EL, thank you for these daily updates. I do look forward to receiving them. You present the previous 24 hours in a way that gives me a total overview of what has transpired. I find it can get confusing reading lots of different media articles. I look forward to Zelensky's address to the Australian parliament on Thursday. I am a simple person too (like MM stated below) but I can see the writing on the wall. Death and suffering mean nothing to Putin. In the meantime innocent Ukrainians are existing in a living hell, facing shocking scenes and death before their eyes. The mental and physical toll on these poor people must be incalculable. As for Turkey, thank you for including the Cyprus clarification. I would not trust Turkey as far as I could throw it.
I'm a very simple person who has been trying to keep up-to-date thanks to EL's constant diligence. For me it boils down to - having surrounded Ukraine with tanks, Putin said he had no intention of invading the country - before doing just that. Now with unknown number of deaths, on both sides, with destruction all around them Ukrainians have fled the country fearing for their lives. Sick children suffering with cancer have been dispersed to other countries for treatment; five of them are being treated here in Toronto at Sick Children's Hospital, having been flown here with their families by the Canadian government. "Peace" talks continue; but how can anyone trust aggressor Putin with a record like that? Not me!! I wouldn't trust a thing he might agree to.
I have had a brief look at the Ukrainian idea of neutrality, but I can't see the Russians agreeing to it if their plan is to take Ukraine again. I shall focus on that issue tomorrow with the pros, cons. and the reality of it.
Thanks EL, because it seems more of your followers are expressing opinions and keenly interested in what's happening and the agendas of the likes of India, which I thought was pro- Russian, however claims neutrality and being diplomatic. When I saw your headline I thought Turkey; it's not next door to Ukraine, why would they be getting involved, especially with Cyprus social comments about Turkey's invasion and continued occupation in Cyprus. Elon Musk has given useful and very much appreciated starwars "ammunition" to ensure global and national communication. Looking forward to your ideas and arguments on neutrality because after hearing about the possibility thought of Japan. Interested in the history and outcomes. I hope the Ukrainians wouldn't see it as Zelensky accepting defeat!
Yesterday I was angry. Today I find I'm just incredibly sad. Less than 48 hours ago the entire world heard and saw a violent moment. Then, it's as if the collective world breathed a silent relief, relief at there being something other than the atrocity in Ukraine to complain about. Yet we've been witnessing worse violence and atrocity for over a month now, and anger seems to have subsided. I don't understand that! Then comes along Turkey, and people think, "well, Turkey has it in hand now." NO, they don't! This war in the Ukraine is like a cancer, slowly eating away. You fight cancer with all your weapons. Even when it shows signs of stalling, you don't let up, you continue to attack until you hopefully wipe it out. It's a malignant cancer growing in Ukraine, now is not the time to sit back, become complacent or apathetic. Nato and the West keep throwing minimal weapons at it in the hope that it will be enough, and so they can pat themselves on the back and say, well we tried our best, gave it all we could. NO, they haven't. I've grown so tired of words and passive-aggressive actions that amount to nothing. So much posturing, not enough doing. Since they all failed to prevent it, then it's far past time for them to end it! I don't know the answer, but what I do know is that this is not the time to push back from the table with a satisfied smugness. Why wait for it to come to you to end it, go to it and end it. Stop drawing a line in the sand, because he IS going to cross every single one of them. They've given him far too much violent power because they refuse to take it from him. Ukraine is experiencing the results of that violent power, we see it and we can hear it. The violent slap being dealt to the Ukraine should take our breath away for more angrily than a silly split second of immaturity. That it's not, saddens me. @HM - my sincere apologies if I've gone too far. Just had a need to vent over the idiocy I'm seeing.
With the posts and your fantastic exposition on Ukraines history and politics there is a lot to digest, which means many (extremely worthwhile) re-reads. Thank you, EL, not easy, but you are providing us with insight, clarity and necessary/essential background information.
What a thorough and informative precis on the whys and why nots, EL. Thank you.
One thing everyone must bear in mind is that Russian promises are written on water, as are Russian signatures on agreements and treaties.
It was always the goal to turn Ukraine into Belarus, led by a puppet Russian government, enhancing the reach of Russia into Eastern Europe, particularly on its western side. That Ukraine stood up from the chopping block, seized the axe out of Putin's hand and hit him with it, will make further perfidy by Russia just a bit more difficult. The ruins of Ukraine are not what Putin wanted. There are 10 million displaced, and 5 million or so fled out of the country. I also saw on the news that 300,000 people have fled Russia, as well, unwilling to remain in a country that will now function as a virtual pariah.
It doesn't make sense for Putin to take over what is now an empty shell of a country. And rebuilding the ruins will take years.
For the moment, Ukraine has done the unthinkable: lanced the boil on the arse of Europe, if you lot will pardon the coarseness. But it's unlikely the infection has completely drained.
NATO and the West do not come out of this smelling like roses. But Ukraine's heroism will be sung for generations. TC
My concern is for Mariupol and you may ask why leave a city in ruins. Putin doesn't care and from what I can see (my opinion) is that he sees it as road to Europe so he doesn't need people or to rebuild it. This is about power, and Russia and Ukraine have large amounts of land, much of it is also waste land .
This might well be a stalling tactic by the Kremlin so they can regroup and that is what we all think, but have to wait and see whether Russia keeps to its word.
@OH - I must agree. The negotiations are a stalling tactic. NATO's response puts me in mind of those old Charlie Brown comics with Lucy and the football . . .
Well, I can't think of any time in history that Russia has kept to its word, unless there is something big in it for them. Therefore, I am not holding my breath for anything good to come out of the "peace talk" rhetoric now. IMO, all the talk is just gobbledy-gook--a stalling tactic until Russia is able to figure out how to get everything they want out of this conflict. Ukraine will gain nothing if they give up any of the things they are fighting for--the right to live as a free people in their own country, with their own democracy.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide all this critical info, HM. I've been floundering a bit in confusion the past week or so, but this has clarified so much for me. Learning a lot more about Turkey than I ever knew, too. Imho, those who trust this latest "ceasefire," have mush for brains. I've grown so weary of all this timidity when it comes to what Putin will do or won't do. He's going to do whatever he wants, regardless of what the rest of the world says and/or does. I find this constant fear of what such an evil little man might do to be a complete embarrassment. He continues to bully while the rest of the world cowers in fear. The West and Nato, by their cowering, just give him even more power to control, dictate, and destroy.
I have Cypriot friends and have visited several times and it was only when I spoke to the locals that I began to understand the situation. The occupied land called North Cyprus is stolen land, where Turkish have settled by taking the land and homes of Cypriots. You speak to them and they will tell you they have land and homes on the other side that belong to them. The Turks have no land deeds and no rights on the land and will not leave Cyprus. How can you have a country that has occupied another as a security guarantor?
Out of the countries that are least trustworthy, you have Russia, China, North Korea, Belarus, and I would add Turkey to the list.
I was not even aware of the North Cyprus issue until last week and only after watching a documentary by a man who was attempting to walk the steps of Paul. He mentioned not being allowed to go in, a very brief little comment. It caught my attention and I tried to do some studying on it. Hence my above comment about confusion and a thanks for your clarification. I find it hard to fathom there never seems to be any discussion about this, as if it's just been decided it's settled. I see it happening with the Ukraine now. The similarity is abysmal, imho. I fail to see how Turkey can be trusted.
Say for example Russian occupies Mariupol, and they build barracks and other buildings there. That land would have belonged to Ukrainians, so they have stolen their homes and land so when they return they will have lost their land to Russians who have stolen it. That's how it is in Cyprus, which is why people are advised not to buy homes in North Cyprus because the land doesn't belong to whoever sold it to them, and should the land be returned to Cyprus, they will lose their money and whatever property they have bought there.
I posted yesterday about some of the people from Baltic countries who were lured by the Russians to return to their homeland after WW2. I didn't mention that when they returned to what they thought were their homes, they found their property had been confiscated by the Soviets and in fact they no longer had homes.
EL, thank you for these daily updates. I do look forward to receiving them. You present the previous 24 hours in a way that gives me a total overview of what has transpired. I find it can get confusing reading lots of different media articles. I look forward to Zelensky's address to the Australian parliament on Thursday. I am a simple person too (like MM stated below) but I can see the writing on the wall. Death and suffering mean nothing to Putin. In the meantime innocent Ukrainians are existing in a living hell, facing shocking scenes and death before their eyes. The mental and physical toll on these poor people must be incalculable. As for Turkey, thank you for including the Cyprus clarification. I would not trust Turkey as far as I could throw it.
I'm a very simple person who has been trying to keep up-to-date thanks to EL's constant diligence. For me it boils down to - having surrounded Ukraine with tanks, Putin said he had no intention of invading the country - before doing just that. Now with unknown number of deaths, on both sides, with destruction all around them Ukrainians have fled the country fearing for their lives. Sick children suffering with cancer have been dispersed to other countries for treatment; five of them are being treated here in Toronto at Sick Children's Hospital, having been flown here with their families by the Canadian government. "Peace" talks continue; but how can anyone trust aggressor Putin with a record like that? Not me!! I wouldn't trust a thing he might agree to.
I have had a brief look at the Ukrainian idea of neutrality, but I can't see the Russians agreeing to it if their plan is to take Ukraine again. I shall focus on that issue tomorrow with the pros, cons. and the reality of it.
Looking forward to that EL!
Thanks EL, because it seems more of your followers are expressing opinions and keenly interested in what's happening and the agendas of the likes of India, which I thought was pro- Russian, however claims neutrality and being diplomatic. When I saw your headline I thought Turkey; it's not next door to Ukraine, why would they be getting involved, especially with Cyprus social comments about Turkey's invasion and continued occupation in Cyprus. Elon Musk has given useful and very much appreciated starwars "ammunition" to ensure global and national communication. Looking forward to your ideas and arguments on neutrality because after hearing about the possibility thought of Japan. Interested in the history and outcomes. I hope the Ukrainians wouldn't see it as Zelensky accepting defeat!
Yesterday I was angry. Today I find I'm just incredibly sad. Less than 48 hours ago the entire world heard and saw a violent moment. Then, it's as if the collective world breathed a silent relief, relief at there being something other than the atrocity in Ukraine to complain about. Yet we've been witnessing worse violence and atrocity for over a month now, and anger seems to have subsided. I don't understand that! Then comes along Turkey, and people think, "well, Turkey has it in hand now." NO, they don't! This war in the Ukraine is like a cancer, slowly eating away. You fight cancer with all your weapons. Even when it shows signs of stalling, you don't let up, you continue to attack until you hopefully wipe it out. It's a malignant cancer growing in Ukraine, now is not the time to sit back, become complacent or apathetic. Nato and the West keep throwing minimal weapons at it in the hope that it will be enough, and so they can pat themselves on the back and say, well we tried our best, gave it all we could. NO, they haven't. I've grown so tired of words and passive-aggressive actions that amount to nothing. So much posturing, not enough doing. Since they all failed to prevent it, then it's far past time for them to end it! I don't know the answer, but what I do know is that this is not the time to push back from the table with a satisfied smugness. Why wait for it to come to you to end it, go to it and end it. Stop drawing a line in the sand, because he IS going to cross every single one of them. They've given him far too much violent power because they refuse to take it from him. Ukraine is experiencing the results of that violent power, we see it and we can hear it. The violent slap being dealt to the Ukraine should take our breath away for more angrily than a silly split second of immaturity. That it's not, saddens me. @HM - my sincere apologies if I've gone too far. Just had a need to vent over the idiocy I'm seeing.
You vent Jo, because I'm visualising China 'colonising' all the way and including Australia.
With the posts and your fantastic exposition on Ukraines history and politics there is a lot to digest, which means many (extremely worthwhile) re-reads. Thank you, EL, not easy, but you are providing us with insight, clarity and necessary/essential background information.
What a thorough and informative precis on the whys and why nots, EL. Thank you.
One thing everyone must bear in mind is that Russian promises are written on water, as are Russian signatures on agreements and treaties.
It was always the goal to turn Ukraine into Belarus, led by a puppet Russian government, enhancing the reach of Russia into Eastern Europe, particularly on its western side. That Ukraine stood up from the chopping block, seized the axe out of Putin's hand and hit him with it, will make further perfidy by Russia just a bit more difficult. The ruins of Ukraine are not what Putin wanted. There are 10 million displaced, and 5 million or so fled out of the country. I also saw on the news that 300,000 people have fled Russia, as well, unwilling to remain in a country that will now function as a virtual pariah.
It doesn't make sense for Putin to take over what is now an empty shell of a country. And rebuilding the ruins will take years.
For the moment, Ukraine has done the unthinkable: lanced the boil on the arse of Europe, if you lot will pardon the coarseness. But it's unlikely the infection has completely drained.
NATO and the West do not come out of this smelling like roses. But Ukraine's heroism will be sung for generations. TC
Those 300,000 were wise to flee rather than face 15 years in jail.
@Geo - And not just any old jail, either! TC
My concern is for Mariupol and you may ask why leave a city in ruins. Putin doesn't care and from what I can see (my opinion) is that he sees it as road to Europe so he doesn't need people or to rebuild it. This is about power, and Russia and Ukraine have large amounts of land, much of it is also waste land .
This might well be a stalling tactic by the Kremlin so they can regroup and that is what we all think, but have to wait and see whether Russia keeps to its word.
@OH - I must agree. The negotiations are a stalling tactic. NATO's response puts me in mind of those old Charlie Brown comics with Lucy and the football . . .
Well, I can't think of any time in history that Russia has kept to its word, unless there is something big in it for them. Therefore, I am not holding my breath for anything good to come out of the "peace talk" rhetoric now. IMO, all the talk is just gobbledy-gook--a stalling tactic until Russia is able to figure out how to get everything they want out of this conflict. Ukraine will gain nothing if they give up any of the things they are fighting for--the right to live as a free people in their own country, with their own democracy.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide all this critical info, HM. I've been floundering a bit in confusion the past week or so, but this has clarified so much for me. Learning a lot more about Turkey than I ever knew, too. Imho, those who trust this latest "ceasefire," have mush for brains. I've grown so weary of all this timidity when it comes to what Putin will do or won't do. He's going to do whatever he wants, regardless of what the rest of the world says and/or does. I find this constant fear of what such an evil little man might do to be a complete embarrassment. He continues to bully while the rest of the world cowers in fear. The West and Nato, by their cowering, just give him even more power to control, dictate, and destroy.
I have Cypriot friends and have visited several times and it was only when I spoke to the locals that I began to understand the situation. The occupied land called North Cyprus is stolen land, where Turkish have settled by taking the land and homes of Cypriots. You speak to them and they will tell you they have land and homes on the other side that belong to them. The Turks have no land deeds and no rights on the land and will not leave Cyprus. How can you have a country that has occupied another as a security guarantor?
Out of the countries that are least trustworthy, you have Russia, China, North Korea, Belarus, and I would add Turkey to the list.
I was not even aware of the North Cyprus issue until last week and only after watching a documentary by a man who was attempting to walk the steps of Paul. He mentioned not being allowed to go in, a very brief little comment. It caught my attention and I tried to do some studying on it. Hence my above comment about confusion and a thanks for your clarification. I find it hard to fathom there never seems to be any discussion about this, as if it's just been decided it's settled. I see it happening with the Ukraine now. The similarity is abysmal, imho. I fail to see how Turkey can be trusted.
Say for example Russian occupies Mariupol, and they build barracks and other buildings there. That land would have belonged to Ukrainians, so they have stolen their homes and land so when they return they will have lost their land to Russians who have stolen it. That's how it is in Cyprus, which is why people are advised not to buy homes in North Cyprus because the land doesn't belong to whoever sold it to them, and should the land be returned to Cyprus, they will lose their money and whatever property they have bought there.
I posted yesterday about some of the people from Baltic countries who were lured by the Russians to return to their homeland after WW2. I didn't mention that when they returned to what they thought were their homes, they found their property had been confiscated by the Soviets and in fact they no longer had homes.