Day 181 ~ Ukrainian National Flag Day
The eve of the 31st Independence Day should be a day of celebration
Today is Ukrainian Flag Day, the day before Independence Day, and is also the 2nd Summit of the Crimea Platform, a forum to discuss international integrity and to highlight the issues of the illegal occupation of Crimea.
It has been a very busy day with lots of developments, and of course everyone is watching the Russians and what their next moves are. Everyone expects Russia to attack, and it is a waiting game to see whether they escalate.
The Crimea Platform is a new international consultation and coordination format set up to develop the initiative put forward by President of Ukraine and aimed at improving the effectiveness of the international response to the ongoing occupation of Crimea, responding to growing security threats, increasing international pressure on the Kremlin, preventing further rights violations and protecting victims of the occupation regime, as well as achieving the main goal - deoccupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine.
The Crimea Platform brings under its auspices all thematic events and initiatives on the Crimea issue in the framework of international organizations and other international governmental and non-governmental forums.
The Platform operates at three levels: governmental, ministerial expert ones.
The main areas of the Platform’s activity are as follows:
consolidation of policy of non-recognition of the attempted annexation of Crimea; efficiency of sanctions, their strengthening and closing loopholes for circumvention;
protection of human rights and international humanitarian law;ensuring security in the region of Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and beyond, protecting the freedom of navigation;
overcoming of adverse economic and environmental impact of the occupation of Crimea on the region.
The Crimea Platform Inter-Factional Association, established in the Verkhovna Rada in December 2020 plays an important role within the parliamentary track. The IFA works within interparliamentary friendship groups and parliamentary assemblies of international organizations.
Day 181 (23 August)
The Dugina ‘assassination’ investigation continues as a memorial to Daria Dugina was held today. Her father called her a martyr, while others called for squares to be named after her. There is obviously suspicion as to how the FSB managed to solve the case in less than 48 hours complete with video footage, an ID (that looked fake) and an elaborate tale to go with it including the alleged perpetrator taking her 12 year old daughter with her on the ‘kill mission’.
I would expect a better fake ID from a Russian forger, but I guess they get what they pay for. No one is buying the tale, but it serves its purpose as propaganda to encourage Russians to fight the Ukrainians. Ukraine Denys any involvement, but the Russians are determined to promote their story that a Ukrainian operative crossed into Russia with a child and planned the assassination. There are lots of issues with the Russia version of events, in that the car was moving when it exploded, Alexander Dugin chose not to be in the car (his own car) at the last minute, and someone managed to film it all…who knows, Daria might be alive somewhere in hiding like the old Russian spy films during the Cold War, but the timing is ideal for Russia to claim they have a right to retaliate, despite an anti-Putin group having claimed responsibility for the attack.
Russian state television has used a story from the Daily Mirror (a tabloid in the UK) that claims that the UK troops are ready to fight in Ukraine. It would be amusing if it wasn’t so dangerous, but they are basically using a story from an unverified source and issuing threats against the UK based on this.
That would be like taking what was written in Hello! magazine as factual and starting a war based on what a Hello! reporter had written. It sounds like Russia is looking for an excuse to target the UK and to escalate matters, and there is little sign of wishing to negotiate at all.
The US has called on Russia to cease military operations around the Zaporizhizhia nuclear plant. Like that this will do any good as the Russians see the US as the enemy. Meanwhile, Russia has requested the UN hold a Security Council meeting on the issue.
The US Embassy in Ukraine has issued a level 4 warning for US citizens not to travel to Ukraine, and for all citizens to leave if they can do so safely. https://ua.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-kyiv-ukraine-6/
This is due to intelligence that Russia will escalate actions against Ukraine over the next few days which will include civilian targets. Ukraine has responded by asking western countries not to be afraid of terrorism and to change their mindset.
Zelenskyy introduces a new ‘Kyiv Initiative’, where leaders of Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other Baltic states will meet to discuss regional security. Hungary? I think most people would be concerned about Hungary being involved since they don’t seem to wish to help Ukraine defend themselves against Russia. They are the only country in NATO that has not offered any weapons, and who will not allow transportation of weapons through their country in order to reach Ukraine.
Russians are trying to enforce the annexation of occupied regions by classifying Ukrainians who enter occupied regions as ‘asylum seekers’, thus reinforcing the narrative that the occupied area is Russian territory. This has been reported in Zaporizhizhia Oblast, and is trying to redefine the area as Russian and not Ukrainian.
Great support from neighbouring regions (bar Hungary). The President of Poland, Andrezej Duda met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss further support and aid. The President of Latvia, Eglis Levits has also stated that the Latvian flag with stand next to the Ukrainian flag until the war is over.
Duda has stated that Crimea must be liberated and return to Ukraine, and that Poland will support Ukraine until that day comes. Poland has historically had their share of annexed regions taken away from them, and it is time to stop allowing annexation as an appeasement tactic because dictators will always want more. Duda has also called for the Nord 2 pipeline to be stopped and surged countries to stop their reliance on Germany for gas.
The Baltic regions also took part in the virtual Crimea Platform Summit to discuss the issues on how to reoccupy Crimea, and defences in the immediate region. Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine will take back Crimea whatever it takes, and with whatever methods are deemed necessary.
Erdogan of Turkey also made a speech. stating that Crimea should be returned to Ukraine. Not sure what his pal Putin will think of that, but Erdogan as we have said is playing both sides—part of NATO, and pals with Putin in order to strengthen ties between the countries. Is someone in NATO blind, deaf, and dumb?
The Albanian weapons factory that was broken into has revealed that the three culprits were Russian agents, in Albania on tourist visas (another reason why Russians should be banned from travelling).
They attacked two Albanian soldiers with unknown chemicals, and they are both in hospital with injuries to their eyes. The agents had been tasked to take images of specific areas and to report back to the Kremlin.
On National Flag Day, a large Ukrainian Flag was hoisted and Zelenskyy gave a passionate speech that ‘blue and yellow’ will stand again in temporarily occupied areas. This is the eve of Independence Day when Russian attacks are expected to be more brutal.
In the Zaporizhizhia nuclear plant, there are reports that more Russian troops have entered the premises with more supplies and weapons, two armoured vehicles, and six trucks.
This is despite the fact that the IAEA UN inspectors are due to visit and inspect the plant shortly. It may well be a Putin delay tactic as many suspect where the inspection was agreed, but they know it will never actually take place.
Ukraine has contacted the ECHR, UN and ICRC to assist in the detention of the Azovstal soldiers, to ensure that they are humanly treated and to prevent the staged sham trials in Mariupol that have been promoted. Reports claim that cages have been erected for the public sham trials, but what use is the ECHR when the state (Russia) doesn’t recognise it and where the court has little to no power either?
The UN Security Council is the only body with any active power, and while Russia and China retain their positions as permanent members, no action can ever be taken as they hold a veto. All the organisations seem to be rather useless, which begs the question as to what is their purpose if they can’t defend aggressor states from carrying out war crimes in front of their eyes?
Russians are beginning to speak out about the ‘special military operation’ and will have to go into hiding. Pavel Filatyev has condemned the war after serving in the army and was wounded in action.
Belarus are preparing troops for the Ukrainian Independence Day. We may ask why aren’t NATO doing anything about this, and it is a waiting game before they act. That means more people will have to die in the ‘right way’ before NATO will act.
The UN has announced they have a team of investigators waiting to visit Olenivka penal colony to investigate the deaths of more than 50 prisoners of war. However, they will not visit without assurances as they deem the area to be too dangerous. I mean, what assurances can you get from the Russians that you would be 100% comfortable with? It’s a war zone, and a potential crime scene in a prison. It isn’t going to be safe whatever you think unless you take Steven Seagal with you.
The US will announce a $3billion package of aid to help train Ukrainian troops to help them to defend themselves, now and for the future.
Daria's father declaring his warmongering daughter a martyr, should understand that the Ukraine has many thousands of innocent martyres. I do hope the Crimean Platform unites all of Russia's neighbours and potential targets for attacks. It's mindboggling to think that Zelensky is giving Russia a formidable 'bollockings' and simultaneousy preparing for securing a peaceful future for Russia's neigbours.
I like Zelensky's statement re in 2014 when the country (Crimea) was occupied the world didn't give Russia a "proper" wallop but now the Ukrainians are walloping.
I remember that long human chain the people of the Baltics formed to demand freedom from the USSR, but had to be remembered that it was 33 years ago.