Countess Tolstoy states Putin has no grand vision of reuniting the Soviet Union.

CNN's Erin Burnett (click here for video - thank you) speaks with Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, the former partner to Russian oligarch Sergei Pugachev, about their relationship with Vladimir Putin

Needless to say, this is a very disturbed report. What is motivating Putin? Pure hate? Of what? Anyone that leads a country who is not in service to Putin?

This war into Ukraine is genocide. If there isn't some other agenda that this is a piece of the puzzle, then it is pure hate and genocide. If this is the case, I would not expect the peace talks to result in peace. The longer the war goes on the more satisfied is Putin's hate, regardless of the losses to his military. The Russian Navy is satisfying him in their continued bombarment of Mariupol.

When will the World Court begin to issue arrest warrants for high ranking Russian officials?

Putin did make a statement about taking back Alaska. That statement came from Putin, himself. The man is having trouble living with reality. We have a real problem.

Putin does pander to communists and that is why he is still in power. The hate may be reflective of the general mindset of the Russian communist party. If that is the case, the sanctions and arrests for this war need to reach into the officials in the Duma.  If the hate is a general attitude it is a political agenda the world cannot ignore.

Putin and his communists will not stop at Ukraine.

The Anti-Corruption Foundation's letter to President Biden:

There are Russians that want their oppression to end (click here). I am not giving this organization angel wings, it is just that Russians that feel differently do exist. American policy should embrace people that want a secure and benevolent Russia, but, it should also be absolutely sure the people they embrace are also not connected in any way to Putin.

Two Russian oligarchs own shares in a Turkish app. The app should be discontinued in The West.

Or the two olgiarchs give their stock shares to the country of Ukriane. It is difficult at this point for NATO or the USA to move against these men bacause Turkey is an ally. It gets tricky when allies rely on businesss with stockholders that are Russian oligarchs. In general the allies don't want to hurt economies that are already abnormal from a global pandemic, but, the immorality of money flowing from Americans to Russia is a problem. These holdings are assets that should belong to Ukraine and it's people.

The two Russian oligarch stockholders are Vladimir Potanin (click here) and Arkady Volozh (click here). It is interesting in both these cases the Russian Oligarchs are doing really well and then all of a sudden in days and weeks they lose billions of dollars US.

THERE IS A PATTERN WITH RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS AND THEIR WEALTH WITH TIES TO PUTIN. THE RUSSIAN RUBLE IS WORTHLESS, YET MONEY LAUNDERING TO BENEFIT PUTIN AND RUSSIA SEEMS TO BE THE OLIGARCHES FAVORATE ACTIVITY.

If The West wants to protect it's economies, get real!

Putin cashes in his chips when he believes the pinnacle of wealth is reached. The West is left holding the bag and asking what happened here?

Financial holdings of any stocks by Russian oligarchs tied to Putin should be seized and repatriated to benefit the Ukraine people.

I would like to say The West needs to divest of stocks held by these Russian Oligarchs, however, it isn't easy to single out the PORTION of the stockholdings by the Russian oligarchs and divest of that portion. It is far better to repatriat them and not injure Western companies and benefit the Ukrainian people.

The US Secretary of the Treasury and The Federal Reserve can put a policy together that would work to be constitutional in defense of The West as well as national security.

It is just and moral to do so. Russian oligarchs assisted Putin and their intentions were never benevolent to The West.

Swiss Bankers Association says up to £162billion of Russian money is being held. Switzerland is a neutral country, (click here) but it has been part of security cooperation pacts with NATO and the European Union for many years.

The sanctions were drawn up to stop the war. Putin is determined to continue to kill Ukrainians for his own reasons while he fires generals that delivered the deaths of so many. The Russian Duma needs to remove Vladimir Putin from office as soon as possible.

17 March 2022

By Miriam Partington and Amy Lewin

If you thought the speedy delivery hype was over (click here), think again. Turkish grocery delivery startup Getir has just raised $768m at a valuation of $11.8bn.

The round was led by Mubadala, and includes previous investors Sequoia and Tiger Global, as well as the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund and Alpha Wave Global.

Getir, which last June raised $550m in Series D funding at a valuation of $7.5bn, plans to use the capital to cement its position as the leader in this industry....

It is time to seize Russian oligarch assets to pay for the defense of the Ukrainan people.

The sanctions were supposed to wake up the Russian oligarchs to demand the end of the ethnic cleansing. That hasn't worked. While the oligarchs are feeling the pain, the invasion is continuing because Putin puts himself on a different level, as the oligarchs exist at the pleasure of Putin himself. The oligarchs are the moneymakers that have allowed Putin to invade Ukraine. It is time for The West to take back what rightfully is not the Russians.

Through Putin's wallets, (click here) which are being emptied by sanctions, America and Europe hope to reach Putin and his "voice of reason." But this is a grave mistake by the West which perceives an economic threat as an existential threat to power. "As far as Putin is concerned, you can strip down the oligarchs to their underwear, put them in the city square, and he wouldn’t bat an eye,” one of Russia's richest men, who personally knows a large number of famous oligarchs, told Calcalist.

"You could say it's already happened - everyone already understands that the money is gone. The money in banks in Russia is no longer worth anything, and the banks outside Russia have mostly closed the oligarchs’ accounts, or, in a best case scenario for them, their assets have not been frozen yet. Even their children are being thrown out of prestigious boarding schools and universities. Putin himself doesn’t really care. He has completely isolated himself in recent years from everyone." The longing to isolate himself, which he has talked about for the past decade, was fueled by the two years of the pandemic, in which he moved away from everyone and secluded himself - ostensibly so as not to catch Covid, in light of his advancing age....

Ukraine is suffering and it is due to Russia. When the seige is over and it will be over, Ukraine will have to rebuild the country and reestablish it's sovereign boundaries. Ukraine will have to rebuild the infrastructure. All that is a tragedy brought on by oligarchs affiliated with Putin. It is only correct that Ukraine have the assets of these people to rebuild their country. It is right to take the oligarchs assets and end their lavish lifestyles whlle Ukrainians die.

This is the second report of people being killed while waiting in bread lines. Jimmy Hill is an American caring for a sick friend and he was trying to find his way out of Ukraine. These bread lines are being deliberatly targeted to kill innocent people.

Jimmy Hill, 67, was shot dead in Chernihiv on Wednesday while lining up to buy bread from a grocery store 

Igor Sechin

Major holdings: There are no known assets under his control, and his fortune is estimated in the broad range of $ 0.2-2.5 billion.

Alexei Mordashov

Main holdings: The richest man in Russia; Owners of Severstal, one of the largest metal manufacturers in the world; Controlling shareholder in global tourism giant TUI; The owner of National Media Group, which owns many media outlets in Russia; The owners of the Lenta retail network and the owners of the cellular operator Tele2Russia.

Gennady Tymchenko

Major holdings: Founded the oil trading company Gunvor, which mediates between the Russian oil giants and potential customers. Sold most of its holdings to its Western partner the day before the 2014 sanctions; owners of Novatek, Russia's second-largest gas producer, among the controlling shareholders of Rossiya Bank, which is considered the financier of senior government officials.

Brothers Boris & Arkady Rotenberg

Main holdings: SMP Bank, Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport and a number of construction companies, led by SGM, Russia's oil and gas infrastructure giant.

Vladimir Potanin 

Main holdings: Nornickel, one of the largest metal companies in the world.

Vagit Alekperov 
Main holdings: LUKOIL, Russia's largest oil producer.

Alisher Usmanov

Main holdings: Metalloinvest, the largest mining and metals conglomerate in Russia; MegaFon, the second largest cellular operator in Russia; and he is one of the largest investors in Yuri Milner's DST investment fund, so he actually owns shares in Twitter, Zynga, Airbnb and more.

Roman Abramovich

Main holdings: He is the controlling owner of the metal mining company EVRAZ and Chelsea Football Club.

Mikhail Fridman

Main holdings: The Alfa and LetterOne holding groups, which own a German oil company, a cellular operator in Turkey, a cellular operator in Russia, Alfa Bank, one of the largest private banks in Russia, and the X5 network, the largest retailer in Russia.

German Kahn

Main holdings: Partner in the Alfa and LetterOne holding groups.

Viktor Vekselberg

Main holdings: Renova Investment Company

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Main holdings: The Quadrum Global Fund, which invests primarily in real estate in Europe and the United States. Finances a number of news sites in Russia that publish material against Putin's rule.

Mikhail Prokhorov

Main holdings: Onexim Bank.

Leonid Mikhelson 

Main holdings: CEO and founder of Novatek, Russia's second-largest gas producer owned by Gennady Timchenko; controlling shareholder of the chemical company Sibur, which he bought from Putin's son-in-law.

Arkady Yurievich Volozh

Main holdings: Yandex founder, "The Russian Google", which started as a search engine and e-mail service, but has expanded to almost all areas of life, including news, taxis, streaming services, online commerce and in recent years also an autonomous vehicle, which it develops, among other places, in Israel.

Yuri Milner

Major holdings: Among the owners of DST, who were among the first to invest in Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb, Spotify, Xiaomi and Alibaba.

Pavel Durov

Main holdings: Telegram

There is a pattern in the way Russian olligarchs purchase property.

The Russian oligarchs own some of the most expensive properties in London. They obtained them for the purpose of money laundering. Why can't they be seized. The Parliament and in the USA, the legislature can pass laws recognizing this global pattern of money laundering through the purchase of high end homes and pleasure boats and end this abuse of the Western economy.

 

Putin is channeling Khrushchev. Maybe Stalin more as he threatens his own people.

For all intentions and purposes, Putin is afraid of the Russian people. He hid his plans and now that he is convicted of war crimes, he is seeking to threaten the people to continue his rampage. I don't think he liked the protests and "No War..." sign on Russian television.

I expected remorse and reversal. He is not havin' it. He wants war at any cost. He can't handle the truth and the truth seems to be seeping through the Iron Curtain, his political correct imposition on the Russian people. I would like to say this is a return to the Cold War, but, that would underestimating Putin's hate.

Belarus needs to begin to measure it's involvment in the genocide of the Ukrainian people.

March 16, 2022

President Vladimir Putin (click here) warned he would cleanse Russia of the “scum and traitors” he accuses of working covertly for the U.S. and its allies, as the government steps up pressure on domestic critics of his war against Ukraine....

 

I congratulate President Zelensky. He is now respected.

March 16, 2022
By Meredith Deliso

The mayor (click here) of an occupied Ukrainian city allegedly kidnapped by Russian forces last week has been freed, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.

Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was freed from captivity in a "special operation," according to Kirilo Timoshenko, an advisor to Ukraine's presidential office. Timoshenko did not provide any further details....

Kidnapping is not an unusual way for Russia to get their own spies back from other countries. Currently, the USA has some Americans in Russian prisons. The reason is always espionage or some sort of recording that is not approved by the USA. A retired military man went to Russia to attend a wedding and was accused of spying. Why? Because he has a military background.

One adverse aspect of trading POWs is that Putin will put them back into warfare. But, in this case, their capture and release will bring word back to an unwitting Russia.

A couple of thoughts about the health and well being of the Ukriane people. The most morbid aspect of disease in Ukraine at this point is that it could add to the war dead if they can't get adequate medical treatment. Additionally, the countries receiving the refugees need help in achieving health and well being for the refugess. There were many elderly persons being assisted to safety. They are not used to this level of physical activity and will need rest and health examinations at their final destination. The people with pre-existing conditions are going to impact the countries sponsoring the refugees. It is imperative the health of the country receving the war refugees are also maintaining the health of their own people, too.

This is just a horrible mess in so many ways.

15 March 2022

By Leslie Roberts

Adding to the brutal, immediate effects of Russia’s invasion, (click here) the Ukrainian people are facing an onslaught of infectious diseases. Some threats — such as the spread of COVID-19 — are immediate, as people huddle in basements, subway stations and temporary shelters to protect themselves from bombardments. Without adequate water and sanitation, cases of diarrhoeal diseases are certain to rise. The risk of polio and measles outbreaks is high. And as health facilities and roads are reduced to rubble, access to diagnostic services and treatments for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS is being interrupted, which will add to their already sky-high burden.

“I am very, very worried for Ukraine. First and foremost, that this may lead to a long-term conflict that will completely destroy the health system,” says Lucica Ditiu, a Romanian physician and the executive director of the Stop TB Partnership in Geneva, Switzerland. The crisis comes atop the devastation wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which access to immunizations and essential health services plunged....

The release of the mayor is very good news and occurred quickly so his health did not deteriorate. While the kidnappings seems a bother the fact is that people in prison in Russia can risk their lives if their stay is very long. For that reason, neutral parties are asked to pay a visit to the jailed person to be sure their needs are being met.

But, congratulations is definitely in order. This is a sign of respect for the President of Ukraine. Let's hope the peace talks go as well.

The highest moral authority in the world has ruled the Russian invasion as genocide of the Ukraine people.

"The Nuclear Shadows of Hiroshima" (click here)

What does the world do with a liar that has access to nuclear weapons?

This is not about communism and it's potential merits, this is about a country that has nuclear weapons and uses the threat of using those weapons to justify genocide. Can the international family of nations continue to cower to the threats of Vladimir Putin? I think not. The Russian people know now that Putin is a danger to them as well. Any such use of the ultimate weapon of a genocide, a nuclear detonation, would trigger a response against the country launching a First Strike. There would be dead on both sides and the idea of morality dissolves to dust and shadows of nuclear radiation. 

Perhaps the nuclear shadows of Hiroshima was word from God as to the tears shed for those that were innocent and never wanted war.

There is no doubt Vladimir Putin is the one person carrying out an ideological war with no basis in morality. This can end. It can end well, if the Russian people demand an end to the genocide being committed by the Russian military.

The world can end a threat by securing nuclear weapons from the face of humanity in demands to enforce of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Non-Proliferation Treaty can be a document that ends the possession of missiles that can carry nuclear warheads into the air, environment and even into space. This is possible if mankind steps back from the precipice of self-annihilation.

The United Nations high court has ruled the Russian invasion a genocide. The moral authority of all countries has provided great insight to the definiton of genocide and ruled against a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Russia cannot veto the World Couirt.

Every sanction is justified. Every life giving food, water and medicine is vital to arrive to the Ukrainian people. The munitions delivered to President Zelensky are instruments of global morality that has judged Putin's Russia as a rouge country carrying out the slaying of human beingss that he hates.

Russia cannot hide from this judgement and there is no reliquishment of one inch of Ukrainian soil at the peace table. Russia is immoral in it's intentions and must stop this slaughter of innocent people. NATO and all allies of the United States have No FEAR of their role now in achieving peace or in demanding the end of this attempted annihilation of Ukraine and it's people.

The only question before the world is how to stop Putin's Russia in ending this slaughter and genocide? It has to end. The matter is, when?

Putin's answer to the judgement is more deaths of innocent people fleeing and hiding away from their impending death. (click here)

March 16, 2022
By Molly Quell

The United Nations’ top court (click here) has ordered Russia to stop hostilities in Ukraine, granting measures requested by Kyiv, although many are skeptical that Russia will comply

The Hague, Netherlands -- The United Nations’ highest court on Wednesday ordered Russia to stop hostilities in Ukraine, granting measures requested by Kyiv although many are skeptical that Russia will comply.

Two weeks ago, Ukraine asked the International Court of Justice - also known as the World Court - to intervene, arguing Russia violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by falsely accusing Ukraine of committing genocide and using that as a pretext for the ongoing invasion.

“The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the special military operations it commenced on 24 February 2022,” the court’s president, U.S. judge Joan E. Donoghue, said. Countries who refuse to abide by court orders can be referred to the U.N. Security Council, where Russia holds veto power.

Still, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed it as a major victory....

Mariupol

Relentless bombing (click here) has lead to the destruction of it. Currently, there is a hospital under Russian occupation used as a human shield to prevent attack. 

Human shields are a war crime. 

Civilians are off limits in most treaties of war and peace, yet, to Putin it is just another day of killing insurgents. Babies are insurgents?  Putin is full of hate.

Rather than taking civlians as human shields, the Russian military should set down their weapons and surrender. No one is attacking Russia. It is time the Russian military end it's false flag assault.

The living seek to evacute others still alive. But, the work so intense and demanding that the dead lay in the streets. Below is from "Al Jazeera English".

Close the skies over Ukraine.

         Posturing for peace does not stop invasions by Putin's Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking for a united effot today and for tomorrow. He is looking at the issue of how the world protects from wars, disease, climate and natural disasters. He literally wants a reaction force of nations at the ready to stop catastrophe of all kinds without disasterous time lapses. His view is that of the world and not that of The West or the USA. These are countries that need the same efforts that are known to Americans. It is an embrace of life, freedom and democracy.

President Zelensky asks for more sanctions that will be felt by the Russian Duma and the Russian people. It is appropriate. This attack by Russia is destroying the land and killing innocent people. 

Persident Zelensky wants to defend his country and is asking for the methods of weaponry. He is not asking for soldiers. He is asking for supplies for his military to use to end the Russian assault. Ukraine is at an immense disadvantage to oppose Russia. Russia must be stopped in Ukraine. If it is not stopped it will continue to move against NATO. There is no doubt Russia is at NATO's doorstep. It is foolish to ignore the obvious.

Ukraine needs food, water, medicine as well as all the military needs. Today, there is a reporting of the death of ten civilians standing in line to receive food. The killing is merciless. There are dearly few options for the Free World. We provide help at all levels and end the idea of The West is weak and unresolved to it's values or face this assault again by Putin and his allies. 

Russia is coming for The West. Now is the time to stop the assualt that is assured to happen in the future.

Ukraine should have whatever weapons will give it security.

Ukraine has never sought membership in NATO. It seems obvious part of a peace agreement with Russia to end this hideous war is a guarantee Ukraine will never belong to NATO. That may be a good idea or perhaps a bad idea. It lets The West off the hook for scrambling forces to invade Russia.

NATO is an alliance and it is safe to say it is also a deterrent to Vladimir Putin's ambitions.

President Zelenskyy is, by far, the bravest leader I have ever witnessed in his ability to function clear minded to the threats by Russia. I believe his leadership is unmatched. In that is a clear understanding that he has the capability to use his military with great efficiency. It is also obvious he is a man of peace, seeking only an end to the shelling. His military has stopped the advance of the Russian military, except for the shelling.

The shelling could be stopped or at least stemmed with anti-aircraft missiles positioned at cities and more stinger missiles for the military's defense. There is also the Patriot Missile system to intercept the incoming missiles to Ukraine. Israel has used these systems with great success in stemmimg violence. It is needless to say Putin will not be providing these systems to Ukraine, so President Zelenskyy has only one place to turn and that is The West.

Russia will argue to any extreme that a peace agreement will never be breached and arming Ukraine completely unnecessary. Actions speak louder than words. The attacks on Ukraine were unprovoked. Vladimir Putin has proven himself completely unpredictable in restraining his hatred for Post-Soviet states. At this point, Putin is even demanding the return of Alaska. Amazing.

The method of attack was also abhorrent. Putin placed his troops into military exercises only to turn them into an invasion force unwittingly particpating until there was live return fire at their column of tanks.

The point is the strategy by Ukriane to MAINTAIN peace with Russia has proven to fail for the Ukrainian people. That is a measure NATO can admire. NATO wants nothing but peace for prosperous countries that are concerned with the quality of life for their citizens. Ukraine has the same love of peace. In seeking to PREVENT attack by appearing to be NO THREAT TO RUSSIA Ukraine was open for the violence PLANNED AND EXECUTIED BY VLADIMIR PUTIN. Putin recognizes no peaceful posture, but, only strength that if provoked can cause Russia great harm. NATO has that strength. Ukraine NEEDS the same strong posture now.

For all intentions, the Russian military has been defeated. The only method still open to Russia is seeking more missiles from China and reinforcements from Syria. That is not a successful invasion. By all rights, Russia needs to withdraw whatever soldiers remain on Ukraine soil. That is not being done, nor will Putin admit a Post Soviet country defeated his military with very minimal preparation for an attack, except, for a chronic civil war backed by Russia in the eastern border of Ukriane. Considering the defense measures carried out by the Ukriane military now, it is interesting that the civil war lasted as long as it has.

I want to point to that civil war in eastern Ukraine. Russia is threatening NATO that if it supplies war munitions to Ukraine it would be opening a greater war, HOWEVER, when it came to instigating a very long civil uprising in eastern Ukriane, Russia justifies every bit of it's support to the violence. Even in the face of a downed commercial jet and the death of hundreds of people, Russia never measured it's ability to kill at will by the rebels, realize remorse and withdraw support for such rebels. There was no reason for the rebels to stop their violence because no doubt they would stand trial. The rebels made the same mistake as Russia in that continued fighting would win the day. It didn't.

Countries that love freedom and democracy need to understand what Ukraine is facing. NATO or any other democracy is not willing to send soldiers to reinforce existing Ukraine military as Russia is doing with Syria and additional munitions from China. That is what I would call widening the current violence by Russia. Russia would have a legitimate complaint at that point. Ukraine has to be able to establish a defense of it's country that will sustain the current violence and END IT. Putin recognizes nothing else. Putin is always a brinkman. No matter the event and circumstance Putin is chronically threatening a great violence by Russia. I can't remember the day that never happened where Russia is an issue. US military simply accepts the threats as threats and moves forward to secure the USA's national security.

No country in the world is seeking a greater war with Ukriane's compromised profile as a reason. No one wants to invade Russia. It is wrong to withhold any and all the munitions President Zelenskyy requests. He is not asking for reinforcements, he is seeking adequate weapons that will result in the end of the Russian violence.

It is completely obvious Russia holds no love for Ukrainians. It has delivered missiles at will that kills civilians. That is a direct violation of the Geneva Conventions and probably several other international agreements and treaties. Ukraine's military posture has to change permanently today and going forward. Putin will never stop to seek to unite the Soviet Union until the day he dies and even then I am confident he will lay in state forever as Lenin. Ukraine must be strong enough to be enough of a threat to Russia to end this violence and prevent it in the future. There is no other option.

To think for one minute Ukraine has conducted a great defense and President Zelenskyy is a great leader, but, it's too bad that Russia will have more power to continue to make Ukraine a wasteland that will make living on the land impossible today and in the future. That is not a moral posture for any country. That is allowing Putin's brinkmanship to win the day and it is nothing but threat to achieve surrender.

The Ukraine people need a place to call their homeland. Western countries that see Ukrianians as a matter of giving them a home and not a homeland as refugees have not looked at this entire episode with Russia for the crimes that exists. Will the land be reluctantly returned after the World Court holds Putin responsible for his crimes? No. That won't happen. Russia will be isolated as a rouge country and their violence will live on as a great crime against humanity. That does not provide a homeland for the Ukrainian people.

President Zelenskyy is not asking for any other military to be involved to incur a greater war, he doesn't need any other military, he has a great one today. He needs the munitons that will require Russia to stop it's violence and then allow Ukraine to sustain it's mlitary posture to PREVENT any further aggression REGARDLESS of any promises Russia makes in a peace agreement. Need The West be reminded Minske I and II were complete failures as Russia and the rebels never, not one day, lived up to those agreements. Putin attended the meetings and agreed to the documents for a photo op for the folks that will vote for him. He did that for his propaganda campaign.

The West needs to realize Ukraine has held it's own against a once feared world power that has nuclear capacity. Ukraine is a country that wants peace. Unfortunately, when facing down Putin that means being strong enough to never allow him to THINK he could ever get away with this again.

Ukraine today has prevented a greater war by conducting this defense of itself. Ukraine needs the support of The West to sustain the homeland. The West needs to end the idea that Russia is a great and imposing power that Putin embraces for his propaganda. Allowing Putin dignity from this aggression and carnage is wrong and The West will be sorry they allowed it to stand.

March 15, 2022
By John Bacon, Katelyn Ferral, Tom Vanden Brook, Matthew Brown,Celina Tebor, Joey Garrison and Jorge L. Ortiz

Ukrainians must realize (click here) the country will not be joining NATO and must "count on ourselves and our partners who are helping us" to withstand the Russian onslaught, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.

Later in the day, the White House said President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels for a March 24 NATO summit on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations yielded a sliver of hope when Zelenskyy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said “there is certainly room for compromise.” However, the invading forces continued their bombardment of Kyiv while a siege of the port city of Mariupol prompted about 20,000 civilians to flee. Negotiations are expected to resume Wednesday.

Zelenskyy, speaking to representatives of the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force, said Ukraine has heard for years about "the allegedly open doors” of NATO but acknowledged his country will not be able to join. Instead, Ukraine needs separate security guarantees from its allies, he said....

Russia has pulled it's Judo team from competition.

February 27, 2022
By Jennifer Hassan

The International Judo Federation (click here) said in a statement Sunday that it was suspending Russian President Vladimir Putin as its honorary president and ambassador, citing the “ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.”

The announcement came as Russian forces continued to bombard the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other cities, leading to heavy street fighting and back-and-forth rocket firing.

The judo organization, which brings together more than 200 national federations, said Friday it had canceled its Grand Slam event in Kazan, Russia, which was set to be held in May. IJF President Marius Vizer said he was “saddened by the current international situation,” although the statement on the cancellation did not directly refer to Russia or Ukraine.

Following Russia’s invasion, some went on Twitter to call on the group to take additional steps to remove Putin from his leadership post....

Dmitry Rogozin must make Vladimir Putin realize what he has done and end it.

Russia's invasion into Ukraine is about Putin's politics and ideology to restore the Soviet Union. That ideology has never proven to be worth it's propagandized power. There is no return of the Soviet Union for many reasons and Putin is proving every day how extreme the old Soviet ideology is in a world that is smaller and closer than ever.

March 14, 2022

The head of Russia’s space program is apparently changing his tune. (click here)

Dmitry Rogozin, the director general of Russian space agency Roscosmos, appealed to NASA for help in the wake of incredibly restrictive economic sanctions on his home country over the weekend. Strangely, that message comes after weeks of spouting pro-Putin and anti-US propaganda, not to mention belligerent threats about the International Space Station, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Roscosmos sends written appeals to NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the European Space Agency with a demand to lift illegal sanctions from our enterprises,” Rogozin tweeted in Russian on Saturday. He added that this is in the interest of the ISS — which, it’s worth noting, he has threatened to destroy....

The First Lady of Ukraine

Click here

Putin says, "Let's just go there!"

Moscow-backed pundits (click here) have also begun normalizing the idea of publicly hanging Ukrainians who are fighting against Russia's war

Russian state TV calls for REPARATIONS from the US over sanctions: Putin's lapdogs demand return of 'Alaska and California's Fort Ross', threaten nuclear strikes on US,...

But, I thought there was no war for the Russian people?

They are barbaric. There is not another word to use to describe this Russian leadeship, including oligarchs. I think The West put on a happy face for far too long. There is nothing to be happy about. What about Russia did we ever embrace that has proven to be benevolent? Russia was accepted globally among First World countries because it is a nuclear power. Now, The West sees what a mistake it was to trust Russia as if a valuable partner in seeking world peace.

Russia had absolutely no place on the Council of Europe, but, yet it was tolerated.

March 15, 2022

Russia on Tuesday quit the Council of Europe, (click here) a human rights watchdog based in Strasbourg, pre-empting possible expulsion over its attack on its neighbour Ukraine.

Pyotr Tolstoy, head of the Russian delegation at the Council's Parliamentary Assembly, said on his Telegram channel that he had handed over a letter from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announcing Moscow's decision.

The Council of Europe, whose brief is to uphold human rights and the rule of law and is separate from the European Union, had suspended Russia's membership on Feb. 25, the day after it invaded Ukraine....

From Amnesty International:

Civilians whose homes have been destroyed (click here) and others fearing for their lives forced to flee Russian bombardment must be granted access to safe humanitarian corridors, Amnesty International said today.

To date, thousands of people have been living under unlawful bombardment, while millions of people have been forcibly displaced over the course of two weeks of conflict in Ukraine. Russian forces’ assault on civilian populations and wanton destruction of the infrastructure of daily life violate the Geneva Conventions and international human rights law and must cease....

Ukraine was asked to eliminate corruption in order to do business with the EU. It did backflips to achieve that goal. Zelenskyy's administration is a complete reversal of corruption for the pure idea of being WORTHY of trade with the EU. Russia never had to perform that act of worthiness anywhere in the world.

The bravest woman in Russia received a fine. No prison.

 

We know there are vulnerabilitiles to the Russian cyber abilities from the Mueller Report.

15 March 2022

By Lizzie May and Jack Newman

The hacking collective (click here) claimed they have taken down four government websites 

Anonymous ended their announcement of successful hacking with 'Blyat Putin!'

Last week, they hacked into Russia's media censorship agency and released 340,000 files from Roskomnadzor federal agency, stealing classified documents...

Special Council and Former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller report to the people provided Russia was the attacking entity to the Clinton Campaign and the DCCC. The FBI EASILY made it's way into the GRE and other Russian intelligence agencies. The FBI learned all they needed to know from that ability that the FBI has in obtaining proof of crimes. 

Anonymous is famous for it's uncanny ability to hack into cyberspace and retrieve the truth in the face of lies and deceptions.

The USA cyber ability has to go beyond detection, but, become an arm of the USA military able to disassemble enemies cyber abilities to end wars and bring about peace.

I also don't want to hear complaints from Russia about intelligence gathering by the USA. We can go where we need to defend this country and Russia is more than guilty of doing the same.

February 28, 2022

A spate of cyber attacks (click here) has affected Ukraine’s digital systems since Russia’s invasion began. It soon became clear Russia’s “boots on the ground” approach would be supplemented by a parallel cyber offensive.

Last week Ukraine called on its citizens to take to their keyboards and defend the country against Russia’s cyber threat. At the same time, a campaign was underway among the hacktivist collective Anonymous, calling on its global army of cyber warriors to target Russia....

Russian digital science aboard a missile. Both Russia and China want to own the digital race in waging war.

I really hate the F-35. This sort of technology can be discovered in observation as well. When a heat seeking missile doesn't perform as expected there is probably digital inference or a radio signal. 

I think it is time for Ukraine to take a look at their offensive war.

March 14, 2022
By John Ismay

Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles are releasing a previously unknown decoy designed to evade air-defense systems, an American official said.

An Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile launcher. Russian forces have been firing such missiles from mobile launchers across the border into Ukraine.

American intelligence officials (click here) have discovered that the barrage of ballistic missiles Russia has fired into Ukraine contain a surprise: decoys that trick air-defense radars and fool heat-seeking missiles.

The devices are each about a foot long, shaped like a dart and white with an orange tail, according to an American intelligence official. They are released by the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles that Russia is firing from mobile launchers across the border, the official said, when the missile senses that it has been targeted by air defense systems.

Each is packed with electronics and produces radio signals to jam or spoof enemy radars attempting to locate the Iskander-M, and contains a heat source to attract incoming missiles. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about intelligence matters, described the devices on the condition of anonymity....

Credit..

Greed is greater than god.

The Kochs always state their devotion to the almighty. That would seem to mostly be false. Going to church doesn't mean believing in god. So, considering the human toll Russia is willing to take of innocent people, including children, Koch Industries is on the periphery of morality. I am not surprised that greed is more important than god, the Koch family thrives off these other countries and industries in them.

It was not long ago that the Kochs sponsored Republican elections to the tune of nearly $1 billion US. It is that reason alone Koch Industries are looking at the candidates they are losing that sponsor their corrupt enterprises in Congress. I would think Republicans that love their country would not accept the donations from Koch and work to find common ground with their constitutents on legitimate issues and solutions rather than blowing smoke up the skirts of voters.

March 15, 2022

By Clare Linnane

A flood of U.S. companies (click here) have announced plans to suspend, close or curtail activities in Russia following that country’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, but one prominent conglomerate seems to be operating on a business-as-usual basis.

Koch Industries, the Wichita, Kan., company run by right-wing billionaire Charles Koch, has offered no statement on any plan to pull back from Russia, where it has several units that make industrial glass, electronic components, and products for the chemical and petrochemical and specialty chemical industries, according to the Popular Information newsletter.

The newsletter has closely tracked comments and statements made by those subsidiaries since the start of the conflict, starting with Guardian Industries, a company that Koch acquired in 2017....

Space Walk 3.15.22 @ 11:30 AM EDT

There is a space walk (click here) going on at the ISS right now. At approximately 11:30 am EDT Kayla Barron's digital wrench showed a red light as if the battery was experiencing low power. The reading on the wrench stated low power. In a matter of seconds later the wrench returned to a green light with full power to complete the solar array upgrades.

Recently, I believe it was a European jet on maneuvers reported digital interference during the Russia invasion of Ukraine.

To begin, the astronauts need rock solid conditions of all it's equipment in a dangerous environment we call space. But, the digital wrench needs to be checked for interference from other sources in it performance. There needs to be an internal record these tools make no different than an airplanes black box to help explain these malfunctions.

I think the USA cannot be naive about the hatred other countries (with capacity) has for the country, nor the extremes they may go to in attempts to show they are better than the USA in some way. They giggle at the idea they are able to assault the intelligence of the American people that will cast doubt on the country's sincere abilities. These giggles can turn into real danger.

NASA needs to not only develop equipment and vehicles that are flawless and operate fully, but, means of detecting interference by any other digital signal, etc. There needs to be a new form of SHIELD developed to protect astronauts and their vehicles, including the ISS, at all times. Sort of like a bullet proof vest that provides protections from errant digital signals as well as signals intended to harm the mission and/or astronauts.

I think the shield can take any form necessary. How, can I put this? Oh, how about the Star Ship Enterprise when the captain orders "Full Shields." That sort of thing no matter the form it takes. I think the ISS is also at a danger in it's orbit from space junk. So, the idea removing the junk is a good idea, but, also some sort of safety measure that protects the astronauts and the vehicle from any nefarious activity.

I think we are now in that space. 

Additionally, once human beings leave Earth's protective shields to venture to places such as Mars, they will need shielding from the solar winds. We should get started down that path.