Vladimir PutinThe appeal of the Russian invasion in Ukraine – delivered yesterday at 3 am British time – was the nightmare.

In turn, promiscuous, horrifying, apocalyptic, he warned: “Whoever tries to hinder us and further threaten our country, our people, must know that RussiaThe answer to ‘s will be immediate and will lead to consequences you have never experienced in your history.’

Hours later, bombs and rockets rained down on Ukraine. Russian troops and tanks poured over the border.

Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and civilian casualties are on the rise.

Putin’s excuse for invading could have been ridiculous had it not been for these dire consequences. He claimed absurdly that Russia’s mission was to “denazify Ukraine” – while behaving just like the Nazis who invaded Ukraine in 1941.

Vladimir Putin’s address announcing the Russian invasion of Ukraine – delivered at 3 am British time on Thursday – was a nightmare

He played both victim and bully. At one point, he lamented that NATO’s “eastward expansion” was “dangerous for Russia.”

He then threatened that Russia remained “one of the most powerful nuclear powers” with “advanced weapons”.

It was Putin unfiltered, his words and demeanor giving us a terrifying look into the dark corners of the mind behind this seemingly inexplicable step.

Many are wondering if Putin is crazy. Why else would he destabilize the world order by invoking the nuclear threat?

Why else engage Russia, with its economy in free fall, in a bloody, costly war?

It would be easy, but wrong, to explain Putin’s actions as crazy. As his biographer, I believe he is not crazy. Rather, he acts rationally, according to his own distorted, ill-informed worldview.

I lived in Moscow on the road between Putin’s country house and the Kremlin. I could see the speed of his motorcade, tinted windows, and strong security, symptomatic of his dark, protective psyche.

Like most bullies, his aggression stems from insecurity. He grew up poor, among the ruins of postwar Leningrad – now St. Petersburg – in a working-class family in a gloomy block of flats inhabited by rats.

Hours later, bombs and rockets rained down on Ukraine. Pictured: Russian Mi-8 attack helicopters storm Gostomel air base, right on the outskirts of Kiev

He joined a street gang and learned that it was worth the first blow.

While still in school, he applied to join the KGB, the largest gang of all. But just as his KGB career was booming, the Berlin Wall fell, and with it the Eastern Bloc, and then the USSR itself.

Putin was based at the KGB office in Dresden, surrounded by anti-communist mobs. He was frightened and angry: he had risen to the ranks only to bring down the system beneath him.

He, like many of his peers, blamed then-Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev. He saw him as a “weak” leader who betrayed Russia by dividing its empire.

He never came to terms with his loss. Thirty years later, he sees himself as the person to correct this mistake.

Putin knows – and understands – little about the West, but he relentlessly believes that he is dishonest in all his actions and that Westerners do not respect Russian culture.

He firmly believes that the West wants to conquer Russia. Until recently, this fear was mitigated with caution.

Despite his macho, Putin calculated in his 20s to lead Russia, not impulsively.

When he invaded Georgia in 2008, he forced Georgians to move first. He waited until Ukraine fell into political chaos before taking over Crimea in 2012.

But today, Putin is a caricature. Caution turned into paranoia, cold hostility into unbridled aggression.

The attack reached Ukraine on all fronts with bombs and missiles dropped across targets across the country in the early hours, followed by attacks by troops from Crimea, Donbas, Belgorod and Belarus, as well as helicopter landings in Kiev and power plants on the Dnieper River. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant also fell into the hands of Russian forces

Why? Age is one of the reasons. Putin is 69 and despite all the Botox, training and trying to keep time, he continues.

He is an old man who is in a hurry, obsessed with history – even though he understands and misinterprets it.

Whenever he is introduced to a historian, he wants to know only one thing: “What will be the epitaph of the offspring on me?”

He wants to be remembered as the man who saved Russia and regained Ukraine. He feels this is his last chance.

With a stagnant economy and rampant crime, he knows Russia looks weak. His demonstration of strength, gathering troops along Ukraine’s borders, was intended to compensate by instilling fear.

If he was cunning, he would keep them there, waiting for the Ukrainian economy to collapse without a shot.

So why not do it?

Kovid played a role. Putin has stepped down since the pandemic began. He did not even travel within Russia, transported between his lavish palaces and the Kremlin in a limousine and helicopter.

He saw few people outside his inner circle. Anyone who receives an audience must first be isolated for two weeks in a state hotel monitored by armed guards.

Before meeting with the president, he or she had to go through a special tunnel in a fog of ultraviolet light and disinfectant. Such is Putin’s paranoia.

And his worldview is getting smaller and darker. Putin doesn’t even have a smartphone. He is detached from reality.

This has not always been the case. Putin listened to professionals tell him the facts, his generals and economists. But most of these advisers have stayed away.

Even the astute Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is no longer consulted, he is simply forced to defend the decisions already taken.

Putin (pictured) knows – and understands – little of the West, but relentlessly believes he is dishonest in all his actions and that Westerners do not respect Russian culture.

Now the president is surrounded only by hawks and yes-men, mostly aging KGB ex-men like him. Their job is to agree with him.

A former Moscow intelligence officer told me, “You don’t bring bad news to the royal table.”

Those who survive are those who tell him what he wants to hear.

This was evident during a televised meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Monday night, when a smiling Putin publicly harassed his top officials, humiliating them to make them look like a strong man.

The truth is that Putin has deluded himself that the invasion of Ukraine will be quick and successful, and that he can form a puppet government without a long, fierce war of occupation. There is no one to tell him that he is wrong.

He behaves like a king: unaccountable, arrogant, indifferent to the price Ukrainians and Russians will pay for his mania for history. He is not crazy, he is evil.

I do not believe that further territorial expansion is likely. Unless he withdraws – unlikely, as he could not bear such a loss of face – he will sink into Ukraine for years.

Putin’s ultimate game is for the West to recognize Russia as a great power and for the countries of the old Soviet Union, with the exception of the Baltic states, to fall within its sphere of influence. For the KGB hardman, it’s all about respect.

But his methods do not earn respect – only fear. I suspect that Vladimir Putin, who has always been a bully of street gangs, does not understand the difference.

Mark Galeotti is an honorary professor at the University College London School of Slavic and Eastern European Studies and author of We Need to Talk About Putin.

The driver of a blue van full of people was desperately trying to close the door. Then I watched as a frantic woman stopped him from leaving – handing a newborn girl to one of the passengers.

After the vehicle left, the middle-aged woman, crying softly, told me that her sister was on board, taking the last bus to Uman, a city in the center of the city. Ukrainewhere she would join their parents.

So why not go? “Why should I leave? If they start bombing cities, they will bomb them all. It’s not safe there, but at least it will be with the family.

The heartbreaking scene was eerily reminiscent of flickering footage from the early days of World War II.

I found myself in crowds of desperate people clutching bags, suitcases, pets, and the hands of their partners as they tried to escape an advancing army invading their country from three sides.

Congestion is seen as people leave the city of Kiev, Ukraine, on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine

To make matters worse, I later saw footage from a video surveillance camera showing the deadly blow of Vladimir Putin’s armed forces in Uman – the destination for this bus – when a rocket tore apart a 39-year-old cyclist and wounded five others.

It was just one desperate story among many I came across yesterday on the streets of Kiev, the capital of a country facing the tragedy of our time, as a malevolent dictator unleashes the infernal power of his massive military machine to crush its desire for democracy.

My day started about five hours earlier – when military targets outside Kiev were targeted by missile strikes shortly after 5 am.

I heard a loud bang in the distance. I realized that the war had indeed begun – and Putin was carrying out his crazy threat.

I found my Ukrainian colleague and photographer Kate Baklitskaya looking out the window on the balcony. ‘Did you hear that?’ she asked. – It began.

These were two spiritual words I heard many times yesterday when the fears of millions of Ukrainians became the most horrific reality with an attack on their land, which was brutally announced by rockets and shells falling on at least ten cities.

My early morning shock was shared by countless others in this city on the Dnieper River, the capital of a land facing the tragedy of our time.

A woman is waiting for a train trying to leave the Ukrainian capital on Thursday after major explosions were heard in Kiev, Kharkiv and Odessa before dawn.

A quick look at the social media on my phone showed me that a military airport near Kiev had been hit – where a young mother named Natsa also heard the rocket fire before dawn.

She told me what she looked like outside her home in Vasilkov, a city 25 miles from Kiev – and to her horror saw the nearby Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter base being hit by shells.

“I heard it and saw it through the window,” she said. “So I packed my things, packed my son’s clothes and we left. I’m not panicking, I just want my child to be safe.

I met 28-year-old Nasya, standing with her ten-year-old son Vanya in bus queues with thousands of other fearsome Ukrainians.

“I leave everything behind – my home, my job. None of this matters when my son is in danger. That was the only thought that came to my mind when I woke up to the sound of shelling today. I knew right away that we had to get as far as we could.

The nation has acknowledged that it has not prepared for this catastrophe despite the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders.

“Whenever I heard bad news, I always thought it sounded as unrealistic as a nightmare. I couldn’t believe that something like this would happen.

“I still hope that I will just wake up and everything will be normal, that life will be fine.”

But things look far from good.

My colleague Kate and I left the apartment we are renting in the center of Kiev shortly after 7 am.

A bearded man with a sleeping roll hanging on his red backpack followed us down the stairs and told us to take care.

People hug as a woman with a suitcase passes in front of a metro station in Kiev on the morning of February 24

Vitaly was too hasty to speak correctly, but said: “I go to my elderly parents, who live on the outskirts of the city, because they are very nervous. I have a small child. Yesterday we went to kindergarten, but today is a war. It started.

On the other side of the yard, a middle-aged couple with their son were also leaving with suitcases. The man opened the car door, then shouted back at his wife to ask her why she was so late.

“I can’t find the keys,” she shouted back. A brief outburst of panic. Then howls of sirens all over the city.

Still, the atmosphere seemed calm in our local cafe when we went to buy croissants – and some people obviously seemed determined not to ruin their lives.

This showed a surreal eavesdropping conversation between the staff at the counter. One woman, whose daughter worked in a beauty salon, said: “We woke up to the sound of shelling and my daughter started calling her clients to cancel appointments. But one girl refused to cancel. She kept saying, “What’s up? I have to do my nails.

Roads seemed so quiet after the imposition of martial law by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the exception of thunder traffic outside one of the cities, which was congested with people fleeing to join their families.

“It’s like the first days of the pandemic,” said my colleague Kate.

Inevitably, despite the early hour, queues began to form in front of ATMs, gas stations, supermarkets, and later in pharmacies.

“We are at an age when medicines are as important as food,” said the 81-year-old, who is waiting with 15 others. “But we are not afraid because we were born during World War II.”

Social media was filled with photos of shell strikes, including a battered military building and a torn pavilion on the outskirts of the city, with the wreckage of a destroyed drone smoking on a nearby street.

A woman with a suitcase and a closed basket checks her phone at a Kiev metro station on Thursday after air sirens sounded in central Kiev

A friend of Kate posted on Facebook details of the beginning of her day, which began with her young children, asking why they were not awakened for school.

– Is there a holiday? They asked excitedly. “No, dear, the war has begun,” their mother replied.

Such chilling words are the ones that no child should hear. Yet in this country of 44 million people, the innocence of too many children has been torn apart by the unique grotesque barbarism of war.

We returned for half an hour to the station, where there were scenes of chaos, with police guarding the entrance to the station, very late trains and scenes of despair at the neighboring bus station.

People told me about their frustrated efforts to escape, with canceled flights, closed ticket offices, and the immediate emergence of war profits.

“We have to run away,” said Tatiana, 32, who was with her husband and two young daughters.

The family – based in Poland and visiting their parents in Ukraine – was already at the airport only to find that their flights home had been canceled.

After hearing the disgusting sound of bombing, they jumped into a taxi to the train station – but found armed police banning anyone from entering without pre-booked tickets.

However, there do not seem to be any departing trains – only arriving. Later at the station I saw queues of people trying to return tickets from canceled trips.

A woman holds her child in her arms while sitting at the Polish-Ukrainian border in Medica

Unable to get money from ATMs that were empty, Tatiana’s family found scandals offering scandalous prices and minibus drivers raising prices to charge 2,000 euros – equivalent to the average five-month income in Ukraine – for a ticket to Lviv, a city near Poland in the western part of the country.

“How is this even possible?” We are a family of four. We don’t have that kind of money, ‘said Tatiana desperately.

‘It’s awful. My daughters are so tired. So we spent the whole night. This is a war and we cannot escape – and even if we do, my parents are still in Ukraine. But what can I do? How can I help them?

Another man explained that he worked for a travel company touring Europe and that his company had lent him three evacuation buses to Lviv. Among his passengers were a woman with her daughter, grandchildren and two Yorkshire Terrier dogs.

Stas Mukhin, a drama student, said he could not buy tickets to reach his parents in the Dnieper, taking only personal files and a laptop with him.

He said: “I do not want to die at the age of 20. I am afraid that many people will be killed. I thought the information about the Russian invasion was spreading to scare people. But now it has happened and I am trying to escape.

Vitali Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing champion and now mayor of Kiev, posted on social media a few hours later that the city was building “protective structures” on key roads to the city, so “entry can be difficult.” .

Returning to the city center, we stopped at a local cafe.

There were a handful of customers, including two 18-year-old students, who told me they had bought their first bus ticket out of town and were waiting to leave.

The heartbreaking scenes were compared to the first days of World War II. Pictured: People waiting in the subway in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, on Thursday night

A fellow journalist called me to tell me that he had encountered a drunken group of vigilantes armed with weapons – probably the unfortunate result of a presidential order to hand over weapons to civilians, issued earlier in the day “for the defense of the country”.

There was also a strange warning from the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, which told citizens not to wear red so as not to be attacked. Shortly after 3 pm, sirens sounded over the city again, urging people to take shelter. Numerous explosions were heard.

There have been reports that Russian helicopters have taken over Antonov International Airport in Hostomel, 21 miles from the city, and that their tanks are just six miles north of Kiev – although last night Ukraine claimed to have taken over Hostomel Airport.

A few hours later came alarming speculation from credible sources on social media that 18 paratroopers were heading for Kiev.

Still, in front of my window, things seemed eerily calm with a few people walking down the street, including a man holding his young child’s hand as he passed some swings.

However, they all seemed glued to their phones in a nation under a savage siege.

A young man I met in a melee at the bus station was begging for help from the world amid the unfolding tragedy and terror facing his nation. “I try not to panic, but it’s hard,” he said. I don’t know what will happen.

Unfortunately, no one knows what will happen to Kiev and Ukraine.

But as I walked the empty streets in the descending darkness, it was impossible not to feel the pain of these people, suddenly immersed in terror and anguish amid the terrible ferocity of war.

Prince Harry and Megan Markle say they stand by the people of Ukraine and call on world leaders to join them in opposing Putin’s “violation of international and humanitarian law”

• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued a statement on Archewell’s charity website
• A statement also condemned the “violation of international and humanitarian law”
• Their remarks followed Putin’s condemnation of Boris Johnson earlier Tuesday

from Harry Howard for Mailonline

Published: 23:38 GMT, 24 February 2022 | Updated: 11:40 PM GMT, February 24, 2022

Prince Harry and Megan Markle said they were “standing with the people of Ukraine,” as they condemned Vladimir Putinthe invasion of the country.

The duke and Duchess of Sussexwho live in Montecito, Californiaissued a statement on the website of their charity Archewell.

The statement said: “Prince Harry and Megan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us in Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this violation of international and humanitarian law and encourage the world community and its leaders to do the same.”

Prince Harry and Megan Markle say they are “standing with the people of Ukraine” while condemning Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the country

Their remarks followed Putin’s condemnation of Boris Johnson earlier Tuesday.

Addressing the nation, the prime minister said the Russian president could not be allowed to “stifle” freedom in Ukraine with an act of “reckless and reckless aggression”.

He said Putin had “unleashed war” on the continent and that the West must respond to ensure the possible “failure” of his offensive “diplomatically, politically, economically and ultimately militarily.”

“Our mission is clear. Diplomatically, politically, economically, and finally, militarily, this disgusting and barbaric undertaking by Vladimir Putin must end in failure.

Openly condemning Putin as a “dictator”, the prime minister acknowledged that the coming months may be “gloomy”, but that the “flame of freedom” will “burn brightly again in Ukraine”.

A statement posted on the website of the Archewell charity read: “Prince Harry and Megan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us in Archwell stand with the people of Ukraine against this violation of international and humanitarian law and encourage the world community and its leaders to do the same “

“With all my bombs, tanks and missiles, I do not believe that the Russian dictator will ever control the national feeling of the Ukrainians and their passionate belief that their country should be free,” he added.

This comes after it became clear that Harry and Megan will attend the NAACP awards on Saturday, where they will receive the prestigious presidential awards to celebrate their special achievement for “distinctive public service”.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex join Mohammed Ali, Rihanna, LeBron James, Bill Clinton and Venus and Serena Williams to take the top gong.

The ceremony is their first big event in Hollywood since they left the royal family, and he will see them parting ways with host Anthony Anderson and dozens of first-graders.

“It is a real honor to be recognized by President Derrick Johnson and the NAACP, whose efforts to promote racial justice and civil rights are as vital today as they were nearly 115 years ago,” the couple said in a statement.

“We are proud to support the work of the NAACP and also partner with the organization of the newly established annual NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award, which will be presented to Dr. Safia Noble as part of the 53rd NAACP Image Awards.”

Their remarks followed Putin’s condemnation of Boris Johnson earlier Tuesday. Above: Russian tanks on the border between Belarus and Ukraine on Thursday

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WASHINGTON. President Biden on Thursday denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “ominous vision for the future of our world,” promising that Mr. Putin and his country will pay when the United States imposes a new round of economic sanctions on Russia. invasion of Ukraine.

“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war,” Mr. Biden said in a brief speech from the White House. “And now he and his country will bear the consequences.”

Just hours after Russian rockets and bombs began raining down on Ukrainian cities, setting off Europe’s first major ground war in over 70 years, Mr. Biden lashed out at the Russian leader in language reminiscent of Ronald Reagan’s 1983 speech. on the Soviet Union: in which the former president denounced the “aggressive impulses of the evil empire.”

On Thursday, Mr. Biden said: “Now the whole world sees clearly what Putin and his Kremlin allies are really up to. It never touched on a genuine security concern on their part. It has always been about undisguised aggression, about Putin’s desire for empire by any means.”

Mr. Biden said he has authorized the deployment of more troops to the Eastern European countries that are part of the NATO alliance. While he once again vowed that US troops would not engage Russia in Ukraine, he said the United States would come to the aid of its NATO allies if Russia moved beyond Ukraine’s borders.

“The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with all the strength of American power,” he said.

The United States has cut off Russia’s leading banks and some of its largest companies from Western financial markets, Mr. Biden announced, and has restricted technology exports to Russia. He said economic action would significantly reduce Russia’s ability to prosper in the coming weeks, months and years.

Mr. Biden also said the United States had frozen trillions of dollars of Russian assets, including funds controlled by Russian elites and their families, in an effort to make them pay for what Mr. Biden called “a brutal attack on the people of Ukraine without provocation.” “. without reason, without necessity.

The president did not order economic sanctions against Putin himself and declined to answer questions about the decision. And he said European allies have resisted further action to block Russia’s access to the global financial network known as Fastnoting that “right now this is not the position that the rest of Europe wants to take”.

Mr. Biden has defended his strategy, which he has publicly outlined over and over again in recent weeks, to thwart a Russian invasion by threatening Mr. Putin with harsh sanctions. In his speech on Thursday, Mr. Biden denied that this strategy had failed despite a full-scale offensive in Ukraine.

“No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything,” Mr. Biden told reporters.

But Mr. Biden and his top aides have been emphasizing containment for weeks now. On Feb. 11, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said “the president believes sanctions are meant to be a deterrent.” Six days later, Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken declared that he was at the United Nations “not to start a war, but to prevent it.”

Asked Thursday if the administration thought the sanctions strategy could have prevented a Russian attack, Duleep Singh, deputy national security adviser, told reporters that economic sanctions usually affect leaders because of the impact on their people’s living standards.

“Putin made the wrong choice in this case,” Singh said.

Mr. Biden appears to have changed his case for using economic sanctions, predicting that they will eventually shrink the Russian economy and force Mr. Putin to withdraw his military before too much damage is done to Ukrainians.

Updated

February 24, 2022 7:30 pm ET

“It will take time,” Mr. Biden said. “He’s going to test the resolve of the West to see if we stay together and we will.”

Mr. Biden acknowledged that the conflict in Eastern Europe will be felt at home. White House officials have been warning for days that economic sanctions on Russia could drive up oil prices, even as the United States fights against a spike in inflation.

“I will do everything in my power to lessen the pain the American people feel at the gas station,” he said. “This is critical for me. But this aggression cannot go unanswered.”

“America stands up to bullies,” he added. “That’s who we are.”

But while Mr. Biden suggested it was “highly unlikely” that Americans would experience economic hardship “for a long time” as a result of the sanctions, he also acknowledged that the sanctions would not immediately stop Mr. Putin from continuing his military activities. to attack.

“The sanctions we have imposed have resulted in two-thirds of the world joining us. These are serious sanctions,” he said. “Let’s talk in a month or so to see if they work.”

Mr. Biden’s speech made clear that the purpose of the sanctions had changed since Mr. Putin’s invasion, according to William B. Taylor, Jr., a longtime diplomat who served as acting ambassador to Ukraine during the Trump administration.

Understand Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

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What is at the heart of this invasion? Russia considers Ukraine a part his natural sphere of influence, and is unnerved by Ukraine’s proximity to the West and the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union. Although Ukraine is not part of either, it receives financial and military assistance from the US and Europe.

Are these frictions just beginning now? Antagonism between the two countries has simmered since 2014, when Russian troops crossed into Ukraine after an uprising in Ukraine replaced a Russian-friendly president with a pro-Western government. Then, Russia annexed Crimea and inspired separatist movement in the east. A ceasefire was signed in 2015but fighting continued.

How did Ukraine react? February 23, Ukraine declared a state of emergency for 30 days. when cyberattacks took out state institutions. After the attacks began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky martial law declared. The foreign minister called the attacks a “full-scale invasion” and called on the world to “stop Putin.”

“It didn’t deter him, and perhaps he wasn’t deterred,” Mr. Taylor said of the Russian leader. “And now the sanctions are supposed to weaken his economy to make it harder for him to fight this war. Wars take resources, and sanctions are meant to cripple his economy so he can’t continue the war.”

But Mr Taylor agreed with Mr Biden’s assessment that these economic sanctions are unlikely to provide an immediate reprieve for those on the ground. “Ukrainians are in this for the long haul,” Mr. Taylor said.

Richard Fontaine, executive director of the non-partisan Center for a New American Security and former foreign policy adviser to Senator John McCain, said “attempts to prevent an invasion have failed.” But he added that the economic sanctions announced by Mr. Biden on Thursday could still be an important tool, “imposing costs on Putin.”

“What you are trying to do is at least reduce the appetite he will have by trying to do these things,” Mr. Fontaine said. “Although I am skeptical about this. He added that in the coming weeks, Mr. Biden will face the choice of whether to support a potential insurgency in Ukraine.

The administration is likely to focus its attention on NATO countries near Ukraine, where Mr. Biden is stationing US troops, Fontaine said.

“So much hinges on this uncertainty about what end they are aiming for here,” he said of Mr. Putin.

Mr. Biden reiterated on Thursday that US troops would not fight in Ukraine, but warned that if Russian troops moved into NATO allies, “we will be involved.”

“The only thing that worries me is that if we don’t stop him now, he will grow bolder,” the president added.

Earlier Thursday, Mr. Biden met with his national security team in a situation room. Officials said they discussed “how we will hold Russia accountable for the unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.” He also met via video link with G7 leaders to coordinate the global response.

Mr. Biden has been threatening for weeks with severe sanctions that could cripple the Russian economy, in the hope that Mr. Putin will abandon plans to invade his neighbor. Earlier this week, Mr. Biden authorized these sanctions when the Russian leader announced his intention to go to war.

But the president and European allies have refrained from the most aggressive sanctions and warned Putin that the punishment would be tougher if his tanks crossed the Ukrainian border.

In his speech Thursday, Mr. Biden said the new moves would go further, in part by imposing restrictions designed to deny Russia access to technologies such as semiconductors, computers, lasers and telecommunications equipment.

The goal is to shrink or even disable industries that Mr. Putin values, including defense, aerospace and shipping. The new restrictions prohibit the sale to Russia of basic technology that is produced outside the United States but is based on American technology or equipment.

According to him, such products can no longer be exported to Russia.

Barack Obama became the last former president to condemn Vladimir Putinis a deadly attack against Ukraine.

Obama, who was president when Russia occupied by Crimea in 2014, issued a scathing statement Thursday after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of his Eastern European neighbor in a “brazen attack on the people of Ukraine”.

“The consequences of Russia’s reckless actions extend beyond Ukraine’s borders,” Obama said. “This illegal invasion of the heart of Europe also threatens the foundations of international order and security.

“For some time now, we have seen the forces of division and authoritarianism advancing around the world, stepping up against the ideals of democracy, the rule of law, equality, individual freedom, freedom of expression and worship, and self-determination. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows how far these dangerous trends can lead – and why they cannot be left undisputed.

He said he and his wife Michelle would pray for “all who will bear the cost of a senseless war”.

Former President Barack Obama issued a scathing statement Thursday when Russia began a battle with Ukraine for control of the Eastern European country. The 43rd president called it a “brazen attack on the people of Ukraine” that could have global consequences

“The consequences of Russia’s reckless actions extend beyond Ukraine’s borders,” Obama said. “This illegal invasion of the heart of Europe also threatens the foundations of international order and security.”

The 43rd president has had difficult relations with Putin, and has often been criticized for being too lenient with Russia during his rule.

Obama’s senior national security official, James Clapper, said this week that he would like his administration to do more to punish Russia for annexing Crimea in 2014.

Asked if the White House should have been tougher on Putin at the time, the former director of national intelligence told Fox News: “Oh, yes, I do. I wish we as an administration were more aggressive in 2014. ”

Clapper also warned that Russia had become “bolder than it was eight years ago” when it invaded Crimea.

Dozens have been reported dead since the first day of the conflict since Thursday afternoon. Ukrainian servicemen are pictured next to a destroyed Russian armored vehicle outside Kharkiv on February 24, 2022.

James Clapper, who serves Obama as a senior national security official, warned that Russia had become “braver than it was eight years ago” when it invaded Crimea.

During a Senate hearing in January, Biden’s election as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security also refuted Obama’s White House response to the takeover of Crimea.

Celeste Wolander, Obama’s deputy secretary, said: “I believe our response in 2014 was too slow and too gradual.

“And this is confirmed by the lessons I have learned, and I believe that others in the national security community have learned in order to better cope with Russia’s ongoing aggression.”

She added that in retrospect, “it would be appropriate and necessary to provide” weapons to Ukraine.

Her criticism, while directed at the Obama White House, reflects Biden as its vice president, who was interested in Ukraine among other unappetizing foreign policy tasks.

In a statement, Obama called on others to join him in “strong and clear” condemnation of Russia.

“And every American, regardless of party, must support President Biden’s efforts, in coordination with our closest allies, to impose severe sanctions on Russia – sanctions that impose a real cost on Russia’s autocratic elite,” he said.

“There may be some economic implications of such sanctions, given Russia’s significant role in global energy markets. But this is the price we must be willing to pay to take a stand on the side of freedom.

Also Thursday, former President George W. Bush issued a scathing statement condemning Putin for what he called “the worst security crisis” in Europe since World War II.

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week ordered an invasion of Ukraine in a move that has been widely condemned by world leaders

He said he and his wife Michelle would pray for “all who will bear the cost of a senseless war”.

Putin’s ground and air strikes on the sovereign Slavic state have sparked worldwide outrage, fostering comparisons to Nazi Germany’s invasion of its neighbors in the mid-20th century.

Member of Parliament Michael McCall, a senior Republican in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Thursday that “we have not seen anything like this since Hitler invaded Poland.”

Dozens have been killed since Thursday afternoon, and Kiev troops have reportedly lost control of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the site of the infamous nuclear crash, where a sufficiently severe Russian attack could cause a radiation cloud across Europe.

Images of rockets hitting apartments and Ukrainian civilians fleeing armored traffic and praying in public squares were followed by reports of Russian missiles hitting Ukrainian government military bases and airports.

“Russia’s attack on Ukraine is the most serious security crisis on the European continent since World War II,” Bush said in a statement. “I join the international community in condemning Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.

Donald Trump’s conclusions from the takeover attempt have varied dramatically, as he praised Putin’s strategic approach, which began with entering separatist-occupied regions.

“I came in yesterday and there was a TV screen and I said, ‘That’s brilliant,'” Trump said Tuesday in an interview with conservative podcast Buck Sexton. “Putin declares a large part of Ukraine – from Ukraine – Putin declares it independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.

“I said, ‘How smart is that?'” The former US president continued. “And he will come in and be a peacemaker.” This is the strongest peaceful force … We can use this on our southern border. This is the strongest peaceful force I have ever seen. There were more army tanks than I saw. They will keep the peace well.

Actor John Sina, who turned into an actor, came under fire again on Thursday after apparently using the Ukrainian invasion of Russia to promote his HBO Max show.

Only hours after the Russian invasion Ukraine After a month of troop build-up on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sina tweeted: “If I could somehow summon the real-life forces of #Peacemaker, I think it would be a great time to do so,” referring to the show’s title character. on HBO Max.

The character with whom he debuted in the 2021 James Gunn film Suicide Squad is known for being impudent and playful, but he is committed to mediating peace at all costs – even if it means using extreme violence. .

Son’s tweet was widely perceived as deaf after Russian forces bombed major cities – including the capital Kiev – in the presidency Vladimir PutinRussia’s command has resulted in dozens of deaths.

“Real people are dying right now, and you’re using their deaths to advertise an af ****** TV show?” Really?’ one Twitter user, Lori Smith, wrote.

John Cena, pictured in January 2020, came under fire on Thursday for using Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to promote his show on HBO Max

He tweeted that if he had the strength of his character in Peacemaker, “I think that would be a great time to do it.”

Sina was soon criticized online for his insensitive comment, with Korean-Canadian illustrator Ji Sub Yong and voice actor Sam Haft calling him

Ji Sub Yong, a Korean-Canadian illustrator, responded to the tweet Thursday afternoon, saying, “I’m just saying it’s never a good time to say that, especially now,” and Sam Haft, a voice actor, commented: “I feel like I’m I don’t have to explain this to you, but the power of the Peacemaker is to kill people.

One user, Average Harry, said, “I can’t believe you tweeted this,” while Smith wrote, “You had to be sane enough to know that this tweet was rude, stupid, and bad-tasting.”

Dennis Owens, meanwhile, told the former wrestling star, tweeting: “You have shown the depth of your character.

“Go back to rubbing your breasts with baby oil and jumping around in your underwear.”

Cena has not yet commented on the reaction.

The tweet came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized an invasion of Ukraine that followed months in which he amassed troops at the border.

Russian forces bomb large cities – including the capital Kiev – resulting in dozens of deaths

The Son’s hero, the Peacemaker, is known for using violence to achieve peace

But before that, he was criticized when he bowed to the interests of the Chinese Communist Party and apologized for calling Taiwan a state.

Many democracies around the world consider Taiwan an independent state with its own government, but the United States has always performed a delicate dance, supporting it with aides and the military, without openly opposing Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory.

But in May, Sina found himself in the middle of a controversy as he advertised his role in the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise on a Taiwanese network.

At the time, he told a Mandarin he had learned to promote his wrestling career internationally: “Taiwan is the first country to watch F9.”

After seeing his video, Chinese fans and government officials expressed anger that Sina, who has received millions of his films aired in China, does not consider Taiwan a territory.

They attacked him on Weibo – often called “Chinese Twitter” – and threatened to boycott the film franchise in response to his comments.

“Fast and furious can say goodbye! WWE star John Xina (Xina Zhao) said Taiwan was the first “state” where you could see “F9”. He has been studying Chinese for so many years and said he loves China very much. This mistake really shouldn’t happen, “said one.

Price, sensing the heat of criticism from Chinese fans, later recorded an apology video claiming he had made a mistake.

John Cena released a video on Weibo in May, apologizing to his Chinese fans for calling Taiwan a “state” in an interview

He growled, “Hello, China, I’m John Cena.

“I’m in the middle of promotions of Fast and Furious 9. I do a lot of interviews. I made a mistake in one of my interviews.

“Everyone asked me if I could use Chinese.” [movie] the staff gave me a lot of information so there were a lot of interviews and information.

“I made a mistake. Now I have to say something very, very, very important.

“I love and respect China and the Chinese people. I am very, very sorry for my mistake.

“I apologize, I apologize, I’m very sorry.

“You have to understand that I really love, I really respect China and the Chinese people. My apologies. See you.

The video was posted 2.4 million times on a tightly controlled social media site, while Chinese media jumped after the apology.

In 1974, California Governor Ronald Reagan addressed a new conference of insurgent conservatives. But before he jumped into what would become one of his most famous speeches, his outline of his vision of the nation as “man’s last hope” and “city on a hill,” he introduced a young navy pilot who had recently been released from a North Vietnamese prison.

As the crowd gave the 37-year-old John McCain a storm of applause, Reagan laughed.

“Well, I could sit down,” he said. “I can’t do anything better than this for the rest of the evening.”

This point deserves some disclosure today as conservatives convene for the annual Conservative political action conference. The event bears little resemblance to glorifying the future president and future senator, who both had careers defined by supporting aggressive US intervention abroad.

The morning after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded neighboring Ukraine, at least one conference speaker used the podium to criticize Democratic President Biden for distracting himself with a crisis in a place that Americans don’t need to worry about. Others on the conference agenda made remarks that appeared to express sympathy for Russia. On Saturday, activists will hear from Donald Trump, who called Putin a “genius” this week.

This is not the first time CPAC has revealed how far the Republican Party has come in the Trump era. In 2018, when McCain was suffering from terminal brain cancer, the CPAC crowd booed when Trump mentioned the senator’s name in a speech.

But the conference’s evolution from its intellectual roots to rabid populism continues to anger and upset many on the right.

“CPAC has always been a place where conservatives get together and discuss ideas,” said Heath Mayo, organizer of the Alternative Conservative Caucus, which is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC. “And that’s not it anymore.

Anti-anti-Putin line

Most Republican members of Congress have adhered to the traditional conservative line — condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while criticizing Biden for not taking faster action to impose sanctions.

But while there has been much criticism of Biden’s alleged weakness, there are several speakers at CPAC this year who have taken a completely non-Reagan stance. (Two of the most prominent GOP hawks—former Vice President Mike Pence and Nikki Haley, Trump’s former UN ambassador—did not attend.)

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, said in his speech: “The southern border of the United States is of much greater importance than the border with Ukraine.” He added: “I’m more concerned about how the cartels are deliberately trying to infiltrate our country than there is conflict 5,000 miles away, in cities we can’t pronounce and places most Americans can’t find on a map.”

Other speakers include Candice Owens, a popular podcast host who this week encouraged her three million Twitter followers to read Putin’s remarks about Ukraine “to know what *really* is going on.” Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who has received support from the right, tweeted: “This war and suffering could have been easily avoided if the Biden/NATO administration had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns.”

It would be a mistake to conclude that statements like this represent a majority of Republicans, said Queen Hillier, a longtime conservative columnist.

“It’s not as widespread as it is loud,” Hillier said. “The real discussion among conservatives is about how to react, not about whether to sympathize with the Russians.” He pointed to a poll suggesting that Republican voters are more anti-Putin than commonly believed.

Jeffrey Kabaservis, a Republican Party historian, said some conservatives are thrilled to “cheer Putin up when he’s destroying the liberal order and making all those smartass experts cry.”

“Tulsi Gabbard may believe in a lot of things that the CPAC crowd doesn’t, but they love her drive to destroy – and that leans them all towards the anti-anti-Putin line,” he added.

Matt Schlapp, head of the American Conservative Union, which runs the conference, defended the conference as a platform for diverse points of view. But he said he preferred to single out non-establishment voices.

Updated

February 24, 2022, 7:00 pm ET

“Nobody here came up to me and said, ‘Why isn’t Mitt Romney talking?’” Schlapp said, referring to the Utah senator and Republican nominee in 2012. “I see no reason why I would want him on stage.” I don’t consider him a constructive voice.

“No one here thinks that John McCain should reincarnate and give a speech at CPAC,” he added, though he said he respects his military record.

“Everything is fair.”

Despite all the criticism of CPAC, efforts to develop an alternative forum remain in their infancy.

This weekend, 450 conservatives will gather in Washington, D.C. as organizers announce the anti-CPACPrinciples First Conference.

The goal is to go back to the days when conservatives discussed and inspired young activists, said Mayo, the group’s 31-year-old founder. “They respected differences and arguments.” They got up on stage and started arguing. That’s why we followed them, “he said.

And while this isn’t an overtly anti-Trump rally, the anti-Trump vibe is impossible to ignore. In the 2016 presidential primaries, Mayo endorsed Marco Rubio, a hawkish senator from Florida. The keynote speakers are Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both Republicans who have been denounced by the party for their involvement in a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Both were ardent supporters of Ukraine.

Roger Zackheim, Washington director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, said “reasonable people might disagree” about the direction of the Republican Party and noted that Reagan himself often faced attacks from his right wing.

But he urged Republicans to reconnect with Reagan’s foreign policy ideas, which he reduced to two fundamental principles: “Freedom will never be gone for more than a generation.” “You have to fight for it” and “peace through force”.

The more discussion and disagreement, the merrier, Hillier said. “Now Trump is not our flag bearer. “We don’t have a national flag bearer,” he said. “So everything is fair.

What to read in the evening

• For the latest updates on the rapidly changing situation in Ukraine, follow along with our live blog.

• Placed on the opinion table audio roundtable about the Russian invasion of Ukraine with commentary by Ross Dautat, Frank Bruni, Farah Stockman, and host Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

• Lara Jakes, Eric Schmitt, and Edward Wong A preview of what might happen next in the Ukrainian crisis, from cyberattacks to refugee flows and economic upheavals.

pulse

Prior to the invasion, polls showed that Americans feared serious US involvement in Ukraine.

It is still too early to know exactly how the Americans are reacting to the Russian invasion. But opinion polls leading up to the conflict showed voters are clearly divided about how far the United States should go to support Ukraine and what price it is willing to bear.

Understand Russia’s Attack on Ukraine:

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What is at the heart of this invasion? Russia considers Ukraine a part of its natural sphere of influence and is unnerved by Ukraine’s proximity to the West and the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union. Although Ukraine is not part of either, it receives financial and military assistance from the US and Europe.

Are these frictions just beginning now? Antagonism between the two countries has simmered since 2014, when Russian troops crossed into Ukraine after an uprising in Ukraine replaced a Russian-friendly president with a pro-Western government. Then, Russia annexed Crimea and inspired a separatist movement in the east. A ceasefire was signed in 2015 but fighting continued.

How did Ukraine react? On February 23, Ukraine declared a state of emergency for 30 days when cyberattacks took out state institutions. After the attacks began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law. The foreign minister called the attacks a “full-scale invasion” and called on the world to “stop Putin.”

Overall, 52 percent of Americans said the US should play a “minor role” in the situation in Ukraine, 26 percent supported a “major role” and 20 percent were in favor of not playing at all. The poll ended on Monday at the Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center.

In a surprising indicator of how foreign policy attitudes have changed over the past few decades, Democrats are slightly more likely than Republicans to say that the US should play a major role in the conflict. Republican firm Echelon Research found a similar split: 56 percent of Democrats believe the US has a moral responsibility to defend Ukraine, compared to 31 percent of Republicans.

Recent polls have found few signs that the public is ready to support Biden during the international crisis. Only 43 percent of voters approved of his attitude towards Russia. Reuters poll The tally accurately reflected his overall approval rating, suggesting that attitudes towards his treatment of Russia may reflect general attitudes towards his presidency more than any specific views on his foreign policy.

The polls were conducted prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and should be interpreted with caution. The data obtained is only a basic measure of what public opinion was like before the conflict, and attitudes can change rapidly with new developments and constant media coverage. It may be a few more days before most pollsters complete polls that have been conducted in their entirety since the Russian invasion.

Still, the poll hints at some political risks for the Biden administration.

A Reuters poll found that only about half of Americans supported sanctions against Russia if that meant higher gas prices, which is likely, although more than two-thirds of voters said they supported tougher sanctions overall.

Even before any economic fallout from the conflict, most voters gave Biden bad ratings for his handling of the economy, inflation, and gas prices. Voters rated inflation and the economy as the most important questions facing the biggest challenges facing the country in polls conducted over the past few months.

Is there anything you think we are missing? Anything you want to see more of? We would like to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected].

The royal family has launched a schedule of foreign tours for the Platinum Jubilee with Prince Edward and Princess Anne, who have starred in the future of the weakened monarchy.

In the spring of this year we will see The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while Princess Anne will visit Papua New Guinea.

Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Republic of Ireland while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. .

William, 39, and Kate, 40, will travel to the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize. In the picture of the Solomon Islands in 2012

This is one of the first signs of the monarchy with the new vision, as Prince Andrew and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had previously made similar trips abroad.

The queen, who no longer flies, was not expected to travel, but it is rare for Wessex to tour together, which could otherwise be passed on to Harry and Megan.

It has long been thought that Prince Charles will “weaken” the monarchy when he becomes king of up to eight key members.

Travels to the Caribbean will see high-ranking officials in a charming offensive, followed by an attempt to strengthen support for the monarchy in the region.

In November, Prince Charles visited Barbados for a ceremony to mark his historic decision to remove the queen as head of state.

Full platinum anniversary tour

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Republic of Ireland from Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th March 2022.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas from 19 to 26 March 2022.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from Friday, April 22 to Monday, April 28, 2022.

The Royal Princess will visit Papua New Guinea from Monday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 13, 2022.

Other countries of the British Commonwealth in the region, including Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Dominica, already have their own heads of state.

Last year, Belize’s Prime Minister John Brisseno did not rule out his nation following his example, saying: “We need to find what works best for Belize.”

The last high-ranking royal visit to Belize – as well as to the Bahamas and Jamaica – was made by Prince Harry in 2012 to mark the Queen’s diamond anniversary.

William and Kate will begin their royal tour of Belize, where Their Royal Highnesses will visit historic Mayan sites and celebrate the rich culture of the Garifuna community, as well as explore the country’s biodiversity.

The Duke and Duchess will then travel to Jamaica, where their visit will include participating in the Jamaican Defense Forces and celebrating the founding legacy of Bob Marley and other groundbreaking Jamaican musicians, along with some of tomorrow’s stars.

William and Kate’s visit will end in the Bahamas, where they will spend time with communities on a number of islands and experience the world-famous Juncanu Parade.

Covid-19’s response will also be included in the Duke’s and Duchess’s program.

Their Royal Highnesses want to know more about the impact of the pandemic in the Caribbean and how communities have come together to meet the challenges they face.

During their visit, the Duke and Duchess will take the opportunity to celebrate the platinum anniversary of Her Majesty.

Their program will also touch on a range of topics that are close to the hearts of Their Royal Highnesses and a key focus in their work with the Royal Foundation, including the Earthshot Award, mental health and the importance of early childhood for lifelong learning.

In the spring of this year, the Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on a rare overseas tour for the Queen’s youngest son

Princess Anne to visit Papua New Guinea – previously visited by Queen Anne and Prince Philip

As on previous visits abroad, the Duke and Duchess requested that this tour allow them to meet as many local people as possible.

During their stay in the Caribbean, Their Royal Highnesses will meet with a wide variety of groups, including children, young people and families, front-line workers, service staff, government, business and philanthropic leaders, as well as inspiring conservationists. and the workforce of the early years.

Their Royal Highnesses said in a statement that they look forward to the visit, which will be their first joint official overseas tour since the start of Covid-19 in 2020.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Republic of Ireland,

Prince Harry visited Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas in 2012 as part of the Queen’s Diamond Journey tour, while Jamaica was also visited by The Princess Royal in 2015.

The announcement comes as the Queen has been forced to postpone two more virtual audiences as she continues to suffer from the effects of the coronavirus at Windsor Castle and growing concerns about the 95-year-old monarch’s health.

The head of state, who tested positive on Sunday, also canceled his virtual engagements on Tuesday because he was not feeling well enough – but held a telephone meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday.

Today she had to hold two virtual audiences, but they are no longer held. Fears about the nation’s longest-ruling sovereign have grown amid its age, weaker appearance and recent hospital stay.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said at around 10.40 this morning: “The two virtual audiences that were previously scheduled for today will now be rescheduled for a later date. Her Majesty continues with light duties. No other commitments are scheduled for this week.

Her “light duties” include work from her red boxes, sent to her every day and containing political documents, telegrams from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, letters and other government documents that need to be read, and sometimes approved and signed.