Sanctions

EU Edges Toward Supporting Expulsion of Russia From SWIFT System

Economy minister says Germany can do without Russian gas

UK sanctions 5 Russian banks, 3 individuals in 'first tranche' of measures over escalation in Ukraine

Germany Pulls Plug on Putin's $11Bn Gas Pipeline, Nord Stream 2

President Biden imposes sanctions on two pro-Moscow regions in Ukraine

Russia is immune to sanctions

Europe, US Preparing To Impose Sanctions On Russia

Russia / Ukraine

Ukraine’s leadership has rejected negotiations

Ukrainian ministry of defence urges residents to make homemade petrol bombs in district of Kyiv

What could go wrong🤡

Hero Ukrainian soldier ‘blows himself up to destroy bridge’ and stop Russian invasion forces storming in from Crimea

This is an odd story. The bridge connects to Crimea... this doesn't seem brave or necessary - seems sketchy, actually.

Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users

Russia partially restricts access to Facebook over censorship claims

"Meta reportedly limited official accounts of Kremlin-backed media outlets."

Russia's #NATO Enlargement Redlines' - #Ukraine Cable from 2008 written by #CIA director William J. Burns, then US ambassador to Moscow

Putin calls on Ukraine military to overthrow government, agree peace deal

Russia has reached Kyiv, takes negotiations off table until Ukraine stands down

Kremlin emphasizes need to liberate Ukraine from neo-Nazis

Ukraine Central Bank Freezes FX Market, Limits Cash Withdrawals; Russia Intervenes To Rescue Ruble As Credit Risk Explodes

Putin Launches "Special Military Operation" In Ukraine, Kiev Calls It "Full-Scale Invasion"

Ukraine Warns "Radioactive Dust" Could Spread Over Europe As Fighting Rages At Chernobyl Nuclear Plant

Economy minister says Germany can do without Russian gas

"Legally, Russia's actions are neither illegal under international law nor an invasion under the law."

Putin humiliates spy chief on world stage: 'Speak, speak, speak plainly!'

Ukraine: Zelensky Seeks End to Russia Diplomatic Ties After Hinting at Pursuing Nuclear Weapons

Biden sanctions two Russian banks, will target 'elites' in response to Putin's military moves

Russia says it is evacuating the country's diplomatic personnel from Ukraine because they received threats

WH changes tune, says Russian troops to rebel areas are Ukraine ‘invasion’

Putin Tells Biden and the West to Pound Sand

Putin demands immediate end of Ukraine 'military operations'

Rumors say martial law is being imposed in Ukraine

If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia’s security threats will increase dramatically

U.S. says Russia expected to invade Ukraine 'very soon'

"U.S. warns that Moscow has compiled lists of Ukrainians to target after invasion"

Russia claims to have captured ‘Ukrainian saboteur’

"The claim comes after Russia said five of Kiev’s troops were killed trying to infiltrate the country"

Russian guard post on Ukraine border hit by artillery shell

Ukraine Crisis Version Of Iraq WMD: Putin To Send "LGBTQI+ Persons" To "Camps"

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Explosion hits area near Donetsk airport

Biden, Putin said to agree in principle to Ukraine summit

Ukrainian Separatist Leaders Declare 'Full Military Mobilization'

U.S. warns of terror threat in Moscow and other cities

Is this way of threatening Russia?🤷

Russian commanders reportedly given orders to invade Ukraine

Peace: not according to Biden! LOL

Live: France says Putin, Macron agree to work for ceasefire in Ukraine

From WW3 to peace in a matter of hours 😂

Ukraine: Russia plans biggest war in Europe since 1945

Russian forces to stay in Belarus as Ukraine braced for war

Moscow Claims Two Artillery Shells Hit Russian Territory; Ukraine Counters That Two Soldiers Killed In Shelling

History Lessons

Clinton-era deal for surrender of Ukrainian nukes left nation prey to Russian aggression

“Western nations bear responsibility for the chaos and bloodshed,” accusing them of using “dirty methods to support terrorists in Syria and Nazis in Ukraine.”

Putin says the Minsk agreements, which aimed at peace in eastern Ukraine, no longer exist

"a pair of agreements, signed in 2014 and 2015 in Minsk, Belarus, which were intended to end fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine."

"Ukraine for us is not just a neighboring country. It is an integral part of our own history, culture, spiritual space,"

"Ukraine has "never had a tradition of genuine statehood" and that "[m]odern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely Bolshevik communist Russia,""

"decommunization" should have entailed the re-incorporation of Ukraine into Russia. "We are ready to show you what real decommunisation means for Ukraine,"

Syria supports Putin's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions

"What the West is doing against Russia is similar to what it did against Syria during the terrorist war,"

"the Syrian presidency said Damascus had already planned to recognize Donetsk as early as December 2021."

Putin’s Endgame: Unravel the Post-Cold War Agreements That Humiliated Russia

Putin Calls Ukrainian Statehood a Fiction. History Suggests Otherwise.

Some Fun Facts Re Russia and the Ukraine

Syria!

War in Ukraine won’t stop Israel’s war-between-wars in Syria

Entire Visible Russian Navy Sails To Syria In Midst Of Ukrainian War

Syria’s Assad says Russia’s Ukraine invasion a ‘correction of history’

Russia sends warplanes to Syria for huge naval drills in Med

What is Russia’s Endgame in Syria?

Unusual Russian Navy Concentration Seen In Eastern Mediterranean

Russian Navy Masses 16 Warships Near Syria

Syria supports Putin's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions

"What the West is doing against Russia is similar to what it did against Syria during the terrorist war,"

"the Syrian presidency said Damascus had already planned to recognize Donetsk as early as December 2021."

Donbass Republics

Ukraine 'invasion' not new: Russia has had troops in Donbas for 8 years, U.S. official admits

People in Donetsk in ecstasy after Putin recognises Luhansk and Donetsk as independent

"people in Donetsk set off fireworks and were filmed waving Russian flags to celebrate the news"

Hope and fear on Donetsk streets after Putin move

Putin says the Minsk agreements, which aimed at peace in eastern Ukraine, no longer exist

Russia establishes diplomatic ties with Ukraine's separatist regions

Putin signs friendship and aid agreements with Ukraine separatist leaders

Russia’s Federation Council ratifies friendship, cooperation treaties with DPR, LPR

Syria supports Putin's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions

"What the West is doing against Russia is similar to what it did against Syria during the terrorist war,"

"the Syrian presidency said Damascus had already planned to recognize Donetsk as early as December 2021."

Donbass republics ratify treaties with Russia

Putin demands immediate end of Ukraine 'military operations'

Kremlin reveals how borders of Donbass republics will be defined

Russian parliament ratifies Donbass agreements

Putin Orders Peacekeeping Operation In Ukraine's Breakaway Regions

Russian parliament grants Putin right to use military abroad

PUTIN TRUMPS BIDEN - Aligns with Two Ukrainian Republics Without Firing a Shot

Putin signs decrees on recognizing Donetsk and Lugansk republics

"Just spoke with a friend whose parents live in Russia near Donbas region. The narrative remains that the US is creating tensions to deflect from domestic problems. I asked how they would respond to Russia taking/attacking Kyiv: “Kyiv? They can’t even fathom Russia taking Donbas.”"

Putin says he may recognise independence of separatist regions of eastern Ukraine

Donbass republics call on Putin to recognize their independence

Donetsk and Lugansk leaders ask Putin to recognize republics’ independence

Locals take up arms amid intense Donbass shelling

Ukrainian Separatist Leaders Declare 'Full Military Mobilization'

Letting Truths Fly

"WikiLeaks cables show how the US disarmed Ukraine"

Putin Address Takes Swipe at U.S.-Led World Order

Security Council meeting • President of Russia (kremlin.ru)

Putin Says He Asked Bill Clinton About Russia Joining NATO In Year 2000

User Clip: Putin asking about Russia joining NATO

PUTIN: "We are ready to show you what true de-Communization means to Ukraine."

Why does Russia want to block Ukraine from joining Nato?

"Who else remembers Burisma and what Biden did to the prosecutor who was going to look into his son?"

"Putin declares Ukraine a "puppet" or "colony" of the US. Seems like an overstatement, but it's true that for years the US has been funding/training the Ukraine military and bragging about its singular influence on Ukraine's affairs. Perhaps this US intervention was ill-advised"

Reminder:Cable: #Ukraine's potential #NATO membership would create an opening for elements within the Russian establishment to meddle, stimulating US overt encouragement of opposing political forces", leaving US - #Russia in a "classic confrontational posture."

Putin holds meeting with Security Council [TAPE] - YouTube

Ukraine Must Be Demilitarized, Give Up NATO Ambitions

Lavrov calls Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘unstable,’ capable of ‘anything’

"The Russian Foreign Minister also noted that the West does not try to find ways for de-escalation of tensions it itself creates"

Putin Calls Ukraine a US Colony With a ‘Puppet Regime’

Putin Address Takes Swipe at U.S.-Led World Order

Putin unloads parade of Ukraine grievances in TV broadcast

If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia’s security threats will increase dramatically

War Mongers

Ukrainian New Yorkers brace for war, compare Putin to Hitler

Alternate headline: Ukranian New Yorkers are uneducated and ignorant as to what is going on in the world.

“Crazy” US Media Coverage is a Bigger Threat to Ukraine than Russian Invasion, Ukraine Parliament Member Says

World War 3 warning as 'mad man' Putin branded UNSTOPPABLE – Russia tipped to overthrow EU

Anxiety in Ukraine as NATO, U.S. and Russia bolster forces and accuse each other of pushing toward war

Is Putin Choosing War in Ukraine?

"He also dismissed Ukraine’s legitimacy as a real nation, calling it “a colony with puppets at its helm,” and rehashed his grievances against NATO for its eastward expansion over the past two decades."

Foreign Affairs Experts Say Putin Has Launched an 'Invasion' of Ukraine: 'This Means War'

The Invasion Has Begun: Putin Orders Troops Into Eastern Ukraine

This is looking at the story in a very narrow way. Is Putin full on invading and headed to Kiev? Or is he doing what he said and keeping peace for these 2 self designated Republics with regards to Ukraine?

Putin’s real aims in gaining control of Ukraine

Analysis: Putin's take on history may lay groundwork for war

Minsk Aggreements

Minsk agreements - Wikipedia

The Minsk peace deal concerning Ukraine was killed off by Ukrainian authorities

Why the Minsk Accords Failed to Bring Ukraine Peace

Because they were ignored and nothing has been done with them since they were formed. The 2nd came into existence because the 1st wasn't adhered to... what do they want a 3rd Minsk agreement? Putin chose action over kicking the can.

What does Putin want in Ukraine? The conflict explained

"The agreements, known as Minsk 1 and Minsk 2 — which were hammered out in the Belarusian capital in a bid to end a bloody in eastern Ukraine — have never been fully implemented, with key issues remaining unresolved."

"lays out a plan for reintegrating the two breakaway republics into Ukraine"

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that he did not like a single point of the Minsk accords, which require dialogue on local elections"

"Zelensky, a former comedian and TV star, won a 2019 election in a landslide on promises to end the war in Donbas, but little has changed."

Putin Demands Ukraine Demilitarize, Says Minsk Agreement No Longer Exists

Putin says the Minsk agreements, which aimed at peace in eastern Ukraine, no longer exist

"a pair of agreements, signed in 2014 and 2015 in Minsk, Belarus, which were intended to end fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine."

"Ukraine for us is not just a neighboring country. It is an integral part of our own history, culture, spiritual space,"

"Ukraine has "never had a tradition of genuine statehood" and that "[m]odern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely Bolshevik communist Russia,""

"decommunization" should have entailed the re-incorporation of Ukraine into Russia. "We are ready to show you what real decommunisation means for Ukraine,"

Oligarchs, Banks & Billions↕

Shadowy money built steel empire — with bank's help

This is journalism.

"Ukraine oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and his partners"

"financial crime experts at Deutsche Bank shot up a troubling alert"

"Millions of dollars were flowing into its U.S. headquarters for a business owned by the oligarch"

"Despite warnings from its own workers, Deutsche allowed the money to keep pouring into its coffers six years ago while the oligarch and his partners secretly amassed a steel fortune in the United States."

"vast scheme to steal millions of dollars from Ukraine’s largest bank and move the money into the U.S. to buy steel mills and skyscrapers."

"U.S. banks moved far more money than what was reported by the U.S. government — billions of dollars — for companies under the control of the power broker in patterns that went unchecked for nearly a decade."

"You would think that anyone just doing a spot check, someone would have picked up on the tempo of the transactions, the big round numbers.”"

"In the government’s battle against money laundering, banks are supposed to be the front line of defense"

"Kolomoisky orchestrated a scheme that nearly bankrupted Ukraine’s largest financial institution and sent the nation’s economy into a recession"

"oligarch is accused of setting up shell companies, cleaning the money through U.S. properties and ultimately leaving a trail of boarded-up buildings, failed steel facilities, and millions in unpaid property taxes, court records show."

"money stolen from the Ukraine bank"

Watching A Movie?

Kremlin admits that a dramatic Security Council meeting on Ukraine was recorded in advance, after people realized a minister's watch showed the wrong time

Where Do These Stories Come From?

🤡

Russia ready to unleash sleeper cells & install 'puppet regime to seize control of Ukraine, intel warns

Britain claims Vladimir Putin is plotting a puppet regime in Ukraine

Masha Gessen: Ukraine will not tolerate installation of Putin’s puppet government

This Is the Puppet Government Putin Has in Mind for Ukraine

Putin

From teenage romantic to the man who could spark WW3: Fascinating images show how Putin transformed

What Could Affect The US?

Ukraine-Russia Crisis: Cyberattacks could affect U.S.