For guys who hate the West, these oligarchs sure do love stashing their families + wealth there.
Threaten to nuke Paris where putin's own daughter lives? No chance. Stop being afraid of the kremlin.
Elena Lasconi: "In the next two weeks, Romania will face an existential struggle! [...] We will bitterly defend the freedom we died for 35 years ago in the revolution! The story does end here! Romanians have fought off tens of Russian invasions and we will fight them off again! [...]
To anyone thinking Romanians are the kind of people that will gently go into that dark night and to whatever Romanian needs reminding, here's the story of one of our heroes, back from when Russia last ruled over us. 🧵
Russian forces shelled a public transport stop in the occupied town of Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region, leaving civilians dead and injured, the regional prosecutor’s office reports.
It's incredibly dumb but it happens too often.
As Ukraine starts striking back, the disinfo will increase considerably to divide & weaken our support. We must not let it. The majority of the UK supports Ukraine fervently - whether Conservative, Labour or Lib Dem. Keep the politics out of it. Supporting Ukraine unites us. 6/6
Haven't lived under colonialism or the post-colonial transitions (always rough), haven't lived under communism but lecture us on both?
I have nothing in common with political extremes. I have more in common with those in between, regardless of background. 5/6
Walking through London & having university far-left people come up to me & my Ukrainian wife with communism flyers trying to convince us while pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine - how do you think that went down? The hammer & sickle should be banned as a symbol. 4/6
actually grew up in a former colony. My entire family did too, as did my wife & hers. I do not identify at all with these "anti-imperialists" because they're not. They dismiss our agency & expect us to think, act & vote like a monolith in line with their "superior" views. 3/6
Many expect me to share the "NATO proxy war" narrative - they get quite upset when I refute it.
The far-left thinks I'd support their "anti-imperialist" stance which invariably supports communism & russia - the Owen Jones, Corbyn, Abbott stance. Absolutely not. 2/6
This has really brought the bad actors out in force. Most were known but it's staggering just how many there are in the UK.
Better to know who people are & where they stand. People often assume I'm not pro-Ukraine due to race so they start conversations expecting empathy. 1/6
What the West refuses to do, Ukraine will. The escalation managers won't be in office to see it but this is what actual de-escalation looks like.
Justice will come to everyone responsible for crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
A world where tyrants can attack civilians while cowering in their bunkers, knowing their launch sites are protected, is unacceptable.
Those are real red lines & russia crossed them long ago. If you think Ukraine defending itself from that is escalation, you are the problem. 2/2
Systematic decimation of communities, transport, medical + energy infrastructure, mass child abduction, sexual violence, torture & ecocide. That's what russia has been doing to Ukraine every day for years. 1/2
112 cruise missiles & 99 drones in one day.
If you want to discuss escalation & WWIII, focus on russia dumping its economy & population to destroy others. Focus on russia relying on North Korea, Iran & China to keep waging war.
Never blame Ukraine for self-defense.
russia & North Korea waging war in Europe with Iranian weapons & Chinese support = nothing
Ukraine defending itself = OMG WWIII.
Behave.
The incremental approach continues. Progress, one oblast at a time.
Ukraine should just let 'em loose. Self-defense is not escalation.
Yeah I could've told him that.
F-16s were again valuable in shooting down russian missiles, as Ukrainians always knew when they kept asking for them while we illogically delayed & waffled about "escalation".
Send more & train more pilots. Lives depend on it.
Self-defense is not escalation.
In Lviv, a 66-year old lady was killed in her car by russia's attacks. NATO could've protected her but again chose weakness.
Standing by while an arsonist burns your neighbour's house down, hoping he'd stop there, isn't deterrence. It's cowardly appeasement.
Close the skies over Ukraine.
If you're more upset about losing russian gas than russia using gas revenues to decimate Ukraine's energy systems, you are the problem.
This is how Trump planned to end the war in 24 hours. This is what Scholz & Sullivan's de-escalation looks like.
Ukraine & its energy infrastructure systematically bombarded by russia, whose goal is to freeze them into death or submission, whichever comes first.
Our leaders' weakness is fatal.
If by "thin air", you mean a centuries-long imperial bloodlust, bent on annihilating Ukrainian statehood, culture & identity, then yes. They absolutely invaded out of thin air.
2005 - "russia won't interfere in Ukraine, Georgia"
2008 - russia invaded Georgia
2014 - russia invaded Ukraine
russia lies.
lavrov has been FM for 20 years, putin in charge for 25. Stop trying to legitimise serial liars & mass war criminals. This regime must be defeated.
Just reminding everyone that russia's war was never about NATO.
In fact, NATO's appeasement & enrichment of russia + their lack of protection for Ukraine & Georgia facilitated russia's invasions.
The goal is conquest, genocide & subjugation. Always has been.
G7's GDP 45tn
russia's GDP 2tn
Economically & militarily, this isn't even remotely close. If they wanted to bring peace, they'd have had it long ago.
www.g7italy.it/en/g7-leader...
Then have you considered, I dunno, removing that obstacle?
Welcome!
putin has North Korea as a co-belligerent in a war on European soil, while Scholz refuses Taurus, openly projects fear of confronting russia & would never consider troops to defend Ukraine.
I'm sure putin will immediately bow to Scholz's escalation concern. What a farce.
Being a corrupt petrostate that funnels revenues into oligarch's pockets & waging wars, while mortgaging its future to China will inevitably cause economic collapse.
Instead of Western self-aggrandisement, we should accelerate this. Tighten sanctions & back Ukraine fully.