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Theme Week Russia

Tuesday, 14 April 2015 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Russia / Russland
Category/Kategorie: General, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  583 minutes

🔊 Listen to this Post Russia is a country in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia. At 17,125,200 square kilometres (6,612,100 sq mi), it is the largest country in the world by area, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth’s inhabited land area, spanning eleven time zones, and bordering 18 sovereign nations. About 146.79 million people live in the country’s 85 federal subjects (including the disputed Crimea and Sevastapol) as of 2019, making Russia the ninth most populous nation in the world and the most populous nation in Europe. Russia’s capital and largest city is Moscow; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Chelyabinsk.

Today’s Russia evolved from the Grand Duchy of Moscow, part of a sub-principality of the former East Slavic Empire of Kievan Rus’, the nuclei of Ukraine and Belarus (as with so many other topics, Russian President Putin’s statements on the history of Ukraine and Russia are entertaining products of his imagination, which, however, cannot be backed up with facts at any point). In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states, until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century. By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east. Following the Russian Revolution, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR/Soviet Union), the world’s first constitutionally socialist state. The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II, and emerged as a recognized superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world’s first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian SFSR reconstituted itself as the Russian Federation and is recognized as the continuing legal personality and a successor of the USSR.

The political system of Russia is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic since 1993. Under Vladimir Putin‘s rule since 2012, and from 2000–2008, Russia has been criticized by a number of human rights groups, outside observers and political dissidents for its authoritarian rule, poor human rights record, sham elections, imperialistic foreign policy in Syria, Georgia and Ukraine, alleged interference in the 2016 American elections and repression of its LGBT population. Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 led to international sanctions, which Russia responded to with sanctions against a number of countries, including a total ban on food imports from the United States. It is ranked 138 out of 180 countries in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index and 24 of 29 in the 2018 Nations in Transit Report by Freedom House, while being ranked 144th in the 2018 Democracy Index. To this day, Putin has not got over the fall of the Soviet Union and therefore tries in vain to develop the country into a superpower. However, this will not be possible for the foreseeable future. While Russia is well positioned militarily, the country is and will likely remain an economic dwarf. All in all, an overmilitarized regional power, the only way to get attention on the world stage, is to set military pinpricks, because that’s all the state budget can finance. Of course, this is at the expense of the population, who for years have had to cope with increasing expenditure and falling wages and salaries. This is why there are more and more expressions of discontent and steadily falling approval ratings, which did not prevent Putin from ensuring that he has almost lifelong government rights as part of a constitutional amendment that is very reminiscent of the changes made by China’s President Xi Jinping.

Russia’s economy ranks as the eleventh largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2019. Russia’s extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the leading producers of oil and natural gas globally. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and an active global partner of ASEAN, as well as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the G20, the Council of Europe, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the International Investment Bank (IIB) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as being the leading member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on History of Russia, Russian culture, Russian architecture, Tourism in Russia, Russian cuisine, Economy of Russia, Politics of Russia, Human rights in Russia, Propaganda in the Russian Federation, Putin’s/Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian Civil War on the side of Dictator Bashar al-Assad against the Syrian people (leading to the European migrant crisis since 2015), Russia–Ukraine relations, Putin’s/Russia’s War in Donbass since 2014, Putin’s/Russia’s Annexation of Crimea, Georgia–Russia relations, Putin’s/Russia’s Russo-Georgian War 2008, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Arms race, Cold War, The Washington Post, 24 March 2017: Here are 10 critics of Vladimir Putin who died violently or in suspicious ways, Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Nemtsov, Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Skripal, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, Alexei Navalny, Boris Berezovsky, Nikolai Glushkov, Amina Okueva, Sulim Yamadayev, Umar Israilov, Aslan Maskhadov, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, Nord Stream 2, Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, Russian web brigades/Putin bots, Putin’s propaganda and fake news channel Russia Today (RT), Russia–Ukraine relations, Latvia–Russia relations, Estonia–Russia relations, Lithuania–Russia relations, Russia–Slovenia relations, Russia–Slovakia relations, Czech Republic–Russia relations, Romania–Russia relations, Bulgaria–Russia relations, Hungary–Russia relations, Belarus–Russia relations, Poland–Russia relations, Russia–European Union relations, Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections, Balkans (Albania–Russia relations, Greece–Russia relations, Russia–Turkey relations, Croatia–Russia relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina–Russia relations, Montenegro–Russia relations, North Macedonia–Russia relations, Russia–Serbia relations, Russia’s reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence), Reuters, 13 March 2014: Merkel warns Russia of ‘massive damage’ if it persists, The Washington Post, 13 June 2019: Putin’s dangerous campaign to rehabilitate Stalin (Stalinist repressions, Great Purge and Neo-Stalinism), The Guardian, 10 July 2019: Vladimir Putin’s Russia is rehabilitating Stalin. We must not let it happen, The Washington Post, 8 May 2020: Facing a dim present, Putin turns back to glorious Stalin, The Guardian, 30 April 2021: European Union ‘Groundless’ Russian sanctions against its officials condemned (the terror regimes in Russia and China seem to feel pretty safe. That should be changed as soon as possible), France24, 30 April 2021: Russia bars eight EU officials from entry in tit-for-tat move (the end for Nord Stream 2 is getting closer and closer), Politico.eu, 30 April 2021: Russia bans top EU officials in retaliation for sanctions, DW, 1 May 2021: Russia-West ties hit low with diplomat expulsions, NBC News, 17 May 2021: Russia’s New Stalin Center evokes pride, and revulsion, The National, 12 November 2021: Russia sends paratroopers to Belarus-EU border for ‘war games’ amid escalating crisis, New York Times, 12 November 2021: As Belarus Strongman Goads the West, Russia Grows Increasingly Wary, CNN, 13 November 2021: UK army chief warns risk of accidental war with Russia is greater than ever, Politico.eu, 13 November 2021: Putin chides Lukashenko over threat to cut off gas to EU, DW, 15 November 2021: Ukraine: NATO alarmed by Russian troop buildup on border, The Times, 16 November 2021: Threat of rising gas bills as Germany blocks new Russian pipe, The Guardian, 16 November 2021: Russia: Moscow admits to anti-satellite missile test but denies ‘dangerous behavior’, CNN, 16 November 2021: Chaos in eastern Europe suits Putin, BBC, 16 November 2021: Gas prices soar after setback for Russian pipeline, France24, 16 November 2021: NASA chief ‘outraged’ by Russia missile test that endangered astronauts on ISS, Foreign Policy, 17 November 2021: How to Stop Moscow From Squeezing Ukraine’s Energy Sector, Foreign Policy, 19 November 2021: Is Russia Preparing to Invade Ukraine?, Al Arabiya, 20 November 2021: White House calls on Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine, Jerusalem Post, 20 November 2021: US patrol boats sent to back up Ukrainian Navy near Black Sea, DW, 21 November 2021: Russia slams Western ‘hysteria’ over Ukraine, The National, 22 November 2021: Ukraine has an ally in its standoff with Russia – and it’s not the US, The New York Times, 22 November 2021: Trying to Blur Memories of the Gulag, Russia Targets a Rights Group (BBC, 11.11.2021: Memorial: Russia moves to close major human rights group, Memorial International, Joseph Stalin, Gulag, Stalinist repressions), Politico.eu, 23 November 2021: Ukraine: NATO’s original sin, Foreign Policy, 23 November 2021: What Russia Really Wants in the Balkans, The Guardian, 24 November 2021: Russia: Court cases threatening human rights group Memorial start, The Hill, 24 November 2021: NATO to discuss ways to deter Russia: Lithuanian official, BBC, 26 November 2021: Ukraine leader alleges coup plan involving Russians, CNN, 26 November 2021: Ukrainian President says group of Russians and Ukrainians planning coup against him, The Guardian, 26 November 2021: Ukraine: Intelligence warning of Russia-backed December coup, president says, Politico.eu, 26 November 2021: Ukraine PM calls for NATO’s help against Russia, The National, 26 November 2021: Biden ‘concerned’ about Russian threats against Ukraine, Politico.eu, 27 November 2021: Ukraine’s president alleges coup attempt involving country’s richest man, Politico.eu, 28 November 2021: EU, NATO stress unity on Belarus, The National, 29 November 2021: Latvia calls for permanent US troops to guard against Russian threat, DW, 29 November 2021: Meeting near Russian border, NATO weighs response to Moscow’s military maneuvers, Al Arabiya, 29 November 2021: Latvia calls for permanent US troops to guard against Russia threat, DW, 29 November 2021: Why are Russian ‘vaccine tourists’ flocking to Europe?, The Washington Post, 29 November 2021: Threat of Russian invasion of Ukraine tests Biden administration, Politico.eu, 30 November 2021: NATO warns Russia of ‘high price’ for any attack on Ukraine, The Guardian, 30 November 2021: Ukraine: Russia will act if Nato countries cross ‘red lines’, Putin says, The National, 1 December 2021: Blinken says Russia is building capacity to invade Ukraine in ‘short order’, The Times, 1 December 2021: Why the fate of Ukraine lies in the hands of one man: Putin, The Guardian, 1 December 2021: Ukraine: US warns Russia has plans for ‘large-scale’ attack, France24, 1 December 2021: US urges Russia to retract troops from Ukraine border, threatens sanctions, The Washington Post, 1 December 2021: The best response to Russia’s threats is a closer relationship with Ukraine, CNN, 2 December 2021: US and Russia officials meet as concerns grow over Ukraine, The Times, 2 December 2021: Russia has no say in Ukraine joining Nato, Moscow told, CNN, 2 December 2021: Analysis: Would Putin get away with invading Ukraine again?, BBC, 2 December 2021: Russia warns of military confrontation nightmare, Politico.eu, 2 December 2021: Views collide as Blinken, Lavrov discuss Ukraine, Foreign Policy, 2 December 2021: Russians Believe Ukrainians Want to Be ‘Liberated’, CNN, 3 December 2021: Russia positions more forces, supply lines as fears rise of potential Ukraine invasion, The National, 3 December 2021: Biden aims to make it ‘very difficult’ for Putin to move against Ukraine, The Times, 3 December 2021: Great expectations: why the West is looking to Germany to counter Russian aggression, DW, 4 December 2021: US claims Russia planning Ukraine offensive, The Times, 4 December 2021: Putin to demand from Biden guarantees against Ukraine joining NATO (it is primarily up to Ukraine to decide whether or not to become a member of NATO. Obviously, the Ukrainian government is striving for membership, also in order to be able to better defend itself against Putin and his state terrorists in eastern Ukraine and in Crimea), CNN, 4 December 2021: US intelligence estimates Russian troop levels on Ukraine border could reach 175,000, Politico.eu, 4 December 2021: Putin’s choice: Hot war or a deeply frozen conflict, DW, 4 December 2021: US claims Russia planning Ukraine offensive, Al Arabiya, 4 December 2021: Russia dismisses US media reports about possible Ukraine offensive, The New York Times, 5 December 2021: What’s Driving Putin’s Ukraine Brinkmanship?, France24, 6 December 2021: US vows to boost military presence if Russia attacks Ukraine, The Times, 6 December 2021: Putin invites Ukrainian separatist leaders into his party, Politico.com, 6 December 2021: U.S. and Europe ready ‘significant and severe’ sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, The Guardian, 6 December 2021: Ukraine: US says it will send troops to eastern Europe if Russia invades, France24, 6 December 2021: Video: On Ukrainian frontline, Russian troop build-up reports spark concerns, The New York Times, 6 December 2021: On Ukrainian Front, Grinding War and Weary Anticipation of Invasion, The Hill, 6 December 2021: Five things to know about Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine, CNN, 6 December 2021: Biden faces high-stakes test in call with Putin over Ukraine, Politico.eu, 7 December 2021: UK to Russia: Invading Ukraine would have ‘catastrophically high’ consequences, The Times, 7 December 2021: Western leaders plan reprisals if Russia invades Ukraine, Politico.com, 7 December 2021: Biden warns Putin on call against Ukraine invasion, The Guardian, 7 December 2021: Ukraine: Prepare a swift response to possible Russian invasion, Latvia tells west, Politico.eu, 7 December 2021: What’s Putin really up to with Ukraine?, BBC, 7 December 2021: Biden and Putin talk as Ukraine tensions rise, The National, 7 December 2021: Biden takes hard line with Putin over possible Ukraine invasion, The Hill, 7 December 2021: Biden tries to tamp down tensions with Putin call, The Washington Post, 7 December 2021: Biden tells Putin U.S. will take economic, other actions if Russia escalates Ukraine conflict, The New York Times, 7 December 2021: Biden Warns Putin of Economic Consequences if Aggression Continues, NPR, 7 December 2021: Why Russia-Ukraine tensions have again reached a boiling point, CNN, 8 December 2021: ‘Ukraine isn’t in NATO’: Biden rules out US troops but vows sanctions if Russia invades, Politico.com, 8 December 2021: Sending U.S. combat troops to Ukraine ‘not in the cards right now,’ Biden says, The Times, 8 December 2021: Russian invasion of Ukraine would be like World War Two, warns defence chief, The Guardian, 8 December 2021: Ukraine: Russia expects urgent talks with US after Biden-Putin summit, The National, 8 December 2021: Biden warns Putin of severe consequences if Ukraine attacked, DW, 8 December 2021: Transatlantic allies ramp up pressure on Russia over Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 9 December 2021: Turkey won’t confront Russia in event of war in ally Ukraine, The Guardian, 9 December 2021: Germany: Foreign minister under pressure over Nord Stream 2 sanctions, Politico.eu, 9 December 2021: EU to hit Russian mercenary group Wagner with sanctions, The Guardian, 9 December 2021: Ukraine: Eastern and central European nations urge Nato unity in Biden-Russia talks, The Hill, 9 December 2021: Biden reassures Ukraine’s Zelensky of U.S. support amid Russian aggression, The Washington Post, 9 December 2021: Amid fears of a Russian invasion, Biden seeks united front with Ukraine and allies, Arab News, 10 December 2021: NATO chief rejects Russia demand to bar Ukraine entry (if Russia would be a democracy and not be run by a bloodthirsty dictator, it could ask for NATO membership as well), The Times, 10 December 2021: We’ll protect you from Russia, Biden tells eastern Europe, The Guardian, 10 December 2021: ‘Nobody wants to be Putin’s slave’: On the Ukraine frontline as tensions rise, The Times, 10 December 2021: Flashpoint Ukraine: can Biden find a balance between deterrence and provocation?, Foreign Policy, 10 December 2021: What Impact Would U.S. Sanctions Have on Russia?, The National, 11 December 2021: Truss and Blinken warn of ‘serious consequences’ if Russia invades Ukraine, The Times, 11 December 2021: Of course the Russians are coming to Ukraine. They want to rebuild their empire, France24, 11 December 2021: US: Russia should withdraw from Ukraine border or face ‘massive consequences’, The Times, 11 December 2021: Putin blames Nato for pushing Kiev towards war, Politico.eu, 11 December 2021: G7 ministers warn of ‘strong response’ if Putin advances into Ukraine, Jerusalem Post, 12 December 2021: Putin laments Soviet collapse as demise of ‘historical Russia’ (there is pretty much no one outside Russia who would agree with this assumption), France24, 12 December 2021: G7 urges Iran to agree nuclear deal, warns Russia against invasion of Ukraine, The Guardian, 12 December 2021: Ukraine: G7 leaders warn Russia all sanctions on table over border buildup, The Times, 13 December 2021: Russia has ‘no trust’ in Nato over Ukraine (yes, the poor Kremlin terrorists. Again totally misunderstood by the rest of the world, the little rascals! :-D ), Politico.eu, 13 December 2021: EU slaps sanctions on Russian mercenary group Wagner, The Guardian, 13 December 2021: Gas crisis: Gazprom profits as Russia prospers from Europe’s gas crisis, DW, 13 December 2021: Vladimir Putin says he drove a taxi after fall of Soviet Union (is it known whether even a single passenger ever arrived at the destination he wanted to or whether they all had to agree with the destination that Putin thought was correct?), France24, 13 December 2021: EU imposes sanctions on Russian mercenary group Wagner over human rights abuses, The Guardian, 13 December 2021: Natural gas: Prices near record highs as Berlin rejects pipeline from Russia, DW, 13 December 2021: EU sanctions Russian ‘Wagner’ mercenary group, The Times, 14 December 2021: Vitali Klitschko ready to join Ukraine’s fight against Russia, Israel Hayom, 14 December 2021: ‘Russia may soon be forced to deploy mid-range nuclear missiles in Europe’ (the Russians already stzationed rocket systems capable of nuclear war heads in Kaliningrad, pointing at Paris, London and Berlin, but are accusing NATO of alleged aggressions towards Russia? Who is this bimbo trying to trick?), The Times, 14 December 2021: West should not fall for Putin’s Ukraine bluff, Politico.eu, 14 December 2021: How Europe can calm the Russia-Ukraine crisis, DW, 15 December 2021: Germany expels two Russian diplomats after Tiergarten murder conviction, The Times, 15 December 2021: ‘Russian agent’ jailed for murder of Chechen dissident in Berlin, DW, 15 December 2021: German court points finger at Kremlin after Berlin murder verdict, Politico.eu, 15 December 2021: Scholz wants dialogue with Moscow but warns of ‘high price’ for attacking Ukraine, The Guardian, 15 December 2021: Germany: Russian government ordered murder of Chechen in Berlin, court rules, Politico.eu, 15 December 2021: Don’t fall into Putin’s trap, Estonian PM warns the West, The National, 15 December 2021: Germany’s Scholz warns of ‘high cost’ if Russia violates Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Al Arabiya, 15 December 2021: Germany expels Russian diplomats over state-ordered killing, The Guardian, 15 December 2021: Ukraine: EU to warn Vladimir Putin of ‘massive consequences’ of invading, The National, 15 December 2021: Germany expels two Russian diplomats after murder conviction, Der Spiegel, 16 December 2021: Daria Navalnaya, Daughter of Alexei Navalny: “I Started Seeing Agents Everywhere”, Al Arabiya, 16 December 2021: Ukraine’s leader seeks Russia sanctions before it’s too late, The Times, 17 December 2021: Russia demands Nato remove all troops from eastern Europe (of course, right after the Russian state terrorist permanently withdrew his gangsters from Crimea, eastern Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Syria and along the EU borders), Politico.eu, 17 December 2021: EU leaders threaten Russia with sanctions over Ukraine, The Guardian, 17 December 2021: Ukraine: Russia issues list of demands it says must be met to lower tensions in Europe, France24, 17 December 2021: EU threatens to hit Russia with sanctions, but will they work?, BBC, 17 December 2021: Russia lists demands for defusing Ukraine tensions, France24, 17 December 2021: In Russia, the battle for the memory of Soviet repressions, DW, 17 December 2021: Russia issues list of demands to NATO, Foreign Policy, 17 December 2021: Why Ukraine’s Fight Against Corruption Scares Russia, The Hill, 17 December 2021: White House says Putin hasn’t made up mind on invading Ukraine, The Washington Post, 17 December 2021: It’s an open secret there’s no NATO plan for Ukraine. Why not just tell Putin?, The Economist, 18 December 2021: A forced brotherhood: Why Russia has never accepted Ukrainian independence, Al Arabiya, 18 December 2021: Russian natural gas exports to Europe via Yamal pipeline drop sharply, The National, 18 December 2021: UK ‘highly unlikely’ to send troops to fight Russia in Ukraine, The Times, 18 December 2021: Get your tanks off my lawn and don’t come back, Putin tells Nato :-D , Al Arabiya, 18 December 2021: Russia sends nuclear-capable long-range bombers on patrol over Belarus, DW, 18 December 2021: NATO mulls deploying troops to Bulgaria, Romania — Der Spiegel, France24, 18 December 2021: Russia demands US, NATO curtail activity in East Europe to defuse Ukraine crisis, DW, 18 December 2021: Germany warns Russia of pipeline ‘consequences’, Al Arabiya, 19 December 2021: German Defense Minister in visit to Lithuania says Russia cannot ‘dictate’ to NATO, CNN, 19 December 2021: ‘A four-week window’: Biden is moving fast to deter Putin from invading Ukraine, The Washington Post, 19 December 2021: On Ukraine’s front, a real war overshadows worries about a possible future one with Russia, DW, 19 December 2021: German defense minister: Russia will not ‘dictate’ to NATO, Politico.eu, 19 December 2021: Europe remembers its forgotten war, Al Arabiya, 20 December 2021: Russia suspends fruit imports from some Turkish, Iranian suppliers, DW, 20 December 2021: Russia expels two German diplomats over Berlin park assassination (they are for sure very happy about being allowed to return home – especially, unlike the victim killed by the Kremlin in Tiergarten, unharmed), The Times, 20 December 2021: Russia wants ‘urgent’ answer to demands over Nato withdrawal, France24, 20 December 2021: Amid Russia tensions, Lithuania advocates for more robust Western response (but there is also a positive aspect to all the negative aspects for which Putin’s Russia is synonymous: not even the kleptocracies of the EU eastward expansion want to become Soviet again, so that there is a rare consensus within the EU with regard to how to deal with Russia. even if the paths to get there are not yet congruent. It is astonishing or incomprehensible that an external threat is always required before we act together, instead of becoming proactive in order not to be brought into the situation in the first place), Al Arabiya, 20 December 2021: Russia expels two German diplomats in tit-for-tat move, The New York Times, 20 December 2021: U.S. and Britain Help Ukraine Prepare for Potential Russian Cyberassault, France24, 21 December 2021: Putin warns West of military measures over Ukraine threats, DW, 21 December 2021: Germany’s Scholz and Russia’s Putin discuss Ukraine in first call, Reuters, 21 December 2021: European gas prices hit record as Russian flows via Yamal reverse (so much for “Nord Stream 2 is a purely economic project”. The Kremlin terrorist tries to secure his only reliable source of income through blackmail and military aggression and at the same time wants to prevent the energy transition. It is time to turn to other, albeit more expensive, alternatives and at the same time to devote more time to the energy transition), The Guardian, 21 December 2021: Russia: Putin warns of possible military response over ‘aggressive’ Nato (so, Russia’s grumpy dictator is still in “Bullsh!t Bingo” mode), DW, 21 December 2021: Vladimir Putin threatens ‘military-technical’ reaction to NATO over Ukraine, France24, 21 December 2021: Thirty years after Soviet collapse, Russia maintains grip on breakaway Georgian province, DW, 21 December 2021: Ukraine: Toxic waters: How not to phase out coal, The Guardian, 22 December 2021: Gas: Kremlin denies restricting supplies to Europe for political gain (it’s so obvious that denying won’t work), France24, 22 December 2021: Germany urges dialogue with Russia, says ‘greatly concerned’ by Putin military threat, DW, 22 December 2021: Russia plans talks with US, NATO in January, The National, 22 December 2021: US accuses Russia of further escalation on Ukrainian border, The Guardian, 23 December 2021: Vladimir Putin: Russian president accuses west of ‘coming with its missiles to our doorstep’ (equal rights for all. After all, he stationed his nuclear-capable medium-range missiles years ago in Kaliningrad and aimed them at Berlin, London and Paris. Now it’s NATO’s turn to backlash. It is about time), Saudi Gazette, 23 December 2021: Putin says Russia doesn’t want war with Ukraine but urges West to meet his demands (in Putin’s parallel universe every day is apparently Spongebob’s “opposite day” :-D At no point did NATO promise to stop the eastward expansion. It cannot do that either, especially since countries that want to become NATO members can apply accordingly after meeting the entry requirements – they usually do so to protect themselves from Russian attacks. If Putin’s Russia did not behave like a drunken and aggressive bar thug, there would be far less reasons for Eastern European countries to seek NATO membership. Nobody can seriously object to countries like Ukraine, Moldova or Georgia wanting to free themselves from Russian annexations in order to become democratic and prosperous countries in contrast to Russia. That is also a reason why Putin is attacking the countries. When it becomes clear that they have much more successful social models than is the case in Russia, his political career will come to an end), France24, 23 December 2021: Russia-Ukraine: Putin blames West for tensions, demands security guarantees (while the West demands security guarantees for all of Ukraine from Russia and the withdrawl of its troops from eastern Ukraine and Crimea), BBC, 23 December 2021: Putin says ball in West’s court on Ukraine crisis, France24, 23 December 2021: Putin says Russia doesn’t want Ukraine war but needs ‘immediate’ guarantees, The Guardian, 23 December 2021: Nord Stream 2: how Putin’s pipeline paralysed the west, DW, 23 December 2021: Russia: Putin addresses Ukraine, NATO tensions, Foreign Policy, 23 December 2021: Putin Remains Defiant, Threatens Ukraine in Annual Presser, The Times, 23 December 2021: Russia clearly intends to attack neighbour, claims Lithuania, DW, 23 December 2021: West condemns Wagner Group Mali ‘deployment’, Politico.eu, 23 December 2021: Putin demands Western security guarantees to end threat of Ukraine invasion, DW, 23 December 2021: Germany, France call for Ukraine truce to hold, Politico.com, 23 December 2021: Russian buildup near Ukraine gains steam, new satellite images show, The Guardian, 24 December 2021: Ukraine: Russian consulate in Lviv hit by molotov cocktail (with the help of the phrase “Since 5:45 am we are now firing back”, Germany constructed the beginning of the Second World War. As a decent dictator, Putin seems to have chosen an example here), The Natiional, 24 December 2021: New satellite images show Russia building up more forces near Ukraine, CNN, 24 December 2021: Putin’s bid to rewrite history, The Washington Post, 24 December 2021: Ukraine stood with the West in 2014. Today we must stand with Ukraine., Politico.eu, 24 December 2021: Former French PM Fillon joins board of Russian petrochemical giant, The Hill, 25 December 2021: Ukraine president, US lawmakers huddle amid tensions with Russia, Al Arabiya, 25 December 2021: Gorbachev’s resignation 30 years ago paved the way for the end of USSR, The Sunday Times, 26 December 2021: Thirty years on, collapse of the Soviet Union haunts Russians again (the implosion and selfdestruction of the Soviet Union was a great joy for the liberated peoples of the former Eastern Bloc and a very good reason for a boisterous celebration in the rest of the world. In addition to the founding of the European Union, that was the most beautiful event in the second half of the 19th century), The New York Times, 26 December 2021: Ukraine’s Plan B Against Russia: A Civilian Militia, The Guardian, 27 December 2021: Ukraine crisis: How Putin feeds off anger over Nato’s eastward expansion, Foreign Policy, 27 December 2021: How Russia Decides When to Invade, The Guardian, 27 December 2021: Russia: Court increases jail sentence for Gulag historian, DW, 28 December 2021: Russia orders closure of human rights group Memorial (Memorial International, Joseph Stalin, Gulag, Stalinist repressions), France24, 28 December 2021: Russia’s Supreme Court orders closure of top human rights group Memorial, The Washington Post, 28 December 2021: Russian court abolishes renowned human rights group, The New York Times, 28 December 2021: Russian Court Orders Closing of Prominent Human Rights Group, Politico.eu, 28 December 2021: Top Russian court orders shutdown of human rights group Memorial, DW, 28 December 2021: Victims of Soviet repression seek justice, Irish Times, 28 December 2021: Russian court orders closure of country’s oldest human rights group, The Guardian, 28 December 2021: Russia: Court orders closure of country’s oldest human rights group, DW, 28 December 2021: Dark times ahead, BBC, 28 December 2021: Russia orders oldest rights group Memorial to shut, DW, 28 December 2021: Putin’s gas weaponization hits a hot spot in Berlin, The Times, 28 December 2021: ‘Russian lawfare’ claim as Ukraine military adviser arrested, DW, 28 December 2021: Is Putin escalating gas weaponization?, DW, 29 December 2021: Russia says Nord Stream 2 loaded with gas, no alternatives needed (if Russia says something like that, it is better to already have an alternative up and running), France24, 29 December 2021: Moscow court orders closure of Memorial human rights centre, DW, 29 December 2021: Moscow court orders Memorial Human Rights Center to be banned, The Guardian, 29 December 2021: Russia: Court orders closure of another human rights group, DW, 29 December 2021: Between histories: Russia remembers the Soviet era 30 years on, The Economist, 29 December 2021: Russia bans Memorial, a seminal human-rights group, The Times, 29 December 2021: Moscow court orders total closure of oldest human rights group, Politico.eu, 29 December 2021: Russian court bans second major human rights group in 2 days, The Times, 29 December 2021: Russia warns Sweden and Finland against joining Nato (laughable. As if Kremlin trolls would have a say in this), DW, 29 December 2021: Russia introduces mandatory medical checks for foreigners (awesome! Finally, Russia isolates itself from the rest of the world. A few years too late, but better than never), BBC, 29 December 2021: Russia orders health and drug checks for foreigners, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 29 December 2021: Russia Launches Compulsory Medical Exams For Foreigners, The Atlantc, 29 December 2021: Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine Is Backfiring, Politico.com, 30 December 2021: Biden-Putin call ushers in new phase of diplomacy, BBC, 30 December 2021: Ukraine tensions: Biden and Putin phone call seeks ‘diplomatic path’, The Guardian, 30 December 2021: Biden and Putin exchange warnings during phone call amid rising Ukraine tensions, France24, 30 December 2021: Biden, Putin see hope for ‘meaningful progress’ after call focused on Ukraine, DW, 30 December 2021: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin hold ‘constructive’ phone call, CNN, 31 December 2021: Biden pushes Putin for Ukraine de-escalation in second call this month, Arab News, 31 December 2021: Biden and Putin trade warnings over Ukraine, but vow diplomacy (the sanctions would not be a “colossal mistake”, but would be the result of “colossal stupidity” in Putin’s attempt to further damage the sovereignty of Ukraine instead of withdrawing his terrorists from eastern Ukraine and evacuating Crimea immediately. Putin’s Russia is rapidly developing into Europe’s Iran), Al Arabiya, 31 December 2021: Biden warns of sanctions over Ukraine; Putin says will lead to rupture in ties, The Times, 31 December 2021: Vladimir Putin warns Joe Biden against sanctions over Ukraine crisis, The Guardian, 31 December 2021: Ukraine: Russian foreign minister warns west over ‘aggressive line’ in crisis, Haaretz, 31 December 2021: Putin Is Trying to Erase the Past, With the Help of an Israeli Historian, Los Angeles Times, 1 January 2022: U.S. and Russia face deep differences ahead of Geneva talks, CNN, 2 January 2022: 2022 could be a make-or-break year for Europe, The Guardian, 2 January 2022: Ukraine: Russia ‘very likely’ to invade without ‘enormous sanctions’, says US official, DW, 2 January 2022: Biden promises Ukraine ‘decisive’ response if Russia invades, The Hill, 2 January 2022: Biden tells Zelensky US, allies will ‘respond decisively’ if Russia invades, The Washington Post, 2 January 2022: Biden speaks with Ukrainian president and reaffirms U.S. commitment amid Russian standoff, France24, 3 January 2022: EU’s Borrell to visit Ukraine frontline amid Russia tensions, Irish Times, 3 January 2022: The Irish Times view on tensions over Ukraine: the price of an invasion The Irish Times view on tensions over Ukraine: the price of an invasion, Politico.eu, 3 January 2022: On Russia, NATO cannot fold, The Atlantic, 3 January 2022: The U.S. Is Naive About Russia. Ukraine Can’t Afford to Be., DW, 3 January 2022: Ukraine tensions: Normandy format talks set for Thursday, New York Post, 3 January 2022: Biden stands idle as Germany endangers Ukraine over Russia’s gas, The Guardian, 4 January 2022: Europe: Gas price hike of more than 30% stokes fears for home bills, The National, 4 January 2022: Borrell heads to Ukraine determined not to be spectator in power games, Bloomberg, 4 January 2022: Europe Sleepwalked Into an Energy Crisis That Could Last Years, The Guardian, 4 January 2022: European Union: Top diplomat visits Ukraine frontline in show of solidarity (shortly after the start of the Cold War, the saying went around the Pentagon: “We had the wrong strategy. Instead, we should have let the Germans defeat the Russians first, before we defeated them!” When the Russians threatened to lose to the Germans, they received support from America with weapons, ammunition and equipment (Lend-Lease Act), which then turned the course of the war against Germany and ultimately led to the establishment of the Soviet Union. None of this would have happened without the supplies from the USA, including the current situation in and around Ukraine), Foreign Policy, 4 January 2022: Ukraine Needs a Political Deal at Home to Defend Against Russia, CNBC, 5 January 2022: Nord Stream 2 could be major leverage against Russia — but using it is complicated, Al Arabiya, 5 January 2022: Top US, German diplomats reiterate warning to Russia over Ukraine, Politico.com, 6 January 2022: Biden talks tough on Putin, but European allies are less ready for a fight, The National, 6 January 2022: ‘Dozens’ of Kazakhstan protestors killed by police in Almaty (it is always the same, whether Belarus, Russia, Syria, China or now Kazakhstan: When autocrats/dictators lose control of the situation, they jabber something about alleged “foreign provocateurs are threatening our peace-loving autocracy/dictatorship” to justify to shoot at their own people. In this case, once again supported by Putin’s mercenaries, as he cannot afford that democracy-like state structures are established on Russia’s borders, because that would be his political end. His war crimes in Syria, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are always warnings to the Russian population: “If I did something like that abroad, what do you think I would do to you if you would oppose my dictatorship?” At least the deployment in Kazakhstan now offers him a face-saving opportunity to withdraw his troops from the Ukrainian border), The Washington Post, 6 January 2022: Russian troops intervene in protest-roiled Kazakhstan, where security forces have killed dozens of demonstrators, The Times, 6 January 2022: ‘Nato must find a path for Putin to retreat on Ukraine’, The New Yorker, 6 January 2022: The Russian Memory Project That Became an Enemy of the State, The New York Times, 6 January 2022: In Kazakhstan, Putin Seizes on Unrest to Try to Expand Influence, Foreign Policy, 7 January 2022: 3 Big Things to Know About the Russian-Led Alliance Intervening in Kazakhstan, The Times, 7 January 2022: Russian troops pour into Kazakhstan in protest crackdown, France24, 7 January 2022: Russian intervention in Kazakhstan risks ‘destabilising’ ethnic divides, Al Arabiya, 7 January 2022: NATO rules out any halt to expansion, despite Russia demand on Ukraine, Politico.eu, 7 January 2022: Putin’s Kazakh gambit tightens his grip on ex-Soviet space, The Guardian, 7 January 2022: Nato Chief warns of real risk of Ukraine conflict as Russian buildup continues, The New York Times, 7 January 2022: Russian forces surround Ukraine on three sides. This map shows how Moscow’s positioning could widen the conflict., Foreign Policy, 7 January 2022: Why Russia Sent Troops Into Kazakhstan, Politico.eu, 7 January 2022: Stoltenberg: NATO will be ready if Russia talks fail, Arab News, 8 January 2022: UN calls on all involved in Kazakhstan unrest to choose peace over violence, Politico.com, 8 January 2022: Putin puts out fires across a former Soviet empire clamoring for change, The Times, 8 January 2022: New defence chief warns of Russian threat at sea, DW, 8 January 2022: Kazakhstan protests: Boon or bane for Putin?, Business Insider, 8 January 2022: Blinken issues warning to Kazakhstan. ‘Once Russians are in your house, it’s sometimes very difficult to get them to leave’ (that’s obviously very true. Just ask Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Georgia, or Moldova, just to name a few), The New York Times, 8 January 2022: U.S. Details Costs of a Russian Invasion of Ukraine, The Times, 8 January 2022: Kazakhstan protests: Rumblings in Russia’s underbelly, BBC, 8 January 2022: Kazakhstan unrest: Blinken questions Russian troop deployment, The Washington Post, 8 January 2022: Putin dreams of a Russian ‘sphere of influence.’ Kazakhstan’s protesters are the latest to push back., The New York Times, 8 January 2022: How the U.S. Intends to Punish Russia for a Ukraine Invasion, DW, 8 January 2022: US refuses to draw down troops in Eastern Europe, The Washington Post, 8 January 2022: The West has enabled Putin long enough. It is time to stop., The New York Times, 9 January 2022: Russia Invites Calamity if It Invades Ukraine, The Times, 9 January 2022: US plans to cripple Russia’s banks if it invades Ukraine, The New York Times, 9 January 2022: In Ukraine Conflict, Russia Relies on a Promise That Ultimately Wasn’t, The Times, 10 January 2022: Germany should arm Ukraine to atone for Nazi crimes, ambassador says (Kiev is neither completely wrong nor completely right, especially since there are a whole lot of shades of gray between black and white, which is why even experts can come to quite controversial or diametrically opposing assessments. It’s always a question of perspective. That Ukraine has now come to this assessment and reaches for every straw is understandable in view of the threat posed by Putin’s hordes. Whether or not the argument will work is of course an entirely different question. In the interests of common security in the EU, however, it is correct that the delivery of defensive weapons should have taken place a long time ago. Nord Stream 2 is one thing, territorial integrity something else and much higher in importance. One cannot gild the butt of the war criminal Putin on the one hand and leave his victims out in the cold. Where is the “values-led foreign policy approach” or does it take a vacation on certain issues?: Germany–Ukraine relations, Reichskommissariat Ukraine, Ukraine during World War II, War in Donbas, Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. At the same time, nobody should be fooled. The Scholz administratio (Putin’s 5th column shows in the first test that neither the EU nor the USA can rely on them, but instead waits subservient for the orders and instructions from the miniature dictator from Moscow. Anyone who acts so completely irresponsibly instead of taking a clear and unambiguous position in favor of Ukraine poses an intentional danger for the European project. If this comes from the leadership of Europe’s largest economy, then it even actually poses a serious security threat to Europe) will pursue the same appeasement strategy towards Putin’s dictatorship as Neville Chamberlain did towards Hitler (and at the same time inadvertently allowing states friendly to Ukraine to bring in weapons and materials to increase resistance to Russian aggressions). In addition, there is shockingly strong sympathy among the German public for Putin’s regime, stronger than for the democratic USA. It was the USA who brought Germany freedom, democracy and prosperity and Russia the exact opposite. After all, economic interests also play a major role. The “Eastern Committee of the German Economy” is a lobby association to which, among other things, the largest German stock corporations belong. From there, business contacts to Eastern Europe, among others, are strengthened and maintained. They are largely indifferent to the rule of law and territorial integrity. As long as they can conduct their business, the despot Putin can do what he wants from their point of view. If that means that entire states lose their freedom, so that the dwarf with the Napoleon complex from the Kremlin can advance his great power fantasies (even the Soviet Union 2.0 will never become a world power again), then that’s how it should be. The problem with this is not only that the association sees the world this way, but above all that it can enforce this world view due to economic power. This also applies to dealing with the procedures of the Communist Party dictatorship in China), Politico.eu, 10 January 2022: Russia downplays Ukraine invasion, but US makes no concessions, The Times, 10 January 2022: US dodges Russian demands for Nato curbs on eve of Ukraine talks, CNN, 10 January 2022: US: No breakthrough in ‘frank and forthright’ talks with Russia over Ukraine crisis (absolutely right. Putin is not interested in negotiations, otherwise he would have turned up with negotiating options instead of the comic that he presented instead. Putin’s Russia, an economic dwarf (or a “gas station with nuclear weapons”), has exactly three significant export items on offer, namely oil, natural gas and war crimes. He does not want to deliver the first two to Ukraine; he has been supplying the latter since 2014. Now he wants to increase the “export quota” by sending more mercenaries to Ukraine. The fact that he is only negotiating with the USA is understandable and logical. Through permanent, military self-dwarfing, the EU has made itself an international laughing stock. So there is not a single comprehensible or reasonable reason why one should waste time negotiating with such a bunch of wimps about war and peace in Europe. You simply force a solution uplon them that they can’t defend themselves against because they don’t want it anyway (the Roman Empire already ceased to exist because it disarmed itself, had forgotten how to fight and defend itself and thus invited opponents to attack). Instead, they wave the white flag before the actual battle), The Times, 10 January 2022: Russia rejects US plea to withdraw border troops, The National, 10 January 2022: US and Russia share ideas but little progress after key Ukraine talks, The Guardian, 10 January 2022: Ukraine: US-Russia talks ‘useful’ but no progress made (Kim Jong-un was able to enforce his wish to talk to Trump. Now Putin was able to get his way with Biden. Nothing came of this with the former and it is to be expected that the same will be the case for the latter), Al Arabiya, 10 January 2022: Two Ukraine soldiers killed as tensions with Russia soar, The Guardian, 10 January 2022: ‘It’s our house’ Mood in Kyiv calm despite threat of Russian attack, BBC, 10 January 2022: Russia downplays threat to Ukraine in Geneva talks, France24, 10 January 2022: No breakthrough in Russia-US talks on troop build-up near Ukraine, The New York Times, 10 January 2022: Russia has begun positioning helicopters, a possible sign that planning for an attack against Ukraine continues., NPR, 10 January 2022: Russia digs in on Ukraine never joining NATO, on a day of talks with the U.S., The Hill, 10 January 2022: US looks to ward off Ukraine conflict in talks with Russia, The New York Times, 10 January 2022: In Talks on Ukraine, U.S. and Russia Deadlock Over NATO Expansion, The Times, 11 January 2022: Moscow rejects US plea to withdraw border troops, Reuters, 11 January 2022: Germany’s chancellor must show leadership on Russia – Ukraine envoy (in fact, Ukraine has had a so-called “accession perspective” for quite a while. So the key to joining NATO lies entirely with Ukraine itself, which must first meet the entry requirements. However, it is still very far from that, among other things because reforms are being unnecessarily delayed and sub-issues such as corruption have deteriorated instead of improving. The Ukrainian government cannot delegate the responsibility of “putting things in order”, but has to take it on itself if one day, from the accession perspective, an actual accession is to become. The hurdles for membership in the EU are even higher. The sooner the Ukrainian government starts working on it, the sooner accession can take place. To insist that Russia’s German gas customers should pay Ukraine 2 billion euros annually for doing nothing is either pure provocation or pure cheek. Definitely to be rejected in both cases. In addition, the ambassador should think about how Ukraine will raise the 9.5 billion euros (or half the amount for the EU companies involved) to compensate the Nord Stream 2 consortium in the event that the pipeline should not go into operation), Khaleej Times, 11 January 2022: Ukraine welcomes ‘efforts’ by West, Russia to ease tensions, Politico.eu, 12 January 2022: NATO, Russia in a standoff after talks in Brussels, The Times, 12 January 2022: Neutrality won’t protect Ukraine from Putin, The Guardian, 12 January 2022: ‘Europe is sidelined’: Russia meets US in Geneva and Nato in Brussels:, CNN, 12 January 2022: Putin’s next move could hinge on high-stakes NATO talks, DW, 12 January 2022: NATO open to more talks with Russia amid Ukraine tensions, The Guardian, 12 January 2022: Ukraine Nato chief warns of ‘real risk of conflict’ as talks with Russia end, DW, 12 January 2022: Russian gas boost fuels Moscow’s China pivot (China is paying half the amount of what the EU is paying, bringing down the profits for Russia to zero, profits that are needed to fund Russia’s state budget), The New York Times, 12 January 2022: NATO and Russia Talk Frankly, but Past One Another for Now, NPR, 12 January 2022: 4 things Russia wants right now, DW, 13 January 2022: Jens Stoltenberg: NATO will never compromise on core principles for European security, NPR, 13 January 2022: U.S. is ‘fully prepared’ if Russia invades Ukraine, secretary of state says, Politico.com, 14 January 2022: U.S. intel suggests Russia is planning a false-flag operation, DW, 14 January 2022: Russia wants quick US response on Ukraine security proposals, France24, 14 January 2022: ‘Be afraid’: Cyberattack targets Ukraine as Russia moves more troops, DW, 14 January 2022: Ukraine government websites hacked in ‘global attack’, Politico.eu, 14 January 2022: EU races to help Ukraine fight cyberattack, CNN, 14 January 2022: Russia plotting ‘false-flag’ operation to justify invasion, BBC, 14 January 2022: US warns of Russian ‘false-flag’ Ukraine operation (it was a false-flag operation right from the start, by annexing Crimea and starting a war in the east of Ukraine under false Russian statements, assumptions, allegations, historical revisionism and attempts to reverse guilt. The current push is just a continuation of massive breaches of international law), The Guardian, 14 January 2022: Russia: US claims Moscow planning ‘false-flag’ operation to justify Ukraine invasion, Politico.com, 14 January 2022: U.S. intel suggests Russia is planning a false-flag operation, The National, 15 January 2022: EU unimpressed by Kremlin ‘intimidation’ over Ukraine, The Times, 15 January 2022: Russia plans ‘false-flag’ operation in Ukraine after presumed cyberattack, The Guardian, 15 January 2022: Ukraine: UK defence minister warns of ‘consequences’ if Russia invades, CNN, 15 January 2022: Putin presents a profound threat to peace in Europe as ‘drumbeat of war’ sounds on Russia-Ukraine border, France24, 15 January 2022: US says Russia is planning a ‘false-flag operation’ to justify invading Ukraine, Gulf Times, 15 January 2022: US ‘talks to energy firms’ over EU gas supply in case of Russia-Ukraine conflict, Politico.com, 16 January 2022: The Unorthodox Weapon We Need to Defend Democracy, CNN, 16 January 2022: Top Republican: US is in new cold war with Russia, Politico.com, 16 January 2022: Romney: Putin can’t be allowed to rebuild the Soviet Union, The New York Times, 16 January 2022: Ukraine Doesn’t Need the West to Defend It. We Need Help Preparing for War., The Hill, 16 January 2022: Russia cannot ‘tolerate’ NATO’s ‘gradual invasion’ of Ukraine, Putin spokesman says (these days one has to ask oneself more often what drugs the war criminals from Moscow are taking in order to come up with such obvious distortions of the truth and lies), The Washington Post, 16 January 2022: Even if Putin doesn’t seize all of Ukraine, he has a larger strategy. The U.S. needs one, too., Israel Hayom, 16 January 2022: Russia is running out of time to invade Ukraine, Irish Times, 16 January 2022: The Irish Times view on European defence: impetus for ‘Strategic Compass’ sought (the EU has incredible potential, but at the same time is far from realizing it. In view of Putin’s continued aggression against Ukraine, but also against Poland, the Baltic States, Sweden and Finland, this becomes particularly clear again. In this case, this has to do with the military self-districting of the EU states, which are individually defenseless against Russia, but also with the fact that the EU, as a result of a lack of foresight, is ignorant of the importance of security policy (security policy takes effect when nothing else does. Fair-weather politicians consistently ignore this aspect until it is too late) and, guided by short-sighted, mostly rather dull nationalism, has decreed military impotence. All serious mistakes. For years this blog has also been pointing out the consequences, but a simple “you see, I’ve been telling you for years!” of course doesn’t do the trick right now. As in many other cases, it would have been nicer to have been taught something else instead of being confronted with what was already to be expected. In order to be better positioned in the future, one first has to look at the “misconstructions” of western political systems in order to be able to understand why the EU fails time and time again and is therefore completely ignored when it comes to existential security issues (even if one tries to cushion this with a cosmetic-diplomatic concealer so that the credibility of the EU is not damaged even further internationally than the state decision-makers are already doing). By far the biggest problem is that state leaders do not pursue medium and long-term strategies, but think in terms of election periods. That may be logical and correct in and of itself, but it always deals a blow to the EU’s viability, especially since the leaders are committed to their own state, but not to the same extent to the EU. Unlike politicians, constructs like the EU thrive on medium- and long-term development strategies, which are in general supported by the large party blocs in the center, even if there are different views on the details. If politician X in EU state Y now makes decision Z for tactical reasons, which may seem sensible for partisan reasons, he simultaneously undermines the medium and long-term prospects of the EU. It is particularly explosive when it comes to politicians and parties who have little or nothing to do with the rule of law and democracy, but instead have a lot of sympathy for senseless, small-minded nationalism (about the dull nationalism that has prevailed over the centuries repeatedly led to devastating wars in Europe, the EU and its predecessor organizations were once founded). At first glance, they are only dwarfing their own EU states, which at least has some ironic aspects. Instead of “restoring their great, heroic nations” to their supposed “old glory”, they achieve the exact opposite: they isolate their allotments, devalue them, diminish their future prospects and thus look more like break clowns than serious EU member states. Unfortunately, it does not stop there, but also has a negative impact on the EU. The weaker the individual EU states are or become, the weaker the EU itself becomes. However, the EU and its member states will only be fit for the future and able to survive if the EU is perceived as a strong, unified, united community, which is currently the case almost exclusively in economic terms. In many other areas, a lot of improvements have to be made in order to be able to keep up at all. The EU likes to see itself in the role of a “soft power”. In times like the present, this is a romantic-sentimental idea, albeit a partially understandable one, but it simply does not meet the actual challenges. No one needs a “soft power” when at the same time a “hard power” is holding a pistol to their head, while pulling the safety pin of a hand grenade. The EU must be both and be able to do both at the same time in order to be fit for the future and capable of surviving. Of course, this only works with extensive inner unity. If a “downsize” should first be necessary for the EU to become fully capable of acting again, then this should be pushed accordingly, in order to build an “EU 2.0” around the founding states, while at the same time “EU 1.0” is rolled back and terminated. After all, it makes no sense to work on a construct that is only supported by some of the members, while another part is only member to tap into funds and at the same time work massively against the success of the EU. The latter can also do this outside the EU, but would not be rewarded with massive financial aid from Brussels for their subversive and destructive activities), DW, 17 January 2022: Alexei Navalny says he has ‘no regrets’ 1 year since arrest, The Times, 17 January 2022: Life on the Ukrainian border: ‘Trenches. The cold. That’s our reality’, The Guardian, 17 January 2022: Ukraine: Russia would pay ‘high price’ for attack, says German minister, DW, 17 January 2022: Germany’s Baerbock visits Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia, The Economist, 17 January 2022: As war looms larger, what are Russia’s military options in Ukraine?, The National, 17 January 2022: UK pledges troops to provide training and extra weapons to Ukraine, Foreign Policy, 17 January 2022: Will Russia Attack Ukraine?, The National, 17 January 2022: Germany vows to do everything in its power to guarantee Ukraine’s safety, CNN, 17 January 2022: Putin is pushing the West’s red lines. And China is watching, The New York Times, 17 January 2022: Russia Thins Out Its Embassy in Ukraine, a Possible Clue to Putin’s Next Move, The Times, 18 January 2022: West drops threat to expel Russian banks over Ukraine, CNN, 18 January 2022: US weighs more military support for Ukraine to resist Russia if it invades, Politico.eu, 18 January 2022: Scholz: Germany will discuss Nord Stream 2 penalties if Russia attacks Ukraine, The Times, 18 January 2022: British anti-tank weapons sent to defend Ukraine, Politico.eu, 18 January 2022: Germany’s Baerbock faces down top Russian diplomat Lavrov in Moscow, CNN, 18 January 2022: Putin and Biden are caught in a high-stakes gamble over Ukraine, The Guardian, 18 January 2022: Ukraine crisis: Nato invites Russia for fresh talks on Europe, Al Arabiya, 18 January 2022: US warns Belarus over role in aiding potential Russia invasion of Ukraine, DW, 18 January 2022: Russia sanctions: How to punish Moscow over Ukraine threat?, The Washington Post, 18 January 2022: Russian troop movements have some U.S. officials fearing the worst, The New York Times, 18 January 2022: Putin to Ukraine: ‘Marry Me or I’ll Kill You’, Jerusalem Post, 19 January 2022: Iran sees ties with Russia as ‘new Middle East’, Politico.com, 19 January 2022: Allies wait on U.S. approval to arm Ukraine as invasion worries mount, CNN, 19 January 2022: Biden predicts Russia ‘will move in’ to Ukraine, but says ‘minor incursion’ may prompt discussion over consequences, The Guardian, 19 January 2022: ‘We don’t like dictators here’: Fear and defiance on Ukraine’s frontline, France24, 19 January 2022: Biden warns of ‘disaster for Russia’ if Putin invades Ukraine, CNN, 19 January 2022: Ukraine warns Russia has ‘almost completed’ build-up of forces near border, France24, 19 January 2022: Blinken pledges US military aid on visit to Kyiv amid fears of Russian invasion, Politico.eu, 19 January 2022: Blinken defends Ukraine’s ‘democratic and European path’, The New York Times, 19 January 2022: Russia and Iran Put on a Show of Unity — Against the U.S., France24, 19 January 2022: ‘Ready to defend our values’: Tensions rise in Sweden’s Gotland amid Russian threat, The New York Times, 19 January 2022: Biden Says He Expects Putin Will Order Ukraine Invasion, The Washington Post, 19 January 2022: Biden predicts Putin will ‘move in’ to Ukraine but will regret it, DW, 19 January 2022: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine (Dear Ukrainians, I can only apologize for this irresponsible federal government. I didn’t voted for the Putin fan club SPD, but have to live with their unbelievable decisions as well. Fortunately, there are responsible governments that will provide you with the equipment you need to successfully resist Putin’s aggression), NPR, 19 January 2022: Thousands of Ukrainians are training to protect their cities in case Russia invades, DW, 19 January 2022: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine, BBC, 20 January 2022: Biden believes Putin will ‘move in’ on Ukraine, Politico.eu, 20 January 2022: Despite Biden and Macron, Western allies remain united against Russia , The Guardian, 20 January 2022: Ukraine: Joe Biden thinks Russia will attack – but will face a ‘stiff price’, The Times, 20 January 2022: Russian troops move closer to Ukraine border, Politico.com, 20 January 2022: Senators wrestle with Russia sanctions as Ukraine crisis deepens, CNN, 20 January 2022: Tensions are high on Ukraine’s border with Russia. Here’s what you need to know, The Hill, 20 January 2022: Biden’s remarks on Russia should worry Ukraine, The New York Times, 20 January 2022: On Ukraine, Biden Flusters European Allies by Stating the Obvious, France24, 20 January 2022: Is the Ukrainian military really a David against the Russian Goliath?, The Washington Post, 20 January 2022: U.S., European officials hold crisis talks as Ukraine standoff intensifies, The National, 21 January 2022: Russia ‘must choose diplomacy or conflict’ Blinken tells Lavrov in ‘frank’ Ukraine talks, Politico.com, 21 January 2022: Baltic states step up in arming Ukraine against potential Russian incursion, The Guardian, 21 January 2022: Ukraine: Russia and US to meet in Geneva fears of war grow, The Hill, 21 January 2022: NATO members scramble to support Ukraine amid Russian threat, The National, 21 January 2022: UK tells allies to cut economic dependence on Russia and ‘step up’ in support of Ukraine, Politico.com, 21 January 2022: The Russia Sanctions That Could Actually Stop Putin, CNN, 21 January 2022: Photos from Ukraine’s front lines, where soldiers brace for possible attack (meanwhile there are unconfirmed press reports that even in Russia there are people who are not willing to die for Putin’s madness. It is still unclear how large the group of people is and whether they even exist. It can also be fake news, especially since it is known that opposition figures in Russia are locked up in gulags and tortured to death there), The Times, 22 January 2022: ‘Ukrainians are ready to tear apart Russians with their bare hands’, BBC, 22 January 2022: US ‘lethal aid’ sent to Ukraine amid Russia tensions, The Guardian, 22 January 2022: On the Ukraine frontline: ‘We are ready for whatever comes’, CNN, 22 January 2022: On the front lines, Ukrainians brace for possible attack, BBC, 22 January 2022: Do Ukrainians and Russians think war is possible?, The Hill, 22 January 2022: British government: Kremlin looking to install pro-Russian leader in Ukraine, Foreign Policy, 22 January 2022: A Russia-Ukraine War Could Ripple Across Africa and Asia, NPR, 22 January 2022: Britain says Russia is planning to install a pro-Moscow leader in Ukraine, The Sunday Times, 23 January 2022: Fears mount Russia will weaponise gas supplies, DW, 23 January 2022: UK warns of Russian ‘plot’ to replace Ukraine government, Khaleej Times, 23 January 2022: Ukraine to target Russian influence after UK warns of plot, The New York Times, 23 January 2022: U.S. Orders Family Members of Embassy Staff to Leave Ukraine, The National, 23 January 2022: UK deputy prime minister warns Ukraine of ‘very significant’ Russia invasion threat, Haaretz, 23 January 2022: Why Is Germany Appeasing Putin on Ukraine?, France24, 23 January 2022: ‘We’re at war’: The ‘Lithuanian Elves’ who take on Russian trolls online, CNN, 23 January 2022: Biden hears options for US troops near Ukraine, BBC, 23 January 2022: Russia-Ukraine tensions: UK warns of plot to install pro-Moscow ally, The Hill, 23 January 2022: US orders families of embassy staff in Ukraine to leave country, The New York Times, 23 January 2022: Biden Weighs Deploying Thousands of Troops to Eastern Europe and Baltics, Politico.com, 23 January 2022: U.S. orders diplomats’ families to leave Ukraine, urges Americans to depart, The Washington Post, 23 January 2022: U.S. threatens use of novel export control against Russia, The Hill, 23 January 2022: US threatens sweeping export controls against Russian industries, The New Yorker, 23 January 2022: Putin, Ukraine, and the Preservation of Power, Wall Street Journal, 23 January 2022: Is Germany a Reliable American Ally? Nein, NPR, 23 January 2022: Who is Yevheniy Murayev, the man the U.K. says Russia wants to install in Ukraine?, The Guardian, 23 January 2022: Russia: Ukraine taking UK claim of invasion plot seriously, says adviser, BBC, 24 January 2022: Ukraine: US orders families of embassy staff to leave, Politico.eu, 24 January 2022: Forget NATO, Ukraine must refocus on the EU, The National, 24 January 2022: Nato deploys added military assets to eastern Europe amid Russia tensions, Politico.eu, 24 January 2022: Germany vows financial aid for Ukraine after diplomatic row, CNN, 24 January 2022: US places up to 8,500 troops on alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe amid Russia tensions, Al Arabiya, 24 January 2022: NATO outlines ‘deterrence’ plan as tensions with Russia soar, CNN, 24 January 2022: Russian naval exercises off Ireland’s coast ‘not welcome,’ says Foreign Minister, Politico.eu, 24 January 2022: EU to weigh €1B aid package for Ukraine, CNN, 24 January 2022: NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine crisis, The Guardian, 24 January 2022: A measure of autonomy in eastern Ukraine is the only way out of this crisis, The Times, 24 January 2022: Kiev puppet is a part of Putin’s toolkit, warns US, DW, 24 January 2022: Ukraine-Russia crisis: EU foreign ministers meet to coordinate strategy with US, CNN, 24 January 2022: US preparing to bolster troops in Eastern Europe, sources say, DW, 24 January 2022: What would a Russian invasion of Ukraine trigger for the EU?, The Guardian, 24 January 2022: Ukraine: Nato reinforces eastern borders as tensions mount, The Hill, 24 January 2022: Biden touts ‘total unanimity’ with European leaders after call on Russia-Ukraine, DW, 24 January 2022: Germany seeks mediating role as Ukraine tensions rise, The Hill, 24 January 2022: Pentagon puts 8,500 troops on higher alert over Russia-Ukraine tensions, The Washington Post, 24 January 2022: U.S. puts 8,500 troops on heightened alert as Russia masses troops on Ukraine border, The New York Times, 24 January 2022: NATO is sending more jets and ships to Eastern Europe, signaling growing fears of a potential Russian threat., The Times, 25 January 2022: PM threatens Putin with ‘toughest sanctions ever’ (and how could it look like? “No more fish & chips for naughty, little Vladimir!” ?!?), Politico.eu, 25 January 2022: Good work, Volodya! Putin resurrects NATO, The New YOrk Times, 25 January 2022: Where Is Germany in the Ukraine Standoff? Its Allies Wonder., CNN, 25 January 2022: How Putin’s $11 billion pipeline split NATO and the EU at a time of crisis, The Guardian, 25 January 2022: Has the west fallen for Putin’s tricks in Ukraine?, CNN, 25 January 2022: The view in Moscow, France24, 25 January 2022: Macron says Europe is preparing ‘common response’ in case of Russian aggression, BBC, 25 January 2022: Ukraine: How will we know if war has started?, France24, 25 January 2022: Russia launches new military drills near Ukraine, in annexed Crimea (at the end of the day, Putin can try whatever he wants, but he can completely forget about dreams of returning to the world stage as a world power. That won’t work anymore. Russia is a military power, but the democratic and, above all, economic substructure is completely missing to become a world power. The latter in particular is unavailable for the country. With two times as many inhabitants and a much larger factor in land area, the country generates just half of Germany’s GDP. So Russia’s Pinky and the Brain can fantasize as much as they want, but their world power fantasies always fail colossally – just like in the comics. For Europe, this means that, years after Putin has disappeared, the country may again become a reasonably reliable partner or remain what it already is, namely Europe’s Iran with its proxy and state terrorists stationed in large quantities in all Eastern European countries, but also in in the West), The New York Times, 25 January 2022: Germany Wavers in the Ukraine Standoff, Worrying Its Allies, The Washington Post, 25 January 2022: U.S. steps up arms shipments to Ukraine, The Hill, 25 January 2022: US shipment of military equipment, munitions arrives in Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 25 January 2022: U.S., NATO step up war footing in crisis over possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, DW, 25 January 2022: Ukraine: Joe Biden says US could sanction Vladimir Putin, The Hill, 25 January 2022: Biden says no American forces moving into Ukraine, The National, 26 January 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine could come by mid-February, US diplomat says, Wall Street Journal, 26 January 2022: Germany Slips Away From the Western Alliance, Khaleej Times, 26 January 2022: Russia issues arrest warrant for Navalny’s brother, The National, 26 January 2022: Ukraine talks held in France as Moscow warns on demands, Irish Times, 26 January 2022: Fishing group to meet Russian ambassador over naval drills, Politico.eu, 26 January 2022: Irish want Russia to cancel offshore war games in ‘Europe’s blind spot’, Irish Times, 26 January 2022: Russian warship flotilla spotted off Norway ‘probably’ bound for Irish coast, Politico.com, 26 January 2022: U.S. delivers written response to Russian demands amid Ukraine crisis, Al Arabiya, 26 January 2022: Germany offers Ukraine helmets, Kyiv’s Klitschko ‘speechless’, The Guardian, 26 January 2022: Why are Germany and France at odds with the Anglosphere over how to handle Russia?, Politico.com, 26 January 2022: Will There Be a War Over Ukraine? 13 Putin Watchers Weigh In, The Times, 26 January 2022: When Kiev wants guns, Berlin sends helmets, The Guardian, 26 January 2022: Germany: Offer of 5,000 helmets is ‘joke’, says Vitali Klitschko, Politico.eu, 26 January 2022: Putin’s meeting with Italian business leaders turns into political battlefield, The Times, 26 January 2022: Xi denies asking Putin to delay invasion until after Olympics, The Guardian, 26 January 2022: Ukraine: US responds to Russian demands as talks held in Paris, France24, 26 January 2022: US rejects Russian demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, CNN, 26 January 2022: What is SWIFT and why it might be the weapon Russia fears most, France24, 26 January 2022: US, NATO respond to Russian demands, as Paris hosts talks on Ukraine crisis, DW, 26 January 2022: What is the ‘Normandy Format’ for resolving the crisis in Ukraine?, NPR, 26 January 2022: The U.S. says it will stand firm against major Russian demands as tension rises, The Washington Post, 26 January 2022: Encircling Ukraine, Russia showcases its new military prowess, Jerusalem Post, 27 January 2022: Germany charges Russian suspected of space tech espionage (how else could poor by any measure Russia obtain first world technologies?), Politico.eu, 27 January 2022: German prosecutors say university researcher passed rocket secrets to Russia, The Times, 27 January 2022: Russian scientist charged with spying on German rocket technology, Haaretz, 27 January 2022: Putin’s March of Folly in Ukraine, Irish Times, 27 January 2022: Russian naval manoeuvres reveal Irish neutrality is untenable, Politico.com, 27 January 2022: Nuclear fears mount as Ukraine crisis deepens, The Times, 27 January 2022: Russian mercenaries target another African nation, The New Yorker, 27 January 2022: What Makes Putin Fear Ukraine?, The Guardian, 27 January 2022: Ukraine crisis: Russia remains open but ‘not optimistic’ over talks, CNN, 27 January 2022: Russian gas shutdown would be ‘catastrophic’ for Europe, France24, 27 January 2022: Ukraine welcomes February talks but says Russia won’t stop efforts to destabilise, Foreign Policy, 27 January 2022: Is Defending Ukraine Vital to U.S. Security?, The National, 28 January 2022: Russia claims ‘rational elements’ of US peace proposals pave way for talks, CNN, 28 January 2022: What would war look like?, Politico.eu, 28 January 2022: Ex-German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder mocked for Ukraine comments (“Putin’s gas man” is a textbook example of a corrupt politician whose bank account is apparently far more important to him than the interests of his home country, without which he would never have become chancellor. In retrospect it would obviously have been better if this had not happened. However, it is hardly less disturbing that a large number of German politicians and business leaders are still listening to him), BBC, 28 January 2022: Ukraine crisis: Putin’s geopolitical jigsaw, Politico.eu, 28 January 2022: German industry bosses to meet with Putin this year (they beg for an audience with the war criminal), France24, 28 January 2022: US calls Security Council meeting over Ukraine, steps up pipeline warnings alongside Germany, Politico.com, 28 January 2022: Biden admin blocks military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns (interesting, right? While the Biden administration is freezing military aid to Egypt because of massive violations of human rights, Germany has arms deals worth billions with the regime and thinks that it’s a really good idea At the same time, the Scholz administration is undermining Ukraine’s right to self-defense against the war criminal and state terrorist Putin and his hordes by banning the sale of defensive weapons, and thinks that’s a really good idea, too. Apparently not only the Putin regime is at war with Western values), Politico.eu, 28 January 2022: ‘If a war starts, they will come here first’: Latvia mounts a wary border watch, The National, 28 January 2022: Putin tells Macron the West has not addressed Russia’s security concerns, The Times, 28 January 2022: Gas supplies from the Gulf may come with a catch, Politico.eu, 28 January 2022: Ukrainian president downplays US assessment of imminent invasion, The Times, 28 January 2022: Germany: conflict leaves Europe’s ‘good cop’ at the crossroads (the German government is not a “good cop” but a bunch of Putin fans who, out of cowardice, refrain from selling defensive weapons to Ukraine), Irish Times, 28 January 2022: Russia says security impasse remains as Ukraine decries ‘panic’ over war fears, The Times, 28 January 2022: How Russia’s military forged a path to the forefront of warfare, CNN, 28 January 2022: Ukraine official: Biden’s call with President ‘did not go well’, The Hill, 28 January 2022: Belarusian president vows war if Russia, Belarus attacked, The Guardian, 28 January 2022: Ukraine: Putin accuses Nato of ignoring Russia’s concerns as crisis simmers (*hahaha* he and his state terrorists are threatening Ukraine for years, but it’s Russia that has security concerns), CNN, 28 January 2022: Ukraine’s president: Tone down the rhetoric, The Hill, 28 January 2022: Biden says he’ll send troops to Eastern Europe in ‘near term’, The Washington Post, 28 January 2022: Putin’s case for invading Ukraine rests on phony grievances and ancient myths, Foreign Policy, 28 January 2022: Russia Can Win in Ukraine Without Firing a Shot, The Economist, 29 January 2022: What are Vladimir Putin’s military intentions in Ukraine?, The National, 29 January 2022: France and Germany send envoys to help ease Ukraine-Russia border tensions, The Economist, 29 January 2022: Russia’s roulette: A war in Ukraine could have global consequences, Irish Times, 29 January 2022: Russia moves naval exercises outside Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone, CNN, 29 January 2022: EU chief tells CNN ‘nothing off table’ in response to Russia, The Times, 29 January 2022: The fortunes of Russia’s megarich are safe as houses in Londongrad, CNN, 29 January 2022: How war in Ukraine could disrupt the world, The New York Times, 29 January 2022: U.S. Sanctions Aimed at Russia Could Take a Wide Toll, The Hill, 29 January 2022: US targets Russian disinformation in bid to defend Ukraine, DW, 29 January 2022: NATO’s on notice in Ukraine crisis: What’s next?, The New York Times, 29 January 2022: Putin Has Long Tried to Balance Europe. Now He’s Working to Reset It., The Hill, 29 January 2022: UK’s Johnson says he’s ordered armed forces to prepare for deployment next week amid Ukraine tensions, The National, 30 January 2022: Nato says military aid to Ukraine will not include combat troops, The Guardian, 30 January 2022: Ghosts of Germany’s past rise as Olaf Scholz seeks strategy for Ukraine, The National, 30 January 2022: US offers Russia ‘diplomatic way out’ of Ukraine invasion, The Guardian, 31 January 2022: Live: Ukraine crisis: UK considering further military deployments and ‘unprecedented’ sanctions, The Washington Post, 31 January 2022: Germany isn’t turning its back on NATO. It only looks that way., The National, 31 January 2022: Ukraine’s civilian militia trains to protect Kiev from Russia, The Guardian, 31 January 2022: Unlike Putin’s Russia, the west doesn’t know what it wants in eastern Europe, France24, 31 January 2022: Ukrainians cope with fake bomb threats as Moscow mounts hybrid war, The National, 31 January 2022: Russia behind ‘largest mobilisation of troops in Europe in decades’, says US, France24, 31 January 2022: Ukraine’s ordinary citizens train to fight in case of Russian invasion, DW, 31 January 2022: Russia, US face off over Ukraine at UN Security Council, Wall Street Journal, 1 February 2022: U.S., Allies Wonder if They Can Count on Germany in Russia-Ukraine Crisis, The National, 1 February 2022: Boris Johnson visits Ukraine to ‘galvanise support’, The Times, 1 February 2022: Putin accuses US of warmongering as Johnson visits Ukraine, The Guardian, 1 February 2022: Ukraine: Russian invasion would be a disaster, says Boris Johnson in Kyiv, BBC, 1 February 2022: Ukraine tensions: US trying to draw Russia into war says Putin (while in the real world Putin started his war against Ukraine already in 2014 and then there is this: Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, signed by Russia), The Guardian, 1 February 2022: Britain’s failure to tackle Russian dirty money has enabled Putin’s aggression, Los Angeles Times, 1 February 2022: Ukraine’s president may be our only hope, The New York Times, 1 February 2022: Putin Signals Openness to Diplomacy While Blaming U.S. for Crisis, The National, 1 February 2022: Why Germany isn’t turning its back on Nato (the current federal government is hoping to bring about a solution by appeasement of Putin and by dancing their names. Spoiler: It won’t work. International trust in the Scholz administration’s loyalty to the alliance has already eroded so much that no one seriously expects any serious support from Berlin. At the same time, of course, this also sends signals beyond Europe to Israel and what one can expect of “the security of Israel is German reason of state”. Should Israel need urgent military support, Berlin will send the country 5,000 orange juice presses, which it considers “a strong signal of solidarity with Israel” and will communicate it this way. After all, vitamin C is essential for life. Of course, the presses are delivered in sustainably produced jute bags so that the oranges can be transported home from the plantations. The bags are of course delivered with batik works by a well-known name dancer and peace movement participant to brighten up the grumpy mood a little), Los Angeles Times, 1 February 2022: Ukraine calls on the West to take tougher ‘prevention’ measures against Russia, Politico.eu, 2 February 2022: Europe is ready to pay the cost of Russia sanctions, The National, 2 February 2022: British MP warns on ‘worrying escalation’ behind Houthi UAE attacks, Politico.eu, 2 February 2022: Germany bans Russian broadcaster RT’s German-language channel, Arab News, 2 February 2022: US sending nearly 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe in coming days, Al Arabiya, 2 February 2022: Biden orders thousands of US troops to Eastern Europe over Russia threats, CNN, 2 February 2022: Long on rhetoric, short on revelations. What Putin’s Ukraine comments told us, Politico.com, 2 February 2022: U.S. deploys troops to Eastern Europe; thousands more on standby, CNN, 2 February 2022: Satellite images show Russian military buildup around Ukraine, BBC, 2 February 2022: US boosts troops in Europe amid Ukraine tensions, DW, 2 February 2022: A culture of torture and fear is rife in Russia’s prisons, France24, 2 February 2022: Russia to target German media in response to German ban on RT, DW, 2 February 2022: Russia’s RT channel blocked by German regulators, The Washington Post, 2 February 2022: Belarusian leader’s closer ties to Putin could sway Russia’s calculus on Ukraine, NPR, 2 February 2022: Biden shifts some 3,000 U.S. troops closer to Ukraine, Politico.com, 2 February 2022: Why the Donbass is the Key to Putin’s Gambit in Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 2 February 2022: Biden to send thousands more troops to Eastern Europe amid Ukraine crisis, The New York Times, 3 February 2022: Europe Thinks Putin Is Planning Something Even Worse Than War, The Washington Post, 3 February 2022: Russia tries to cast Western-backed Ukraine as aggressor, suggests disputed peace deal as path forward, DW, 3 February 2022: Russia shuts DW’s Moscow bureau, withdraws staff credentials (that was of course to be expected, especially since the Napoleon miniature edition (Homunculus) from the Kremlin has to try to give his lemmings, his fifth columns in the west, fanboys and -girls the impression as if the Russian state propaganda organ RT would be in some ways comparable with free media and press such as the Deutsche Welle. This is of course not the case, but this example also shows how little freedom and democracy the Russian population has to get by with. Russia has never been a beacon of democracy, but at least there was hope that a hybrid form could be established. These hopes have since been dashed. Instead, Russian dissidents are now talking about a “North Koreanization of Russia.” Even if there is still a long way to go before successful implementation, the path has been mapped out), Politico.eu, 3 February 2022: Kremlin bans Deutsche Welle from operating in Russia, The Guardian, 3 February 2022: Russia: Moscow to expel German broadcaster after RT banned in Germany, Al Arabiya, 3 February 2022: US intelligence: Russia may stage video to create pretext for Ukraine war, Politico.com, 3 February 2022: Why Conservatives Should Be Eager to Deter Putin on Ukraine, Politico.eu, 3 February 2022: NATO chief: Russian deployment in Belarus ‘biggest since Cold War’, The Times, 3 February 2022: 3,000 US troops won’t scare Putin, ex-Nato commander warns, Irish Times, 3 February 2022: Russian, US, French and UK warships spotted off south coast by Defence Forces, The Times, 3 February 2022: Putin and Xi form alliance to defeat sanctions over Ukraine, The Guardian, 3 February 2022: Ukraine: Russia plans ‘very graphic’ fake video as pretext for invasion, US claims, CNN, 3 February 2022: US accuses Russia of planning to use ‘graphic’ fake video to justify Ukraine invasion, DW, 3 February 2022: Ukraine: Fear of war on the border, The Atlantic, 3 February 2022: The Reason Putin Would Risk War, BBC, 3 February 2022: US accuses Russia of plotting fake invasion pretext, DW, 4 February 2022: Germany’s former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to join Gazprom board (that makes it easier at least, because now we can tell Gazprom in German where they can stick their Nord Stream 2 pipes), Politico.eu, 4 February 2022: Former German Chancellor Schröder nominated for Gazprom board, DW, 4 February 2022: Why Deutsche Welle is not the same as RT, The National, 4 February 2022: Amid crisis in Ukraine, Putin in Beijing praises China ties, Politico.eu, 4 February 2022: Russia, China call for halt to NATO enlargement (the demands are of course followed immediately by NATO, on the day on which Easter and Christmas are celebrated at the same time. If the world were a request concert, Russia and China would not be aggressor states and NATO wouldn’t be necessary. But since they are, NATO will need to continue to grow to protect its member states), The Times, 4 February 2022: ‘Few are ready to die for Putin and the motherland’, The Guardian, 4 February 2022: ‘Cold war ideology’: Xi and Putin urge Nato to rule out expansion as Ukraine tensions rise, CNN, 4 February 2022: Putin and Xi call for halt to NATO expansion during show of unity at Beijing Olympics, Der Spiegel, 4 February 2022: “We Really Have Other Problems”: What Do Russians Near the Border Think of a Possible Ukraine Invasion?, BBC, 4 February 2022: China joins Russia in opposing Nato expansion, France24, 4 February 2022: ‘NATO will not get involved militarily in Ukraine’, says alliance’s deputy chief, The New Yorker, 4 February 2022: How a City Close to the Ukraine-Russia Border Has Been Shaped by War, The National, 5 February 2022: UK and France agree to fight against ‘malicious Russian activity’, Arab News, 5 February 2022: Biden looks for a European anchor in Berlin, Al Arabia, 5 February 2022: First US reinforcement troops arrive in Poland, more expected, Jerusalem Post, 5 February 2022: Thousands rally proclaiming ‘Kharkiv is Ukraine’ in city near Russian border, Politico.com, 5 February 2022: Russian bombers fly over Belarus amid Ukraine tensions, France24, 5 February 2022: First US troops intended to reinforce NATO allies in Eastern Europe arrive in Poland, DW, 5 February 2022: Critical journalists in Russia fall silent, Politico.eu, 5 February 2022: Ukraine links arms with Turkey, Poland and UK as NATO membership remains distant, DW, 5 February 2022: Kyiv wants de-escalation, but also more weapons, CNN, 5 February 2022: Why Beijing won’t put its economy on the line to rescue Putin, The Washington Post, 5 February 2022: Russia could invade Ukraine within days, U.S. assessments find, The New York Times, 5 February 2022: U.S. Warns of Grim Toll if Putin Pursues Full Invasion of Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 6 February 2022: Scholz says Germany open to boosting troops in Baltics, The National, 6 February 2022: Russia could invade Ukraine ‘as soon as tomorrow’, US national security adviser says, Al Arabiya, 6 February 2022: US says Russia preparing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Jerusalem Post, 6 February 2022: 50,000 casualties, 5 million refugees expected if Russia invades Ukraine, Politico.com, 6 February 2022: Sorry, Mr. Putin. Ukraine and Russia are Not the Same Country., France24, 6 February 2022: US officials warn Russia is preparing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The New York Times, 6 February 2022: Ukraine Crisis Enters Critical Phase as Macron Seeks to Mediate, DW, 6 February 2022: How Russia is helping the US reassert its dominance in European security, CNN, 6 February 2022: New satellite images show advanced Russian military deployments in Belarus, DW, 6 February 2022: : Germany’s Olaf Scholz goes to Washington amid criticism, The New York Times, 6 February 2022: Germany’s “invisible” chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will meet President Biden amid criticism over Berlin’s Ukraine approach., DW, 6 February 2022: Why the EU needs Russian energy giant Gazprom, The Washington Post, 6 February 2022: Scholz says response to Russia will be ‘united and decisive’ if Ukraine is invaded, Politico.eu, 7 February 2022: UK to send 350 more troops to Polish border amid Russia tensions, Politico.com, 7 February 2022: Biden vows to shut down Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades, as U.S. and Germany pledge unity (after the press conference one can only feel even more ashamed of German politics. The only thing that comes to mind is “Oh, if only he had stayed silent”. At least that wouldn’t have made it worse. It would have been better if he had kept the wishy-washy stuff that the Chancellor said to himself and had not attended the press conference at all. Doesn’t give clear answers, evades questions, says something that has nothing to do with the questions at all and thus continues to play into Putin’s hands. Any student would have gotten a straight F for such a performance), Politico.eu, 7 February 2022: Olaf Scholz’s hard lessons in German leadership, France24, 7 February 2022: Watch live: Macron holds press conference with Putin in Moscow, Politico.eu, 7 February 2022: Germany to deploy 350 troops to Lithuania to try to reassure allies, BBC, 7 February 2022: World leaders in talks amid Ukraine invasion fear, CNN, 7 February 2022: Macron takes lead on Europe’s efforts to defuse crisis, Foreign Policy, 7 February 2022: The Gold Medal for Foreign Policy Goes to Germany, Politico.eu, 7 February 2022: Putin welcomes Macron into his lair, The Times, 7 February 2022: Former general Leonid Ivashov attacks Putin for ‘provoking war’, CNN, 7 February 2022: US and Germany still split on Russian pipeline, The Guardian, 7 February 2022: ‘Tanks, tanks, tanks’: Ukrainians on Russia’s military buildup at the border, The New York Times, 7 February 2022: Putin Warns the West and Ukraine, but Keeps His Intentions a Mystery, The Times, 7 February 2022: Britain will not flinch over Ukraine, says Johnson, DW, 7 February 2022: Biden promises no Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades Ukraine, The Washington Post, 7 February 2022: Biden vows to stop natural gas pipeline to Europe if Russia invades Ukraine, DW, 7 February 2022: Germany to send additional troops to Lithuania, The New York Times, 7 February 2022: A Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline project would not go forward if Moscow invades Ukraine, President Biden said., DW, 7 February 2022: Baerbock: Germany ‘ready to pay high economic price’ for Ukraine peace, CNN, 7 February 2022: Nord Stream 2 pipeline proves to be a sticking point in Biden and new German chancellor’s show of unity, The National, 8 February 2022: How Russia’s turn to Belarus changed Nato’s four-decade mindset, The New York Times, 8 February 2022: Europe Is on the Brink of War, and Germany Has Gone Missing, The Washington Post, 8 February 2022: Russia sends warships toward Black Sea as Europe ramps up Ukraine crisis diplomacy, DW, 8 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: ‘Our goal is to avoid a war in Europe,’ says Germany’s Scholz, CNN, 9 February 2022: What is the Minsk agreement and is it a way out of Ukraine crisis?, The Times, 9 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: Poles stand alone in military support if Russia invades, poll finds (of course, after all, the majority of Ukrainian refugees will end up in Poland if Putin invades further parts of Ukraine), Politico.com, 9 February 2022: Senators consider sanctions for cyberattacks on Ukraine, invasion or not, The Times, 9 February 2022: Russian landing ships gather off the coast of Ukraine, The New York Times, 9 February 2022: Finns Don’t Wish ‘Finlandization’ on Ukraine (or Anyone), The Guardian, 9 February 2022: Belarus: Military drills to begin as Russia ratchets up Ukraine tensions, The New York Times, 9 February 2022: Russia can seize control over Ukraine or keep strong economic ties to Europe. It will be hard to do both., The Washington Post, 9 February 2022: Fears of Ukraine invasion rise as top Russian commanders fly to Belarus for massive military drill, DW, 10 February 2022: NATO presence needed from Baltic to Black Sea, Latvian PM says, The New York Times, 11 February 2022: U.S. Says Russia Could Invade Ukraine at Any Time, DW, 11 February 2022: Biden urges Americans to leave Ukraine, The Washington Post, 11 February 2022: Ukraine crisis will test U.S. like no time since Cold War, DW, 11 February 2022: Talks on eastern Ukraine to resume in March, sources say, The Washington Post, 11 February 2022: Unsurprisingly, Russia is in another doping controversy, Los Angeles Times, 11 February 2022: U.S. says Russia could launch invasion of Ukraine within days, CNN, 11 February 2022: Ukrainians are wondering if their comedian-turned-president can handle the world stage, The Times, 11 February 2022: Explosions in the distance rattle nerves of Baltic states, Al Arabiya, 11 February 2022: US moves F-16 squadron from Germany to Romania as tension spikes over Ukraine, The New York Times, 11 February 2022: We Underestimated Putin Once. We Can’t Make That Mistake Again., The Times, 11 February 2022: Veterans of Kyiv rue the day they gave up their nuclear arsenal, The New Yorker, 11 February 2022: Who Blinks First in Ukraine?, Politico.com, 12 February 2022: How the West Gets Ukraine Wrong — and Helps Putin As a Result, BBC, 12 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: ‘We don’t have the option to leave’, France24, 12 February 2022: Satellite images show Russia adding military pressure on Ukraine, BBC, 12 February 2022: A dozen nations tell citizens: leave Ukraine now, The Atlantic, 12 February 2022: Why the West’s Diplomacy With Russia Keeps Failing, CNN, 12 February 2022: Russia has surrounded Ukraine on three sides. Here’s where an invasion could be launched, The Times, 12 February 2022: Defence secretary warns of ‘whiff of Munich’ in Ukraine, The Washington Post, 12 February 2022: Russia’s military move into Belarus poses risks to more than Ukraine, The Guardian, 13 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: Kyiv tells airlines to skirt Black Sea amid Russian drills; UK defence secretary cuts short holiday, DW, 14 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: What can the US expect from Germany? (how Olaf Scholz managed to gamble away so much international trust in such a short time is remarkable. It’s just unbelievable how he could stumble like that, and this after being world champ in crisis management Angela Merkel’s student and vice chancellor for years. It will take years to put things right again, quite independently from if Ukraine is joining NATO, which itself knows that it is far from being ready to meet the admission requirements and that the significantly higher EU access requirements are even harder fulfill. Overall, however, as after Afghanistan, the considerable weaknesses of the EU security and defense policy are becoming all too clear. Nevertheless, there are still incorrigible people who believe that they would do better on their own than in a group – they just won’t, but on the contrary, contribute to further self-dwarfing and the loss of importance of Europe on the world stage – self-chosen fate. However, the $1 million question over the next few years will also be how to bring Ukraine closer to the EU so that it can be included in the “Common Security and Defense Policy”. That will also depend on how the EU manages to set up a joint, active EU army to complement NATO. This step, which has been overdue for 20 years and is becoming ever more urgent in view of the mounting challenges, can no longer be ignored even by the simple-minded peace movement and name dancers. Neither Germany’s ever-increasing responsibility in the military defense of European interests against ongoing and escalating Russian aggression. Not to mention the challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. If Europe doesn’t want to be overwhelmed by crises all the time, it has no choice but to invest heavily in defense. Otherwise, Germany and Europe’s future prospects will crumble before our very eyes. There are, of course, those in Europe that would be only too happy to see this happen, but they also fell for Russian and Chinese state propaganda and see Putin and Xi Jinping as democrats suffering from military aggression from NATO. However, the simpletons cannot credibly explain why they didn’t finally move to Russia, China or Saudi Arabia, even though in their views everything is terrible in the democratic West. So Europe’s decision makers can completely ignore their voices and instead focus on securing the future of Europe), The National, 14 February 2022: Glimmer of hope in Ukraine talks as Scholz prepares for Moscow showdown, DW, 14 February 2022: Ukraine reaffirms desire to join NATO after envoy comments, The National, 14 February 2022: Ukraine to offer ‘many concessions’ to avert Russian invasion, Politico.eu, 14 February 2022: Scholz, Zelenskiy play down talk of NATO membership for Ukraine, DW, 14 February 2022: Germany’s Scholz holds crisis talks with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Arab News, 14 February 2022: German leader heads to Kyiv and Moscow to calm ‘critical’ Russia war threat, Politico.eu, 14 February 2022: On stage at the Kremlin: Putin and Lavrov’s de-escalation dance, Politico.com, 14 February 2022: The Lesson Stalin Could Teach Putin About Invading a Neighbor, The Times, 14 February 2022: Ukraine Crisis: How a Russian invasion could play out, The Guardian, 14 February 2022: Russia: Moscow sending thousands more troops to Ukraine border, BBC, 14 February 2022: Ukraine: How prepared is Russia for an attack?, France24, 14 February 2022: ‘Russia could take action in Ukraine as early as this week,’ Blinken says, The Times, 14 February 2022: Alexei Navalny faces ten years in prison ‘as world looks away’, France24, 14 February 2022: US plans to offer $1 bn in credit guarantees to Ukraine, NPR, 14 February 2022: German chancellor warns of far-reaching sanctions if Russia moves on Ukraine, The Washington Post, 14 February 2022: Inside the White House response to a potential Ukraine invasion, Politico.eu, 15 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine tensions could trigger market crash, says EU regulator, Politico.com, 15 February 2022: ‘Kill Your Commanding Officer’: On the Front Lines of Putin’s Digital War With Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 15 February 2022: London marine insurers add Russian, Ukrainian waters to high risk list, Politico.eu, 15 February 2022: Left without a voice, anti-war Russians pen open letters to Putin, Gulf Times, 15 February 2022: US offers USD 1 billion loan to support Ukrainian economy, Al Arabiya, 15 February 2022: US tells Russia it wants ‘verifiable, credible, meaningful de-escalation’, BBC, 15 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: Russian attack still a possibility – Biden (so far there is little evidence that Putin would actually withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border. Rather, it appears that he is merely moving the troops around and where Russian troops are actually withdrawn, they are replaced by the troops of his henchman, the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Irrespective of this, the Americans achieved a partial victory in the propaganda war here. The chances of success in a war are of course always influenced by the element of surprise, which the Russians have completely lost here, and which at the same time made it unmistakably clear to all the world that Putin is still the invader, assailant, attacker and aggressor against Ukraine. Unlike Europe and unlike 2014, this time the Americans did not let themselves be lulled or taken by surprise by the Russians, but instead literally put all the cards (satellite images, maps with troop deployments, etc.) on the table right from the start in order to make it clear from the beginning where Russian and Belarusian troops are located, in what strength and with what weapon systems. The Europeans, on the other hand, are sitting like rabbits in front of a snake, as they did in 2014, or have even fallen for Putin’s state propaganda in large numbers once again. Once again it becomes clear how little Europe is able to ensure its own security – self-chosen and self-inflicted. Without the US, Europe would once again be completely defenseless and helpless against Putin’s continued aggressions. For how much longer does Europe want to dwarf itself, expose itself to global ridicule and the unbelievable embarrassment that goes with it? How long will the decision-makers want to turn a blind eye to the absolute inability to implement a common security and defense policy without feeling the slightest shame before they finally act responsibly and take the necessary steps emphatically until an appropriate, common defense is in place?), France24, 15 February 2022: Live: Biden says Russian attack in Ukraine ‘still very much a possibility’, The National, 15 February 2022: Russia and Germany keep Ukraine peace talks alive after partial troop withdrawal, The Guardian, 15 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: Biden warns that Russia invasion ‘still very much a possibility’ – live, The Times, 15 February 2022: ‘No evidence’ of Russian troops withdrawing, Al Arabiya, 16 February 2022: Russia attack on Ukraine ‘still very much a possibility’: US President Biden, CNN, 16 February 2022: Biden to Russian citizens: “You are not our enemy”, Al Arabiya, 16 February 2022: NATO plans for new possible battlegroups in Europe amid Russia tensions: Stoltenberg, CNN, 16 February 2022: What’s happening in Ukraine right now? CNN reports, BBC, 16 February 2022: No sign of Russian de-escalation on ground – Nato, Irish Times, 16 February 2022: Biden to citizens of Russia -‘ You are not our enemy’, Al Arabiya, 16 February 2022: UK will double the number of troops in Estonia as part of NATO mission, CNN, 16 February 2022: Russian buildup continues, but insufficient for full-scale invasion, Ukrainian military intelligence says, The Times, 16 February 2022: UK scraps golden visas over Russian dirty money fears, Politico.eu, 16 February 2022: Von der Leyen: On Ukraine, EU is hopeful but ‘prepared for the worst’, BBC, 16 February 2022: We don’t see any troop withdrawal – Ukraine president, Politico.eu, 16 February 2022: NATO boss Stoltenberg says Russian threat is ‘new normal’, The Guardian, 16 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: Nato considering new battlegroups in eastern Europe after ‘no sign’ of Russian de-escalation, Politico.eu, 16 February 2022: War warnings and calls for unity: Just another day in Ukraine, The Times, 16 February 2022: Russia moving troops into ‘attack areas’, says minister, Politico.eu, 16 February 2022: Putin’s paradox: ‘Ukrainian’ separatists are Russian citizens, Foreign Policy, 16 February 2022: America’s Eyes in the Skies Over Ukraine, CNN, 17 February 2022: Blinken: ‘I am here today not to start a war, but to prevent one’, Politico.eu, 17 February 2022: UK scraps golden visas for foreign investors amid Russian money crackdown, CNN, 17 February 2022: US cranks up the information warfare against Putin, DW, 17 February 2022: Germany and Ukraine: Trade and aid, but no weapons, CNN, 17 February 2022: Western officials remain skeptical of Russia’s claims, DW, 17 February 2022: NATO fears Russia is seeking pretext to attack Ukraine, Politico.eu, 17 February 2022: EU unity is vexing Putin, Estonian prime minister says, Arab News, 17 February 2022: US says Russia is preparing pretext to invade Ukraine, Politico.eu, 17 February 2022: NATO has ‘seen’ Russian false-flag attempts in Ukraine, Stoltenberg says, BBC, 17 February 2022: Russia seeking excuse to invade Ukraine, US says, Al Arabiya, 17 February 2022: Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says pro-Russian forces shell kindergarten in ‘big provocation’, BBC, 17 February 2022: Satellite images show Russian activity near Ukraine, Politico.eu, 18 February 2022: West must brace for years of Putin pressure on Ukraine, Latvian PM says, The Washington Post, 18 February 2022: Ukraine’s Lviv becomes ‘western capital’ as some diplomats leave Kyiv, Politico.eu, 18 February 2022: Crimea: The peninsula poisoning relations between Russia and Ukraine, The Washington Post, 18 February 2022: Biden gathers Western allies amid reports of evacuations from separatist area, Politico.eu, 18 February 2022: Ukraine and West see false flags flying as pro-Russian separatists urge civilian evacuation, CNN, 18 February 2022: Russian-US diplomacy stalls, with a shelled Ukrainian kindergarten a stark reminder of the lives at stake, Politico.eu, 18 February 2022: Ukraine warns West: Don’t fall into Putin’s NATO trap, Foreign Policy, 18 February 2022: Biden: Putin Has Decided to Invade Ukraine, Irish Times, 18 February 2022: Ukraine accuses Moscow-led militia of stoking tension with mass evacuation order, The Times, 18 February 2022: Fears mount that Moscow is planning ‘false flag’ attack, Politico.eu, 18 February 2022: Alexander Lukashenko’s risky balancing act with Russia and Ukraine, BBC, 18 February 2022: Russia accused of staging fake crisis in east Ukraine, The Guardian, 18 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russian separatists order mass evacuation of east of country, CNN, 18 February 2022: CNN confronts ‘Europe’s last dictator’ over Russian military drills in Belarus, Al Arabiya, 18 February 2022: Russia has posted up to 190,000 personnel ‘in and near Ukraine’: US diplomat, The New Yorker, 18 February 2022: The Ukraine Transparency Initiative, Politico.eu, 18 February 2022: Ukraine and West see false flags flying as pro-Russian separatists urge civilian evacuation, Miami Herald, 18 February 2022: Russia is flexing its muscles in Latin America. How will Washington respond?, The New York Times, 18 February 2022: President Says Ukrainian Capital Will Be a Target, Foreign Policy, 18 February 2022: Russia Planning Post-Invasion Arrest and Assassination Campaign in Ukraine, U.S. Officials Say, Politico.com, 18 February 2022: Biden says he believes Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, The Economist, 18 February 2022: Why Russia has never accepted Ukrainian independence, CNN, 19 February 2022: Vladimir Putin has succeeded in uniting his opponents, France24, 19 February 2022: OSCE reports more than 1,500 ceasefire violations in a single day in Ukraine, CNN, 19 February 2022: Putin oversees nuclear drills near NATO borders, France24, 19 February 2022: West should stop ‘appeasement’ policy towards Russia, says Ukraine’s Zelensky, The Times, 19 February 2022: We should treat Putin as the gangland bully that he is (that is of course correct. On the other hand, of course, this always raises the question: Which lunatic will succeed Putin and will he (one can probably rule out that a woman will ever become President of Russia) be better for the international security situation or will it get even worse?), The Guardian, 19 February 2022: Live Ukraine: Nato moves staff out of Kyiv; UK foreign secretary says invasion could happen as soon as next week, Politico.eu, 19 February 2022: Boris Johnson calls on NATO to go global, The Times, 19 February 2022: West has appeased Putin for 15 years, says Ukrainian president, Politico.eu, 19 February 2022: Ukraine’s nuclear lesson: Don’t trust Russia’s security ‘guarantees’, DW, 19 February 2022: What’s behind Putin’s saber-rattling, NPR, 19 February 2022: A rebel in east Ukraine accused Kyiv of planning an attack. The U.S. says he’s lying, The New York Times, 19 February 2022: Putin’s Baseless Claims of Genocide in Ukraine Hint at More Than War, New York Magazine, 19 February 2022: Is Putin Sane?, The Economist, 19 February 2022: Whether he invades Ukraine or backs down, Putin has harmed Russia, Foreign Policy, 19 February 2022: Causing Crisis Works, The New York Times, 19 February 2022: Shelling Escalates in Eastern Ukraine as Thousands Flee, Fearing Attack, The Economist, 19 February 2022: Alexander Gabuev on why Vladimir Putin and his entourage want war, Los Angeles Times, 19 February 2022: Artillery fusillades from Russian-backed separatists set Ukraine’s east on edge, CNN, 19 February 2022: Why Donbas is at the heart of the Ukraine crisis, Politico.com, 20 February 2022: Finland’s president sees changes in Putin: ‘It was a different kind of behavior’, The Washington Post, 20 February 2022: Russian forces stay in Belarus, fueling Ukraine invasion fears, NPR, 20 February 2022: Putin and Macron discuss a cease-fire in Ukraine as shelling appears to escalate, Politico.com, 20 February 2022: Harris offers support for defiant Ukrainian president, Arab News, 20 February 2022: Russia extends troop drills; Ukraine appeals for cease-fire, The Guardian, 20 February 2022: Starmer: Russians hide cash in ‘soft touch’ UK, Politico.eu, 20 February 2022: Kremlin lashes out at Ukraine and NATO after call with Macron, CNN, 20 February 2022: CNN reporter describes the challenges of covering the conflict in Ukraine, BBC, 20 February 2022: Russia plans biggest war in Europe since 1945 – PM, The Guardian, 20 February 2022: Leave Putin in no doubt: Russia will be economically crippled – and he may be tried for war crimes, The New York Times, 20 February 2022: At the Munich Security Conference, Ukraine’s president accused his Western counterparts of appeasement., CNN, 20 February 2022: Roughly 75% of Russian conventional forces deployed against Ukraine, US official says, The New York Times, 20 February 2022: Bond Between China and Russia Alarms U.S. and Europe Amid Ukraine Crisis, The Washington Post, 20 February 2022: Putin warned the West 15 years ago. Now, in Ukraine, he’s poised to wage war., BBC, 20 February 2022: Russia keeps troops in Belarus amid Ukraine fears, The New York Times, 20 February 2022: U.S. Learned of Kremlin Order to Proceed With Invasion, Officials Say, The Washington Post, 20 February 2022: Putin may go to war to capture Ukraine. With Belarus, he did it without firing a shot., CNN, 21 February 2022: US says it has credible information about Russian ‘kill list’ in potential Ukraine invasion, The Guardian, 21 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: Putin rails against Kyiv and Nato in televised address (this is no longer just historical revisionism, but outright lies. In fact, Kievan Rus’ was the nucleus of Ukraine and Muscovite Rus’, from which Russia arose, was only an insignificant part of Kievan Rus’. So if actual history were to be used for current action, Kiev would be in charge of Russia and certainly not the other way around. On the other hand, why should Kiev do something like that? Ukrainians want to be European, Western and democratic. Putin’s economically ruined and politically desolate club stands in complete contradiction to this. Apart from militarily, Putin’s Russia is once again broken and ungovernable by democratic standards, as it always has been. Why would Ukraine want to burden itself with such unnecessary baggage? There would be neither rational nor irrational reasons for this), CNN, 21 February 2022: Russian banks imported $5 billion in foreign cash in December, New York Magazine, 21 February 2022: Is Putin Choosing War in Ukraine?, The Times, 21 February 2022: Russia has ‘kill list’ of Ukrainians, The New Yorker, 21 February 2022: Inside the High-Stakes Fight to Control the Narrative on Ukraine, The Guardian, 21 February 2022: Ukraine: Belarus should face same sanctions as Russia in event of invasion – EU, The New York Times, 21 February 2022: This Is Putin’s War. But America and NATO Aren’t Innocent Bystanders., Politico.eu, 21 February 2022: EU reaches deal on military training mission in Ukraine, The Guardian, 21 February 2022: Is it still possible to avoid a major war in Europe?, NPR, 21 February 2022: Why Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons — and what that means in a Russian invasion, The Times, 21 February 2022: Ukraine crisis is a wake-up call for the West, The New York Times, 21 February 2022: Belarus says Russian troops might not leave unless NATO pulls back from Eastern Europe., Politico.com, 21 February 2022: As Putin sends troops into Donbas, White House avoids the ‘I’ word, Politico.eu, 21 February 2022: EU approves emergency €1.2B aid for Ukraine, Politico.com, 21 February 2022: U.S. sanctions Russia for declaring independence of eastern Ukraine territories, Politico.eu, 21 February 2022: Ukraine asks EU to send in cyber forces, Gulf News, 21 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine crisis updates: Putin signs decree to recognise breakaway Ukrainian regions, The National, 21 February 2022: Putin signs decree recognising breakaway regions as independent, Irish Times, 21 February 2022: Putin recognises two breakaway Ukraine regions as independent, France24, 21 February 2022: Live: Putin recognises self-declared republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine (even before Putin’s annexation of Crimea, which was in violation of international law, and his war on eastern Ukraine since 2014 (Helsinki Accords, Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances), there were raids by Russia, which, however, are hardly noticed in the West and have been “frozen conflicts” for years (Moldova and the Transnistria War and Republic of Georgia and the Russo-Georgian War), but ultimately always follow the same pattern: there are parts of a sovereign state is militarily occupied, so that this state can no longer act freely in international alliances or is not even included in them. Russia, which is far removed from democracy and freedom, is thus pursuing the goal of preventing other states in its immediate vicinity from becoming democratic, free and constitutional, because that would be an existential threat to the Putin system. This also applies to the expansion of Putin’s war in eastern Ukraine, operated by his pro-Russian terrorists stationed there, who are to be rewarded for their continued terrorism against the civilian population with the handover of the Ukrainian lands of Donetsk and Luhansk. In doing so, Putin destroyed the Minsk Agreement (Normandy Format). Of course, this is highly contrary to international law and is therefore null and void from the international perspective, especially since the parts of the country naturally continue to belong to the national territory of Ukraine. The West will now begin to implement the multi-stage sanctions against Russia that have been in preparation for weeks. So far it is only known that the sanctions are to be adapted to the respective escalation levels, but which they will actually be is still unclear. On the one hand, one almost has to be glad that something is being done at all, because economic interests often prevail among some actors in the West instead of doing the right thing, so that a joint, unified approach is anything but a matter of course. On the other hand, a determined, tough, clear and unequivocal action against Putin right from the start of his renewed escalations would have ensured that he would have completely refrained from expanding his war in eastern Ukraine), CNN, 21 February 2022: Putin orders troops into pro-Russian regions of eastern Ukraine, NPR, 21 February 2022: Putin orders ‘peacekeeping’ troops to Ukraine after recognizing breakaway regions, Politico.eu, 21 February 2022: Europe faces sanctions nightmare of paying for Putin’s war, DW, 21 February 2022: ‘The Minsk process is dead’: DW’s Nick Connolly reports from Kyiv, The Atlantic, 21 February 2022: Vladimir Putin’s Hall of Mirrors, Politico.eu, 21 February 2022: ‘War, death and destruction’: U.N. Security Council members slam Russia’s Ukraine escalation, The Washington Post, 21 February 2022: Putin orders troops into two separatist Ukraine regions, Los Angeles Times, 21 February 2022: Russia orders troops into eastern Ukraine as fear of war grows, The Washington Post, 21 February 2022: Why are Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine’s Donbas region a flash point for Putin?, The New York Times, 21 February 2022: Putin Orders Troops to Separatist Regions and Recognizes Their Independence, Politico.eu, 22 February 2022: UK sanctions five Russian banks and three oligarchs, CNN, 22 February 2022: Russia is already paying a hefty financial price for its aggression, France24, 22 February 2022: Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General: ‘This is a crisis created by Russia alone’, Politico.eu, 22 February 2022: Germany shelves Nord Stream 2 pipeline (now the same ones will be crawling out from under their rocks and out of their caves who were already of the opinion in 2014 that Russia would be able to cope even if the West stopped buying oil and gas at all, especially since one could finally sell to China. Sure, just like in 2014, you could also sell to China in 2022, but then as now at significantly reduced purchase prices than those paid by the West. Since the Russian state budget is dependent on the income, it will have the already known consequences: Real wages continue to fall, investments cannot or only partially take place, Russian in-house production, including in the food sector, is of ridiculous quality and the Russian economy is still decoupling further away from the world market than it has already done. As a small foretaste, the Russian stock exchanges reacted to the “positive prospects” with a price drop of 17%. As usual, Putin’s far-sightedness extends to the tip of his own nose), France24, 22 February 2022: Live: Ukraine minister urges EU to promise future membership, BBC, 22 February 2022: Putin’s angry speech rewriting Ukraine’s history, CNN, 22 February 2022: Putin’s speech was shocking to many, but not to people in Kyiv, The Guardian, 22 February 2022: As Putin’s tanks roll into Ukraine, he knows exactly who to feel sorry for: himself, BBC, 22 February 2022: Russia orders troops into eastern Ukraine, France24, 22 February 2022: Defying West, Putin orders troops to pro-Russian breakaway regions of east Ukraine, The Guardian, 22 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: ‘an invasion is under way’, US says of Russian troop deployment, BBC, 22 February 2022: West sanctions Russia after Ukraine escalation, Politico.com, 22 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine Conflict: White House official: ‘This is the beginning of an invasion’, The Guardian, 22 February 2022: ‘This is a bumpy long road’: The mood among Moscow residents, France24, 22 February 2022: France condemns Putin’s ‘paranoid’ speech on Ukraine, The Times, 22 February 2022: Johnson announces Russia sanctions as Germany halts Nord Stream 2, Irish Times, 22 February 2022: Ukraine-Russia: EU to ban lending to Russian central bank after Putin orders troops over border, The National, 22 February 2022: EU sanctions Russia in ‘answer to grave violations’ in Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 22 February 2022: Biden cuts Western financing for Russian sovereign debt in first tranche of sanctions, DW, 22 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: EU agrees to Russia sanctions package, The New York Times, 22 February 2022: U.S. and Allies Pause Pipeline and Cut Off Bank Financing, The Washington Post, 22 February 2022: U.S., allies announce sanctions after Russian troops enter eastern Ukraine, The New Yorker, 22 February 2022: Putin Launches His Invasion of Ukraine, The Atlantic, 22 February 2022: The Russian Incursion No One Is Talking About, NPR, 22 February 2022: Why Luhansk and Donetsk are key to understanding the latest escalation in Ukraine, Dutch News, 22 February 2022: Putin is showing ‘total paranoia’, Dutch PM says as Ukraine crisis escalates, France24, 22 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: Ukraine declares state of emergency, calls on citizens in Russia to come home, Forward, 22 February 2022: Eastern Ukraine’s Jews brace for food shortages and antisemitic provocations, CNN, 22 February 2022: Russia is already paying a hefty financial price for its aggression, France24, 22 February 2022: Moldova, then Georgia, now Ukraine: How Russia built ‘bridgeheads into post-Soviet space’, CNN, 23 February 2022: Trump sides with Putin as Biden tries to stop a war, France24, 23 February 2022: Ukraine crisis: A low-cost disinformation campaign aids Putin’s playbook, CNN, 23 February 2022: US warns full-scale invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, Gulf News, 23 February 2022: War fears mount as Ukraine declares state of emergency, summons citizens home from Russia, The National, 23 February 2022: Zelenskyy: Putin refused talks and has approved Russian offensive, Haaretz, 23 February 2022: Ukraine Crisis? Time to Call It the Putin Crisis, The National, 23 February 2022: Ukraine imposes state of emergency amid Russia threat, Gulf News, 23 February 2022: Russia’s richest lose $32b as Ukraine crisis deepens, BBC, 23 February 2022: Ukraine tells citizens to leave Russia immediately, The National, 23 February 2022: Russia’s super-rich shed $32bn in net worth as Ukraine crisis escalates, BBC, 23 February 2022: Ukrainian rebels ask Russia for military aid, The Atlantic, 23 February 2022: How Much Will the West Sacrifice for Ukraine?, The Guardian, 23 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk ask Russia for military aid, Irish Times, 23 February 2022: Ukraine declares state of emergency and urges citizens to leave Russia, Politico.eu, 23 February 2022: EU targets Putin’s inner circle with sanctions, Los Angeles Times, 23 February 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine, The Washington Post, 23 February 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine – 24 February 2022 to present
@ Viewsridge/cc-by-sa-4.0
As was to be expected after the Russian troop deployment around Ukraine, the insane war criminal and state terrorist Putin has now attacked and raided other parts of Ukraine in the most serious breaches of international law. Of course, this is also the result of complete failure and complete misjudgments on the part of Western governments (which apparently assumed that the 150,000 Russian soldiers were only stationed around Ukraine to organize a big picnic there. Nobody could expect that they are only there to invade Ukraine – at least not if you are a political decision-maker and that despite the fact that Putin has been at war with Ukraine since 2014), above all the Federal Government under Chancellor Scholz, to show Putin clear boundaries, to initiate military containment measures upfront and in addition to strengthen the Ukraine militarily upfront so that the country would be able to build up a credible deterrent in the first place. It’s too late for that now. In the matter, of course, the aggressor is Putin, but in order to be able to escalate to such an extent, various Western governments first encouraged and enabled him through hyperventilating activism on the one hand and completely doing nothing in creating existential foundations, like weaponery and trainings for the Ukrainian army on the other. Security and defense policy is not for beginners, Sunday speakers, name or dream dancers, peace activists or Putin apologists, but for real politicians who have both feet on the ground based on facts and therefor, unlike the aforementioned, don’t fall on their backs when there is some unpleasant headwind. For years it has been clear, even to the half-blind, where Putin’s journey is headed to. The fact that the EU states, among others, have turned a blind eye to this, instead of pursuing a credible security and defense policy by building up a powerful EU army to supplement NATO, can at best be judged as grossly negligent. In some cases, intent must be assumed. In 2022, anyone who utters sentences like “We couldn’t have imagined that Putin…” or “We were completely surprised that Putin…” has apparently been living under a rock for years and should immediately be stripped of any form of (government) responsibility, because such people pose significant security risks for the 460 million EU citizens who can see in the coming months what will happen to the suffering Ukrainians, also thanks to the failure of western governments and can also happen to them if the current course of the common security and defense policy is maintained. The severely disturbed Putin will not succeed in developing Russia into the Soviet Union 2.0 and certainly not into a superpower, because the country is not designed for that at all in its constitution, but he will probably stir things up for a while. As can be seen from Putin’s escalation of his war in Ukraine, any idiot can fire a gun. Above all, you become a superpower through economic power, a stable democracy, a large reach and strong friends. None of this applies to Putin’s Russia, and it will remain so. As the great US President Barack Obama rightly pointed out, Russia is a regional power (albeit one with a well-equipped military and nuclear weapons). The country is rich in natural resources, but has not made anything out of it, which is why the population has to continue to live in abject poverty. Wars are, of course, basically no fun events. The good mood is kept within narrow limits until the days after which it is finally over. At the same time, right now we are not in the situation or position to bury our heads in the sand or indulge in our own fears. The citizens of Ukraine count on our support and help against Putin’s war. We must neither deny nor deny them either. What knowledge gains remain after such a day?

• The NATO Founding Act of 1997 has come to an end. This has historical significance and relevance for all that is to come.
• Even in Europe, the territorial integrity of states under international law (Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations) is not worth the paper it is written on and the Russian approach will find imitators around the world.
• Putin and his followers have now managed to isolate the country and make it a pariah. The West should support his efforts to the extent that all economic and political relations are completely broken off for the time being.
• the consequence of this day for the EU can only mean what has been discussed in this blog for years, namely to significantly increase operational and combat readiness, as well as the military budgets to get back into the position permanently and at a high level level to be operational and ready to fight together. Today also shows once again that months of negotiations from a position of weakness, in which one can only write begging letters because one has lost the powerful fly swatter, do not lead to an acceptable result, but on the contrary have an inspiring effect on the other side. There are far too many madmen in positions of power for the EU to continue to have glaring weaknesses here. It must be ensured that, in case of doubt, foreign policy measures can also be enforced with the help of heavy metal, because only that is the language that the other side(s) understands.
• Every government of an EU state must be obliged to think carefully and with foresight in terms of security and defense policy on a permanent and long-term basis and to act accordingly in order to prevent situations like the one we are currently experiencing from arising in the future or even worse, as they are at present , apparently to be surprised by a development that has been foreseeable for a long time. Anything else is completely irresponsible and unacceptable.
• nationalistic pettiness coupled with pretended “historical responsibility” (even if one takes “historical responsibility” seriously, Ukraine would have clear priority over Russia in this regard) are ultimately just a fig leaf for “cowardice in the face of the enemy”. Gone are the days when you could afford it. Yesterday Russia invaded Moldova, Georgia, Crimea and eastern Ukraine, today Russia invades all of the rest of Ukraine, tomorrow the Baltics, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. How long does the simple-minded German Michel think he can talk himself out of it before he too will admit that he is neither innocent of the development nor can he stay out of it? Something can be done about military weakness, but there is still no cure for ignorance, arrogance and stupidity.

On a personal note, I’m a “cold war kid” and was in my early to mid 20s when the Berlin wall fell and shortly afterwards the Soviet Union as well. Even as children we were taught not to believe anything that the Russian state propaganda was trumpeting, but to wait and see what at least two credible western sources believed to be correct has been verified. There was no internet for private use, so the filters worked quite well. That still has an effect today. Real trust in the Russian leadership and its subordinates and systemlings could not arise, also because of the general behavior in Russia. In this respect, the news of Putin’s expansion of the war against Ukraine did not surprise me at all, especially since it was simply to be expected. It seemed less credible to me that Putin would position 150,000 troops around Ukraine and then withdraw them again because he was so impressed by the numerous Western sitting circles because of him. In addition to the Ukrainians, I also feel bad for the under-30s in the West who have been exposed to unfiltered, (pro-)Russian propaganda on social networks for years and who have not been “immunized” against the propaganda and have not been prepared for the real dangers in dealing with Russia, because they are now completely helpless and torn without knowing how to deal with the situation, what the prospects are or what they can do positive in this situation for themselves and others. Of course, it is clear that it is not “the Russians” who are waging war, but Putin and his henchmen, who send Russian soldiers to their deaths without hesitation in order to enforce their own completely disturbed world view, at least regionally, and stuff their pockets with money, while the Russian population will become even poorer than it already is.

The Guardian, 24 February 2022: Live Ukraine crisis: Russia plans to ‘encircle and threaten Kyiv’, Blinken says, Al Arabiya, 24 February 2022: Ukraine FM says Russia carrying out ‘full-scale attack’, NPR, 24 February 2022: Explosions are heard in Ukraine after Putin announces a Russian invasion, Al Arabiya, 24 February 2022: Russia plans on ‘decapitating’ Ukraine’s government: US defense official, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: Full report: Ukraine fights for its survival as Putin presses forward, The New York Times, 24 February 2022: Live Updates: Russia Begins Invasion of Ukraine From Land and Sea, Al Arabiya, 24 February 2022: Explainer: What to know as Russia attacks Ukraine, Arab News, 24 February 2022: IAEA says Ukraine nuclear power plants running safely, no ‘destruction’ at Chernobyl, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: ‘No to war’: Thousands join anti-war protests in Russia after Ukraine invasion, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: Russia invades Ukraine: 57 reported dead, tens of thousands flee homes amid ‘dark hours’ for Europe, BBC, 24 February 2022: How hard will it be to defend Ukraine?, The Times, 24 February 2022: How will Nato respond to the war in Ukraine?, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: First day of invasion Airstrikes at dawn as Russia begins ‘war of aggression’, BBC, 24 February 2022: Ukraine warns of new iron curtain as Russia invades, Al Arabiya, 24 February 2022: Germany’s chancellor: Russia is trying to wipe Ukraine off the map, Haaretz, 24 February 2022: ‘I Don’t Know Why He’s There’: Russian Mothers Say Soldiers Tricked Into Going to Ukraine, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: Ukraine latest: Biden says Russia will be ‘a pariah’ as US outlines further sanctions, DW, 24 February 2022: Germany has to wake up to Russia, CNN, 24 February 2022: How to provide aid to those in Ukraine, The Times, 24 February 2022: Ukraine invasion: latest pictures, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: Shock and shame in Berlin as Russians and Ukrainians face reality of war, BBC, 24 February 2022: Ukraine invasion: Russia’s attack in maps, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: Swift: What is the payments network and what would shutting Russia out of it achieve?, The New Yorker, 24 February 2022: Putin’s Historic Miscalculation May Make Him a War Criminal (just have a look at Syria, to understand that Putin already is a war criminal), Arab News, 24 February 2022: UN human rights chief calls on Moscow to halt its assault on Ukraine, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: Attack on Ukraine will cost Russia dearly, Biden warns, BBC, 24 February 2022: Ukraine deaths as battles rage after Russia invasion, France24, 24 February 2022: Live: Kyiv in ‘defensive phase’ as Russian forces enter Ukraine’s capital, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: Ukraine’s second city wakes to war, Daniel McLaughlin reports from Kharkiv, Jerusalem Post, 24 February 2022: The Ukraine-Russia conflict echoes loudly in the Middle East, The Times, 24 February 2022: Hundreds arrested in anti-war protests across Russia, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: Putin: Decision to invade Ukraine raises questions over ‘sense of reality’, Al Arabiya, 24 February 2022: Some Kyiv residents try to flee, others stock up after Russia attacks, CNN, 24 February 2022: Here’s what Biden has said about sending US troops to Ukraine, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: Lara Marlowe: Negotiations masked Putin’s plan to invade Ukraine, The Times, 24 February 2022: Johnson targets Russian banks and oligarchs with ‘severe’ sanctions, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will change the face of Europe for ever, Al Arabiya, 24 February 2022: Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine could worsen amid armed conflict: Expert, Irish Times, 24 February 2022: The Irish Times view on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Europe enters a dark new era, BBC, 24 February 2022: ‘Turning point in history’ – World leaders react, The Times, 24 February 2022: A dark day for Europe, The Guardian, 24 February 2022: Eight sobering realities about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, BBC, 24 February 2022: ‘Ecological disaster’ warning as Chernobyl seized, CNN, 25 February 2022: Russian forces seize control of Chernobyl nuclear plant and hold staff hostage: Ukrainian officials, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: EU targets Russian economy after ‘deluded autocrat’ invasion of Ukraine, Haaretz, 25 February 2022: Russia Summons Israeli Envoy Over Statements Supporting Ukraine, France24, 25 February 2022: EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell: ‘Nobody can trust Putin’ after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, The National, 25 February 2022: Fight or flight: Ukrainians forced to make hard choices as war unfolds, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: Russia has ‘complete air superiority’ over Ukraine: Western intel official, France24, 25 February 2022: In pictures: Ukrainians face Russia’s military assault, CNN, 25 February 2022: Six maps explaining the Ukraine-Russia conflict, The Times, 25 February 2022: Fog of war descends to obscure the fate of markets, The Atlantic, 25 February 2022: Bury the Old World Order, France24, 25 February 2022: ‘Ukraine is not our enemy’: In Russia, hundreds arrested in anti-war protests, Gulf Times, 25 February 2022: Ukraine soldiers battle Russian troops in capital, Forward, 25 February 2022: Jewish history is repeating itself in Ukraine. This time, we must fight Putin back, Politico.eu, 25 February 2022: China’s Xi asks Putin to negotiate with Ukraine, Gulf News, 25 February 2022: World leaders fine-tune punitive measures against Russia, Forward, 25 February 2022: Here’s how to help Ukraine’s Jewish community, The National, 25 February 2022: Beyond the Headlines: Kiev under siege, CNN, 25 February 2022: What does Putin want in Ukraine? The conflict explained, France24, 25 February 2022: Putin calls on Ukrainian army to ‘take power’ into own hands (if the situation weren’t so dangerous, one would actually have to laugh out loud: Russian state terrorist and war criminal Putin seriously accuses Ukraine of “mass murder of Russians,” which isn’t happening at all, while Putin himself wants to wipe out Ukraine and all Ukrainians with it. It is hard to gauge how far Putin has already departed from reality), Gulf Times, 25 February 2022: Thousands cross borders out of Ukraine, men told to stay and fight, Irish Times, 25 February 2022: ‘The situation now is threatening for Kyiv’, says mayor as Russian missiles pound the city, DW, 25 February 2022: Ukraine will survive — but the West should be ashamed, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: Russia facing ‘greater resistance’ than expected from Ukraine: US defense official, Politico.eu, 25 February 2022: Ukraine slams West’s inaction as Russian forces bear down on Kyiv, Gulf News, 25 February 2022: Dramatic photos show Russia’s attack on Ukraine as it unfolds, Politico.com, 25 February 2022: NATO deploys troops to eastern flank as Russian attack escalates in Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: NATO leaders agree to bolster eastern forces after invasion, The National, 25 February 2022: Nato deploying rapid reaction force for the first time to defend eastern borders, CNN, 25 February 2022: Ukraine and Russia’s militaries are David and Goliath. Here’s how they compare, Irish Times, 25 February 2022: ‘We don’t want to leave’: Fear and defiance in Ukraine as country faces all-out war, Forward, 25 February 2022: Claiming “De-Nazification,” Putin’s actions recall other Nazi crimes, Times of Israel, 25 February 2022: US says Russian forces lose momentum to stiff Ukraine resistance, Arab News, 25 February 2022: LIVE: Russian invasion of Ukraine enters second day, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: US sanctions Russia’s Putin, Lavrov and other top officials after Ukraine invasion, Politico.com, 25 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine conflict: What Does Putin Really Want?, Jerusalem Post, 25 February 2022: After Ukraine, Russia warns Finland of ‘military reprecussions’ if it joins NATO, Politico.eu, 25 February 2022: EU to freeze Putin and Lavrov’s assets, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: US troops in Latvia tells Putin ‘don’t mess with us,’ minister says, Times of Israel, 25 February 2022: Russia ejected from rights body, loses sports hosting roles, ousted from Eurovision, BBC, 25 February 2022: Snake Island: Ukraine says soldiers killed after refusing to surrender (Snake Island, Attack on Snake Island, Hero of Ukraine), CNN, 25 February 2022: Soldiers’ defiant last words as Russian warship targets Snake Island, Politico.eu, 25 February 2022: ‘Go fuck yourself,’ Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island tell Russian ship before being killed, The Hill, 25 February 2022: Cell phone carriers waive charges, allow free long-distance calling to Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: Council of Europe suspends Russia over Ukraine invasion, Jerusalem Post, 25 February 2022: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the death of international law, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: Where has fighting been focused on day two of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: Ukrainian expats protest in Jordan capital against Russia’s invasion, The Times, 25 February 2022: Ukraine’s resilience raises the stakes for Russian troops, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: Explainer: Where has fighting been focused on day two of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?, Times of Israel, 25 February 2022: For some Russian-speaking Israelis, Putin is a hero; others would ‘kill the bastard’, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: Russia’s war in Ukraine: Complete guide in maps, video and pictures, The New York Times, 25 February 2022: Russia vetoes a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on it to withdraw from Ukraine., CNN, 25 February 2022: NATO Response Force activated for first time, The Times, 25 February 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine: the latest pictures, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: ‘It’s not rational’: Putin’s bizarre speech wrecks his once pragmatic image, CNN, 25 February 2022: Seven crucial questions about Putin’s war on Ukraine, The National, 25 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: Russia military ordered to advance, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: Russia says it is surprised by Lebanon’s condemnation of invasion, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: Effort under way to challenge Russia’s right to seat on UN security council, CNN, 25 February 2022: Video shows explosion after fighter jet shot down, official says, The Times, 25 February 2022: Mikhail Khodorkovsky: ‘I thought Putin was a new type of leader but he’s a madman’, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: We’re appalled by Putin now, but be clear: the west gave him the green light, NPR, 25 February 2022: Russia vetoes UN Security Council resolution that denounces its invasion of Ukraine, CNN, 25 February 2022: Europe finds itself in a bind over Ukraine response at the end of a truly dreadful week, Al Arabiya, 25 February 2022: EU approves Russian asset freeze that includes President Putin and Sergey Lavrov, Los Angeles Times, 25 February 2022: Ukrainian brothers — former world boxing champs — ready to fight Russian troops, BBC, 25 February 2022: Ukraine conflict: Champions League final moved from Russia & F1 GP cancelled, The Guardian, 25 February 2022: It’s Putin’s tale of two cities – London for his oligarchs, Kyiv for his bombs, The Times, 25 February 2022: Ukraine arms civilians as Russians advance on Kyiv, New York Magazine, 25 February 2022: Putin Gets Hit in the Wallet, Irish Times, 25 February 2022: German rude awakening on Russia infuriates Poland, Gulf News, 26 February 2022: Months of planning, warnings: How conflict has unfolded, CNN, 26 February 2022: Putin’s war was launched on a runway of lies, DW, 26 February 2022: Ukraine: Kyiv fights back against Russian assault, Gulf News, 26 February 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: Ukrainians shelter in subway stations, basements, BBC, 26 February 2022: Ukraine maps: Tracking Russia’s invasion, Gulf News, 26 February 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: Scenes from the frontlines, CNN, 26 February 2022: Annexations, a rump state or puppet rulers. Here’s what Putin may be planning for Ukraine, DW, 26 February 2022: Ukraine: Anti-war protests take place around the world, BBC, 26 February 2022: Ukraine’s Zelensky asks citizens to resist and Europe to do more, Gulf News, 26 February 2022: TV comedian president finds his role as wartime leader, The National, 26 February 2022: Russia launches missile and artillery barrage on Ukrainian cities, CNN, 26 February 2022: US to impose sanctions on Putin following Ukraine invasion, BBC, 26 February 2022: Kyiw warns of sabotage groups as curfew imposed, The National, 26 February 2022: Germany lifts block on sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, Times of Israel, 26 February 2022: Russia bans words ‘invasion’ and ‘assault’ in media, warns several outlets, The Washington Post, 26 February 2022: U.S. and allies vow to cut off some Russian banks from key network, Arab News, 26 February 2022: Ukraine’s leader vows to continue fighting Russian assault as he appeals for more outside help, The Washington Post, 26 February 2022: ‘Weapons to anyone’: Across Ukraine, militias form as Russian forces approach their cities, Los Angeles Times, 26 February 2022: U.S., European allies bar Russian banks from critical SWIFT banking network, Jerusalem Post, 26 February 2022: Israel fails to sign onto US text condemning Russia at UNSC, The Washington Post, 26 February 2022: Campaigns to boycott Russia build momentum, Los Angeles Times, 26 February 2022: Three maps explaining the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Times of Israel, 26 February 2022: As Ukraine puts up a fight, Germany and others begin stepping up military aid, CNN, 26 February 2022: Battle rages for strategic bridge in southern Ukraine after days of fighting, The Washington Post, 26 February 2022: Ukrainians flee to E.U. nations, including some that previously spurned refugees, CNN, 26 February 2022: Two vast explosions seen in Kyiv appear to be around Vasylkil, Politico.eu, 26 February 2022: Protesters take to the streets across Europe to oppose invasion of Ukraine, Haaretz, 26 February 2022: Vladimir Putin Is Not Adolf Hitler, but the Echoes Are More Than Troubling, CNN, 26 February 2022: There have been “more than 250” missile launches by Russians at Ukraine as of this morning, US official says, The Washington Post, 26 February 2022: Mapping the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Politico.com, 26 February 2022: Half of Russian troops amassed around Ukraine now invading, U.S. says, The New York Times, 26 February 2022: Live Updates: Russia Bombards Kyiv in Renewed Night Assault, CNN, 26 February 2022: In pictures: Protests across the world show support for Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 26 February 2022: Ukrainian forces fight to hold on to Kyiv amid Russian onslaught, Politico.com, 26 February 2022: White House asks Congress for extra $6.4B to help Ukraine, The Hill, 26 February 2022: Biden says Putin is ‘producing the exact opposite effect that he intended’, CNN, 26 February 2022: Zelensky refuses US offer to evacuate, saying ‘I need ammunition, not a ride’, New York Magazine, 26 February 2022: The Seize of Moscow, The Hill, 26 February 2022: US, allies to kick certain Russian banks out of SWIFT banking system, Politico.eu, 26 February 2022: Putin’s miscalculation, France24, 26 February 2022: Cancellations, revocations and repudiations: Russia becomes persona non grata in sport, The New York Times, 26 February 2022: See where the fighting is taking place across Ukraine., The Hill, 26 February 2022: Live coverage: US officials say Russia frustrated with Ukraine’s resistance, France24, 26 February 2022: War in Ukraine: Invasion takes Russians near the border by surprise, NPR, 26 February 2022: Select Russian banks are being booted off the SWIFT bank messaging system, The New Yorker, 26 February 2022: Putin’s Bloody Folly in Ukraine, France24, 26 February 2022: France, allies preparing ‘crushing’ sanctions on Russia, foreign ministry says, BBC, 26 February 2022: Ukraine: France seizes Russian ship over sanctions, The Hill, 26 February 2022: People around the world protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Politico.eu, 26 February 2022: Germany to send Ukraine weapons in historic shift on military aid, France24, 26 February 2022: As it happened: Kyiv under curfew as France, Germany pledge to arm Ukraine, Irish Times, 26 February 2022: Ukrainians and Russians gather in Dublin as bombs rain down on Kyiv, NPR, 26 February 2022: A part of the NATO treaty could turn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine into a wider war, BBC, 26 February 2022: Roman Abramovich gives Chelsea ‘stewardship’ to trustees of charitable arm, Reuters, 26 February 2022: Chechen leader, a close Putin ally, says his forces have deployed to Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Finland, Sweden comments on NATO show how Putin miscalculated: President Biden, The Hill, 26 February 2022: Russian military threatens Ukraine nuclear power plant, DW, 26 February 2022: EU, US, UK to exclude some Russian banks from SWIFT, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: US will provide $350 million in new military aid to Ukraine: Blinken, France24, 26 February 2022: Poland, Sweden refuse to play Russia as Abramovich hands over Chelsea control, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Russian army ordered to broaden Ukraine advance: Defense ministry, Irish Times, 26 February 2022: ‘Stop Putin, stop war’: Protests sweep Europe against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Russia-bound cargo ship intercepted by French navy in English Channel, NBC News, 26 February 2022: Germany sends weapons to Ukraine after criticism, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Russia watchdog bans media from using ‘invasion, assault’ in Ukraine attack reports, BBC, 26 February 2022: Germany to send weapons directly to Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Chechnya forces deployed in Ukraine: Kadyrov, DW, 26 February 2022: Germany reverses ban on weapon sales to Ukraine — as it happened, Daily Mail, 26 February 2022: Germany will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 missiles to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia – after overruling its own weapons transfer policy dating back to WWII, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Russia vetoes UN Security action on Ukraine as China, India abstains, Politico.eu, 26 February 2022: What if Putin attacks NATO next?, The Washington Post, 26 February 2022: Germany abandons muted approach to aid for Ukraine, sending weapons and green-lighting sanctions, The Times, 26 February 2022: Volunteers hunt traitors and Kremlin spies as paranoia grips Kyiv, Politico.com, 26 February 2022: Half of Russian troops amassed around Ukraine now invading, U.S. says , The Times, 26 February 2022: Inside Putin’s mind: absolute power blinds the new tsar, Al Arabiya, 26 February 2022: Germany to supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons, missiles: Chancellor Scholz, The Times, 26 February 2022: Taking on Putin with peashooters, Politico.eu, 26 February 2022: Putin’s European pals have to eat their words, The Times, 26 February 2022: Back to the new USSR, Putin’s empire of profit, The Guardian, 26 February 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine latest: gunfights continue in Kyiv as Germany sends anti-tank weapons and missiles, Foreign Policy, 26 February 2022: China and Russia’s Friendship in Ukraine Is Without Benefits, Gulf News, 27 February 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: People in Kyiv take cover as Russian troops approach, BBC, 27 February 2022: Ukraine conflict: Your guide to understanding day three, Foreign Policy, 27 February 2022: 3 Things the World Should Know About Putin, BBC, 27 February 2022: Putin puts nuclear deterrent on ‘special alert’, DW, 27 February 2022: Ukraine: Russian strikes hit energy installations — live updates, BBC, 27 February 2022: How badly will Russia be hit by new sanctions?, DW, 27 February 2022: Germany’s reversal on Ukraine weapons policy ‘response to Putin’s aggression’, BBC, 27 February 2022: Ukraine invasion: Russian planes face near-total airspace ban to west, DW, 27 February 2022: German Chancellor holds speech on Russian invasion of Ukraine, France24, 27 February 2022: Live: Ukraine agrees to talks with Russia at Belarusian border, CNN, 27 February 2022: Molotov cocktails and personal arms. See how Ukrainians are fighting back, The Guardian, 27 February 2022: Kharkiv: Governor claims Russian troops repelled from city, BBC, 27 February 2022: Russia central bank urges calm amid cash run fears, France24, 27 February 2022: Nations ban Russian planes from their ‘democratic skies’, The Guardian, 27 February 2022: Full report: Vladimir Putin puts Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, CNN, 27 February 2022: Putin orders deterrence forces — which includes nuclear arms — to be put on high alert (meanwhile, state terrorist and war criminal Putin is apparently so nervous about the prospect of a crushing defeat in his war on Ukraine that, after only four days of conventional war, his only option left is the nuclear card. Who would have thought that a bunch of Ukrainian militias could cause so much trouble for the self-proclaimed “superpower” Russia? Good thing and “move on”!), BBC, 27 February 2022: Ukraine invasion: Kharkiv fighting ‘like Star Wars above your head’, The National, 27 February 2022: Japan sanctions Russia’s Putin over Ukraine invasion, The Guardian, 27 February 2022: Flight bans Germany, Italy and France join airspace block on Russian aircraft, France24, 27 February 2022: Putin orders nuclear forces on high alert (it is remarkable how many people are unsettled by Madman Putin because of the “alertness of the Russian nuclear forces”: 1. The nuclear forces are always on alert in order to be able to react immediately to first strikes with second strikes. 2. If you use your nuclear arsenal first, you only die second, so you gain nothing. 3. What some people seem to overlook is that the West is also very well equipped with nuclear weapons. So Putin’s “threat” with the nuclear card is the announcement of a passive suicide. Too cowardly to hold the gun to his own forehead, he tries to provoke a situation where the West does it for him), The National, 27 February 2022: US says Putin nuclear high alert order part of pattern of manufacturing threats, CNN, 27 February 2022: Ukrainian foreign minister: Putin’s nuclear readiness move attempts to put pressure on Ukraine, Arab News, 27 February 2022: EU to ban Russian state media RT and Sputnik says von der Leyen, The Guardian, 27 February 2022: Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeals for foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia, The National, 27 February 2022: EU funds purchase of weapons for Ukraine, steps up Russia sanctions, targets Belarus, Arab News, 27 February 2022: Thousands protest against Russia across European cities, Haaretz, 27 February 2022: The Israeli Kettle and the Russian Pot, The Washington Post, 27 February 2022: A Ukrainian ‘IT army’ is fighting Russian propaganda, The New York Times, 27 February 2022: Ukraine Invasion Tests Ties Between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, Irish Times, 27 February 2022: Russian military admits that some of its troops have been killed and wounded in Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 27 February 2022: Russians hold anti-war rallies amid ominous threats by Putin, The Atlantic, 27 February 2022: Who is Vladimir Putin’s Revisionist History For?, Irish Times, 27 February 2022: Ireland to fund provision of non-lethal equipment to Ukrainian military, The Guardian, 27 February 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine: US condemns Putin’s nuclear deterrence order; EU to buy arms for Ukraine, The Sunday Times, 27 February 2022: Germany hikes defence spending as allies expel Russia from Swift banking system, France24, 27 February 2022: Russia’s faithful conflicted over Ukraine war, The Guardian, 27 February 2022: Media: EU to ban Russian state-backed channels RT and Sputnik, CNN, 27 February 2022: Norway says its sovereign fund will divest from Russia, Times of Israel, 27 February 2022: Putin’s claim to rid Ukraine of Nazis is especially absurd given its history, Gulf News, 28 February 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: ICC to investigate alleged war crimes, The National, 28 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: US states move to punish Russia for war, The New York Times, 28 February 2022: Ukraine Presents a Moral Crisis, Not Just a Military One, Gulf News, 28 February 2022: A look at West’s toughest sanctions yet on Russia, Forward, 28 February 2022: In Ukraine, a long history of Russian crimes against Jews, The National, 28 February 2022: Turkey blocks warships from Bosphorus and Dardanelle straits, Gulf News, 28 February 2022: FIFA throws Russian team out of World Cup, IOC calls for Russia sports ban, The New York Times, 28 February 2022: Sanctions Leave Russian Economy Reeling, The National, 28 February 2022: Levee en masse: The old law of war guiding Ukraine’s citizen soldiers, France24, 28 February 2022: ‘Putin is weak when we are together,’ says ex-Ukrainian president Poroshenko, Times of Israel, 28 February 2022: War crimes likely being committed in Ukraine, The Hague says, opening probe, France24, 28 February 2022: Live: Presidents of 8 EU states call for immediate talks on Ukrainian membership, Arab News, 28 February 2022: World must prove that might does not make right, The New York Times, 28 February 2022: Live Updates: Ukrainians Flee as Russia Bombards Civilians, Jerusalem Post, 28 February 2022: ICC prosecutor to proceed with investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine, The National, 28 February 2022: ‘Syria Was Putin’s Laboratory. Now He’s Taking His Methods to Ukraine’, NPR, 28 February 2022: Russia’s central bank doubles a key interest rate as sanctions spark economic turmoil, Foreign Policy, 28 February 2022: Putin’s War Is Europe’s 9/11, Al Arabiya, 28 February 2022: Ukraine offers amnesty and money to Russian soldiers who lay down their weapons, Los Angeles Times, 28 February 2022: Putin’s fears of a unified, stronger Europe are fast becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, The National, 28 February 2022: Russia’s military vulnerability exposed by Ukraine hardware, Miami Herald, 28 February 2022: Dan Le Batard: With war raging in their home country, Klitschko brothers fight for their beloved Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 28 February 2022: Russian rocket strikes kill 11 in Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, says regional official, Los Angeles Times, 28 February 2022: Russians line up at banks as ruble plunges, interest rates jump and sanctions bite, Haaretz, 28 February 2022: Two Jewish-Russian Oligarchs Call to End ‘Bloodshed’ in Ukraine, France24, 28 February 2022: Belarus approves hosting nuclear weapons, Russian forces permanently, The Hill, 28 February 2022: Multinationals flee Russia, punishing Moscow, Arab News, 28 February 2022: Turkey blocks warships from Bosphorus, Dardanelles, France24, 28 February 2022: ‘Take oligarchs’ Riviera villas’: Ukraine war hijacks French presidential campaign, The Hill, 28 February 2022: Live coverage: Russian military convoy stretching 40 miles outside Kyiv, Miami Herald, 28 February 2022: Does Miami have a Little Russia or a Little Ukraine? This is where the war hits home, BBC, 28 February 2022: Day 5: Tracking Russia’s invasion in maps, The Atlantic, 28 February 2022: What Volodymyr Zelensky’s Courage Says About the West, CNN, 28 February 2022: Russia is waking up to sanctions. The West must not stop here, The Hill, 28 February 2022: US sees Putin nuke threat as posturing, Los Angeles Times, 28 February 2022: Zelensky is beating Putin — at least in the public relations battle, CNN, 28 February 2022: Two Russian oligarchs call for an end to Putin’s war, France24, 28 February 2022: From the Maidan protests to Russia’s invasion: Eight years of conflict in Ukraine, BBC, 28 February 2022: Fresh fighting forces Kyiv residents back into shelters, CNN, 28 February 2022: Ukrainian intel suggests Belarus is prepared to join Russian invasion and US suspends operations at embassy, The Washington Post, 28 February 2022: In just 72 hours, Europe overhauled its entire post-Cold War relationship with Russia, The Atlantic, 28 February 2022: Putin Accidentally Revitalized the West’s Liberal Order, CNN, 28 February 2022: The first five days of Russia’s Ukraine invasion have not gone well. Here’s why, The Hill, 28 February 2022: Ukrainian forces need more weapons, ambassador warns senators, The Guardian, 28 February 2022: Ukraine conflict leads EU to rid itself of Russian sacred cows, CNN, 28 February 2022: Vladimir Putin is facing stiffer opposition than expected — both inside and outside Ukraine, Politico.com, 28 February 2022: Russia-Ukraine conflict: European plan to donate fighter jets to Ukraine collapses, The New Yorker, 28 February 2022: In Ukraine, Daily Life in the Face of War, New York Magazine, 28 February 2022: Russia’s War of Self-Destruction, CNN, 28 February 2022: Russia faces financial meltdown as sanctions slam its economy, The Washington Post, 28 February 2022: U.S., European allies freeze ‘Putin’s war chest’ as Russia careens toward economic crisis, The Guardian, 28 February 2022: War crimes: ICC prosecutor to launch investigation into Ukraine crisis, CNN, 28 February 2022: White House closely monitoring Russian convoy now reported to be more than 40 miles long, DW, 28 February 2022: Could Turkey close the Bosporus to the Russian navy?, Jerusalem Post, 1 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: Mastercard blocks multiple Russian financial firms, France24, 1 March 2022: Russia, Belarus suspended by World Rugby ‘until further notice’, The Washington Post, 1 March 2022: What to know about Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s TV president turned wartime leader, France24, 1 March 2022: Live: Kyiv residents take shelter amidst reports of Russian air strike, CNN, 1 March 2022: Russia bombs residential area of Kharkiv and intensifies Kyiv assault as talks with Ukraine end, Gulf News, 1 March 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: Putin underestimated West’s response to attack, says Biden, The National, 1 March 2022: Russian rouble’s freefall comes to a halt after central bank intervention, Der Spiegel, 1 March 2022: European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager: “This Is a Cold War for the 21st Century”, Jerusalem Post, 1 March 2022: Ukraine-Belarus border: Russia preparing 300 tanks to enter Ukraine, Gulf News, 1 March 2022: Zelenskiy tells EU: ‘Prove that you are with us’, The National, 1 March 2022: No Nato allies considering no-fly zone over Ukraine, says Boris Johnson, NPR, 1 March 2022: Russia bombards a Kyiv TV tower and the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial site, Jerusalem Post, 1 March 2022: Pro-Putin Chechen general who led ‘gay purge’ killed in Ukraine, The Hill, 1 March 2022: Worries grow over Putin’s stability, mindset, Politico.com, 1 March 2022: Canada wants ICC probe of Russia for alleged war crimes, Haaretz, 1 March 2022: Apple pauses sales in Russia and stops all exports, The Hill, 1 March 2022: Belarus president stands in front of battle map indicating Moldova invasion plans, BBC, 1 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: What is a vacuum or thermobaric bomb?, New York Magazine, 1 March 2022: It’s Probably Too Late for the Oligrachs to Stop Putin, NPR, 1 March 2022: Putin’s claim of fighting against Ukraine ‘neo-Nazis’ distorts history, scholars say, BBC, 1 March 2022: No-fly zone: What it means and why the West won’t act, Politico.com, 1 March 2022: Putin’s ‘Denazification’ Claim Shows He Has No Case Against Ukraine, The Hill, 1 March 2022: International Court of Justice will hold public hearings on allegations of genocide in Ukraine, CNN, 1 March 2022: Zelensky urges Biden to send strong message on Russia and says: ‘I’m not iconic. Ukraine is iconic’, The New York Times, 1 March 2022: Russia appears to be targeting civilian areas with increasingly powerful weapons. See which cities have been attacked today., New York Magazine, 1 March 2022: Could Putin Go Nuclear?, France24, 1 March 2022: Ukraine war brings Sweden, Finland even closer to NATO, CNN, 1 March 2022: Why did it take the West so long to wake up to Putin’s outrages?, Al Arabiya, 1 March 2022: Russia should be removed from UN Human Rights Council: US Secretary, France24, 1 March 2022: War in Ukraine: Increased NATO presence in Romania is ‘legitimate’, FM says, The New York Times, 1 March 2022: As Large Convoy Nears Capital, Violence Looks Set to Escalate, CNN, 1 March 2022: The West’s $1 trillion bid to collapse Russia’s economy, France24, 1 March 2022: ‘We need to impose sanctions on Belarus too,’ says Latvian FM Edgars Rinkevics, Politico.eu, 1 March 2022: EU countries won’t send Ukraine fighter jets after all, The Washington Post, 1 March 2022: Moscow steps up assault on residential areas, Los Angeles Times, 1 March 2022: Huge Russian convoy advances on Kyiv as missile hits heart of Kharkiv, France24, 1 March 2022: UN member states condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine during General Assembly meeting, CNN, 1 March 2022: Opposition to Putin’s war is alive on Moscow’s streets. But no trace of it is covered on Russian TV, Politico.eu, 1 March 2022: Get ready for a long war, France24, 1 March 2022: Ukraine: ‘Nobody is adding to the escalation except Putin,’ says Georgia’s Zurabishvili, The Guardian, 1 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv TV tower hit, killing five, as Moscow threatens ‘high-precision strikes’, DW, 1 March 2022: On German-Polish border, residents rally to help Ukrainians, CNN, 1 March 2022: Airstrikes on Kyiv hit a Holocaust memorial, Ukrainian official says, France24, 1 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: Is Putin’s nuclear escalation hot air or a genuine threat?, DW, 1 March 2022: Munich Philharmonic drops star conductor Valery Gergiev over Putin ties, Jerusalem Post, 2 March 2022: Ukraine foils assassination attempt on Zelensky by Chechen special unit, The Washington Post, 2 March 2022: Biden: Russian forces targeting civilian areas, The New York Times, 2 March 2022: Key Southern City Falls; Bombing of Civilian Targets Intensifies, The Hill, 2 March 2022: Russian economy taking ‘serious blows,’ Kremlin says, The New York Times, 2 March 2022: Eastern European countries fear catastrophe as Vladimir Putin seeks to reclaim Russia’s lost sphere of influence., The Washington Post, 2 March 2022: U.S. to expand financial attack, aiming to seize billions held by Putin allies, The New York Times, 2 March 2022: Much of the world has denounced Russia’s aggression. In Asia, reactions are more mixed., Gulf News, 2 March 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: Russia, Ukraine ceasefire talks Thursday on Belarus-Poland border, The National, 2 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: UN votes to condemn Moscow’s aggression, Arab News, 2 March 2022: What is on the table at crucial Ukraine-Russia talks?, Al Arabiya, 2 March 2022: UN General Assembly in historic vote denounces Russia over Ukraine invasion, Jerusalem Post, 2 March 2022: Russian seizure of Chernobyl 1st military clash in nuke disaster area – IAEA chief, NPR, 2 March 2022: How everyday Russians are feeling the impact from sanctions, Haaretz, 2 March 2022: The Biggest Winner in Ukraine So Far: Turkey’s Erdogan, CNN, 2 March 2022: The shifting map of Ukraine makes Russia’s intentions clearer, Politico.eu, 2 March 2022: EU officially boots Russia’s RT, Sputnik outlets, The Atlantic, 2 March 2022: Why the Cultural Boycott of Russia Matters, France24, 2 March 2022: As it happened: UN General Assembly overwhelmingly reprimands Russia for Ukraine invasion, The Times, 2 March 2022: ‘The Nazi who should be de-Nazified is one man — and his name is Putin’, BBC, 2 March 2022: Ukraine crisis: Biden threatens to punish Putin over invasion, NPR, 2 March 2022: Photos: Russian missile strikes intensify the destruction in Ukraine, France24, 2 March 2022: ‘The invasion of Ukraine is suicide for Putin,’ says Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, DW, 2 March 2022: Ukraine: ICC to investigate suspected war crimes — live updates, CNN, 2 March 2022: Europe is making once-unimaginable decisions to counter Putin’s aggression, The Guardian, 2 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: 38 countries including UK, refer atrocities to ICC, DW, 2 March 2022: UN: Large majority backs condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Irish Times, 2 March 2022: More than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians killed since Russian invasion began – state emergency service, The Times, 2 March 2022: Dnipro ‘will be a Stalingrad for the Russian attackers’, DW, 2 March 2022: Ukraine: Zelenskyy says Russia wants to ‘erase our country’, BBC, 2 March 2022: Russia faces war crimes probe for Ukraine invasion, France24, 2 March 2022: War in Ukraine sparks anti-Russian cultural backlash, DW, 2 March 2022: Sanctions on Russia: Death by a thousand cuts (if Putin continues his wars as before, he will lead Russia to total ruin just as his Soviet predecessors successfully did with the Soviet Union. That would be extremely desirable for the democracy, security, freedom and stability of the world. In addition, it will also become very uncomfortable for Putin domestically if, as at the end of the Soviet era, a veritable famine spreads. These are excellent prospects in the medium and long term), The Guardian, 2 March 2022: UN: Emergency session votes to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calls for withdrawal, The Times, 2 March 2022: Putin is set on genocide, claims UN envoy, The Atlantic, 2 March 2022: Russia’s Looming Economic Collapse, DW, 2 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: Japan stiffens resolve on Russia, but it comes with a price, Irish Times, 2 March 2022: Russian oligarchs’ yachts on the move as sanctions reveal reach of dirty cash, The New york Times, 3 March 2022: Russia Gains Ground in Southern Ukraine, DW, 3 March 2022: Ukraine: The situation in Kyiv one week into the war, The Washington Post, 3 March 2022: After call with Putin, Macron is convinced ‘worst is yet to come’ and Russia wants all of Ukraine, French official says, The New york Times, 3 March 2022: A call between the French and Russian presidents left France persuaded that Russia wants “control of all of Ukraine.”, France24, 3 March 2022: War in Ukraine: ‘If civilians are directly targeted, that is a crime,’ says ICC prosecutor, BBC, 3 March 2022: Ukraine: Amateurs dig in to fight Russian troops from Kyiv forests, DW, 3 March 2022: Germany to ship anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine — reports (shortly before the impact, the pilots who were shot at will think “Wait a minute, I know them!” .. sort of “friendly fire”), CNN, 3 March 2022: Russia’s largest airline yanked from global reservation systems, BBC, 3 March 2022: Mariupol under siege: ‘We are being completely cut off’, DW, 3 March 2022: Russia: Fewer independent media outlets every day, CNN, 3 March 2022: France seizes superyacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch, NPR, 3 March 2022: Russians seize nuclear plant after attack, Ukrainian officials say, The Guardian, 3 March 2022: Putin has a history of atrocities. Just how far will Russian forces go in Ukraine?, CNN, 3 March 2022: CNN reporter identifies strange moment in new Putin speech, BBC, 3 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: Drone shows extent of damage in Borodyanka, DW, 3 March 2022: Are bans against Russian arts targeting the right people?, The Guardian, 3 March 2022: History demands the west deploy every legal and financial weapon against Putin, CNN, 3 March 2022: Biden’s Middle East allies change tune on Ukraine war as conflict escalates, The Guardian, 3 March 2022: Ikea: Retailer closes all stores and factories in Russia amid exodus of western firms, The Algemeiner, 3 March 2022: ‘Get Out of Ukraine, You B*stard’: Holocaust Survivors in Kyiv Send Defiant Message to Putin, CNN, 3 March 2022: Russians struggle to understand Ukraine war: ‘We didn’t choose this’, The Guardian, 3 March 2022: Russia’s war in Ukraine: Complete guide in maps, video and pictures, BBC, 3 March 2022: Ukraine: How might the war end? Five scenarios, The Guardian, 3 March 2022: War brought Vladimir Putin to power in 1999. Now, it must bring him down, CNN, 3 March 2022: Russian oil isn’t sanctioned, but nobody wants to touch it anyway, The Times, 3 March 2022: Putin ‘hid invasion plan from cabinet, who are now too scared to resign’, DW, 3 March 2022: Ukraine fighting for survival: Has Russia’s dirty war only just begun?, The Guardian, 3 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy asks Putin for direct talks after Macron tells Russian president he is making a ‘major mistake’, The New york Times, 3 March 2022: Russia Has Suffered a Crushing Moral Defeat. And Russians Know It., The Times, 3 March 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine: latest maps, pictures and video, Irish Times, 3 March 2022: War in Ukraine: 10 terms and concepts explained, Foreign Policy, 3 March 2022: Why Putin Keeps Talking About Kosovo, Politico.eu, 3 March 2022: Economic pain keeps on coming for Russia as invasion rages, Los Angeles Times, 3 March 2022: Palaces, super-yachts, Swiss accounts. How rich is Putin and can sanctions hurt him?, Politico.eu, 3 March 2022: French volunteers rally to Zelenskyy’s call to join war in Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 3 March 2022: Russian forces strike, seize a nuclear plant as they pound southern Ukraine, Haaretz, 3 March 2022: Panic in First Captured Ukrainian City: ‘Russians Are Entering Houses, There’s Looting’, Times of Israel, 3 March 2022: Ukraine, Russia agree on humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians, The Washington Post, 4 March 2022: Russia seizes nuclear plant in Ukraine, The Hill, 4 March 2022: How the US is helping Ukraine fight Russia, The Washington Post, 4 March 2022: Europe awakens to the Russian threat, CNN, 4 March 2022: One million refugees flee Ukraine as Russia escalates bombardment of key cities, The Hill, 4 March 2022: The Hill’s Morning Report – Russia’s war against Ukraine grinds on, Times of Israel, 4 March 2022: We need air defenses from Israel, not goodwill statements, Lviv commander tells ToI, CNN, 4 March 2022: Russia squeezes southern Ukraine amid warning ‘worst is yet to come’, Gulf Times, 4 March 2022: Russia’s crypto volumes are stalling across major exchanges, Ukraine sets up multiple crypto wallets, The Guardian, 4 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: ‘World narrowly averted nuclear catastrophe’ over Zaporizhzhia fire, says US envoy to UN, Gulf News, 4 March 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine: G7 urges Russia to stop attacks near Ukraine nuclear plants, Arab News, 4 March 2022: US envoy to UN slams ‘reckless’ Russian attack on nuclear plant, Moscow denies shelling, Al Arabiya, 4 March 2022: NATO rejects calls for no-fly zone over Ukraine, The National, 4 March 2022: Foreign fighters answer Zelenskyy’s call to defend Ukraine, Al Arabiya, 4 March 2022: US taking ‘all measures’ to stop Russia benefiting from IMF assets: Treasury official, Arab News, 4 March 2022: NATO rejects Ukraine no-fly zone, says ‘not part of this war’, The New York Times, 4 March 2022: Panicked Rush to Flee Kyiv as Russian Forces Bear Down, Al Arabiya, 4 March 2022: Russian police search offices of banned rights group Memorial, sparking outcry, The New York Times, 4 March 2022: The fire at the nuclear complex was only about 1,500 feet from a reactor, maps show., Jerusalem Post, 4 March 2022: UNHRC votes 32-2 to probe Russian human rights violations in Ukraine, The New York Times, 4 March 2022: The U.S. and Europe are using sanctions to punish Vladimir Putin and fuel unrest in Russia over the war., Haaretz, 4 March 2022: ‘I Fled the Nazis, Now I’m Fleeing the Russians’: Jewish Refugees From Ukraine Find Shelter in Moldova, NPR, 4 March 2022: Russia blocks access to Facebook, The New York Times, 4 March 2022: ‘I Want Peace.’ Zelensky’s Heroic Resistance Is an Example for the World., DW, 4 March 2022: Do cryptocurrencies offer Russians a way round sanctions?, NPR, 4 March 2022: The battle for Ukraine could test the limits of closer ties between China and Russia, The Hill, 4 March 2022: Putin can be prosecuted for crimes of aggression — but likely not any time soon, The New Yorker, 4 March 2022: The War That Russians Do Not See, Politico.eu, 4 March 2022: The EU’s plan to cure its Russian gas addiction, New York Magazine, 4 March 2022: Putin’s War Looks Increasingly Insane, Politico.eu, 4 March 2022: Brussels paves way to slap trade tariffs on Russia, Miami Herald, 4 March 2022: Russia told Germany to hand over a U.S. citizen. After invasion, he was sent home to Miami, Politico.eu, 4 March 2022: Economic meltdown gives Putin a route back to Soviet repression, Los Angeles Times, 4 March 2022: Russians seize nuclear power plant amid heavy bombardment of Ukraine, CNN, 4 March 2022: Russia’s second biggest oil company calls for an end to Putin’s war, Politico.eu, 4 March 2022: Russian shelling of nuclear plant raises radioactive threat in Ukraine, CNN, 4 March 2022: Putin, the emperor with no clothes, The Washington Post, 4 March 2022: Zelensky calls for direct talks with Putin as U.S. Embassy calls nuclear plant attack ‘a war crime’, CNN, 4 March 2022: ‘It is not just Ukraine we are protecting’, BBC, 4 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: Before and after images reveal Russian destruction, Politico.eu, 4 March 2022: The fighting is in Ukraine, but risk of World War III is real, BBC, 4 March 2022: Ukraine war: ‘My city’s being shelled, but mum won’t believe me’, France24, 4 March 2022: When a country becomes a battlefield and what it means for Ukrainian women, DW, 4 March 2022: Ukraine: EU foreign ministers slam Russian attacks on civilians, France24, 4 March 2022: In pictures: Ukrainians struggle between flight or living under fire on ninth day of Russian invasion, France24, 4 March 2022: ‘If not us, then who?’: Polish postal workers risk their lives to bring aid into Ukraine, DW, 4 March 2022: Ukraine President Zelenskyy urges victory of ‘freedom over slavery’ — live updates, France24, 4 March 2022: Shoigu and Gerasimov: Masters of Putin’s wars, BBC, 4 March 2022: Ukraine crisis: Kharkiv residents still sheltering underground a week on, The National, 4 March 2022: Russia is worried not only about Ukraine in Nato, but also about Nato in Ukraine, France24, 4 March 2022: Near Ukraine border, Western arms arrive quickly and discreetly, DW, 4 March 2022: Ukraine: NATO’s Stoltenberg says coming days ‘likely to be worse’, France24, 4 March 2022: Live: Russia blocks Facebook and restricts Twitter access, stifling war coverage, BBC, 5 March 2022: Putin says sanctions over Ukraine are like a declaration of war (grteat, that the sanctions are obviously working pretty well. The more, the better), The Economist, 5 March 2022: Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is wrecking two countries, The Times, 5 March 2022: Ten days of war through the eyes of Ukrainians, Jerusalem Post, 5 March 2022: Last surviving Nuremberg Trials prosecutor: Putin should be ‘behind bars’, Irish Times, 5 March 2022: Fintan O’Toole: Greater Russia ends up as Lesser China. Good luck with that, The Times, 5 March 2022: Merciless Putin shells evacuees, Irish Times, 5 March 2022: Russians brace for big squeeze as rouble loses third of value, Jerusalem Post, 5 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war: Over 350 civilians killed so far, UN confirms, The Times, 5 March 2022: Sandbags on streets and mines on beaches: Odessa braces for war, The New Yorker, 5 March 2022: Volodymyr Zelensky Leads the Defense of Ukraine with His Voice, The Times, 5 March 2022: How does Putin extract himself from this nightmare of his own making?, The National, 5 March 2022: Singapore to impose sanctions on Russian banks and cryptocurrency funding, Al Arabiya, 5 March 2022: Russia’s Putin says Western sanctions are akin to declaration of war, Los Angeles Times, 5 March 2022: Cease-fire in two southern Ukrainian cities falls apart, stalling evacuations, The Times, 5 March 2022: The Kremlin mercenaries hunting Zelensky, Politico.eu, 5 March 2022: Russia obstructs Iran nuclear deal as the Kremlin frets over its oil income, Irish Times, 5 March 2022: Ukrainian statehood in jeopardy says Putin, blaming leaders for continuing conflict, CNN, 5 March 2022: ‘They shoot at anyone who tries to leave.’ Ukrainians describe terror of living under Russian occupation, Los Angeles Times, 5 March 2022: Increasingly isolated, Putin finds a few allies in Latin America, The National, 5 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: Mariupol evacuation postponed as city officials blame Russia, Arab News, 5 March 2022: The world’s leading luxury brands suspend business in Russia, Forward, 5 March 2022: Jewish Ukrainians gear up for fierce Russia fight, alongside the ‘neo-Nazis’ they say Putin is lying about, BBC, 5 March 2022: War in Ukraine: Thousands march in Kherson against occupiers, DW, 5 March 2022: Members of Putin’s inner circle hit by Western sanctions, CNN, 5 March 2022: US working with Poland on the possibility of providing fighter jets to Ukraine, France24, 5 March 2022: The battle for Kyiv: ‘Come here, and you’ll see what kind of a reception you’ll get!’, Politico.eu, 5 March 2022: White House weighs 3-way deal to get fighter jets to Ukraine, The Guardian, 5 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: Biden and Zelenskiy discuss more support for Ukraine as Visa, Mastercard pull out of Russia, Irish Times, 5 March 2022: ‘My family have been bombed’: Emotional Ukrainians protest in Dublin, BBC, 5 March 2022: Ukraine conflict: Your guide to understanding day 10, France24, 5 March 2022: Protests ring out in Europe demanding end to Ukraine invasion, DW, 5 March 2022: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy urges citizens to fight — live updates, CNN, 5 March 2022: Chinese Foreign Minister: “Evolution” of Ukraine situation is “something China does not want to see”, Politico.eu, 5 March 2022: Putin likens sanctions to declaration of war, says Ukraine statehood at risk, DW, 5 March 2022: How vital is nuclear energy for Ukraine?, France24, 5 March 2022: Live: Russia, Ukraine blame each other as second attempt to evacuate Mariupol fails, Gulf Times, 6 March 2022: US lawmakers vow to release $10bn in aid to Zelensky, Jerusalem Post, 6 March 2022: US working with Poland to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, Times of Israel, 6 March 2022: Putin says future of Ukraine statehood in doubt as ceasefires collapse, Gulf Times, 6 March 2022: Protests in Hamburg, Paris against Ukraine war, The National, 6 March 2022: Russians rush to shop amid fears for the future and a free-falling rouble, Arab News, 6 March 2022: Live updates: Ukrainian paramedic remembered for bravery, CNN, 6 March 2022: Video shows Russian jet falling from the sky, France24, 6 March 2022: Putin threatens Ukraine ‘statehood’ as Moscow sanctions tighten, The National, 6 March 2022: US and Europe discuss plans to ban Russian oil imports, Blinken says, Arab News, 6 March 2022: Russian attacks halt plans to evacuate Ukrainian civilians, Al Arabiya, 6 March 2022: Approximately 20,000 foreign volunteers in Ukraine fighting against Russians: FM, The New York Times, 6 March 2022: Police Detain Thousands at Antiwar Protests Across Russia, Times of Israel, 6 March 2022: ‘Putin is a fascist’: Hundreds of protesters march for Ukraine in Tel Aviv, Haaretz, 6 March 2022: We Jews Know Where Putin’s Dehumanizing Language on Ukraine Leads, CNN, 6 March 2022: Defiance and disobedience are flourishing in Russian-held Ukraine, The New York Times, 6 March 2022: Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War, Los Angeles Times, 6 March 2022: Russian attacks intensify in Ukraine; Zelensky again pleads for no-fly zone, CNN, 6 March 2022: Ukrainians are giving two lessons in democracy that Americans have forgotten, BBC, 6 March 2022: Ukraine: Russia has attacked schools and hospitals, says deputy PM, The Atlantic, 6 March 2022: What a Decade-Old Conflict Tells Us About Putin, The New York Times, 6 March 2022: The Cancellation of Mother Russia Is Underway, CNN, 6 March 2022: US and Europe weigh plans for Ukrainian government in exile, BBC, 6 March 2022: Ukraine war: Residents run from Russian shelling in Irpin, near Kyiv, France24, 6 March 2022: Investigation: civilian zones in Kharkiv hit by Russian cluster munitions, NPR, 6 March 2022: Russia invades Ukraine live updates: More than 360 civilians have been killed, The Sunday Times, 6 March 2022: Sandbags on streets and mines on beaches: Odessa braces for war, CNN, 6 March 2022: The disaster we should have seen coming, BBC, 6 March 2022: Protests across Russia see thousands detained, France24, 6 March 2022: Live: US has seen ‘very credible’ reports Russia committed war crimes, says Blinken, DW, 6 March 2022: Correspondent perspectives: Reporting on the war in Ukraine, DW, 6 March 2022: How useful are Turkish-made drones fighting in Ukraine?, DW, 7 March 2022: Ukraine rejects humanitarian corridors that lead to Russia — live updates (now the illegal forced Russification and forced assimilation (very similar to that with the Uyghurs in China) is taking place, as was the case after the theft of Crimea and the start of the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014. In this way, these people are not only torn from their homeland, but also robbed of their Ukrainian identity in order to wipe out Ukraine and the Ukrainians in this way as well. If you look at the Russian demographics, from their point of view this is even necessary for survival, because nobody wants to become Russian voluntarily, not even the Russians themselves, because, among other things, reproduction has declined to such an extent that there are hardly any real Russians left. At least that gives hope for the future, because then the loyalties are of course clear – fortunately they don’t lie with Russia), France24, 7 March 2022: Live: Macron condemns Putin’s ‘moral cynicism’ over humanitarian corridors, CNN, 7 March 2022: Ukraine slams Moscow’s offer to evacuate civilians to Russia and Belarus as ‘immoral’ (apparently, the wars in Chechnya and Syria with the most severe destruction and war crimes, including in Grozny and Aleppo, are now the role models for Putin’s war against Ukraine), The Washington Post, 7 March 2022: Odessa braces for Russian assault, DW, 7 March 2022: DW correspondent perspectives: Reporting on the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post, 7 March 2022: Democrats, Republicans reach deal to ban Russian energy imports, suspend normal trade relations, The New York Times, 7 March 2022: Civilians Caught in Escalating Russian Attacks, NPR, 7 March 2022: Levi’s halts sales in Russia, evoking Cold War scrambles for blue jeans, New York Magazine, 7 March 2022: The West’s Sanctions on Russia Are Working Too Well, The Hill, 7 March 2022: Putin’s attacks on civilians raise pressure on US, NATO, The National, 7 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: Europe steps back from US effort to ban Russian oil and gas, Al Arabiya, 7 March 2022: Putin has deployed nearly 100 pct of pre-staged forces into Ukraine: US official, NPR, 7 March 2022: Russia is trying to recruit Syrians to fight in Ukraine, U.S. says, The National, 7 March 2022: Russia has deployed nearly all staged forces in Ukraine, Pentagon says, Al Arabiya, 7 March 2022: Russian no show at UN court hearings on Ukrainian war, Politico.eu, 7 March 2022: Putin is likely to hit NATO in the Baltic if he wins in Ukraine, EU vice president warns, Jerusalem Post, 7 March 2022: Kremlin announces humanitarian corridors from Ukraine to Russia, Belarus, The Times, 7 March 2022: Xi is the only leader who can stop this war, Politico.eu, 7 March 2022: Ukraine slams Moscow’s humanitarian corridors to Russia as ‘absurd’, BBC, 7 March 2022: War in Ukraine: ‘It’s hell, it’s really hell’ – Families flee bombs in Irpin, The Times, 7 March 2022: Russia offers to end war ‘in a moment’ if Ukraine accepts demands, BBC, 7 March 2022: Russian shelling prevents evacuations once again, Jerusalem Post, 7 March 2022: Russia destroyed Ukraine nuclear neutron generator – IAEA chief, The National, 8 March 2022: US intel chiefs expect Putin to ‘double down’ in Ukraine with ‘no sustainable end goal’, Arab News, 8 March 2022: Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine, Pentagon says, Times of Israel, 8 March 2022: Ukraine accuses Russia of attacking humanitarian corridors as civilians flee cities, The National, 8 March 2022: UN rights chief decries Russian protest arrests, Al Arabiya, 8 March 2022: In nod to Russia, Ukraine says no longer insisting on NATO membership, DW, 8 March 2022: Ukraine: Civilians flee as first safe corridors open — live updates, The National, 8 March 2022: Call for Russia to allow independent inspectors into seized Ukrainian nuclear sites, Al Arabiya, 8 March 2022: Biden bans all Russian oil imports to the US, but warns ‘it will cost us’, DW, 8 March 2022: Joe Biden bans US imports of Russian oil, gas after Ukraine’s pleas, France24, 8 March 2022: Pentagon estimates 2,000 to 4,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, The National, 8 March 2022: China ‘ready to play constructive role’ in Ukraine peace talks, Al Arabiya, 8 March 2022: Pentagon estimates 2,000 to 4,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, France24, 8 March 2022: Russian generals face peril as Ukraine invasion intensfies (there is no single Russian war hero in all of Ukraine, only helpers of state terrorist and war criminal Putin. Very well done by the Ukrainian resistance forces. Congrats! :-) ), The National, 8 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: Biden imposes ban on Russian oil, coal and gas, BBC, 8 March 2022: Ukraine: Civilians evacuated from two areas under attack, France24, 8 March 2022: War in Ukraine: How the Russian army is surrounding Kyiv, Al Arabiya, 8 March 2022: Germany calls on OPEC to increase oil output, Politico.eu, 8 March 2022: Russian military’s corruption quagmire, France24, 8 March 2022: Live: Biden announces ban on Russian oil imports over Ukraine invasion, Irish Times, 8 March 2022: Fintan O’Toole: West needs to think carefully about endgame in Ukraine, BBC, 8 March 2022: Ukraine: Are arms shipments from the West making a difference?, CNN, 8 March 2022: ‘He said he was going towards Kyiv.’, Politico.eu, 8 March 2022: Commission plans to get EU off Russian gas before 2030, Irish Times, 8 March 2022: United Nations advises staff against using ‘war’ or ‘invasion’ regarding Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 8 March 2022: Ukraine welcomes tougher Western sanctions against Moscow; U.S. bans Russian oil imports, Politico.eu, 8 March 2022: EU makes it clear crypto is covered in sanctions against Russia, Belarus, CNN, 8 March 2022: Putin’s clumsy military campaign in southern Ukraine makes little sense, The Washington Post, 8 March 2022: U.S. to ban imports of Russian oil, Los Angeles Times, 8 March 2022: Polish plan to get fighter jets to Ukrainian military complicates Harris’ visit to Warsaw (the vehemence with which President Selenskyj presents his demands for fighter jets is of course absolutely understandable. Nobody would do it differently in his position. On the other hand, in the event of the delivery of the Polish jets, the security of 450 million EU citizens would be in danger. Therefore, for the time being, the answer can only be negative. Of course, it cannot be completely ruled out, especially since Putin could of course escalate further at any time, so that NATO would have to intervene and then additionally equip Ukraine considerably), New York Magazine, 8 March 2022: The Terrible Case for a No-Fly Zone in Ukraine, Politico.eu, 8 March 2022: ‘We told you so!’ How the West didn’t listen to the countries that know Russia best, The New Yorker, 8 March 2022: “We Watch the News and We’re Crying”, The Hill, 8 March 2022: Angry Putin set to ‘double down’ in Ukraine, intel chiefs warn lawmakers, The Atlantic, 8 March 2022: Of Course Putin Is Being Canceled, The New York Times, 8 March 2022: Putin Has No Good Way Out, and That Really Scares Me, NPR, 8 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 8), The National, 9 March 2022: Pentagon: Russia drops ‘dumb’ bombs as US and allies work to build Ukraine’s air defence, Arab News, 9 March 2022: Airstrike hits Ukraine maternity hospital, 17 reported hurt, The National, 9 March 2022: Blinken: Russia will suffer ‘long, bloody, drawn-out mess’ in Ukraine, Politico.com, 9 March 2022: U.S. closes door on sending fighter jets to Ukraine, The New York Times, 9 March 2022: Live Updates: ‘No Water, No Heating, No Gas’ in Besieged Ukraine City as Maternity Hospital Is Hit, Los Angeles Times, 9 March 2022: Russian strike hits children’s hospital amid evacuation effort, Ukraine says, NPR, 9 March 2022: War in Ukraine: Russian strike devastates a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Zelenskyy says, New York Magazine, 9 March 2022: Russia’s Antiwar Protesters Are Terrified And still marching., The Times, 9 March 2022: Putin infuriated by Russian intelligence failures in Ukraine war, DW, 9 March 2022: Correspondent perspectives: Reporting on the war in Ukraine, The Hill, 9 March 2022: US, Poland still discussing possible jet deal, CNN, 9 March 2022: Mariupol mayor asks for help and calls for no-fly zone after maternity hospital bombing, The Washington Post, 9 March 2022: Fearing crackdown, thousands of Russians crowd into few remaining trains and planes to flee, The Times, 9 March 2022: ‘Dumb bombs’ make Russian aircraft vulnerable to attack, CNN, 9 March 2022: How Putin ‘destroyed’ the ruble and brought Russia to the brink of default, DW, 9 March 2022: War in Ukraine: Former NATO commander Wesley Clark talks to DW, The Guardian, 9 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: Russia admits using thermobaric weapons, UK says; fears Putin could use chemical attack, DW, 9 March 2022: Ukraine war: How a ‘fact-checking’ website is spreading Russian propaganda, CNN, 9 March 2022: Ukraine’s first lady emerges as a staunch defender of her nation on social media, The Guardian, 9 March 2022: History is brutally back, and Ukraine will test Europe’s appetite for the consequences (leaving aside the question to what extent “complicity through active passivity or complete omissions” is not already a fact, it is obvious that NATO and the EU are in a lost position as long as they play by rules while Putin knows none. He is completely indifferent to the dead, even in his own ranks. The already devastating destruction and enormous human casualties are not enough for him at all. His anger and ruthlessness are heightened by Russian casualties, his army’s ineptness, and the increasing desertions of his soldiers. Even if it goes against all Western understanding and all Western logic, NATO and the EU will not be able to avoid the question of when they have to intervene to stop Putin’s genocide against Ukraine and the Ukrainians for much longer. This war, too, is documented far too well and in real time for one to be able to excuse oneself later with pretended, alleged unawareness of the situation on the ground), NPR, 9 March 2022: Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, says Russia is waging mass murder of civilians, DW, 9 March 2022: Scholz: Sending Polish jets to Ukraine via US base in Germany ‘certainly’ not an option, CNN, 9 March 2022: ‘He’s in a corner’: Expert breaks down Putin’s nuclear threats, DW, 9 March 2022: EU parliament demands end to ‘golden passports’ for Russians, The Times, 10 March 2022: Britain to boost Ukraine’s defences with laser-guided missile system, France24, 10 March 2022: Ukraine: Mothers, children and elderly adapt to life underground, NPR, 10 March 2022: Photos: As millions flee, Russia defends attack on Ukrainian maternity hospital, The New Yorker, 10 March 2022: The Growing Fear of a Wider War Between Russia and the West, Forward, 10 March 2022: ‘Our city is totally destroyed’: One refugee’s story as she crosses the border from Ukraine, The Hill, 10 March 2022: Fears grow over Russian chemical threat to Ukraine, Israel Hayom, 10 March 2022: Putin’s cardinal mistakes, DW, 10 March 2022: Ukrainian sports stars who have taken up arms, France24, 10 March 2022: As it happened: Russian tanks advance northeast of Kyiv, EU leaders hold crisis talks at Versailles, New York Magazine, 10 March 2022: Ukrainian Family Killed in Russian Bombing Identified, France24, 10 March 2022: Video: Irpin mounts resistance against Russian tanks advancing on Kyiv, Los Angeles Times, 10 March 2022: As Ukraine-Russia talks falter, battles intensify in Kyiv suburbs, France24, 11 March 2022: Live: From Kharkiv to Mariupol, humanitarian situation worsens in Ukraine’s besieged cities, The Hill, 11 March 2022: NATO: Russia is launching many air operations from Belarus, France24, 11 March 2022: As Odesa prepares for war, residents are divided over which side to take, NPR, 11 March 2022: Russian strikes hit western Ukraine as offensive widens, The Hill, 11 March 2022: The best possible US endgame in Ukraine is not what you may think, The National, 11 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy claims Ukraine has reached ‘strategic turning point’, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: Belarus may be preparing to invade Ukraine, France24, 11 March 2022: ‘We won’t be welcoming the Russians with roses’: Odesa prepares for attack, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: Russia to allow thousands of Middle East volunteers to fight Ukraine, The National, 11 March 2022: Russia’s bioweapon claims deemed unfounded at UN Security Council, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: Israel’s mediator role can’t justify lackluster support – Ukrainian envoy, NPR, 11 March 2022: Why Belarus is so involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: China’s computers hacked by US to attack Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, The National, 11 March 2022: Biden moves to strip Russia of preferred trade status, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war: US, G7, EU to strip Russia of ‘most favored nation’ status – source, Al Arabiya, 11 March 2022: Syrians can volunteer to fight for Russia in Ukraine: Kremlin, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: EU unveils fourth set of sanctions against Russia, Arab News, 11 March 2022: Stoltenberg: Ukraine conflict must not spark NATO-Russia war, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: Ukraine claims Russia planning false flag terrorism in Donbas, Times of Israel, 11 March 2022: What does Putin think he’s doing? An expert’s primer on why he invaded, what’s next, Al Arabiya, 11 March 2022: Ukraine says Russia is relying on conscripts and mercenaries, Haaretz, 11 March 2022: The Great Jewish Oligarchs’ Escape: ‘The Ground Is Trembling. They Will Stream Into Israel’, Jerusalem Post, 11 March 2022: UNSC to discuss US, Ukraine ‘biowarfare labs’ at Russia’s request, Haaretz, 11 March 2022: Putin Wanted Another Crimea. He May Get Another Chechnya, The New York Times, 11 March 2022: Live Ukraine Updates: Biden Moves to Suspend Normal Trade With Russia, Times of Israel, 11 March 2022: Senate passes $1.5 trillion spending bill including Iron Dome aid, Ukraine help, The Hill, 11 March 2022: Biden: Direct conflict between NATO and Russia would be ‘World War III’, Haaretz, 11 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine Updates: Ukrainian Official Says Israel’s Mediation Is Useless, ‘Bennett Wants Us to Surrender’, The New York Times, 11 March 2022: Over Ukraine, Lumbering Turkish-Made Drones Are an Ominous Sign for Russia, The Hill, 11 March 2022: Russian regulators restrict access to Instagram, The Washington Post, 11 March 2022: Biden, European allies move to strip Russia of trade status, The Hill, 11 March 2022: Misinformation colors how Russians are seeing the Ukrainian war, NPR, 11 March 2022: War in Ukraine live updates: Russia intensifies air attacks; U.S. blocks Russian imports of vodka and other goods, Los Angeles Times, 11 March 2022: Biden, Europe revoke Russia’s trade status, ratcheting up economic pain for Putin, CNN, 11 March 2022: Russia’s misinformation offensive impedes diplomatic efforts to end the war, The Cut, 11 March 2022: TikToking From a Bomb Shelter, Politico.com, 11 March 2022: Biden moves to reimpose Cold War trade restraints on Russia, CNN, 11 March 2022: Biden warns Russia will pay a ‘severe price’ if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine, DW, 11 March 2022: Putin’s inner circle: Who has the Russian president’s ear on the war in Ukraine?, The Hill, 11 March 2022: Mayor of Ukrainian city Melipotol detained by Russians, CNN, 11 March 2022: Russia’s richest businessman tells Putin: Don’t take us back to 1917, DW, 11 March 2022: Debate about Polish fighter jets for Ukraine was divisive — and distracting, The Atlantic, 11 March 2022: The West Isn’t Doing Enough to Save My Homeland, CNN, 11 March 2022: The 40-mile-long Russian convoy near Kyiv has moved. Here’s what it means for the Ukrainian capital, Politico.eu, 11 March 2022: EU hits Russia with new sanctions on luxury goods, metals and energy projects, The Guardian, 11 March 2022: G7 nations strip Russia of ‘most favoured nation’ status, CNN, 11 March 2022: In Moscow, McDonald’s packs up, radio falls silent and the brain drain begins, DW, 11 March 2022: Kherson, Ukraine: Life under Russian occupation, Politico.com, 11 March 2022: Ukraine is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, The New Yorker, 11 March 2022: The Russian Military’s Debacle in Ukraine, The Guardian, 11 March 2022: Two weeks of war in Ukraine – photo essay, CNN, 11 March 2022: It’s 8:30 p.m. in Kyiv. Catch up on the latest developments in Ukraine, DW, 11 March 2022: Joining the war: Foreign nationals flock to Ukraine, The New York Times, 11 March 2022: The Price of Putin’s Belligerence, BBC, 11 March 2022: Watch: Our correspondent goes into no-man’s land with the Ukrainian army, The Guardian, 11 March 2022: Russians using Serbian loophole to avoid EU flights ban, The National, 11 March 2022: Chernobyl’s orphans are grown up but war threatens a new generation of parentless children, The Times, 11 March 2022: Meet Ukraine’s Ghost of Kyiv who is ‘coming for Russia’s soul’, Irish Times, 11 March 2022: Endgame in Ukraine: How could the war play out?, Politico.eu, 11 March 2022: Removing Russia’s trade privileges — what you need to know, France24, 11 March 2022: ‘We fight for democratic values. We need help,’ says Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, CNN, 11 March 2022: After over three decades of covering Russia, I leave in despair. One man has extinguished the bright hope many once felt, DW, 11 March 2022: EU leaders pledge increased military aid for Ukraine — live updates, Irish Times, 11 March 2022: Ukraine: Situation in Mariupol ‘critical’ as EU ready to impose harsher sanctions on Russia, BBC, 11 March 2022: Ukraine war: Large Russian convoy redeploys near Kyiv – satellite images, The National, 11 March 2022: Russian general killed and clutch of spy chiefs arrested, The Washington Post, 11 March 2022: Despite risks and official warnings, U.S. veterans join Ukrainian war effort, The Guardian, 11 March 2022: Live Russia-Ukraine war: Russia could use chemical and biological weapons, US warns, as sanctions against Moscow are tightened, The Times, 11 March 2022: African fighters prepare to join Russian troops, Irish Times, 11 March 2022: We should not be neutral when it comes to naked military aggression, France24, 12 March 2022: YouTube blocks Russian state-funded media, including RT and Sputnik, around the world, DW, 12 March 2022: Scholz, Macron speak with Putin again over Ukraine conflict — live updates, France24, 12 March 2022: Live: Russia forces encircle Kyiv and continue Mariupol siege, CNN, 12 March 2022: End of an era in Russia as sanctions bite and Western companies take flight, DW, 12 March 2022: Life in wartime Ukraine: Silence and violence, France24, 12 March 2022: Thousands in Florence gather to hear Zelensky, protest war, CNN, 12 March 2022: Significant destruction seen in Makariv, a Ukrainian village 30 miles west of Kyiv, Los Angeles Times, 12 March 2022: Russia intensifies assault, warns U.S. weapons sent to Ukraine are ‘legitimate targets’, The New York Times, 12 March 2022: Ukraine Live Updates: Desperation Grows in Cities Under Continued Russian Assault, The Times, 12 March 2022: Could Putin and Russia really lose the war with Ukraine?, Gulf News, 12 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine crisis updates: France says Putin is not ready to end Ukraine war, fighting rages; Zelensky open for talks with Putin in Israel, The National, 12 March 2022: Russia-Ukraine war latest: Russian forces close in on Kyiv and bombard other cities, Arab News, 12 March 2022: US denounces Russian claims of Ukrainian biological weapons as a ‘false flag’, The Washington Post, 12 March 2022: Russian forces take strategic city as Kyiv, other areas face fierce bombardment, BBC, 12 March 2022: Ukrainians resort to desperate measures for food and water, NPR, 12 March 2022: Photos: Ukrainian refugees assisted by the EU government as they flee their country, The New Yorker, 12 March 2022: What the Russian Invasion Has Done to Ukraine, Politico.eu, 12 March 2022: EU’s Borrell makes premature pledge of €500M more military aid to Ukraine, The Atlantic, 12 March 2022: The War in Ukraine Is Just Beginning, NPR, 12 March 2022: Russia’s wars in Chechnya offer a grim warning of what could be in Ukraine, BBC, 12 March 2022: Ukraine war: Evacuations ‘extremely difficult’ amid shelling, The Times, 12 March 2022: Born to the sound of bombs, the Ukraine babies bringing hope amid the despair of war, Arab News, 12 March 2022: The world is entering uncharted territory, Politico.eu, 12 March 2022: Around 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, Zelenskyy said, BBC, 12 March 2022: Ukraine war: Kyiv prepares for Russian attack, Irish Times, 12 March 2022: Ukraine accuses Russia of killing civilians trying to flee fighting near Kyiv, The Times, 12 March 2022: The new legion of foreign fighters: who are they and where do they come from?, BBC, 12 March 2022: War in Ukraine: How Russia is recruiting mercenaries, The National, 13 March 2022: Nato warned ‘very little time’ left before Russia attacks Poland as 35 killed in strikes, Arab News, 13 March 2022: Russia strikes military base near Polish border, 35 dead, Ukraine says, Al Arabiya, 13 March 2022: Russia bombs Ukraine military base where foreign instructors worked, 35 dead, The Times, 13 March 2022: Russian airstrikes hit Ukraine military base near Polish border, The National, 13 March 2022: Ukraine is upending the world order – but not how Russia thought it would, Al Arabiya, 13 March 2022: US: Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine would cross ‘shocking additional line’, The Times, 13 March 2022: Putin wipes out entire Ukrainian city of Volnovakha, The New York Times, 13 March 2022: Ukraine Live Updates: Russian Airstrikes Kill at Least 35 at Base Near Polish Border, The Washington Post, 13 March 2022: Dozens dead in attack near Poland, The Times, 13 March 2022: Andrey Kurkov: Ukrainians will never be Russians, Los Angeles Times, 13 March 2022: Russia strikes Ukrainian military training base near Poland, killing at least 35, NPR, 13 March 2022: Russia invades Ukraine live updates: A Russian attack on a base near the Polish border leaves 35 dead, The Times, 13 March 2022: Russia ‘using banned white phosphorus bombs’ in attack on Ukrainian city, Politico.eu, 13 March 2022: Death toll rises to 35 in Russian missile strike on base in western Ukraine, close to Poland’s border, Irish Times, 13 March 2022: Russian attack on Ukrainian base near Polish border leaves 35 dead – regional governor, BBC, 13 March 2022: Ukraine war: ‘Sky turned red’ as missiles hit Lviv military base, The Times, 13 March 2022: Navalny still needling the tsar from his ‘friendly concentration camp’, France24, 13 March 2022: More than 800 detained in Ukraine protests across Russia, DW, 13 March 2022: Putin will take his quest as far as Russians allow (meanwhile, Putin and his fascist gang are not only indiscriminately killing Ukrainian women and children, they are also bombin