Russian-speaking Ukrainians Support Kyiv

We’ve made this claim numerous times though it wasn’t based on scientific evidence but rather on listening to webstreams of the Euromaidan revolution and the Russian-declared war against Ukraine.

In the first example, numerous active participants and leaders of the Euromaidan protests and later revolution spoke Russian. They were interviewed by a variety of news outlets and their observations in favor of Ukraine and against Yanukovych, Putin and Russia were emotionally expressed in Russian occasionally with local expletives because they were Russian-speaking Ukrainian patriots.

During this recent historic moment in Ukrainian history, more than 100 men and women were killed by Yanukovych’s henchmen and it safe to say that a majority of those slain were Russian speaking Ukrainians. One video showed a distraught mother cursing in Russian against Yanukovych and his junta for killing her son.

Then, after Russia invaded Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk, Russian-speaking Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were heard in webstreams explaining why they are supporting Ukraine and why they must defend their Ukrainian motherland. We recall Col. Yuriy Mamchur, considered the hero of Crimea, lead his troops in the Russian language while his soldiers sang the Ukrainian national anthem in broken Ukrainian as they charged the Russian lines. And then there were the Ukrainian cadets who spoke Russian but sang the Ukrainian national anthem in Ukrainian as they were forcibly evicted from their academy.

This were anecdotal observations but they were enough to challenge Putin’s claim that his invasion of Ukraine was intended to defend Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. Of course, he lied again. His only intention was and is to invade, conquer and re-subjugate Ukraine.

However, these sketchy facts that served as the basis for strong convictions have been substantiated by a Harvard University study that shows that Russian-speaking Ukrainians support Kyiv. Furthermore, the study suggests that Russian-speaking Ukrainians may be significantly more supportive of Kyiv’s standoff against Moscow and the pro-Russian separatists.

The study, written by researcher Bruce Etling at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, is one of the first serious explorations of Russian, Ukrainian and English language social media content regarding the turmoil in Ukraine in the course of the past 11 months.

“Our general reading of newspapers and traditional media about the protests was that Russian speakers tended to disapprove [of the protests] and Ukrainian and English speakers tended to approve, and that would then just bleed into social media,” Etling said. “We wanted to see if that was what really happened.”

Actually, the opposite was true. Etling remarked that what was surprising, “very surprising,” was the portion of Russian-language content coming specifically from within Ukraine that was backing the Euromaidan protests.

“In Ukraine, among Russian-speakers, 74% were supportive of the protests, and only a quarter were opposed,” he said.

Additionally, the study revealed even among Russian-language content within Russia, support was nearly equal with opposition, at least at the beginning.

“That was really unexpected. It was so surprising that it was so overwhelmingly positive,” said Etling.

The study, called “Russia, Ukraine, and the West: Social Media Sentiment in the Euromaidan Protests” and published on September 25, noted, “This exploratory research shows that there was more support online in Russia for the Ukraine protests than one might expect.”

Etling concluded in the study: “It is also interesting that Russian-language sources in Ukraine are so supportive of the protests. This may be explained by the fact that many Ukrainians use both Russian and Ukrainian, and that language may not divide the country as clearly as many press accounts (and Putin – TC) may have us believe. However, it is also possible that these early results point towards more support among Russian-speaking Ukrainians for the protests than the Russian government and mainstream media claimed.”

A Reuters story observed, pointing out Putin’s media control, that “While support for Kyiv generally remained stable among those in Ukraine, for Russians within Russia opposition to the protests grew over time, reflecting what some have seen as a hardening of positions on both sides of the border. That may be a result of nationalist feelings, but Etling said that may also be due to increasing media control and self-censorship there.

“I definitely think self-censorship in Russia is becoming increasingly problematic,” Etling said. “It’s becoming so difficult to express for someone who’s opposed to the Russian government’s view in Russia to talk about Ukraine war in a negative way.”

These heartening findings about the undeniable unity of the Ukrainian nation in Ukraine regardless of language preference also prove again that despite what Putin claims, sooner or later his lies are debunked.

Falling Ruble May Turn Putin’s Dreams into Rubble

Can Russia’s catastrophic economic slide cause the perennial evil empire to implode?

The recent protests against Putin’s dictatorial regime and his war against Ukraine are encouraging developments in that autocracy. However, with less than 100,000 protesters out of a population of 144 million, it will take time before the Russian opposition reaches a numerical and passionate critical mass that will trigger a Maidan-like revolution that will rid the world of that scourge.

On the other hand, a hopeful alternative could be Russia’s powerful fraternity of billionaires.

Despite Putin’s boasts that US & EU sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, as “utterly foolish” as he calls them, are not hurting it and the country will ride out this storm of adversity, statistics show an opposite reality.

The following data was gleaned from a variety of news sources during that past two weeks:

• Russia’s economy will fail to grow at all in 2014 and inflation will reach a four-year high.
• Analysts predict that the Russian economy would contract by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2014 and recover only gradually over the next twelve months, with growth in annual terms rising to 0.2% in the first quarter of 2015, 0.5% in the second quarter and 1% in the third quarter.
• Inflation would hit 7.9% by the end of 2015 – the highest end-of-year outcome since 2010 and well above last year’s 6.5%.
• With access to Western financing blocked, Russian companies are being forced to cut back on investments to reduce their debts. At the same time, they are squeezed by high local interest rates as the central bank struggles to stabilize the sinking ruble.
• Analysts expect inflation to rise further above 8% in the first half of next year, and fall only gradually to 7% by the end of the third quarter. Russian consumers are also enduring this as Western sanctions boost prices and restrict trade.
• Stubbornly high inflation means that any interest rate cuts by the central bank – regarded as one way to boost the stagnant economy – will remain a long way off.
• The ruble will be worth 37.5 against the dollar by the end of 2014, a whole ruble weaker than August’s forecast of 36.5, but stronger than the ruble’s present value of 39.50. The ruble recently tumbled to a 15-year low of 39.71 to the US dollar and lost 14% of its value in the last quarter alone.
• Russia’s former finance minister, Aleksei L. Kudrin, said last month that $110 billion has left Russia in capital flight since the crisis in Ukraine erupted. Kudrin also warned that growth may be 1 percentage point lower in each of the next three years.
• Russia’s stock market is down about 3% this year, in contrast to about 9% growth in stock markets globally, according to an index of world equities compiled by Morgan Stanley.
• Russia’s economy is deeply dependent on oil and gas revenue, which accounts for about 50% of the budget and 60% of exports. While in the first half of 2014, the price of Brent oil was $101 a barrel, now it is almost $91. But oil prices have plunged lately, reaching their lowest level in two years and, according to most analysts, heading even lower, as American production surges. The ruble has weakened 18% in the past year as the price of oil—Russia’s main source of foreign currency—has slid. In 2015 Russia will need an oil price of about $105 a barrel to balance its budget (see chart). But crude is currently trading in the mid-$90s, down about 10% since May.
• Studies by the Economic Expert Group, a Russian consultancy, show that a $1 drop in the oil price per barrel leads to a loss of $2.3 billion in budget revenue. Because oil and gas make up around half of government income, the Kremlin’s ability to buy itself social and political stability is at stake.
• The chief economist of VTB, a state-owned bank, has estimated that the Western sanctions trimmed about 1% of growth from the gross domestic product, or about $20 billion.
• The economy ministry said the country’s gross domestic product didn’t grow in August year-over-year and declined by 0.4% from July.
• The World Bank has cut its forecast for Russian economic growth to 0.3% in 2015 and 0.4% in 2016, down over 1% point on previous projections. There was a shortfall of 3.6% of GDP in 2007 but now it is more like 10%.
• Capital outflows from Russian assets soared to $74.6 billion in the first half of this year, compared with $61 billion in all of last year, central bank data show. As much as $90 billion to $120 billion may leave the country this year, Interfax cited Deputy Economy Minister Alexey Vedev as saying late last month.
• Military spending will drain the coffers and will reach 4% of GDP in 2015, an increase of more than $80 billion from this year. Spending on defense will rise by 85% between 2012 and 2017.
•  “The Russian tourism market is experiencing a profound systemic crisis triggered by political and economic factors,” the Russian Travel Industry Union spokeswoman Irina Tyurina said. “The year 2014 was much worse for the travel industry even than the crisis year 2009, in which outbound tourism dropped 15-20%.
• And finally the oligarchs. Russia is home to 111 billionaires compared with 152 in China and 492 in the USA. According to an article in ChinaTopix, “In the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 19 richest Russians had already lost $14.5 billion since the start of the year. The data is significant when compared to the 64 richest Americans who had an increase of $56.5 billion.
• “The richest man in Russia, Alisher Usmanov, lost $1.5 billion since the crisis began. He owns the metal conglomerate USM Holdings Ltd.”

Up until now, the oligarchs have stood obediently behind Putin, not expressing opposition to his undemocratic policies and his unjust war with Ukraine. Are they loyal enough to Putin to withstand this crisis? Mikhail Khodorkovsky is out of the country planning his next steps and a couple of Russian billionaires are feeling some political heat. But so far the group as a whole is solidly supporting Putin.

Captains of industry and business are not known for making decisions based on morality, justice or charity so those considerations are not likely to lead them to oppose their godfather. They are driven by the bottom line to make decisions. If their losses continue to mount to a painful level, the oligarchs may rise up against Putin faster than the liberal activists who have taken to the streets in recent weeks or the consumers who’ll be complaining about rising grocery prices.

That’s why the fully justified sanctions that the free world has imposed on Russia must be maintained until Russia withdraws from Ukraine, until Russia becomes a true democracy or until the oligarchs are financially squeezed to rid Russia and the world of Putin.

Urge Congress to Support Military Aid for Ukraine

I concluded my previous blog with an appeal to readers to visit your elected officials and insist that they listen to Ukraine and support its quest to join EU structures despite Russian opposition.

The Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) in Washington, DC, today issued a call to the community to press for Capitol Hill’s approval of three bills dealing with military assistance to Ukraine. All of these matters must be addressed by you as soon as possible.

“The US Congress has recessed for their election campaigning and will not resume their session until mid-November. In the meantime, as the congressmen and senators are campaigning in their respective districts and states, it is imperative that you contact their district offices, request a meeting, and advocate passage of three congressional bills regarding military assistance to Ukraine and non-recognition of Crimea’s ‘annexation’ by Russia. Time is of the essence. Congress will only be in session for a few weeks in November and December. Ukraine needs assistance from the United States immediately,” UNIS said.

The two bills in the House of Representatives are:

* H.R.5190, the “Ukraine Security Assistance Act of 2014” provides military assistance to Ukraine and designates Ukraine as a Major non-NATO Ally (MNNA). It was introduced by Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and is co-sponsored by Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Sander Levin, co-chairs of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. 

* H.R.5241, the “Crimea Annexation Non-recognition Act” prohibits the United States to recognize de juro or de facto annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. It was introduced by Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA). 

The bill in the U.S. Senate is:

* S.2828, the “Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014” provides military and security assistance to Ukraine, designates it as a Major non-NARO Ally (MNNA), and imposes further sanctions on the Russian Federation. The bill was introduced by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Bob Corker (R-TN), respectively.

UNIS requests the community to contact elected officials (senator or congressman) immediately and request a meeting to seek their support of H.R.5190, H.R.5241, and S.2828. Please visit http://house.gov or http://senate.gov to find your elected official and send an electronic message requesting their support for the bills.

“Ukraine has been invaded. It needs the Ukrainian American community’s assistance! Act now,” UNIS urged.

Is Anyone Listening to Ukraine?

For the past two weeks world leaders have had the opportunity to hear Ukraine’s unequivocal declaration that its goal is to become fully embedded in a comprehensive range of Euroatlantic structures.

There are two reasons for this official policy. One: the current patriotic leadership of Ukraine is well aware that after centuries of Russian domination, Ukraine must finally categorically break all bonds with Moscow. Life in Russia’s sphere of influence – or really prison of nations – is detrimental to Ukraine’s sovereign independence. Two: Ukraine’s membership in the community of Euroatlantic countries will benefit Ukraine’s multilateral development as a modern, prosperous, democratic, law abiding and civilized country.

Leaders of Ukraine, speaking in the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, the US Congress in Washington, DC, and the United Nations General Assembly denounced Russia for invading Ukraine, using words that have never been used in reference to Russia in those venues, and confirmed that its goal is to become a member of the European Union and to align the country closer with European and global institutions.

Let’s recap.

President Poroshenko in Canada said:

“Today Ukraine pays a very high price for defending what we believe in – democracy and freedom to choose our own future. For more than two decades we proudly stated that Ukraine gained its independence without shedding a single drop of blood.”

Then about the parliamentary ratification of the EU Agreement, he declared: “It was the last Rubicon that we had to cross. We will never return to our awful past. I am confident that our values, our freedom, our democracy, our European future and prospects of participation in various international organizations can be achieved. For Ukrainians passed one of the most difficult tests. We paid the highest price for the desire to be a European country. That’s why we will defend our independence and freedom. We want to become a fully-fledged member of the EU.”

The next day in the UN Congress Poroshenko, accentuating his remarks with America’s battle cry “Live free or die,” said: “I will focus on one thing that is at the core of Ukraine’s existence today: freedom.

“There are moments in history when freedom is more than just a political concept.

“At those moments, freedom becomes the ultimate choice, which defines who you are – as a person and as a nation.”

He also pointed out: “Today, aggression against Ukraine is a threat to global security everywhere. Hybrid proxy wars, terrorism, national radical and extremist movements, the erosion of international agreements, the blurring, and even erasing, of national identities: all of these threats now challenge Europe. If they are not stopped now, they will cross European borders and spread throughout the globe,” he said.

As for America’s involvement in this matter, Poroshenko said: “Ukraine needs modern governance and non-corrupt public administration!

“Ukraine needs to delegate more powers to local communities!

“Ukraine needs to rely more on its strong, vibrant, and dynamic civil society!

“Ukraine is building a new model of managing its state and economic affairs, where merit and hard work are duly rewarded!

“Ukraine needs know-how, technology, and new start-ups to become better integrated with the global economy.

“And for all that – we need America’s help! In particular, I ask the Congress to create a special fund to support investments of American companies in Ukraine, and to help us with reforming our economy and our justice system.”

Arseniy Yatseniuk, the prime minister of Ukraine, who also does not quibble about Russia’s lethal, terrorist intentions for Ukraine, said in the UN General Assembly: “Let me remind you the origin of the conflict that evolves in Ukraine. Is it a domestic conflict? No. That’s true that my country has differences. But every country has differences. And we are ready to handle and to tackle these differences inside of the country. But the thing is that the origin of the conflict is an invasion that was made by the Russian Federation.”

He also turned to Ukraine’s allies with a plea: “We ask our partners not to lift sanctions until Ukraine takes over the control of its entire territory – starting with the East of Ukraine, and ending with Crimea. Crimea was, is, and will be a part of Ukraine,”

Meanwhile, also in Washington, Olexander Sych, vice prime minister, said: "Free Europe is impossible without free Ukraine today. Our struggle for the democracy and sovereignty means defending the right of each state to determine its priorities and to build its future independently…

"The current struggle of Ukraine against the Russian aggressor is the test not only for our country but for the entire civilized world, it is global confrontation between democracy and tyranny, freedom and slavery.”

Is anyone listening to what this new breed of Ukrainian officials is saying? Viktor Yanukovych was denounced and ridiculed for his treacherous conduct. But these leaders are genuinely striving to fulfil Ukraine’s age-old manifest destiny of becoming a full-fledged member of the European community as well as global affairs.

Unfortunately, it looks as if global leaders are only expressing a lot of teary sympathy for Ukraine but not nearly enough concrete actions and support. Ukrainian leaders are pleading with the free world not to let Russia re-subjugate it. It’s like the ambivalent and fearful people looking out of their windows into the courtyard as their unfortunate neighbor is robbed and beaten, hoping that they won’t have to offer their help.

Has Russia terrorized world leaders into unresponsiveness and submission? Is Moscow in a position to dominate the free world without firing a shot?

To ensure that the iron curtain is not repaired in our lifetimes, we have to bring this contemporary message of aggression and subjugation to the desks of our elected leaders wherever they preside and demand that they join the righteous cause of helping Ukraine.

Yatseniuk at 69UNGA: Ukraine Knows Terror at Hands of Russian Invaders

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk devoted his entire address at the 69th UN General Assembly to Russia’s war with Ukraine, saying Ukraine, a founding member of the United Nations and ardent supporter of its principles, knows well what terrorism means.

“Let me remind you the origin of the conflict that evolves in Ukraine. Is it a domestic conflict? No. That’s true that my country has differences. But every country has differences. And we are ready to handle and to tackle these differences inside of the country. But the thing is that the origin of the conflict is an invasion that was made by the Russian Federation,” Yatseniuk said on the second day of the General Debate on Wednesday, September 24.

Yatseniuk’s address continued with the avalanche of evidence about Ukraine’s latest war of independence against Russian aggression that has been brought to the attention of global leaders in the UN and beyond. Within 10 minutes the Ukrainian prime minister, just like President Poroshenko did several days earlier in Ottawa and Washington, DC, succinctly accused Russia – not an anonymous invader – of being a contemporary terrorist state with aggressive designs against Ukraine – proof that was never presented at such a forum by a leader of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian prime minister said Russia’s behavior in completely incompatible with that of a P5 member state – one that is a permanent member of the Security Council.

“It’s better for Russia to be an ‘insecurity’ member rather than security one,” he said mockingly.

After agreeing to abandon its nuclear program two decades ago, Ukraine, with the third largest nuclear arsenal at the time, expected that its independence and territorial integrity would be guaranteed by the leading global powers, he said.

“And Russia was a co-signer and co-contributor of this memorandum. Instead of security guarantees in 20 years we received Russian military boots on Ukrainian soil,” Yatseniuk recalled. “We are committed to our nuclear non-proliferation program, but we need to get guarantees of our territorial integrity and security and independence.”

Yatseniuk thanked the UN member states that overwhelmingly supported the resolution that supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemned the illegal annexation of Crimea by the RF. He pointed out that Russia, armed to the teeth, did not stop with its decision to annex Ukrainian Crimea and soon after it invaded eastern Ukraine.

He said: “The Russian Federation violated a number of bilateral and multilateral international agreements – starting with the UN Charter, and ending with the resolutions on counterterrorism that were passed by the UN.

“So we know what terrorism means. And we urge Russia to pull back its forces, to bull back its artillery, to stop to supply Russian-led terrorists, to restore the control over Ukrainian-Russian border, and to start real talks, peace talks.

“We are the country that needs peace. And it’s difficult to hammer out any kind of peace deal at a barrel of a gun made in Russia.”

Yatseniuk said declarations of truce have not been successful because Ukrainian soldiers and civilians continued to be killed by Russsian soldiers or mercenaries.

“I would reiterate once again – we need peace. What is the formula of this peace? The military option is definitely not the best one. So it is to be a comprehensive approach which comprises diplomatic, financial, political, and only at last – military options,” he said specifically not ruling out the last option of a military solution.

Yatseniuk noted that sanctions against Russia can force real talks that can “hammer out a peace deal.” He said Kyiv no longer trusts words – “we trust only in deeds and actions.”

“We ask our partners not to lift sanctions until Ukraine takes over the control of its entire territory – starting with the East of Ukraine, and ending with Crimea. Crimea was, is, and will be a part of Ukraine,”

Echoing Scotland’s William Wallace’s heroic warning to British invaders in “Braveheart” – “They may take our lives but they’ll never take our freedom!” – Yatseniuk targeted his conclusion directly at Putin by coldly cautioning: “Mr. Putin, you can win a fight against the troops. But you will never win the fight against nation, united Ukrainian nation.”

Russians Still Need a Spark

To be fair and hopeful, at least thousands of Russians did come out on Sunday, September 21, to protest against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and to demand freedom during a demonstration in Moscow planned by the country’s emerging opposition coalition.

This took courage, because in Russia any outward sign of opposition to Putin’s regime can result in arrest and imprisonment – or as a minimum endless persecution and harassment.

Perhaps Sunday’s protest could turn out to be the spark that with any luck could ignite the Russian nation to arise and oust Putin and his band of Russian imperialists from the Kremlin.

Since Russia undertook a very visible belligerent position against Ukraine nine months ago – invading it by way of Crimea and eastern Ukraine – leaders around the world, including in Kyiv, have been wondering how to stop Putin and turn Russia into a democratic, freedom-loving country. The answer rests solely with the Russian people. In order to save the world from a global conflagration that could stop Putin’s war and depose him, they must muster the strength to overthrow him.

But, realistically, they still have a long way to go.

Reports of the number of marchers ranged from 5,000 to 100,000. An opposition leader Boris Nesterov was quoted as dejectedly saying in Bloomberg News: “This was a bigger march than the last time the opposition organized a march six months ago. It’s not our job to answer why, but everything from the beautiful weather to people’s growing frustration could have influenced the turnout.”

Ukrainians mobilized more than a million people to take to the streets of Kyiv earlier this year to ultimately force Russia’s lackey Viktor Yanukovych to quit. Maidan Commander Parasiuk grabbed the microphone on that fateful night on Maidan and in an emotional ultimatum gave Yanukovych until 10 o’clock the next morning to surrender or he and his company would storm his residence and force him to concede. It became known later that Yanukovych had fled to Russia a few days earlier.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Russian billionaire former political prisoner told reporters that he was bolstered by the turnout. He has re-launched his Open Russia campaign that is meant to rally supporters ahead of the country’s 2016 parliamentary elections.

“A minority will be influential if it is organized,” he said kindly during a ceremony broadcast online from Paris, where he is currently living in exile. Khodorkovsky also told French media outlets over the weekend that he would be interested in leading his home country.

“I would not be interested in the idea of becoming president of Russia at a time when the country would be developing normally,” he told Le Monde. “But if it appeared necessary to overcome the crisis and to carry out constitutional reform, the essence of which would be to redistribute presidential powers in favor of the judiciary, parliament and civil society, then I would be ready to take on this part of the task.”

Any discussion of Russians’ ousting Putin must also include consideration of the startling fact that in recent public opinion polls more than 80 percent of the population supports Putin.

In July, Gallup World wrote Putin’s “popularity in Russia is now at its highest level in years, likely propelled by a groundswell of national pride with the annexation of Crimea in March on the heels of the Sochi Olympic Games in February. The 83% of Russians saying they approve of Putin's leadership in late April/early June ties his previous high rating in 2008 when he left office the first time.”

“The 29-percentage-point increase in Putin’s job approval between 2013 and 2014 suggests he has solidified his previously shaky support base. For the first time since 2008, a majority of Russians (73%) believe their country’s leadership is leading them in the right direction. This renewed faith is apparent in their record-level confidence in the country's military (78%), their national government (64%), and honesty of elections (39%).”

Gallup World also reported: “At the same time that their faith in their own leadership has been renewed, Russians' approval of the leadership of the US and the EU are at all-time lows. The single-digit approval of the leadership of the US and EU at least partly reflects Russians' displeasure with the position each has taken on their country's ongoing involvement in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea.”

The following month, the Levada Center reported that Putin’s approval rating jumped to 87%.

These astounding statistics come at a time when Putin has invaded Ukraine where he is waging a bloody war that he’s keeping secret from the population. Even mothers do not know why their sons in the army have died and are being swiftly, secretly buried. Internally, he has stepped up persecution of Russians by limiting freedom of the press and expression, and persecuting even humanitarian non-governmental organizations and gay groups.

Don’t Russians care? Basically, if they’d known perhaps they would. But Putin is controlling the press better than the commissars did and keeping his war with Ukraine, which is known around the world, off the newspapers and broadcast news programs.

There are 143.5 million Russians, according to the latest census. More than half of them have what is considered an equivalent college education. That means they’re smart yet more than three-quarters of them support Putin. Are they ignorant of what is going on in the world? Voice of America, RFE/RL, BBC and other shortwave radio networks beamed the truth to the Soviet Union and kept the people apprised of events better than those in the free world. Has one diabolical man, Putin, been so successful in stifling the Russian news media to such a point where he’s dumbing down his own people?

We earnestly hope that the Russian opposition will ultimately be successful in introducing freedom and democracy to the country, perhaps for the first time in its history. But it has its work cut out for itself.

Valeria Novodvorskaya, the ardent Putin opponent and supporter of Ukraine, died last summer and can no longer inspire her people. Lev Ponomaryov, Andrei Makarevich and Novodvorskaya’s other surviving friends are tasked with a major campaign. They are backed by the handful of teenagers who climbed a Moscow skyscraper and hoisted the Ukrainian flag on the pinnacle. Last Sunday’s freedom marchers are by comparison with the population an enthusiastic drop in the bucket.

Russians needs a spark to ignite a mass movement to rid themselves and also the world of this despot.

Arise, Russians, you have only your shackles to lose.

Poroshenko tells US Congress: Live Free or Die is Ukraine’s Motto

In a speech that was punctuated with more patriotic fervor and life-or-death combat passion than the one he delivered yesterday in the Canadian Parliament, President Petro Poroshenko in an address to the US Congress today implored America not to let Ukraine face Russian aggressors alone.

In two days, Poroshenko spoke at the pinnacle of the free world, telling all who would listen that the responsibility for stopping Russian aggression is not only Ukraine’s but also the world’s. Failure would mean that Russia would have to be turned back in another country, in someone else’s back yard.

The US Congress at least has never witnessed such an impassioned plea by a national leader for lethal and non-lethal help in a life-or-death war with an invader. It is a significant tribute to Ukraine that at a time of war with Russia, Washington and Ottawa invited its leader to address their nations.

Poroshenko opened his speech with a reminder that freedom is at stake in contemporary Ukraine: “I will focus on one thing that is at the core of Ukraine’s existence today: freedom.

“There are moments in history when freedom is more than just a political concept.

“At those moments, freedom becomes the ultimate choice, which defines who you are – as a person and as a nation.”

Frequently noting the similarity of both countries’ histories, Poroshenko concluded by alluding to the battle cry of the American Revolutionary War:

“’Live free or die!’ – was one of the mottos of the American Revolutionary War.

“’Live free or die!’ – was the spirit on the revolutionary Maidan during the dramatic winter months of 2014.

“’Live free or die!’ are the words of Ukrainian soldiers standing on the line of freedom in this war.

“’Live free!’ – must be the answer, with which Ukraine comes out of this war.

“’Live free!’ – must be the message Ukraine and America send to the world, while standing together in this time of enormous challenge.”

In between, the Ukrainian president spoke about Russian aggression against Ukraine that could spread to other countries near and far and Ukrainian civilian and soldiers’ steadfast commitment to defend their country in this war.

“The defenders of freedom were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of a better future. What is even more amazing, they won. Armed with only sticks and shields, they attacked the special police and chased them away,” he said.

Poroshenko’s speech was replete with references to the revolution that ousted Viktor Yanukovych and it served as a comprehensive primer on Ukraine’s history during the past 10 months.

“Day after day, week after week, month after month – thousands upon thousands streamed into the streets of Kyiv, simply because their dignity didn’t allow them to remain passive and silent, while their liberties were at stake.

“The stand-off on the Maidan lasted three months.

“It culminated on February 20-21 – when over 100 protesters were shot by snipers.

“We call them the ‘Heavenly Hundred.’” We revere them as true national heroes.

“We applaud their heroism,” he said.

Later that month, Poroshenko continued, Russia launched its first invasion of Ukraine, in Crimea – “an external aggressor decided to take away a part of Ukraine’s territory.

“The annexation of Crimea became one of the most cynical acts of treachery in modern history.

“Ukraine, which gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear potential in exchange for security assurances, was stabbed in the back by one of the countries who gave her those assurances,” he said.

Poroshenko referred to the Budapest Memorandum in which the US, United Kingdom, China, France and, ironically, Russia, agreed to protect Ukraine’s territorial inviolability in exchange for Ukraine’s becoming a non-nuclear state. His words clearly condemned the signatories for forgetting their pledge – especially Russia which crossed Ukraine’s border with conquest in mind.

“In reality, what we got from Russia was annexation and a war that has brought Ukraine to the brink of its survival,” he said.

Poroshenko categorically proclaimed that under no circumstances would Ukraine ever accept Crimea’s occupation.

“Ending the occupation and annulling the annexation is not only an integral precondition to a full normalization of relations between Ukraine and Russia. It is also an integral precondition to Crimea’s prosperity and modernization,” he said.

“In 2008, Russian troops occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Now they have invaded Ukraine.  The right to protect ethnic Russians, and even Russian speakers, can and already has become a reason to fan the flames of war. Besides Ukraine, the Russian speakers reside in Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Baltic States, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria. Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine – what happens next,” he said, pointing out that even NATO members are vulnerable to an attack by Russia as it evidenced by the harassment that the Baltic States are experiencing.

“I urge you not to let Ukraine stand alone in the face of this aggression.

“The United States made a commitment that it would stand behind Ukraine’s territorial integrity – and we hope that it will live up to that promise.

“Democracies must support each other.

“They must show solidarity in the face of aggression and adversity.

“Otherwise, they will be eliminated – one by one.

“The aggression against Ukraine has become one of the worst setbacks for the cause of democracy in the world in years,” he declared.

Poroshenko emphasized that the outcome of the war against Ukraine will determine the fate of Europe and other countries. He said the underequipped and “often unappreciated by the world” young Ukrainians soldiers are the only barrier between peace and and “the nightmare of a full relapse into the previous century and a new cold war.” This war is not only Ukraine’s war, he elaborated. It is Europe’s war and it is the world’s war for its freedom.

“Today, aggression against Ukraine is a threat to global security everywhere. Hybrid proxy wars, terrorism, national radical and extremist movements, the erosion of international agreements, the blurring, and even erasing, of national identities: all of these threats now challenge Europe. If they are not stopped now, they will cross European borders and spread throughout the globe,” he said.

Again comparing both countries’ wars of independence, Poroshenko said Ukraine and America chose “freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.”

“With this in mind, I strongly encourage the United States to give Ukraine special, non-allied partner status,” he said. “I also ask that the United States be forceful and stand by its principles with respect to further sanctions against the aggressor.”

Beyond joining the EU and being given special status by NATO, Poroshenko said Ukraine needs to undertake its reforms to fit into the global community.

“Ukraine needs modern governance and non-corrupt public administration!

“Ukraine needs to delegate more powers to local communities!

“Ukraine needs to rely more on its strong, vibrant, and dynamic civil society!

“Ukraine is building a new model of managing its state and economic affairs, where merit and hard work are duly rewarded!

“Ukraine needs know-how, technology, and new start-ups to become better integrated with the global economy.

“And for all that – we need America’s help! In particular, I ask the Congress to create a special fund to support investments of American companies in Ukraine, and to help us with reforming our economy and our justice system,” he said.

Calling on America’s help, Poroshenko said “By supporting Ukraine, you support a new future for Europe and the entire free world. “By supporting Ukraine, you support a nation that has chosen freedom in the most cynical of times.”

Two days, two capitals, two landmark addresses that summarize the threat Ukraine faces due to Russia’s invasion and outline an agenda that can turn the tide for independent Ukraine and the world. We can only hope that everyone paid attention.