Von allen guten Geistern verlassen: Europas mächtigster Verleger schreibt den dritten Weltkrieg herbei

KOMMENTAR
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Nato müsse sofort militärisch in der Ukraine eingreifen, fordert Mathias Döpfner, der Vorstandschef von Axel Springer. Nur so könne man die freie Welt retten. Wehrhaft? Nein, Wahnsinn.

Es ist ein publizistisches Spiel nicht nur mit dem Feuer, sondern mit dem Weltenbrand. Europas mächtigster Verleger Mathias Döpfner hat den Westen vom Schreibtisch aus aufgefordert, direkt in der Ukraine einzugreifen: «Die Nato muss jetzt handeln», schreibt der Vorstandsvorsitzende von Axel Springer – und nimmt damit sehenden Auges in letzter Konsequenz den dritten Weltkrieg in Kauf. Im deutschsprachigen Journalismus dürfte er damit einen neuen Massstab für gutgemeinte Verantwortungslosigkeit gesetzt haben. » | Oliver Maksan, Berlin | Freitag, 4. März 2022

Today, Ukraine Is Israel: We Implore Jews across the World to Come to Our Aid

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL – BLOG: President Zelensky's chief of staff writes for Times of Israel: Just as the Jews fell victim to Nazis, Ukrainians are falling victim to Russia’s efforts to commit acts of genocide

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posts a video of himself and his team outside the presidential headquarters in Kyiv on February 25, 2022. The author is behind him on the right. (Screen capture/Twitter)
Putin says he’s coming to “de-nazify” Ukraine. Ukraine, with the third-largest Jewish population in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world. Ukraine, with a Jewish President and formerly a Jewish Prime Minister. Ukraine – the only country that was once part of the Soviet Union that can make these claims.

The history of the Jewish people in Ukraine is not new. It goes back to the time of Kyivan Rus’ at the turn of the 10th century. These early Jews gave rise to Hasidic Judaism, which today is practiced across Europe and in Israel and the United States. Uman, a city in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, is a pilgrimage site for Breslov Hasidic Jews that regularly attracts throngs of tourists.

Despite the vibrancy of the Jewish community in Ukraine, history has not always been peaceful for Ukraine’s Jews. Jews have long been targeted in Ukraine, as elsewhere in Europe, culminating in the mass atrocities of the Holocaust. The site of the Babyn Yar memorial in Kyiv is dedicated to the hallowed ground that claimed more than 30 thousand Jewish souls murdered by the Nazis. » | Andriy Yermak * | Friday, March 4, 2022

* Andriy Yermak is head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine

Ein Bild, um Wlad wütend zu machen!

An image to make Vlad mad! / Une image à rendre colère Vlad !
Ich bedanke mich bei Buzzfeed.com fürs schöne, sinnliche und ausdrucksvolle Bild.

Justin Timberlake : Can't Stop the Feeling

When Russians Preferred Kissing to Bombing!

Wann die Russen lieber küssten als bombardierten! / Quand les Russes préféraient s'embrasser au bombardement !
With thanks to Українська правда (Ukrainian Truth) on Pinterest (and Twitter) for this interesting and well-known image.

Pariah Putin: Isolated and Angry? | To the Point

Mar 4, 2022 • Russian forces continue their advance on the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other key cities. The onslaught has had an unexpected side effect: Vladimir Putin’s war is uniting an often-divided world. In New York the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned the brutal onslaught. A slew of companies have closed down operations in Russia or divested themselves of Russian-related holdings elsewhere. With harsh sanctions in place, Joe Biden says Putin is more isolated than ever before.

Our guests: Jessica Berlin (Geopolitical Expert); Christoph von Marschall (Der Tagesspiegel); Roman Goncharenko (DW).

Guerre en Ukraine : Volodymyr Zelensky craint « l’apocalypse » en Europe si le monde « ne parvient pas à stopper » Vladimir Poutine

LE MONDE : Le président ukrainien appelle les alliés de son pays à « fermer le ciel » ou à livrer à Kiev des avions de combat. Il se redit prêt à des négociations sans conditions avec Moscou.

Volodymyr Zelensky, en conférence de presse à la résidence présidentielle du palais Mariinsky, à Kiev, le 3 mars 2022. LAURENT VAN DER STOCKT POUR « LE MONDE »
Volodymyr Zelensky, ces jours-ci l’homme le plus menacé de la planète, sourit. « La vie est comme elle est. Je suis vivant et le sentiment d’être important pour d’autres, c’est bien. Le moral est bon, l’équipe travaille, personne n’est parti. » Le dirigeant ukrainien, dont la chute ou l’assassinat est l’un des objectifs de guerre de Moscou, reconnaît être « un être humain comme un autre, qui a envie de vivre ». « Je pense tout le temps à la vie de nos soldats. Je pense aux membres de ma famille. En revanche, en tant que président, je n’ai pas le droit d’avoir peur pour moi-même. »

M. Zelensky est « président de guerre » depuis une semaine lorsqu’il rencontre pour la première fois, jeudi 3 mars, un groupe de journalistes internationaux, dont Le Monde, pour une conférence de presse restreinte. Son équipe a aménagé une salle anonyme et bunkérisée dans une aile du palais Mariinsky, la présidence ukrainienne, dans le centre-ville de Kiev. Comme lorsqu’il diffuse chaque jour des messages vidéo à l’attention de ses compatriotes, M. Zelensky tient à mettre en scène un chef d’Etat au travail dans son lieu habituel, ce qui ne veut évidemment pas dire qu’il y travaille ou y vive en permanence. » | Par Rémy Ourdan (Kiev, envoyé spécial) | vendredi 4 mars 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

‘Enemy of Humankind’: Ex-Russian Oligarch Speaks Out about Putin

Mar 4, 2022 • CNN's Nina dos Santos speaks with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former Russian oil tycoon and Kremlin critic who says Russian President Vladimir Putin is "the enemy of humankind."

Tucker Carlson & Fox News' White Supremacy Crap Exposed

Mar 4, 2022 • Tucker Carlson Goes Off With Epic Racist Rant about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The Fox News Journalist Fact-checking Channel’s Pundits On Air over Ukraine

THE GUARDIAN: National security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has been brutally calling out the ‘distortions’ of Tucker Carlson and co

As Russia prepared to invade Ukraine, some hosts at the rightwing Fox News channel were passionately defending Vladimir Putin. Once Russian troops were in Ukraine, those same personalities, such as Tucker Carlson, swiftly began to blame Joe Biden for the invasion.

That will not have surprised regular viewers of Fox, but what has raised eyebrows is the way that the views of hosts such as Carlson, the crew at the morning show Fox & Friends, and the opinions of multiple Fox News guests have been corrected often in real time, by one of Fox News’ own journalists

Time and again over the past few days Jennifer Griffin, Fox News’ national security correspondent, has taken to the airwaves to directly contradict the messages of her colleagues and their guests. With video » | Adam Gabbatt | Friday, March 4, 2022

Fox News: The channel that gives succour to Republicans in dire need of life support. Tucker Carlson: The pundit with a high-pitched, squeaky voice who delivers it. – Mark

Der Präsident im T-Shirt, der alle beschämt

Selenskyj ruft am 27.Februar in einer Videobotschaft seine Landsleute zur Abwehr russischer Angriffe auf. | Bild: DPA
WOLODYMYR SELENSKYJ IM KRIEG
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Video-Botschaften eines unrasierten Staatspräsidenten im T-Shirt sind schon jetzt ikonisch. Doch Wolodymyr Selenskyj beschämt nicht nur seinen Gegner Putin, sondern auch uns.

„This is just like television, only you can see much further”, sagt Peter Sellers mit einem wunderbar schillernden Satz in Hal Ashbys politischer Satire „Willkommen, Mr. Chance“ (1979). Der Film erzählt, wie ein Gärtner nach einem langen Leben, das er ausschließlich im Garten einer Villa in Washington verbracht hat, zum ersten Mal seine Umgebung erlebt. Zum Staunen ist das zynische Polit-Biotop Washingtons auch sonst. Doch gerade seine völlige Weltfremdheit erlaubt es Chancey Gardner, unbeschadet das Gestrüpp einer machtbesessenen Umgebung zu durchschreiten und am Ende zum US-Präsidenten aufzusteigen. Ein Amt, das er mit demselben milden Lächeln annimmt wie eine Tasse Tee.

Bis vor ein paar Monaten hätte man auch in Wolodymyr Selenskyjs Geschichte noch den Spin-off einer genialen amerikanischen Drehbuchidee sehen können. Nein, Ronald Reagan ist für den heutigen Präsidenten der Ukraine kein angemessener Vergleich; Reagan war acht Jahre lang Gouverneur von Kalifornien, bevor er nach dem höchsten Amt im Staate griff, er durfte in Ruhe lernen, wenngleich er aus dem Vorwurf des Schauspielerhaften schon früh Profit schlug. Von einem Journalisten 1966 ge¬fragt, wie er sich wohl an der Spitze des Bundesstaates Kalifornien behaupten werde, sagte der Hauptdarsteller des Schimpansen-Films „Bedtime for Bonzo“ gewitzt: „Keine Ahnung, einen Gouverneur habe ich noch nie gespielt.“ » | Von Paul Ingendaay, Europa-Korrespondent des Feuilletons in Berlin. | Freitag, 4. März 2022

Zur Zeit kann man die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung für 60 Tage kostenfrei testen. Danach bezahlen Sie 2,95 € die Woche. Ab 13. Monat, 4,95 € pro Woche. Das Abonnement ist mit einem Klick online kündbar. Um profitieren zu können, klicken Sie hier.

Guerre en Ukraine : Volodymyr Zelensky a survécu à trois tentatives d'assassinat, selon le Times

Le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, le 3 mars 2022. Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP
LE FIGARO : Le président ukrainien serait directement menacé par des troupes tchétchènes et des mercenaires du groupe Wagner, rapporte le quotidien britannique.

Alors que l'offensive russe s'abat sur Kiev, le président ukrainien a échappé à trois tentatives d'assassinat cette dernière semaine, selon une information du Times . Mué en chef de guerre, à la tête d'un pays qui défend son territoire pied à pied, Volodymyr Zelensky est devenu pour le Kremlin l'homme à abattre.

Deux groupes armés en auraient la mission. Premièrement, des Tchétchènes envoyés par Ramzan Kadyrov auraient été mandatés pour tuer le président ukrainien. Vêtus de noir et armés jusqu'aux dents, ces hommes que l'on appelle aussi les «kadyrovtsy», en hommage à la dévotion qu'ils portent à leur chef, sont près de 12.000 à avoir rejoint l'offensive pour la «dénazification» de l'Ukraine, selon l'expression de Vladimir Poutine. Une première tentative aurait été déjouée samedi dernier dans la banlieue de Kiev, avant qu'ils n'aient pu atteindre le président ukrainien. » | Par Marie-Liévine Michalik | vendredi 4 mars 2022

Comprendre la menace de l’arme nucléaire en 10 questions

LE MONDE : Dès le début de la guerre en Ukraine, Vladimir Poutine a brandi la menace nucléaire. Présentée habituellement comme une arme de dissuasion, son utilisation aurait des conséquences désastreuses.

Trois jours après le début de l’invasion de l’Ukraine, le président russe Vladimir Poutine a menacé de faire usage de l’arme nucléaire. A ce jour, neuf pays en sont dotés. Alors qu’elle est surtout considérée comme une arme de dissuasion, son utilisation dans un conflit généralisé aurait des conséquences désastreuses, non seulement pour l’humanité, mais aussi pour la vie sur Terre. En dix questions, nous vous livrons les principales clefs pour en comprendre les enjeux. » | Par Maxime Ferrer et Raphaëlle Aubert | vendredi 4 mars 2022

Related video.

Russia Passes New Laws to Silence Dissent, Bans Foreign News Outlets | Ukraine Invasion Latest News

Democracy Now! US News & World News – March 4, 2022

The End of a Superpower - The Collapse of the Soviet Union | DW Documentary

Mar 3, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin described the collapse of the Soviet Union as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century." This documentary from 2021 shows the path Russian foreign policy has followed under Putin.

On December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. Along with it came hope for the end of the Cold War, for independence and freedom for the former Soviet republics. But for many it also brought poverty and war. What remains of the dreams of that time? The documentary includes contemporary witnesses and politicians of the decisive years and shows what has become of the legacy of a world power.

[This documentary was originally released in 2021. In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.]

Could Putin Really Start a Nuclear War? | The Economist

After invading Ukraine nearly a week ago, Putin has now ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to be on high alert. Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor, answers questions on whether the war in Ukraine could escalate into a nuclear conflict.

Biden Imposes Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs, 'Putin's Cronies'

BBC: The US has announced fresh sanctions on Russian oligarchs - the latest attempt to squeeze President Vladimir Putin as his invasion of Ukraine continues.

The new penalties will target members of the Russian elite, their families and close associates, cutting them off from the US financial system.

"The goal is to maximise the impact on Putin," US President Joe Biden said.

Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's press secretary, is among those targeted in the latest blockade.

Mr Peskov, 54, is already sanctioned by the European Union, and now joins a list of eight oligarchs and nearly two dozen of their family members and associates whose assets in the US will be frozen, and have their American properties blocked from use. » | BBC | Thursday, March 3, 2022

Property of Russian elites could be handed to Ukrainian refugees, says Raab: Deputy PM defends response to invasion after criticism the government has acted too slowly over sanctions »

Russian Forces Take Control over Europe's Largest Nuclear Power Plant | DW News

Mar 4, 2022 • Russian forces have entered the site of Europe's largest nuclear power plant after a fire broke out there during Russian shelling. Ukrainian authorities say no radiation leaks have been detected.

Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces have taken control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the countries southeast. A fire broke out at one of the reactors at the site after Russian shelling overnight. "Operational personnel are monitoring the condition of power units," the regional authority said on social media. It added that it sought to ensure the operations were in line with safety requirements.

Russian authorities have moved to restrict access to a number of international media websites, including that of Deutsche Welle, that they accuse of providing false information about Russia's attack on Ukraine. Websites of the BBC, the independent news website Meduza and the Russian-language website of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Svoboda, were also "limited" following a request from prosecutors, according to Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor. Deutsche Welle has been able to confirm that access to its website from Russia has been blocked since early Friday morning, and that its services can be used only by employing a VPN or circumvention tool.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Berlin has requested the German government provide Kyiv with tanks and warships to face down a Russian invasion. Additional items on Ukraine's list of requests include infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems, such as self-propelled howitzers, air defense systems, combat and support helicopters, reconnaissance and combat drones and transport aircraft. Ukraine's formal request to the Chancellery, the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry read in part, "In view of the extremely tense security situation because of the ongoing Russian aggression, the Ukrainian government is seeking that this request be processed and favorably reviewed as quickly as possible." The note adds Putin started a "war of annihilation" against Ukraine. Berlin reversed its defense and Russia policy of many decades seemingly overnight following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany has already provided 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles after initially promising just 5,000 helmets.

Last Vestiges of Russia’s Free Press Fall under Kremlin Pressure

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “Everything that’s not propaganda is being eliminated,” a Nobel Prize winning editor said as Russian authorities moved to control the narrative in the Ukraine war.

As President Vladimir V. Putin wages war against Ukraine, he is fighting a parallel battle on the home front, dismantling the last vestiges of a Russian free press.

On Thursday, the pillars of Russia’s independent broadcast media collapsed under pressure from the state. Echo of Moscow, the freewheeling radio station founded by Soviet dissidents in 1990 and that symbolized Russia’s new freedoms, was “liquidated” by its board. TV Rain, the youthful independent television station that calls itself “the optimistic channel” said it would suspend operations indefinitely.

And Dmitri A. Muratov, the journalist who shared the Nobel Peace Prize last year, said that his newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which survived the murders of six of its journalists, could be on the verge of shutting down as well.

“Everything that’s not propaganda is being eliminated,” Mr. Muratov said.

Precipitating the outlets’ demise were plans by the Russian Parliament to take up legislation on Friday that would make news considered “fakes” about Russia’s war in Ukraine punishable by yearslong prison terms. The Russian authorities have already made it clear that the very act of calling it a “war” — the Kremlin prefers the term “special military operation” — is considered disinformation. » | Anton Troianovski and Valeriya Safronova | Thursday, March 3, 2022

European Shares Tumble, Commodity Prices Soar

THE GUARDIAN: European shares are sliding deeper into the red, after Russian shelling at a Ukrainian nuclear plant – Europe’s shares, commodity prices, biggest nuclear power station – led to a fire that burned for several hours, before being extinguished. The reactors are fine, according to the Ukrainian authorities, but this illustrates the dangers to a nuclear plant in a military conflict and has caused deep unease at the International Atomic Energy Agency. » | Julia Kollewe | Friday, March 4, 2022

Europe Must Be Totally United in These Desperately Difficult Times

The war in the Ukraine has shown all thinking people the importance of unity on our continent. Europe needs to be strong and powerful. This can only be achieved through unity.

Vladimir Putin has worked hard over the years to weaken the European Union. He wanted desperately for the United Kingdom to leave the Union, in order to weaken the EU and also to weaken the United Kingdom.

By leaving the European Union, the United Kingdom has been cut adrift from its moorings. Putin knew this would happen; so, he worked assiduously in the background to fund the Brexit referendum. How did he do this? By funding the Russian kleptocrats living in the UK, who have been allowed to infiltrate the corridors of power in Westminster. They have poisoned British politics, especially through their influence in the Conservative Party. One can but wonder how many Conservative politicians are actually lining their pockets with ill-gotten gains from the kleptocrats, with ill-gotten gains from the Kremlin!

Perhaps the start of the cancer metastasizing was Putin’s influence on the election of Trump as president of the USA. Clearly, Trump was Putin’s marionette; and were Trump to be re-elected—Heaven forfend!—the cancer will metastasize still further.

There is absolutely no doubt that Trump helped bring about Brexit. Wasn’t that, after all, what Putin wanted? Trump clearly did Putin’s bidding for him! The unsuspecting British electorate who had been lied to played along with it. They were taken in by the lies.

Even Boris Johnson himself has Russian blood and family connections; hence the given name Boris. What role does he play in all of this? One can but wonder.

Johnson loves to liken himself to Churchill. The current war in the Ukraine and the current crisis with Russia are heaven sent for him. If he really wishes to fulfil his Churchill moment, he should find a way of convincing the British electorate that we need to re-enter the European Union as full members. Such a move would strengthen the EU at a time when it needs all the strength it can muster; moreover, it would strengthen the United Kingdom, too.

This is your chance, Mr. Johnson. You’ve got the gift of the gab. Use it! Convince the electorate that they have made a grave error in choosing to leave the European Union.

This, Mr. Johnson, is the patriotic way forward. Everyone wants to join the European Union. No wonder! It’s a great institution! Even today, two more countries have put in their applications to join the Union Georgia and Moldova; and we all know that the Ukraine is desperate to be able to do so. We are the only country to mis-read the geopolitical situation by voting to leave the Union.

Show us all how great a man you can be, Mr. Johnson! Change course! Get us back into Europe! You know it makes sense!

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Von der Leyen Pledges €1bn to Ukraine in Passionate Address: 'We Are United'

Mar 1, 2022 • President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen gave a passionate speech in European parliament in which she outlined the bloc's commitment to stopping Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

She announced that for the first time ever, they are using "the European budget to purchase and deliver military equipment to a country that is under attack." The EU will also give "up to €500 million" in aid to Ukraine to deal with the "humanitarian consequences" inflicted upon Ukraine by Russia.


Long live Europe! Es lebe Europa! Vive l’Europe ! – Mark

History Demands the West Deploy Every Legal and Financial Weapon against Putin

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: His regime and all those complicit in war crimes must be held accountable – starting now. Ukrainians are fighting for their lives

An anti-war protest in St Petersburg, 1 March 2022. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
When Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked, criminal invasion of Ukraine, he shot himself in one foot. When he threatened to use nuclear weapons, he blew off the other. His regime has chosen a path of self-liquidation. The only question is how much damage it will do before its demise.

Ukraine, of course, is now the main target of Putin’s barbarism. I salute the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their leadership. Ukraine, an independent sovereign democracy, is not a part of Russia; but, as is the case for many Russians, Ukraine is a part of me. My grandfather, killed defending Moscow from fascist invaders in 1941, was from Zhytomyr in Ukraine. Today the invaders attacking his homeland are Russian. My grandmother was from Kharkiv. When I see the bombing of her city, it rips my heart in two – my motherland bombing the land of my grandmother.

Putin’s war of aggression is a crime against Ukraine and a crime against humanity. But it is also a crime against the Russian people. The regime starves Russians of information and feeds them lies. It tells them this is not a war but a “military operation”. It tells them we are fighting “Nazis and drug addicts”, even as its bombs drop on the site of Babyn Yar. While Putin’s forces bombard innocent Ukrainian civilians, we need to bombard Russians with the truth. When the news breaks through that Russian boys are being sent to their deaths in their thousands to murder our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, then the regime’s position becomes untenable. » | Mikhail Khodorkovsky * | Tuesday, March 3, 2022

* Mikhail Khodorkovsky is founder of the Open Russia movement, former Yukos CEO and Amnesty prisoner of conscience

Ist Wlad wirklich recht bei Trost?

Warum sprechen wir über Putin als ob er zurechnungsfähig ist? Sind seine Taten in der Ukraine nicht ein Zeichen dafür, daß dieser Mann psychisch gestört ist? Ist es nicht höchste Zeit, daß wir uns eine einfache Frage stellen: Hat Demenz eingesetzt? Ist dieser Mann in der Tat recht bei Trost?

© Mark Alexander
Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Der ungerechte Krieg

Der Krieg, der gegen die Ukraine und die Ukrainer momentan geführt wird, ist sowohl beunruhigend als auch kriminell. Putin ist eindeutig ebenso böse wie unausgeglichen.

Daß ein Präsident irgendeines Landes einen solchen Krieg gegen unschuldige Menschen wie die Ukrainer führen kann, ist für einen normalen Menschen wirklich schwer vorstellbar. Die Schwierigkeiten, die dieser Krieg für die Menschen in Ukraine geschaffen hat – für junge Leute, alte Leute und Kinder – sind einfach unglaublich. Zu sagen, daß Putin ein herzloser Mensch ist, ist in der Tat eine Untertreibung.

Harte Sanktionen gegen Putins Regime sind gut und notwendig; aber genug sind sie einfach nicht. Es ist auch gut und notwendig, den Ukrainern Waffen zu liefern, damit sie ihre eigenen Schlachten gegen die Russen führen können. Aber auch hier reicht die Hilfe nicht aus. Die Ukrainer kämpfen nicht nur ums Überleben ihres eigenen Landes; sie kämpfen auch fürs Überleben der liberalen Demokratie des Westens. Erwarten wir wirklich, daß die Ukrainer unseren Überlebenskampf unseretwegen führen? Ist das der christliche Weg? Ist das der mitfühlende Weg nach vorn? Ist dies der vernünftige Weg vorwärts?

Wer glaubt, daß Putin mit dem Einmarsch in die Ukraine aufhören wird, ist wirklich einfältig und lebt wirklich in naiver Hoffnung. Nachdem Putin die russische Kontrolle über die Ukraine erlangt hat, wird er sein nächstes Ziel ins Visier nehmen. Wo wird das sein? Einer der baltischen Staaten oder einer der anderen ehemaligen Satellitenstaaten der ehemaligen UdSSR?

Wir im Westen müssen unsere Strategie überdenken. Mir ist klar, und es sollte allen klar sein, daß es besser wäre, diesen Wahnsinn frühzeitig ein Ende zu setzen, als zu warten, bis das Problem außer Kontrolle gerät. Andernfalls werden wir uns innerhalb kürzester Zeit in einem Krieg mit Russland wiederfinden werden, dessen Kosten für uns alle unerträglich sein werden.

Es wäre besser, wenn wir jetzt uns mit der Situation abfinden würden. Je früher desto besser. So schwer, daß dies für uns alle werden wird.

Ich sollte hinzufügen, dass die beste Führung in der heutigen Zeit von der Uktraine selbst kommt: Präsident Volodymyr Selenskyj ist eine Lehrstunde für alle unserer Führer im Westen. Er hat diese Krise vorbildlich gemeistert. Er ist ein wahrer Held!

© Mark Alexander
Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Time for the West to Grow a Spine!

We need to re-think our strategy re the Ukraine. Isn’t it high time that NATO and the West change rhetoric on giving full military support to our brave Ukrainian brothers and sisters?

Three things, in particular, need to happen: The European Union needs to suspend its bureaucracy and make an exception to admit the Ukraine into the EU, with immediate effect; NATO needs to grow a spine and give the Ukrainians all the military support it needs, including combat troops; and a no-fly zone needs to be declared over Ukrainian airspace. Call Putin’s bluff! Challenge him! Defy him! Destroy his economy and destroy his military! Bring Russia to its knees!

We need to face-off with Russia. Putin is a bully; and bullies are usually weak little men when all is said and done.

The Ukrainians are not simply fighting for their own beloved country; rather, they are also fighting for our freedoms, fighting for liberal democracy. It is a disgrace that we are allowing them to do this alone, allowing them to do our dirty—and dangerous—work for us.

If Ukraine falls, which country will be next to fall? Poland? One of the Baltic states? The former Yugoslavia? If we value our freedoms, our liberty, our democracies, then we need to step up to the plate and help the Ukrainians to repel the barbarians by whom they are being attacked.

Sanctions are all well and good; but they are not enough to defeat the Russian bear.

Let the Ukrainians join the EU; let Western nations send real military support to help the Ukrainians fight their enemy; let there be controlled airspace for the Ukrainians, too.

These measures are the decent measures to take. They are also Christian measures. How can we, in good conscience, sit idly by and allow a good Christian country be destroyed by barbarians? Moreover, while we are at it, the British government needs to seize the property and chattels of the Russian kleptocrats who have splendid homes here in the UK, particularly in London and Surrey. Let no stone go unturned to help our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine, who find themselves in great difficulties and indescribable danger, and who find themselves having to fight for our freedoms. Let the real war commence!

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Russia Ukraine Conflict: Massive Russian Convoy Advances on Kyiv

Mar 1, 2022 • A huge convoy of Russian armoured vehicles is advancing on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv - as a massive Russian strike hits Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv. President Zelenskiy has called the attacks on Kharkiv “state terrorism” while Boris Johnson has accused Russia of “barbaric and indiscriminate” attacks.

Wales: Happy St. David’s Day! / Cymru: Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant Hapus!

Image: Adobe Stock
Wishing all my fellow compatriots and all Welsh expatriates a very Happy St. David’s Day.

Wie Putins Propaganda die Sanktionen verharmlost

INFLATION UND HANDELSBOYKOTT
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Von „harten Sanktionen“ will die russische Propaganda nichts wissen. Sie feiert lieber „höhere Zinsen“ für russische Anleger. Doch es gelingt immer weniger, die Invasion in die Ukraine als Erfolg darzustellen.

Viele Russen sind Geldentwertungen und lange Schlangen vor Banken gewöhnt. Jetzt, angesichts beispielloser Sanktionen des Westens, sind sie wieder in Sorge, decken sich mit Bargeld ein, warten vor Schaltern und Automaten. Bezahldienste von Google und Apple funktionieren nicht mehr. Die Moskauer Börse sollte am Montag später öffnen, öffnet dann gar nicht, die Zentralbank erhöht den Leitzins auf 20 Prozent. Kein Problem für das Staatsfernsehen: Dieses Niveau sei „Rekord“, frohlockt die Moderatorin und feiert höhere Zinsen für Anleger. » | Von Friedrich Schmidt, Politischer Korrespondent für Russland und die GUS in Moskau. | Dienstag, 1. März 2022

Ukraine: Reise in das Land der Separatisten | ARTE Reportage

Mar 1, 2022 • Die Region Donbass an der russischen Grenze liegt so weit entfernt von der EU wie kein anderer Landstrich in der Ukraine. Keiner hier hat die ukrainische Revolte anerkannt, ganz im Gegenteil streben sie hier wie immer schon in Richtung Osten nach Russland und nicht westlich in die EU. Deshalb riefen sie auch eigene Wahlen aus und erklärten ihre Unabhängigkeit von der Ukraine.

Seitdem herrscht hier Bürgerkrieg, Rebellen gegen Armee – die Ukrainer wollen nach der Krim nicht noch eine Region verlieren und sich damit wirtschaftlich noch weiter schwächen lassen. In weniger als einem Jahr starben beinahe 5000 Menschen in diesem bewaffneten Konflikt. Die Donbass-Rebellen haben keinen Anführer, der sie alle einen könnte, stattdessen regieren hier irgendwelche Politiker wie Marionetten an unsichtbaren Fäden oder selbst ernannte Kriegsherren. Vormals verdienten sie ihr Geld als Sportler, Sänger oder Geschäftsmann, heute sind sie Abgeordneter, Polizeichef oder Bataillonskommandeur. Unsere Reporter stellen diese neuen Herren des Donbass vor.

Ukraine: Vladimir Putin Using Barbaric Tactics, Boris Johnson Says

Read the article here.

What Do Russians Think of Ukraine's Invasion? I ARTE.tv Documentary

Mar 1, 2022 • Russia almost lost its geopolitical importance after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nowadays, state-controlled media cultivate the image of a president who helps shape the world order. But do ordinary Russians share that opinion? In the run up to Ukraine's invasion, we asked ordinary people what they thought of the threat of war.

What Do Russians Think of Ukraine's Invasion? I ARTE.tv Documentary
Available until the 13/01/2023

Democracy Now! US News & World News – March 1, 2022

Vast 65 km Russian Military Convoy Advances towards Kyiv | DW News

Mar 1, 2022 • A massive Russian military convoy consisting of hundreds of tanks, trucks, towed artillery pieces and support vehicles has been pictured slowly making its way toward Kyiv. Satellite images provided by the US company Maxar Technologies show the convoy spanning a distance of about 40 miles (65 kilometers). The Ukrainian news agency UNIAN also reported the same length early on Tuesday. The convoy, which is longer than previously thought, is inching slowly toward the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. Up until now, Ukrainian forces have managed to slow the Russian invasion, but it is unclear just how long they will be to fend off the Russian push for the capital.

More than 70 Ukrainian troops were killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on Facebook. Okhtyrka is located in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, which borders Russia.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has confirmed the deaths of 102 civilians, including seven children, since the Russian invasion began on Thursday. Hundreds more had been injured, and the figures provided were likely to be undercounted. Residents of Kyiv who have remained in the city have hunkered down in the subway stations.

Russia and Ukraine broke off peace talks Monday, which were held on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. A follow-on round will take place in the coming days. Ukraine had demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire and troop withdrawal as its delegation arrived in Belarus for talks with Russian negotiators.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a formal request for his country to join the European Union as EU leaders said they might discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining the 27-nation bloc at an informal summit in March.

The UN said that more than 500,000 people had fled the country and were seeking safety in neighboring countries.

The US ordered 12 members of Russia's diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York to be expelled, mandating their departures by March 7, said Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya.

Sanctions have taken a toll on Russia's economy, with the Central Bank announcing that it will raise its key interest rate to an unprecedented 20%, up from 9.5%, in the face of new sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian ruble plunged almost 30% against the dollar.

On Monday, hundreds of anti-war protesters were arrested in both Russia and Belarus, according to human rights watchdogs.

La Russie intensifie ses attaques en Ukraine

LE MONDE : Les bombardements se multiplient dans Kharkiv et une longue colonne de chars se dirige vers Kiev, même si les Russes se heurtent à une forte résistance ukrainienne.

Une école détruite à la suite de combats, non loin du centre-ville de Kharkiv, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres de la frontière ukraino-russe, le 28 février 2022. SERGEY BOBOK / AFP
Malgré un calme apparent autour de la capitale, Kiev, l’évolution de la situation militaire a été marquée, lundi 28 février, par des bombardements russes d’une intensité inédite dans la deuxième ville du pays, Kharkiv, située à 30 kilomètres de la frontière avec la Russie. Selon les autorités régionales, au moins onze civils y ont été tués, alors que se tenait, au même moment, un premier cycle de négociations entre des délégations russe et ukrainienne, près de la frontière biélorusse.

Un missile russe a frappé la place de la Liberté, lieu symbolique où est installée la tente jaune et bleu des militants d’Euromaïdan, du nom de la révolution proeuropéenne de 2014, au pied des bâtiments administratifs. Selon le journaliste et militant ukrainien Volodymyr Tchistiline, présent sur place, « la tente a été fortement endommagée », mais il n’y aurait pas de victime. « Des gens aux métiers paisibles sont allés se battre » » | Par Allan Kaval, Elise Vincent et Faustine Vincent | mardi 1 mars 2022

Ukrainians Flee as Russia Bombards Civilians

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Monday for an international tribunal to investigate Russia for war crimes. Delegations from Kyiv and Moscow failed to make progress in Belarus.

A picture released by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service of the area near the regional administration building that was damaged by a missile, according to city officials in Kharkiv on Tuesday. | Ukrainian State Emergency Service, via Reuters
A large explosion hit central Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, on Tuesday directly in front of the city’s administrative building, the country’s interior ministry said. The explosion created a huge fireball that appeared in a video to engulf several cars driving through an area called Freedom Square.

The cause of the blast and number of casualties were not immediately clear, though the city’s mayor said there were dead and wounded. Video of the aftermath showed a large crater in the middle of the city’s cobble-stoned central square.

“Barbaric Russian missile strikes on the central Freedom Square and residential districts of Kharkiv,” Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “Putin is unable to break Ukraine down. He commits more war crimes out of fury, murders innocent civilians.” An explosion rocks Kharkiv a day after a shelling in a residential neighborhood. » | Michael Schwirtz | Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Swiss Ditch Historic Neutrality to Enforce Russia Sanctions

SWISS INFO: (Bloomberg) -- The Swiss government broke with a long-entrenched tradition of neutrality and agreed to enforce European Union sanctions against Russian companies and individuals including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The government’s decision Monday to implement the sanctions with immediate effect -- which prompted Lavrov to cancel a planned trip to Geneva -- came after a weekend in which it was criticized by opposition politicians and in editorials in leading Swiss papers as well as by other governments.

The European Commission on Friday urged Switzerland to follow its lead on punishing the Kremlin, noting that although not an EU member state, it’s still “part of Europe.”

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis told reporters Monday that adopting the EU sanctions is not a black-and-white decision that precludes it playing a role as a neutral party in the future, but rather a case of choosing where to put the emphasis. » | ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. | Monday, February 28, 2022

Face à la Russie, l’Europe fait le choix de la puissance

Emmanuel Macron accueille le président du Conseil européen, Charles Michel, lundi soir à l’Élysée, avant une réunion sur l’Ukraine avec le chancelier allemand, Olaf Scholz, et la présidente de la Commission européene, Ursula von der Leyen PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Les Vingt-Sept, régulièrement accusés de pusillanimité, ont cette fois décidé de débloquer 450 millions d’euros pour fournir des armes à l’Ukraine.

Trois jours. C’est le temps qu’il a fallu aux Européens pour enterrer leurs dernières illusions sur une paix qu’ils croyaient durable et dynamiter quelques-uns de leurs tabous. Le tout dans une unité rare.

Le «saut quantique» de l’UE, selon la formule de l’expert Stefan Lehne, est à la mesure de l’agression russe sur l’Ukraine et des risques existentiels qu’elle fait peser sur les États membres du voisinage. À chaque fois que Moscou a durci son offensive, les Européens ont fait de même dans une riposte coordonnée avec Washington. » | Par Anne Rovan | lundi 28 février 2022

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Russia Launches Multiple Rocket Attacks in Kharkiv and Renews Kyiv Assault

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Dozens’ of civilians killed in Ukraine’s second city amid widespread use of indiscriminate weapons

Russian forces launched rocket attacks that killed “dozens” of civilians in Ukraine’s second city, and began a renewed assault on the capital Kyiv, as Moscow faced unprecedented western sanctions and isolation.

Widespread use of indiscriminate weapons such as multiple rocket launchers against civilian areas, as used on Monday in the city of Kharkiv, suggested that the Kremlin, having failed to land a knockout blow in the first days of the war, was prepared to unleash more desperate methods.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would launch an investigation into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Ukraine. With video » | Luke Harding in Lviv, Jon Henley, Julian Borger in Washington and Dan Sabbagh in London | Monday, February 28, 2022

McFaul: When Dictators Hold On for Too Long, They Overreach

Feb 28, 2022 • Fmr. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Morning Joe to discuss Russia's missteps so far in the invasion of Ukraine.

Tensions Rise at the £3bn Surrey Estate Russian Oligarchs Call Home

THE GUARDIAN: The secretive owners of mansions at St George’s Hill will be nervous about making an appearance on Liz Truss’s hitlist

St George’s Hill, near Weybridge, has been called Britain’s Beverly Hills. At least a quarter of its houses are owned by people from former Soviet states. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
The warning to rich Russians linked to Putin that the UK government “will come after you” and ensure oligarchs have “nowhere to hide” is likely to hit hard at the gated luxury housing estate in Surrey dubbed “Britain’s Beverly Hills”.

Russians and those from former Soviet states own more than a quarter of the 430 luxurious homes in St George’s Hill, a heavily guarded 964-acre estate near Weybridge, Surrey, where mansions have changed hands for more than £20m each.

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, said on Sunday that the government was drawing up a “hitlist” of oligarchs with links to Putin who will be added to the sanctions list in coming days and weeks.

“We have to make it deeply painful for the oligarchs that support the Putin regime. There are over a hundred Russian billionaires,” she told the Sunday Times. “Nothing is off the table in terms of who or what we are targeting. We are very clear about that – we are very prepared to do what it takes.”

Brad, one of six fluorescent jacket-wearing security guards who prevented the Guardian from entering St George’s Hill, said there were more Russians living on the estate now than at any time in his six years working at the gate. » | Rupert Neate, Wealth correspondent | Monday, February 28, 2022

Ukrainian Sailor Arrested for Trying to Sink Oligarch’s Superyacht

THE GUARDIAN: Mechanic on Lady Anastasia, owned by Russian arms exporter, sought revenge for attacks on Kyiv

Lady Anastasia, pictured in Palamos harbour in Catalonia, is owned by Alexander Mikheev, head of Rosoboronexport. Photograph: Dieter Wanke/Alamy
A Ukrainian sailor has been arrested in Mallorca and faces charges of attempting to sink a yacht owned by Alexander Mikheev, the CEO of the Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport and former head of the Russian helicopter federation. The boat is moored in the harbour of Port Adriano.

The unnamed man, who has been employed for the past 10 years as a mechanic on the Lady Anastasia, Mikheev’s 48-metre, £5m yacht, said he felt he had to do something after seeing footage of a Russian rocket attack on a block of flats in Kyiv, his home town. The defendant told the judge that he believed the rocket had been manufactured by Mikheev’s company.

Once on board the vessel he told the crew members, most of whom are also Ukrainians, to abandon ship. He allegedly then went to the engine room and opened a large valve in an attempt to sink the yacht. The crew members, aided by port staff, intervened to prevent the sinking. » | Stephen Burgen in Barcelona | Monday, February 28, 2022

Ukraine Invasion: Foreign Secretary Says Attacks Could Be 'Beginning of the End' for Putin

Feb 27, 2022 • Foreign Secretary Liz Truss insists the UK 'does welcome refugees' and the government is looking 'urgently' at what more the country can do, despite reports that Ukrainians are finding it hard to come to Britain.

And describing the situation on the ground in Ukraine, Ms Truss said there had not been any "overnight significant changes", "but we are seeing very, very strong and brave Ukrainian resistance".

Economy in Crisis: Russia Hit Hard by International Sanctions | DW News

Feb 28, 2022 • Russia's escalating war in Ukraine has prompted unprecedented economic sanctions against the country. Over the weekend, Russian banks were further cut off from the international financial system. Some have been excluded from the SWIFT payments system while moves have been made to stop the Russian central bank using its $630 billion (€562 billion) of foreign reserves. The sanctions are by far the most severe to have been leveled at Russia since the country invaded Ukraine last week. The country's increasing financial and political isolation is already causing significant consequences for the economy, the 11th-largest in the world by GDP.

Russia's currency, the ruble, fell by around 30% to record lows after the latest sanctions, although it did recover a little in recent hours. That compounds massive losses already experienced last week. In response, the Russian central bank has made an emergency decision to hike interest rates from 9.5% to 20%. The bank has also temporarily blocked the sale of securities held by foreigners. The currency collapse has led to long lines outside ATMs across Russia, with fears rising over further plunges in the value of the ruble. On Monday, the central bank announced that the Moscow Stock Exchange would not open. It also said in a statement that it has increased interest rates to support "financial and price stability and protect the savings of citizens from depreciation."

Putin Puts Russian Nuclear Forces on High Alert as Resistance to Ukraine Invasion Grows

Feb 28, 2022 • Following a wave of peace rallies held across the globe this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to diplomatic talks with Russia. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin placed Russia's nuclear forces on high alert on Sunday, citing increasingly tightened international sanctions. We speak with Anatol Lieven, senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, who says it's not clear whether Putin is using a nuclear threat to topple the Ukrainian government or pressure them into a deal. Lieven also speaks about Belarus's support of the Russian invasion and argues future protests inside Russia against the war will be greatly influenced by Western sanctions.

Face à la Russie, le sursaut de l’Union européenne

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : En décidant d’une aide financière à l’envoi d’armes létales aux forces ukrainiennes pour résister à l’agression russe, l’UE a brisé « un tabou » et se donne enfin les moyens de se comporter en puissance géopolitique.

Editorial du « Monde ». Au quatrième jour de la guerre qu’il a déclenchée contre l’Ukraine, Vladimir Poutine avait déjà deux exploits à son compte, dimanche 27 février : il a rendu à l’OTAN sa raison d’être et il a amené l’Union européenne à se transformer en organisation capable de fournir de l’aide militaire à un pays étranger.

Ursula von der Leyen, la présidente de la Commission, a raison : c’est bien « un moment décisif », un tournant historique dans sa politique de défense que l’UE a réalisé dimanche soir pour venir en assistance à l’Ukraine attaquée. Sous la conduite du chef de la diplomatie européenne, Josep Borrell, les ministres des affaires étrangères des Vingt-Sept ont adopté une aide de 450 millions d’euros pour financer l’envoi d’armes létales aux forces ukrainiennes pour résister à l’agression russe, ainsi que 50 millions pour des équipements non militaires. Cette assistance, qui pourra inclure des avions de chasse, s’ajoute aux livraisons d’armes déjà promises individuellement par plusieurs Etats membres. Jamais auparavant l’UE n’avait rempli cette fonction. « Un tabou est tombé », a commenté M. Borrell. » | Éditorial | lundi 28 février 2022

LIRE AUSSI :

Aide militaire à l’Ukraine : face à la menace russe, le basculement historique de l’Union européenne : Pour la première fois, les Vingt-Sept vont faciliter la délivrance d’armes létales, y compris des avions de combat, en débloquant 450 millions d’euros pour l’envoi d’une assistance militaire à Kiev. »

The Phone Has Become the Ukrainian President’s Most Effective Weapon

THE GUARDIAN: Analysis: Zelenskiy has managed to achieve an unheard-of range of sanctions against Russia thanks to a tireless round of calls to allies

In a string of phone calls from a besieged Kyiv, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has persuaded the west to agree to a set of sanctions against Russia that were inconceivable a week ago.

Sensing how European public opinion is responding to the bravery of his people, Zelenskiy has been constantly on the phone to western leaders, using his Twitter feed to cajole, encourage, scold and praise his allies. In the process, sanctions regarded as unthinkable a week ago have become a moral baseline. The pace at which the west has been agreeing to the new sanctions has also left the lawyers, officials and bankers gasping for air, officials admit, as they work under severe pressure to turn headlines into reality.

One leader’s office said: “We are in awe of him. He may not eventually be able to save Ukraine, or change Russia, but he is changing Europe.” With video » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, February 28, 2022

Democracy Now! US News & World News – February 28, 2022

GOP Struggles to Find Right Message on Russia as Trump Calls Putin ‘Smart’

Feb 28, 2022 • Republicans in Washington are trying to counter Russian aggression as Donald Trump calls Putin ‘smart’ and other world leaders ‘dumb.’ MSNBC Political Analysts Jennifer Rubin and Matthew Dowd joined American Voices with Alicia Menendez to discuss the danger of touting Kremlin talking points.

Russische Nachrichtenagentur feiert irrtümlich Sieg

KOMMENTAR IN STAATSMEDIUM
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Eine staatliche russische Nachrichtenagentur veröffentlicht irrtümlicherweise einen Siegeskommentar. Russlands Führung rechnete offenbar mit einem raschen Sieg.

Immer mehr deutet darauf hin, dass Moskau von einem raschen Sieg ausging und dass auch die Staatsmedien darauf vorbereitet worden sind. Das zeigt ein Vorfall bei der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur Ria. Die veröffentlichte einen vorbereiteten Kommentar, in dem der Autor den Sieg Russlands über die Ukraine feierte.

Der Kommentar wurde am Samstagmorgen – der Nacht nach dem gescheiterten ersten Großangriff auf Kiew – offenbar irrtümlich veröffentlicht, rasch wieder vom Netz genommen, aber im Webarchiv gespeichert. Solche Vorgänge kommen vor, denn Medien bereiten für erwartete Ereignisse Artikel vor, um schnell ihre Leser erreichen zu können. Erst vor Kurzem hatte Moskau viel Häme über den amerikanischen Mediendienst „Bloomberg“ geäußert, der einige Tage vor der russischen Invasion schon kontrafaktisch den Beginn der russischen Invasion vermeldet hatte, ehe der entsprechende Artikel zurückgezogen wurde. Nun geht Rias Text, eine Paraphrase von Aussagen Putins zur Rolle der Ukraine und dem Ringen mit dem Westen, schon von einem Sieg aus. » | Von Friedrich Schmidt, Politischer Korrespondent für Russland und die GUS in Moskau. | Montag, 28. Februar 2022

Volodymyr Zelensky: Russian Mercenaries Ordered to Kill Ukraine’s President

President Zelensky agreed to send a delegation to meet a Russian team at the Belarus border | UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/EPA
THE TIMES: More than 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in Kyiv with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate President Zelensky and his government and prepare the ground for Moscow to take control, The Times has learnt.

The Wagner Group, a private militia run by one of President Putin’s closest allies and operating as an arm-length branch of the state, flew in mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to decapitate Zelensky’s government in return for a handsome financial bonus.

Information about their mission reached the Ukrainian government on Saturday morning and hours later Kyiv declared a 36-hour “hard” curfew to sweep the city for Russian saboteurs, warning civilians that they would be seen as Kremlin agents and risked being “liquidated” if they stepped outside. » | Manveen Rana | Monday, February 28, 2022

New subscribers to The Times: Flash sale: 3 months for £1. View offers.

Singapore’s Latest Ruling on Gay Sex Is ‘Cold Comfort,’ Activists Say

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Plaintiffs had hoped the Court of Appeal would overturn the colonial-era law. Instead, the top court said it was not “an architect of social policy” and that any change was up to Parliament.

The Singapore Court of Appeal, the country’s top court, declined Monday to overturn a law criminalizing gay sex, ruling that three men who brought challenges did not have legal standing because the government has pledged not to enforce the colonial-era law.

Gay rights advocates had sought to overturn the law, known as Section 377A, arguing that it stigmatizes gay men and promotes discrimination. The law, enacted in 1938 during British rule, does not apply to women.

Pink Dot SG, a leading L.G.B.T.Q. advocacy group that organizes Singapore’s annual pride event, said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the decision.

“The acknowledgment that Section 377A is unenforceable only in the prosecutorial sense is cold comfort,” the group said in a statement. “Section 377A’s real impact lies in how it perpetuates discrimination across every aspect of life: at home, in schools, in the workplace, in our media, and even access to vital services like health care.” » | Richard C. Paddock | Monday, February 28, 2022

The Ruble Crashes, the Stock Market Closes and Russia’s Economy Staggers under Sanctions.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: MOSCOW — The ruble cratered, the stock market froze and the public rushed to withdraw cash on Monday as Western sanctions kicked in and Russia awoke to uncertainty and fear over the rapidly spreading repercussions of President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

As the day began, Russia’s currency lost as much as a quarter of its value within hours. Scrambling to stem the decline, the Russian Central Bank more than doubled its key interest rate, banned foreigners from selling Russian securities and ordered exporters to convert into rubles most of their foreign-currency revenues. It closed the Moscow stock exchange for the day because of the “developing situation.”

“The economic reality has, of course, changed,” the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters, announcing that Mr. Putin had called an emergency meeting with his top finance officials.

Even as Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for talks at the Belarus border, Moscow’s military offensive showed no sign of letting up, and the hectic moves offered the first signs that the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the weekend were shaking the foundations of Russia’s economy. The decisions by the United States, Britain and the European Union restricting the Russian Central Bank’s access to much of its $643 billion in foreign currency reserves have undone much of the Kremlin’s careful efforts to soften the impact of potential sanctions. » | Anton Troianovski | Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting. | Monday, February 28, 2022

Guerre en Ukraine: l'Union européenne annonce de nouvelles sanctions contre la Biélorussie

FIGARO / LIVE : L'Union européenne a décidé ce dimanche 27 février de prendre de nouvelles sanctions contre la Biélorussie en interdisant les exportations des «plus importants secteurs économiques» du régime de Minsk. Regarder la vidéo en anglais » | dimanche 27 février 2022

Let Me Save Civilisation, Donald Trump Urges Republicans

Donald Trump aired past complaints at Cpac and was warmly received. Polling, however, shows that his grip on the Republican Party is beginning to weaken | JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Donald Trump confirmed his grip on the Republican Party with a speech to conservatives insisting that he alone could save “our civilisation”, but a straw poll taken after his address suggests that his rivals may be closing the gap.

The former president, 75, who addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in Florida at the weekend, emerged as clear leader in a straw poll of delegates, with 59 per cent of the vote. In second place was Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, on 28 per cent. » | Alistair Dawber, Orlando | Sunday, February 27, 2022

New subscribers to The Times / The Sunday Times: The Flash Office.

FFS! Leave us alone! Leave the world alone! Stop 'molesting' us! You belong in klink, not in the White House! My advice to you is this: Go back to Mar-a-Lago and enjoy the trappings of your ill-gotten gains whilst you still can. The authorities are coming after you – soon. And as for "saving civilisation", you can't save even yourself, still less civilisation! So give us a break! Please! – © Mark

Putin the Hypocrite?

Photo thanks to Google Images
It is to be hoped that we’ll see no more images of Putin embracing Russian Orthodox prelates. Or vice-versa! Putin’s current actions in the Ukraine are as far away from Christianity as anyone can get! Russian Orthodox prelates should give Putin a wide berth.

Lionel Richie : The Only One

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L’Ukraine sera-t-elle l’Afghanistan de Poutine?

Après avoir repoussé une colonne russe, des soldats ukrainiens inspectent une zone de combat dans Kiev, le 26 février, à la recherche d’éventuels obus non explosés. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - S’il est probable que Kiev finira par céder aux assauts de l’armée russe, on peut s’attendre ensuite à une longue résistance mêlant guerre de partisans, harcèlements et résistance passive.

Le 11 décembre 1994, lorsque le Kremlin avait lancé ses troupes à l’assaut de la Tchétchénie, un responsable russe avait déclaré qu’il viendrait à bout de la rébellion en 48 heures. Mais il avait fallu cinq semaines aux forces armées russes, et un déchaînement inouï de violences, de bombardements aériens et d’attaques de tanks, pour s’emparer du palais présidentiel, le 21 janvier 1995. Le conflit dura deux ans et il fut suivi d’un deuxième, plus long encore, en 1999. Grozny fut rasée, la Tchétchénie détruite. Les guerres ne se passent jamais comme prévu. À Grozny hier comme à Kiev aujourd’hui.

Les signes sont encore faibles, mais ils existent. Une première offensive contre Kiev, pensée comme un blitzkrieg, qui devait assurer la prise de l’aéroport d’Hostomel puis un raid au centre de la capitale pour y décapiter le pouvoir politique, capturer ou tuer Volodymyr Zelensky, a été contrecarrée par la résistance ukrainienne. Quelques tanks russes échoués au bord des routes. Des bombardiers abattus par la défense ukrainienne. De jeunes prisonniers russes au regard perdu affirmant ne rien savoir de cette guerre où ils ont été projetés. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | dimanche 27 février 2022

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À LIRE AUSSI :

Jean-Louis Thiériot: «Sommes-nous prêts pour une guerre de haute intensité?» : TRIBUNE - La France et l’Europe doivent adapter leurs capacités de défense, argumente le député et membre de la Commission Défense de l’Assemblée nationale. »

Dmitrij Muratow – Kämpfer gegen Putins Zensur

Dmitrij Muratow | Bild: DPA
JOURNALISMUS IN RUSSLAND
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Russlands Militär will verbieten, dass das Bild einer unblutigen „Operation“ in der Ukraine Risse bekommt. Friedensnobelpreisträger Dmitrij Muratow und seine Zeitung „Nowaja Gaseta“ machen weiter, trotz aller Risiken.

Bald, nachdem Präsident Wladimir Putin die „Spezialoperation“ befohlen hatte, veröffentlichte Dmitrij Muratow auf der Website der „Nowaja Gaseta“ eine Videobotschaft. „Unser Land hat auf Befehl von Präsident Putin einen Krieg mit der Ukraine begonnen. Und niemand kann ihn stoppen. Daher verspüren wir neben Kummer auch Scham“, sagt der Sechzigjährige. „Als wäre es der Schlüsselanhänger eines teures Autos, wendet der Oberbefehlshaber in den Händen den Atomknopf. Ist der nächste Schritt eine nukleare Salve? Wie sonst soll man die Worte Putins von einer Vergeltungswaffe verstehen.“ » | Von Friedrich Schmidt, Moskau | Sonntag, 27. Februar 2022

Vladimir Putin: What’s Going On Inside His Head?

THE OBSERVER: The Russian president’s intentions are now clear. The psychology behind them has been years in the making

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, making an address from the Kremlin on the situation in Ukraine. Photograph: EyePress News/REX/Shutterstock
You’ve all seen it now. The small, mean, vicious yet weirdly blank eyes. The stubby stabbing fingers that jab as he humiliates his underlings, making them shake with fear. The joy he takes in sadism. It’s almost comedy villain stuff. But cliches exist for a reason. And we need to stop kidding ourselves about Putin – and start taking steps to deal with him.

For decades we’ve wanted to avoid the challenge. Not so much appease as just hope he goes away. It’s a headache having to face up to the blunt fact that Putin is trying to utterly change the world. His aims are impossible to ignore now. The Kremlin’s foreign policy thinktanks are already churning out articles about how his invasion of Ukraine means the start of a “multipolar world”. Ignore the geopolitical PR. All multipolar means here is emboldened fascism. Before the political scientists among you get all carried away debating endlessly what “fascism” means let me explain my terms.

I mean Orwell’s boot stamping endlessly on people’s faces. I mean the underlying psychology that shines through in the violence that suffuses all of Putin’s language. Just last week, to give one small example, as Putin spoke with Macron, the Russian president casually invoked a Russian rape joke about Sleeping Beauty to explain what he would soon do to Ukraine. Conflating Ukraine and Sleeping Beauty, he gleefully put himself in the role of the rapist: “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.)

I mean the way he uses grievance narratives, always complaining how the world has put him down. There are many people – minorities, the economically disadvantaged – who bear righteous grievance. But when the world’s richest man, a blatant bully, does it, it means something else. » | Peter Pomerantsev * | Saturday, February 26, 2022

Peter Pomerantsev is the author of Nothing is True and Everything is Possible, Adventures in Modern Russia

However rich Putin is, he is a disgusting SOB! A ruthless tyrant who will go down in the history books as one of the worst leaders the world has ever known. He is good company for Adolf Hitler! That comparison, in itself, would be enough to give any normal, rational person sleepless nights. You can be sure that Putin will lose no sleep because of such a comparison, though.

People will be talking about Putin for decades, nay centuries, to come; and what they will say, obviously, won’t be good. He will be spoken of in the most negative terms. Putin will go down as one of the most hated men ever to have walked the face of the earth.

Money can buy a person a lot; it cannot, however, buy a person peace of mind. Nor a good night’s sleep.

It is clear to us all by now that the man is mentally imbalanced. Isn’t it also fair to ask ourselves the following question: Is dementia setting in?

Perhaps I am being too kind even to ask the question! It’s probably something far more sinister. – © Mark

Authentic Ukrainian Borscht | How to Make Ukrainian Red Beet Soup

In solidarity with our European brothers and sisters in the Ukraine, who are suffering so much at the moment, I bring you this authentic Ukrainian borscht recipe…
Ingredients:

1 lb pork ribs with bone
6 cups cold water
1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 medium beetroot
2-4 potatoes
1/4 of a medium cabbage
1.5 tbsp tomato paste
parsley+garlic for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Phil Collins : I Wish It Would Rain Down | Remastered 2016

Jan 25, 2020 • Provided to YouTube by Laika Network | Views on YouTube: 16,887,534

We Are All Living in Vladimir Putin’s World Now

Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA, via Shutterstock
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Journalists writing on international affairs in the 1920s and 1930s referred to the era as “postwar.” They saw events through the prism of the Great War that had devastated Europe just a few years earlier. Historians writing today refer to these same years as the “interwar” period, for the simple reason that they analyze what happened during those years as part of the lead-up to the even more destructive World War II. If only those journalists writing in 1930s Europe had the clarity of hindsight.

We should all have that clarity today. Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine is one of those moments that impels us to reinterpret our own era: what we called the 30-year peace that followed the Cold War (tending to forget, consciously or unconsciously, the wars in the former Yugoslavia) has now ended. Future historians will look at these last decades, by and large, much like they look at the interwar period, as an opportunity squandered.

The sooner we all admit it, the better we can prepare for what comes next. Unfortunately, a kind of self-serving denialism pervades Western capitals and prevents us from seeing the obvious. Passionate pleas to defend post-Cold War European order have no meaning because this era is over.

In the wake of Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, Angela Merkel, then-chancellor of Germany, talked to President Vladimir Putin of Russia and reported to President Barack Obama that, in her view, Mr. Putin had lost touch with reality. He was, she said, living in “another world.” Today, we are all living in it. In this world, to quote Thucydides, “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” » | Ivan Krastev * | Sunday, February 27, 2022

* Mr. Krastev is a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and an expert on international politics.

Putin Orders Nuclear Deterrent Forces in Russia to Be on 'High Alert'

Feb 27, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin has put his nuclear deterrent forces on "high alert" as international tensions rise over Russia's four-day invasion of Ukraine.

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