Living next to Russia causes headaches worse than migraine, according to the meme posted on Ukraine’s official Twitter account on Dec. 7.
The joke was published amid the looming threat of a large-scale Russian military action against Ukraine.
The meme lists four different types of headaches caused by migraine, hypertension, stress, and, worst of all, being Russia's neighbor. It went viral immediately, having gotten nearly 410,000 likes and 83,000 shares as of Dec. 9.
Some accounts even reworked the meme to share their experience of living next to countries like Iran, China, or Pakistan.
Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association posted its take on the meme, changing Russia to China, to “show solidarity with Ukraine,” according to Taiwan News. The island country has been facing a growing threat from China.
Other commentators wished for Ukraine to stay strong, saying that they feel this type of headache as well.
The meme came out on the day of the video call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders discussed Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine. Although the talks concluded without definitive resolutions or commitments from either side, Biden warned that if Russia invades Ukraine, it will trigger harsh economic consequences and the repositioning of NATO troops in Europe.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, as of Nov. 20, Russia had deployed 94,000 troops to the Ukrainian border and the occupied territories. According to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Russia started bringing more heavy weapons to the contact line in Donbas on Dec. 7. Western intelligence agencies believe that Russia might launch a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in late January or early February.
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