Ukraine is not the bastion of freedom described by most Western media (2)
Such painful oversimplifications of a complex world would be bad enough even if Ukraine were a genuine democracy. The country, however, did not deserve that status even before the Russian invasion, and Kiev’s lurch toward systematic repression has grown much worse since the outbreak of that conflict. Today’s Ukraine is a corrupt and increasingly authoritarian state. It is not a democracy even by the most generous definition of that term. Unfortunately, Kiev’s supporters in the West continue to ignore, minimize, or even justify the Zelensky regime’s repressive behavior.
Genuine democracies do not ban multiple opposition parties or close opposition media outlets. Nor do they rigorously censor (and put under strict government control) media outlets that they allow to remain open. Genuine democracies do not outlaw churches that advocate policies the government dislikes. They do not imprison regime opponents, let alone without meaningful due process, much less tolerate the torture of political prisoners. Genuine democracies do not publish “blacklists” of domestic and foreign critics, thereby putting a target on their backs. Yet the Ukrainian government has committed not just one or two, but all of those abuses.
Even before the onset of Russia’s invasion, the level of domestic repression was becoming worse under Zelensky. Kiev’s track record on democracy and civil liberties before the current war was not impressive. In Freedom House’s 2022 report, Ukraine was listed in the “partly free” category, scoring 61 points out of a possible 100. Human Rights Watch’s 2021 report on Ukraine also was far from favorable, citing abuses by government forces, “including arbitrary detentions, torture or ill-treatment.” Journalists and media workers “faced harassment and threats connected to their reporting.” In February 2021, the Ukrainian government closed several opposition media outlets on the basis of allegations that they were Russian propaganda tools.
War has intensified these dynamics. Zelensky promptly used the conflict as a justification for outlawing 11 opposition parties. He also invoked martial law to issue a presidential decree that combined all national television stations into one platform. He contended that such a measure was needed to ensure a “unified message” about the war and prevent so-called disinformation. On December 29, 2022, Zelensky signed a new law that his party had pushed through parliament, a measure that further curbed an independent press. The latest statute requires publications to obtain licenses to operate, and any media organization without the proper paperwork can be shut down immediately. The administrative body handing out the permits will, not surprisingly, be under Zelensky’s control.
💥Source: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/false-democracy
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
Such painful oversimplifications of a complex world would be bad enough even if Ukraine were a genuine democracy. The country, however, did not deserve that status even before the Russian invasion, and Kiev’s lurch toward systematic repression has grown much worse since the outbreak of that conflict. Today’s Ukraine is a corrupt and increasingly authoritarian state. It is not a democracy even by the most generous definition of that term. Unfortunately, Kiev’s supporters in the West continue to ignore, minimize, or even justify the Zelensky regime’s repressive behavior.
Genuine democracies do not ban multiple opposition parties or close opposition media outlets. Nor do they rigorously censor (and put under strict government control) media outlets that they allow to remain open. Genuine democracies do not outlaw churches that advocate policies the government dislikes. They do not imprison regime opponents, let alone without meaningful due process, much less tolerate the torture of political prisoners. Genuine democracies do not publish “blacklists” of domestic and foreign critics, thereby putting a target on their backs. Yet the Ukrainian government has committed not just one or two, but all of those abuses.
Even before the onset of Russia’s invasion, the level of domestic repression was becoming worse under Zelensky. Kiev’s track record on democracy and civil liberties before the current war was not impressive. In Freedom House’s 2022 report, Ukraine was listed in the “partly free” category, scoring 61 points out of a possible 100. Human Rights Watch’s 2021 report on Ukraine also was far from favorable, citing abuses by government forces, “including arbitrary detentions, torture or ill-treatment.” Journalists and media workers “faced harassment and threats connected to their reporting.” In February 2021, the Ukrainian government closed several opposition media outlets on the basis of allegations that they were Russian propaganda tools.
War has intensified these dynamics. Zelensky promptly used the conflict as a justification for outlawing 11 opposition parties. He also invoked martial law to issue a presidential decree that combined all national television stations into one platform. He contended that such a measure was needed to ensure a “unified message” about the war and prevent so-called disinformation. On December 29, 2022, Zelensky signed a new law that his party had pushed through parliament, a measure that further curbed an independent press. The latest statute requires publications to obtain licenses to operate, and any media organization without the proper paperwork can be shut down immediately. The administrative body handing out the permits will, not surprisingly, be under Zelensky’s control.
💥Source: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/false-democracy
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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Ukraine is not the bastion of freedom described by most Western media (3)
Not even religious institutions are safe from government harassment and repression, as the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church discovered in the autumn of 2022. On December 2, Zelensky announced that he would seek to ban all religions with ties to Russia, claiming the move was needed to “guarantee spiritual independence to Ukraine.” The ban would especially impact the millions of Ukrainians who identify as Russian Orthodox. Indeed, Kiev soon imposed sanctions on specific Orthodox religious figures.
The overall miasma of political and media repression grows steadily thicker, with mounting reports of arbitrary imprisonment and even extensive torture of regime opponents. Yet some supporters of Ukraine even seem unwilling to condemn the regime’s ongoing flirtation with neo-Nazi elements. An especially egregious performance has occurred with respect to the role of the Azov Battalion (now the Azov Regiment) in Ukraine’s defense effort. The Azov battalion was notorious for years before the Russian invasion as a bastion of extreme nationalists and outright Nazis.
Perhaps most revealing of their contempt for democratic norms, Zelensky and his closest colleagues have no tolerance for even the most peaceful opponents, domestic or foreign. The willingness to target and attempt to intimidate foreign critics became abundantly clear in the summer of 2022 when the Ukrainian government’s Center for Countering Disinformation (partly funded by U.S. taxpayers) published a “blacklist” of such opponents. Numerous prominent Americans were on that list, including University of Chicago’s Professor John J. Mearsheimer, the Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and Doug Bandow, a Cato Institute Senior Fellow and former aide to President Ronald Reagan.
💥Source: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/false-democracy
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
Not even religious institutions are safe from government harassment and repression, as the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church discovered in the autumn of 2022. On December 2, Zelensky announced that he would seek to ban all religions with ties to Russia, claiming the move was needed to “guarantee spiritual independence to Ukraine.” The ban would especially impact the millions of Ukrainians who identify as Russian Orthodox. Indeed, Kiev soon imposed sanctions on specific Orthodox religious figures.
The overall miasma of political and media repression grows steadily thicker, with mounting reports of arbitrary imprisonment and even extensive torture of regime opponents. Yet some supporters of Ukraine even seem unwilling to condemn the regime’s ongoing flirtation with neo-Nazi elements. An especially egregious performance has occurred with respect to the role of the Azov Battalion (now the Azov Regiment) in Ukraine’s defense effort. The Azov battalion was notorious for years before the Russian invasion as a bastion of extreme nationalists and outright Nazis.
Perhaps most revealing of their contempt for democratic norms, Zelensky and his closest colleagues have no tolerance for even the most peaceful opponents, domestic or foreign. The willingness to target and attempt to intimidate foreign critics became abundantly clear in the summer of 2022 when the Ukrainian government’s Center for Countering Disinformation (partly funded by U.S. taxpayers) published a “blacklist” of such opponents. Numerous prominent Americans were on that list, including University of Chicago’s Professor John J. Mearsheimer, the Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and Doug Bandow, a Cato Institute Senior Fellow and former aide to President Ronald Reagan.
💥Source: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/false-democracy
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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Pakistan set to dispatch 159 containers of ammunition to Ukraine
Pakistan is planning to dispatch 159 containers of ammunition including projectiles and primers to Ukraine via a port in Poland this month.
A vessel named BBC Vesuvius will carry 155 mm projectiles, M4A2 propelling charge bags, M82 primers and PDM fuses.
Node of Time comment: Lack of NATO weapons in Europe?
💥Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/pakistan-set-to-dispatch-159-containers-of-ammunition-to-ukraine/articleshow/96837448.cms
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
Pakistan is planning to dispatch 159 containers of ammunition including projectiles and primers to Ukraine via a port in Poland this month.
A vessel named BBC Vesuvius will carry 155 mm projectiles, M4A2 propelling charge bags, M82 primers and PDM fuses.
Node of Time comment: Lack of NATO weapons in Europe?
💥Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/pakistan-set-to-dispatch-159-containers-of-ammunition-to-ukraine/articleshow/96837448.cms
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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Forwarded from Fearless John - @European_dissident
Media is too big
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◾A group of residents of Soledar on their own words:
- It turns out that they risked their lives for our lives.
-Those who rescued us out, who protected us.
- May God keep them - They stayed with us all night - Wagner.
◾Follow:
t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses
- It turns out that they risked their lives for our lives.
-Those who rescued us out, who protected us.
- May God keep them - They stayed with us all night - Wagner.
◾Follow:
t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses
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Forwarded from Fearless John - @European_dissident
◾ Tattoo removal service in Ukraine. Special promotion:
GOING TO EUROPE?
WE WILL REMOVE THE SWASTIKA FOR HALF THE PRICE!
◾There are no Nazis in Ukraine!
◾Follow:
t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses
GOING TO EUROPE?
WE WILL REMOVE THE SWASTIKA FOR HALF THE PRICE!
◾There are no Nazis in Ukraine!
◾Follow:
t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses
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Forwarded from Russia Wire
⚡️⚡️Key updates on Russia and #UkraineCrisis as on January 13
🔴Election-2024
Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has not yet announced his participation in 2024 elections, the Kremlin's internal political bloc has already begun preparations for it, sources close to the President’s Administration told Kommersant. According to them, representatives of the administration have recently held relevant consultations with the expert community.
The next presidential elections are to be held on March 17, 2024, and the election campaign will start after their official appointment by the Federation Council in December 2023, that is, in less than a year. The previous presidential elections-2018 were scheduled for December 17, 2017, and Vladimir Putin announced his participation in them on December 6.
🇷🇺🇺🇦Peace talks
If Russia and Ukraine resume negotiations, they are likely to be direct talks without mediators, which would be the best option, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second CIS Department Alexey Polishchuk said in an interview with TASS.
"If and when those contacts are resumed, they will most likely be direct as well. And it would be the best option as experience has proven that Western mediators often pursue their own objectives and try to influence the talks, acting not for settlement of the conflict, but in their own political and economic interests," he said when asked whether the Russian side is ready for possibly holding future talks directly with Kiev’s present authorities.
🛡Going after Wagner
A senior U.S. envoy expressed strong concern Thursday about the activities of Wagner mercenary group and its alleged attempts to recruit soldiers in Serbia and elsewhere in the world. U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said he voiced these concerns during talks in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
“We have seen that the Wagner Group is seeking to recruit soldiers from Serbia and elsewhere and that’s something we think cannot stand,” AP quoted Chollet as saying. “I don’t know if there are concerns (in Serbia), we talked about our concerns and we are looking forward to working with the government here in Belgrade and elsewhere where Wagner is active to put an end to their activities,” he added.
⭕Distancing foreign stakeholders
RSPP, the largest business association in Russia, has requested Vladimir Putin to sign a decree depriving foreigners from "unfriendly countries" of the right to vote with their stakes in backbone enterprises with revenues of over 100 billion rubles.
According to an Interfax source familiar with the discussion, up to 15 key companies from energy, engineering and trade sectors may get a permission to ignore the votes of stakeholders from "unfriendly" jurisdictions when making corporate decisions by the end of 2023.
It is proposed to extend the temporary rules to companies that simultaneously meet three more conditions: sanctions have been imposed on their Russian co-owner; the share of "unfriendly" co-owners is no more than 50%; the revenue of a group of individuals of a Russian organization exceeds 100 billion rubles.
No 💰 for Russian OS
The Ministry of Finance decided not to allocate 22 million rubles funding for the development of Russia’s indigenous Aurora OS in the next two years, Kommersant has learned. The funds were intended to subsidize the development of applications for the OS and the adaptation of mobile devices to it, but the government decided that this was impractical. The authorities expect to launch a new Android-based mobile OS in Russia, and use Aurora in the public sector. Rostelecom, which owns it, promises to develop the OS at its own expense.
👉 Follow t.me/russiawire for daily updates, analytics and ground reportage from Russia, Donbass, and the neighbourhood.
🔴Election-2024
Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has not yet announced his participation in 2024 elections, the Kremlin's internal political bloc has already begun preparations for it, sources close to the President’s Administration told Kommersant. According to them, representatives of the administration have recently held relevant consultations with the expert community.
The next presidential elections are to be held on March 17, 2024, and the election campaign will start after their official appointment by the Federation Council in December 2023, that is, in less than a year. The previous presidential elections-2018 were scheduled for December 17, 2017, and Vladimir Putin announced his participation in them on December 6.
🇷🇺🇺🇦Peace talks
If Russia and Ukraine resume negotiations, they are likely to be direct talks without mediators, which would be the best option, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second CIS Department Alexey Polishchuk said in an interview with TASS.
"If and when those contacts are resumed, they will most likely be direct as well. And it would be the best option as experience has proven that Western mediators often pursue their own objectives and try to influence the talks, acting not for settlement of the conflict, but in their own political and economic interests," he said when asked whether the Russian side is ready for possibly holding future talks directly with Kiev’s present authorities.
🛡Going after Wagner
A senior U.S. envoy expressed strong concern Thursday about the activities of Wagner mercenary group and its alleged attempts to recruit soldiers in Serbia and elsewhere in the world. U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said he voiced these concerns during talks in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
“We have seen that the Wagner Group is seeking to recruit soldiers from Serbia and elsewhere and that’s something we think cannot stand,” AP quoted Chollet as saying. “I don’t know if there are concerns (in Serbia), we talked about our concerns and we are looking forward to working with the government here in Belgrade and elsewhere where Wagner is active to put an end to their activities,” he added.
⭕Distancing foreign stakeholders
RSPP, the largest business association in Russia, has requested Vladimir Putin to sign a decree depriving foreigners from "unfriendly countries" of the right to vote with their stakes in backbone enterprises with revenues of over 100 billion rubles.
According to an Interfax source familiar with the discussion, up to 15 key companies from energy, engineering and trade sectors may get a permission to ignore the votes of stakeholders from "unfriendly" jurisdictions when making corporate decisions by the end of 2023.
It is proposed to extend the temporary rules to companies that simultaneously meet three more conditions: sanctions have been imposed on their Russian co-owner; the share of "unfriendly" co-owners is no more than 50%; the revenue of a group of individuals of a Russian organization exceeds 100 billion rubles.
No 💰 for Russian OS
The Ministry of Finance decided not to allocate 22 million rubles funding for the development of Russia’s indigenous Aurora OS in the next two years, Kommersant has learned. The funds were intended to subsidize the development of applications for the OS and the adaptation of mobile devices to it, but the government decided that this was impractical. The authorities expect to launch a new Android-based mobile OS in Russia, and use Aurora in the public sector. Rostelecom, which owns it, promises to develop the OS at its own expense.
👉 Follow t.me/russiawire for daily updates, analytics and ground reportage from Russia, Donbass, and the neighbourhood.
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Chinese view of the fighting in Ukraine, from their social media.
💥Source: Дмитрий Василец
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
💥Source: Дмитрий Василец
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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While the Wagner group was storming Soledar Ukrainian patriots were storming Courchevel.
A tray of champagne worth €20,000.
💥Source: Дмитрий Никотин
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
A tray of champagne worth €20,000.
💥Source: Дмитрий Никотин
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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Orthodox church set on fire in Ukraine
Unknown persons set fire to the Orthodox Ascension church in the village of Ovadnoye. The villagers claim that the reason for the arson was the reluctance of the church's abbot to convert to the Kyiv Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
💥Source: Операция Z: Военкоры Русской Весны
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
Unknown persons set fire to the Orthodox Ascension church in the village of Ovadnoye. The villagers claim that the reason for the arson was the reluctance of the church's abbot to convert to the Kyiv Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
💥Source: Операция Z: Военкоры Русской Весны
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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Switzerland banned other countries from sending swiss weapons to Ukraine
The Swiss authorities have rejected Germany's request to send Ukraine ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft systems, Ukrainian media has said.
▪️A request from Denmark to send Ukraine 22 Piranha armoured personnel carriers has also been blocked.
▪️ A ban on supplying Swiss weapons to Kiev was also reported in Spain.
The country's defence minister, Margarita Robles, said that Switzerland does not allow sending military goods to Ukraine, which requires the consent of the producing country.
#Switzerland #Ukraine #neutrality
💥Source: ANNA-NEWS
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
The Swiss authorities have rejected Germany's request to send Ukraine ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft systems, Ukrainian media has said.
▪️A request from Denmark to send Ukraine 22 Piranha armoured personnel carriers has also been blocked.
▪️ A ban on supplying Swiss weapons to Kiev was also reported in Spain.
The country's defence minister, Margarita Robles, said that Switzerland does not allow sending military goods to Ukraine, which requires the consent of the producing country.
#Switzerland #Ukraine #neutrality
💥Source: ANNA-NEWS
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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Forwarded from Sergeant News Network 🇺🇸
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Ukrainian journalist Bogdan Butkevich said that about 1.5 million people need to be killed in Donbass, since they are "superfluous and useless" for Ukraine.
The interview was taken at the end of April 2014
🇺🇸Join👉 @SGTnewsNetwork
📎Twitter▪️IG▪️Truth Social
The interview was taken at the end of April 2014
🇺🇸Join👉 @SGTnewsNetwork
📎Twitter▪️IG▪️Truth Social
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Forwarded from Archived.
⚡🇪🇬 The War on Terror is getting to a close, soon enough.
Security checkpoints and outposts in Al-Arish, the Capital of North Sinai, have been dismantled after 10 years of keeping watch on the streets.
Some three letter agencies will support 4 letter ones to commit violence and chaos in other countries, let it be here, Syria, or Afghanistan, but we will eventually win.
Security checkpoints and outposts in Al-Arish, the Capital of North Sinai, have been dismantled after 10 years of keeping watch on the streets.
Some three letter agencies will support 4 letter ones to commit violence and chaos in other countries, let it be here, Syria, or Afghanistan, but we will eventually win.
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Russia-Ukraine conflict saves China from Western pressure
China is not ready to condemn Russia for conducting a military operation, according to American reported political analyst Dmitriy Simes, sm.news.
"Both the Russian and Chinese sides understand that if the special operation had not started, China would have been the next target. And they understand that the fight that Russia is waging allows China to breathe more freely in the international arena," the expert said.
Simes stressed that Russian-Chinese relations are not simple, but Moscow's and Beijing's interests do coincide in many ways.
💥Source: ANNA-NEWS
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
China is not ready to condemn Russia for conducting a military operation, according to American reported political analyst Dmitriy Simes, sm.news.
"Both the Russian and Chinese sides understand that if the special operation had not started, China would have been the next target. And they understand that the fight that Russia is waging allows China to breathe more freely in the international arena," the expert said.
Simes stressed that Russian-Chinese relations are not simple, but Moscow's and Beijing's interests do coincide in many ways.
💥Source: ANNA-NEWS
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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"Iran is fueling Russia's war in Ukraine with its provision of UAV technology," Blinken said. And therefore the USA is imposing sanctions against the Iranians.
But wait! Providing weapons to a conflict zone turns out to be fueling the war? Who would have thought! What amazing discoveries Blinken is making.
Indeed, Stoltenberg said just recently that weapons are the way to peace in Ukraine.
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
But wait! Providing weapons to a conflict zone turns out to be fueling the war? Who would have thought! What amazing discoveries Blinken is making.
Indeed, Stoltenberg said just recently that weapons are the way to peace in Ukraine.
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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M&M's has released a special edition of women-only candies with lesbian drag green and brown, as well as a new purple candy for those suffering from obesity.
Now the big question is: who is the main consumer of these products and who is the target of this propaganda? The main market for any confectionery company are CHILDREN!
💥Source: Дмитрий Василец
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
Now the big question is: who is the main consumer of these products and who is the target of this propaganda? The main market for any confectionery company are CHILDREN!
💥Source: Дмитрий Василец
💥Our channel: Node of Time EN
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