
On February 24, 2022, troops from Russia moved into Ukraine. To those observing the situation from a distance, the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed like history repeating itself in some ways. Some of Putin’s methods were strikingly similar to those used by Adolf Hitler, such as justifying a preemptive strike with the help of domestic terrorism and using state-controlled propaganda to make the actions seem justified. It can be easy for events happening far away to feel detached or unimportant, given all the modern distractions we have in our daily lives. However, the conflict in Ukraine, reported by various news outlets, was unfolding at a time when many were adjusting to life returning to normal after a global pandemic.