Minor fixes to formatting, grammar, and spelling.

Corrected omission of Eritrea from the list of Russian supporters.

Author: gdamore

UKRAINE.md

@@ -4,74 +4,74 @@
 
 ### Written March 4, 2022.
 
-It is with a very heavy heart that I write this.  I am normally opposed to the use of open source
-projects to communicate political positions or advocate for things outside the immediate relevancy
-to that project.
+It is with a very heavy heart that I write this. I am normally opposed to the use of open source projects to communicate
+political positions or advocate for things outside the immediate relevancy to that project.
 
-However, the events occurring in Ukraine, and specifically the unprecedented invasion of Ukraine by
-Russian forces operating under orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin compel me to speak out.
+However, the events occurring in Ukraine, and specifically the unprecedented invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces
+operating under orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin compel me to speak out.
+
+Those who know me, know that I have family, friends, and colleagues in Russia, and Ukraine both. My closest friends have
+historically been Russian friends my wife's hometown of Chelyabinsk. I myself have in the past frequently traveled to
+Russia, and indeed operated a software development firm with offices in St. Petersburg.
 
-Those who know me, know that I have family, friends, and colleagues in Russia, and Ukraine both.  My closest friends
-have historically been Russian friends my wife's hometown of Chelyabinsk.  I myself have in the past
-frequently traveled to Russia, and indeed operated a software development firm with offices in St. Petersburg.
 I had a special kinship with Russia and its people.
 
-I say "had", because I fear that the actions of Putin, and the massive disinformation campaign that his regime
-has waged inside Russia, mean that it's likely that I won't see those friends again.  At present, I'm not sure
-my wife will see her own mother again.  We no longer feel it's safe for either of us to return Russia given
-actions taken by the regime to crack down on those who express disagreement.
+I say "had", because I fear that the actions of Putin, and the massive disinformation campaign that his regime has waged
+inside Russia, mean that it's likely that I won't see those friends again. At present, I'm not sure my wife will see her
+own mother again. We no longer feel it's safe for either of us to return Russia given actions taken by the regime to
+crack down on those who express disagreement.
 
-Russian citizens are being led to believe it is acting purely defensively, and that only legitimate military
-targets are being targeted, and that all the information we have received in the West are fakes.
+Russian citizens are being led to believe it is acting purely defensively, and that only legitimate military targets are
+being targeted, and that all the information we have received in the West are fakes.
 
 I am confident that nothing could be further from the truth.
 
-This has caused many in Russia, including people whom I respect and believe to be smarter than this, to
-stand by Putin, and endorse his actions. The claim is that the entirety of NATO is operating at the behest
-of the USA, and that the entirety of Europe was poised to attack Russia. While this is clearly absurd to those
-of us with any understanding of western politics, Russian citizens are being fed this lie, and believing it.
-
-If you're reading this from inside Russia -- YOU are the person that I hope this message reaches.  Your
-government is LYING to you.  Of course, all governments lie all the time.  But consider this.  Almost the
-entire world has condemned the invasion of Ukraine as criminal, and has applied sanctions.  Even countries
-which have poor relations with the US sanctioning Russia, as well as nations which historically have remained
-neutral.  (Famously neutral -- even during World War II, Switzerland has acted to apply sanctions in
-concert with the rest of the world.)
-
-Ask yourself, why does Putin fear a free press so much, if what he says is true?  Why the crack-downs on
-children expressing only a desire for peace with Ukraine?  Why would the entire world unified against him,
-if Putin was in the right?  Why would the only countries that stood with Russia against
-the UN resolution to condemn these acts as crimes be Belarus, North Korea, and Syria?  Even countries normally
-allied to Russia could not bring themselves to do more than abstain from the vote to condemn it.
-
-To be clear, I do not claim that the actions taken by the West or by the Ukrainian government were completely
-blameless.  On the contrary, I understand that Western media is biased, and the truth is rarely exactly
-as reported.  I believe that there is a kernel of truth in the claims of fascists and ultra-nationalist
-militias operating in Ukraine and specifically Donbas.  However, I am also equally certain that Putin's
-response is out of proportion, and that concerns about such militias are principally just a pretext to justify
-an invasion.
-
-Europe is at war, unlike we've seen in my lifetime.  The world is more divided, and closer to nuclear holocaust
-than it has been since the Cold War. And that is 100% the fault of Putin.
-
-While Putin remains in power, there cannot really be any way for Russian international relations to return
-to normal. Putin has set your country on a path to return to the Cold War, likely because he fancies himself
-to be a new Stalin.  However, unlike the Soviet Union, the Russian economy does not have the wherewithal to
-stand on its own, and the invasion of Ukraine has fully ensured that Russia will not find any friends anywhere
-else in Europe, and probably few places in Asia.
-
-The *only* paths forward for Russia are either a Russia without Putin (and those who would support his agenda),
-or a complete breakdown of Russian prosperity, likely followed by the increasing international conflict that will
-be the natural escalation from a country that is isolated and impoverished. Those of us observing from the West are
-gravely concerned, because we cannot see any end to this madness that does not result in nuclear conflict,
-unless from within.
-
-In the meantime, the worst prices will be paid for by innocents in Ukraine, and by young Russian mean
-forced to carry out the orders of Putin's corrupt regime.
-
-And *that* is why I write this -- to appeal to those within Russia to open your eyes, and think with
-your minds.  It is right and proper to be proud of your country and its rich heritage.  But it is also
-right and proper to look for ways to save it from the ruinous path that its current leadership has set it upon,
-and to recognize when that leadership is no longer acting in interest of the country or its people.
-
-  - Garrett D'Amore, March 4, 2022
+This has caused many in Russia, including people whom I respect and believe to be smarter than this, to stand by Putin,
+and endorse his actions. The claim is that the entirety of NATO is operating at the behest of the USA, and that the
+entirety of Europe was poised to attack Russia. While this is clearly absurd to those of us with any understanding of
+western politics, Russian citizens are being fed this lie, and believing it.
+
+If you're reading this from inside Russia -- YOU are the person that I hope this message reaches. Your government is
+LYING to you. Of course, all governments lie all the time. But consider this. Almost the entire world has condemned the
+invasion of Ukraine as criminal, and has applied sanctions. Even countries which have poor relations with the US
+sanctioning Russia, as well as nations which historically have remained neutral.  (Famously neutral -- even during World
+War II -- Switzerland has acted to apply sanctions in concert with the rest of the world.)
+
+Ask yourself, why does Putin fear a free press so much, if what he says is true? Why the crack-downs on children
+expressing only a desire for peace with Ukraine? Why would the entire world be unified against him, if Putin was in the
+right? Why would the only countries that stood with Russia against the UN resolution to condemn these acts as crimes be
+Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria? Even countries normally allied to Russia could not bring themselves to do more
+than abstain from the vote to condemn it.
+
+To be clear, I do not claim that the actions taken by the West or by the Ukrainian government were completely blameless.
+On the contrary, I understand that Western media is biased, and the truth is rarely exactly as reported. I believe that
+there is a kernel of truth in the claims of fascists and ultra-nationalist militias operating in Ukraine and
+specifically Donbas. However, I am also equally certain that Putin's response is out of proportion, and that concerns
+about such militias are principally just a pretext to justify an invasion.
+
+Europe is at war, unlike we've seen in my lifetime. The world is more divided, and closer to nuclear holocaust than it
+has been since the Cold War. And that is 100% the fault of Putin.
+
+While Putin remains in power, there cannot really be any way for Russian international relations to return to normal.
+Putin has set your country on a path to return to the Cold War, likely because he fancies himself to be a new Stalin.
+However, unlike the Soviet Union, the Russian economy does not have the wherewithal to stand on its own, and the
+invasion of Ukraine has fully ensured that Russia will not find any friends anywhere else in Europe, and probably few
+places in Asia.
+
+The *only* paths forward for Russia are either a Russia without Putin (and those who would support his agenda), or a
+complete breakdown of Russian prosperity, likely followed by the increasing international conflict that will be the
+natural escalation from a country that is isolated and impoverished. Those of us observing from the West are gravely
+concerned, because we cannot see any end to this madness that does not result in nuclear conflict, unless from within.
+
+In the meantime, the worst prices will be paid for by innocents in Ukraine, and by young Russian men forced to carry out
+the orders of Putin's corrupt regime.
+
+And *that* is why I write this -- to appeal to those within Russia to open your eyes, and think with your minds. It is
+right and proper to be proud of your country and its rich heritage. But it is also right and proper to look for ways to
+save it from the ruinous path that its current leadership has set it upon, and to recognize when that leadership is no
+longer acting in interest of the country or its people.
+
+- Garrett D'Amore, March 4, 2022
+
+__Updated March 28, 2022 with minor grammar and spelling corrections. Added Eritrea which was accidentally omitted from
+the UN vote results.__