As Russia Stalls in Ukraine, Dissent Brews Over Putin’s Leadership

A destroyed Russian tank after a battle north of Kyiv this month. | Felipe Dana/Associated Press
In January, the head of a group of serving and retired Russian military officers declared that invading Ukraine would be “pointless and extremely dangerous.” It would kill thousands, he said, make Russians and Ukrainians enemies for life, risk a war with NATO and threaten “the existence of Russia itself as a state.”

To many Russians, that seemed like a far-fetched scenario, since few imagined that an invasion of Ukraine was really possible. But two months later, as Russia’s advance stalls in Ukraine, the prophecy looms large. Reached by phone this week, the retired general who authored the declaration, Leonid Ivashov, said he stood by it, though he could not speak freely given Russia’s wartime censorship: “I do not disavow what I said.”

In Russia, the slow going and the heavy toll of President Vladimir V. Putin’s war on Ukraine are setting off questions about his military’s planning capability, his confidence in his top spies and loyal defense minister, and the quality of the intelligence that reaches him. It also shows the pitfalls of Mr. Putin’s top-down governance, in which officials and military officers have little leeway to make their own decisions and adapt to developments in real time.

The failures of Mr. Putin’s campaign are apparent in the striking number of senior military commanders believed to have been killed in the fighting. Ukraine says it has killed at least six Russian generals, while Russia acknowledges one of their deaths, along with that of the deputy commander of its Black Sea fleet. American officials say they cannot confirm the number of Russian troop deaths, but that Russia’s invasion plan appears to have been stymied by bad intelligence. » | Anton Troianovski and Michael Schwirtz | Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2022; Updated: Wednesday, March 23, 2022

“Live by the sword, die by the sword.” – There is a simple solution to this. Do unto Putin what Putin has done unto others! Give him a new experience: give him the ‘newbie’ experience! That will save thousands of people’s lives and will save Putin the misery and indignity of incarceration! It will then be a case of living by poison and dying by poison. – © Mark

‘We’re Going Back to a USSR’: Long Queues Return for Russian Shoppers as Sanctions Bite

THE GUARDIAN: After an hour and a half queuing for sugar, or worse still fighting for it in a market, Russians are feeling the effect of shortages caused by an unprecedented cutoff from the world

Muscovites queueing for bread in 1992. Russians are once again having to queue for essentials such as sugar and buckwheat. Photograph: Anatoly Sapronenkov/AFP/Getty Images
The lines for sugar in Saratov were hard not to compare to the Soviet era, part of a recent run on Russian staples that have revived fears that the Kremlin’s invasion in Ukraine will lead to a virtual slide back to the shortages or endless queues of the Soviet Union.

Bags of sugar and buckwheat began disappearing from local markets in early March, just a week after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. And when the local mayor’s office announced that it would hold special markets for people to buy the staples last week, hundreds showed up.

“People are sharing tips about where to get sugar. This is crazy,” said Viktor Nazarov, who said that his grandmother had tasked him with visiting the special market last weekend to stock up. “It’s sad and it’s funny. It feels like a month ago was fine and now we’re talking about the 1990s again, buying products because … we’re afraid they’ll disappear.”

After an hour and a half waiting at the city’s main square, he was limited to buying one bag of five kilograms, he said. Other videos shared on social media have shown fights for sugar in markets in other cities in Russia, all while officials have maintained that the shortage is part of an artificial crisis. » | Andrew Roth | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

They can blame their leader for this! This is all self-imposed. I have little sympathy with their suffering. Whatever they are suffering, it pales in comparison to the suffering of the Ukrainians. – © Mark

Whitney Houston - Hold Me | Audio

Views on YouTube: 2,711,052

Daniil Trifonov – Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66

Oct 6, 2017 • Listen to Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu” played by Daniil Trifonov. Daniil Trifonov's new album contains Chopin's two beautiful piano concertos in fascinating new orchestrations by pianist-conductor-composer Mikhail Pletnev. Alongside the concerts Trifonov presents Chopin's solo works and pieces by Mompou, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, and Barber paying homage to the genius who, in Trifonov's words, "revolutionized the expressive horizons of the piano."

Russian Oligarch Puts Million-Dollar Bounty on Vladimir Putin's Head | 60 Minutes Australia

Mar 13, 2022 • In times of war, you need to strike where it hurts. So as Vladimir Putin continues to bombard Ukraine, the west has decided his Achilles heel is his hip pocket. Crippling economic sanctions have been imposed not just on Russia, but critically also the inner circle of multi-billionaire oligarchs who supposedly protect Putin's power. Their superyachts and mansions around the world have been seized, and their bank accounts frozen. It's a tactic that appears to be working, with the President's pals now doing the unthinkable and turning on him.

Back in Business: Christianity's Second Coming in Russia | 60 Minutes Australia

For the best part of a century, Russia was a soulless, godless place. The communists made quite sure of that. With the Revolution came a grim determination to stamp out religion. Under Lenin, and particularly Stalin, Christians were enemies of the state, churches were destroyed, priests and nuns jailed, often murdered. Even church bells and religious music were banned. How times have changed. In the new Russia, there's been a Christian revival, a kind of resurrection. The Orthodox Church is back in business, and its missionaries are out in force, spreading the word.

Russian Exiles and the War in Ukraine | DW Documentary

Mar 22, 2022 • Day by day, tens of thousands of Ukrainians flee the war. Critics of the Kremlin are leaving Russia, as well. They oppose President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression and are suffering the consequences of a clampdown on freedom of expression. Berlin has become a gathering point for Russians who oppose invasion of Ukraine.

Civil rights activist Olga Romanova was born in Russia. In 2017, she fled to Berlin because she no longer felt safe in her own country. Now, she’s doing whatever she can to help the thousands of Ukrainians and Russians arriving daily in Germany’s capital. One of them is Lev Vladov, from Chelyabinsk, east of the Ural Mountains. He criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine on his blog and now fears for his life.

Petition Calls for Vladimir Putin’s ‘Eva Braun’ Alina Kabaeva to ‘Return to Her Führer’

President Putin meets Alina Kabaeva in 2004 | SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
THE TIMES: Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition to demand the deportation of Vladimir Putin’s rumoured lover, the former gymnast Alina Kabaeva, from Switzerland.

The petition describes Kabaeva as the “wife of a delusional dictator”, and says that “Eva Braun returned to her Führer ”. Over 56,000 people have signed it so far.

Kabaeva, 38, drew the attention of Swiss and international press in 2015, when she reportedly gave birth to a girl in the Italian-speaking city of Lugano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Putin was widely believed to be the child’s father. » | Felix Light | Monday, March 21, 2022

Enjoy unlimited digital access to The Times. £1 for 3 months. Here.

« God Save Russia » | Le patriarche et le tsar | ARTE

Jun 20, 2019 • Parce qu’il a bien compris la capacité fédératrice de l'Église orthodoxe russe, Vladimir Poutine l’instrumentalise pour asseoir son emprise sur la société et consolider sa politique étrangère. Foi mode d’emploi.

La cathédrale au dôme doré, bâtie au pied de la tour Eiffel, est l'une de ses démonstrations de puissance. À la tête de cent millions de croyants, Kirill, seizième patriarche orthodoxe de Moscou et de toute la Russie, est l'un des dix hommes les plus influents du pays. Cet ambitieux patriarche, qui a assis son pouvoir face à d'autres églises plus anciennes mais moins dynamiques, assume désormais un rôle central dans l'organisation de la société russe et dans la politique, intérieure comme extérieure, de Vladimir Poutine. Chaque année, toute la classe politique se presse dans sa cathédrale moscovite pour y écouter son discours réactionnaire, ultraconservateur, critique du recul des valeurs morales dans un monde qu'il voit menacé par le libéralisme occidental. Son but ? Restaurer la Sainte-Russie, où tsar et patriarche avançaient main dans la main. Ce qui n'est pas pour déplaire à Vladimir Poutine qui, ayant vite compris le potentiel fédérateur de Kirill et de l’Église orthodoxe, s’est employé à redresser l'institution, moribonde lors de son accession au pouvoir. Le patriarche, lui, entend faire reculer la sécularisation de la société, devenue peu pratiquante. Soucieux d’étendre encore son emprise sur la société russe, Poutine porte désormais sa foi en étendard.

Documentaire d'Alice Cohen (France, 2017, 56mn)
[Documentaire complet disponible jusqu'au 20 juin 2021]

Will Belarus Join Russia's Invasion of Ukraine? | DW News

Mar 22, 2022 • Speculation continues to grow that Belarus will officially join Russia's war against Ukraine. The country has already allowed Moscow to use it as a military base and place its weapons there, even revoking its non-nuclear status to do so. But since Russia invaded Ukraine, Belarus's leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has said it will not get involved in any military action. He may, though, have no choice

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – March 22, 2022

The UK's Reputation in Tatters under Boris Johnson

Mar 19, 2022 • Earlier this week I was delighted to join again with Rob Groves of Truth To Power to answer some more of the many questions which our communities had kindly sent us. We have had time to answer only a few of the questions asked, some of the subjects we were able to comment on included food shortages, 'Partygate', the UK's reputation in the world, trust in politics, our response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, test & trace and on whether the EU would take us back.

Russian Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Convicted of Fraud, Facing up to a 13-year Prison Sentence

Mar 22, 2022 • Longtime Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been found guilty of fraud and embezzlement charges, as well as contempt of court, according to a verdict handed down on Tuesday. He faces up to a 13-year prison sentence. Navalny and his supporters have decried the charges as politically motivated. Navalny is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence at a prison camp east of Moscow for parole violations related to charges he says were trumped up to thwart his attempts to run for office. Both Navalny and rights groups have said he has been tortured in prison.

Who is Alexei Navalny?

Frustrated with the corruption in the Russian government, Navalny co-founded the Russia of the Future party nearly a decade ago to oppose President Vladimir Putin's United Russia. He amassed a major following on social media, and has been arrested multiple times during anti-government protests. In August 2020, Navalny was the target of suspected assassination attempt when he was poisoned with Novichok nerve agent. He spent a month recovering in a Berlin hospital. Since his arrest, many of his closest allies have left Russia after facing multiple criminal charges. His Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of nearly 40 regional offices were outlawed as "extremist" and Navalny has been added to an official list of terrorists.

Die Welt der russischen Oligarchen | SPIEGEL TV

Mar 22, 2022 • Sie besitzen in Berlin, am Tegernsee oder London riesige Villen, reisen auf Mega-Yachten um die Welt oder leisten sich ganze Fußballklubs: Russlands Oligarchen haben jahrelang mit Putin Milliarden verdient. Jetzt stehen sie wegen des Ukraine-Krieges auf einer Sanktionsliste.

Russia May Use Chemical and Biological Weapons in Ukraine, US President Biden Says - BBC News

Mar 22, 2022 • US President Biden believes Russia's Vladimir Putin's "back is against the wall", warning he may use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.

Mr Biden also said that intelligence indicated a growing Russian cyber threat to the US. He said Russia was "exploring" cyber attack, but the US would use "every tool" to prevent and respond to such a move.

Mr Biden suggested Moscow could act in retaliation for sanctions imposed on it after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian MP Alexey Goncharenko on Defending His Country from Putin | 60 Minutes

Russian Actress Speaks Out after Father Appears at Putin's Rally

Mar 22, 2022 • Russian actress Masha Mashkova is speaking out against Russia's war in Ukraine after her father, Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov, spoke at Vladimir Putin's rally in support of the war.

Billionaire Wives - Documentary 2020

Fears Putin Will Move Towards a 'Genocidal Strategy' to Force Zelenskyy's Surrender Grow

Mar 21, 2022 • Senator Chris Murphy joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss Russian-American relations, saying that “Vladimir Putin is in a very dangerous corner right now.” He communicated his worry that Putin is “not making sound decisions today as he didn't make a sound decision when he decided to invade.” He also expresses concern that Putin will “move towards a genocidal strategy in which he attacks and kills as many Ukrainian civilians as possible so as to bring Zelenskyy to the negotiating table simply to stop that slaughter of innocents.”

Putin Threatens to Break Relations with US, a Step Not Even Taken During Cold War

Mar 21, 2022 • Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss the United States' diplomatic relations with Russia, and the escalating tension between the countries after President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal. "I hope that President Putin doesn't take this step," Sherman says. 'It would not be to his advantage, and it would not be in his interests, but he keeps making decisions that are not in his interest.

Rich Russians | Full Documentary | Real Stories

Sep 13, 2016 • Entering the lives of the uber wealthy Russians who have made London their home. From multi-millionaire wine merchants and uncompromising art-loving oligarchs to tsarist princesses and beautiful supermodels. Rich Russians takes us into the lives of the uber-wealthy who have made London their home. How do they see themselves, how do they see others, what does money mean to them?

Guerre en Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky appelle l’UE à cesser tout «commerce» avec la Russie

Le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky (ici jeudi 17 mars) demande à l’Union européenne de ne pas donner «d’euros», ni de «biens» à la Russie. HANDOUT/AFP
LE FIGARO : Le président ukrainien a notamment demandé aux Européens de refuser les ressources énergétiques de la Russie, à l’origine de l’invasion de son pays.

Alors que les ministres des Affaires étrangères et de la Défense de l’Union européenne (UE) se réunissaient à Bruxelles pour envisager de nouvelles sanctions contre la Russie, le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, a appelé l’UE, l’Allemagne en particulier, à cesser tout «commerce» avec la Russie, notamment à refuser ses ressources énergétiques.

«Pas d’euros pour les occupants, fermez-leur tous vos ports, ne leur envoyez pas vos biens, refusez les ressources énergétiques», a-t-il plaidé sur Telegram. «Sans commerce avec vous, sans vos entreprises et vos banques, la Russie n’aura plus d’argent pour cette guerre.» Mais les Européens, très dépendants des hydrocarbures russes, ont exclu de sanctionner ce secteur. «Un tel embargo aurait une influence très sérieuse sur le marché mondial du pétrole, une influence néfaste sur le marché énergétique en Europe », a mis en garde le Kremlin. » | Par Georges Malbrunot | lundi 21 mars 2022

War and Lies: Trump Republicans Confronted with Past Putin Praise on TV

Mar 18, 2022 • Many Republican leaders have praised Vladimir Putin and misled Americans about the facts of his record as a dictator. This MSNBC report documents some of those claims, featuring them in contrast to recent reporting and footage about Putin's invasion of Ukraine. This is part of a larger report by MSNBC’s Ari Melber.

Mehdi Hasan Introduces You to Putin’s Favorite Fascist Philosopher

Mar 21, 2022 • MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan walks viewers through the life of Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin and what his work reveals about the mindset of Vladimir Putin on his invasion of Ukraine.

$17bn of Global Assets Linked to 35 Russians with Alleged Ties to Putin

THE GUARDIAN: International collaboration tracks wealth of oligarchs and officials accused by western governments of being president’s supporters

More than $17bn (£13bn) of global assets – including offshore bank accounts, yachts, private jets and luxury properties in London, Tuscany and the French Riviera – have been linked to 35 oligarchs and Russian officials alleged to have close ties to Vladimir Putin.

Today, the Guardian, working in a partnership with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , Süddeutsche Zeitung and other international news organisations, is unveiling the initial research in an ongoing project to track the wealth of Russia’s most powerful operators.

The Russian asset tracker project will start by focusing on a list of 35 men and women named last year as Putin’s alleged enablers by the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. It will record assets outside Russia where the reporting partners have seen evidence connecting them to these individuals.

Navalny’s organisation wrote to western governments requesting the names on its list be considered for sanctions and all but two have since been blacklisted by either the US, EU, UK or Canada. » | Simon Goodley, Kalyeena Makortoff and Jasper Jolly | Monday, March 21, 2022

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – March 21, 2022

In Full: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Speaks Publicly for First Time

March 21, 2022 - Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe holds a news conference with her husband Richard and MP Tulip Siddiq following her return to the UK from Iran.

Related / Verwandt.

Renault Resumes Car Production in Moscow as Rivals Cut Ties with Russia

THE GUARDIAN: Carmaker’s move backed by French government as Nestlé also comes under pressure to withdraw business

Renault employs 40,000 people in Russia. Photograph: Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters
The French carmaker Renault has resumed manufacturing in its plants in Moscow, bucking the trend of many other large global companies that have cut ties with Russia over its war on Ukraine.

Renault had suspended production at the plant last month, citing logistical problems after the invasion of Ukraine on Vladimir Putin’s orders. However, Renault’s decision to restart manufacturing has the backing of the French government, which is its main shareholder, according to sources cited by Reuters.

Renault has owned a controlling two-thirds stake in the Russian carmaker Avtovaz since late 2016, after first investing in what was then a fast-growing market in 2007. That means it has larger operations in the country than most other European rivals, with 40,000 local employees, posing a huge challenge as the US, UK and EU governments try to isolate Russia economically. » | Jasper Jolly and Sarah Butler | Monday, March 21, 2022

« Les Ukrainiens aimaient Zelensky non parce qu’il était drôle, mais parce qu’il était pertinent » : Alexandre Rodnianski, producteur sur plusieurs fronts

LE MONDE : Proche de l’ancien comédien devenu président, cet Ukrainien, pilier du cinéma russe, joue les intermédiaires entre les deux camps depuis le début de la guerre, le 24 février.

C’est un minivan, comme tant d’autres, venu recueillir quatre octogénaires à la frontière qui sépare la Pologne de l’Ukraine. De vieilles parentes qu’il faut, comme tant d’autres, mettre à l’abri des bombes russes, en cette mi-mars plombée. Au volant, l’Ukrainien Alexandre Rodnianski, accompagné de sa femme, Valeriya. Tous deux sont producteurs. Comment deviner que ces mains-là œuvrent, en parallèle, à la résolution du conflit ?

Le 24 février, vers 5 heures du matin, Alexandre Rodnianski, 60 ans, reçoit un appel de son fils, Alexandre Rodnianski Jr. « Papa, ils ont commencé », lâche ce dernier, tandis que les premiers missiles déferlent sur la banlieue de Kiev. Le père a longtemps tenu les rênes de la télévision ukrainienne, puis de l’audiovisuel russe, dans son versant tant commercial qu’indépendant. Diplômé de Princeton, aux Etats-Unis, le fils est le conseiller économique du président ukrainien, l’ex-acteur Volodymyr Zelensky. » | Par Aureliano Tonet | lundi 21 mars 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Israel empört über Selenskyjs Holocaust-Vergleiche

Der ukrainische Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj Mitte März in einem Video auf Facebook | Bild: AP
REDE VOR DER KNESSET
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Wolodymyr Selenskyj fordert vor Knesset-Abgeordneten Waffenhilfe für die Ukraine. Registriert wird in Israel aber vor allem ein historischer Vergleich. Der ukrainische Präsident versucht, die Wogen zu glätten.

Wolodymyr Selenskyjs scharfe Kritik an Israel und seine historischen Vergleiche in einer Rede vor den Mitgliedern der Knesset haben in dem Land entschiedenen Widerspruch hervorgerufen. Der ukrainische Präsident hatte sich am Sonntagabend in einer live übertragenen Videoansprache an die Parlamentarier und die Regierung gewandt. Darin geißelte er Israel für seine Weigerung, der Ukraine Waffen wie etwa das Raketenabwehrsystem „Iron Dome“ zur Verfügung zu stellen, um sich gegen die russische Invasion zu wehren.

Auch dass Israel sich den Sanktionen gegen Russland bislang nicht angeschlossen habe und nur beschränkt ukrainische Flüchtlinge aufnehme, kritisierte er. Dies sei die Entscheidung des israelischen Volks, sagte Selenskyj, aber „ihr müsst dann mit eurer Antwort leben“.

Selenskyj behauptete in diesem Zusammenhang, die russische Führung verwende gegenüber der Ukraine die gleiche Sprache wie seinerzeit die Nazis, als sie den Völkermord an den Juden planten. „Ihr erinnert euch gut an die ‚Endlösung‘ der jüdischen Frage“, sagte er, an die israelischen Zuhörer gerichtet. „Hört euch an, was nun in Moskau gesagt wird, hört, wie sie diese Wörter wieder sagen: ‚Endlösung‘. Aber dieses Mal in Bezug auf uns, auf die ukrainische Frage.“ » |Von Christian Meier, Tel Aviv | Montag, 21. März 2022

What Is an Oligarch? Here’s What You Need to Know about Russia’s Billionaires | Forbes

Mar 17, 2022 • Russia’s original oligarchs made their fortunes in the 1990s during the chaotic aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse, as state assets were offloaded to private bidders, often in corrupt deals. During this period of market liberalization, well-to-do businessmen, former officials and plucky entrepreneurs acquired large stakes in Russian companies in oil and gas, metals and mining, railway and transportation, agricultural products and other core industries. A newer group of oligarchs became wealthy through their ties to Putin, who has ruled Russia in one form or another since 2000.

Browder on Putin: When You Believe Your Time Is Almost Up, You Start a War | Amanpour and Company

Unprecedented sanctions have sent the Russian ruble tumbling. The U.S. has now cut off Russia’s central bank from its $630 billion so-called sanctions-proof fund. Bill Browder is CEO of Hermitage Capital and the architect of the Magnitsky Act, used by President Biden to impose sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his oligarch cronies. Browder speaks with Walter Isaacson about the tactic of cutting Putin off from his wealth. Originally aired on February 28, 2022

Russia Is Losing Tens of Thousands of Outward-Looking Young Professionals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: YEREVAN, Armenia — At the Lumen cafe in the Armenian capital, Russians arrive as soon as the doors open, ordering specialty coffees, opening up their sleek Apple laptops and trying to navigate a dwindling array of options for starting their lives over.

The background music and the sunlit interior are calming counterpoints to the frantic departures from their country, where they left behind parents, pets and the sense of home that all but vanished when Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

“This war was something I thought could never happen,” said Polina Loseva, 29, a web designer from Moscow working with a private Russian I.T. company that she did not want to name. “When it started, I felt that now, everything is possible. Already they are putting people in jail for some harmless words on Facebook. It was safer to leave.”

This is a different kind of exodus — tens of thousands of young, urban, multilingual professionals who are able to work remotely from almost anywhere, many of them in information technology or freelancers in creative industries. » | Jane Arraf | Sunday, March 20, 2022

Liens connexes ici et icic.

Russia's Oligarchs: The Limits of Their Loyalty | The Agenda

Mar 9, 2022 • What is the relationship between Russia's oligarchs and Putin's government? How has this relationship evolved since Putin rose to power? And what is the limit of their loyalty? Bill Browder, along with others, explain how Russia's oligarchs work and the end game of sanctions against them.

Russians on Why They're Fleeing to Europe

Mar 17, 2022 • With more than 30 countries banning flights that originate in Russia from their airspace, the only options for reaching Europe are over land. A handful of buslines offer service to Finland or Estonia, but the Allegro train from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki, which currently runs twice a day and seats 350 passengers, is the only remaining option by rail. A few days after the war in Ukraine began, those trains began selling out.

Putin's Russia and the Ghost of the Romanovs | The Economist

Jul 17, 2018 • Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family, the Romanovs, were murdered 100 years ago today by Marxist revolutionaries. What does this anniversary mean for Vladmir Putin?

Putin: The New Tsar | BBC documentary

Zelensky: Failed Putin Talks Would Mean a Third World War

Mar 20, 2022 • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells CNN's Fareed Zakaria that he's ready for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but says if negotiations fail "that would mean that this is a third World War."

Zelenskiy Compares Russian Offensive to Nazi Germany

THE GUARDIAN: Zelenskiy told Israeli legislators they would have to live with the choices they make on whether to help protect Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

Addressing the Knesset via video link on Sunday, he drew comparisons between the Russian offensive and the “final solution” – the plan by Nazi Germany to exterminate Jews.

”He also questioned Israel’s reluctance to sell the Iron Dome defence system to Ukraine. He said:

Everybody knows that your missile defence systems are the best and that you can definitely help our people, save the lives of Ukrainians, of Ukrainian Jews.

We can ask why we can’t receive weapons from you, why Israel has not imposed powerful sanctions on Russia or is not putting pressure on Russian business. Either way, the choice is yours to make, brothers and sisters, and you must then live with your answer, the people of Israel.

Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine. » | Nadia Khomami | Sunday, March 20, 2022

Watch (Listen to) the speech here.

Assad aux Emirats, étape-clé dans la normalisation du régime syrien

LE MONDE : La venue à Abou Dhabi du maître de Damas constitue sa première visite dans un pays arabe depuis le début du soulèvement en Syrie en mars 2011.

Rencontre entre le président syrien, Bachar Al-Assad, et le vice-premier ministre des Emirats arabes unis, le cheikh Mansour Ben Zayed Al Nahyane à Abou Dhabi, le 18 mars 2022. Photo fournie par la présidence syrienne. HASSAN AL MENHALI / PRESIDENCE SYRIENNE / AFP
C’est sa première visite dans un pays arabe depuis le déclenchement en 2011 du soulèvement qui a bien failli lui coûter son siège : le président syrien, Bachar Al-Assad, s’est rendu vendredi 18 mars aux Emirats arabes unis (EAU), où il s’est entretenu avec le dirigeant de fait de cette pétromonarchie, le prince héritier d’Abou Dhabi, Mohammed Ben Zayed. Ce déplacement constitue un pas important dans le sens d’une réintégration du maître de Damas sur la scène diplomatique arabe.

Traité comme un paria par la grande majorité des chancelleries de la planète, qui lui impute la destruction de son pays et la responsabilité de centaines de milliers de morts, Bachar Al-Assad n’était jusque-là sorti de Syrie, depuis 2011, que pour de brèves visites en Russie et en Iran, ses deux principaux alliés, dont l’aide militaire a été cruciale dans l’écrasement de la révolution. Coïncidence amère pour les opposants syriens, le voyage aux Emirats de leur bourreau est intervenu deux jours après la célébration du onzième anniversaire du début de la révolte, le 15 mars 2011. » | Par Benjamin Barthe | Samedi 19 mars 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

I Hoped My Performance Could Change People's Minds: Russian Anti-war Journalist

Mar 20, 2022 • George Stephanopoulos interviews Marina Ovsyannikova on "This Week."

„Boris, Deine Worte beleidigen die Ukrainer“

Der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson am Samstag beim Parteitag der Konservativen in Blackpool | Bild: REUTERS
JOHNSONS BREXIT-VERGLEICH
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der Instinkt der Briten sei es, wie die Ukrainer die Freiheit zu wählen, hatte Boris Johnson mit Blick auf das Brexit-Votum gesagt. Die Empörung ist groß. Auch Parteifreunde gehen auf Distanz.

Mit einem Vergleich zwischen der Verteidigung der Ukrainer gegen den russischen Angriff und dem Votum der Briten für den Brexit hat der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson Kritik und Unverständnis auch im eigenen politischen Lager hervorgerufen. In einer Rede bei einem Parteitag seiner Tories im nordenglischen Blackpool hatte Johnson am Samstag gesagt, es sei „der Instinkt des Volkes dieses Landes, wie das ukrainische Volk die Freiheit zu wählen“.

Dabei verwies er auf das „jüngste berühmte Beispiel“ des Referendums der Briten über den Austritt ihres Landes aus der Europäischen Union, das im Juni 2016 abgehalten worden war und knapp für den Brexit ausging. Johnson löste mit dem Vergleich Empörung im In- und Ausland aus. „Boris„ Deine Worte beleidigen die Ukrainer, die Briten und den gesunden Menschenverstand“, schrieb der frühere EU-Ratspräsident Donald Tusk im Onlinedienst Twitter. » | Quelle: AFP | Sonntag, 20. März 2022

Related here and here.

BBC Panorama - Roman Abramovich's Dirty Money

Mar 14, 2022 • BBC Panorama - Roman Abramovich's Dirty Money Chelsea-owner, Roman Abramovich, has been sanctioned by the UK government for his ties to Vladimir Putin. But where did the Russian billionaire’s money come from? Panorama reporter Richard Bilton travels to Siberia to investigate the corrupt deals that made his fortune. He uncovers new details about Mr Abramovich’s murky past and his relationship with the Kremlin.

Campaigner Urges Johnson to Freeze Assets of Thousands of Russians in UK

THE GUARDIAN: Andrei Sidelnikov says he is making list of suspected Putin supporters to share with British government

Anti-Putin and anti-war placards opposite the Russian embassy in London. Photograph: Thomas Krych/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock
A London-based anti-Putin campaigner has called on Boris Johnson to freeze the assets of thousands of Russian citizens in the UK in a bid to root out those with ties to the Kremlin.

Andrei Sidelnikov said he told the prime minister to impound the property and bank accounts of emigrants with unexplained wealth, connections with the Russian embassy in London, ties to pro-Putin oligarchs, and of those involved in organising cultural events linked to the Russian state.

Sidelnikov, a former associate of the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko who was murdered in London in 2006, said their assets should be confiscated while corruption investigations were conducted, adding that he was compiling a list of suspected Putin supporters that would be shared with the UK government.

The opposition activist said his campaign group, Speak Up!, had founded a new project called Revenge, aimed at gathering the names of Russian emigrants who support Vladimir Putin.

“From this moment, all the people who supported this criminal regime must answer for this,” said Sidelnikov, who received political asylum in Britain in 2008 after telling officials his life would be in danger if he remained in Russia. “[If we] don’t close such doors for supporters of criminal Putin’s regime then the war will come to our homes.” » | David Batty | Sunday, March 20, 2022

Twice-poisoned Putin Critic Makes Prediction about Russian Government

Mar 19, 2022 • Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza speaks out about how Russia could possibly achieve regime change as the war in Ukraine continues.

Kenny Rogers : Crazy

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 2,810,352

Süße Küsse!

Doux baisers ! / Sweet kisses!
Für dieses schöne Bild bedanke ich mich bei Alexsandre Portier auf Pinterest.

Fury Greets Johnson’s Claim Ukraine Fight Is Like Brexit

Boris Johnson made the remarks at the Conservative party spring conference in Blackpool.Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
THE OBSERVER: Prime minister says vote is ‘famous recent example’ of ‘instinct of the people … to choose freedom’

Boris Johnson has caused fury among political leaders across Europe – and outrage among opponents of Brexit at home – after he compared the resistance of the Ukrainian people to Russia’s invasion to the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

In a clear attempt to rally the Tory faithful behind a Brexit theme, the prime minister said in a speech to the Conservative spring conference in Blackpool that the world faced a moment of choice “between freedom and oppression”.

He went on: “There are some around the world, even in some western governments, who invoke what they call realpolitik. And you say that we’re better off making accommodations with tyranny.”

He then added: “And I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time. I can give you a couple of famous recent examples. When the British people voted for Brexit, in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners. It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”

The remarks caused astonishment not only because Ukraine applied last month, after the Russian invasion began, to become a member of the EU, but because the comments suggested that the EU was itself a form of tyranny to be escaped from. » | Toby Helm and Daniel Boffey | Saturday, March 19, 2022

Not only is BoJo an embarrassment, but he is also an eff*** tw*t! (Supply the vowel of your choice.) – Mark

We Need More Europe, Not Less!

The war that Russia is waging on the Ukraine should make one thing clear to us all: We need more Europe, not less.

Europe needs to be united; and Europe needs its own military—its own army, its own air force, its own navy—to be able to counter the threat from the autocratic world.

It goes without saying that we Europeans need to work closely with our stalwart, American friends and allies; however, it is unreasonable to expect Americans always to come and fight our corner. We must also play our part – and in full.

Recent Russian aggression in the Ukraine should have already convinced us that our liberal, democratic continent is no longer to be taken for granted, no longer safe from the dictatorial and autocratic ambitions of Russia and its co-conspirators and like-minded friends.

It therefore goes without saying that we Europeans need a strong military to counter any threats that come our way. No country, no continent was ever strong by showing disunity. Weakness has never been an answer to military or existential threats. Europe needs to be strong, united and militarized.

Let Europe unite; let Europe be strong; let Europe build its military! Long live Europe! Es lebe Europa! Vive l’Europe ! – © Mark Alexander

Boris Johnson Appears to Liken Ukrainians' Fight to British People Voting for Brexit

Mar 19, 2022 • Speaking at the Conservative party spring conference in Blackpool, the prime minister appeared to compare the struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom to the instincts of Britons who voted for Brexit. He also said the west must not make the mistake of normalising relations with Vladimir Putin again after the invasion of Ukraine .

What an stupid thing to say! How on earth can BoJo compare the existential fight that Ukrainians now find themselves in with the stupidity of voting for Brexit? If this man thinks he is Churchill reborn—and I know that he does—he is sadly deluded! The man must think that the British electorate are uninformed idiots! What a clown! – © Mark

Les oligarques russes sommés de faire allégeance à Vladimir Poutine

Vladimir Poutine lors d'un concert célébrant le huitième anniversaire de l'annexion de la Crimée par la Russie au stade Luzhniki de Moscou, en Russie, le 18 mars 2022. HOST PHOTO AGENCY/via REUTERS
Correspondant à Moscou
LE FIGARO : ENQUÊTE - Le chef du Kremlin exige des milliardaires visés par les sanctions, et qui vivent souvent à l'étranger, qu'ils soutiennent la cause de la Russie face aux Occidentaux.

« Je ne condamne pas ceux qui ont une villa à Miami ou sur la Côte d'Azur, qui ne peuvent pas se passer de foie gras, d'huîtres ou de la soi-disant liberté des genres. Mais le problème est que beaucoup de ces personnes sont mentalement là-bas et pas ici, avec notre peuple » : c'est en ces termes que Vladimir Poutine a mis en garde, mercredi dernier, les oligarques russes. Le propos est clair, soit vous êtes avec nous, soit le pays vous rejettera, comme il rejettera les « traîtres nationaux » de la « cinquième colonne » sur laquelle compte l'Occident pour « tenter de diviser notre société ».

Sale temps décidément pour les oligarques. Déjà visées par des sanctions depuis l'annexion de la Crimée, en 2014, les grandes fortunes russes bâties à l'ombre du Kremlin ont basculé, elles aussi, dans une autre dimension avec l'« opération militaire spéciale » déclenchées le 24 février contre l'Ukraine. Depuis cette date, plusieurs vagues de restrictions, européennes, britanniques et américaines, se sont massivement abattues sur ces personnalités connues pour leur train de vie, leurs entreprises, leurs luxueuses propriétés en Europe et leurs yachts - désormais dans le filet judiciaire. Un choc pour ces magnats, entrepreneurs, affairistes, anciens des « services » ou tchinovnikis (fonctionnaires) montés en graine grâce à leurs hautes protections. Au point que l'on a pu s'interroger sur leur loyauté à terme vis-à-vis de celui qui, en dernier ressort, a déclenché par ses décisions l'effondrement de leur position et de leur fortune - Vladimir Poutine lui-même. » | Par Alain Barluet | vendredi 18 mars 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Guerre en Ukraine : face à Poutine, un déni européen

Des civils ukrainiens participent à un entraînement militaire dans un quartier de Kiev, le 5 février 2022. GUILLAUME HERBAUT/AGENCE VU POUR « LE MONDE »
LE MONDE : ENQUÊTE | Jusqu’à la veille de l’invasion russe, le 24 février, les capitales européennes sont restées très méfiantes vis-à-vis des alertes lancées par Washington. Paris et Berlin, en particulier, ont voulu croire aux vertus de la politique de la main tendue. Récit d’une guerre impensable.

La scène se déroule dans le salon feutré d’une ambassade européenne, au cœur de la capitale ukrainienne, trois semaines avant le début de l’offensive russe. Dehors, les rues de Kiev sont tranquilles, les cafés ouverts et les magasins achalandés. Dans ce calme apparent, les habitants vivent au rythme des déclarations contradictoires. Alors que quelque 130 000 soldats russes sont massés aux frontières de l’Ukraine, le président Volodymyr Zelensky répète qu’il n’y a pas lieu de paniquer, cependant que les Etats-Unis s’alarment d’une invasion qu’ils jugent « imminente ». En ce 2 février, le diplomate européen a réuni une poignée de journalistes pour un « off », selon l’expression consacrée. Il souhaite faire le point sur la crise entre Kiev et Moscou, qui dénonce l’« hystérie » occidentale et dément toute intention belliqueuse.

Dans l’ambassade, un conseiller diplomatique évoque son coiffeur ukrainien, qui lui a coupé les cheveux la veille et balayait d’une boutade toute perspective de menaces. « Les gens ne sont pas inquiets », en conclut-il. Le diplomate, lui, avoue sa perplexité. « On entend bien qu’il y a des renforcements militaires, dit-il, mais il n’y a pas de nervosité particulière. On est surpris par le discours alarmiste des Anglo-Saxons. Nous sommes plutôt sur la ligne ukrainienne. » » | Par Cécile Ducourtieux (Londres, correspondante), Allan Kaval, Philippe Ricard, Faustine Vincent, Elise Vincent et Thomas Wieder (Berlin, correspondant) | vendredi 18 mars 2022

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Kein Churchill nirgends

Der britische Premierminister Winston Churchill 1942 mit einer Thompson-Maschinenpistole an der Ärmelkanalküste
UNTERSTÜTZUNG DER UKRAINE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Deutschland kauft immer noch Öl bei Russland. Das finanziert zwar Putins Krieg in der Ukraine, aber die Politiker der Ampel wollen ihren Wählern keine Härten zumuten. Sie trauen den Deutschen nicht.

Am 13. Mai 1940, als Winston Churchill seine erste Rede als britischer Premierminister hielt, waren Wien und Prag, Warschau, Kopenhagen und Oslo schon gefallen. Hitler hatte eine Hauptstadt nach der anderen besetzen können, weil Frankreich, Großbritannien und die übrige Welt vor Schreck erstarrt waren. Als Churchill sich dann im Unterhaus zum Sprechen erhob, war sein Vorgänger Chamberlain gerade gestürzt. Der hatte lange erfolglos versucht, Hitler zu besänftigen. Er hatte seinen Wählern keine Opfer für eine Sache zumuten wollen, von der viele damals noch glaubten, sie sei nicht die ihre. Deshalb hatte er den Briten und wohl auch sich selbst lange das bequeme Märchen erzählt, man könne Hitler zähmen, ohne große Opfer zu bringen.

Chamberlain täuschte sich. Bald rollten deutsche Panzer auch auf Paris, und Chamberlain stürzte. In London trat jetzt Churchill ans Pult und sagte: „Ich kann euch nichts bieten außer Blut, Mühe, Schweiß und Tränen.“ Er war ehrlich, und er vertraute darauf, dass die Briten das akzeptieren würden. » | Ein Kommentar von Konrad Schuller | Samstag, 19. März 2022

Inside Putin's Secret $1 Billion Mansion

Putin's Way | Full Documentary | FRONTLINE

Mar 2, 2022 • In this 2015 documentary, FRONTLINE traces Vladimir Putin’s ascent from unemployed spy to modern-day czar, and investigates the accusations of criminality and corruption that have surrounded his reign in Russia. (Aired 2015)

In this 2015 film, a coproduction with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producer Neil Docherty and correspondent Gillian Findlay traced Putin’s career back two decades to his political start in St. Petersburg, where allegations of corruption began almost immediately. Drawing on firsthand accounts from exiled Russian business tycoons, writers and politicians, as well as the exhaustive research of scholar and best-selling “Putin’s Kleptocracy” author Karen Dawisha, the film examined troubling episodes in Putin’s past, from alleged money-laundering activities and ties to organized crime, to a secret personal fortune said to be in the billions.

The Battle for Kyiv Looms as a Long and Bloody Conflict

Ukrainian security forces at a fortified checkpoint next to a market that provides food, shelter and medical care for up to 5,000 soldiers and the needy around northern Kyiv.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ukraine’s capital is the biggest prize of all for the Russian military. If Russia tries to take control, it could lead to one of the biggest urban conflicts since World War II.

KYIV, Ukraine — The city of Kyiv covers 325 square miles and is divided by a broad river. It has about 500,000 structures — factories, ornate churches and high-rise apartments — many on narrow, winding streets. Roughly two million people remain after extensive evacuations of women and children.

To the northwest and to the east, tens of thousands of Russian troops are pressing toward the city, Ukraine’s capital, backed by columns of tanks, armored vehicles and artillery. Inside Kyiv, Ukrainian soldiers and civilian volunteers are fortifying the downtown with barriers, anti-tank mines and artillery.

Kyiv remains the biggest prize of all for the Russian military; it is the seat of government and ingrained in both Russian and Ukrainian identity. But capturing it, military analysts say, would require a furious and bloody conflict that could be the world’s biggest urban battle in 80 years.

“What we are looking at in Kyiv would dwarf anything we’ve seen since World War II,” said David Kilcullen, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Australian Army who has extensively studied urban combat. “If they really, really want to level Kyiv, they can,” he said of the Russian leadership. “But the level of political and economic damage would be tremendous.” » | Andrew E. Kramer; Photographs: Lynsey Addario | Saturday, March 19, 2022

Gordon Brown and John Major Back Nuremberg-style Tribunal for Putin

THE GUARDIAN: Former PMs join campaign calling for trial of Russian president and those around him over invasion of Ukraine

The campaign backed by Brown and Major seeks the creation of a special tribunal modelled on the Nuremberg trials of 1945-46. Photograph: PA
The former UK prime ministers Gordon Brown and Sir John Major are among those calling for the creation of a new international tribunal to investigate Vladimir Putin and those who helped plan his invasion of Ukraine.

They have joined a campaign – along with leading names from the worlds of law, academia and politics – aiming to put the Russian president and others on trial.

Launched with a website and a target of 2 million petition signatures, the campaign – which has already been backed by 740,000 people around the world – seeks to gain public support for a special tribunal modelled on the Nuremberg trials.

It was vital to ensure, eight decades on from the trials of Nazi war criminals, that there was “a day of reckoning for Putin”, said Brown. » | Agencies | Saturday, March 19, 2022

Sign this petition to put Putin and his cronies on trial here.

‘They Can’t Stop Hugging’: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s Reunion with Her Daughter

THE GUARDIAN: The woman freed from six years’ detention told her MP about the fraught last moments in Iran and the bliss of her return

A picture tweeted by Tulip Siddiq of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her daughter, Gabriella,making pizza. Photograph: Rebecca Ratcliffe
Even as she entered the airport clutching her British passport for the first time in six years, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she could not believe she was finally about to return home to her husband and daughter.

The last moments of her ordeal in Iran, where she had been held by the regime, in effect as a hostage, on trumped-up charges, were far from straightforward and fraught with anxieties.

Speaking to her MP, Tulip Siddiq, on Thursday night, Zaghari-Ratcliffe described how even at the airport in Tehran, conversations continued between Iranian and UK officials. Nothing was straightforward.

As she arrived to board the flight, a reporter from an Iranian news channel appeared, one she recognised and who had spread misinformation about her before one of her earlier trials, to try and bounce her into an interview.

Siddiq, the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn who has been a vociferous and dogged campaigner for Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s freedom, spoke to her on Thursday for the first time since she landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband, Richard, who mounted a worldwide publicity campaign to free his wife, are now staying in a safe house with their seven-year-old daughter, Gabriella, to give the family who have spent so many years apart some privacy and downtime before they return home to north London. » | Jessica Elgot, Chief political correspondent | Friday, March 18, 2022

Verwandt.

Sollten wir mehr träumen? | 42 - Die Antwort auf fast alles | ARTE

Mar 18, 2022 • Wir verträumen in unserem Leben bis zu sechs Jahre. Was, wenn die Träume mehr wären als nur Unwirkliches? Wenn wir die genialen Ideen, die wir im Traum schon mal hatten, in die Wirklichkeit mitnehmen könnten? In unseren Träumen steckt kreatives Potenzial, das wir bislang meist ungenutzt lassen. Sollten wir mehr träumen - und mehr aus unseren Träumen machen?

Auch wenn wir uns oft nicht erinnern können: In jeder durchschlafenen Nacht produzieren wir in unserem Kopf etwa zwei Stunden Traumerleben in Bildern. Ein scheinbar unkontrollierbarer Kinofilm. Und kreativer als unsere Wirklichkeit.

Leider vergessen wir das meiste, was wir träumen. Es gibt jedoch Mittel und Wege, das Erinnern an Träume zu trainieren, verrät der Schlaf- und Traumforscher Michael Schredl, der selbst in bald 40 Jahren rund 15.800 Träume aufgeschrieben hat.

Am kreativsten könnten wir Träume für uns nutzen, wenn wir klarträumen. "Ein Klartraum ist ein Traum, in dem Sie wissen, dass Sie träumen", sagt Ursula Voss von der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. "Das heißt, Sie können sich selbst von außen betrachten. Und teilweise können Sie Kontrolle über den Traum ausüben."

Damit lassen sich bestimmte Fähigkeiten trainieren. "Wenn ich einen Sport üben möchte, dann kann ich im Klartraum Bewegungsabläufe trainieren", schildert die Kognitionsforscherin Katharina Lüth aus ihren eigenen Klarträumen.

Da das Klarträumen aber viel Training braucht, hat Adam Haar Horowitz am MIT eine Technologie entwickelt, mit der auch Nichtklarträumer ihre Träume besser für sich nutzen können. Das elektronische Armband "Dormio" soll helfen, den besonderen Zustand der Hypnagogie zu erreichen. "Das ist ein ähnlicher Geisteszustand, wie man ihn in Momenten extremer Kreativität oder kognitiver Flexibilität erlebt. Viele Menschen nutzen diesen Zustand, die Hypnagogie, für kreatives Brainstorming", sagt Adam Haar-Horowitz.

Träume führen in eine Welt voller Fantasie, die der Vernunft entzogen ist. Sollten wir mehr träumen? Ja, unbedingt, denn Träume können unser Wachleben kreativer machen.

Dokumentation von Simone Jung (D 2021, 26 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 26/03/2023

George Michael : Father Figure | Official Video

Views on YouTube: 85,774,451

Don’t Hesitate! Go for It!

Zögere nicht! Tue es! / N'hésite pas ! Fais le !
With many thanks to meaws.com on Pinterest for this lovely photo.

CALLEkocht: Schneller Auflauf von Kassler mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffeln. Rezept

Mar 18, 2022 • CALLEkocht: Ein wirklich leckerer und saftiger Eintopf von Sauerkraut und Kasslernachen mit geriebenen Kartoffeln. Das Sauerkraut ist selbst gemacht und die anderen Zutaten sing günstig. Ein One Pot Gericht für 2 Tage.

Die Kochzeit beträgt ca. 1 Std. und 45 Min.


Zutaten:

1 Kg Sauerkraut
1 Kg Kasslernacken
1 Kg mehligkochende Kartoffeln
1 Zwiebel
500 ml Gemüsebrühe
Pfeffer

Russian President Putin Speaks at Crimea Celebration Event - BBC News

Mar 18, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to tens of thousands of Russians at an event celebrating eight years since the annexation of Crimea.

The stadium was awash with Russian flags and the letter "Z", which has come to symbolise the invasion.

Putin hailed Russia's "special operation" in Ukraine, claiming its objective is to save locals "from suffering from genocide".

The Russian president told the crowd: "We know what we have to do next... we'll definitely carry out all the plans we have made." But his address on state TV suddenly cut to singer Oleg Gazmanov belting out the words "Forward, Russia", in what the Kremlin later called a technical glitch.

Pope Deplores the War in Ukraine but Not the Aggressor

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Francis has raised his voice against “unacceptable armed aggression” without mentioning President Vladimir V. Putin or Russia. Some analysts say that he risks complicating his legacy.

Francis in Vatican City in February. The pope has worked hard to forge a rapprochement between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. | Maurizio Brambatti/EPA, via Shutterstock
ROME — The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis broke protocol and went directly to the Russian Embassy in the Holy See to appeal for peace. The next day he spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, offering him spiritual support. As the war intensified, he raised his voice against “unacceptable armed aggression” and the “barbarism of the killing of children.”

“In the name of God,” he declared Sunday, “I ask you: Stop this massacre!”

Whom, though, was Francis asking?

The Pope has studiously avoided naming President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, or even Russia itself, as the aggressor. And while he has said that whoever justifies violence with religious motivations “profanes the name” of God, he has avoided criticism of the war’s chief religious backer and apologist, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Unlike some European nationalists, who have suddenly blanked on Mr. Putin’s name to avoid reminding voters that they belonged to the Russian leader’s fan club, Francis’ motivation stems from his walking a fine line between global conscience, real-world diplomatic player and religious leader responsible for his own flock’s safety. » | Jason Horowitz | Friday, March 18, 2022

What a cop out! – Mark

Inside the Billionaire Lifestyle of Russian Oligarchs

'Ruthless': Ex-partner to Putin's Close Friend Speaks Out

Mar 18, 2022 • CNN's Erin Burnett speaks with Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, the former partner to Russian oligarch Sergei Pugachev, about their relationship with Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine Russia Conflict: Putin Vows His Aims Will Be Achieved at War Rally

Mar 18, 2022 • Ukraine was the focus of talks between America and China today; and President Zelenskyy was told the nation's candidacy to join the EU would be accelerated.

But in Moscow a rare public appearance at a war rally from Putin received a blunt message: the Kremlin's aims will be achieved. On the ground the air strikes and artillery continued, without major Russian advances.

Warning: this report contains distressing images.

National Security Analyst Predicts Putin's Next Move

Mar 18, 2022 • CNN's John King is joined by national security reporters David Sanger and Vivian Salama to discuss the implications of President Joe Biden's recent comments on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin’s Patriots: Russian Money and Influence in Australia | Four Corners

Feb 15, 2021 • Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he wants Russia to reclaim its former glory.

In doing so, he expects the support of Russians across the globe, wherever they may live.

Our investigation has uncovered the activities of a cluster of dedicated pro-Russian nationalist groups in Australia.

Some are explicit about their mission — to wage a propaganda war to help further the Kremlin’s global agenda — prompting analysts to warn Australia that it should be paying close attention.

We’ve also uncovered new information linking an alleged Russian money laundering scheme in Australia to a powerful figure in the Putin government, and reveal new details about how a Russian billionaire with an investment here tried to co-opt the Australian government to help lift punitive financial sanctions placed on his company by the United States.

At a time when our federal government is focused on foreign interference, this investigation shines some light on an area some experts describe as a potential emerging threat.

Putin's Road to War | Full Documentary | FRONTLINE

Mar 16, 2022 • The story of what led to Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Through in-depth conversations with multiple heads of U.S. intelligence agencies, diplomats, Russian politicians, historians and journalists, this special report chronicles events that shaped the Russian leader, the grievances that drive him, and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe.

From acclaimed filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, the documentary traces how Putin went from low-ranking KGB agent to longtime Russian president. It delves into his crackdown on dissent — and the media — inside Russia. It reveals how he has tested the West’s appetite for confrontation over and over again, including in Ukraine in 2014, as he’s tried to expand Russia’s global footprint. And it raises difficult questions about the path forward.


Donald Trump: Putin’s “useful idiot”? – Mark

Hear What Putin Told Large Crowd amid Invasion

Mar 18, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at a massive celebration in Moscow marking the eighth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea as Russia. CNN's Nada Bashir reports.

Putin warns Russia against pro-Western 'traitors' and scum: Putin says West wants to destroy Russia / Says Russians will quickly spot traitors among them / Kremlin critics fear intensification of clampdown »

Putin's Opponents Say These Photos Reveal His Secret Palace

Mar 18, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin says he makes just $140,000 a year. Here's how he may be one of the richest people on the planet. CNN's Drew Griffin reports.

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – March 18, 2022

Law Expert Predicts When Putin Will Be Indicted for War Crimes

Mar 11, 2022 • David Scheffer, the former US Ambassador-at-large for War Crime Issues, believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be indicted on war crimes charges in "2 or 3 months" because Putin could stop the atrocities in Ukraine or punish those committing them and is choosing not to do either.

Evidence of War Crimes in Ukraine, Says British Defence Minister

THE GUARDIAN: James Heappey’s comments echo those of US president Joe Biden, who called Vladimir Putin a ‘war criminal’

Evidence gathered in Ukraine points towards war crimes being committed and the blame lies with Vladimir Putin, a British defence minister has said, echoing Joe Biden who called the Russian leader “a war criminal”.

Asked if the Russian president was indeed a war criminal, the defence minister, James Heappey, told Sky News: “I’ve not pulled my punches when I’ve been on your show. I think the evidence that is being gathered points very much towards war crimes being committed and the culpability for war crimes sits absolutely with the leader of the Russian government, the man who decided to do all this in the first place.

“It’s not just Putin who ends up being responsible for war crimes as and when the evidence is gathered and people are held to account. Every single person in the military chain of command can not just hide behind the line of “they’re only following orders”, they too are involved in the prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine. This is a stain on the Russian nation.” » | Jamie Grierson | Friday, March 18, 2022

War in Ukraine Prompts a Political Makeover in Poland

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland’s de facto leader and longtime scourge of E.U. unity, is portraying himself as a standard-bearer of European solidarity in defense of Ukraine and democratic values.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s governing party, during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv this week. | Andrzej Lange/EPA, via Shutterstock
WARSAW — After years of cozying up to Kremlin-friendly anti-immigrant firebrands and fulminating against the European Union, the leader of Poland’s populist governing party has taken on an unlikely new role: a standard-bearer of European solidarity in defense of Ukraine and democratic values.

Joining three European prime ministers on a risky train ride to Ukraine’s besieged capital, Kyiv, Jaroslaw Kaczyinski, Poland’s de facto leader and a longtime scourge of European unity, this week became the latest European politician attempting a difficult somersault prompted by mounting public horror at Russia’s invasion.

Mr. Kaczyinski’s trip came as millions of ordinary Poles have surprised their leaders and, in some cases, even themselves, with an extraordinary, nationwide outpouring of support for Ukrainians fleeing war and seeking shelter across the border in Poland.

The war in Ukraine has not only sent more than 1.5 million terrified people pouring into Poland, which just a few months ago was beating back migrants from its border with batons and water canons, but also spread alarm that Russia could widen the conflict beyond Ukraine, dramatically expanding and reshaping the contours of Polish politics. » | Andrew Higgins | Friday, March 18, 2022