Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #2

[LaborDayRN]

https://twitter.com/franakviacorka/status/1498429449997537289?s=21

The Statue of Liberty stands with Ukraine!

View attachment 335097

This brings tears to my eyes. Fight on Ukraine!

 

[Turkeytrot]

Words of wisdom from my little tea bag tonight..

 

[whitelilac]

from MassGuy's link
“He is no longer the same cold-blooded, clear-eyed dictator that he was in 2008,” former CIA Director John Brennan told NBC News.

The blood that runs through his veins has turned to solid ice.

 

[whitelilac]

3 min ago
Overwhelming wave of Russian troops expected in Ukraine, US officials warn

From CNN's Jeremy Herb and Lauren Fox

US administration officials warned lawmakers in classified briefings Monday that a second wave of Russian troops will likely consolidate the country's positions within Ukraine and by sheer numbers be able to overcome the Ukrainian resistance, according to two people familiar with the briefings.

“That part was disheartening,” one lawmaker told CNN.
The officials also said Russia was likely to lay siege to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and predicted ugly scenes of urban warfare, one of the people familiar with the matter said.

Putin's mental state: Questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin's mental state arose during the briefings, but were not clearly answered by the administration officials, the sources said.

GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, who attended the Senate briefing, confirmed Putin's mental state came up, but he declined to elaborate on what was shared.

He did say, however, that regardless of the briefing, he personally is worried about Putin’s mental state.
Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine

Feeling very anxious about this, and the approaching 40 mile convoy.

 

[Dontknow?]

I did read earlier that Ukrainians were picking up war planes in Poland today. Haven't a clue how many. They were older Russian fighter planes. That gave me some hope of stopping some of that 40 mile convoy. Can't find the tweet now so take it for what it's worth.

reading that donated the planes being picked up in Poland are MIG 29's. 70 promised, at least 27 picked up.

 

[Dontknow?]

The New York Times
@nytimes
59m

Three members of Russia’s rubber-stamp Parliament have criticized their country’s war in Ukraine, a rare episode of dissent from within the Russian establishment.

paid membership required but here's the link

A few members of the Russian Parliament speak out against the war.

 

[SouthAussie]

"NASA exploring ways to keep International Space Station in orbit without Russian help.

Last week, Russia's space chief Dmitry Rogozin raised the prospect of pulling out of the partnership in response to US sanctions"

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/

Looks like one of the modules in the space station is Russian, and one is US.

 

[margarita25]

I don’t think you guys are working hard enough. I think you need to step it up a bit.


(*Obviously being very sarcastic here)

 

[SouthAussie]

The Walt Disney Co said on Monday US time that it is pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, starting with the upcoming Pixar release, Turning Red.

Within hours, WarnerMedia said it would pause this week’s release of The Batman in Russia.

“We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation” Disney said in a statement. “In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance.”

Russia-Ukraine war latest news: live updates

 

[Sillybilly]

Lights are on around Maidan Square tonight. The location commemorates Ukrainian independence so hopefully it's just another "up yours" to Putin.

LIVE WEBCAMS IN KYIV: Russian forces close in on Ukrainian capital

 

[margarita25]

Bumping @PommyMommy’s incredible work in the media thread.

Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION

 

[otto]

I did read earlier that Ukrainians were picking up war planes in Poland today. Haven't a clue how many. They were older Russian fighter planes. That gave me some hope of stopping some of that 40 mile convoy. Can't find the tweet now so take it for what it's worth.

reading that donated the planes being picked up in Poland are MIG 29's. 70 promised, at least 27 picked up.

I might have misunderstood, and I don't have a link, but I thought it was that the Ukraine had older Russian fighter planes, and they were switching them for F16s in Poland. The West is providing upgraded equipment to Ukrainian pilots, not getting involved in the conflict. Perhaps wishful thinking.

 

[mickey2942]

This is so personally upsetting to me. I have serious flashbacks to that old movie, "Red Dawn" when Russia started taking over the United States. If Putin can steamroll Ukraine, what next?!

What more can be done to stop this?

 

[Amonet]

Here in the U.S. we have the resources to be energy independent. We need to move away from importing Russian and Middle Eastern oil, and we will be able to export to other countries as well. JMO.

I'm not sure this is an accurate statement? The US uses far more than it produces. It is a great producer, but it's also a great user of energy.

So the US would have to either produce twice as much, and it's already gone through one peak, or use half as much. Or get half the energy supply from non-fossil fuel sources, even to break even.

I don't think imports come from either Russia or the Middle East? I know it imports from Canada and probably Venezuela, but I'm not sure where else.

This is just from my general knowledge on the subject as it used to be a topic that I was extremely interested in. Since then the US has increased production from things like shale oil, but that used to be expensive to produce, as is deep water oil, used to need a floor of about $70 to $90, which is higher than most Americans really want to pay for a tank of gasoline.

I just think anyone reading statements like that should double check. Things like that are often said, but I think most of it is rhetoric and might not reflect the current status of oil/gas production/imports for the US.

 

[worldwatcher]

In these troubled terrified times, it shows how deep love and compassion runs.
So maybe it has been shared, but can never be shared enough.

~IMO~

Explosions near Kyiv zoo, Italian stays with rescue animals in Ukraine

So much help is needed:

War in Ukraine, terrified animals in the Kiev zoo. And the kennels lack food and medicine


Three animals were killed at the Ecopark Feldman, 400 km from the capital
In the night between Saturday and Sunday, an intense fight between Ukrainians and Russians near the zoo in Kiev , in Ukraine, would have affected several animals. Three deer would have died at Ecopark Feldam , one of the most important natural parks in the country, 400 km east of the capital and kennels across Ukraine are asking for help to save the animals housed.

GT from source :
Guerra in Ucraina, animali terrorizzati nello zoo di Kiev. E nei canili mancano cibo e medicine


"At this moment it is impossible to think about moving or hiding them somewhere. But they are never left alone,the zoo is guarded by some workers who do not abandon them and who continue to take care of them in some way"



ANIMALS
War in Ukraine, also the animals under the bombs at the zoo: three dead and many injured
No heavy fighting took place near the Kiev zoo and for the moment, there are reports of some animals being sedated and taking refuge in underground galleries. Three dead animals and many injured instead in a park on the border with Russia

Elena Livia Pennacchioni
27 February 2022
War in Ukraine, also the animals under the bombs at the zoo: three dead and many injuredThe entrance to the Ecopark Feldman hit by bombs
White page, black writing in Ukrainian Cyrillic script. "Due to the declaration of martial law, the zoo is closed to visitors." Nothing else on the site of the Kiev zoological park, one of the largest in Ukraine, the scene of heavy fighting during the night just passed. Secondly, the BBC recorded 50 explosions and machine gunshots while in a video circulating on Facebook, like a fire right where the zoo is supposed to be.


The latest update on the health of people and animals arrived yesterday morning directly from Cyril Trentin, CEO of the Park, and did not report news of victims or injuries but of sedatives as needed for animals and fallout shelters for men. We know for sure instead of the death under the bombs of three royal deer and the wounding of some primates at the Ecopark Feldman, where the fourth day of bombing is underway. In a video, the surreal silence of the war was broken by the sounds of the animals and the damage to the structure.

"A natural park 500 kilometers east of Kiev, on the bloody border that divides Russia and Ukraine, outside the city of Kharkiv, another hot spot of the clashes. With four thousand animals, it is one of the structures with the largest zoological collection in Europe, hosting endangered species such as white lions, tigers, European bison, takin, chimpanzees and orangutans. “We can't say it was an accident. Around us there is only forest and a highway, they wanted to hit us even though we are not a military target, ”the zoo staff explains to Today. “The animals live in vast natural areas and we are not yet able to have a certain estimate of the damage. At this moment it is impossible to think about moving or hiding them somewhere. But they are never left alone,the zoo is guarded by some workers who do not abandon them and who continue to take care of them in some way". Even in Kiev, where instead of animals they host about two thousand, men have never abandoned them. CEO Trentin writes, in a caption that accompanies a worried selfie but determined not to give up: "Both day and night the zoo is guarded by 50 workers, animal care never stops. The war is causing them terrible stress, some have been moved to indoor stalls and underground tunnels .Veterinarians monitor their emotional state and, if necessary, provide a sedative.The staff, on the other hand, took refuge during the night in the already prepared fallout shelters, just as the supplies of energy, water and food had already been prepared for 10 days."

SBM

https://www.today.it/animali/ucraina-bombardamenti-zoo-animali.html

ETA:

" The zoo in Poznań announced on Saturday that it is organizing a collection for animals rescued from Kiev. He asks to send donations to the given account number with the note “for the lions of Kiev”.

Russia - Ukraine war. The zoo in Poznań supports animals from Kiev. "We are not indifferent to the suffering of animals"

 

[margarita25]

From last page of media thread/ page 27 up to the minute with our very own @PommyMommy

Russia-Ukraine war latest news: Putin ‘willing to consider’ halting attacks on civilians, says France – live | World news | The Guardian

In further evidence that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is radically changing European views, a survey for the Finnish public broadcaster YLE has found a majority of the country’s population is in favour of joining Nato for the first time.

According to the poll, conducted last week over three days before and immediately after the attacks with a representative sample of nearly 1,400 people, 53% of Finns would now support Finland’s accession to Nato, with 28% opposed and 19% unsure.''

''Russia’s invasion has also increased support for Nato membership in Sweden, with a survey commissioned last week by Swedish public broadcaster SVT showing 41% in favour and 35% opposed. The Finnish poll suggested that if Sweden applied to join the alliance, support for Finnish membership would rise to 66%.

Finland, an autonomous part of the Russian empire for more than a century until 1917, shares a 1,340km (833 miles) border with Russia, the longest of any EU state. Though not members, Finland and Sweden closely cooperate with Nato, allowing, among other things, the alliance’s troops to exercise on their soil.

Helsinki and Stockholm have also substantially intensified their bilateral defense cooperation in the past years, and secured close military cooperation with the United States, Britain and neighbouring Nato member Norway.''

Russia warned last week that if either country sought to join the alliance they would face “serious military-political consequences” from Moscow''

Russia closes its airspace to 36 countries, including Canada | CP24.com
February 28, 2022
''MOSCOW — Russia has closed its airspace to carriers from 36 nations, including European countries and Canada, responding in kind to their move to close their respective airspaces to all Russian aircraft.

The move, announced Monday by the state aviation agency, follows a decision by the EU and Canada over the weekend to close their skies to the Russian planes in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.''

Zelensky warns next 24 hours will be "crucial" as Ukraine-Russia peace talks begin

Ukrainian and Russian officials arrived at the Ukraine-Belarus border for peace talks that kicked off at 6am ET Monday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Day 5 of the invasion that the next 24 hours would be "crucial" to Ukraine's fate.

The latest: A senior U.S. defense official told reporters that Russia's advance on Kyiv from the north moved only 5 kilometers from Sunday, putting them roughly 25 kilometers outside the center of the capital.

• Russia has deployed nearly 75% of its assembled combat power inside Ukraine, and has launched approximately 380 missiles so far, the official said.
• Five days into the war, Russia has still not achieved air superiority over Ukraine, with its ground forces "running out of gas and having logistics problems," the official added.
• The official said the Russians' goal continues to be to "encircle Kyiv from multiple locations," and to capture the cities of Kharkiv and Mariupol to allow them to section off eastern Ukraine.

State of play: An adviser to Zelensky tweeted at 9:40am ET that a third round of talks were getting underway, nearly four hours after negotiations began.

• As peace talks were ongoing, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said dozens of civilians had been killed and hundreds wounded by indiscriminate shelling in Kharkiv, a city on the border with Russia.
• French President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which Putin said a deal "is possible only if Russia’s legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account," according to a Kremlin readout.
• The State Department accused Russia on Monday of "widespread" human rights abuses during the invasion: "Russia’s invasion has damaged and destroyed schools, hospitals, radio stations, and homes, killing and injuring civilians, including children."

The big picture: Zelensky's office called for an "immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine" as several high-ranking Ukrainian officials headed to the talks, but he expressed little optimism that the negotiations would result in an end to the attack.

What else is happening: In his latest address, Zelensky called for Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU — one day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine is "one of us and we want them in."

• 16 Ukrainian children have been killed and 45 have been wounded during the war, while Russia has suffered 4,500 casualties, Zelensky said. International monitors have not verified these numbers.
• Zelensky said that he will allow prisoners with combat experience to be released to help defend the country and "compensate their guilt."
• Ukraine's deputy defense minister also claimed Ukraine has received "thousands" of requests from foreign volunteers to join a new "International Legion" to fight Russia.
• Russia closed its airspace to Germany, France, the U.K. and 33 other countries, after the EU froze out Russian aircraft on Monday.
• More than 500,000 refugees have fled to neighboring countries, including Poland, Hungary, Romania and Moldova, the U.N. said.

Zoom out: Russia's currency collapsed in overnight trading, with the ruble plummeting against the dollar as the West imposed unprecedented, crippling sanctions and massive corporations said they would end their business in Russia.

• The Russian central bank raised interest rates from 9.5% to 20% and announced a raft of measures — including the suspension of stock trading on the Moscow Exchange — in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.
• The Biden administration announced Monday morning that Russia's central bank will be prohibited from undertaking transactions in dollars under a new concerted effort by the U.S. and its allies that is set to accelerate Russia's economic tailspin.

Putin's Attack on Ukraine Is an Attempt to Delay His Own Inevitable Demise — TIME

Putin fears death—like any 69-year-old. His fear, however, is particularly acute. He makes (or so the consistent rumour goes) visiting officials submit faeces test to ensure they are disease free. Since COVID-19, officials have to isolate several days before they see him. Those who don’t, like the visiting French President Emmanuel Macron, are seated down the other end of an absurdly long table. Is Putin immune-compromised? Maybe. He’s clearly petrified and paranoid of death.

Unlike the rest of us, he can project his fears onto whole countries. In his embarrassing ramblings about Ukraine he never talks about the future—he wants to escape the future and what it brings. He “justifies” his invasion through the desire to return the past: take Ukraine back to the 19th century, to the Soviet Union, to his youth. He rambles menacingly about restoring the glories of the Russian Empire, picking apart Lenin’s creation of Soviet Republics, undoing the revolution against his satrap Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

When he met President Macron, Putin quoted a vile Russian rape joke where sleeping beauty is sexually abused. Conflating Ukraine and Sleeping Beauty, he put himself in the role of the rapist: “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” The choice of fairy tale was telling. Sleeping Beauty never gets old, even as the castle around her overgrows with rust and ivy.

In his replies the 44-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quipped “Ukraine is indeed a beauty but she’s not yours.”

How easy it would have been for Putin to create a flourishing Russia, with its vast oil wealth and human talent, to become a country that Ukraine would want to be close to! Instead, he created a country that stinks of fear, death, and murder that Ukraine has been trying to escape from. The Soviet writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn once found a metaphor for the Kremlin’s system in the title of one of his novels: Cancer Ward. It remains a potent metaphor. Cancers want to spread: to metastasize through Europe and beyond.

Putin’s diagnosis is terminal. Who will it kill? Ukraine is fighting to the death—and choosing life.

Ukrainian World Congress on Twitter
KYIV, UKRAINE (AP) -- Ukraine's leader Zelenskyy applies for Ukraine to join the 27-nation European Union on 5th day of Russian invasion.

Ukraine live updates: Ukraine asks for ceasefire in talks with Russia - BBC News

Russian and Ukrainian representatives have concluded talks held in Belarus aimed at brokering peace amid the ongoing conflict.

Both sides will return to their capital cities for consultation ahead of a second round of talks, which could take place in the coming days, the Reuters news agency cites Belarus' Belta news as saying.

Expectations for a peaceful resolution had not been high before Monday's meeting.

Ukraine said it wanted a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal, while the Kremlin said it would not announce its position. Russia's negotiators have talked of striking a deal that's in the interests of both sides.

Talks end between Russia and Ukraine

From CNN's Seb Shukla and Tim Lister

Russian and Ukrainian talks have ended in Belarus and the two parties have returned to their capitals for consultations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's adviser, Mikhaylo Podolyak, told reporters after the talks.

"Ukrainian and Russian delegations held the first round of negotiations. Their main goal was to discuss ceasefire and the end of combat actions on the territory of Ukraine. The parties have determined the topics where certain decisions were mapped out. In order for these decisions to be implemented as roadmap, the parties are returning for consultations to their capitals. The parties discussed holding another round of negotiations where these decisions can develop," he said Monday.
In the last few moments, three large explosions were heard in Kyiv.

Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin's brazen and unprovoked assault on Ukraine is fast turning his fears of a more resolute Europe, and potentially expanded NATO alliance, into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Putin's fears of a unified, stronger Europe are fast becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy

1h ago10:57
Switzerland, a favourite destination for Russian oligarchs, has set aside its tradition of neutrality and announced that it will adopt all the sanctions already imposed by the European Union on Russia.

Following a government meeting on Monday, Switzerland’s president, Ignazio Cassis, said the country would immediately freeze the assets of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, and the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, as well as all 367 individuals sanctioned last week by the EU.
Russia-Ukraine war latest news: Putin ‘willing to consider’ halting attacks on civilians, says France – live

18m ago12:03

Ukraine has demanded that Russia be expelled from the International Police Criminal Organisation, commonly known as Interpol, accusing it of abusing the organisation and using it to target political opponents worldwide and in Ukraine, the Guardian’s Ruth Michaelson writes.

Ukrainian minister of internal affairs Denis Monastyrsky demanded Russia’s immediate expulsion via Facebook. “Russia should be expelled from Interpol for violating its basic principles and massive misuse of tools and services to cover up its crimes and persecute political enemies, particularly in Ukraine,” the Ukrainian broadcasting organisation Hromadske reported. The Guardian has approached Interpol for comment.

Interpol is a supranational police force focused on information-sharing among its 195 member states, primarily through its red notice system intended to alert member nations about the cross-border movement of criminals.

In recent years it has increasingly drawn criticism for abuse of the red notice system by oppressive regimes including Russia, where anti-democratic nations using it to flag political dissidents in exile or escaping abuse rather than those proven to commit crimes.

Russia-Ukraine war latest news: Putin ‘willing to consider’ halting attacks on civilians, says France – live

The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent)

• Zelensky signs Ukraine's official application for EU membership.

The historic signing follows Zelensky's call for the EU to accept Ukraine, while the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that "Ukraine is “one of us and we want them in.” https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1498350916138844167?s=20&t=efR-vBlJPzf82COA4SvqVg

The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent)

• Russian forces launch an attack on Kyiv soon after the Ukraine-Russia negotiations are over. https://t.co/8u4EYP8pkQ https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1498345781425811458?s=20&t=Z-8NhjfCIkOW0xE_cFvo8g

Video at link

Vladimir Putin's popularity may not survive a bank run
A key reason he has managed to retain power for so long is that the Russian economy has grown fairly consistently under his rule"

<modnsip> two brief sections of the article:

"Measures the Russian government is taking in response are also likely to have quite an impact — such as the requirement announced today forcing Russian companies to sell 80 per cent of their foreign currency earnings to buy roubles, partly to support the rouble itself but also so as to increase the Russian authorities’ access to foreign currency and to limit hoarding.

Many Russians are only too aware of how bad things can get economically from its experience in the 1990s.

Russian inflation reached nearly 130 per cent. Russian GDP contracted over 5 per cent on top of the huge contractions it had been experiencing through the 1990s during the transition from communism to capitalism, and with the crash in the value of the rouble the Russian economy overall, in 1998, ended up smaller than Belgium’s.

It was off the back of these events that Putin became Prime Minister and then President in 1999. A key reason he has managed to retain power for so long is that the Russian economy has grown fairly consistently under his rule when it had shrunk consistently for most of the decade that preceded him.

EU eyes Ukrainian membership, could be bargaining chip in Russia talks

Ukraine crisis: Fifa and Uefa ban all Russian clubs and national teams Fifa and Uefa ban all Russian teams

The Kyiv Independent @KyivIndependent
️NATO rules out 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO had no intention of entering Ukraine by land or air to stop Russia.

Idrees Ali
@idreesali114

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Shell said on Monday it intends to exit its joint ventures with Russian gas giant Gazprom and related entities following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian airline Aeroflot violated Canadian airspace after ban, Transport Canada says | CBC News
''Russian airline Aeroflot on Sunday violated a ban on aircraft from the country using Canadian airspace, Transport Canada said, on the same day the restriction was imposed in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"We are aware that Aeroflot Flight 111 violated the prohibition put in place earlier today on Russian flights using Canadian airspace," Transport Canada said in a tweet late on Sunday.

Flight 111 travels from Miami to Moscow and took off at 3:12 p.m. ET, according to FlightRadar24.

There are no direct flights between Russia and Canada, but several Russian flights a day have until now passed through Canadian airspace to other countries, a spokesperson for Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said.''

"Ukraine to issue ‘war bonds’ to fund armed forces

"Ukraine’s finance ministry said it was offering citizens, businesses and foreign investors the chance to invest in military government bonds “in the time of military aggression” by Russia.

It added: “The proceeds from the bonds will be used to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to ensure the uninterrupted provision of the state's financial needs under the war.”

The auction is set to take place tomorrow, with the tenure of the bonds set at one year."

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Ukraine went into talks demanding an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine.

IOC calls for ban on Russian athletes amid Ukraine invasion

The New York Times
@nytimes
14m

Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, said Monday it would exit four oil and gas joint ventures with Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, valued at about $3 billion. The decision is a further blow to Russia and its oil industry.

AFP News Agency
@AFP
17m

The UK on Monday said it would freeze the assets of all Russian banks over the invasion of Ukraine, tightening the international economic stranglehold on Moscow over its "unjustified aggression"

‘Correction of history’: Syria president praises Ukraine invasion
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad tells his Russian ally Putin the assault on Ukraine is justified and aimed at ‘restoring’ post-Cold-War balance.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article258867343.html
‘I called my family… I heard their tears.’ See 1,000+ people pray for Ukraine at Capitol

gif-putin-family-guy-tv-shows-1103397.gif (400×252) (joyreactor.com)

putin like a girl animated gif - Google Search

Phil Stewart
@phildstewart

(Reuters) - Monaco, an international hub often favoured by wealthy Russians, will also proceed with freezing assets and imposing sanctions on Russians in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said a statement by the Monaco Royal Palace.

First round of Russia-Ukraine talks concludes
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has appealed to Russian soldiers, saying they will receive full amnesty and monetary compensation if they lay down their weapons.

“Those of you who do not want to become a murderer and die can save yourselves,” he said in a post on social media.

China and Russia's Friendship in Ukraine Is Without Benefits

At least Putin waited until after Beijing’s Winter Olympics ended on Feb. 20 before unleashing the dogs of war.

In fact, Xi and Putin’s friendship isn’t exactly overflowing with trust. Beijing and Moscow have been herded together partly because both are autocratic regimes—and partly because Biden sees each as a rival. Since 2018, Xi has called Putin his “best friend,” but the friendship remains a wary one. “Even if China privately advised the Russians not to invade, they wouldn’t have listened,” Shi said. “China’s influence on Putin actually is quite limited.

Medeiros said. “Despite Chinese claims of neutrality, the Biden administration likely will see Beijing as a co-conspirator with Moscow. And if any Chinese companies try to provide sanctions relief to Russia, they’ll be hit hard.”

“It’s complicated” is the mantra many Chinese analysts repeat when asked about Beijing’s predicament. Despite the fact that Xi and Putin vowed a strategic partnership without limits, there clearly are limits to their relationship. It’s not an alliance, and the Ukraine crisis has heightened Beijing’s nervousness about perceived analogies between Ukraine and Taiwan.

The United States has ordered twelve members of Russia’s mission to the United Nations to leave America for engaging in non-diplomatic activities.

“Those diplomats that have been asked to leave the United States were engaged in activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats,” Deputy US Ambassador Richard Mills told the UN Security Council, without elaborating further.

Guterres says Ukraine-Russia dialogue must remain open

 

[LaborDayRN]

In these troubled terrified times, it shows how deep love and compassion runs.
So maybe it has been shared, but can never be shared enough.

~IMO~

Explosions near Kyiv zoo, Italian stays with rescue animals in Ukraine

So much help is needed:

War in Ukraine, terrified animals in the Kiev zoo. And the kennels lack food and medicine


Three animals were killed at the Ecopark Feldman, 400 km from the capital
In the night between Saturday and Sunday, an intense fight between Ukrainians and Russians near the zoo in Kiev , in Ukraine, would have affected several animals. Three deer would have died at Ecopark Feldam , one of the most important natural parks in the country, 400 km east of the capital and kennels across Ukraine are asking for help to save the animals housed.

GT from source :
Guerra in Ucraina, animali terrorizzati nello zoo di Kiev. E nei canili mancano cibo e medicine


"At this moment it is impossible to think about moving or hiding them somewhere. But they are never left alone,the zoo is guarded by some workers who do not abandon them and who continue to take care of them in some way"



ANIMALS
War in Ukraine, also the animals under the bombs at the zoo: three dead and many injured
No heavy fighting took place near the Kiev zoo and for the moment, there are reports of some animals being sedated and taking refuge in underground galleries. Three dead animals and many injured instead in a park on the border with Russia

Elena Livia Pennacchioni
27 February 2022
War in Ukraine, also the animals under the bombs at the zoo: three dead and many injuredThe entrance to the Ecopark Feldman hit by bombs
White page, black writing in Ukrainian Cyrillic script. "Due to the declaration of martial law, the zoo is closed to visitors." Nothing else on the site of the Kiev zoological park, one of the largest in Ukraine, the scene of heavy fighting during the night just passed. Secondly, the BBC recorded 50 explosions and machine gunshots while in a video circulating on Facebook, like a fire right where the zoo is supposed to be.


The latest update on the health of people and animals arrived yesterday morning directly from Cyril Trentin, CEO of the Park, and did not report news of victims or injuries but of sedatives as needed for animals and fallout shelters for men. We know for sure instead of the death under the bombs of three royal deer and the wounding of some primates at the Ecopark Feldman, where the fourth day of bombing is underway. In a video, the surreal silence of the war was broken by the sounds of the animals and the damage to the structure.

"A natural park 500 kilometers east of Kiev, on the bloody border that divides Russia and Ukraine, outside the city of Kharkiv, another hot spot of the clashes. With four thousand animals, it is one of the structures with the largest zoological collection in Europe, hosting endangered species such as white lions, tigers, European bison, takin, chimpanzees and orangutans. “We can't say it was an accident. Around us there is only forest and a highway, they wanted to hit us even though we are not a military target, ”the zoo staff explains to Today. “The animals live in vast natural areas and we are not yet able to have a certain estimate of the damage. At this moment it is impossible to think about moving or hiding them somewhere. But they are never left alone,the zoo is guarded by some workers who do not abandon them and who continue to take care of them in some way". Even in Kiev, where instead of animals they host about two thousand, men have never abandoned them. CEO Trentin writes, in a caption that accompanies a worried selfie but determined not to give up: "Both day and night the zoo is guarded by 50 workers, animal care never stops. The war is causing them terrible stress, some have been moved to indoor stalls and underground tunnels .Veterinarians monitor their emotional state and, if necessary, provide a sedative.The staff, on the other hand, took refuge during the night in the already prepared fallout shelters, just as the supplies of energy, water and food had already been prepared for 10 days."

SBM

https://www.today.it/animali/ucraina-bombardamenti-zoo-animali.html

Bless The Beasts And Children
Song by Carpenters

Bless the beasts and the children,
For in this world they have no voice,
They have no choice.
Bless the beasts and the children,
For the world can never be,
The world they see.
Light their way
When the darkness surrounds them;
Give them love, let it shine all around them.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from a storm;
Keep them safe;
Keep them warm.
Light their way
When the darkness surrounds them;
Give them love, let it shine all around them.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from a storm;
Keep them safe;
Keep them warm.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from a storm;
Keep them safe;
Keep them warm.
Source: LyricFind

 

[LaborDayRN]

I don’t think you guys are working hard enough. I think you need to step it up a bit.


(*Obviously being very sarcastic here)

Thank you for starting this thread @margarita25

 

[margarita25]

Bless The Beasts And Children
Song by Carpenters

Bless the beasts and the children,
For in this world they have no voice,
They have no choice.
Bless the beasts and the children,
For the world can never be,
The world they see.
Light their way
When the darkness surrounds them;
Give them love, let it shine all around them.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from a storm;
Keep them safe;
Keep them warm.
Light their way
When the darkness surrounds them;
Give them love, let it shine all around them.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from a storm;
Keep them safe;
Keep them warm.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from a storm;
Keep them safe;
Keep them warm.
Source: LyricFind

—-
Eta:
I hope it’s ok to throw in Rainy days and mondays while we’re here

 

[dotr]

Ukraine urges no-fly zone; Russian convoy nears Kyiv – Live news | Russia-Ukraine crisis News | Al Jazeera
''White House rejects Ukraine’s appeal, saying implementing a no-fly zone could draw US into war with Russia''

''Disney says it is suspending the release of its films in theaters in Russia after Moscow’s assault on Ukraine''

''World Taekwondo has stripped Russian President Vladimir Putin of his honorary taekwondo black belt over his country’s invasion of Ukraine.''