign the extension eventually.

And after all of that, on July 1st, 2018, the Islanders fans got an amazing message how playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs was his childhood dream and he cannot be happier. So basically he spent his entire time on the Islanders lying his ass off.

From my perspective, while I was hoping for the extension, I understood the reason for leaving. The Islanders circa 2017/2018 were not the same team they are today. I even understand why he was not upfront about it - wanted to finish the season on the Long Island, not deal with fans and moving and being traded. But I do sincerely wish he went the Matt Duchene way, be fair and honest, without turning the whole thing into a circus, having the teams to fly out, meet him, present their strategy and so on.

I don't think anyone hates (or doesn't like) Tavares as a person, in his personal life, health and so on, we all just wish he was a little bit more forthcoming and honest with the organization. Or even out of respect for the fans, who worshipped his ungrateful ass. He was the only hope the Isles fanbase had for YEARS.

so im fairly new here and im gonna need someone to explain to me why Tavares leaving was so controversial and like isles fans hated him for it, was it because he was the cap or something? is there like a story behind that I dont know?

But he was not signing the contract extension. The season started, no contract. He still claimed in the interviews that he is not thinking about playing anywhere else, but he wants to focus on the season and playing hockey.

When it got pretty close to the trade deadline, there were quite a few rumours that the Islanders were planning to trade him (and would have gotten quite a lot for him, even as a rental) - while it was not confirmed, apparently he went to the then-GM and owners, asked not to be traded. This made people think he will sign the extension eventually.

And after all of that, on July 1st, 2018, the Islanders fans got an amazing message how playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs was his childhood dream and he cannot be happier. So basically he spent his entire time on the Islanders lying his ass off.

From my perspective, while I was hoping for the extension, I understood the reason for leaving. The Islanders circa 2017/2018 were not the same team they are today. I even understand why he was not upfront about it - wanted to finish the season on the Long Island, not deal with fans and moving and being traded. But I do sincerely wish he went the Matt Duchene way, be fair and honest, without turning the whole thing into a circus, having the teams to fly out, meet him, present their strategy and so on.