The Russia-Ukraine conflict in a post-Soviet space is not just a war between the two countries, but a delayed civil war between those who support western civilization values and those who oppose it. The two countries initially followed similar paths after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but later diverged. The main difference between the two systems of values is in how decision-making and responsibilities are distributed, with the Soviet era characterized by centralized decision-making and Western countries tending to be more distributed. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the divide between the two opposing systems of values lay across the front-lines, with Ukraine united around their desire to be a western-style democracy and Russians united around their childish desire to avoid any responsibility.