The Finns And Lithuanians Are Ready To Defend Themselves If Necessary
Meanwhile, Europe returns to coal fired power stations to conserve gas supplies
Tomorrow is the start of the European Council Summit (23-24 June 2022) where among the issues to be discussed is the candidate status of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Zelenskyy has been busy calling all the EU leaders to ensure that Ukraine has their support, and we must wait for the official notification that Ukraine and Moldova will be granted candidate status, leading to full membership of the EU.
While the EU is not a military alliance, it is an alliance nonetheless that supports all member states when necessary. I think the West is bracing itself for Russia or rather Putin’s reaction should candidate status be formally granted to Ukraine and Moldova. We know that Georgia must wait due to the puppet government in place, and where corruption has not be addressed. That is to say that membership is possible, but only when certain reforms have been actioned.
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE POLITICAL GROUPS’ LEADERS ADDRESSED TO THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF THE EU MEETING ON 23-24 JUNE 2022
“We, the leaders of the Political Groups of the European Parliament, appeal to the Heads of State and Government meeting on 23-24 June to decide on the applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia to accede to the European Union.
The European Union must show courage, resolve and vision in today’s context of a brutal war of aggression against our European neighbour Ukraine and a deteriorating international environment. The European Union must be a reliable partner and a credible geopolitical actor that lives up to its principles and values by showing solidarity with those who stand up for the same ideals.
Ukrainian citizens wish to live in a free, democratic and prosperous country that is a proud and committed member of the European family. We acknowledge that those aspirations are shared by the people of Georgia and Moldova and of the countries of the Western Balkans whose expectations should not continue to be neglected.
That is why we strongly appeal to you to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, in line with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union and as the start to a merit-based process, and to work towards granting the same status to Georgia, fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of the Georgian people.
We recall at the same time that the long-standing commitment of the EU towards the Western Balkans is maintained.”
A reminder of what happened 81 years ago in Ukraine when the Nazis invaded the country.
Day 119 (22 June)
An investigation by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has stated that the Ukrainian photojournalist Maks Levin and his soldier friend (Olesiy Chernyshov) were tortured and executed by the Russians in March. Their bodies were found in woodland on 1 April near Moschchun. They had gone missing on 13 March 2022.
The Finns are ready to defend themselves if necessary and have learnt from 1939. The Chief of Defence General (Timo Kivinen) has stated that the country is prepared for an attack at the level that Ukraine is currently facing. This public declaration I imagine, serves as a deterrent to the Russians. The Russians also know that other EU countries have pledged to come to Finland’s aid if necessary.
The US Embassy in Russia has had a change of address as the square is now called Donetsk People’s Republic Square. Obviously this is some kind of attempt to legitimise the DPR and claim that is it part of the Russian Federation although lawfully it is in Ukraine. Apparently they wanted to honour the separatists!
Europe is facing a possible gas shortage as many countries have stopped their supply of natural gas from Russia. The Netherlands, Germany, and Austria are reverting to coal fired plants in preparation for winter to ensure there is an adequate supply of gas. The UK is following suit, and is planning to keep some coal fired power stations open to keep the energy supplies flowing. Obviously this is not ideal for climate change, but these are extreme times where we must do what is necessary.
Nine ‘traitors’ captured in the Donetsk region (Russian proxies) have been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. They were captured in Kharkiv, and were from the separatist region of Donetsk.
The fate of the American soldiers who have been captured by the Russians is unknown. They were not part of the Ukrainian army and could be considered mercenaries which could mean life imprisonment or the death penalty.
The British soldiers (Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner) who are part of the Ukrainian army, a fact that the Russians have chosen to ignore are running out of time to appeal. The death sentence was passed on 9 June 2022, and they have a month to appeal, but it seems there are no resources to represent them. This is a reminder of how important it is to protect democracy. The UK government is doing what they can, and Russia will want something in return if they intervene. They should be prisoners of war, but are in effect political hostages falsely accused and sentenced by a faux proxy court that legally doesn’t exist.
In Energodar, a now occupied city, reports claim that people are being kidnapped, which means some may have been tortured and all will have been interrogated. This has occurred multiple times throughout the invasion where the Russians are filtering people, choosing who should live or die.
More news on traitors, a report has claimed that Oleksiy Kovalyov who is an MP and a member of Zelenskyy’s party was involved in a car explosion. On 8 June, he publicly declared on Facebook that he was going to cooperate with the Russians in Kherson, effectively betraying Ukraine and the people of Kherson.
@EL - This makes for nearly unbearable reading, especially the fates of the photojournalist and his friend.
Lithuania is a NATO country. Any suggestion of military action across Lithuania's borders will precipitate exactly what, even in his madness, Putin should be at pains not to ignite.
The EU is, militarily, a toothless entity. It cannot sustain any worthwhile defensive military engagement, let alone an offensive one. The only two nations the EU had with military forces worth a tinker's curse were Britain and France. Britain is out (although it is hardly likely we would refuse to join our still-neighbours in this instance), and Macron is now a lame duck in France after the parliamentary elections last weekend. There is no telling whether or how much a now equally splintered French government would respond to a military crisis within NATO. I believe both Melenchon and Le Pen are not tremendous fans of NATO.
So, things are most concerningly complicated, now. One can only hope that most will see that there is nothing complicated about making Putin, shall we say, redundant. And, increasingly, it is clear that nothing but complete defeat will do that. TC
I pray it doesn’t come to Russia invading Lithuania or Finland. Should that happen, I am glad to hear that they are publicizing their willingness to fight back, with EU backing (Finland) and presumably NATO backing (Lithuania). NATO should preemptively declare that if Belarus enters Ukraine to assist Russia, then NATO would consider that an escalation, or act of war. Much like Putin has been drawing lines in the sand since the get-go: “No fly zone” = escalation, “Weapons supply” = escalation, etc…