Today you still can do this.

You can allocate your 1.2% to those for whom it will be light and hope. To those who are fighting for themselves, their families, their country. And for us too.

War will be won by a soldier. Not a drone, not artillery, not tanks. But a soldier. Standing with two feet on the ground, sitting in trenches, sacrificing himself for higher goals. He has to give up a lot: comfort, career, ease. He has to give up a lot so that tomorrow none of us will have to give up ANYTHING.

Today you don’t have to give up anything. Today you only need to spend a few minutes. Comfortably, at home or at the office, before heading out to enjoy a sunny weekend. Unlike those over there.

The soldier I spoke with, raises bold questions, uncomfortable, ugly ones, he speaks not only about heroes. He raises such questions, that Ukraine’s army, society and we ourselves, here in Lithuania, should be asking.

“How can we replenish the military reserves, if nobody wants to join the army, nobody wants to defend their country, defend their loved ones?” he says, adding that he’s talking about the most basic things. And indeed, at the front there is no place for lofty bureaucratic matters, deep philosophizing, or empty slogans. Here you simply have to survive.

“I’m talking about families, parents, children across the country dying from exploding rockets and bombs. Mobilization is necessary, but people who until now did not want to fight - their quality is highly questionable. Fine, they’ll just be taken and forced into the army. What will be the motivation of someone forcibly brought into the military? Understandably, for some time while he’s in the unit, he’ll receive some money, a salary, he’ll get respect from his surroundings: look, I’m a soldier! He’ll keep at it until he gets into a real meat grinder. And then, having been in a real meat grinder, what will he do? With that level of motivation he has, how will he cope there?” the soldier asks rhetorically and answers himself: “it’s completely unclear.

“Some will cope with everything, and some will not,” adding that lately he notices people’s moral qualities, ethics, and professional level in the army are deteriorating. “Guys who had experience, who could lead others, who on the battlefield could make the right decisions, who held the whole team like a fist - there are fewer and fewer of them. Fewer of true leaders, smart, modern guys. And likewise, take sergeants, they are the backbone of the army. These are the people who are in positions with their battle brothers, they are leaders to their comrades. They are directly responsible for them, responsible for squads, for units, and so on. Their numbers are shrinking too. And of those who remain, those unmotivated - what kind of leaders will they be? Yes, these are very difficult processes that, unfortunately, are inevitably happening.”

I thank the Media Support Fund for supporting the post series “War in Ukraine: The Gap Between the Military and Society”