Sean Pollock

Scotsman living in Dublin. Sunday Indo Business Journalist. 🇺🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

On Thursday morning, my Ukrainian family had to hide in a basement as bombs landed near their homes.

This is the most emotional piece I will ever have to write. Russia’s invasion is inflicting awful pain on everyday people - my family are suffering. 🇺🇦
https://t.co/ktrzfuY1Ei

[Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll]

This is revolting, a clear war crime, but unfortunately now par for the course in Kherson.

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

@sirslee17 @GoldieMate38 Got disallowed. Was at Tynie.

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

Russia’s chief negotiator admitting publicly his country has no intention of making any compromises.

Been a great night for the “UKRAINE IS THE ONE BLOCKING A PEACE DEAL AND EVERYONE OTHER THAN RUSSIA ARE WARMONGERS” types.

[Liza Fokht @lizafokht]

Here is the unedited translation of what Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told Russian state TV today.

Q: A significant part of the territory of Kharkiv Oblast and other regions is currently under Russian control. Were exchanges of these territories discussed during the negotiations, and for which territories?

Medinsky: The topic of possible territorial exchanges is periodically floated by various sides. Let me remind you of the history. After Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, a decision was made — the president has spoken about this more than once — to create a security zone along the border with the Russian Federation.

This zone is now quite substantial. It is expanding, and it will continue to expand. I don't see any possibility of exchanging these territories.

And again, as our leader so vividly put it, wherever the foot of our Russian soldier has stepped, that is ours.

As the entire history of Russia has shown, every time we have shown a willingness to make concessions, to agree to compromises that are disadvantageous to us, to demonstrate peaceful intentions and a willingness to yield — every time we have taken steps towards our opponents to avoid certain hardships, as we thought, the result has been that we have ended up with even greater hardships.

As the saying goes, we get both war and disgrace.

But whenever Russia has demonstrated firmness and confidence in its own strength, as a result, all hardships have been overcome, and a time of lasting peace, tranquillity and development has come, both for us and for our neighbours.

Therefore, wherever the Russian flag has been raised, it must not be lowered.

The task is something else, and we talked about this today. The task is to create a system of comprehensive security in Europe that will become a new, modern Yalta and Potsdam. One that will be imbued with the spirit of Helsinki in 1975, that will reflect new, contemporary realities, and that will be fair.

If we manage to create such a security system, then we will ensure peace in Europe for decades, perhaps even centuries. That is our main task.

Q: At the very beginning of the meeting, you said some very cautious and important words: that we would try to move closer to achieving peace. Have you moved closer?

Medinsky: I think so, yes, but right now a great deal depends on all participants in the process. A lot depends on Ukraine, on the position of the United States, and on whether Europe comes to its senses.

In any case, all the objectives we have set ourselves will be achieved.

Q: Are you satisfied for now?

Medinsky: Only when we win and sign a peace agreement on our terms.

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

@United24media @IuliiaMendel @HavryshkoMarta is this the peace you speak of? Quote post this with some doves 🕊️🕊️🕊️

[Adrian P 🇷🇴🇺🇦🇪🇺 @AdrianP_doc]

To the "anti-imperialists" in the back.

1. russia doesn't want peace
2. It was always about conquest and expansion
3. NATO did not "provoke" russia
4. You are all idiots

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

Thoughts with those who keep screeching Putin only wants the Donbas and that Europe is safe…

[Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof]

As they say in Russia, appetite grows while eating.
Russia’s top negotiator Medinsky says in Abu Dhabi that Moscow’s demands extend to all of Europe, far beyond Ukraine.
“The security system in Europe works very badly. The entire organism is sick. Ukraine is just an abscess that burst. The organism must be cured as a whole, a band-aid will not be enough.”
Dr Putin to the rescue of poor sick Europe…
The more Trump seeks to mollify Putin, the more megalomaniac the Russian demands become.

[Conor Gallagher @ConorGallaghe_r]

"several terrorists who intended to throw stones at a highway"

[maksym eristavi. @maksymeristavi]

why aren't we talking about this non-stop? this is one of the most unhinged war crimes Europe has ever seen. ever.

55 murdered. 19 are still missing under the rubble. russian mega bombs pulverised so many civilians in this underground shelter in Komyshuvakha that it has been over a week since the rescue operation began, and it is still ongoing.

@NPU_GOV_UA

[Вера Измайлова @veraizmaylova41]

Похорон загиблих у Комишувахі. Коли навіть чоловіки плачуть...(((😥😢

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

@TheLeishy Clearly never had a clue about him either. Banging on about how Gray never played him when he was out sick the whole time.

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

[Aberdeen FC @AberdeenFC]

Jamie McGrath will leave Aberdeen at the end of the season following the expiry of his contract.

We were informed by fellow Premiership side Hibernian that he has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Edinburgh club.

Both Jamie, who will miss the rest of the season through injury, and his representative made it clear he was happy at Pittodrie, and was keen to stay, but we were not prepared to offer him a four-year extension.

Everyone at Aberdeen FC respects Jamie’s decision to look elsewhere, thanks him for his time at the club and wishes him all the best for his future career.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Search and rescue teams in the frontline Ukrainian village of Komyshuvakha have found more bodies in the rubble of a shelter, which was struck repeatedly by Russian bombs earlier this week.

Some 53 people are now confirmed to have been killed, with more villagers still unaccounted for. It is one of the deadliest single Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale war.

[Rob Lee @RALee85]

“The bodies of 42 Ukrainians have been recovered from the rubble in the village of Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with 33 more people still missing as of Nov. 5, three days after Russian forces attacked the settlement with heavy aerial bombs, the National Police said.

With the final death toll yet to be officially established, the strike on the front-line village is already one of the deadliest single Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion four and a half years ago.

Russian forces struck Komyshuvakha several times with aerial bombs on the morning of Nov. 2, initially hitting a school building where local residents had gathered to receive humanitarian aid. One of the bombs was a 3-ton FAB-3000, which contains more than 1,000 kilograms of explosives and has a blast radius of up to 250 meters.”
https://t.co/UfZpGCvYpn

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

@DangerKidsBooks Correct me if I’m wrong, but people could only claim refugee status in the EU if they were coming from Ukraine and not another country.

🤔🤔🤔🤔

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but people could only claim refugee status in the EU if they were coming from Ukraine and not another country.

🤔🤔🤔🤔

[Alan Moore @DangerKidsBooks]

Lovely chat with a Russian-speaking Ukrainian family on the way to Milan. They were left homeless in 2015, left for Italy. In 2023, came to Ireland as refugees. Used the system to get on their feet and bought a house this year. They will never return to Kiev 1/2

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

Zoom in 😂😂😂

[Joris van de Wier @doingthe116]

Mijn favoriete foto van gisteren met de banter over en weer.

[Sean Pollock @SeanPollock44]

Best song in football. Nothing else comes close.

[Hibernian Football Club @HibernianFC]

This time yesterday 💚☀️

[Premier Sports @PremSportsTV]

GOOSEBUMPS! 🤯

@HibernianFC's players are serenaded by their supporters with a spine-tingling rendition of "Sunshine on Leith" after their Edinburgh Derby triumph 🙌

#PremierSportsCup

[Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko]

So many people seem genuinely astonished by this local ceasefire in Oleshky, where Russian occupation and the fighting have driven the city into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.

Turns out, all it takes is an order from the Kremlin, and Russians and Ukrainians stop shooting at each other. They can calmly and civilly arrange the evacuation of innocent civilians facing starvation, even allow Ukrainian and American journalists to be present on the ground, and so on.

Well, duh.

There is not, and never has been, a single adequate, rational, even remotely sane reason to wage a war aimed at destroying Ukraine. This is the stupidest, most brainless, absurd, pointless, contrived, and deceitful war in human history.

The Kremlin wanted to give Donald Trump a little gift ahead of the elections, so the Kremlin gave an order to put the bloodbath on hold for a few dozen hours.

All it would take is a single order from the Kremlin, and not only would a local ceasefire become possible, but the entire war would end. Just like that. Instantly.

And 95% of Russians wouldn't give a single damn. They would happily accept absolutely anything as yet another "great victory of Russian arms," provided that's how state television explained it to them.

And with a snap of the fingers, all those insane fairy tales about "NATO expansion," "Nazi Satanists," the "multipolar world," "historical Russian lands," and all the rest of that bullshit would simply vanish into thin air.

The problem is that, in this insane, upside-down looking-glass world, absolutely everything is being done to encourage a megalomaniacal maniac, driven mad by impunity and boredom, to never, ever, under any circumstances stop the war, but to keep it going indefinitely.

Instead, he is constantly appeased and rewarded for it.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

A humanitarian operation to rescue people in Oleshky, in the Kherson region, has taken place. A ceasefire was established in the Kherson sector, during which roads to Oleshky were cleared of mines and humanitarian aid was delivered. We hope humanitarian access to Oleshky will remain open. Also, people who needed evacuation have been taken out of the city and the surrounding community. As of now, Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need. It is important that government agencies and all the regional and local authorities involved work effectively and help our people adapt.

I thank the American side and U.S. First Lady Melania Trump for their mediation. I am proud of our Defense Forces of Ukraine, who defend our country and honorably ensured the security conditions for this humanitarian operation. I thank Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, and his team for carrying out this mission. And I thank everyone around the world – every journalist, every political and civic leader, and every concerned person – who helped draw global attention to the situation in Oleshky and the true humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by Russia. When the world pays attention, people are rescued. Further steps toward de-escalation and real progress toward peace are also needed. Glory to Ukraine!