Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #7

[Mo Thuairim]

Dmitry Peskov, Putin spokesman refuses to rule out use of nuclear weapons if Russia faced an 'existential threat' - CNN



(CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman has conceded that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine and refused to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons.

In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov repeatedly refused to rule out that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons against what Moscow saw as an "existential threat." When asked under what conditions Putin would use Russia's nuclear capability, Peskov replied, "if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be."

(...)

 

[worldwatcher]

Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged mistress and former gymnast Alina Kabaeva is in hiding, and many are calling for her to be stripped of her Olympic medals.

Petitions against Putin’s alleged mistress
A petition posted on Change.org says, "It's time you reunite Eva Braun with her Führer." So far, the petition has 56,185 signatures, and questions why after so many sanctions have been placed in Russia, Swiss authorities continue to allegedly hold Kabaeva and her family.

Unlike other Russians in Putin's inner circle, Kabaeva has not been sanctioned. As a member of the board of directors at National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin newspaper and TV giant, she earns around $10.5 million a year, according to leaked tax records.

“Other possible locations
While it is widely believed that Kabaeva is in Switzerland, she could also be hiding in a high-tech bunker in Siberia. Earlier this month, a political scientist, Valery Solovey, said, "In fact, it is not a bunker, but a whole underground city, equipped with the latest science and technology."

The luxury bunker designed for protection in the event of nuclear war is in the Altai Mountains. Observers have pointed out a high-voltage line linked to a 110-kilovolt substation, and ventilation points near the mountain hideout, enough to power and ventilate a small city.”

SBM
BBM

Pressure is mounting to strip Putin's alleged mistress of her Olympic medals. No one can find her

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Zelensky to join NATO summit on March 24. President Volodymyr Zelensky will give a virtual address to the NATO summit participants. He will speak about the need to stop Russia’s war crimes by closing the sky above Ukraine or supplying the country with air defenses.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Zelensky voted most powerful person in Europe. Zelensky has topped the list of Europe’s 28 most powerful people, winning the “Audience Choice” poll by Politico. One voter described the Ukrainian leader as a “beacon of hope” striving for “peace, democracy, and decency.”

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Prosecutor General: Russian invader kills man, rapes wife in Kyiv Oblast. In a village in Brovarskyi district, a Russian soldier murdered a man and, along with another soldier, raped his wife, according to Iryna Venediktova. One of them was identified and is now wanted.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russians attack oil refinery that they own. A Russian aircraft has fired upon an oil refinery in Lysychasnk, Luhansk Oblast, which is owned by Russian oil company Rosneft. According to Luhasnk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai, firefighters are fighting a blaze at the site.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Zelensky to Russian pilots: "I want to repeat once again to all Russian pilots who do not think about the orders they carry out: Killing civilians is a crime, and you will pay," Zelensky said. "Today or tomorrow is less important. The main thing is that it's inevitable."

 

[mickey2942]

Evgeny Rylov: Olympic champion loses Speedo deal after attending Vladamir Putin rally - CNN

 

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will speak to the #Japanese parliament tomorrow

NEXTA on Twitter
"Ukrainska Pravda" reports about the results of humanitarian corridors on March 22: - 1,100 Mariupol residents were evacuated from #Berdyansk - they are now safe in #Zaporizhia. - From #Mariupol to Zaporizhia 5,926 people reached by own transport. 1/3

- Humanitarian aid was delivered to #Berdyansk: food and medicines. - #Russian troops violated agreements and did not allow buses to evacuate #Mariupol residents from #Nikolskoye village and Melekino village. 2/3

- One bus and two rescue vehicles were seized at the #Russian checkpoint at the entrance to the village of #Mangush. - Russian soldiers captured 4 rescuers and 11 drivers. Negotiations are underway for their release. 3/3

**********

Russia-Ukraine war: humanitarian convoy seized near Mariupol, says Zelenskiy, as US claims more than 2,000 children ‘kidnapped’ by Russian forces – live | World news | The Guardian

2h ago 19:52
Ukrainian president Zelenskiy wrapped up his nightly address by promising he was continuing to work “to push Russia towards peace”.

We are continuing to work on various levels to push Russia towards peace, towards the end of this brutal war. Ukrainian representatives are continuing negotiations that basically take place daily. It is very hard, sometimes, scandalous. But step by step we are moving forward.”

Zelenskiy also noted the three summits scheduled for this week: G7, Nato and the EU.

New packages of sanctions, new support. We’ll keep working and will keep fighting as much as we can. Until the end. Courageously and openly. On all of those platforms. With full energy. With all our strength. And we will not get tired. We will have rest when we win. And it will definitely happen.”

 

[Dontknow?]

Not as important as to what is going on in Ukraine or the world, but every dollar counts at the moment.

Burger King and Papa Johns are struggling to close all their Russian restaurants - CNN

McDonald's, Starbucks, Papa Johns and the owner of Burger King, among others, have said that they would either shut down operations in the country or pull support from restaurants there. Making good on those promises, however, is proving easier said than done.
Take, for example, Burger King. Restaurant Brands International says it has pulled corporate support from the roughly 800 Burger King locations in Russia. But it can't force those locations to close. That's because they aren't operated by the company — instead, they're controlled by an operator who, according to RBI, has "refused" to close the restaurants.

 

[Dontknow?]

WCPO 9
@WCPO

Pediatric cancer patients in Ukraine will be taken to St. Jude Hospital in U.S.

https://www.wcpo.com/news/national/...aine-will-be-taken-to-st-jude-hospital-in-u-s

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 22, 2022
Navalny's Team Says Data Links Putin To $700 Million Superyacht (rferl.org)

The team of jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has published details about a superyacht that they suspect belongs to President Vladimir Putin.

The team said in a video on its YouTube channel on March 21 that all crew members, except the captain, of the Scheherazade yacht worth $700 million, are Russian citizens, and many of them are employed by the Federal Protection Service (FSO), the agency responsible for Putin's personal security.

[...]

... The New York Times cited sources that U.S. authorities had linked the yacht to Putin. A former crew member also confirmed the link to the newspaper.

According to the report, the yacht traveled to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi twice, once in 2020 and again in 2021. It is known that Putin regularly visits his residence in Sochi.

[...]

If the yacht's connection to Putin is proven, it will be impounded, as Putin is currently under sanctions from the European Union over Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

At this point, the yacht is anchored at the Marina di Carrara port in the Italian region of Tuscany.

[...]

Separately on March 22, authorities in Finland said they had impounded 21 yachts belonging to Russian citizens as they investigate whether the owners are under sanctions.

[...]

 

[cujenn81]

How Ukraine’s Outgunned Air Force Is Fighting Back Against Russian Jets

Nearly a month into the fighting, one of the biggest surprises of the war in Ukraine is Russia’s failure to defeat the Ukrainian Air Force. Military analysts had expected Russian forces to quickly destroy or paralyze Ukraine’s air defenses and military aircraft, yet neither have happened. Instead, Top Gun-style aerial dogfights, rare in modern warfare, are now raging above the country.

“Every time when I fly, it’s for a real fight,” said Andriy, who is 25 and has flown 10 missions in the war. “In every fight with Russian jets, there is no equality. They always have five times more” planes in the air.

The success of Ukrainian pilots has helped protect Ukrainian soldiers on the ground and prevented wider bombing in cities, since pilots have intercepted some Russian cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials also say the country’s military has shot down 97 fixed-wing Russian aircraft. That number could not be verified but the crumpled remnants of Russian fighter jets have crashed into rivers, fields and houses.

 

[sunshineray]

MAR 21, 2022
How I escaped my Russian-occupied city where they kill, rape locals | Euromaidan Press
“Irpin is Hell. There are plenty of Russian soldiers out there who just shoot people who enter private homes and, at best, just kick people out of their homes. They rape women and the dead are just being dumped. They open the basements where people are hiding and shoot them,” said 30-year-old AT, who worked as a waitress until recently and currently writes tips on Instagram on how to get out of the occupied city.

MAR 22, 2022
Ukraine retakes key Kyiv suburb; battle for Mariupol rages | AP News
Early Tuesday, Ukrainian troops forced Russian forces out of the Kyiv suburb of Makariv after a fierce battle, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway and block Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest.

Still, the Defense Ministry said Russian forces were able to partially take other northwest suburbs, Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin, some of which had been under attack almost since Russia’s military invaded almost a month ago.

Zelenskiy Warns Ukraine 'On The Brink' As Battle For Mariupol Rages (rferl.org)
"For Russian troops, Ukraine is the gates of Europe, where they want to break in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass," he told Italian lawmakers in an address via video link.

"We are on the brink of survival," he added.

Russia Talks With North Korea Amid Western Outrage Over Ukraine (rferl.org)
The ministry said in a statement on March 22 that Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov held talks with North Korea's ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong-chol.

"During the meeting, issues of the development of bilateral relations in the context of changes taking place in the international arena, as well as topical regional problems, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, were touched upon," the statement said.

It gave no further details.

Yes the crazy siblings in North Korea, don't know which one is worse. Russia now wants to get a civil war started there. This is what Putin has wanted all along. Do the North Koreans love their children too!?

Are the majority of the Russian people really that blind to the truth of things going on in the world, in their backyard, or just that complacent? Surely the Russians love their children too!?

Is China going to let the craziness of North Korea and Myanmar explode into their neighborhood without jumping in and smacking Putin down? Surely the Chinese love their children too!?

Fight for Ukraine, fight for the Korean peninsula, maybe a move by China on Taiwan?
Who's next...?

 

[sunshineray]

Ukraine thwarts Russian advances; fight rages for Mariupol

Snipped and BBM by me for focus...

“Putin’s back is against the wall,” Biden said''

This is what scares me the most. Biden, like all the heads of state, knows more than we the people ever do watching on the sidelines.
Putin feels like his back is against the wall. He can't save face by negotiating and stopping the warring. He will escalate, like any puffed up and delusional little man would, to save face. It's all just to save face now and show what a macho man he is, there will be no logic found. AJMO

 

[PommyMommy]

This report includes some details of the convoy that was seized, children injured, distressing images, a 5-year-old was shot in the intestines, a 15-year-old with shrapnel injuries to the neck is interviewed ... It is 15 minutes long and 4 minutes was enough for me.

 

[Dontknow?]

NEXTA@nexta_tv
46m

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of #Ukraine, there is a probability that the Armed Forces of #Belarus will join the war against Ukraine. But, according to available information, a large number of personnel and some commanders refuse to participate in it.

(please refuse Belarus, please refuse)

 

[PommyMommy]

Belarusians are sabotaging plans to join Vladimir Putin's Ukraine War - Atlantic Council
[...]

A video published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and recorded at the Mohyliv-Podilskyi border crossing shows a Ukrainian border guard presenting the outgoing ambassador with 30 pieces of silver, a clear reference to the biblical story of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. “We despise you,” the Ukrainian guard tells Sokol.

The incident was a stark reminder of the sharp and rapid deterioration of the once warm relations between Kyiv and Minsk. ...

[...]

... Today, the Belarusian ruler is dependent upon Russia for his regime’s survival. Unsurprisingly, he now not only recognizes the annexation of Crimea but has turned his country into a platform for Russia to invade and bombard Ukraine.

[...]

Even as the autocratic Lukashenka regime assists and enables Russia’s aggression, ordinary Belarusian citizens are finding creative ways to resist.

For months, a Belarusian hacking collective called the Cyber Partisans has been attacking the country’s railway network in an effort to prevent Russian troops from reaching Ukraine. The group has also distributed videos urging Belarusian soldiers not to join Russia’s war.

[...]

... Apparently railway workers are also involved in sabotage efforts. In a recent interview with Current Time television, Oleksandr Kamyshin, director of Ukraine’s Ukrzaliznytsya state railroad company, confirmed that rail traffic between Belarus and Ukraine has stopped. He also praised Belarusian rail workers who he says have taken unspecified measures to prevent the movement of Russian troops and military equipment.

[...]

Some Belarusians are already directly involved in the war, with an estimated 200 Belarusian volunteers currently fighting on the Ukrainian side against Russia. ...

[...]

From hackers to railway workers to volunteer fighters, the rearguard action in Belarus against Putin’s Ukraine War illustrates the scale of blowback Russia’s invasion is provoking.

Just weeks ago, it appeared Putin was on track to put part of the old Soviet empire back together. He managed to pull off a soft annexation of Belarus without firing a shot and appeared poised to subjugate Ukraine by force. But a month into Putin’s war, Ukraine has fought Russia to a standstill and there appears to be a rebellion brewing below the decks in Belarus.

**********

@Dontknow?, this offers a bit of hope!

 

[Vern]

RSBM

...
(please refuse Belarus, please refuse)

I'd like the odds of of this better had Belarus not allowed Russia to stage, mount, and continue to execute operations against Ukraine from their territory in the first place.

They may not be fighting, yet, but Belarus is certainly aiding and abetting already.

Lukashenko is certainly all in. I posted shot of him a couple weeks ago briefing the invasion plan with the map (which also showed Moldova on the list of targets). The map was pretty accurate too for the lines of advancement that did occur, so he knew the "what's what" and the "who's who". Innocent bystanders and those playing no part typically aren't availed of that kind of info ... let alone allowed to publicly broadcast it.

 

[Vern]

Ukraine Conflict Update 18 | Institute for the Study of War (understandingwar.org)

Key Takeaways March 18-21

• The Kremlin is unlikely to withdraw its maximalist political demands of Ukraine in ongoing negotiations, despite the Russian military failing to achieve its objectives.
• The Kremlin staged a 195,000-person rally in Moscow attended by President Putin on March 18 to falsely portray high levels of public support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Kremlin bans of Facebook, Instagram, and other major western platforms in Russia are likely intended to coerce these companies to meet Russian censorship standards to retain their market share in Russia.
• Russian officials continue to downplay the impact of new sanctions and proposed retaliatory measures against international companies that have left Russia.
• The Kremlin continued to set conditions for a possible false flag chemical or radiological attack in Ukraine by promoting false claims of threats from United States-funded biolaboratories in Ukraine.
• Eastern European NATO heads of state called for a more proactive NATO military posture and response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the leadup to an emergency NATO summit on March 24.
• China publicly stated it will not provide financial or military assistance to Russia and pledged further humanitarian assistance to Ukraine but blamed the United States for the war in Ukraine.

Key Events March 18—March 21, 5:00 pm EST

Negotiations:

The Kremlin retains its maximalist political demands in ongoing negotiations with Ukraine and is unlikely to soften them despite the Russian military failing to achieve its objectives.

Russian Domestic Opposition and Censorship:
Kremlin bans on Facebook, Instagram, and other major western platforms in Russia are likely intended to coerce these companies to meet Russian censorship standards to retain their market share in Russia.

Kremlin Narratives:
The Kremlin staged a 195,000-person rally in Moscow attended by President Putin and other pro-war protests throughout Russia on March 18 to falsely portray high levels of public support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin continued to set conditions for a possible false-flag chemical or radiological attack in Ukraine by promoting false claims of threats from US-funded biolaboratories in Ukraine.

Russian Reactions to Sanctions:
Russian officials downplayed the impact of new sanctions and proposed retaliatory measures against international companies that have left Russia.

Belarus:
N/A

Russian Occupation:
Russian forces continue to detain local civil society leaders and civilians in Ukraine and set conditions to govern occupied areas of Ukraine.

Drivers of Russian Threat Perceptions:
Eastern European NATO heads of state called for a more proactive NATO military posture and response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the leadup to an emergency NATO summit on March 24.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 22, 2022
Ukraine says Russia seized relief workers in Mariupol convoy - ABC News
Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of seizing 15 rescue workers and drivers from a humanitarian convoy trying to get desperately needed food and other supplies into the bloodied port city of Mariupol, which also came under naval attack after weeks of air and land strikes.

[...]

“They bombed us for the past 20 days,” said 39-year-old Viktoria Totsen, who fled into Poland. “During the last five days, the planes were flying over us every five seconds and dropped bombs everywhere — on residential buildings, kindergartens, art schools, everywhere.”

Zelenskyy, speaking late Tuesday in his nightly video address to his nation, accused Russian forces of blocking the aid convoy despite agreeing to the route ahead of time.

“We are trying to organize stable humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents, but almost all of our attempts, unfortunately, are foiled by the Russian occupiers, by shelling or deliberate terror,” Zelenskyy said.

[...]

“We have seen indications that the Ukrainians are going a bit more on the offensive now,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters separately in Washington. He said that was particularly true in southern Ukraine, including near Kherson, where “they have tried to regain territory.”

Russia's far stronger, bigger military has many Western military experts warning against overconfidence in Ukraine's long-term odds. Russia's practice in past wars in Chechnya and Syria has been to grind down resistance with strikes that flattened cities, killed countless civilians and sent millions fleeing.

[...]

Zelenskyy, in his address, said more than 7,000 people were evacuated from Mariupol on Tuesday. Those who remain suffer “in inhuman conditions, under a full blockade, without food, without water, without medicine and under constant shelling, under constant bombardment,” he said.

[...]

 

[Vern]

Wali is alive. Perhaps it's due to the sheep that his former Kurdish General sacrificed??!

'I'm alive': Former Canadian Forces sniper debunks rumours of his death in Ukraine | CBC News

 

[sunshineray]

Belarusians are sabotaging plans to join Vladimir Putin's Ukraine War - Atlantic Council
[...]

A video published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and recorded at the Mohyliv-Podilskyi border crossing shows a Ukrainian border guard presenting the outgoing ambassador with 30 pieces of silver, a clear reference to the biblical story of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. “We despise you,” the Ukrainian guard tells Sokol.

The incident was a stark reminder of the sharp and rapid deterioration of the once warm relations between Kyiv and Minsk. ...

[...]

... Today, the Belarusian ruler is dependent upon Russia for his regime’s survival. Unsurprisingly, he now not only recognizes the annexation of Crimea but has turned his country into a platform for Russia to invade and bombard Ukraine.

[...]

Even as the autocratic Lukashenka regime assists and enables Russia’s aggression, ordinary Belarusian citizens are finding creative ways to resist.

For months, a Belarusian hacking collective called the Cyber Partisans has been attacking the country’s railway network in an effort to prevent Russian troops from reaching Ukraine. The group has also distributed videos urging Belarusian soldiers not to join Russia’s war.

[...]

... Apparently railway workers are also involved in sabotage efforts. In a recent interview with Current Time television, Oleksandr Kamyshin, director of Ukraine’s Ukrzaliznytsya state railroad company, confirmed that rail traffic between Belarus and Ukraine has stopped. He also praised Belarusian rail workers who he says have taken unspecified measures to prevent the movement of Russian troops and military equipment.

[...]

Some Belarusians are already directly involved in the war, with an estimated 200 Belarusian volunteers currently fighting on the Ukrainian side against Russia. ...

[...]

From hackers to railway workers to volunteer fighters, the rearguard action in Belarus against Putin’s Ukraine War illustrates the scale of blowback Russia’s invasion is provoking.

Just weeks ago, it appeared Putin was on track to put part of the old Soviet empire back together. He managed to pull off a soft annexation of Belarus without firing a shot and appeared poised to subjugate Ukraine by force. But a month into Putin’s war, Ukraine has fought Russia to a standstill and there appears to be a rebellion brewing below the decks in Belarus.

**********

@Dontknow?, this offers a bit of hope!

Thank you PommyMommy, it helps me too <3 It gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, some of the people inside Russian can also start to sabotage here and there. Maybe it will be enough so more people will take notice and pass it on word of mouth, just like the old days. Forget the state run tv and radio, there has to be a way to reach more of the Russian people yearning to be free.

 

[Bit of hope]

'Nederland gevoelig voor energieboycot' • Zelensky: gesprekken met Rusland zwaar

Among other news about Ukraine, there is this from the Dutch National News Broadcast (NOS)

AN HOUR AGO
Now 5620 Ukrainians registered in the Netherlands
Until yesterday, 5620 Ukrainians have been registered with Dutch municipalities, according to new figures from the Ministry of the Interior. This concerns both people who are in emergency shelters and people who have found shelter themselves. The figures are based on registrations in the Personal Records Database (BRP).

The actual number of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands is much higher. There are 13,000 people in the shelter that the municipalities have arranged alone. Registration in the BRP is mandatory for Ukrainians who stay in the Netherlands for a longer period of time, but given the circumstances, it will not be enforced for the time being.

2 HOURS AGO
Russian advance stalls, struggle at its 'culmination point'?

It has now been four weeks since Russia started the war in Ukraine and stalled the Russian advance, Professor of War Studies Frans Osinga said in the NOS Radio 1 Journaal this morning . "The only option for the Russians is to encircle, dig in and shell. Russia doesn't seem to have the troops to take all the cities and you also see that the Ukrainian defenses are strong. So we're talking about an old-fashioned medieval siege, in order to force the population and the military to capitulate."

As a result, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped in the completely surrounded Mariupol. The city is under constant shelling, there is a lack of water, food and medical aid, and according to Ukrainian authorities, 300,000 people in the city of Kherson are now in that harrowing position.

So from a Russian point of view, the battle is not going well. The more than 100,000 troops are spread over four fronts in a large area. "So the 'density of soldiers' is ultimately not that great," Osinga says. "Only in the east, in the Donbas, around Mariupol and in Crimea it seems successful, but other objectives are not within reach. We call that the 'culmination point': Russia has to deal with desertion, demoralization of the troops already weeks in the field, lack of ammunition, long supply lines disrupted by Ukraine."

"We thought we could expect an amphibious landing of the Russians at Odessa from the Black Sea, but that is very risky, because the city is well defensible. The Russian ships are now used to fire all kinds of cruise missiles, also far into Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, the weapons for the Ukrainians continue to come from the West. Those ammunition, anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft defenses have proven to be really crucial for the defense of Ukraine in recent weeks," Osinga said.

3 HOURS AGO
CPB: The Netherlands is very sensitive to energy boycott Russia
The Netherlands is very sensitive to the cut-off of the Russian energy supply. It is true that the direct dependence is not that bad, but the blow is still harder than in other Western European countries via the international trade chains. No sector can escape contraction, writes Het Financieele Dagblad based on calculations by the <Dutch> Central Planning Bureau (CPB).

The CPB performed calculations using a so-called 'disaster model', in which the physical supply of oil and gas from Russia comes to a standstill. In that model it is assumed that there are no immediate alternatives and that production chains will therefore come to a (partial) standstill.

Of the gas we use in the Netherlands, only about 15 percent comes from Russia, so that means that we are directly dependent on it to a limited extent. But the Netherlands is strongly linked to other European countries via all kinds of production chains, which are much more dependent on gas and oil from Russia, for example the motor vehicle sector and the clothing industry. As a result, the Netherlands could still be hit hard if the Russian energy supply to Europe stops, not only through higher prices for energy imports, but also for other goods. "This interdependence underlines the importance for the Netherlands of a Europe-wide approach to possible energy shortages", concludes the CPB .

4 HOURS AGO
Putin wants to attend G20 summit in Indonesia at the end of this year
Russian President Putin plans to attend the G20 summit hosted by Indonesia at the end of this year. That is what the Russian ambassador in Jakarta said.

Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobyova responded to calls from some G20 countries, including the United States, to exclude Russia from the group of major economies in the world. "Not just the G20, many organizations are trying to exclude Russia," she said. "The reaction of the West (to the Russian invasion of Ukraine) is absolutely disproportionate."