SUCHO Meme Wall 8 years
In offering justification for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin often invoked the phrase "8 years," implying that Ukraine has been attacking the Donbas for the past 8 years (since 2014, when Russia destabilized the region and encouraged separatists). As Wikipedia explains (linked below), asking the question "where have you been for eight years?" is part of Russian disinformation aimed at demonizing Ukrainians. Memes invoking this language will often point out how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased violence in the Donbas, in contrast to Russia's stated goals. Many memes also imply that those who repeat such propaganda do so without reflection. In 2023 the “8 years” is frequently updated to “9 years”.