The New York Times published an extraordinary story today about the massacre by Russian soldiers of eight Ukrainian men in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha on March 4. Using video footage from a CCTV camera and a video taken by a homeowner nearby, the Times recreated the killings in excruciating detail. The video footage does not show the men being shot, but it shows the men being led by Russian soldiers to a courtyard next to a building being used as a makeshift headquarters and hospital by Russian paratroopers. Drone footage shot the day after the massacre shows the bodies lying in the courtyard with Russian soldiers standing next to them. The bodies would remain where they lay for the next several weeks.
And it hurts to wrap my head around Rand Paul delaying $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and then voting with 10 other Republicans to unsuccessfully block it. We know whose side they're on. History will remember.
i hope Ukrainians and international investigators do due diligence in collecting crime scene evidence so that russian military perpetrators can be charged.
i also hope the stain of putin's evil actions follows him to the grave and that his country rejects any favorable monument or display of his tenure. AND i hope he knows that as he dies.
I hope the Russian people see this video on TV in their homes, whenever possible. They need to know what their government has done and understand why they are outcasts in post-Ukraine war society. Diplomat friends who worked in Germany after the Wall came down, reported that documentaries of Nazi war camps were showed every Sunday afternoon. They wanted citizens to know what had happened, and what horrors the Nazis inflicted on others.
The facts are bitter and tough to live with. But there are elements of it in denial of racial violence here here, too-- in addition to the plain, all out haters. Post WWll some (like a German roommate I had in Washington, DC) inwardly assumed responsibility. Gilda left Germany after the war, and then steeped herself in literature about the Holocaust. She and mom had lived I
n the South while dad, who was conscripted by Nazis, helped run supply trains through the country and did not want to forget what happened.
I appreciate this post, I even "Liked" it, but I have to play advocatus diaboli just a tiny wee bit here to say that to shun Russian cultural achievements because of the acts of a current criminal leadership *might* be cutting off the nose to spite the face. Was the US sanctioned or sent to Coventry over Vietnam or Iraq? I would ask for people to remember that the Russian people are NOT Putin. Also, as a historical reference point, recall the atrocities of the German and Japanese militaries in WWII. And YET -- a few short years after that, these countries were embraced by the US and "bygones will be bygones," even when it was Allied soldiers being murdered and our "friendly" civilians being massacred. You can call this realpolitik (we forgave West Germany and Japan in part so they could be our new best friends against the Soviets) but the spirit of forgiveness and understanding is not to be undervalued, no matter what the other circumstances. I will continue to enjoy Russian literature and music by Tschaikowsky and Shostakovich the same as I enjoy Wagner (without letting the Nazi's co-opt it) and I hope hapless ordinary Russian hostages like ballet dancers and musicians and filmmakers and athletes are judged as individuals and not by the flag they were born under.
I will continue to appreciate Russian culture however there needs to be full accountability and reparations. Truth and reconciliation. It should be a long process focused on the leadership and elites who enabled and promoted this brutal war. Expropriation of looted Oligarch wealth for Ukraine and years of cheap at cost gas an oil might be a way to start reparations.
Ah, Kozmo, perhaps if the "Russian people" deliver up Putin, his military leadership, and identifiable responsible soldiers, that would be evidence of their contrition. Otherwise, they can remain on the outskirts of civilization, on foot, raggedy, and on short rations until they relearn that civilization is deeper than sports, music, and dance.
Kozmo, Suggest you read a book creatively entitled THE RUSSIANS by one Hedrick Smith, circa 1976. It puts into context your thesis Russia was/is a nation of great historic cultural importance with a deep dive into , yes, Russian history and the well earned Russian persona as a people too reliant on authoritarianism and dependent upon a top down statist approach to self governance. This book might give you a slightly different perspective not on Russian culture but on the willingness of the Russian populace to actually think and act for itself vs. , yes, almost absolute reliance on a power down Big Brother structure.
I do agree with your assessment. Russian people and culture need to survive beyond Putin’s horrors. My heart does not only ache for Ukrainians, but for Russians as well. Not all are the evil purveyors of this action.
After Apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was urged to round up the Afrikaners and treat them to Nuremburg trials and hang enough of them to scare future generations. Union generals wanted to hang the confederate leadership and were incensed at Lincolns passivity. William Cally was arrested and set for trial, causing veterans to line highways all over the country and denounce Nixon. Just imagine what would happen if Biden cashiered a few officers from Afghanistan? Blaming ordinary Russians because they slavishly endorse Putin feels great but is not going to change anything for the better. A man in Siberia has zero input and if he tried GRU or Interior police would silence him.
There is no defense for Russia's brutal war of cruelty and sadism. It's a strategy that has been used since distant times. Inflict such trauma that the next ten generations will have nightmares.
What should be done is collect as much evidence as possible, save it and make certain it is available to humanity for a thousand years. But to punish unborn Russians for Putin is cruel and pointless. Mandella understood this, he did not want to poison the next generation. What mattered was to teach soldiers and officers that while war is horrid no military needs to brutalize civilians or noncombatants. Russia is losing the war and is hysterical and vicious toward everyone, there is a chance that after Putin is gone, Russia will have an accounting. Remember Stalin was denounced in 1956 and the Communists tried to bury him. Putin's resurrection of Stalin says much about cultural desperation.
Cultural desperation or aspiration? We need to ask ourselves why after 30 years of opening up to/with Russia such a large segment of the Russian "averageman/woman" still openly supports his approach? Maybe if you do not have a heritage and appreciation for freedom and both the opportunity and risks it presents, you might just opt to go with the guy promising you something for nothing? Hell, even here how do we explain the resonance of Trumpism to about 35-40% of us? I get the need to feel/believe mercy and forgiveness should be the more humane choice but sometimes, like it or not, you cannot depend on humanity's best instincts. Ask any Marine who survived the Pacific wars how treating the "average" Japanese soldier with our standards worked out?
You are correct, but do remember, circumstance dictates human behavior. Russians would prefer someone other than Putin, but he is all they have right now. Japan's racism and sadistic behavior was not forgotten. Japan changed for the better and the next generation was taught that hatred and cruelty were not acceptable. For a time, Russia rejected Stalin. Only Putin brought him back. I promise you, after Putin is gone, Russia will turn on him and everything he has done.
Maybe, but will they pay for the damage done to Ukraine? After WWII who paid to rebuild Germany and Europe? Not the Germans because they could not . The big reason I want to hold Russia and the Russians accountable is for reparations to Ukraine. Assuming someone will come along after Putin and their will be a groundswell of accountability is not a good assumption. You might call that cruel and unusual punishment. I call it national accountability.
This is another piece of evidence that if and when this war is concluded the civilized world must not go back to treating Russia and its citizens as partners in a civilized world. This kind of naked brutality and criminality is earing that nation and those in it who blindly support Putin in his quest to make a new Russia great again the scorn of anyone who calls themselves civilized.
North Korea isolates itself into being a fourth world hermit kingdom. I say let's help Russia to achieve that same status by isolating it economically and diplomatically. Shut off commerce and any degree of civic intercourse. Refuse to allow Russian air lines to fly out. Confiscate Russian investment anywhere we can and use the proceeds to rebuild Ukraine.
Trying the war criminals is not enough when the vast majority of Russian citizens regardless of the excuse they are kept in the dark are still supporting Putin and his illegal and immoral war. After WWII we found a lot of the "good Germans" immediately found Jesus and wanted us to forgive and forget their active participation in Hitler's activities. Let's not make the same mistake twice when individuals in Russia try to tell us "we really didn't know what was going on." Yes, the do.
Unintended consequence: A Sino-Russian alliance. China is already constructing its "Belt-and Road" trading bloc that will connect China with Southeast Asia and eventually the Indian subcontinent. Xi Jinping has already indicated his intention to disengage with the West. And he has lately been publicly making cooing noises to Putin. Xi himself is becoming more like Putin every day. A marriage made in heaven, er, hell.
Bob, China will not be able to move another quarter million peasants from the countryside to their new mega cities selling to the impoverished nations of Asia. He needs the West to be markets for the goods he produces. Yes, he would love the natral resources in Russia but he can get them without cutting of his nose to spite his face
Oh, and while Xi has big dreams he will not be able to pull them off with Vlad. He is 70 and in ill health. He is not going to be around long enough to help Xi in the time frame he and China operate in; decades and generations.
Hear, hear! I would only at most shorten the prospective time horizon Russia will suffer the condign retribution for this and other connected horrors from around fifty to maybe forty years, either way, it's kind of a moot point, the point remains: this is going to tarnish and rightfully stigmatize Russia for decades.
On the positive side, we are seeing reports of some Russian soldiers i(nside Russia) refusing to be deployed, using the solid rationale that since this is not an officially declared war by Russia, only a "Special Military Operation," they don't have to go, and even a few cases of outright rebellion in the ranks, plus internal resistance from protesters. The more of that the better.
And all of it concealed from the general population in Russia. But what they do know they feel is justified because of the brainwashing, Too bad Ukraine gave up their nuclear arsenal in good faith, What good are international agreements if made with common criminals and others whose words mean nothing? " An estimated 12 million Ukrainians are believed to have been killed by the government of Joseph Stalin during the 1930s. The Russian dominance of Ukraine and a security competition between the two countries, given their long, unprotected border, has likely contributed to the latest conflagration. But in the aftermath of the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, thousands of nuclear weapons (some estimates suggest more than 4,000) were left behind in the newly-created republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, although the control systems are believed to have been in the hands of the Soviets. Belarus and Kazakhstan decided to go non-nuclear and handed over their nuclear arsenal to Russia, the successor state of the Soviet Union. However, Ukraine retained the weapons to extract security guarantees from Russia and the West. Between January and May 1992, Ukraine shifted all of its tactical nuclear weapons to Russia but it didn’t let go of its 1,656 strategic nuclear weapons which, according to Foreign Affairs magazine, had the capability to strike Russia, including 46 SS-24s that could carry 10 warheads each, 30 SS-19s with six warheads each and 30 Bear-H and Blackjack bombers which could cumulatively carry 416 warheads, making it the third largest nuclear forces in the world after the US and Russia. Following protracted negotiations, Ukraine entered into an agreement known as the ‘Memorandum on Security Assurances’ after which Ukraine agreed to discard its nuclear arsenal and delivery systems. The memorandum was signed in Budapest on 5 December 1994 and Ukraine signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The six-point memorandum states that Russian, Great Britain and the United States of America “reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act, to respect the independence and sovereignty of the existing borders of Ukraine”. It states that the signatories 'reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.’ The Budapest memorandum barred the three signatories from using “economic coercion against Ukraine to secure advantages” while seeking “immediate action from the United Nations Security Council” to provide assistance to Ukraine if it becomes “the victim of an act of aggression” in which nuclear weapons are used. However, there is no detailed reference to what the “security guarantee” could mean in the event of invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The memorandum suffered its first blow when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a mass uprising in Ukraine. In a press conference, Russian president Vladimir Putin, while denying violation of the Budapest agreement, said Moscow had signed the agreement with the (pro-Russia) Ukrainian government but a “new state” has come into existence, following the Euromaidan, and that Kremlin had “not signed any obligatory documents” with the new government. Besides Ukraine, Belarus also complained in 2013 that the US sanctions against it were in “breach of Article 3 of the Memorandum”. However, Washington rejected the claim, arguing that the sanctions were targeted to combat “human rights violations and other illicit activities of the government of Belarus and not the population of Belarus”. On February 21, the Ukrainian foreign ministry, on the directions of President Volodymyr Zelensky, sent “formal requests for immediate high-level consultations between Ukraine and Budapest Memorandum’s signatories and guarantors of Ukraine's security in relation to urgent moves to reduce tensions and ensure Ukraine's security”. Following the Russian invasion, Putin has also indicated that Ukraine might try to gain access to nuclear weapons by embracing the West. Although the claim has been dismissed as “dubious” by the western strategic thinkers, the Internal Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General noted in his introductory statement to the Board of Governors on 7 Jun 2021: “The integrity of the safeguards process is paramount, and in this context, let me state that efforts continue in order that the Agency be able, once again, to draw the broader conclusion for Ukraine. I want to make clear this issue arises from current circumstances (possibly hinting at the Crimean annexation by Russia) preventing the Agency from verifying certain nuclear material and the Agency has no proliferation concerns."”
Russian troops excel at rape, murder and destroying targets like homes of non combatants using Artillery and bombs. They are far less effective when in infantry combat with the Ukraine defense forces. They surrender often or leave their equipment on the ground and head to the border. The civilized world will not forget that the Russians are Barbarians who must be defeated and who lack both integrity and military prowess.
If the news about Putin's health is anywhere close to the truth, Karma is already paying him a visit. Tucker Carlson better wise up - maybe even read your newsletter - because HIS affinity for Putin has put him squarely in the middle of the scorn that Russia will endure. Money will not be enough to cleanse the stink from that fellow.
the great Justice Robert H. Jackson wrote in his closing statement at Nuremberg that the stain of Nazi atrocities "will retard Germany by one hundred years." Germans have labored mightily since 1945 to redeem themselves in the eyes of the world, and now, eighty years on, they are nowhere near done atoning. Russia will mount no such effort. There will be no national reckoning of their collective guilt; rather, the Kremlin will stand on its disgraceful denials and will never admit the truth to its own people.
I am haunted by the resemblance of Russian soldiers' atrocities in Ukraine to our own, in two of our recent unnecessary wars of choice: Viet Nam and Iraq. Civilian peasants slaughtered in My Lai for no defensible reason. Blackwater paramilitaries driving through Baghdad traffic and shooting up civilian vehicles for sport.
There is no false equivalence intended here. We acknowledged our wrongs in these two incidents and tried to hold the men responsible to account in one of them. Putin is more likely to give his Russian perpetrators medals.
And it hurts to wrap my head around Rand Paul delaying $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and then voting with 10 other Republicans to unsuccessfully block it. We know whose side they're on. History will remember.
Well, it is Rand Paul, after all…that POS!
Paul and the 10 Repugs are part of the MAGA Brigade, which supports Pootin.
No tribunal for Paul, let's find his neighbor!
i hope Ukrainians and international investigators do due diligence in collecting crime scene evidence so that russian military perpetrators can be charged.
i also hope the stain of putin's evil actions follows him to the grave and that his country rejects any favorable monument or display of his tenure. AND i hope he knows that as he dies.
Amen!
I hope the Russian people see this video on TV in their homes, whenever possible. They need to know what their government has done and understand why they are outcasts in post-Ukraine war society. Diplomat friends who worked in Germany after the Wall came down, reported that documentaries of Nazi war camps were showed every Sunday afternoon. They wanted citizens to know what had happened, and what horrors the Nazis inflicted on others.
While stationed in Heidelberg in the 70's a group of us headed south for October fest.
We wanted to visit Dachau.
No signs, no help from the locals finding the site. Still painful for that generation.
The facts are bitter and tough to live with. But there are elements of it in denial of racial violence here here, too-- in addition to the plain, all out haters. Post WWll some (like a German roommate I had in Washington, DC) inwardly assumed responsibility. Gilda left Germany after the war, and then steeped herself in literature about the Holocaust. She and mom had lived I
n the South while dad, who was conscripted by Nazis, helped run supply trains through the country and did not want to forget what happened.
I appreciate this post, I even "Liked" it, but I have to play advocatus diaboli just a tiny wee bit here to say that to shun Russian cultural achievements because of the acts of a current criminal leadership *might* be cutting off the nose to spite the face. Was the US sanctioned or sent to Coventry over Vietnam or Iraq? I would ask for people to remember that the Russian people are NOT Putin. Also, as a historical reference point, recall the atrocities of the German and Japanese militaries in WWII. And YET -- a few short years after that, these countries were embraced by the US and "bygones will be bygones," even when it was Allied soldiers being murdered and our "friendly" civilians being massacred. You can call this realpolitik (we forgave West Germany and Japan in part so they could be our new best friends against the Soviets) but the spirit of forgiveness and understanding is not to be undervalued, no matter what the other circumstances. I will continue to enjoy Russian literature and music by Tschaikowsky and Shostakovich the same as I enjoy Wagner (without letting the Nazi's co-opt it) and I hope hapless ordinary Russian hostages like ballet dancers and musicians and filmmakers and athletes are judged as individuals and not by the flag they were born under.
I will continue to appreciate Russian culture however there needs to be full accountability and reparations. Truth and reconciliation. It should be a long process focused on the leadership and elites who enabled and promoted this brutal war. Expropriation of looted Oligarch wealth for Ukraine and years of cheap at cost gas an oil might be a way to start reparations.
Ah, Kozmo, perhaps if the "Russian people" deliver up Putin, his military leadership, and identifiable responsible soldiers, that would be evidence of their contrition. Otherwise, they can remain on the outskirts of civilization, on foot, raggedy, and on short rations until they relearn that civilization is deeper than sports, music, and dance.
Kozmo, Suggest you read a book creatively entitled THE RUSSIANS by one Hedrick Smith, circa 1976. It puts into context your thesis Russia was/is a nation of great historic cultural importance with a deep dive into , yes, Russian history and the well earned Russian persona as a people too reliant on authoritarianism and dependent upon a top down statist approach to self governance. This book might give you a slightly different perspective not on Russian culture but on the willingness of the Russian populace to actually think and act for itself vs. , yes, almost absolute reliance on a power down Big Brother structure.
I do agree with your assessment. Russian people and culture need to survive beyond Putin’s horrors. My heart does not only ache for Ukrainians, but for Russians as well. Not all are the evil purveyors of this action.
After Apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was urged to round up the Afrikaners and treat them to Nuremburg trials and hang enough of them to scare future generations. Union generals wanted to hang the confederate leadership and were incensed at Lincolns passivity. William Cally was arrested and set for trial, causing veterans to line highways all over the country and denounce Nixon. Just imagine what would happen if Biden cashiered a few officers from Afghanistan? Blaming ordinary Russians because they slavishly endorse Putin feels great but is not going to change anything for the better. A man in Siberia has zero input and if he tried GRU or Interior police would silence him.
There is no defense for Russia's brutal war of cruelty and sadism. It's a strategy that has been used since distant times. Inflict such trauma that the next ten generations will have nightmares.
What should be done is collect as much evidence as possible, save it and make certain it is available to humanity for a thousand years. But to punish unborn Russians for Putin is cruel and pointless. Mandella understood this, he did not want to poison the next generation. What mattered was to teach soldiers and officers that while war is horrid no military needs to brutalize civilians or noncombatants. Russia is losing the war and is hysterical and vicious toward everyone, there is a chance that after Putin is gone, Russia will have an accounting. Remember Stalin was denounced in 1956 and the Communists tried to bury him. Putin's resurrection of Stalin says much about cultural desperation.
Putin only deserves the same fate as Khadafy. To be set aflame by his country’s inhabitants and cut up into small pieces to be fed to a viper.
Cultural desperation or aspiration? We need to ask ourselves why after 30 years of opening up to/with Russia such a large segment of the Russian "averageman/woman" still openly supports his approach? Maybe if you do not have a heritage and appreciation for freedom and both the opportunity and risks it presents, you might just opt to go with the guy promising you something for nothing? Hell, even here how do we explain the resonance of Trumpism to about 35-40% of us? I get the need to feel/believe mercy and forgiveness should be the more humane choice but sometimes, like it or not, you cannot depend on humanity's best instincts. Ask any Marine who survived the Pacific wars how treating the "average" Japanese soldier with our standards worked out?
You are correct, but do remember, circumstance dictates human behavior. Russians would prefer someone other than Putin, but he is all they have right now. Japan's racism and sadistic behavior was not forgotten. Japan changed for the better and the next generation was taught that hatred and cruelty were not acceptable. For a time, Russia rejected Stalin. Only Putin brought him back. I promise you, after Putin is gone, Russia will turn on him and everything he has done.
Maybe, but will they pay for the damage done to Ukraine? After WWII who paid to rebuild Germany and Europe? Not the Germans because they could not . The big reason I want to hold Russia and the Russians accountable is for reparations to Ukraine. Assuming someone will come along after Putin and their will be a groundswell of accountability is not a good assumption. You might call that cruel and unusual punishment. I call it national accountability.
This is another piece of evidence that if and when this war is concluded the civilized world must not go back to treating Russia and its citizens as partners in a civilized world. This kind of naked brutality and criminality is earing that nation and those in it who blindly support Putin in his quest to make a new Russia great again the scorn of anyone who calls themselves civilized.
North Korea isolates itself into being a fourth world hermit kingdom. I say let's help Russia to achieve that same status by isolating it economically and diplomatically. Shut off commerce and any degree of civic intercourse. Refuse to allow Russian air lines to fly out. Confiscate Russian investment anywhere we can and use the proceeds to rebuild Ukraine.
Trying the war criminals is not enough when the vast majority of Russian citizens regardless of the excuse they are kept in the dark are still supporting Putin and his illegal and immoral war. After WWII we found a lot of the "good Germans" immediately found Jesus and wanted us to forgive and forget their active participation in Hitler's activities. Let's not make the same mistake twice when individuals in Russia try to tell us "we really didn't know what was going on." Yes, the do.
Unintended consequence: A Sino-Russian alliance. China is already constructing its "Belt-and Road" trading bloc that will connect China with Southeast Asia and eventually the Indian subcontinent. Xi Jinping has already indicated his intention to disengage with the West. And he has lately been publicly making cooing noises to Putin. Xi himself is becoming more like Putin every day. A marriage made in heaven, er, hell.
Bob, China will not be able to move another quarter million peasants from the countryside to their new mega cities selling to the impoverished nations of Asia. He needs the West to be markets for the goods he produces. Yes, he would love the natral resources in Russia but he can get them without cutting of his nose to spite his face
Oh, and while Xi has big dreams he will not be able to pull them off with Vlad. He is 70 and in ill health. He is not going to be around long enough to help Xi in the time frame he and China operate in; decades and generations.
Hear, hear! I would only at most shorten the prospective time horizon Russia will suffer the condign retribution for this and other connected horrors from around fifty to maybe forty years, either way, it's kind of a moot point, the point remains: this is going to tarnish and rightfully stigmatize Russia for decades.
On the positive side, we are seeing reports of some Russian soldiers i(nside Russia) refusing to be deployed, using the solid rationale that since this is not an officially declared war by Russia, only a "Special Military Operation," they don't have to go, and even a few cases of outright rebellion in the ranks, plus internal resistance from protesters. The more of that the better.
And all of it concealed from the general population in Russia. But what they do know they feel is justified because of the brainwashing, Too bad Ukraine gave up their nuclear arsenal in good faith, What good are international agreements if made with common criminals and others whose words mean nothing? " An estimated 12 million Ukrainians are believed to have been killed by the government of Joseph Stalin during the 1930s. The Russian dominance of Ukraine and a security competition between the two countries, given their long, unprotected border, has likely contributed to the latest conflagration. But in the aftermath of the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, thousands of nuclear weapons (some estimates suggest more than 4,000) were left behind in the newly-created republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, although the control systems are believed to have been in the hands of the Soviets. Belarus and Kazakhstan decided to go non-nuclear and handed over their nuclear arsenal to Russia, the successor state of the Soviet Union. However, Ukraine retained the weapons to extract security guarantees from Russia and the West. Between January and May 1992, Ukraine shifted all of its tactical nuclear weapons to Russia but it didn’t let go of its 1,656 strategic nuclear weapons which, according to Foreign Affairs magazine, had the capability to strike Russia, including 46 SS-24s that could carry 10 warheads each, 30 SS-19s with six warheads each and 30 Bear-H and Blackjack bombers which could cumulatively carry 416 warheads, making it the third largest nuclear forces in the world after the US and Russia. Following protracted negotiations, Ukraine entered into an agreement known as the ‘Memorandum on Security Assurances’ after which Ukraine agreed to discard its nuclear arsenal and delivery systems. The memorandum was signed in Budapest on 5 December 1994 and Ukraine signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The six-point memorandum states that Russian, Great Britain and the United States of America “reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act, to respect the independence and sovereignty of the existing borders of Ukraine”. It states that the signatories 'reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.’ The Budapest memorandum barred the three signatories from using “economic coercion against Ukraine to secure advantages” while seeking “immediate action from the United Nations Security Council” to provide assistance to Ukraine if it becomes “the victim of an act of aggression” in which nuclear weapons are used. However, there is no detailed reference to what the “security guarantee” could mean in the event of invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The memorandum suffered its first blow when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a mass uprising in Ukraine. In a press conference, Russian president Vladimir Putin, while denying violation of the Budapest agreement, said Moscow had signed the agreement with the (pro-Russia) Ukrainian government but a “new state” has come into existence, following the Euromaidan, and that Kremlin had “not signed any obligatory documents” with the new government. Besides Ukraine, Belarus also complained in 2013 that the US sanctions against it were in “breach of Article 3 of the Memorandum”. However, Washington rejected the claim, arguing that the sanctions were targeted to combat “human rights violations and other illicit activities of the government of Belarus and not the population of Belarus”. On February 21, the Ukrainian foreign ministry, on the directions of President Volodymyr Zelensky, sent “formal requests for immediate high-level consultations between Ukraine and Budapest Memorandum’s signatories and guarantors of Ukraine's security in relation to urgent moves to reduce tensions and ensure Ukraine's security”. Following the Russian invasion, Putin has also indicated that Ukraine might try to gain access to nuclear weapons by embracing the West. Although the claim has been dismissed as “dubious” by the western strategic thinkers, the Internal Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General noted in his introductory statement to the Board of Governors on 7 Jun 2021: “The integrity of the safeguards process is paramount, and in this context, let me state that efforts continue in order that the Agency be able, once again, to draw the broader conclusion for Ukraine. I want to make clear this issue arises from current circumstances (possibly hinting at the Crimean annexation by Russia) preventing the Agency from verifying certain nuclear material and the Agency has no proliferation concerns."”
https://www.news9live.com/world/how-ukraine-exchanged-its-nuclear-arsenal-with-security-guarantees-155716
Thank you for this detailed analysis of the winding and vexing trail of responsibilities and denials.
Russian troops excel at rape, murder and destroying targets like homes of non combatants using Artillery and bombs. They are far less effective when in infantry combat with the Ukraine defense forces. They surrender often or leave their equipment on the ground and head to the border. The civilized world will not forget that the Russians are Barbarians who must be defeated and who lack both integrity and military prowess.
If the news about Putin's health is anywhere close to the truth, Karma is already paying him a visit. Tucker Carlson better wise up - maybe even read your newsletter - because HIS affinity for Putin has put him squarely in the middle of the scorn that Russia will endure. Money will not be enough to cleanse the stink from that fellow.
the great Justice Robert H. Jackson wrote in his closing statement at Nuremberg that the stain of Nazi atrocities "will retard Germany by one hundred years." Germans have labored mightily since 1945 to redeem themselves in the eyes of the world, and now, eighty years on, they are nowhere near done atoning. Russia will mount no such effort. There will be no national reckoning of their collective guilt; rather, the Kremlin will stand on its disgraceful denials and will never admit the truth to its own people.
I can’t watch that video, Lucian. I have seen plenty and my heart breaks. I do, however, think I could watch Putin be set on fire. Sick, isn’t it?
Enough talk like this. They kick you off Facebook for stuff like this m
Yeah, tell me about it! That’s why I am not on FB that much. Already got kicked off of Twitter. :)
Throw in Rand Paul for additional fuel.
Same thing.
a tea laced with Polonium would work well for me..
Same again. Inappropriate. Ceases now.
thank you
How long did it take for the world to forget Me Lai? Pol Pot? Assad? Parkland? The world has Alzheimers
I am haunted by the resemblance of Russian soldiers' atrocities in Ukraine to our own, in two of our recent unnecessary wars of choice: Viet Nam and Iraq. Civilian peasants slaughtered in My Lai for no defensible reason. Blackwater paramilitaries driving through Baghdad traffic and shooting up civilian vehicles for sport.
There is no false equivalence intended here. We acknowledged our wrongs in these two incidents and tried to hold the men responsible to account in one of them. Putin is more likely to give his Russian perpetrators medals.
Amen. Thank you…