Chernobyl must be returned to the custody of the IAEA. Immediately.
February 28, 2022
Russia (click here) also calls for 'the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state'
Russia's President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday that the demilitarization of Ukraine and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula were prerequisites to ending fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
"Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia's legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account,” a Kremlin readout of the call said.
These interests include “the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea,” in addition to “the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status," the Kremlin continued....
Putin is acting as though he has a legitmate grievance with the world in general. It is ridiculous. He is emboldened and that is a clear indication his estimation of the circumstances is completely wrong.
February 28, 2022By Jay Cannon,Celina Tebor, David Jackson, Caren Bohan, Katie Wadington, Matthew Brown, and Rick Rouan
Countries tightened the vise around Russia's economy on Monday, (click here) announcing new sanctions on its central bank and individuals, with even Switzerland breaking its neutral stance to join the EU in its actions.
The moves came as Ukrainian and Russian delegations met at the Belarusian border for their first direct talks since Russia's invasion began on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said it would demand an immediate cease-fire.
In response to Russia's invasion, the U.N. was meeting in two separate forums: The General Assembly gathered for only its 11th emergency meeting, and the 15-member Security Council came together again to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.
Also Monday, the U.S. announced it was expelling 12 Russian diplomats stationed at U. headquarters in New York. for engaging in “espionage activities” that undermine U.S. national security....
Chonhar Crossing, Ukraine — Oleg dragged his suitcase (click here) down a long cement road, crossing from a territory Russia invaded eight years ago to a territory Russia may be preparing to invade, to go visit his mother-in-law.
He had set off from his home in Crimea, passing a Russian military convoy along the way. Nearing the boundary, he walked past an abandoned hotel from the days before the hostilities, when Crimea's Black Sea resorts were a top vacation destination. Then he showed his papers to the armed Ukrainian guard on the other side, and waited for a lift next to little stray dogs and a row of dried fish dangling from the open trunk of a merchant's car....
One out of every two Russians (50%) says it would be right, while only a quarter (25%) say it would be wrong. The other quarter (25%) are unsure, according to the survey.
But the poll also found that more Russians think it would be wrong than right to use military force “to reunite Russia and Ukraine” – two countries with a long and complicated history of being intertwined....