It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, February 27, 2022
Pentagon Official: Russia Has Lost ‘Momentum’ in Ukraine Invasion
Zachary Evans
A senior Pentagon official told reporters on Friday afternoon that Russian forces have lost “momentum” in their invasion of Ukraine, although Russia has not yet deployed all available military forces.
“The Russians have lost a little bit of their momentum. No population centers have been taken. Russia has yet to achieve air superiority,” the officialsaid. “They are not moving on Kyiv as fast as they anticipated it going.”
The official noted that “Ukrainian command and control is intact.”
Pentagon officials said Russia has only deployed about 30 percent of the forces currently stationed on Ukraine’s borders, estimated in total between 150,000 and 190,000 troops.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with U.S. President Biden on Friday. The White House confirmed that the call lasted for 40 minutes.
“Strengthening sanctions, concrete defense assistance and an anti-war coalition have just been discussed with POTUS,” Zelensky said in a Twitter post. “Grateful to [the U.S.] for the strong support to [Ukraine]!”
For the first time ever, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization activated the NATO Response Force in response to the invasion. The Response Force is a multinational contingent consisting of 40,000 soldiers designed to be deployed speedily, although NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would not deploy the entire force.
“These deterrence measures are prudent and enhance our speed, responsiveness and capability to shield and protect the one billion citizens we swore to protect,” Stoltenberg said after a virtual NATO summit.
Russian troops advanced into the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Friday, with reports of street clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry urged Kyiv residents to make Molotov cocktails in preparation for the arrival of Russian troops, and instructions for making the explosives were broadcast on television and radio.
China's Didi reverses course, will remain in Russia
WHEN YOU HAVE THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sat, February 26, 2022 Didi headquarters in Beijing
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global said on Saturday that it would continue to operate in Russia, reversing a decision announced on Monday that it was leaving that country as well as Kazakhstan.
No explanation was given. Didi did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
On Monday, Didi said it was leaving Russia on March 4, about a year and a half after launching services there. It has been in Kazakhstan for about a year.
"Unfortunately, due to changing market conditions and other challenges, it has become clear at the moment we will not be able to provide the best results in Russia and Kazakhstan," it said on Monday.
Neither statement mentioned geopolitical factors in the decision, but some critics online said the timing of the move opened Didi to accusations of succumbing to U.S. pressure on Russia, which invaded neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday.
Saturday's statement did not mention Kazakhstan.
The Chinese government has called for dialogue on Ukraine but has refrained from condemning Russia's attack or calling it an invasion.
Didi has had a turbulent time since it went public last summer in New York. Under pressure from Chinese regulators concerned about data security, Didi in December said it will delist from the NYSE and pursue a Hong Kong listing.
(Reporting by Tony Munroe and Brenda Goh; Editing by William Mallard)
Thousands of African students who went to Ukraine to train to become doctors and engineers scramble to escape the Russian offensive
Alia Shoaib Sat, February 26, 2022 People wait to board an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv at Kyiv central train station, Ukraine, February 25, 2022.
Umit Bektas/Reuters
Ukraine is home to thousands of African students who come to study at affordable prices.
Now they are trapped by the lightning Russian military invasion.
Some embassies told the students to "save themselves" as they could not help.
As Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday, thousands of African students across the country found themselves trapped by the fighting and afraid for their safety.
Korrine Sky, a 26-year-old second-year medical student in Dnipro, told Insider that she has coordinated hundreds of African students across the country as they scramble to find a way out.
"I'm very, very afraid," Sky said. "We're not getting any help from any of the embassies. They have pretty much just said, 'save yourselves.'"
Morocco, Nigeria, and Egypt are in the top 10 countries with students in Ukraine, in total sending over 16,000 students to the country, according to the education ministry.
Vukile Dlamini, a South African student in Vinnytsia, told Insider that when Russia launched its offensive on Thursday, she awoke to the sounds of sirens and bombs.
"When the sirens would go off, we would run to the bomb-proof bunkers until the coast was clear," she said.
Dlamini said that she was now making her way to the Romanian border with other South African students to try and leave the country.
"We are several hours away from the border, and we are trying to stay calm," Dlamini said. "Right now, we are only traveling with our emergency bags that have our documents and we have small bags with non-perishable goods and small water bottles."
She said that African students are traveling in buses with flags so that Russians would not mistake their movements at night as a threat.
As cities across Ukraine are attacked, many African students are feeling desperate and abandoned.
Some African embassies have urged their citizens to try and keep safe in Ukraine but have provided no plans to evacuate them.
Nigerian student unions in Ukraine told Al Jazeera that they have tried to contact their embassy in Kyiv but have received no response.
With little help from their home countries, Sky and other students are crowdsourcing resources to help each other find ways out of the country.
Sky said she has located around 442 African students and added them to WhatsApp and Telegram group chats, and the numbers continue to grow.
She said that the community mobilization among African students had been "heartwarming to witness."
With flights out of the country grounded, the most common route to leave is to cross the border into countries like Poland and Romania.
According to Sky, some African students have struggled to get on buses heading to the border.
"Some people have gone to get buses, but they're not allowing Black people basically onto the buses. They're prioritizing Ukrainians. That's what they say," Sky said.
The Polish government has said that foreigners without a valid visa are permitted to enter the country and remain for up to 15 days. due to the ongoing conflict
The image of Vitali Klitschko, bullhorn in hand, mayhem all around him, is unforgettable. In November and December 2013, the Hall of Fame boxer had just ended his career, and was leading what became known as the Euromaidan protests in Kyiv, Ukraine.
A partially burned bus, its windows broken, sits still behind him, evidence of the danger in the streets.
As Klitschko begins to speak into the microphone, a man steps up with a fire extinguisher and sprays him in the face. Klitschko briefly disappears behind the cloud of white.
Seconds later after security pushes him out of danger, he emerges, an angry look on his face. His face is covered with soot, as if someone had thrown a handful of flour on him.
For those who knew and admired Klitschko during his epic run as one of boxing’s great heavyweights, it was a frightening, worrisome time.
Vitali Klitschko never has run from a fight before, and isn’t about to now. This one, though, is one that may well kill him.
He is the mayor of Kyiv, but he’s become the leader of Ukraine’s defensive efforts against Russia. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a one-time stand-up comedian, spent the past several weeks condemning Russia’s military building up and asking for a diplomatic solution. He accomplished little to nothing.
Klitschko has made it clear he wants peace. The difference in him with most is that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that peace.
Klitschko is going to lead out front. Asked Thursday by "Good Morning Britain" if he’d take up arms and fight himself, Klitschko never hesitated.
“I don’t have another choice,” he said. “I have to do that.”
He does have another choice. He could work with other political leaders in Ukraine to develop strategies and to seek assistance from NATO and other allies.
Vitali Klitschko said he was ready "to take up arms" defending Ukraine against a Russian invasion. (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
He’s a brilliant man with the courage to match his fearsome size and strength, and he knows how important he is to his fellow citizens.
But once a fighter, always a fighter. Klitschko, who was born in the former Soviet Union, believes Ukraine should be free and independent. He believes it would help the country economically and culturally to become part of the European Union.
If Ukraine joins the EU and prospers, it’s likely going to make several other former Soviet states follow suit. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who organized and launched the attack on Ukraine, does not want that.
“Our eastern neighbor is not happy with our decision to become part of the European family,” Klitschko told the U.K.'s Channel 4 News last month. “We do not want to return to the USSR. We were in the USSR and we see our future as part of a European family. Mr. Putin disagrees. They have an idea to rebuild the Soviet Union, but we do not want to return to the USSR. We see our future as a free democracy.
“As a former officer, I spent a lot of time in the army. As a former soldier, I am ready to defend my country, to defend the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Will I fight in the war against Russia? Yes, of course. I will fight in the front lines.”
A leader on the front lines in a war zone is almost unthinkable in today’s world. But that decision to risk everything to rally his fellow citizens and defend his country’s sovereignty has had to make him a primary target of Putin and may mean he signed his own death warrant.
As an athlete, Klitschko has shown boundless courage in the face of extreme adversity throughout his career. He showed that in a boxing ring in 2003 when he fought Lennox Lewis in Los Angeles and suffered a gaping wound over his eye. He wanted to continue and protested vehemently when the referee decided the cut was too severe.
But that was nothing in comparison to what he’s doing now. He and his younger brother, Wladimir, who joined the Ukrainian Army reserves and will fight shoulder-to-shoulder with him, will be more remembered for what they’ve done in these days than for all the glory they ever attained in boxing.
So many of Putin’s critics have died since he assumed office that a leading Russian scholar, Amy Knight, wrote a book that was published in 2017 called, “Orders to Kill: The Putin Regime and Political Murder.”
The Klitschko brothers know this, and they know that as outspoken critics of Russia in general and of Putin in particular, they could be among the next of his detractors who Putin looks to silence.
There is an immense amount of bravery required to slip between the ropes and fight another man who has trained for months to defeat you. It’s child’s play compared to the fight the Klitschkos face today.
They’ve never backed down from a challenge previously and, sadly, they’re not backing down this time.
Even if the end is near for them, they’re heading into battle full of heart and determination.
It’s all they know.
Boxing-Klitschko brothers to take up arms and fight for Ukraine
(Reuters) - Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he would take up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight in what is a "bloody war" following Russia's invasion of their country Ukraine.
Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people have fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed.
Vitali Klitschko, who has been the mayor of Ukraine's capital Kyiv since 2014, said he was ready to fight.
"I don't have another choice, I have to do that. I'll be fighting," the 50-year-old, known as "Dr Ironfist" during his fighting days, told broadcaster ITV's Good Morning Britain.
Vitali Klitschko said Kyiv was under threat and the main priority was to work with police and military forces to support critical infrastructure including the delivery of electricity, gas and water for its citizens.
He added civilians were ready to defend Kyiv as soldiers.
"I believe in Ukraine, I believe in my country and I believe in my people," Vitali Klitschko said.
Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko enlisted in Ukraine's reserve army earlier this month, saying that the love for his country compelled him to defend it.
"The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn on Thursday.
"It knows that they basically do not want this war. The Ukrainian people have chosen democracy.
"But: Democracy is a fragile regime. Democracy cannot defend itself; it needs the will of the citizens, the commitment of everyone. Basically, there is no democracy without democrats."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Viktor Postol still plans to fight as Russian invasion shakes the lives
Russia invaded Ukraine and began a war on Thursday, the biggest nightmare for boxer Viktor Postol. The super lightweight contender is slated to fight Gary Antuanne Russell Saturday (10 p.m. ET, Showtime) at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
Postol is from Ukraine and left his wife, Olga, and twin sons Timothey and Lukyam, at their home in Brovary, near Kyiv.
“Everything is good for them at this time,” Postol told Yahoo Sports Thursday after learning of the onset of the hostilities. “Obviously, it is not good and, mentally, it’s difficult [to prepare for the fight]."
At this stage, there isn’t much Postol can do so he plans to go forward with the fight. Going home is a different story. He said he wasn’t sure, but said he thought he’d fly to Poland and then either drive or walk across the border into Ukraine.
He said he didn’t feel in jeopardy from Russian military because of his status as a prominent athlete and a former world champion boxer.
“I honestly don’t think so,” he said. “I’m just a regular Ukrainian person. I don’t live in a fancy villa and have crazy expensive stuff, so I don’t think they’ll look at me any differently than anyone else.”
Ukraine's Viktor Postol, shown here in 2015, says he'll fight Saturday in Las Vegas despite the invasion of his native country. (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Asked if he’d take up arms and fight in the streets to defend his country, Klitschko said, “I don’t have another choice. I have to do that.”
His younger brother, Wladimir, has said he, too, will join the fight. He made a post on various social media outlets in which he criticized Putin and said he knows the Russian people don’t want war.
“Putin makes it clear that he wants to destroy the Ukrainian state and the sovereignty of its people,” Wladimir Klitschko wrote. “Words are followed by missiles and tanks. Destruction and death come upon us. That's it, blood will mix with tears. The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers. It knows that they basically do not want this war.
“You can do something by mobilizing and organizing huge demonstrations. Make your voice heard. Make the voice of democracy heard. Say it loud and clear that international law and democracy are under attack, that war is the greatest evil and that life is sacred.”
He released a video on social media of himself speaking in Russian with the caption on the post in all caps, “NO WAR.”
Former world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for Ukraine, posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram account.
He entitled his post, “Prayer for the peace of the whole world and the enlightenment of the peoples of the Earth.”
He wrote, “Lord, grant Your peace to Your people. Lord, grant to Your servants Your Holy Spirit, so that He warms their hearts with Your love and guides them into all truth and goodness.”
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich announces he is ceding stewardship of Chelsea
One of Russia's foremost oligarchs is stepping away from his Premier League club. For now.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced Saturday that he is ceding stewardship of the club to its charitable foundation, a move no doubt related to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting backlash against Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.
During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the Club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities. I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.
I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.
Crucially, Abramovich does not appear to have any plans to sell the team. He just seems to be handing over the reins to a trusted subordinate group while pressure mounts against him over his long relationship with Putin. Roman Abramovich is a big name, in both the Premier League and Putin's circle
Abramovich and the Russian president go way back, to put it simply. The billionaire, who made his fortune in the aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse, actually recommended Putin for his current job to then-president Boris Yeltsin, and the two have been predictably cozy from there. It has been alleged that Abramovich has been allowed to personally select members of Putin's cabinet and open and shut criminal cases.
Abramovich purchased Chelsea back in 2003, the vanguard of international money flooding into the Premier League and transforming the economics of global soccer. He has never been shy about throwing around monstrous sums to elevate his team, and the results since include five Premier League titles, five FA Cup titles and two Champions League titles, most recently winning the 2021 Champions League trophy.
Roman Abramovich is not selling Chelsea, but he is apparently giving up the keys.
Seemingly in anticipation of such calls to take Chelsea from him, Abramovich reportedly still has a major trump card in the form of a $2 billion loan from him to Chelsea. Should the United Kingdom go after his assets, it's apparently conceivable he could call on the loan and financially ruin Chelsea. Chelsea supporters demand more clarity from Roman Abramovich
One group not sated by Abramovich's announcement was the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, which quickly released a statement demanding more clarity over control of their team and expressing support for the people of Ukraine:
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust is deeply saddened and shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent loss of life.
We note Mr Abramovich’s statement (26.2.22) and are seeking urgent clarification on what this statement means for the running of Chelsea FC.
The CST board are ready to work with the trustees of The Chelsea Foundation in order to ensure the long-term interests of the club and supporters.
We stand with the people of Ukraine.
Another person standing with Ukraine is reportedly Abramovich's own daughter, who posted a condemnation of Putin and the war on Instagram. Russia seeing backlash across the sports world
A major consequence of Russia's unprovoked attack on its neighboring country has been its quick transformation into a pariah in the realm of international sports.
With global resentment against Russia already at a high following the Olympic figure skating debacle, many entities have not hesitated to hit back at the country.
The Ukrainian athlete who staged an
anti-war protest at the Beijing Olympics
was forced to flee Kyiv after the Russian
invasion
Ashley Collman
In this frame from video, Vladyslav Heraskevych, of Ukraine, holds a sign that reads "No War in Ukraine" after finishing a run at the men's skeleton competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing.NBC via AP
Vladyslav Hareskevych represented Ukraine in the skeleton event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
He held up a "No War in Ukraine" sign after one of his runs at the Beijing games.
Hareskevych described fleeing Kyiv after Russia started its invasion of the country on Thursday.
On February 11, Vladyslav Hareskevych held up a "No War in Ukraine" sign after competing a skeleton run at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing — a silent protest against Russia's escalating threats against his country's sovereignty.
Exactly two weeks later, Hareskevych spoke to Insider from his uncle's home outside Kyiv, after he and his family were forced to flee the city when their worst nightmare was realized and Russian forces began an all-out assault on the country.
Hareskevych said he was in Kyiv when the invasion started in the early hours of February 24, after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech baselessly describing Ukraine as a false country that should have never gained independence from the former Soviet Union.
Heraskevych at the Olympics on February 11.Dmitri Lovetsky/AP
"It's an absolute nightmare when we wake up at five in the morning because war starts. It's terrifying," Hareskvych said. "It's absolutely disgusting — in the 21st Century it's not OK."
One of the first things Hareskevych did was pick up one of his relatives at a university in Kyiv where she's studying and take her to a friend's house. As loud explosions were heard outside, they tried to stay safe by avoiding the windows.
After putting his relative on a train to Odessa, where her family lives, he went back to the apartment he shares with his parents, but they soon had to venture out into the city again since their building doesn't have a basement bomb shelter.
On Friday, Hareskevych and his parents decided to leave the city, traveling to his uncle's home in a town outside Kyiv.
It was from his uncle's home that Hareskevych spoke to Insider on Friday. He said it's much quieter in his uncle's town; there haven't been any sounds of explosions.
"I don't know how much time it will be quiet, but it's quiet," he said.
He said friends who stayed in Kyiv have been sending him pictures showing damaged buildings.
A building hit by a missile in Kyiv, Ukraine, seen on February 25, 2022.Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
'We need real help'
Hareskevych said he's torn about what to do next. His uncle has children and so the family is considering leaving the country, but Hareskevych also wants to stay and defend his country. He said he's thought about returning to Kyiv.
He also wants to use his voice in hopes of inspiring other countries to get involved and help Ukraine defend its borders.
"It's not like a movie, it's a real war ... it's really scary," he said.
US President Joe Biden responded to the Russian invasion on Thursday by imposing new sanctions against the Kremlin, but Hareskevych said financial penalties are too little too late when there are already Russian tanks on Ukrainian streets.
"World governments are not really helping us. It's only talk," he said. "Sanctions will not help ... we need real help."
"Send military help. It's our country and we want to protect our country, our borders."
Looking back on his experience representing Ukraine at the Olympics just two weeks ago, Hareskevych said none of his athletic accomplishments matter now that his country is under threat.
"Medals and results, nothing matters now ... Your apartment, your cars, your money, what you collect, all your achievements — nothing matters," he said. "Now you only want to save your country, save your family, and bring some peace, because it's terrifying."
Doug Baldwin calls out ‘Christians’ who say they support Putin
Tim Weaver Sat, February 26, 2022,
Some days it’s difficult to focus on football. While we keep it as light as possible here at Seahawks Wire, the last several days have been harrowing for anyone following current events.
The short version: Russian president Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked act of aggression – putting all of Europe at risk for a new world war. So far the Ukrainian people and their President have responded with an incredibly courageous resistance despite being overwhelmed by a far superior military force. Picking sides here should be easy for anyone with a moral compass – especially those who profess to call themselves Christians.
Seahawks great Doug Baldwin hit the nail on the head in a late-night tweet, calling out Christians who support what Putin is doing in Ukraine. Baldwin may be just speaking in general terms, but it’s possible he’s referring to one specific individual.
Former Republican Delaware Senatorial candidate Lauren Witzke has made the news in recent days for saying she identifies with Putin’s “Christian values” more than President Joe Biden. History is complicated but we don’t need to both-sides every piece of it. In this case Baldwin is right and Witzke is wrong. Period.
Comments supporting Russia's attack on Ukraine 'sickening'
How sickening it is to hear Donald Trump praise Vladimir Putin. Sickening, too, to hear former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praise the murderous dictator who is attacking Ukraine.
Sickening to hear congressional Republicans criticize President Biden instead of supporting him and the country.
Sickening also to have a talk show host, Tucker Carlson, to broadcast his support for Russia to millions of people.
What in God's name is happening to the U.S.A.?
Barbara Kussow, Columbus
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Russian agent who infiltrated the NRA says Ukraine shouldn’t hand out rifles in case a child gets hurt
Graeme Massie Sat, February 26, 2022
A Russian agent who infiltrated the National Rifle Association says Ukraine should not hand out weapons to its citizens in case a child gets hurt.
Maria Butina condemned the embattled country’s leadership for dishing out more than 18,000 guns to civilian volunteers in an effort to drive back Russian invaders.
But that is apparently not acceptable for the convicted spy, who told Russian state media TV show Vremya Pokazhet on Saturday that “people don’t know how to handle them and a child might be killed at home”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged any nationals living abroad to return and defend the country, as well as welcoming foreign volunteers and promised “we will give you weapons”.
In a major shift on Saturday Germany said it would now send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, reversing its arms export policy.
Butina pleaded guilty in 2018 to being directed by a Russian government officials to “establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over American politics”.
The FBI said that she used political groups, such as the NRA, to develop “back channel” communications with American officials to influence US foreign policy in favour of Russia. Civilian Members of a territorial defence unit fit their weapons to repel the Russian attacking forces in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (AP)
She was sentenced to 1months in prison and released from custody on 25 October 2019.
In this undated handout photo provided by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office, Russian national Maria Butina is seen in a booking photo in Alexandria, Virginia. Butina is awaiting trial on spying charges (Getty Images)
Butina came to the US to study at American University and was the cofounder of the mysterious Russian gun-rights group called “Right to Bear Arms”.
After her release from prison, Butina was immediately deported back to Moscow.
Once back in Russia she got a job with Russia’s state-owned television network as host of an online show that mocks opposition to the Kremlin.
ECOCIDE
Green orgs accuse oil and gas industry of ‘taking advantage’ of Russian invasion of Ukraine
A year later, the economic consequences of war have relegated these concerns to an afterthought.
As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, oil prices, already roiled by rising inflation, hover at about $100 a barrel. Gas prices in the U.S. and in Europe are soaring, and experts say the ongoing conflict could further disrupt the flow of oil supplies in the region. Russia is currently the world's second-largest oil producer, behind the U.S.
With the security of the energy supply suddenly becoming an even greater issue, climate advocates worry that the oil and gas industry are "taking advantage" of consumer fears to advocate for an increase in fossil fuel usage and a temporary suspension of concerns over greenhouse gas being pumped into the atmosphere.
Advocates note that oil and fracked gas lobbyists are using the Ukraine crisis to send memos to politicians advocating for more domestic fossil fuel production.
One example is the American Petroleum Institute. In a statement yesterday, its president and CEO Mike Sommers argued, “policies that restrict U.S. natural gas and oil development are steps in the wrong direction. Indeed, few things are more critical right now than providing energy security to American consumers as well as our allies abroad.”
On Thursday, the same day Russia invaded Ukraine, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida, and said Biden “shuts down American energy production and greenlights Russian energy production…Is it any wonder that Vladimir Putin feels emboldened to do whatever the heck it is he wants to do?”
Hawley's colleague, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), told conservative outlet Newsmax the same day that Biden had made several decisions on energy "that really hindered the U.S.," such as stopping the Keystone XL pipeline and ending drilling on federal lands. According to Blackburn, Putin saw this and concluded, "Joe Biden is weak. I am going to move forward.” Blackburn has received more than $800,000 in donations from the oil and gas industry throughout her career.
“What's happening in Ukraine is absolutely harrowing and make no mistake: fossil fuels enabled this dictator,” Evergreen Action, an advocacy group created by former staffers of Washington Governor Jay Inslee, wrote in a statement. “Contrary to what Republicans and API energy are saying, transitioning off of fossil fuels would be a defense against the volatility of dictators like Putin.”
ClearView Energy Partners warned this week that Russia's "connectedness to global markets" and its oligarchs' stakes in energy companies may make repercussions difficult to completely avoid. At a press conference on Thursday, Biden said it was “critical” for him to "limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump."
