Zelensky Warns of New Russian Attacks in Ukraine

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As fighting takes an increasing toll on civilians, Russian and Ukrainian representatives were expected to meet for a third round of talks on Monday. Russian police detained thousands of antiwar protesters over the weekend.

Several rockets landed in a neighborhood of heavy concentrated apartment blocks in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Monday, blowing out windows and sending shrapnel through walls and home appliances. | Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
MYKOLAIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine on Monday to expect a renewed bombardment of major cities, as Russian forces attempt to renew their assault after being stalled by stiff resistance and suffering unexpected heavy losses.

Before dawn, a huge explosion on the outskirts of the coastal city of Mykolaiv lit up the sky and artillery fire rang out as Russian troops continue their push to take the city, a vital point on the road to Odessa. Here are the latest developments: » | Michael Schwirtz and Marc Santora | Monday, March 7, 2022

Ukraine: Angry Zelensky Vows to Punish Russian Atrocities

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said everyone who commits atrocities against Ukraine's civilians will be punished.: He said Ukrainians would not forgive or forget, and accused invading Russian troops of deliberate murder. »

The Terrifying Reality of Life under Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

Jan 6, 2014 • The Iron Closet: Russia's draconian anti-gay laws effectively licensing violent vigilante gangs to target the LGBT community.

Brutally beaten and forced to drink their own urine while being filmed for internet broadcasts, homosexuals lured into the hands of vigilante groups like Occupy Pedofilyaj (who uniformly view gays as paedophiles) should be very afraid. But they can't expect any help from the police: if they're caught the police arrest the victims and not their torturers. "The objective is to look for paedophile-minded residents and film a video that will them leave them publicly disgraced", Yekaterina Zigunova, of the group Occupy Pedofilyaj, boasts unashamedly.

The encouragement and free hand they're given is one of the more confronting features of Russia's anti-gay stance. The law has left homosexuals living in fear. Even an expression that you believe in equal rights, or any public display, could result in arrest. "Theoretically it's possible to start hauling us into the police station today", Masha Gessen says about co-habiting with her partner. But they're not giving up and see the Olympics as a great opportunity to confront Russian society. As one activist, Polina, says, "I would call on Games participants to come here and to do visible things in support of LGBT people. Only this way will we have a public discussion".

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Ukraine War: Investigate Claim PM Intervened to Help Evgeny Lebedev Get Peerage, Says Starmer

PA MEDIA
BBC: Sir Keir Starmer has called for a senior parliamentary committee to investigate claims Boris Johnson pushed for a Russian-born businessman to get a peerage, despite security concerns.

The Sunday Times reports the security services withdrew an assessment that giving Evgeny Lebedev an honour posed a security risk after the PM intervened.

The Labour leader said he was "very concerned" about the case.

However, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab insisted there was no "impropriety".

Speaking to the BBC's Sunday Morning programme, Mr Raab said: "There is a very strict and stringent process when anyone is granted a peerage".

He added that the rules around the honours process were "applied very rigorously in this case."

"This was done properly and correctly and we have procedures and systems in place to make sure it is." » | BBC | Sunday, March 6, 2022

Russia: Thousands Arrested in Anti-war Protests

Mar 6, 2022 • Despite the Kremlin's draconian crackdown, crowds of people have turned out at anti-war protests across Russia.

One monitoring group said more than 4,000 people had been arrested in dozens of cities across the country.

But none of that could stop many ordinary Russians from simply 'going for a walk'.

The faces of the interviewees have been blurred in this report for their own safety.

Ukraine: Russian Forces Attack Civilians Near Kyiv, as Mauripol Evacuation Halted for Second Time

Mar 6, 2022 • Warning: There are distressing scenes from the beginning of this report.

They were trying to escape the wreckage of what was once their homes when they came under direct attack.

In Irpin, just outside Kyiv, at least three members of a family - including children - were killed.

To the south, renewed Russian shelling forced the Red Cross to abandon a second attempt to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol.

President Zelenskyy appealed to the West again to enforce a no-fly zone, something they have refused to do, but today US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they have given the green light to Nato countries to provide fighter jets to Ukraine.


Time for the West to Grow a Spine!

Schumann - Kinderszenen Op.15, "Scenes from Childhood" | Vladimir Horowitz

Kinderszenen, "Scenes from Childhood", Opus 15 is a set of thirteen pieces of music for piano written on during the spring of 1838. In this work, Schumann provides us with his adult reminiscences of childhood. When Schumann wrote Kinderszenen, he was deeply in love with Clara Wieck, soon to become his wife over the objections of her overbearing father. The composer worked at a feverish pace, composing these pieces in just several days. …

WIKIPEDIA: Vladimir Horowitz.

Anita Lasker Wallfisch: Mich hat Auschwitz nie verlassen

Streamed live on May 28, 2018 • Zeitzeugen im Gespräch – Erfahrungen und Schicksale deutscher Juden im Nationalsozialismus

Warlord Who Helped Oversee Chechnya’s Brutal ‘Gay Purge’ Killed in Ukraine

Magomed Tushayev (L) and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. (Twitter/@IAPonomarenko)
PINK NEWS: Magomed Tushayev, one of the leaders behind the horrific “gay purge” in Chechnya, has been killed in Ukraine.

Tushayev was a top advisor and military commander for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and helped oversee a brutal so-called “purge” of LGBT+ people in the region since at least 2017.

He was reportedly killed while heading up the 141 motorised regiment of the Chechnya National Guard on Saturday (26 February), the Ukrainian news agency the Kyiv Independent reported.

Tushayev’s death was confirmed by Illia Ponomarenko, defence reporter for the Kyiv Independent, and by a spokesperson for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the Los Angeles Blade. » | Maggie Baska | Monday, February 28, 2022

Former Top Russian Diplomat: ‘People Will Realize Their Sons Are Dying’

Mar 1, 2022 • ABC News’ Linsey Davis speaks with former Russian foreign affairs minister Andrei Kozyrev about Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine and how the Russian people are responding.

France Accuses UK of ‘Lack of Humanity’ over Ukrainian Refugees

THE GUARDIAN: French interior minister writes to Priti Patel urging government to set up proper consular services in Calais

France’s interior minister has accused the British government of showing a “lack of humanity” when it comes to helping the Ukrainian refugees who have fled the Russian invasion and are now waiting in Calais for permission to join their families in the UK.

Hundreds of Ukrainians have come to the northern French port in the last few days in the hope of crossing the Channel so they can be with relatives who are already established in the UK.

According to the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, 400 Ukrainian refugees have presented themselves at Calais border crossings in recent days – only for 150 of them to be told to go away and obtain visas at UK consulates in Paris or Brussels.

In a letter to the UK home secretary, Priti Patel, Darmanin called on the British government to set up a proper consular service in Calais, adding that its response so far was “completely unsuitable” and showed a “lack of humanity“ towards refugees who were often “in distress”. » | Sam Jones, Amelia Gentleman and Aubrey Allegretti | Sunday, March 6, 2022

Could Israel or Turkey Broker Peace in Ukraine? | DW News

Mar 6, 2022 • Israel appears to be emerging as a diplomatic dark horse. On Saturday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first world leader to meet with Vladimir Putin since the invasion began. The surprise meeting was followed by talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Bennett then travelled on to Germany – the second time this week the two leaders met, after Scholz visited Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Bennett has offered to act as a mediator, with Israel maintaining good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Turkey's President Erdogan has held a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The Turkish leader was expected to urge Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Turkey has close relations with both Moscow and Kyiv but recently moved to limit the passage of Russian warships into the Black Sea. Under the Montreux Convention Ankara can block ships from passing through its straits during wartime but can't prevent them from returning to their home ports.

Volodymyr Zelensky: From Actor and Comedian to Ukraine's Wartime Leader | 60 Minutes Australia

For ten days now the world has watched a country of 44 million people come under relentless attack. But while Ukraine is being destroyed, the resolve of Ukrainians isn't. And that's in large part to their leader, President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, who really did stumble into statesmanship. But what a role he's performing, especially considering the price on his head. Reports suggest Putin has tasked a kill squad with the job of eliminating him. So far though, they've failed.

The War in Ukraine Holds a Warning for the World Order

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The multinational response shows that liberalism has some life left. But the challenges posed by waning U.S. power and rising authoritarianism remain formidable.

The liberal world order has been on life support for a while. President Biden, in his inaugural address, called democracy “fragile.” President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said two years ago that “the liberal idea” had “outlived its purpose,” while China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has extolled the strength of an all-powerful state and, as he put it last March, “self-confidence in our system.”

The multinational response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown that the demise of the global postwar rules-based order may not be inevitable. A month ago, no one predicted that Germany would reverse decades of military hesitancy and pour 100 billion euros into its defense budget, or that Switzerland would freeze the assets of Russian oligarchs, or that YouTube, World Cup soccer and global energy companies would all cut ties to Russia.

But the reappearance of war in Europe is also an omen. With toddlers sheltering in subway tunnels, and nuclear power plants under threat, it is a global air raid siren — a warning that the American-led system of internationalism needs to get itself back into gear, for the war at hand and for the struggle against authoritarianism to come. » | Damien Cave | Friday, March 4, 2022

”Desperation”: Ex-Intelligence Chief on Putin's Decision to Deploy Mercenaries in Ukraine

Mar 5, 2022 • Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reacts to indications that Russia is poised to deploy up to 1,000 more mercenaries to Ukraine.

Visa and Mastercard Will Both Suspend Operations in Russia

THE GUARDIAN: Transactions to be cut off after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged companies to take action

Visa and Mastercard have announced tonight they will be suspending operations in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Visa said in a statement that it would cut off transactions “over the coming days” and consequently cards issued in Russia would not work abroad as well as foreign issued cards in Russia.

Alfred Kelly, chairman and chief executive officer of the US-based digital payments company, said: “We are compelled to act following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed.

“We regret the impact this will have on our valued colleagues, and on the clients, partners, merchants and cardholders we serve in Russia. » | Nadeem Badshah | Saturday, March 5, 2022

Mit Gott und Granaten

Patriarch Kirill Ende Februar bei einem Gottesdienst in Moskau. | Bild: AFP
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Kritiker werfen dem russischen Präsidenten eine Sakralisierung seiner Politik vor. Bei seinem Angriff auf die Ukraine spielt die russisch-orthodoxe Kirche eine Schlüsselrolle

PUTINS GESCHICHTSBILD
Gut siebentausend russische Wissenschaftler haben in einem Auf¬ruf gegen den von Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin befohlenen Angriff auf die Ukraine pro-testiert und ihr Land als „militärischen Ag¬gressor“ und „Schurkenstaat“ kritisiert. Der politischen Führung in Moskau haben sie „historiosophische Fantasien“ vor-geworfen. Sie schmähten damit nicht nur das aus ihrer Sicht imperiale Gebaren eines Autokraten, der eine nationale Mission zu erfüllen glaubt, sondern auch die Sakra-lisierung der russischen Politik in den zu¬rückliegenden beiden Jahrzehnten.

Putin selbst sieht sich im Dienste einer na¬tio¬nalen Mission und will verlorenes Terri-torium zurückholen. Das ist ein Narrativ, das den Zaren ebenso diente wie Katharina II., die damit die Teilung Polens rechtfer¬tigte. » | Von Heike Schmoll, Politische Korrespondentin in Berlin, zuständig für die „Bildungswelten“. | Samstag, 5. März 2022

LIRE AUSSI :

« L’Ukraine catalyse une crise au sein du monde orthodoxe entre Moscou et Constantinople » : La guerre menée par la Russie en Ukraine est aussi religieuse, décrypte l’historien Antoine Arjakovsky, qui explique comment ce conflit oppose le patriarche de Moscou, devenu idéologue de l’impérialisme du Kremlin, à une Eglise orthodoxe d’Ukraine qui s’est émancipée de la tutelle russe en 2019. »

Defiant Putin Warns the West: Your Sanctions Are Akin to an Act of War

THE OBSERVER: Ukraine told: your statehood is in doubt as Russian bombs end ceasefire in Mariupol

Vladimir Putin delivered a chilling warning to the west over the imposition of sanctions on Russia on Saturday, warning that measures designed to cripple his country’s economy were “akin to an act of war”.

In comments that were both defiant and threatening, the Russian president also told Ukraine’s leaders that their nation risked being dismantled as an independent sovereign state if they continued to resist Russia’s invasion.

“The current leadership needs to understand that if they continue doing what they are doing, they risk the future of Ukrainian statehood,” Putin said. “If that happens they will have to be blamed for that.”

His intervention, in which he hinted the conflict could soon spread beyond Ukraine unless the west changed course, came as Moscow broke a ceasefire agreement to allow Ukrainian civilians to flee after 10 days of bombing and devastation.

Later, Russia’s foreign ministry followed up Putin’s warning by specifically singling out the UK for what it called “sanctions hysteria” and its prominent role in supporting Ukraine. Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, said Russia would not forget the UK’s cooperation with Kyiv. » | Toby Helm, Luke Harding in Lviv, Daniel Boffey in Brussels & Julian Borger in Washington | Saturday, March 5, 2022

Related.

Zelenskiy Calls for US to Send Aircraft to Ukraine in Video Call with US Congress

THE GUARDIAN: President made a ‘desperate plea’ for military aid to more than 280 senators and representatives as Congress works on $10bn package

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked the US for planes, drones and anti-aircraft missiles. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidency Press Offic/Zuma Press Wire Service/Rex/Shutterstock
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, urged US lawmakers to help provide aircraft to defend the country against Russian invasion during a video meeting with members of Congress on Saturday.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, said Zelenskiy “made a desperate plea” for the military aid, which would include planes, drones and anti-aircraft missiles. The Ukrainian president praised sanctions placed upon Russia during the meeting but pressed US lawmakers to go further by banning oil imports from Moscow.

“These planes are very much needed,” Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement following the gathering of more than 280 senators and House of Representative members. “And I will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer.” » | Oliver Milman in New York | Saturday, March 5, 2022

Putin Threatens to Strip Ukraine of Statehood, As Russian Advance Slows

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Russian leader escalated his threats as Ukrainian forces continued to resist. Protests broke out in the first major city captured by Russia. A limited cease-fire collapsed in a besieged city. Israel’s prime minister visits Moscow.

LVIV, Ukraine — As his troops continued to run into stiff resistance in Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia delivered an ominous message to Ukrainians on Saturday, telling government leaders they might lose their statehood and likening the withering sanctions imposed on his country to a “declaration of war.”

“The current leadership needs to understand that if they continue doing what they are doing, they risk the future of Ukrainian statehood,” Mr. Putin said. He also said any third-party countries that tried to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be considered enemy combatants. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has beseeched Western countries to declare such a no-fly zone.

Mr. Putin issued his threats as Ukrainians across the country continued to engage in defiant displays of patriotism, even in places that have been overtaken by the Russians. In Kherson, the first major city to fall to Russian troops, hundreds of protesters gathered in the central square at 10 a.m. on Saturday, many waving Ukrainian flags, according to video streamed live from the scene and verified by The New York Times. » |Marc Santora | Saturday, March 5, 2022

Un général russe de haut rang tué en Ukraine

A g., le général Andrei Sukhovetsky en 2021. A droite, le chef militaire tchétchène Magomed Tushayev Wikicommons/Twitter
LE FIGARO : Si elle était officiellement annoncée, la mort du général Sukhovetsky pourrait jouer fortement sur le moral de l'armée russe. L'armée ukrainienne a également annoncé avoir tué un général tchétchène.

Un général russe de haut-rang a été tué durant des combats en Ukraine, ce qui pourrait constituer une lourde perte pour Vladimir Poutine, rapporte The Independant , citant des sources locales militaires ukrainiennes et russes.

Andrei Sukhovetsky était le commandant général de la 7e Airborne division de Russie, et commandant en chef de la 41e Armée combinée. Il serait ainsi la figure russe militaire la plus importante tuée depuis le début du conflit, selon The Independant. » | Par Le Figaro | samedi 5 mars 2022

Zelenskiy Attacks Nato 'Weakness' for Refusing No-fly Zone over Ukraine

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has criticised Nato for refusing to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying the decision gave 'the green light for further bombing' of the country.

In an emotional nighttime address, he said: 'All the people who die from this day forward will also die because of you, because of your weakness, because of your lack of unity.'

Nato warned on Friday that imposing a no-fly zone could provoke full-fledged war in Europe with Russia.

Zelenskiy said Nato countries had created a narrative that a no-fly zone would provoke Russian aggression against Nato


I called for the exact same thing in my essay posted on March 1st. Read it here.

La Suisse, paradis perdu des milliardaires proches du Kremlin

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères suisses, Ignazio Cassis, prononce un discours lors d’une session du Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU, lundi, à Genève. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - La confédération helvétique est sortie de sa réserve habituelle en reprenant «l’intégralité» des sanctions économiques de l’UE contre la Russie au détriment des oligarques russes proches de Poutine.

Genève
«Nous avons franchi le pas et le Conseil fédéral le fait avec conviction, de manière réfléchie et sans équivoque» a déclaré lundi le ministre des Affaires étrangères suisses, Ignazio Cassis, à l’issue d’une session extraordinaire consacrée à la crise russo-ukrainienne à Berne. Ce pas, qualifié de «difficile» par celui qui est aussi le président en exercice de la Confédération, a consisté à reprendre intégralement les sanctions infligées par l’UE à la Russie.

Après quelques jours de tergiversations et un week-end de mobilisation de la population suisse, la position d’équilibriste helvète n’était plus tenable. «La neutralité, ce n’est pas se taire», avait tonné la présidente verte du Conseil national (Chambre basse), Irène Kälin, en ouvrant les débats parlementaires lundi matin. » | Par Marion Moussadek Emonot | Publié : jeudi 3 mars 2022 ; mis à jour : vendredi 4 mars 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Russian Investment in Brexit and the Tories Now Paying Off

Mar 5, 2022 • As the tragedy in Ukraine continues to unfold, all my thoughts and sympathies are with the Ukrainian people resisting the invasion and those seeking to protect their families, and I want our government to do everything it can to help these people. You just have to ask the question: Why is this government, brought into power on the back of a Russian-funded Brexit campaign, a Tory Party in government that has received millions of pounds of donations from Russian billionaires, taking so long to sanction Russian billionaires?

A Message from a Russian LGBT+ Activist

OPEN DEMOCRACY – OPINION: We can’t stop this war, started by our own government, but we can express our solidarity and support for Ukraine and all its people

‘Love is stronger than war’ reads the banner at a May Day demonstration in St Petersburg, 2014 | Andrey Pronin / ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo. All rights reserved
Working in human rights in Russia can give one a misleading sense of invincibility. Despite the dehumanising legislation and fact that the government sees enemies in its own citizens, human rights activists have learned to adapt and persevere. This is especially true for Russian LGBT+ activists, who grapple not only with legitimised state homophobia, but considerable social stigma. And yet nothing could have prepared us for what happened on the morning of 24 February, when our country invaded Ukraine.

Ironically, I had never felt more Russian than I did in that moment. The immediate reaction is to dissociate yourself from it. The government’s actions are appalling, violence is never the answer, and we, as the Russian people, obviously did not choose this. This is not our war. Right?

But it is impossible to escape the thought that, somehow, you have let the unforgivable happen right under your nose; that right now, on the other side of the Ukrainian border, people are fleeing their homes and fearing for their lives because of troops carrying your flag. The helplessness that comes with that realisation is too overwhelming to bear. Slogans, petitions and statements » | Diane Garshina | Friday, March 4, 2022

Michael Lambert: Patel Lets Desperate Ukrainians Know They Are Not Welcome in the UK

Mar 5, 2022 • Whilst the whole world looks on in horror at the terrible events happening in Ukraine, the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, the daughter of immigrants, does everything possible to make it difficult for desperate refugees to come to the UK. Her first reaction was to make it clear that any refugees wanting to come to the UK would have to subject themselves to our new points-based immigration system involving lengthy bureaucracy including testing for English proficiency and general knowledge about the UK.

Whilst other countries all over Europe were abandoning all controls for these desperate people, Patel went to the Commons and announced that certain people might be permitted to come to the UK, but only if they could prove they had very close relatives in the UK. In the meantime, one of her ministers, Kevin Foster, announced that the refugees could apply to come to the UK to pick fruit!

Under Pate,l the government's immigration is in chaos. Following Brexit, whole families are coming to the UK from the Third World to replace individual former EU nurses, and others. Furthermore, money launderers operate with impunity and many others are able to employ workers for cash-in-hand and make no payments to the Pat-As-You-Earn scheme( PAYE) or make any National Insurance contributions (NIC.)

Applicants for asylum or British nationality are kept waiting for up to ten years or more whilst being told they are not permitted to work.


You can view Michael Lambert's earlier video on Priti Patel here.

Volodymyr Zelensky’s Home Town’s Blunt Message: ‘Welcome to Hell, Russians’

THE TIMES: Ukrainians are ready to die for their country and their president

The blunt message was scrawled across a banner on a bridge over the entry road to Kryvyi Rih, the mining city whose most famous son, once a stand-up comedian, now leads his country in war. “Welcome to Hell, Russian Occupant”, it said.

As they toil in preparation for street battles with the Russian troops pushing northward, erecting barricades and digging trenches and tank traps, every man and woman here expresses their respect for President Zelensky and their readiness to fight for him. » | Anthony Loyd in Kryvyi Rih | Friday March 4, 2022

Enjoy unlimited digital access to The Times, free for one month. Check out the offer here.

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

Réservé aux abonnés

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.