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This War Isn’t Going as Putin Planned

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Peace talks begin? Leaders from Ukraine and Russia are currently meeting in Belarus. Ukraine seeks an “immediate cease-fire” and the immediate withdrawal of its troops; Russia’s goals are unknown. Just yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that was putting nuclear forces on “special combat readiness” status (while Belarus—which “has become a launch pad for Russian troops invading Ukraine”—said it’s ditching its non-nuclear status).

U.S. President Joe Biden has, thankfully, chosen to deescalate rather than put U.S. forces “on Defcon 3—known to moviegoers as that moment when the Air Force rolls out bombers, and nuclear silos and submarines are put on high alert,” in the words of The New York Times.

U.S. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stressed that Russia is “under no threat by NATO.” Her assessment of Putin’s actions was “another escalatory, unnecessary step that threatens all.” We ask Russia to reduce its dangerous rhetoric about nuclear weapons.

Events in Ukraine—and the larger European community—don’t seem to be going quite as Putin planned. The resistance of the Ukrainian people to Russian forces is fierce.

Putin probably got more than he thought. Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Face the Nation yesterday. “The Ukrainian people have been fighting for their freedom. They fight for democracy. They are fighting for democracy and each other’s sovereignty. If he can seize Kyiv, that won’t stop them.

For the Russian leader, European responses are not encouraging. At least partially, his actions in Ukraine are due to fears about NATO and the European Union.These institutions he tried to weaken for many years. However, his invasion of them has strengthened them.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said on Sunday that Ukraine was “one of us” and she wanted them to join. She made these comments as the E.U. Reuters reports that the E.U. “decided, for the first time ever in its history, to supply arms to a country at conflict.” “Russia’s invading of Ukraine began less than 4 days ago. This triggered an unprecedented Western strategic, political and corporate response.

Putin’s invading force is having the “exact opposite effect” he wanted. saidBiden speaking with Brian Tyler Cohen. “Not only is NATO more unified—look at what’s going on in terms of Finland, look what’s going on in terms of Sweden, look what’s going on in terms of other countries.”

Last week, Sanna Marin, the Finnish Prime Minister stated that “Finland does not face an immediate threat of military conflict,” but that it was now clear that “the debate about NATO membership in Finland” will shift.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated last Friday that “It is obvious that Finland and Sweden joining NATO, which first of all, is a military organization), will entail severe military-political consequences which would require retaliatory measures by Russia Federation.”

“I am very clear. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson replied that Sweden decides its security policy lines independently.

According to Reuters, Kosovo has asked for the United States’ establishment of a permanent military station in its country. This would allow it to integrate into NATO faster after Russia invaded Ukraine. Armend Mehaj (Kosovo Defence Minister) declared that Sunday’s declaration by the United States was to “accelerate Kosovo’s accession to NATO” and establish a permanent American base in order for peace, stability and security in the Western Balkans.

Putin has had little to no success so it’s not surprising that he threatened to escalate. We need to know if Putin’s threats are just strategic jokes or something sinister.

It was also the second reminder by Putin in one week to Washington that he is armed with a huge arsenal, which might lead him to try it.” The note states that Times:

But what made the latest nuclear outburst notable was that it was staged for television, as Mr. Putin told his generals that he was acting because of the West’s “aggressive comments” about Ukraine….”It was bizarre,” said Graham T. Allison of Harvard University, whose study of the Kennedy administration’s handling of the Cuban missile crisis, “Essence of Decision,” has been read by generations of international relations students—and many of the national security staff surrounding Mr. Biden today. His use of Mr. Putin’s “aggressive comment” justification to place one of the most powerful nuclear arsenals in the World on Alert seemed both disproportional and puzzle-ing, he stated. “It makes no sense.”

Other Russia-Ukraine news

• Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska speak out against the war.

• Internet combat:

Russia’s communication regulator ordered Saturday that reports describing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine were removed from Russian media. This could result in fines or blocking of accounts. In recent days, the regulator also directed blockage of Meta Platforms Inc.Facebook is a social media service in India, as well as Twitter Inc.It has been reported by the company that there is a restriction.

Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who is smaller in military size, decided to take on Mr. Putin online. Ukraine ordered its phone carriers to shut down network access to phones from Russia and Belarus—making it so invading forces can’t get online and post their own videos or send their own messages.

FREE MINDS

Since 2010, U.S. news has been full of prejudice-related terms.According to research, young Americans believe the United States has become less progressive and more tolerant of sexism. This is due in part to increasing attention given by media outlets to racism and sexism. An analysis of the Social Science Computer ReviewOver the past decade, U.S. media has seen a dramatic increase in words that refer to racism, homophobia and transphobia. It is as shocking as the scale of the changes. WhenThey happened. “The attitudinal or discursive changes seem not to be a reaction to any particular thing,” the authors of the paper write in a new column. The Guardian.

The 27 million articles in 47 news outlets that published “news articles” between 1970-1999 reveal a dramatic increase in words that are related to discrimination or prejudice. This trend began in the late 2010s. Researchers report that these shifts took place in both left-leaning and right-leaning media. Television news coverage mirrored this shift.

FREIGHT MARKETS

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Organizers “scrap[ped]Convoy and direct[ed]”Members to merge to other anti-mandate group heading towards the capital.” The New York Times reports.

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