MAKE TEMPORARY VISA-FREE ENTRY TO UNITE UKRAINIAN FAMILIES
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“The situation is significantly worse than in 2014 - the nation is on a verge of potential genocide and humanitarian catastrophe.” Today, the Canadian government announced they are stepping up efforts to help Ukrainian-Canadians and their families to leave the country, but the Ukrainian-Canadian community is urging the federal government to act further by immediately lifting visa requirements and granting temporary asylum to Ukrainians fleeing the violence in their country. You can help in this critical moment by signing the petition now. | ||
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As expressed earlier this week by Conservative immigration critic Jasraj Singh Hallan: "More than a million Canadians today can trace their ancestry back to Ukraine. As the situation facing Ukraine from Russian aggression continues to become more dire, Canada must take action to support those Ukrainians who want to come to our country." “As tensions rise and the threat of a Russian invasion looms, priority must be given to temporarily implementing visa-free travel from Ukraine to Canada and to expedite other current immigration applications from Ukraine nationals,” Mr. Hallan said. NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson echoed this call. “There is a looming humanitarian disaster in Ukraine and thousands are urgently seeking refuge in Canada,” Ms. McPherson said. “I have spoken with many Ukrainian Canadians who want this prioritized. New Democrats continue to call on the Liberal government to do everything possible to help people fleeing the threat of violence in Ukraine.” Canada has granted citizens of more than 60 countries and jurisdictions visa-free access to this country, and while Canadians can visit Ukraine for up to 90 days without a visa, Ukrainians require one to travel to Canada. As of right now, the situation in Ukraine has rapidly deteriorated on the 24th of February at 5 am local time due to the Russian army invasion and declaration of war on Ukrainian territories beyond the initial goal to keep the "peace" in "L/DNR". There have been bombings reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnepr which were not initially under threat of any attacks. The news from all over the country is telling that the Russian military started invasion from all the surrounding Russian borders.
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Thursday, February 24, 2022
Protests against Russia's invasion of Ukraine broke out in many cities across Europe and the world. People came together to show their support for Ukraine and condemn Moscow's actions.
Protests in Moscow
A few brave souls staged an anti-war protest in Moscow, outside the Ukrainian Embassy. Police forces were quick to arrest and whisk them away.
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By DASHA LITVINOVA
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MOSCOW (AP) — Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands Thursday to decry their country’s invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. Some 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow.
Hundreds of posts came pouring in condemning Moscow’s most aggressive actions since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Vladimir Putin called the attack a “special military operation” to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine from “genocide” — a false claim the U.S. had predicted would be a pretext for invasion, and which many Russians roundly rejected.
Tatyana Usmanova, an opposition activist in Moscow, wrote on Facebook that she thought she was dreaming when she awoke at 5:30 a.m. to the news, which she called “a disgrace that will be forever with us now.”
“I want to ask Ukrainians for forgiveness. We didn’t vote for those who unleashed the war,” she said.
As sirens blasted in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and large explosions were heard there and in other cities, Russians were signing open letters and online petitions demanding the Kremlin halt the assault, which the Ukrainian health minister said had killed at least 57 Ukrainians and wounded dozens more.
“Public opinion is in shock, people are in shock,” political analyst Abbas Gallyamov told The Associated Press.
One petition, started by a prominent human rights advocate, Lev Ponomavyov, garnered over 150,000 signatures within several hours and more than 330,000 by the end of the day. More than 250 journalists put their names on an open letter decrying the aggression. Another one was signed by some 250 scientists, while 194 municipal council members in Moscow and other cities signed a third.
“I’m worried about the people very much, I’m worried to tears,” said Zoya Vorobey, a resident of Korolyov, a town outside Moscow, her voice cracking. “I’ve been watching television since this morning, every minute, to see if anything changes. Unfortunately, nothing.”
Several Russian celebrities and public figures, including some working for state TV, spoke out against the attack. Yelena Kovalskaya, director of a state-funded Moscow theater, announced on Facebook she was quitting her job, saying “it’s impossible to work for a killer and get paid by him.”
“I know that right now many of you feel desperation, helplessness, shame over Vladimir Putin’s attack on the friendly nation of Ukraine. But I urge you not to despair,” human rights activist Marina Litvinovich said in a video statement on Facebook, calling for mass protests Thursday evening.
“We, the Russian people, are against the war Putin has unleashed. We don’t support this war, it is being waged not on our behalf,” Litvinovich said.
Demonstrators march with a banner that reads: "Ukraine - Peace, Russia - Freedom", in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, after Russia's attack on Ukraine. Hundreds of people gathered in the center of Moscow on Thursday, protesting against Russia's attack on Ukraine. Many of the demonstrators were detained. Similar protests took place in other Russian cities, and activists were also arrested. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
But the authorities were having none of that.
In Moscow and other cities, they moved swiftly to crack down on critical voices. Litvinovich was detained outside of her residence shortly after posting the protest call. OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests, reported that 1,745 people in 54 cities had been detained by Thursday evening, at least 957 of them in Moscow.
Russia’s Investigative Committee issued a warning Thursday afternoon reminding Russians that unauthorized protests are against the law.
Roskomnadzor, state communications and media watchdog, demanded that Russian media use “information and data they get only from official Russian sources.” Some media reported that employees of certain state-funded companies were instructed not to comment publicly on the events in Ukraine.
Human rights advocates warned of a new wave of repression on dissent.
“There will be new (criminal) cases involving subverters, spies, treason, prosecution for antiwar protests, there will be detentions of journalists and bloggers, those who authored critical posts on social media, bans on investigations of the situation in the army and so on,” prominent human rights advocate Pavel Chikov wrote on Facebook.
“It is hard to say how big this new wave will be, given that everything has been suppressed already.”
Despite the pressure from the authorities, more than 1,000 people gathered in the center of Moscow Thursday evening, chanting “No to war!” as passing cars honked their horns.
Hundreds also took to the streets in St. Petersburg and dozens in Yekaterinburg.
“This is the most shameful and terrible day in my life. I even was not able to go to work. My country is an aggressor. I hate Putin. What else should be done to make people open their eyes?” Yekaterina Kuznetsova, 40-year-old engineer who joined the demonstration in St. Petersburg, told the AP.
Russia’s official line in the meantime remained intransigent. Speaker of the upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko charged that those who spoke out against the attack were only caring about their “momentary problems.”
State TV painted the attack in line with what Putin said in his televised address announcing it.
Russia 1 TV host Olga Skabeyeva called it an effort “to protect people in Donbas from a Nazi regime” and said it was “without exaggeration, a crucial junction in history.”
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AP writer Kirill Zarubin contributed to this report from Korolyov, Russia.
Sporting world reacts to Russia's invasion of Ukraine — live updates
Sport is utterly insignificant in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, those connected with it are making their voices heard
Barcelona and Napoli players hold up a banner with a clear message ahead of their game
Last updated: 2318 UTC
Support across football games
Ahead of Zenit's game in Seville, people have gathered outside the stadium to show their support for Ukraine. Zenit is owned and sponsored by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom. Betis won the game and the tie, but only after Zenit had a last-minute goal ruled out by VAR.
Ahead of Barcelona's game against Napoli, the players of both teams came together to hold together a banner with a clear message. Barcelona beat Napoli to advance. Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund were knocked out by Rangers.
Ahead of their Europa Conference League against Fenerbahce, Slavia Prague wore yellow jerseys with a message of support written on them.
Protest after goal
Atalanta's Ruslan Malinovskyi has just scored in the Europa League and celebrated by revealing a "No war in Ukraine" message written on the undershirt of the Ukraine international.
Meanwhile, UEFA have just confirmed that Zenit's game will go ahead. Interesting that, given the Euro League basketball games including Russian teams were postponed earlier.
F1 team announces livery changes
The Haas Formula 1 team has announced it will remove branding of title sponsor Uralkali, a Russian potash fertilizer producer and exporter, for tomorrow's final day of pre-season testing. The team will race in a plain white livery instead of the usual red, white and blue.
Uralkali is also part-owned by the father of Haas driver Nikita Mazepin.
DFL condems attacks
The DFL, the German football league, has released a statement condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine "in the strongest possible terms."
"War in any form is unacceptable – and incompatible with the values of sport. Our immediate concern is for the people affected in Ukraine. The DFL is in contact with the national and international associations regarding this matter."
FIFA respond to situation
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has been speaking at a press conference tonight where he also announced the indefinite suspension of Kenya and Zimbabwe from world football due to government interference.
Here are some of his quotes on the situation in Ukraine:
On the Russian invasion:
"I was shocked by what I saw. I am worried and concerned by this situation. FIFA condemns the use of force by Russia in Ukraine and any type of violence to resolve conflicts. Violence is never a solution and FIFA calls on all parties to restore peace through constructive dialogue."
On his relationship with Putin and endorsing a World Cup in Russia:
"We are constantly reflecting on the role of sport in trying to bring people together in a peaceful environment. Today my thoughts are on all the people who are affected by this escalating conflict."
On World Cup games being moved from Russia:
"We have duty to look at this matter seriously, to analyse it. We will look at it as a matter of urgency. We hope the situation will be solved well before the first match (in a month)."
There was also this from AP Global Sports Reporter Rob Harris:
Europa League football
There are football games tonight though, including Zenit St. Petersburg who are playing in Seville against Real Betis in the Europa League. Last night, Benfica's Ukrainian Roman Yaremchuck protested after scoring a goal.
Bayern basketball postpone game
Bayern Munich were due to play CSKA Moscow in a big Euro League basketball game this evening, but the club has postponed the game after events today. Barcelona, the leading team in the tournament, have already stated they will not travel to St. Petersburg for their game vs. Zenit on Friday.
Brazilian players call for help
A number of Brazilian players attached to clubs in Ukraine have sent a heartfelt video plea to their government to help them escape.
More on this story here.
For older updates, please go to page two:
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War in Ukraine: 'People are packing up'
Russia invades Ukraine — how the world reacted
Many world leaders, athletes, and stars have condemned Russian aggression against its neighbor. Read the latest here.
Protests against the invasion also took place in several countries on Thursday, including in central Berlin
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned on Thursday Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying that "we will not let President Putin tear down Europe’s security architecture."
Von der Leyen also promised to level the harshest possible sanctions on Russian leaders and businesses, saying that "we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to key technologies and markets."
"In addition," she added, "we will freeze Russian assets in the EU and stop the access of Russian banks to the European financial market."
Here's how other leading figures reacted across the globe.
Europe
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed solidarity with Ukrainians, saying the assault was completely without justification and calling it "Putin's war."
"It will be clear that Putin has made a terrible mistake by unleashing this war," Scholz said, adding that Russia would pay a "bitter price" for invading its neighbor, and that additional rounds of sanctions were already in the works.
Later on Thursday, Scholz addressed the nation, saying: "We are determined and acting as one. Therein lies ours strength as free democracies. Putin will not win."
Scholz added that "there is no going back in time to 1986," saying that Cold War politics, wherein large countries decided the fate of smaller ones, would not return. He said that Putin was trying to turn back the clock.
In a televised statement, French President Emmanuel Macron, who held talks with Putin just last week, said the attack represented a "turning point in European history" and, as a result, "there will be profound consequences for our continent and changes in our lives."
"We have tried everything to avoid this war but it is here and we are ready," Macron said. "We will show no weakness," he added. "We will take all measures necessary to defend the sovereignty and stability of our European allies."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK would be stepping up its support to Ukraine in an address to the nation. He said Ukraine "is not some faraway country" and added, "we cannot and must not look away."
"I don't believe the Russian dictator will subdue the Ukrainians and their passionate belief that their country should be free," Johnson said.
The UK, like the US and EU, has already implemented a raft of sanctions.
Asia and Middle East
Japan, which usually treads more lightly with Moscow than other G7 nations, said it would work with Western allies to counter Russian aggression.
At the same time, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said that his country "supports and will join economic sanctions and other international efforts to deter the armed aggression and resolve the situation peacefully."
China, which often backs Moscow on the international stage, took a cautious line, not fully condemning Russia but calling for a "peaceful solution." Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that "China did not wish to see what happened in Ukraine today."
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been friendly with Putin in the past, said he spoke with the Russian president on the phone, and called for "an immediate cessation of violence" as well as "concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue."
Although Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian blamed "NATO provocations" for the attack, he wrote on Twitter that it was "imperative to establish a cease fire and to find a political and democratic resolution."
Israel announced that it would accept all Ukranian refugees. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned Russia’s actions, and said his country was "ready and prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Ukraine."
North America
In the United States, President Joe Biden said in speech that "we’ve been transparent with the world, we’ve shared intelligence…so there could be no confusion about what Putin is doing. Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war."
Biden then announced a new raft of sanctions, which targeted Russian banks and industry.
"We have purposely designed these sanctions to maximize the impact on Russia and minimize the impact on our allies…We are not acting alone. We have built a coalition representing half of world’s economy."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he "condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia's egregious attack on Ukraine."
"Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and the Ukrainian people must be free to determine their own future," Trudeau said.
Society
Many celebrities, from horror novelist Stephen King to rapper Cardi B, also spoke out against the attacks. Formula One champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen said they would not participate in the Russian Grand Prix in September if it goes ahead under the current circumstances.
Vettel said that "I’m sorry for the innocent people that are losing their lives, that are getting killed for stupid reasons and a very, very strange and mad leadership."
Several Russian celebrities, while not calling out Putin by name, condemned the war. Beloved television chat show host Ivan Urgant wrote "no to war" on his Instagram, under a post that was simply a black square.
Maxim Galkin, a comedian, musician and husband of megastar Alla Pugacheva, also posted a black square, saying "no to war!"
Russian chess Grandmaster turned Putin critic Garry Kasparov also joined in the online condemnation, calling on allies to "support Ukraine" and "bankrupt Putin's war machine." He also called out former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who works for Russian state oil giant Gazprom, saying that charges should be brought against him.
THE WAR IN UKRAINE THIS
MORNING
Some of the most striking images coming out of Ukraine after Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on the country on Thursday, invading from the south, north and east and carrying out strikes on army installations and infrastructure across several cities.
Ukraine: The speech that launched war in Europe
Brian Karem, Salon
February 24, 2022
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin adjusts his sunglasses (AFP)
I think "The Golden Girls" puppet show may hold the key to our future.
But first, the past, when we thought we might not have a future: Once a month when I was an elementary school student our school conducted "disaster" drills. This was different from our monthly fire drills. To practice for a school fire, when the warning bell sounded we all gathered together and walked single file out of the school, quickly and quietly. More than a few of us, while standing outside waiting for the all clear, gleefully imagined our schools burning down as we watched.
The disaster drills were quite different. When the alarm sounded for a disaster drill we walked into the hall single file, sat against the wall with our legs crossed and were told to "duck and cover." The disasters we were told we prepared for were tornadoes and/or nuclear war.
RELATED: This is what would happen to Earth if a nuclear war broke out between the West and Russia
The idea of protecting yourself from a nearby nuclear explosion seems quaint or futile today. For those of us who came of age in those times, there's no way to adequately explain our fear that the Soviet Union and the United States would destroy themselves in a paroxysm of nuclear violence, ending life as we knew it on our planet.
This fear culminated in the arrival of Ronald Reagan to the Oval Office. Reagan, a hardcore Cold Warrior, involved the world in nuclear brinkmanship. Previously, the Soviet Union and the United States had exercised nuclear restraint under the Mutually Assured Destruction (or MAD) policy: If anyone started a nuclear war, we would all die. Reagan changed that. He and his administration became convinced a nuclear war was winnable, which Robert Scheer wrote about in explicit detail in his 1982 book, "With Enough Shovels: Reagan, Bush and Nuclear War."
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"Dig a hole, cover it with a couple of doors and then throw three feet of dirt on top . . . it's the dirt that does it . . . if there are enough shovels to go around everybody's going to make it," T.K. Jones, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategic and Theater Nuclear Forces, infamously declared.
As a young adult, I was terrified. My girlfriend (now my wife of 39 years) and I wondered if we should bring children into this world. The watershed event of that extremely fearful time was an ABC broadcast in 1983, "The Day After," starring Jason Robards, Steve Guttenberg, John Lithgow and JoBeth Williams. That television movie explicitly showed us for the first time what would happen as a result of nuclear war. More than 100 million Americans watched that original broadcast on November 20, 1983. It remains the most watched TV movie in U.S. history.
A special edition of "View Point" hosted by Ted Koppel aired directly after the movie. It began with Koppel telling American viewers to look out their window. "It's all still there," he reassured us. "Is there still time?" Koppel then asked, wondering as Scrooge did in "A Christmas Carol" if the movie we just saw depicted a future that would be, or only may be. He was joined by a live audience, as well as Henry Kissinger, Elie Wiesel, William F. Buckley Jr., General Brent Scowcroft and Robert McNamara, who had written earlier that year that "nuclear weapons are totally useless except only to deter one's opponent from using them." Also joining them was scientist Carl Sagan.
That night Sagan introduced the world to the concept of nuclear winter. Of the Cold War pitting the U.S. against the U.S.S.R, he famously said, "Imagine a room awash in gasoline, and there are two implacable enemies in that room. One of them has 9,000 matches, the other 7,000 matches. Each of them is concerned about who's ahead, who's stronger."
Some argued later that the movie — and, more importantly, Koppel's frank discussion — seen by millions led to a walk away from nuclear brinkmanship. A little more than five years later the Cold War was over. The Berlin Wall came down and the world took a breath. It was at that time my wife and I had our first child. We had delayed, in part, because we didn't want our children to live in the same world in which we grew up.
For more than 30 years thoughts of an apocalypse caused by nuclear conflagration have taken a back seat to climate change, a stray asteroid, a rogue comet, a pandemic or a variety of other extinction level events.
Then Tuesday, a young reporter who frequents the White House texted me and asked if I was worried about World War III. Another reporter asked me if I thought we could survive it. I confess I hadn't thought of such scenarios in years. But Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer with delusions of grandeur, has ordered "a special military operation" on Ukraine. That renewed thoughts I had buried for more than three decades.
The equation remains fundamentally unchanged from 1983. Both countries have arsenals that would render Earth a glowing radioactive hellhole long enough to extinguish all life on the planet. The only people who wouldn't have to worry about the initial blast would be any astronauts in space. But they'd have no home to return to.
Biden knows all of this. Yet, the news we get about Ukraine and from reporters is often lacking in political and historical context, distorts reality and contributes to the potential for a widening conflict. It helps no one that former President Trump publicly sided with Putin, thus further driving a wedge in the American electorate as Biden tries to stop a war.
RELATED: U.S.-Russia confrontation over Ukraine threatens to become all-out war — but why?
There are several things to consider. Could Putin's game in Ukraine lead to a shooting war that includes the U.S.? Could that lead to a nuclear confrontation? The answer to both questions is undeniably yes. Biden knows this too and is playing a long game of slowly strangling the Russian economy with sanctions to halt the threat of expanded war. Putin, who put off his provocative moves until after the Beijing Winter Olympics, is counting on China to be his ally and bail him out with essential raw materials the rest of the world has promised to deny Russia through sanctions. If Putin advances no further than Ukraine on the battlefield it will be a matter of who will blink first. Biden, who knows very well the consequences of the Cold War and how Putin wishes to change the outcome, is also well aware of how quickly things can escalate. Yet, there are still U.S. and NATO troops in close proximity to Ukraine, and Biden has vowed to defend NATO.
In "The Hunt for Red October," former Congressman Fred Thompson, also an actor, played an admiral who summed it up nicely. "This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it," he warned. An even more ominous warning was issued by Richard Jordan's Jeffrey Pelt to his Soviet ambassador counterpart: Having our troops and their troops in such close proximity was inherently dangerous. "Wars are started that way," he finished.
That's the rub. Volatility on the battlefield is rarely controllable. Escalation is not only possible but probably inevitable under such circumstances — and playing "chicken," as Putin is doing, rarely goes as intended. Make no mistake, Biden knows what he's doing and deserves our full faith. Dealing with Putin is well within his wheelhouse.
Today's problems are exacerbated by Donald Trump, who called the annexation of Ukrainian breakaway regions "genius" on the part of Putin. Naturally those who still look at Trump as their messiah are calling Biden "a loser" and "asleep at the wheel."
The only way to clean up that part of the equation is with better information, which could also lead to better policy, more accurately informed Americans and eventually — one would hope — better informed politicians. (Trump not withstanding.)
Today's Ukrainian conflict is also exacerbated by the ignorance of those who embolden Putin by supporting Trump. Or as one Christian Trump supporter told me, "It's not our problem. We have enough problems with sleepy Joe," he said, channeling the spirit of Neville Chamberlain.
Which brings me back to "The Golden Girls." I was never a fan of the show, but my wife was, so when "That Golden Girls Show!," a parody with puppets, opened at the Strathmore in D.C., I was obliged to go. I marveled at how a sitcom more than 35 years old is still so popular. And as I watched, I wondered why original ideas weren't nearly as popular. After all, "The Golden Girls" was once an original idea and it obviously caught on and even endured — even NFL players like Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is clearly a huge fan. I looked around for him Tuesday, and while I didn't see him, I was impressed with the diversity of the audience in the theater. Two guys with MAGA hats sitting in that crowd made me think.
And that took me back to something said by Edward R. Murrow at the Radio Television News Directors Association annual meeting in 1958. "We are to a large extent an imitative society. If one or two or three corporations would undertake to devote just a small fraction of their advertising appropriation along the lines that I have suggested, the procedure might well grow by contagion . . ." Murrow was discussing the need for large corporations to invest in producing solid news and delivering it to the American public.
That's what the crisis in Ukraine underlines in today's news and political world: There are millions who don't remember what the Cold War was like, the threat to our survival Russian aggression presents, and how one madman like Putin could bring it all down.
You heard it here first: "The Golden Girls" could save the planet. If one sitcom can survive and be so popular that a puppet show about the original show can sell out theaters, just imagine what one network or newspaper dedicated to real journalism could do for us all. Maybe Murrow was right about us being an imitative society. If one network did it and it caught on then others might follow.
At least if some in the news industry were as bold as the producers of a puppet show, we'd have a fair chance of understanding actual threats to our existence — like Putin or Trump — when they show up on the world stage.
Putin is essentially trying to rewrite the end of the Cold War. That's another lesson to be learned by TV: Reruns don't change. Putin just needs to watch more "Golden Girls." Maybe he'll get the message.
Matthew Chapman
February 24, 2022
Vladimir Putin (Shutterstock)
On Thursday, The Daily Beast flagged that Novaya Gazeta, one of the few independent newspapers in Russia, has shared evidence that Vladimir Putin's announcement declaring war on Ukraine was filmed three days before the announcement was actually aired — yet more evidence that the conflict and the justifications for it were carefully scripted and planned by the Kremlin.
"The newspaper, whose editor-in-chief shared last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, published on its Twitter feed what it said was metadata from the Kremlin website showing that the video was recorded on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. Moscow time," reported Philippe Naughton. "Separately, the Russian-based Conflict Intelligence Team pointed out that Putin was wearing the exact same suit and tie in Thursday’s broadcast as he wore when he announced that Russia was to recognize two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine — the prelude to all-out war."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ostensibly to protect Russian-backed separatists who have declared two so-called "independent republics" in the east of the country, has moved blindingly fast, with gunfire and shelling already reported near the capital city of Kyiv.
Sarah K. Burris
February 24, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the presidential rights council via a video link on December 9, 2021. Mikhail Metzel SPUTNIK/AFP
Counter-corruption adviser to Congress Paul Massaro posted a list showing the American lobbying firms that he says are "serving Putin.
The list ranges from those dealing with trade and stock to global finances.
Massaro has urged strict sanctions that go into the heart of every possible financial tie to Moscow, even if they're front companies.
The US and UK have announced some preliminary sanctions. The EU is anticipated to take steps too, which could help target the oligarchs with money stashed through European banks.
Massaro wants to see the UK target the oligarchs, however, which some believe would put increased pressure on Putin.
Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that "severe sanctions" are needed.
Alex Henderson, AlterNet
February 24, 2022
Annual Direct Line with Vladimir Putin in Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin" live call-in show. - -/Kremlin/dpa
When far-right Donald Trump supporters viciously attacked the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 — some of whom set up a hangman’s gallows for then-Vice President Mike Pence outside — people all around the world asked, “If democracy isn’t safe in the United States, where it is safe?” And as MAGA Republicans in state legislatures introduce one draconian voter suppression bill after another, it is painfully obvious that many of them believe the U.S. should move in the direction of authoritarians like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin — both of whom are openly admired by Trump and Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, even as Russian forces invade Ukraine.
Democracy is under assault all over the world, from the U.S. to Brazil to Eastern Europe. Journalist and political scientist Yascha Mounk examines the growth of authoritarianism in a disturbing article published by The Atlantic on February 24. And Mounk, a native of Munich, Germany and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, warns that the world finds itself in an increasingly dangerous position.
“Vladimir Putin has stopped pretending,” Mounk laments. “For months, the Russian president had claimed that he was merely interested in the security of his nation…. Then, he ordered a full-scale attack on a sovereign nation. Russian missiles blew up targets in key cities, including Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv. Russian troops rapidly advanced into Ukrainian territory. War has returned to the heart of Europe.”
Mounk covers a lot of ground in his article, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the January 6, 2021 insurrection to the military junta in Myanmar — describing all of those things as examples of authoritarianism continuing to advance.
“The attack on Ukraine coincided with the long-planned publication of a Freedom House report on the state of democracy in the world,” Mounk observes. “As this year’s report went live on the organization’s website, just after midnight this morning, CNN was showing live pictures of Russian troops advancing across the border and billowing towers of smoke rising above major Ukrainian cities. Based on meticulous monitoring of developments in every corner of the globe, Freedom House finds that the world has entered the 16th consecutive year of what the political scientist Larry Diamond has termed a ‘democratic recession.’”
Describing Freedom House’s findings, Mounk offers a lot of reasons to be worried.
“In 2021, the number of countries moving away from democracy once again exceeded the number of countries moving toward it by a big margin,” Mounk notes. “Democratic institutions and civil rights deteriorated in 60 countries, with Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Tunisia, and Sudan experiencing especially precipitous declines. At the beginning of the democratic recession, about half of the world’s population lived in a country classified as ‘free.’ Now, only two out of every ten people do.”
“Assaults on democracy,” Mounk warns, have “grown much more brazen.”
“Many democracies are now rife with acrid divisions and face domestic challenges to their stability; this strain on democratic institutions is especially pronounced in the United States,” Mounk observes. “And the power of the democratic world is being challenged by a rising China and a revanchist Russia; the world’s dictators can turn to resurgent authoritarian regimes for economic investments, military supplies and international legitimacy.”
Mounk continues, “All of this helps explain why the world’s dictators are taking off their masks. Autocratic leaders, from Myanmar to Nicaragua, no longer feel constrained by the need to maintain some semblance of democratic legitimacy or appease the State Department. And those dictators, like Vladimir Putin, who also have significant military might at their disposal, are now trying to remake the world order in their image.”