Nikos Dendramis

[Hillary Clinton @HillaryClinton]

Ten years ago today.

In just the last few days: Trump made a deal for the U.S. to buy Russian diesel, an economic lifeline for Putin; he and Elon Musk blamed each other for an order that slowed down Starlink satellite connectivity over Ukraine, hampering the country's defenses during a devastating Russian attack; and Trump waived sanctions on Russia that Congress, led by his late friend Lindsey Graham, had pushed for.

Now, Putin has proposed a summit with Trump and Xi to decide Ukraine’s fate for them, bulldoze a century of international cooperation, and frame Russia as an equal to the U.S. and China.

We’ll see if Putin’s puppet continues to dance on his strings.

[Katarina Mathernova 🇪🇺 @kmathernova]

Russia has a message for foreign diplomats in Kyiv: leave, or risk your lives.

Our answer: We are staying.

The EU Delegation is staying.

Threatening us will not stop Europe’s support for Ukraine. It only reminds us why that support matters!

🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦
@EUDelegationUA

[✙ Constantine ✙ @Teoyaomiquu]

Hello everyone. Today I’m starting another fundraiser to get engineering equipment to Ukraine, and I’m asking for your help by sharing, donating, and liking this post. Even if you can’t donate, sharing it genuinely makes a difference.

Plase watch the video with their CV90 Crew explaining the importance of this equipment.

The donation link is in the comments below.

A good friend of mine from the 21st Mechanized Brigade of the UAF has been working on improving the survivability and effectiveness of the 🇸🇪 CV90 IFVs and, most importantly, the soldiers inside them.

He recently reached out to me asking for help getting engineering equipment for his brigade.

This is one of those things that doesn’t look as dramatic as drones, armored vehicles, or weapons, but it directly saves lives.

A properly dug fighting position, trench, vehicle shelter, or reinforced position can be the difference between soldiers surviving an artillery or drone attack and not coming home.

Unfortunately, because of bureaucracy and often simple neglect by higher command, excavation equipment remains critically overlooked. It is one of the most obvious low-hanging fruits on the battlefield: relatively inexpensive machinery that can save soldiers’ lives and protect multimillion-dollar equipment.

The brigade already has several excavators, but they are in critically bad condition. We are already working on getting those repaired. But even if every one of them were operational, it still wouldn’t be enough for the brigade’s needs.

Their full request is for 3 excavators, transportation for them, a crane, and pickup trucks.

The total cost would be around $240,000.

I wish I could say we can raise all of it, but with the current level of donations, I don’t think that is realistic.

So we scaled the fundraiser down to $100,000.

That will allow us to purchase 3 excavators and a truck capable of transporting them.

It is still a huge amount of money. But these machines will not sit somewhere in storage. They will be working every day, digging positions, protecting vehicles, and giving Ukrainian soldiers a better chance of surviving.

And that is why I’m asking for your help.

If you can donate, even a small amount helps.

If you can’t donate, please like and repost this post. The more people who see it, the better chance we have of reaching this goal.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our previous fundraisers and continues supporting Ukraine.

Don't mind the snow in the video, they asked for this in march, and unfortunately I couldn't fundraiser until today. But we have been working on repairing their equipment and supplying some machines since June.

Donation link is in the 1st comment below.

[Sulkhan Metreveli @Sulkhan]

How Russian propaganda works abroad, in one sentence per layer:

For the right: "Russia defends tradition." For the left: "NATO caused this." For the pacifist: "Weapons prolong war." For the cynic: "Everyone lies equally." For the tired: "It's complicated."

Five contradictory messages, one output: do nothing.

Russian propaganda doesn't need you to love Moscow. It needs you paralyzed — and it has a script for whichever ideology you brought to the table.

Whenever a take ends in "therefore, inaction," check the return address.

[✙ Constantine ✙ @Teoyaomiquu]

Hello everyone, I am starting a new fundraiser to help maintain and repair engineering equipment @LibertyUkraineF has already delivered to Ukraine with your aid. Donation link at the end of this post.

Please read till the end, like, share and quote - it is very important for this fundraiser.

Donations are tax deductible.

Over the past 3 years, we have delivered more than 30 excavators, 40 heavy trucks, and loads of other engineering equipment such as cranes, augers, and off-road forklifts.

90% of the equipment we have delivered has performed exceptionally well, as we picked some of the most durable models. However, even the best equipment can't live forever, and the stress it's been put through on the battlefield shows.

For example, one of the machines worked 12,000 hours over two years. That machine was a Yanmar VIO50 excavator that we bought, delivered, and serviced for $30,000. A new machine like this costs around $100,000. 12,000 machine hours is more than the expected lifetime of an excavator in this class.

Today, this excavator returned to us for major repairs. I can't stress enough the importance of the work this machine performed. It served in the 43rd Artillery Brigade, building fortifications for PzH 2000 howitzers and digging trenches for drone pilots. It saved countless lives from drone threats and tens of millions of dollars in equipment by protecting critical assets.

Today, we have a backlog of around 8 similar machines awaiting repairs. These machines have complex hydraulics, pins, and joints that require special equipment and expertise to repair.

My goal has always been to deliver the best-value solutions for the least amount of funding. For example, a machine used to bore pin seats on an excavator costs around $15,000. We didn't have that kind of funding dedicated to repairs, so my brother @vaycartana built and programmed such a tool himself, and it cost us only $4,000.

However, our ingenuity and desire to help Ukraine can only go so far without funding. We need parts, we need to pay for electricity, and we need to pay something to the workers who perform these repairs. This is back-breaking labor done under constant air raids, bombings, and air raid sirens.

That's why I am asking you to donate to the fundraiser using the link at the end of this post. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to allow us to repair up to 6 excavators.

Please share, quote repost, and like this post. It greatly helps visibility and directly impacts the battlefield.

https://t.co/kW45efUONx

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Open Letter
To the President of the Russian Federation
From the President of Ukraine

When you came to power in Russia more than 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That is how it was. But that is now in the past.
Now, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians view it positively that our long-range drones paid a visit to the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, covering a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. As you know very well, that distance is not the limit of our capabilities.

[LottaLove23 @lotta_love43]

May the 4th be with you 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🫡🇺🇦

[Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump]

The United States has spent EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS fighting and policing in the Middle East. Thousands of our Great Soldiers have died or been badly wounded. Millions of people have died on the other side. GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE.....

[✙ Constantine ✙ @Teoyaomiquu]

Hello friends and supporters of Ukraine. Today marks four years of the full-scale invasion. Four years ago, the worldview changed for me; it divided the world into those who support Ukraine and those who don’t care. (If you care please read till the end and repost)

While I’m not blaming or shaming those who don’t care, I lost any interest in those people, not because they are bad, but because they are irrelevant to our truly greater cause of saving Ukraine: a proud nation with a plethora of problems but a clear desire to build its own free future and break the shackles of totalitarianism. The path is incredibly thorny and dangerous. From Russian bombs to new American administration pressure to give up our future, to the internal struggle and balance between authoritarian rule and democracy during the war, four years after the invasion it has become the largest war since WWII. Ukraine is still standing against the largest and most resource-rich country in the world. No external pressure, threats, or missiles have broken the Ukrainian will to survive.

But Ukrainians aren't endless, and behind the visible heroism of the nation stands real, everyday work. Infantry, drone operators, air defenses, logistics, intelligence, and engineering, they all do everyday routine work to make sure Ukraine stands and remains a beacon of hope and democracy in this plutocratic and corrupt world of self-serving politicians and twisted lies that seek nothing but to undermine our future to score a few political points at home or put an extra penny in their pocket at the expense of the dignity and future of the Ukrainian nation.

Over these four years, we did a huge amount of work to help Ukrainian defenders survive, win battles, pioneer new ideas, liberate cities, towns, and villages, or simply increase their chances of survival.

With your help, we supplied drones, pickups, heavy trucks, earthmoving machinery, cranes, electric power supplies, batteries, and generators. Your help saved hundreds of lives and helped shape the battlefield to where it is now.

Today, we are still in Kharkiv. Our workshop is working to supply, repair, and manufacture equipment and machinery for Ukrainian defenders. Under the bombs and missiles, with our own electric power and heating, our team stays in Kharkiv and continues its mission.

But it’s impossible without your support. Today, I am trying to fundraise to keep our shop working. We are trying to raise funds for two excavators and two trucks to haul them around for Ukrainian defenders.

Your aid is critical for Ukraine, and I would appreciate it if you could donate to our cause. Anything from a dollar to a thousand is a huge help.
Please follow the link below to donate (tax-deductible in the USA):

https://t.co/oICKG0Hkns

[Emmanuel Macron @EmmanuelMacron]

Cela fait quatre ans que l’Europe s’est réveillée au bruit des bombes russes en Ukraine.

Quatre ans d’une guerre d’agression choisie par la Russie, au mépris flagrant du droit international, de la souveraineté d’un peuple, et de la vie humaine.

Quatre ans de villes frappées, d’écoles et d’hôpitaux détruits, d’infrastructures énergétiques méthodiquement ciblées pour plonger des familles dans le froid et l’effroi.

Quatre ans, 15 000 civils ukrainiens tués.

Quatre ans de vies brisées, de violences, de viols, de tortures, de crimes de guerre et de terreur.

Quatre ans, et des milliers d’enfants ukrainiens arrachés à leur terre et à leurs familles.

Mais quatre ans que l’Ukraine tient et résiste.

Un jour, les Russes prendront conscience de l'énormité du crime commis en leur nom, de la futilité des prétextes invoqués et des effets dévastateurs à long terme sur leur pays.

Alors que le Kremlin promettait de conquérir l’Ukraine en quelques jours, seulement 1 % du territoire ukrainien a été conquis depuis la stabilisation du front en novembre 2022. Le mois dernier, l’Ukraine a même repris du terrain.

Et cela à quel prix pour les Russes ?

Plus de 1,2 million de soldats russes ont été blessés ou tués, c’est le plus grand nombre de victimes russes au combat depuis la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Face aux pertes, la Russie enrôle des individus sur le continent africain pour les envoyer combattre sur le front ukrainien, souvent sans aucune formation préalable.

Cette guerre est un triple échec pour la Russie : militaire, économique, stratégique.

Elle a renforcé l’OTAN dont elle voulait éviter l’expansion, soudé les Européens qu’elle voulait affaiblir, et mis à nu la fragilité d’un impérialisme d’un autre âge.

Parce que l’Ukraine est la première ligne de défense de notre continent, la France et l’Europe se tiennent résolument à ses côtés.

Aide financière, militaire, humanitaire et énergétique : l’Europe a déjà mobilisé 170 milliards d’euros. Lors du Conseil européen de décembre, nous nous sommes mis d’accord sur un prêt de 90 milliards d’euros pour garantir à l’Ukraine un financement prévisible sur les deux prochaines années. Rien ne justifie de le remettre en cause. Nous devons désormais le concrétiser.

Les livraisons de matériels et de munitions, la formation, le renforcement de la défense aérienne et de la lutte anti-drones, et le soutien aux équipements déjà fournis se poursuivront.

Pour que l’Ukraine tienne et pour que la Russie comprenne que le temps ne joue pas pour elle.

Nous continuerons également à nous en prendre à l'économie de guerre russe : nous tiendrons le cap sur les sanctions et nous poursuivrons nos actions contre la flotte fantôme.

Parce qu'il n'y aura pas de paix sans sécurité et que notre sécurité se joue en Ukraine, nous continuerons de nous engager au sein de la Coalition des Volontaires.

À Paris le 6 janvier dernier, nous avons bâti une convergence solide avec les États-Unis sur les futures garanties de sécurité. La nouvelle réunion d'aujourd'hui doit nous permettre de continuer à avancer.

Nous veillerons également à ce que les intérêts des Européens soient bien pris en compte dans les discussions, y compris le moment venu quand il sera question de l'architecture de sécurité nécessaire pour notre continent.

Aux Ukrainiennes et aux Ukrainiens : nous pensons à vous avec émotion. À vos familles éprouvées, à vos enfants, à celles et ceux qui résistent sous les frappes.

À ceux qui croient pouvoir compter sur notre fatigue : ils se trompent.

Nous sommes et resterons aux côtés de l'Ukraine.

[Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko]

The Helmet of Remembrance

[Thorstrike @rospigge60559]

I live in Sweden.
And I work more than half of my time in the United States.
I know both systems — not from headlines, but from daily life.
Sweden has a capitalist market economy.
Private ownership. Competition.
Global companies.
We also have social reforms: healthcare, paid parental leave, paid vacation, and social security.
This is not socialism.
This is not communism.
It’s capitalism with guardrails.
The market creates wealth.
Society prevents bad luck from becoming a life sentence.
Our freedoms are intact.
Our economy is competitive.
And no — this isn’t theory.
I live it.

[Prof. Carl Sagan @ProfCarlSagan]

When my husband died, because he was so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me-it still sometimes happens-and ask me if Carl changed at the end and converted to a belief in an afterlife.

They also frequently ask me if I think I will see him again. Carl faced his death with unflagging courage and never sought refuge in illusions. The tragedy was that we knew we would never see each other again.

I don't ever expect to be reunited with Carl. But, the great thing is that when we were together, for nearly twenty years, we lived with a vivid appreciation of how brief and precious life is. We never trivialized the meaning of death by pretending it was anything other than a final parting.

Every single moment that we were alive and we were together was miraculous-not miraculous in the sense of inexplicable or supernatural. We knew we were beneficiaries of chance. . . .

That pure chance could be so generous and so kind. . . .

That we could find each other, as Carl wrote so beautifully in Cosmos, you know, in the vastness of space and the immensity of time. . . .

That we could be together for twenty years. That is something which sustains me and it’s much more meaningful. . . .

The way he treated me and the way I treated him, the way we took care of each other and our family, while he lived. That is so much more important than the idea I will see him someday.

I don't think I'll ever see Carl again. But I saw him. We saw each other. We found each other in the cosmos, and that was wonderful.”

― Ann Druyan

[French Response @FrenchResponse]

Panicked EU bureaucrats right now.

[Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko]

Yes, NATO is dead now.

And the final nail in its coffin was driven by the biggest useful idiot the Kremlin and Beijing have ever had in the history of the Western world.

He did it out of his megalomania, ultra-vulgarity, his hunger for the easiest money and the cheapest attention, shallowness, ignorance, and an addiction to self-glorification in front of TV cameras, which has long since crossed into madness.

He did it out of sheer amorality, too: an insatiable urge to humiliate, humiliate, humiliate those who depend on him, for nothing but petty self-affirmation -- while groveling before powerful and criminal enemies, just to get a scrap of their approval and feel like he belongs among the big bad guys.

But his is not the end. It is the beginning of a new alliance in a new world, a change that has been overdue for far too long.

The nations that remain faithful to the values of the free world will stay together.

And now, on the front line of that defense, stands Ukraine, with unmatched experience of the warfare of a new era, and a military exceptional in its resilience and heroism against one of the largest and most relentless war machines in human history.

Now it is time to GET FREAKING SERIOUS and truly unite around a European, Euro-Atlantic Ukraine: to help it, and to learn from it, and to absorb its priceless experience and inventions for the collective defense of the democratic West.

The arsenal of democracy is here now.

[Scott Adams @ScottAdamsSays]

A Final Message From Scott Adams

[Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko]

Three years ago on this day.

Soldier Oleksandr Matsiyevsky had his last cigarette at his surrounded dugout, shouted “Glory to Ukraine!” and was executed by Russians on the spot.

He lives on with us all forever ever since that day.

Absolute hero of our age.

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

I was born 51 years ago. What is the purpose of my life?

I have lived several lives in my lifetime. A happy but oblivious childhood in the Soviet Union, focused on family, mathematics and sports. The gangster 1990s in Ukraine focused on survival and money. 1/

[Michael Weiss @michaeldweiss]

Dear Europe: If you read this and still think the United States is with you, you deserve everything you fear is coming your way. This is Russian-style corruption incorporated into the American system. https://t.co/VfC0Hq2t32