Category Archives: Ukraine

When the War Is Over

08 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Ukraine

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            As of this date the Russian Chiefs-Of-Staff have stated they are winning the battle to take their only goal. Depending on the translation they either said they will control the eastern part of Ukraine or control the Donbas region which isn’t much more than the areas they had by supporting a rebellion area.

            This is a face saving stance which the Ukrainians President and many of the common people say is unacceptable. Putin should not get a single foot of their country and they will fight to force them out. That decision is up to the Ukrainians.

            The rest of the world and Europe in particular will need to make a decision. After the war is over when will the sanctions be dropped? The Russians have literally destroyed many towns and cities. The infrastructure has also been destroyed. The cost to rebuild will be trillions of dollars and take years. Since this war was entirely caused by Putin and his military, they should pay for the rebuild.

            How about this idea? Sanctions having to do with exporting oil and gas should be eased so the oil and gas can be sold. Instead of the Russians getting all the payments, they get only 15 percent and the other 85 percent will go to the fund to pay for those repairs. This will continue until Ukraine is back to pre-war condition. Otherwise the rest of the wealthy state will have to pay and Russia gets off without paying for what was destroyed during the war.

The Media War

01 Sunday May 2022

Posted by in Journalism, Ukraine

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            The war in the Ukraine has caused billions of people to realize what a war actually look like in today’s pampered world. The Russians destroyed Chechnya and  Syrian cities but we didn’t pay attention because they are either far off in Central Asia or in the Middle East where we are okay with “them” destroying each other.

            Syrian and Chechnyan cities are no less destroyed than Mariupol or Kharkiv. Syria, being near several media branch offices, got more for a longer period. Much of it because so many American and European non-profits helping Syrians in Syria and abroad. The war in Ukraine is on television almost every minute. The Ukraine is awash with reporters from the world media and Russia supplies some videos of is troops and equipment.

            Europeans who lived through World War II and the rebuilding of bombed out cities are old or dead. More than half were born afterwards so what war looks like is basically unknown to them. The flood of people fleeing for their lives has scared other people into anger towards Russia not seen for decades.

            Few Americans have been able to visualize their cities, towns and homes destroyed as the places they see on their TVs and devices. Most Americans were not concerned when Trump met with Russian leaders in one-on-one secret meetings because Russia was no longer viewed as an enemy. This enabled Trump to try to constantly carry out his promise to leave NATO. Americans and Europeans are closer now and more supportive of NATO than since the 1970s. This huge change in opinion is due to in-depth media coverage.

When Will They Come

01 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by in Refugees, Ukraine

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            When I was in the fourth grade in 1956-7, we had a refugee girl from the Hungarian Revolution in class. She was a light complexioned girl with blonde pigtails. I don’t remember her having a lot of English language skills to start but she was learning before she left to go somewhere else. I don’t remember if she was with other family members. I only said hello a few times because she was very shy. Her name was Magdalena.

            If our little community of 3,000 hosted a refugee family, will we all soon start to host Ukrainians? As I write this over two and a half million Ukrainians, almost all women and children, have left for other countries. The expectation is three times as many in the next few months will be refugees. I expect some will soon be coming to North America. Will they ever go back is the question. If Putin’s lackeys take over they probably won’t. The cities will be devastated for decades and they won’t have a place to live for years to come. Hundreds of thousands will make new lives and never go back. Will they still be welcomed in a few years?

When to End Sanctions

01 Friday Apr 2022

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            When to end the World’s sanctions on Russia itself, its companies, and people is an important question. When the war is over? When the Russian troops have left Ukraine? When the Ukraine is whole and functioning again? How about when all the damage is repaired and paid for by Russia’s oil and gas exports?

            Putin has caused hundreds of billions if not trillions of dollars in damage to the private, public, and national government’s buildings and infrastructure. The Ukraine can’t pay for all the repairs and the rest of the world should not foot the bill unless a 70% rebate on Russia’s oil and gas exports is applied to the advance of funds by the rest of the world.

            Keeping the sanctions on until the payments are made in full will act as a deterrent to other countries invasion ambitions.

Always Another One

01 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by in Russia, Ukraine

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            During an episode of Hogan’s Heroes, Sergeant Schultz said “Women are like wars, there is always another one”. Europe used to have a big multi-national war every few years until World War II. Thanks to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Europe hasn’t had a big war since WWII. After the Soviet Union broke up, the members got less scared and committed to war games and expenditures.

            Trump harassed the members to spend three percent of their budgets which was good but his pro-Putin discussions and statements agitated the other members. According to his Security Advisor, John Bolton, Trump’s second term’s objective was to leave NATO. Without the United States to keep the organization functioning and ready to defend its members, Russia would be able to pick off the old USSR countries and maybe all of Europe. They did nothing when Putin annexed part of Georgia and the Ukraine so Putin thought their weakness would allow him to take all of Ukraine and then Moldova.

            What has happened is the opposite. The old USSR countries and the rest of Europe have moved into lockstep with the other Europeans. The United States has reassumed the role as leader much to Putin’s surprise and agitation. Most of the world’s countries are sanctioning Putin, his cronies, and Russia. Switzerland joined into the efforts for the first time. Sweden and Finland are starting the process to join NATO. Moldova is considering its options to join the European Union and NATO.

            The war with Ukraine’s army has shown Russia’s army isn’t the image Putin proclaimed. After three weeks his invasion force is bogged down and wanting more help. The war has become a disaster for Putin’s plan of greatness for Russia and himself.

Is Ukraine Putin’s Downfall

23 Wednesday Mar 2022

Posted by in Putin, Ukraine

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            Putin thought he could roll through Ukraine in a few days while controlling what his people know about it. A few bodies can be hidden as with his previous excursions.  The possibility of additional sanctions could be overcome until they are lifted. The ethnic Russians in the Ukraine would line the streets cheering his troops marching through towns and cities.

            None of the above has worked out as in his dream. He is fighting an information war to keep his disastrous invasion from his people.  In today’s digital world, keeping the truth from coming out is impossible so his people will slowly learn the truth and not his reality he has fed them.

            When bodies of the thousands of dead troops start coming home or go missing, people are going to react by questioning what Russia is doing in a friendly country. Statistics say the ratio of killed to wounded is at least one to three meaning over 25,000 have been wounded.

            Sanctions were not as easy as he anticipated and appear to be of a long duration. The hundreds of companies that have pulled out of Russia meaning the average citizen is aware of something going wrong and affecting their lives. Wiping out all the economic gains of the last two decades is going to create social problems.

            Thousands have been protesting the war against Ukraine. Over two thousand have been locked up and hundreds injured by police. What will Putin do when the protesters number in the hundreds of thousands or millions? Can he survive a general uprising?

Putin’s Thinking

23 Wednesday Mar 2022

Posted by in Putin, Ukraine

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            How did we get into this mess with Ukraine? Long ago we looked the other way when Putin started his vicious attacks on civilians. Previous Russian Presidents of the USSR and Russia destroyed cities in Afghanistan and Chechnya. They felt no remorse in killing people by gas, bombs, and missiles. Starving people by cutting off food and utilities wasn’t criticized.

            Along came Syria, where dropping barrel bombs on residential areas was common practice by Russian Helicopters. They killed tens of thousands Syrians while causing millions to flee the country. America and other countries protested some but the main reason was the immigrations.

            If we did little to stop those events and actions, why would Putin believe Ukraine would be different? Hadn’t he paved the way with Trump, the divisive internet sites, and their agents working the GOP? How could his intelligence agencies be so wrong with their reports to him? Were they scared to make a report different than he envisioned or did he ignore them? Is his ego and arrogant personality the real reason the world has turned against him; is that why he can’t back down no matter what happens or what he has to do?

Why the Ukraine

17 Thursday Mar 2022

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            As I write this, Putin is having trouble conquering the Ukraine. It is a country the size of Texas. The Russian army is encircling Kyiv and Kharkov and many smaller communities. Their points of attack are spread over 800 miles of the Ukraine’s border. Retired American generals have commented on the poor planning and execution of it. Poor logistics has led to armored columns running out of fuel and ammunition. His plan was contingent upon the Ukrainian army collapsing and the population not rising up in front of them or behind them which has been a huge error.

            Stalin was faced with a similar situation in November 1939 when he decided to invade Finland.
His generals were incompetent and the Finns put up a great defense. They put up one defensive line after another for three months ending with a treaty ceding the eastern half of the country. Stalin was afraid of the Finns who were anti-communist and supported Hitler while being so close to major cities in Russia. When Hitler invaded Russia, his troops were accompanied by six Finnish divisions.

            Many millions of Ukrainians died in Stalin’s purge and collective farm creation. Many of Hitler’s western divisions were composed of Ukrainian troops. One of those Divisions manned the west wall in June, 1944. When the war was over and they were sent back to Stalin’s clutches, few survived to go home. Later dictators moved hundreds of thousands of Russians into Ukraine.

            Putin, like Stalin, doesn’t trust today’s Ukrainians to not oppose him and Russia in some future conflict.

How Much?

17 Thursday Mar 2022

Posted by in Putin, Ukraine

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            How much are you upset about what Putin is doing in Ukraine? How much have you committed to supporting those people who want the same rights as we have? Are you willing to hurt yourself some financially to hurt Putin and maybe help Ukraine’s desperate people? How much do you believe the war in Ukraine is not going to be the end? How much do you think we need to stop it now?

            If you want to get in deeper and as deep as armed conflict with Russian troops, then tell your Senators and Representatives you want the tank busting A-10 Wart Hog jets and munitions given to the Ukrainians. You want Russia’s oil and natural gas exports sanctioned causing your costs to go up. You want secondary sanctions to go against any country buying or selling to Russia including China.

            We need to be prepared to counter Putin’s cyber attacks on our infrastructure. As they disrupt our electricity, fuel supplies and transportation, our cyber people will counter in Russia’s infrastructure. Will Putin go to a greater conflict like nuclear? Nobody knows. Would his military carry out his orders to launch or to attack a NATO country? It is not known.

            People in Russia are starting to protest in the streets and when it grows to tens or hundreds of thousands can he survive? Will his sycophants continue to support him when they see his end or their end written on the wall?

            How much are we willing to do at this time to stop him now?

Russia Out

13 Sunday Mar 2022

Posted by in Putin, Ukraine

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            The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations has asked an amazing question that has not been resolved. When the UN was organized, the winners of World War II made themselves permanent members of the UN Security Council giving each the authority to override any decision made by the Council. Ten other countries serve on Council on a two year rotating basis. A simple no vote kills any motion.

            At the time of the North Korea’s invasion into the South, Russia was boycotting the UN. Without their veto, the UN ordered troops of member countries to go into South Korea to save South Korea. Stalin was furious at his mistake but blamed others.

            Why is this important today? It seems the seats listed in the UN charter are for the Republic of China (Taiwan now) and the Soviet Union. When the non-Communist Chinese left China moving to Taiwan they kept the seat. In In 1971, the seat was given to the People’s Republic on the mainland. However the UN has a clause on new countries waiting to join. The USSR broke up into 15 new countries which were given membership. Russia assumes the USSR seat on the council without the necessary vote.

            The Ukraine Ambassador has proposed that China and especially Russia has no legal position on the council. Membership is supposed to go to only peace loving countries and with Russia invading one country after another, it does not qualify.