Europe must not fall into Putin and Xi’s trap and withdraw criticism of the war against Ukraine

Russia uses what-about-ism as an excuse for violations of UN rules of war.

The media in the USA, Denmark, and on BBC report that today is the 20 year anniversary for America invading Iraq on false grounds and without a UN mandate.

No, there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and yes, the war was terrible and had devastating consequences – for the people of Iraq and to a large extent for Europe.

The US went into Iraq without the approval of the Security Council – so did Putin when he invaded the Crimean peninsula and later Ukraine. Russia´s justification goes like this: the West does not obey by the rules that they claim everyone else must follow for world order.

Still, Europe must not fall into Putin and Xi’s trap and withdraw dritizism.

In the United States, we are seeing cracks within the Republican wing. Certain politicians, including the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who also has presidential ambitions, are agitating for the United States not to be involved in conflicts outside the country’s borders. The well-known policy of isolationism is alive and well.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Putin is happy to letting the discussion in America unfolds, the agenda fits perfectly with his discourse. We seem to be perfectly capable in the West to get lost in domestic political arguments about the war and completely miss the bigger picture of why or why not to get involved. If the political fractions in America keep quarreling, plays perfectly into his hand – without much effort, America helps him get his work done.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said in early March on his trip to India that if the United States has the right to invade a country, why doesn’t Russia? In one sentence he argued that the West has no right to have a position on the war in Ukraine and is even partly to blame for it given past actions. According to the UN charter, neither the war in Iraq nor in Ukraine was legal – but that does not mean that Russia can justify the war in Ukraine with the US invasion of Iraq 20 years ago.

Totalitarian countries that are ideologically far from the West’s standards when it comes to democracy and human rights have found a rhetorical argument that we must be careful not to accept. Arguments and excuses that actions can be justified based on similar actions done in the past.

It’s like talking to a child who has gotten into a fight at school. “He started it,” says the kid, and thus says that his actions are justified. But it’s not what most of us teach our children – so why do we accept the rhetorical manipulation when it comes from grown-up politicians?

I am terrified of what will come out of the meeting between Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi. China could have cancelled the meeting after the ICC announced that Putin is a wanted war criminal as a response to the thousands of children who have been abducted and taken across the border from Ukraine to Russia. Putin is now wanted for human rights violations in 123 countries.

If Xi doesn’t touch the wrong doorknob, fall out of a window, or eat something poisonous, we’ll see him and Putin on a press conference announcing to the world they have agreed on new trade deals. Trade deals which – as now – means that the “goods” they trade can be taken apart and used in Russia’s warfare against Ukraine. Time will tell, how we in the West reacts to this – and the future will later judge those reactions.

Europa må ikke falde i Putin og Xis fælde og trække følehornene til sig

Rusland bruger whataboutism som undskyldning for brud på FN’s regler om krigsførelse.

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Zelenskyy gave the speech of his life in Congress: We want one thing for Christmas – victory

Zelenskyy is rhetorically strong – but is the US willing to donate more funds?

“Your money is not charity, it is an investment in global security,” said the President of Ukraine in his speech to the US Congress.

Judging by the breaking news live streaming on CNN, journalists coverage, politicians’ buzzing anticipation in Congress, as well as President Joe Biden they are all fully aware of the important crossroads the Western world is facing.

In general, there has been support across the political isle in the United States. But some sent a clear message through their absence. Some Republicans chose to stay away, and that is not necessarily good for Ukraine’s resistance nor for Europe’s security. Even if we don’t want to think about it, we may be facing World War III and a battle for Western ideals of freedom.

“The Ukrainian president painted a picture of roaring bombings every day for months, blood, freezing temperatures, death, and destruction. But he also painted a picture of a population that is strong and fights for its freedom with the same perseverance Americans showed when they fought Nazism in Europe.

America is Ukraine’s most important ally. Of course, President Zelenskyy is well aware of that. He is also aware that some resistance have begun to show on the Republican side of the political spectrum when it comes to allocating military funding and aid to Ukraine.

The American population is regularly impressed by Zelenskyy´s quoting of former presidents such as Kennedy and Washington in his speeches. Yesterday, was no exception, when he quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Ukrainian president painted a picture of roaring bombing every day for months, blood, freezing temperatures, death and destruction. But he also painted a picture of a population that is strong and fights for freedom with the same perseerance Americans had when they fought Nazism in Europe.

It may have been the most important speech he has ever given—perhaps even the most important speech he will ever give. He balanced between being grateful to the American people while asking for more guns, ammunition, planes, and tanks. The US has given 1.8 trillion dollars so far. That’s 12 zeros, but that’s not enough.

Zelenskyy made it clear that he is not asking for American soldiers on the ground. Ukrainian soldiers will fight against its attackers itself – but they need more military material.

For me, the strongest message was that we must stand together and fight for freedom, for democracy, for the freedom of the mind – against terrorism and put in what is required in the fight for freedom. PUT-IN, as Zelenskyy said. He definetely did not sound like a man who is ready to sit down at the negotiating table – he is anything but a shadow president, as the MAGA-republicans call him.

The world will be a better place if Ukraine wins – now and in the future. Ukraine’s fight inspires the whole world, and standing together, globally we must fight to protect freedom and international laws, was the message. This war determines and defines the world that future generations will live in. The countries of the world are too interconnected and dependent on each other for a war like this – he stated as the applause resounded.

Standing up for freedom, investing in democracy by helping Ukraine should be on every freedom-loving, democratic country´s Christmas list.

Slava Ukraine!

Zelenskyj holdt sit livs vigtigste tale i USA: Vi ønsker os én ting til jul – sejr

Zelenskyj er en stærk retoriker – men er USA villig til at donere flere midler?

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Stop Russian men from entering Europe – they must see the horrors of the war and rebel against Putin

Instead of taking to the streets and rebelling against Putin, Russian men are sticking their tails between their legs.

The Russian population has so far been rather quiet when it comes to showing opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Studies even show that a majority support for the war. Yes, I am aware that the regime is brutal and that you risk going to prison, being beaten, or poisoned if you speak out against the system. But that consequence doesn’t hold the Russians back now that the war is suddenly affecting them personally.

It amazes me that the Russian population has not previously filled the streets with demands that Putin immediately pulls its troops out of Ukraine, a sovereign and independent country. I guess, to the average Russian citizen it didn’t feel like the atrocities taking place in their neighboring country affected them personally – and so they remained silent and continued with their daily lives. In Russia, he who lives quietly, lives well.

Until now. Now Russian men and the families who part with them have to take a stance when it comes to the war their leader started. Putin wants to draw on the reserve. He says he intends to mobilize 300,000 from the reserve. He still has access to 25 million Russians if he manages to summon every single able bodied person.

There are simply too many Russians for Putin to send into war as cannon fodder.

Western journalists report mile-long queues of cars, all heading one way – out of Russia. CNN showed a graphic that made it clear that planes are taking off from Russian airports faster than you can say “hypocrisy,” while plane tickets out of the country within hours were either sold out or increased to nine times their normal price.

But what happens if Europe starts to do like Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland? These three countries have announced that they will not allow Russian men fleeing military conscription into their country – a rather stark contrast to the ever-clumsy Germany’s announcement that it will welcome Russian men.

Today, BBC reported that more victims of Russian brutality have been found in Ukraine. Several have had their throats cut, others have been raped. The victims are as young as four years old. Further, we know that Russia kidnaps children and sends them to Russia, deliberately goes after bombing schools, and has a clear strategy to target children in the Ukrainian hospitals.

Apparently, the knowledge of the war crimes we have known about for months, is not enough to mobilize the Russians to take to the street. As I said, there has been general support for the war in Russia. But that was before ordinary Russian men were called up for service, something Putin had previously said would not happen. So now, now that it affects the very ordinary Russian – now they are finally reacting.

I have previously written that Russian tourists should not be allowed to travel to European tourist destinations – while their compatriots are carrying out horrific acts of war. It shouldn’t be easy to be Russian – it should be difficult. It should be so difficult that the Russians begin to rebel against their despotic leader.

There is no point in thinking that it is enough to donate money or support the West sending military goods to bring an end to this war. There are simply too many Russians for Putin to send into war as cannon fodder. A change must take place from within. The West must assist with that help by putting pressure on Putin and the Russian population. The West should sanction free movement, apparently that is the only way to force the population to stand up – not for Ukrainians but for their sons, fathers, and brothers.

By forcing the population to stay in Russia, the West may be able to get Russians of gun-bearing age to take a stand against their regime and leadership and throw Putin out the door.

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Stop russiske mænds adgang til Europa – de skal se krigens rædsler og gøre oprør mod Putin

I stedet for at gå på gaden og gøre oprør mod Putin stikker russiske mænd halen mellem benene.

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