‘I Am Watching My Business Fall Apart’ – Can Retailers Survive inside Putin’s Russia?

THE GUARDIAN: A local partner of one British brand says his hopes are fading and risks deepening as stock dwindles

A closed Prada shop in Moscow. Photograph: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA
Western brands have swiftly moved to shut down operations in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, wiping well-known goods from the shelves. But what does it feel like for those trying to run businesses in the country?

The Russian partner of one western brand shares their story.

“To say I have concerns about the future is a huge understatement. Waking up every day with the knowledge that you are an unwilling part of this nightmare is devastating.

“I have been building my business for decades, and now I am watching it fall apart. I have people depending on me – not just my family, but my employees, who will lose their source of income, their health insurance, their livelihood. One of my biggest concerns is their welfare. But of course, compared with the tragedy that’s happening in Ukraine, all business concerns seem insignificant.

“As of this moment, retail businesses are still functioning – but the biggest question we all have is what will happen in a few weeks or months, when supplies run out. » | Sarah Butler | Saturday, March 26, 2022

Un baiser peut faire des merveilles !

Ein Kuß kann Wunder wirken! / A kiss can work wonders!
Avec un grand merci à Baptiste Masseur Gay Lyon sur Pinterest pour pour cette superbe photo.

‘Perfect Storm’: Royals Misjudged Caribbean Tour, Say Critics

THE GUARDIAN: Calls for slavery reparations and Jamaica’s PM insisting country was ‘moving on’ signal sea change in relations with royals

A screenshot from the accompanying video.
It was supposed to be a visit to mark the Queen’s diamond [surely Platinum?] jubilee – a chance to present the modern face of the British monarchy to a region where republican sentiment is on the rise.

But it really didn’t turn out that way.

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge end their week-long tour of the Caribbean on Saturday, they will report back that the tour may have accelerated moves to ditch the Queen as the head of state.

Calls for slavery reparations and the enduring fury of the Windrush scandal followed them across Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas – overshadowing a trip aimed at strengthening the Commonwealth and discouraging other countries from following Barbados’s example in becoming a republic. » | Rachel Hall and Amelia Gentleman | Friday, March 25, 2022

‘I Don’t Feel Safe Being Russian in London’

THE TIMES: The oligarchs have left the capital, their money frozen or moved abroad. So where does that leave the Russians who still call London home?

From left: Eaton Square in Belgravia, once colonised by wealthy Russians; Alina Blinova at a gala in London. ‘If you speak Russian, you look behind your back,’ says Blinova. ‘Is anyone listening to you?’ | GETTY IMAGES, PA
The streets of Belgravia never thrum at night, but for the past month the silence has been absolute. The chauffeured, armour-plated Bentleys that used to glide out of subterranean garages are nowhere to be seen and few of the Georgian mansions that line the leafy squares seem even to have a light on.

The Russians, who for the past decade colonised this corner of London, along with Kensington, Knightsbridge and Mayfair, are leaving. Ever since February 24, when Vladimir Putin’s army invaded Ukraine – and in many cases, before – they’ve been rapidly packing bags and boarding private jets. » | Julia Llewellyn Smith | Friday March 25 2022,

£1 for 3 months. Ends soon. View offer here.

Putin Says West Treating Russian Culture Like ‘Cancelled’ JK Rowling

THE GUARDIAN: President complains west ‘trying to cancel a whole 1,000-year culture’ after invasion of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has accused the west of discriminating against Russian culture, comparing the treatment of Russian cultural figures with that of the “cancelled” Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

At a televised meeting on Friday with leading cultural figures, Putin said the west was “trying to cancel a whole 1,000-year culture, our people”, citing cancellations of events involving Russian artists in protest at the invasion of Ukraine.

“They’re now engaging in the cancel culture, even removing Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov from posters. Russian writers and books are now cancelled,” Putin said.

A number of events involving Russian cultural figures who have expressed backing for the war have been called off, including concerts by the award-winning Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a friend and supporter of Putin, who was part of the meeting on Friday. » | Pjotr Sauer | Friday, March 25, 2022

Former NATO Commander Warns Ukraine Conflict Will Get Worse

Mar 25, 2022 • Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove warns the more frustrated Russian President Vladimir Putin gets, the more dangerous he'll become.

Sanktionen und Zensur: Wie geeint steht Russland hinter Putin? I auslandsjournal

Mar 25, 2022 • Westliche Läden haben dicht gemacht, kaum noch Luxus-Marken, leere Shops in den sonst so überfüllten Einkaufspassagen Moskaus. Der Westen hat gegen Russland harte Sanktionen verhängt. „Das ist schrecklich. Und überhaupt, wie kann man dies tun?! Die Menschen haben doch keine Schuld. Wir haben keine Schuld, aber wir können keine sozialen Netzwerke nutzen, wir können nicht in unsere Lieblingsläden gehen“, sagt eine Bürgerin namens Julia.

In manchen Supermärkten gibt es Hamsterkäufe, kaum noch Klopapier, Mehl oder Zucker. Gleichzeitig erhöht Putin den Druck. Beschwört sein Land, will Einheit. In seiner Rede am vergangenen Freitag im vollbesetzten Moskauer Luschniki-Stadion zum 8. Jahrestag der Krim-Annexion wiederholt er seine Botschaft in der Ukraine werde ein Völkermord an Russen verhindert.

Wer nicht hinter dem Kreml steht, lebt gefährlich. Fast täglich kommen in Russland neue Repressionen für Kritiker*innen. Freie Medien sind fast alle gesperrt, viele Journalist*innen im Exil oder in Haft. Diese Woche werden Facebook und Instagram gerichtlich verboten, der Kreml will die Kontrolle über die sozialen Netzwerke.

Ansturm auf die Chalets – Wie die Immobilienpreise in den Alpen explodieren | Doku | SRF Dok

Mar 25, 2022 • Die Preise für Immobilien in den Bergen gehen durch die Decke. Auslöser dafür ist die Pandemie: Menschen in der Stadt, mit Homeoffice eingepfercht in enge Wohnungen, träumen von Freiraum.

Getragen wird der Boom vor allem durch Menschen, die in der Stadt leben und unter den engen Wohnungen, Häuserwänden, Abgasen und engen Homeoffices zunehmend leiden. Aufgrund der Zweitwohnungsinitiative kann das Angebot aber nicht an diese steigende Nachfrage angepasst werden. So geht der Traum immer mehr ins Geld. Die Preise sind bereits um bis zu zwanzig Prozent gestiegen. Doch die Menschen in den Städten sind bereit, jeden Preis zu bezahlen für ein Stück Freiheit in Zeiten der Pandemie.

Experte: Russlands Wirtschaft im Zerfallsprozess, langsam aber kontinuierlich | ZDF Morgenmagazin

Mar 24, 2022 • Die russische Wirtschaft entwickle sich zurück und befinde sich in einer Rezession, gut ausgebildete Fachkräfte verließen das Land. Allerdings dürfe man sich nicht der Illusion hingeben, Russland werde quasi von heute auf morgen „implodieren, sagt der Militärökonom Marcus Keupp. Vielmehr handle es sich um einen langsamen, kontinuierlichen Zerfallsprozess.

Zudem könne die militärische Maschinerie auch bei einem Zusammenbruch der Wirtschaft noch weiterlaufen. Auf China könne Russland als wirtschaftliche Lebensversicherung nicht hoffen. Der Experte schätzt: China werde warten bis das Land kurz vor dem ökonomischen Zusammenbruch steht und die „Assets dann billig aufkaufen“.

Gay : Mixed Reports / Gemischte Meldungen / Rapports mitigés

Image: Adobe Stock
150 religious leaders vow to protect LGBT+ lives in ‘revolutionary’ safeguarding agreement: More than 150 senior religious leaders from across the globe have committed to protecting LGBT+ people in faith communities. »

Report: Colton Underwood Hasn’t Been Able to Sell TV Rights to Wedding: The gay 30-year-old reality star and former NFL player announced his engagement last month. »

How a gay man from Singapore found acceptance in Australia: Australia decriminalised homosexuality 40 years ago and has allowed gay marriage since 2017, but in many former British colonies sex between men remains illegal »

Tiktok zensiert Begriffe wie "schwul", "homo" und "queer": Das chinesische Unternehmen blockiert auch Kommentare über den Nationalsozialismus und die Tennisspielerin Peng Shuai »

Queer-Beauftragter: „Transsexualität ist kein Trend“: Der Queer-Beauftragte der Bundesregierung, Sven Lehmann (42, Grüne), will das von Betroffenen als diskriminierend kritisiertes Transsexuellengesetz „zügig“ abschaffen. Bis zum Sommer würden die Bundesministerien für Justiz und für Familie Eckpunkte für ein neues Gesetz vorlegen, so Lehmann in der „Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung“. »

Ces Africains LGBT qui demandent l’asile en France pour fuir les persécutions : « Si on me renvoie dans mon pays, c’est la mort » : Pour ces exilés, souvent traumatisés par de terribles violences, exposer son orientation sexuelle devant l’administration française reste une épreuve douloureuse. »

Six associations LGBT déposent plainte contre Eric Zemmour pour "négation de crime contre l'humanité" : Ce mercredi 23 mars, six associations qui luttent contre l'homophobie ont annoncé avoir déposé plainte à Paris contre le candidat d’extrême droite à la présidentielle Eric Zemmour pour "contestation de crime contre l’humanité". Le polémiste est notamment accusé d'avoir nié la déportation d’homosexuels pendant la Seconde guerre mondiale. »

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – March 25, 2022

Russian Activists Sign Open Letter Calling for End to War in Ukraine

THE GUARDIAN: Campaigners write manifesto in broadest anti-war statement by Russian human rights supporters

A group of veteran Russian human rights activists plan to publish an open letter calling on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, declaring it “our common duty” to “stop the war [and] protect the lives, rights and freedoms of all people, both Ukrainians and Russians”.

The “manifesto”, signed by 11 prominent activists including Lev Ponomaryov, Oleg Orlov and Svetlana Gannushkina, announces the creation of a new anti-war council of Russian human rights defenders and is the broadest collective statement against the war by Russian human rights supporters to date.

The activists say they will seek to help Russians avoid taking part in the war against Ukraine and demand that the ministry of defence releases accurate information about the number of Russian soldiers killed in the war. » | Andrew Roth | Friday, March 25, 2022

The Putin Files: Masha Gessen

Oct 26, 2017 • Watch author and journalist Masha Gessen’s candid, full interview on Putin and allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election – part of FRONTLINE’s media transparency project for our investigation, “Putin’s Revenge.”

WIKIPEDIA: Masha Gessen »

Ukraine War: Western Agents Seek to Get Inside Putin's Head

GETTY IMAGES
BBC: Russia's leader Vladimir Putin is trapped in a closed world of his own making, Western spies believe. And that worries them.

For years they have sought to get inside Mr Putin's mind, to better understand his intentions.

With Russian troops seemingly bogged down in Ukraine, the need to do so has become all the more necessary as they try to work out how he will react under pressure.

Understanding his state of mind will be vital to avoid escalating the crisis into even more dangerous territory.

There has been speculation that Russia's leader was ill, but many analysts believe he has actually become isolated and closed off to any alternative views.

His isolation has been evident in pictures of his meetings, such as when he met President Emmanuel Macron, the pair at far ends of a long table. It was also evident in Mr Putin's meeting with his own national security team on the eve of war.

Mr Putin's initial military plan looked like something devised by a KGB officer, one Western intelligence official explains.

It had been created, they say, by a tight "conspiratorial cabal" with an emphasis on secrecy. But the result was chaos. Russian military commanders were not ready and some soldiers went over the border without knowing what they were doing. » | Gordon Corera, Security correspondent | Monday, March 21, 2022

Defiant Ukrainian Troops Tell Russians: 'Go Home While You're Still Alive'

Read the article here.

Ukraine War: Civilians Abducted as Russia Tries to Assert Control

BBC: Ukrainians are being arbitrarily detained and subjected to enforced disappearances in Russian-controlled areas, the UN has told the BBC.

At least 36 cases of civilian detentions were verified by the UN, with families often denied any information about the fate of those being held.

Ukrainians say they fear an escalating campaign of kidnappings and intimidation, as Russia struggles to assert control over towns it captures.

Viktoriia Roshchyna, a journalist, was working in occupied areas in the east of the country when she was taken by unidentified men on 15 March.

Her employer, Hromadske media, said she "was probably detained by the FSB", Russia's internal intelligence service, based on witness accounts of her being taken in the city of Berdyansk. » | Matt Murphy & Robert Greenall, BBC News | Friday, March 25, 2022

Yaroslav Demchenkov : « L’énergie russe n’est pas irremplaçable »

LE MONDE : Lors de son passage à Paris, le vice-ministre de l’énergie ukrainien a appelé à cesser dès que possible les importations de gaz et de pétrole russes.

Arrivée en Europe d’Ukraine, il y a une semaine, une délégation du ministère de l’énergie ukrainien a participé à la rencontre de haut niveau de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE) à Paris, mercredi 23 et jeudi 24 mars. Au cours de ce séjour, le vice-ministre de l’énergie ukrainien, Yaroslav Demchenkov, a de nouveau enjoint aux Européens de mettre un terme, le plus vite possible, à leurs importations de fossiles russes.

L’énergie est plus que jamais l’un des enjeux majeurs de ce conflit…

La guerre a provoqué une réelle onde de choc. Au cours de nos rencontres, nous avons vu que chacun comprend bien que le monde ne sera plus jamais comme avant. La Russie mène cette guerre en essayant de faire croire que l’énergie russe est irremplaçable. Or, ce n’est pas le cas : l’Europe peut et doit agir pour rendre l’énergie russe insignifiante. C’est fondamental parce que chaque heure qui passe coûte une fortune à l’Ukraine, non pas seulement à cause des infrastructures détruites, mais surtout parce que des gens sont tués. » | Propos recueillis par Perrine Mouterde | vendredi 25 mars 2022

John Bolton zum Ukraine-Krieg: "Ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit" | Interview im engl. Original

Mar 24, 2022 • Krieg in der Ukraine und Fehler des Westens: Darüber hat John Bolton, Ex-Sicherheitsberater von Trump, mit ZDFheute gesprochen. Er stellt fest: "Wir haben versagt."

Ukraine: Odesa Citizens Train to Fight as City Waits for Russian Attack

Mar 24, 2022 • In the Black Sea port of Odesa, streets are lined with sandbags and barbed wire, buildings are emblazoned with the Ukrainian flag, and citizens are training to fight.

Vladimir Putin: On Reflection

Die Vermögensschere – Der Graben zwischen Arm und Reich in der Schweiz | Doku | SRF Dok

Feb 4, 2021 • Die Vermögensschere in der Schweiz geht immer weiter auf. Auch in der reichen Schweiz vergrössert sich die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich immer grösser. Die Corona-Pandemie hat diesen Effekt noch verstärkt.

Verwandt.

Thomas kocht: Karrottensuppe

Mar 21, 2022 • Diese Karottensuppe mit Ingwer und roten Linsen ist extrem cremig und aromatisch und noch dazu gesund. Nachkochen lohnt sich auf jeden Fall! Ich koche immer etwas mehr und friere einen Teil ein. So habe ich immer eine leckere Suppe auf Vorrat.

Zutaten:

- Karotten 800 g (geschält)
- 100 g rote Linsen
- 3 mittelgroße Zwiebeln
- 2 Knoblauchzehen
- etwa 2 cm Stück Ingwer
- 1 Stange Lauch (nur das Helle, den Rest z.B. für Brühe aufheben)
- etwa 200 g Sellerie (geschält)
- 1 kleine Süßkartoffel (optional)
- Kokosmilch (eine 400 g Dose)
- 1 guter TL Currypulver
- Salz, Pfeffer aus der Mühle
- 1 Zitrone oder Limette
- Olivenöl - frischer Koriander zum Garnieren nach Geschmack

Viel Spaß beim Nachkochen!

Website von Thomas hier.

Khatia Buniatishvili Plays Liebestraum No. 3 from Franz Liszt | Verbier Festival 2011

May 6, 2021 • What an encore! Liebestraum No. 3 by Franz Liszt, played by Khatia Buniatishvili at the 2011 Verbier Festival.

The ‘Dream of Love’ that is Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major is not only the most recognizable work for solo piano by Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886), it’s also one of the most famous piano pieces of all time. Liszt published it in 1850, alongside two more such ‘love dreams’ (S. 541).

The basis for Liebestraum No. 3 was the earlier Lied ‘O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst’ (S. 298), which Liszt composed for solo voice and piano accompaniment in 1845. For the lyrics, Liszt reappropriated the first four verses from the poem of the same name, by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810-1876). The Lied dealt with reminiscing over a lost love – and the too-late realization of not having that love lived to its fullest.

Liebestraum No. 3 for piano is a mood piece, in which the opening melody of the song becomes the main theme, repeated through multiple variations. The Liebestraum carries a characteristic atmosphere of melancholy. Khatia Buniatishvili is enraptured as she plays, as if she were alone with Liebestraum No. 3 in the concert hall – a most romantic work for piano in an interpretation that none could fail to be drawn into.

Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, born in 1987 in Tbilisi/Georgia, was considered a wunderkind as a child. She began playing piano at the age of three, giving her first concert with the Tbilisi Concert Orchestra at age six. International performances followed from the age of ten. In 2008, she had her US debut in New York's Carnegie Hall. Since then, Buniatishvili has been a regularly invite at many high-profile festivals, and has performed concerts in the world's most renowned concert halls, including Vienna's Musikverein, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Berlin Philharmonic. She has twice received the highly respected Echo Classic Award.

The Verbier Festival is one of the world’s most prestigious classical music events. The quality of participating artists – coupled with the originality of the programs – has established the festival as a highlight of the musical calendar. It is held for two weeks – from late July to early August – in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.

© EuroArts Music International / Idéale Audience

Russisches Geld in der Schweiz – Zwischen Sanktionen und Profit | Reportage | SRF Dok

Mar 24, 2022 • Mit dem Krieg in der Ukraine hat russisches Geld seine Unschuld verloren. Die Schweiz schwankt zwischen Sanktionen und Profit. Was jetzt?

Andrey Melnichenko, russischer Oligarch mit Wohnsitz in St. Moritz, steht seit Mitte März auf der Schweizer Sanktionsliste. Er gehöre zum engeren Kreis der Putin-Oligarchen und unterstütze mit seinen Rohstofffirmen den Krieg in der Ukraine, sagt die EU-Sanktionsbehörde.

Gegenüber SRF «Reporter» gibt sich der Gemeindepräsident des Bündner Nobelkurortes, Christian Jott Jenny, ungewöhnlich wortkarg: Er kommentiere die Sanktionen und deren Auswirkungen nicht. Die Sanktionsbehörde Seco wiederum sucht weder aktiv nach den Vermögenswerten des Oligarchen, noch interessiert sie sich fürs Geld aus den «Firesale»-Aktienverkäufen. Auch der Zuger Regierungsrat Heinz Tännler weiss nichts davon, obwohl die Firmensitze des Oligarchen in Zug sind. «Ich kann nicht alles wissen», sagt er gegenüber SRF «Reporter».

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – March 24, 2022

Goodbye Pandemic: A Tad Excited to Be Able to Kiss Again!

Auf Wiedersehen Pandemie: Ein bisschen aufgeregt, wieder küssen zu können! / Au revoir pandémie : un peu excité de pouvoir s'embrasser à nouveau !

via GIPHY

Fleetwood Mac : Rumours | Full Album (HQ)

Released: 1977 | Remastered: 2011

How Dangerous Is Putin? Hear Ex-Russian Oligarch's Answer

Mar 24, 2022 • Former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was once the richest man in Russia before spending 10 years in prison for going against Vladimir Putin, speaks with CNN's Erin Burnett about the Russian president's mindset and the state of the country's military a month into the war in Ukraine.

Establish a no-fly zone immediately! Grow a pair, for God’s sake! We are on the brink of World War III. Putin must be stopped – now! He will never be satisfied merely with the establishment of Russia’s control of the Ukraine. After the Ukraine, he will move on to other ex-satellite states of the one-time Soviet empire, like Poland and/or the Baltic states. The less you do now, the greater the danger for the future. That should be clear to us all by now. Unfortunately, it appears not to be. We cannot avoid conflict with Russia whilst Putin is at the helm, whichever way we slice it. We have been here before–in the 1930s; so we don’t need, or want, to travel the same well-trodden path to disaster we travelled before. Pluck up the courage and act – NOW! The West’s current strategy is not only weak, but it is immoral, too! – © Mark

Mobilisation nationale des retraités ce jeudi pour l'augmentation des pensions

Des militants syndicalistes sont réunis lors d'une précédente mobilisation sur les salaires, l'emploi et les retraites à Paris, le 27 janvier 2022. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
LE FIGARO : Face à la hausse du coût de la vie, l'intersyndicale a réclamé la «réindexation des pensions sur l'évolution des salaires».

Une large union de syndicats de retraités appelle à une mobilisation nationale pour le pouvoir d'achat et les droits des retraités ce jeudi 24 mars. Des rassemblements doivent avoir lieu dans une trentaine de villes françaises, dont Paris, Marseille, Lyon et Bordeaux. Le groupement intersyndical appelant à la mobilisation comprend une dizaine de membres, dont la CGT, l'Union confédérale des retraités FO, la CFTC, la CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires, Retraités de la fonction publique, LSR ou encore Ensemble & Solidaires. L'intersyndicale réclame l'indexation des retraites sur les salaires » | Par Baptiste RENAUT | jeudi 24 mars 2022

Warum ist die Schweiz so reich? | Von Einkommen, Vermögen und der blauen Banane | Doku | SRF Dok

May 3, 2021 • Die Schweiz ist das reichste Land der Welt – oder rangiert je nach Berechnungsart zumindest unter den Top 10. Sowohl beim Einkommen als auch beim Vermögen.

Fragt man auf den Strassen des nördlichen Nachbarn nach, warum die Schweiz so reich ist, sind die Antworten schnell zur Hand: «Nazigold und Bankgeheimnis haben die Eidgenossen reich gemacht.» Nicht ohne Neid nimmt man in Deutschland wahr, dass das Durchschnittseinkommen in der Schweiz um ein Vielfaches höher ist als dasjenige in Deutschland. Durchschnittlich verdienen Deutsche Angestellte 3535 Euro brutto im Monat, bei den Schweizern sind es 6655 Euro. Ein frappanter Unterschied. Aber es lohnt sich – wie so oft – genauer hinzuschauen.

Der Film spannt einen Bogen vom 15. Jahrhundert und dem Söldnertum, über den Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts, als in der Schweiz Menschen an Hunger starben und Hunderttausende gezwungen waren, auszuwandern, bis in die Jetztzeit, in der auch die Alpenrepublik versucht, mit der Digitalisierung Schritt zu halten. Ausgewiesene Expertinnen und Experten kommen zu Wort und ordnen die historischen Abschnitte ein.

Der Dokumentarfilm räumt mit Klischees auf und zeigt, welche Stereotypen viel mit der Wahrheit zu tun haben.

Ex-Oligarch Chodorkowski über Korruption und Putins Machtspiele | Markus Lanz vom 23. März 2022

Mar 24, 2022 • Die russischen Oligarchen werden aktuell sanktioniert. Einer, der das System von früher gut kennt, ist der ehemalige Oligarch Michail Chodorkowski. Den politischen Wechsel hin zu Putin hat er allerdings wirtschaftlich nicht überlebt. Er erzählt bei Markus Lanz in der Sendung von Korruption und was das Hauptproblem "des Westens" im Umgang mit Putin ist.

Bei dem Treffen 2003 mit seinen russischen Oligarchen hat Wladimir Putin Michail Chodorkowski zu verstehen gegeben, dass er einen anderen Weg gewählt habe. Er wählte den Weg der Korruption und sah diesen auch als Schlüsselhebel an. Wer sich nicht an Putins Regeln hält, dem drohe ein sozialer Abstieg.

Bei Korruption ist meistens viel Geld im Spiel. Ob Putin ein reicher Mann sei, beantwortete Chodorkowski mit „Ja“. Allerdings ist das nicht zu vergleichen mit beispielsweise Bill Gates, denn das Vermögen von Putin liegt nicht auf seinen Privatkonten, sondern ist an seine Position geknüpft. So hat Putin die Möglichkeit, sein Vermögen selber zu verwalten.

Neben den Korruptionen von Putin spricht Chodorkowski auch von dem Hauptproblem des Westens. Putin sei ein Gangster, dem man Stärke entgegen setzen müsse, daher ergötze sich Putin an den vielen Telefonaten mit den Staatsoberhäuptern, da er das starke diplomatische Bemühen als Schwäche ansieht.

Von den Sanktionen gegenüber Russland zeigte sich Chodorkowski angenehm überrascht. Der Westen sei solidarisch gewesen, dies hatte er nicht erwartet. So führe ein Ausschluss aus dem Ab-kommen SWIFT dazu, dass Russland weniger Möglichkeiten hat, seinen Krieg zuführen. Allerdings merkt er an, dass die einige Sanktionen nicht zu Ende gedacht wurden.

Putin sieht diesen Krieg als einen Krieg zwischen Russland und der Nato, welcher auf ukrainischem Boden ausgeführt wird. Dennoch könnte Putin mit seinen Truppen die "rote Linie" überschreiten und weiter ins Baltikum und Polen vordringen. Ob das der nächste logische Schritt von Putin ist, bleibt abzuwarten.

Weitere Gäste in der Sendung:

Natalia Klitschko, Sängerin
Die in Hamburg lebende Künstlerin hat täglichen Kontakt mit Kiews Bürgermeister Vitali Klitschko, der seine Stadt verteidigt. „Die Kinder fragen jeden Tag nach Papa", erzählt sie.

Janis Kluge, Ökonom
Der Experte von der Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik äußert sich zur Wirksamkeit der Russland-Sanktionen sowie zum Einfluss und den Besitztümern der Oligarchen.

Sebastian Fiedler, Politiker
Der SPD-Politiker und frühere Vorsitzende vom Bund Deutscher Kriminalbeamter (BDK) erklärt, wie Oligarchen-Gelder über Schattenfinanzplätze gewaschen und investiert werden.

Solomiya Vitvitska, Journalistin
Die Nachrichten-Moderatorin vom ukrainischen Privatsender „Eins plus Eins“ informiert direkt aus Kiew über die aktuelle Lage und die Bedeutung der Medien im Russland-Ukraine-Krieg.

President Zelenskyy: "Russia Is Trying to Defeat the Freedom of All People in Europe"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has released a video marking one month since the Russian invasion. "Russia is trying to defeat the freedom of all people in Europe."

Putin's 'Achilles Heel' Exposed as Russia's Death Toll Climbs

Mar 24, 2022 • CNN's Nic Robertson reports on the similarities between Russia's war in Ukraine and its ill-fated invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

European Council President: “We Must Make Sure That Putin Will Be Defeated" | Amanpour and Company

Mar 24, 2022 • President Biden is on his way to Brussels for emergency summit meetings with NATO heads of state, the European Union, and the G7. Biden plans to highlight unity among allies, as leaders discuss how to deter further aggression from Russia. It’s rare for an American president to be invited to join a gathering of EU leaders, but that won’t prevent Biden from urging European allies to accelerate their energy independence, even while some call for a pause to assess the effect of sanctions. Host and European Council President Charles Michel tells Christiane in an exclusive interview about the plan to impose intelligent sanctions that hurt Russia more than they hurt Europe, with the ultimate goal of ensuring Putin’s defeat. Originally aired on March 23, 2022.

Küssen gegen Schwulenhass

„Die Augen fest geschlossen, pressen Ken Duken und Kostja Ullmann ihre Lippen aufeinander. Ein sinnlicher Kuss, wie man ihn zwischen den angesagten Schauspielern nicht erwartet hätte. Mit ihrem feuchten Lippenbekenntnis wollen sie und viele weitere deutsche Stars auf eine wichtige Kampagne aufmerksam machen.“
Ich bedanke mich bei Bunte.de auf Pinterest fürs schöne und wichtige Bild im Kampf gegen Homophobie.

Madeleine Albright, Former Secretary of State, Dies at 84

Mar 23, 2022 • Madeleine Albright, the first female secretary of state, has died at the age of 84. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

Madeleine Albright, First Woman to Serve as Secretary of State, Dies at 84: She rose to power and fame as a brilliant analyst of world affairs before serving as an aggressive advocate of President Bill Clinton’s policies. »

L'ex-secrétaire d'État américaine Madeleine Albright est morte : Première femme à occuper le poste de secrétaire d'État au sein du gouvernement américain, Madeleine Albright est morte des suites d'un cancer à l'âge de 84 ans, a annoncé sa famille. »

Madeleine Albright, ancienne secrétaire d’Etat américaine, est morte : Cheffe de la diplomatie des Etats-Unis entre 1997 et 2001, dans l’administration du président démocrate Bill Clinton, elle avait été la première femme à occuper ce poste. »

Frühere amerikanische Außenministerin Madeleine Albright gestorben: Die ehemalige amerikanische Außenministerin Madeleine Albright ist tot. Sie starb im Alter von 84 Jahren. Das gab ihre Familie am Mittwoch bekannt. »

Yuja Wang – Rachmaninov: Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5 | Live at Philharmonie, Berlin / 2018

Nov 23, 2018 • Yuja Wang’s philosophy of music is both simple and profoundly complex. “I want to relate all life to music,” she recently told veteran British critic Fiona Maddocks. The Beijing-born pianist’s album for Deutsche Grammophon 'The Berlin Recital' captures the white heat of solo works by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Scriabin and Ligeti, a trio of Russians together with one of the late 20th-century’s greatest composers.

Beautiful Rings for Couples as a Sign of Lasting Love and Commitment

Schöne Ringe für Paare als Zeichen dauerhafter Liebe und Verbundenheit. / De belles bagues pour les couples en signe d'amour et d'engagement durables.
With many thanks to Tiffany & Co. for this wonderful and elegant photo.
Tiffany & Co. honours lasting love and commitment in all its forms.

Please Don’t Compare Ukraine to Brexit, Petro Poroshenko Asks Boris Johnson

THE GUARDIAN: Former president rejects PM’s conference remarks, saying ‘zero’ citizens died over vote to leave EU

Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko has asked Boris Johnson not to compare the UK’s Brexit vote to his country’s fight against Russia, saying “zero” citizens died because of the decision to leave the European Union.

Johnson’s comparison, when he suggested British people backed Brexit with 52% of the vote because, like the Ukrainians, they choose “freedom every time”, was greeted with disbelief.

Downing Street has denied the prime minister was seeking to make a direct comparison between the devastation and loss of life in Ukraine and the UK vote to leave the EU.

Asked by ITV News about the comparison, Poroshenko, speaking in military uniform from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, responded: “How many citizens of United Kingdom died because of Brexit? Zero. » | Jamie Grierson | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Dimitra’s Dishes: Greek Lamb & Greens Pie with a Homemade Phyllo

Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – March 23, 2022

Anti-Corruption Activists Tied To Navalny Expose Putin Ownership Of Mystery Yacht

Mar 23, 2022 • Ali Velshi reports on research done by members of Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption activist group showing that a mysterious superyacht near Italy probably belongs to Vladimir Putin.

Eilmeldung: Putin: Russland akzeptiert für Gas-Lieferungen nach Europa nur noch Rubel

Mar 23, 2022 • Russland akzeptiert Zahlungen für seine Gas-Lieferungen nach Europa künftig nicht mehr in Dollar oder Euro. Er habe entschieden, ein Maßnahmenpaket zur Zahlung in Rubel zu etablieren, sagte Staatschef Wladimir Putin am Mittwoch. Er sprach von Gas-Lieferungen in "feindliche Länder" und damit in alle EU-Staaten und nannte eine Übergangsfrist von einer Woche.

Interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | DW News

Mar 22, 2022 • In an exclusive interview for Eurovision News in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told TV reporters that he is ready to discuss a commitment from his country not to seek NATO membership in exchange for a cease-fire, Russian troop withdrawal and guarantee of Ukraine's security.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a true hero! – Mark

Polish Citizens Join Army in Response to Russian Invasion of Ukraine - BBC News

Mar 23, 2022 • With Russia invading Ukraine some Poles fear that they could be next to be targeted by President Putin.

Poland has announced that it will increased military spending and there has been a sharp increase in people joining Poland’s territorial defence force.

While some are choosing to join up others are making sure that their cars are filled with fuel and that they have a bag packed ready to flee the country.

« Joe Biden veut consolider l’Europe dans un monde à l’équilibre dangereusement instable »

LE MONDE : Le président américain, comme ses prédécesseurs, voulait tourner sa diplomatie vers l’Asie. Las, il est sans cesse ramené à l’Europe, avec le choc imprévu de la guerre en Ukraine. Un conflit que la Chine surveille aussi de près, analyse, dans sa chronique, Sylvie Kauffmann, éditorialiste au « Monde ».

Chronique. Joe Biden avait deux objectifs en arrivant à la Maison Blanche il y a quatorze mois : à l’intérieur, la relance de l’économie de son pays, dévastée par la pandémie de Covid-19 ; et à l’extérieur, la maîtrise de la rivalité sino-américaine, grand enjeu géopolitique du XXIe siècle. Mais le voilà, ce mercredi 23 mars, de nouveau en train d’atterrir à Bruxelles. Obstinément rappelé à l’ordre par la vieille Europe, lui qui ne rêve que d’Orient et de Delaware.

Ni lui ni personne n’avait prévu le retour de la guerre en Europe. Le choc est si brutal qu’en l’espace d’un mois, le monde s’est retrouvé en équilibre instable – dangereusement instable. Le président américain vient donc, par cette tournée décidée à la hâte, consolider ce qui peut l’être face à la Russie, éviter les fissures dans le bloc transatlantique. » | Sylvie Kauffmann, Editorialiste au « Monde » | mercredi 23 mars 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

US-Verteidigungsministerium sieht Ukrainer auf dem Vormarsch

Mar 23, 2022 • Dem US-Verteidigungsministerium zufolge sind die ukrainischen Truppen im Krieg gegen Russland inzwischen an einigen Punkten auf dem Vormarsch. Dagegen hätten die russischen Soldaten mit fehlendem Nachschub und einer geringen Moral zu kämpfen, sagte der Sprecher des Ministeriums John Kirby. © AFP, AP

This is good news! It is difficult to win wars on the defensive. The best defence is always offence! Die beste Verteidigung ist immer der Angriff!– © Mark

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

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