REP. ADAM SMITH: We roll out red carpet for Putin, we belittle and insult President Zelenskyy in White House — he has no cards, right?
Well, year after that, it looks like Zelenskyy had couple of cards to play because Ukraine is actually winning against Russia.
Ukraine, a sovereign democracy standing up against a brutal, oppressive, coercive dictatorship.
And we can't even bring ourselves on consistent basis to say we are with Ukraine, we are against what Putin is doing, and we stand up and support Ukraine.
Captain Szilveszter Pálinkás, Hungarian Army officer:
What causes me difficulty is understanding which side this government is choosing. It portrays Ukraine as an enemy, while in reality, in this military conflict, Ukraine is a victim, because Russia attacked Ukraine. This is common knowledge.
This raises concerns and questions: why are we weakening our role in NATO because of this position? And why are our relationships of trust deteriorating?
I have taken part in several NATO exercises since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where soldiers from other NATO member states directly asked us - Hungarian soldiers - whether we were on Russia’s side, because, judging by our messaging, that’s how it seemed. So tell us, they say, because we want to know.
It was very difficult to hear, because I truly do not understand why we would not want to belong to the strongest military alliance in the world. And why we cannot reach the same position. I do not see the real reason behind this.
We need to realize that 50-100 tomahawks can save us hundreds or thousands of pac-2 and pac-3 interceptors as well as AIM-120's if Ukraine is able to strike just 3 major targets a few times. Votkinsk, alabuga, Dubna/Rybinsk.
⚡️ President Zelenskyy says there is no time for history lectures; the war must end.
Zelenskyy said that the head of the Russian delegation, Medinsky, likes to philosophize about the "historical roots" of the war.
"We don't have time for all this shit. We have to decide, and we have to finish the war," the president said.
The ice forming in the Gulf of Finland coupled with the FSB imposed mandatory inspections of ships for fear of Ukranian actions threaten to stop Russian aluminum production, steel exports and mineral exports almost completely.
https://t.co/MzAzcvBEwg
I didn't think it was possible, hence multiple maps in the past, but they are all on one now....
1. Major hubs >220kV
2. Generation
3. Events/Incidents
4. 220->750kV Tx & OPY + some 110kV *& OPY
5. Rail & Traction Stations
6. LOC & Ranges
https://t.co/SGjCKFUL5i
Becoming clear that Kremlin strategy now seems to be focused on keeping Ukraine’s allies chasing phantom negotiations, providing "diplomatic" cover while Russia destroys Ukraine.
No new sanctions, no additional pressure on Russia, attacks continue.
US Senator Roger Wicker @SenatorWicker:
Putin is unrepentant. He is ever, and will always be, the KGB agent. He is a dictator with decades of bloodshed on his hands. He's the biggest thief in the history of the world, a war criminal who should be behind bars at this moment. And, of course, Putin is a liar.
When Putin smiles to American negotiators, he acts as our friend, and he acts as if we believe he's our friend. We have no reason to smile back at Putin or to trust him with anything but caution and contempt.
@Maks_NAFO_FELLA Wow, 330kV substations are on tap in occupied territories... Moria, Chaikine, Dzhznkoy in one night.
So why aren't 330kV & 500kV substations what's on tap in Russia?!?!?!
Why does Ukraine REFUSE to hit the biggest when in russia?!
Let's FUCKING GO!
Ukraine has a choice,
1. Systematically target grid hubs/substations in Russia, thereby forcing Putin to decide who gets electricity... the war machine & energy economy OR civilians.
2. Target civilian CHP/TETS & city networks (110kV) and commit war crimes just like the Russians.
❗️Moscow will raise the issue of Ukrainians voting in Russia to question the legitimacy of elections in Ukraine — Zelenskyy
"Russia has already set the task of doing everything possible to enable Ukrainians who are on the territory of Russia, as well as those Ukrainians who are on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, to vote. So why are they doing this? The task is precisely to necessarily raise this issue — that a large number of people live there and they have the right to vote — in order to then say that Russia does not recognize these elections."
New polling on American support for Ukraine. Note the GOP stats here. 86% of Republicans want more sanctions on Russia; 66% support tariffs on nations buying Russian oil/gas. 73% of Republicans back providing Ukraine with weapons. https://t.co/WojM5jNuBD
Sen. Blumenthal: "After this incursion into Poland, the time is now to show strength...Appeasement is not a strategy. We need scorching sanctions that will cripple Putin's economy by stopping the flow of money from India, China, Brazil, and others who are buying Russian oil."
"We were supposed to have sanctions, and instead we got Alaska,” said Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, on Fox News with Bret Baier.
Mr. Sikorski delivered the message effectively, making this short interview worth watching.
We have to stand on the right side of this issue and be on the side of freedom. It is not conservative to appease Putin nor is it conservative to have a lack of moral clarity of who is at fault for this war. It is not a conservative position to embrace isolationism.
Repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones are fair warning that Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations. After the carnage Putin continues to visit on Ukraine, these incursions cannot be ignored.
A brutally savage Russian airstrike with an aerial bomb on the rural settlement of Yarova in the Donetsk region. Directly on people. Ordinary civilians. At the very moment when pensions were being disbursed. According to preliminary information, more than 20 people were killed. There are no words… My condolences to all the families and loved ones of the victims.
Such Russian strikes must not be left without an appropriate response from the world. The Russians continue destroying lives while avoiding new strong sanctions and new strong blows. The world must not remain silent. The world must not remain idle. A response is needed from the United States. A response is needed from Europe. A response is needed from the G20. Strong actions are needed to make Russia stop bringing death.