Ukrainians are in a place I wouldn’t wish on anyone. They’re staring down the proverbial barrel of a Russian invasion. What do the Russians want? Honestly, no one seems to really know.

But part of what they want is, apparently, to invade Ukraine.

For folks there, that’s less than good news. People are gearing up for a potential invasion. Now, Ukrainian kids are learning how to use guns.

CHILLING pictures show Ukrainian KIDS learning how to fire guns amid claims Russian forces are planning to invade any day now.

The startling images show the stark reality of the potential conflict and the public’s unwavering defiance of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

An army of youngsters joined in the open military training for civilians organised by activists in Kiev as threat of conflict continues to loom.

A host of citizens have pledged to engage in armed resistance if the 130,000 Russian troops on the border strike.

The shocking pictures come after fears Moscow is planning to invade its neighbour within a matter of days.

It seems warnings that Russian forces could “launch an offensive any time” have encouraged the country to ramp up its efforts.

Residents are splashing the cash on military garb as well as stocking up on canned goods in case there is a siege.

What’s interesting to me is the difference between Americans and Ukrainians.

Oh, part of that difference is a major nation looking to invade literally any day now. That’s most definitely changes things quite a bit, but still…

See, I wrote about a school district that was teaching kids how to shoot using air rifles. A lot of people were outraged at the idea of teaching a child how to shoot in a safe and controlled manner.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, they’re holding events to teach kids how to handle weapons.

Granted, from what I saw, it didn’t look like the kids were learning nearly enough, but who knows how much other training went ont.

What it looks like, though, is that Ukrainian citizens aren’t interested in letting the Russians have an easy time if they invade. As we’ve seen with our own recent history, an insurgency can drain even a superpower over a long enough time period.

As it stands, Ukraine is getting ready for such an insurgency, and part of that is apparently making sure that kids know how to use weapons.

But the question I had was whether this would constitute using child soldiers. I don’t really think so.

Look, there’s a line in the Lord of the Rings trilogy–The Two Towers, in particular–that my friend Cheryl Todd pointed out really needs to be a bigger part of the Second Amendment conversation. The character Eowyn is going through forms with a sword. Aragorn comments on her skill. She replies, “The women of this country learned long ago that those without swords can still die upon them.”

Just something to consider.

Hopefully, none of this becomes anything. With good fortune, tensions will settle down and this will become a historical footnote.

But I can’t help but recognize the difference in attitudes between those facing invasion and those who have long taken peace for granted.