X-Captive Nations Recall War

In Ukraine at 71st UN GA Talks

Leaders of Latvia and Estonia reminded the international community of the Russian war in Ukraine during their addresses today during the second day of general debates during the opening of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly.

Below are the relevant excerpts:

Latvia, President Raimonds Vÿjonis

We must remain vigilant and insist that all States abide by their obligations under international law.

Russia has undermined the foundations of international law by changing borders of sovereign States through the use of force.

Latvia together with the international community will continue to stand for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation will not be recognized and must end. Any discrimination against the Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea requires a firm UN reaction.

The international community must work to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the eastern Ukraine. All parties must fulfill their commitments under the Minsk Agreements and make the Minsk process work.

Latvia continues to support Ukraine in its reform process and its humanitarian needs.

Estonia, President Toomas Hendrik Ilives

Certainly the world was more stable then, before the economic crisis, the migration crisis; current conflicts in the wider Middle East or Russia’s aggression against Georgia and Ukraine; before the war on truth and facts that seems to have taken over in many places. Despite our concerns at the time, we lived in a world more stable, where optimism was not yet naivete. Today, in too many parts of this world, we find a conflict either emerging, raging or frozen. Terrorism, always a scourge, dominates our daily headlines in all parts of the world.

Not all of today’s conflicts and crises could have been prevented. Yet the effect of many could have been mitigated had we acted sooner, had the proper mechanisms to resolve them been in place. When I addressed this assembly in the wake of the Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, I warned not to apply international law selectively. International law had been clearly violated, yet little was done. Six years later, in 2014, we saw a repeat performance in Ukraine. Part of a sovereign state was annexed, part turned into a warzone. For the first time since World War II borders in Europe had been changed through use of force. The prohibition on the use of force to change borders lies at the heart of the UN Charter. It was blatantly violated and yet the UN could not make a difference. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues.

Territories of Georgia and Ukraine remain occupied by a foreign military, frozen conflicts remain in

Nagorno-Karabakh and Trans-nistria.

X-captive nations must unite to defend themselves against Russian aggression. – TC

Ukraine’s Poroshenko at UNGA Urges Justice,

Development & Security to be Included in SDGs

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, addressing the seminal global theme of Sustainable Development Goals from the point of view of a head of state of a country that is defending itself against foreign invasion, called on the international community to include concepts of justice, development and security in the 2030 Agenda.

Speaking at the general debate at the 71st UN General Assembly session today, Poroshenko warned UN member-states that appeasing foreign aggression and terrorists will not bring peace, stability and security to the world. On the other hand, he continued, violators – both “perpetrators and masterminds” – of the UN Charter and global order must be held accountable for their crimes.

“There is a critical need to make our Organization capable of addressing effectively acts of aggression and to bring those responsible to justice. Otherwise, no nation, no UN Member State can enjoy sustainable security and development,” Poroshenko said, echoing the words of Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, expressed yesterday.

Speaking about one of the worst years in recent memory, Poroshenko questioned what makes evil so strong and good so weak nowadays? His tacit reply was acquiescence to injustice.

“But never since the end of the Cold War have international norms and principles been unilaterally defied on such a scale and with such brutality. The Charter of the United Nations – the document underpinning our responsibility for maintaining the world order – has never been questioned. And never has a Security Council member been a major violator of the UN Charter while being at the same time the instigator of, and active participant in, a conflict as well as its mediator. As a result, global instability is no longer a subject of academic debates,” he said. The unspoken instigator of the conflict is Russia.

Poroshenko offered the 193 General Assembly members two choices.

“Either we recognize the problem and spare no efforts to address it on the basis of shared values and principles, or deceive ourselves by the illusion of stability, turn a blind eye to obvious facts and leave the future of the United Nations – this unique platform for common action – at the mercy of one player who blatantly violates the UN Charter.”

However, he continued, if the global community makes the unfortunate mistake of selecting the latter alternative, the world will “face severe disappointment.”

“The price for this short-sightedness has long been known – it is human lives. In the last century, humanity paid an enormous price following two world wars – about 70 million lives. Isn’t it enough?” he said.

He said Ukraine today is a testing ground for a new hybrid form of warfare, which through global ambivalence is spreading around the world. Consequently, he continued, “It is time for the Security Council to go resolutely and effectively into this issue.”

With the UN being on the threshold of electing a new secretary-general, Poroshenko said he hoped he or she “would ready to use decisively all tools at his or her disposal, including those provided under Article 99 of the UN Charter, in case of a threat to peace and security.”

Turning to Russia’s war with Ukraine, Poroshenko said since 2014, his country “has learned from its own tragic experience what foreign-grown terrorism feels like.”

He pointed out that the terrorist component of the undeclared hybrid war is evident.

“Dramatically, it has become a daily routine in the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. For over two years of this tragedy, Ukraine has received extensive and irrefutable evidence of direct involvement of Russia, its state agencies and officials in financing, sponsorship, and coordination of terrorist groups which have committed countless crimes against my compatriots.

“The shocking reality is that there is a roughly 38,000-strong illegal military force in Donbas and its large part is regulars and mercenaries from Russia. This force is armed to the teeth by Russia,” Ukraine’s president said.

Accusing Moscow of being fully intent on deceiving the international community about its crime, Poroshenko said that Russia has been denying its military presence in Ukraine at every conceivable forum, including the UN Security Council.

“Today, in response to thousands of available photos, videos, satellite images, eyewitness and other evidence of the Russian military presence in Donbas, Russia only goes over and over again with a cynical recitation ‘We are not there.’

“Russia used to say the same about Crimea. ‘We are not there.’ And then a sham referendum was conducted at the Russian gunpoints. And a few days ago, a contradictory statement by Russian president that Crimea, can you imagine, was annexed in accordance with the UN Charter. Do we really refer to the same Charter?” he said.

In its third year, Poroshenko said, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine “continues bringing pain and suffering to the Ukrainian people” with 2,430 people killed.

“The total death toll of this war in the heart of Europe inflicted on us has amounted to 2,500 military and 7,500 civilian. Altogether 10,000 people. Hundreds of hostages remain in unlawful captivity in Donbas and in Russia,” he continued.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has also touched the lives of Ukrainian children with the taking of hostages who were later seen on videotape being interrogated for allegedly conspiring to commit subversive operations. He urged UNICEF to investigate this occurrence.

Poroshenko emphasized that the Minsk accords have failed to result in peace because Russia continues to violate its provisions. However, he emphasized that Ukraine is fully committed to implementing the tenets of the ceasefire.

He demanded that Russia “set the captives free, stop shooting, withdraw weapons, let the OSCE carry out its mandate and watch over the Ukrainian-Russian border without hindrance, withdraw Russian weaponry as well as regular and irregular military units.”

Occupied Crimea is also enduring Russia’s brutality, Poroshenko said.

“The latest stroke in this picture is the ban by the Russian occupation authorities on the activities of the Mejlis, the self-governing body of the Crimean Tatar people. Add to this the arbitrary detention of Ilmi Umerov, Deputy Head of the Mejlis, in a psychiatric facility for 20 days. In fact, the outrageous practice of punitive psychiatry, which had been widely used by the Soviet repressive machinery, is now back in service for Russia.

“We urge Russia to grant unimpeded access of international human rights organizations to both Crimea and Donbas, and implement the decision of UNESCO Executive Board on establishing monitoring in Crimea at the institutional level,” he said.

Poroshenko urged the UN to protect the rights of the Crimean Tatars while appealing to the member states not to recognize what he called the illegitimate elections in the occupied Ukrainian peninsula.

“If you do recognize them, this will play into the hands of the aggressor and encourage further repressions,” he warned.

The global community also faces the likely possibility that Russia will deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea, which “would destroy the global system of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and brutally violate Ukraine’s non-nuclear status.”

Despite the hardships that Ukraine is facing, Poroshenko assured his listeners that Ukraine “is fully committed to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted by the UN General Assembly last year.”

Turning to a quotation devised 70 years ago by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, one of the founding fathers of the United Nations, at the Westminster College, where he also spoke of an iron curtain descending across Europe, Poroshenko insisted that world leaders must not close their eyes to violations of the UN Charter in order to remove contemporary difficulties and dangers.

“They will not be removed by mere waiting to see what happens; nor will they be removed by a policy of appeasement,” he said.

Poroshenko said "the two giant marauders – war and tyranny,” must be confronted in order to be overcome.

Polish President at UN Recasts 2030 Agenda in Three Pillars

Polish President Andrzej Duda, speaking today on the first day of the general debates at the opening of 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, recast the UN’s iconic 2030 Agenda – the Sustainable Development Goals – into three pillars that emphasized his vision of a just, secure and humane world.

“Sustainable development, human rights protection as well as peace and security – these are the goals pursued by the United Nations whose achievement has been mankind’s yearning,” Duda observed. “These three rules, the free foundations of sustainable development are: responsibility, solidarity and justice.”

Duda elaborated on his vision:

“Responsibility arises from our obligation to take care of the heritage that we are going to leave to our children and grandchildren. How we are going to be remembered by them and what they are going to write about us in history books. Responsibility is underpinned by the conviction that history does neither begin nor end here and now – but is a succession of generations, destinies and commitments. Responsibility understood this way pertains nowadays especially to social issues and natural environment. Responsible development is a development which cares.”

“Solidarity. This concept is particularly close to the Polish people who led by the social movement bearing this name (Solidarność) carried out a peaceful political transformation a quarter of a century ago, rejecting the system founded on lie and enslavement. What has given the Polish Solidarity its durable foundations to rely on, was a community of sensitivity to the misfortune of other people and respect to any man, regardless of his or her origin or financial situation.

“The third pillar of sustainable development is justice. A just and equitable order as an order in which the sustainable development model can be delivered, is founded on observance of human rights and law of nations. Individual freedom, dignity of human person and inviolability of his or her life, as well as freedom of conscience and religion - these are constituents of the catalogue of inalienable human rights which nowadays call for particular protection. There are by far too many sites worldwide where freedom is constrained by an oppressive political system; where human dignity is violated, and also man's most fundamental right: the right to life is encroached upon.”

In his image, Duda sees a close interdependence among development, human rights and freedoms, while making a direct connection between respect for human rights and the right to life.

“Only respect of human rights, not only the political ones but also social, economic and cultural, allows to fully harness human potential, and eventually, to the implementation of sustainable development model. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that all human rights are derived from the most fundamental one: the right to life,” Duda said.

Contrary to the Polish representative’s address last year, this year Duda only once referred to Ukraine, when he spoke about the hideous refugee consequence of the war in Ukraine. He said Poland has acted out of its sense of solidarity by increasing its “humanitarian and development aid in the Middle East region and to the East. In our efforts to build peace and sustainable development we set great store by education of children and young people. My country has been and will continue to be an active advocate of solidarity in the international arena.”

Duda also refrained from mentioning Russia when he spoke about aggressor states and invaders but was not short of condemning aggressors and invaders. However, he seemed to allude to Russia’s war against Ukraine and its occupation of Crimea.

“Today, I wish to reiterate in most clear terms: we must abide by the rules which is expressed by a Roman paremia: Ex injuria jus non oritur – ‘law is not born from lawlessness.’ No aggressor has right to the territory occupied by him. We reject the system in which it is politics of force and aggression that predetermines destinies of nations,” he said.

Aggression violates a nation’s right to a peaceful, stable and secure existence, and the aggressor must be held accountable for its transgressions, Duda said. Otherwise, bilateral and global confidence will be undermined, he added.

“The effectiveness of global action in this regard shall depend on international solidarity and concerted action between our states. In the meantime, any act of aggression which encroaches on international commitments undermines mutual trust among states and societies. It undermines the order, which was so strenuously built in the wake of World War 2.

“That is why it is so crucially important to make sure that the policy of force would each time meet with a decisive opposition of the international community. In order for the law to be effective, any violation thereof must trigger off execution of consequent measures.”

Duda concluded by emphasizing that “responsibility, solidarity and justice: these are the pillars on which Poland would like to build international community for sustainable development of free nations and equal states.”

Free World’s Boredom will be Its Downfall

Russia’s war against Ukraine has entered its 31^st month and Europe and the free world is showing more and more signs of frustration, boredom and exhaustion.

Russia is continuing its military advances against sovereign Ukraine with its own regular armies and armaments as well as its separatist-terrorists. Moscow is pursuing its latest expression of unbounded imperialism as it strives to recover its imperial glory with impunity.

In the wake of this, the free world and Euro-Atlantic political and military structures are at a loss what to do about it. The Minsk truce is a failure. Economic sanctions against the Russian leadership haven’t halted Moscow’s invasion. Negotiations and pleas have been ridiculed by Putin and his junta.

Without anywhere to turn, some global leaders have begun begging Kyiv to stop the fighting while urging a return to normal relations with Russia in the hopes that everything will be alright.

Nothing has worked and the Russian war against continues. Civilians are killed, more than a million Ukrainians have been turned into refugees and human rights are violated.

I have written in previous Torn Curtain 1991 blogs that Europe’s ennui and favoritism for Russia will send a signal to the Kremlin that what it’s doing is okay with the international community. Such a mindset will consequently lead Russian leadership to continue pushing its borders farther west through the former captive nations and old Europe. It will give Putin the opportunity to fulfill what Soviet Communists and tsars failed to accomplish – global domination.

Indeed, Europe has evolved into a pretentious group of countries with self-anointed visions of grandeur and holier-than-thou temperaments. It has tired of having to deal with Ukraine. Russia’s war against Ukraine has tested European leaders’ patience beyond their limited thresholds of tolerance.

But Europe’s irrepressible, gaping yawn will endanger Ukraine but not only. It will also pave the way to Europe’s demise at the hands of a stalking, belligerent Russia.

Geoffrey R. Pyatt, former US ambassador to Ukraine, a staunch advocate of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and indivisibility, had elaborated in an interview that I cited in my blog that Kyiv faces the threat of what he described as “Ukraine fatigue” from its fair-weather (my description) European allies.

Turning to those that want to resume so-called normal relations with Russia, Linas Linkevičius, Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs, has been one of the outspoken critics of the free world’s political myopia. In an article in EurActiv he chastised the free world for paying too much attention to not provoking Russia. Linkevičius warned about the dangers of acting in a “pragmatic and responsible manner” with Russia.

“With Russian actions in Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, areas of the sovereign country were occupied. The protests of the international community, NATO and the EU were forgotten within several months and the ‘pragmatic and responsible’ position had the upper hand, i.e. cooperation with Russia was going on as usual. Russia did not ask for anything; it was the West that took the role as usual because ‘isolation is harmful, not profitable,’ etc.,” Linkevičius wrote.

Today, too, with Russia invading Ukraine and occupying Crimea and eastern oblasts, the free world is choosing narrow-minded pragmatic and responsible actions such as sanctions while other activities that will isolate Russia or ban it from the global table have not been enacted. Business goes on as usual.

Many countries feign deafness with regards to Russian explicit and implicit threats.

In a September 17 article in EuroActiv, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Ukraine’s First Vice-Prime Minister for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, warned of the impending doom that will shatter Europe’s peace if it fails to shake off its feeling of frustration. She pressed European leaders to unite with Ukraine and the other x-captive nations in subduing Russian aggression.

“It is very important for us that Europe is united against Russian aggression,” Klympush-Tsintsadze said in an interview that appeared in EuroActiv. “I do not like to hear comments from some European countries, who place the two camps [of the conflict in the east of the country] on an equal footing, suggesting that they are equally responsible. Because there is just one attacker, and Ukraine is the victim.

“I would like to see more unity and responsibility in the West. Crimea was annexed illegally.”

She also counseled against believing Russian promises regarding the Minsk ceasefire accords and even nuclear non-proliferation. Can the free world trust Russian signatures when Moscow doesn’t live up to its commitments in the Budapest Memorandum, she asked.

Today I received a statement signed by 35 European politicians and intellectuals in which they caution the free world against displaying “tiredness of being conscientious.” Indeed, Europe has been known throughout history as demonstrating strength, unity and single-mindedness in vanquishing tyrants, such as Adolf Hitler. However, its change of heart now endangers mankind.

They wrote:

“The exhaustion from the incessant stream of threats could have been predicted.  But now that exhaustion has become a danger:  it provokes a moral alienation, allowing us to compromise with truthfulness.  That is why Europe is being overwhelmed by populism with its very simple responses to complex issues.  This is why xenophobia and chauvinism emerge as a defense mechanism against foreigners.  This is why it becomes easier to hide from problems, to avoid the additional responsibilities, to look inward.  This turns to self-isolation.

“Russia's war against Ukraine, the occupation of the Crimea, the armed intervention in the Donbas, tens of thousands of victims, 1,500,000 internally displaced refugees belong to those problems from which a European philistine wants to hide behind the screen of exhaustion. Daily Russian diversions, provocations and blackmail no longer appall a portion of the European polity. They have become accustomed to this war. The routine dulls empathy; indifference levels the victim and the aggressor.

“But Russia's war against Ukraine continues. The aggression continues.”

They signatories pointed out that as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and exhausts slowly, European exhaustion is the Russia’s strongest ally, “who with arms in hand violates world order.”

They condemned this dangerous exhaustion and calls for a return to business as usual with Russia, saying “this is a horrifying self-illusion and self-deception. Life in Europe has changed. One of the main reasons is the attempt of foreign aggression to inject onto the very values, sense and style of life in Europe. No attempt to hide in one’s one home will return the previous comfort.”

Their concluding appeal to the free world sounded like this:

“We call on all thinking people of our joint European community to show solidarity and to find the strength to stand against the threats of self-isolation, xenophobia and populism, which will dismember Europe.

“And Europe needs to fight with all its strength from an exhaustion of its conscience as an exhaustion of itself.

 “Let’s not be afraid of the future.  Let’s create it together.”

The statement was signed by the following:

Vytautas Landsbergis, the first Head of the renewed state of Lithuania

Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania (1998-2003, 2004-2009)

Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of the Republic of Poland (1995-2005), Honorary Doctor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

Algirdas Saudargas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania (1990-1992, 1996-2000)

Petras Vaitiekūnas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania (2006-2008)

Audronius Azubalis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Lithuanian Republic (2010-2012 

Antanas Valionis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Lithuanian Republic (2000-2001)

Uffe Elleman-Jensen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark (1982-1993) 

Juri Luik, Minister for Foreign Affairs (1994-1995) and Minister of Defense (1999-2002) of Estonia

Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland (1988-1995) 

Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (2007-2009, 2010-2013) 

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Foreign Secretary (1995-1997) and Defense Secretary (1992-1995) of the United Kingdom 

Adam Michnik, Founder and editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

Adam Rotfeld, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland (2005) 

Vyacheslav Briukhovetsky, Honorary President of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group

Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, member of the Club of Rome, founding member of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, member of "The First of December" Initiative Group

Lubomyr Cardinal Husar, Major Archbishop Emeritus of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group 

Ivan Dziuba, former dissident, literary critic, member of Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group 

Yevhen Zakharov, former dissident, human rights activist, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group

Myroslav Marynovych, former dissident, philosopher, human rights activist, Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group

Volodymyr Panchenko, literary critic, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group 

Myroslav Popovych, philosopher, director of the Ukraine’s Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, member of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group 

Vadym Skurativskyi, philosopher, culturologist, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group

Yuri Shcherbak, writer, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group 

Ihor Yukhnovskyi, the first Leader of the democratic People's Rada in the Parliament of Ukraine (1990 – 1994), scientist, member of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, member of “The First of December” Initiative Group

Ivan Vasyunyk, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine (2007-2010), chief of the secretariat of “The First of December” Initiative Group

Danylo Lubkivsky, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine (2014) 

Volodymyr Viatrovych, historian, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance

Josyf Zisels, former dissident, head of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities in Ukraine 

Volodymyr Ohryzko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009) 

Yuriy Makarov, journalist, writer 

Olena Styazhkina, historian, writer, member of the Ukrainian PEN-Centre 

Oksana Zabuzhko, writer 

Audrius Siaurusevicius, Director General of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television 

Ramūnas Bogdanas, former advisor to Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis as the first head of state of Lithuania

Is this the free world’s last chance to save itself from Russian global domination? Does the free world want to succumb to its exhaustion, frustration and boredom, and abandon Ukraine to Russia’s aggression?

Russia Escalates War vs. Ukraine; Ukrainian Army on full Alert

“It has already started!” Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, tweeted anxiously last week.

Was Yelchenko forecasting Russia’s all-out invasion and potential victory over Ukraine and his country’s re-subjugation in Moscow’s heinous prison of nations?

It could happen if the free world, the USA, EU and NATO aren’t alert and attentive to Russia’s very real aggressive designs.

Two and a half years after invading Ukraine, Russia has launched a visible escalation of its war against Ukraine that has all the earmarks of threatening global peace and stability.

Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian news and eyewitness reports during the past week described an ominous build-up of Russian troops and mercenaries on Russia’s border with eastern Ukraine as well as intense militarization in occupied Crimea.

Here are a few of the headlines that I collected since August 8:

Russia May Be Preparing New Offensive in Ukraine

With Fresh Violence in Ukraine, is there Hope for a Solution?

Eyewitnesses Reported about Military Tanks Cordon around Dzhankoi – Dzhelyalov

Militants Keep Tanks, Rocket Launchers near Makiyivka and Donetsk – Ukraine Intel

Ukraine Troops near Crimea on Combat Alert as Tensions with Putin Escalate

Kremlin Deploys More Heavy Weaponry to Donbas Militants – Intel

Ukraine Warns Russian Invasion Possible ‘at any Minute’ after Moscow’s Soldiers seen near Border with Crimea

Ukraine Troops on High Alert amid Growing Tension with Russia

Fears Mount of Full-scale Ukraine-Russia Clash

Russia Claims Foiled Crimea ‘Terrorist Attacks’ by Kyiv

While the World is Distracted, Putin Escalates His War in Ukraine

Amassing Russian Troops along Border is not a Coincidence – Ukraine’s UN envoy

Fighting Intensifies as Putin Sends more Troops to Ukraine

Putin Accuses Ukraine of Plotting Terrorist Attacks in Crimea

Ukraine Reports Russian Military Activity on Crimea Border

Thanks to contemporary high-technology, this dangerous escalation is offered for worldwide consumption in real time compared with other similar earth-shattering events such as Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 and the Soviet Union’s invasion of Czecho-Slovakia in 1968. Clearly, Russia has set the world on a course to a global conflagration as it resolutely rebuilds its empire and repairs the torn iron curtain.

Except for Ukraine’s anxious alarms about Russia tightening the noose around Kyiv’s neck, the international community’s reaction has been lukewarm to say the least. Indeed, the dog days of August are upon us and the 2016 Presidential Election Campaign is in its last 90 days but there must be a mid-level bureaucrat somewhere in Washington assigned to read the news and sound the clarion. On the other hand, Russian President Putin is determined to ignore, deceive and subvert whenever it suits his imperialistic goals, at home and abroad, by taking advantage of a distracted United States and Europe.

Vice President Joe Biden did his part by calling President Poroshenko on Friday, August 12, to discuss the rising tensions. According to the read out provided by his office, Biden “urged President Poroshenko to do his part to avoid escalating tensions.” The Vice President’s ludicrous caution does not get better after the second or third reading. Biden added that the US also “urged the Russian side to do the same.” Based on Putin’s track record of not abiding by warnings, sanctions and ceasefires, it is safe to say that he also won’t pay any attention to Biden’s words.

Secretary of State John Kerry State also expressed concern about the escalation during his remarks about the war in Syria. The State Department said he reiterated the US position on respecting the integrity of Ukraine’s territory and Crimea being a part of Ukraine. The US official equally called on Russia and Ukraine to avoid any actions that might aggravate the situation on the occupied border between Crimea and mainland Ukraine.

We’ve heard these admonitions before but it’s worthwhile to repeat them now, especially with Russia priming its weapons.

According to uatoday.tv, Department of State Press Office’s Director Elizabeth Trudeau suitably described the escalation as a “very tense and very dangerous situation.” She too called for the “avoidance of any actions that would escalate the situation there.”

“We continue to remain in close touch with international partners on this, but we believe now is the time to reduce the tensions, reduce the rhetoric, and get back to talks,” Trudeau urged.

And here is where the US official made a strikingly powerful statement on behalf of what Ukraine can do during war.

“We do understand that there is violence and we do recognize Ukraine’s right to defend itself and defend its own citizens,” she stated.

Recognizing Ukraine’s right to defend itself should open Kyiv’s eyes about what Washington would tolerate if Russia pushes it into a dead end as it is doing now.

NATO chimed in with its own warnings, calling “on Russia to work for calm and de-escalation. We are also deeply concerned by the recent upsurge in violence in eastern Ukraine, and the increase in ceasefire violations along the line of contact, primarily by the Russian-backed militants.”

The organization urged Ukraine and Russia to return to the pitifully ineffective negotiating table and work towards an elusive peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine by diplomatic and peaceful means. The full implementation of the Minsk Agreements is key, the alliance emphasized, but, alas, Russia persistently violates the truce.

“As we restated at the Warsaw Summit, Allies stand united in their support for Ukraine`s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on Russia to reverse its illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea,” NATO said.

As many military strategists and x-captive nations’ leaders have noted, diplomatic niceties will not have any effect on Putin’s recalcitrance.

To be fair to NATO, earlier this summer its chief, Jens Stoltenberg, demanded that Russia withdraw its forces and military hardware from Ukraine.

“Russia needs to stop supporting the militants and withdraw its forces and military equipment from Ukrainian territory,” Stoltenberg said also without any effect. He said the alliance would continue to stand by the government in Kyiv and would never recognize Russia’s “illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea” two years ago.

Finally, the European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini offered on Friday, August 12, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin similar words of support.

“The European Union condemns and does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. We continue to be unwavering in our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine,” she said in a statement.

The Institute for the Study of War, among others, fears Russia appears to be preparing for a new military offensive in Ukraine. Since August 5 there has been an ongoing Russian military build-up on the northern, eastern and southern Ukrainian border, allowing it “to threaten or conduct military operations into Ukraine from multiple directions, increasing Ukraine’s vulnerability to Russian or Russia-backed separatist forces,” the institute warned.

Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces, at press conferences last week said Ukraine anticipates an attack “any minute.”

“The occupiers are conducting maneuvers and we should understand that at any minute, at any hour, they could start a large-scale or small-scale attack,” he said.

Russia’s escalation follows claims early last week by its state security service – FSB – that it prevented two attempts by Ukrainian special forces to launch attacks in Russian-held Crimea. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared that Russia’s accusations were “insane.” US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt also belittled the Kremlin’s accusation. Putin declared he would take “further security measures” in Crimea, though a spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign ministry suggested that Putin really just “wants more war.”

Russia has often used claims of preventing regional terrorism and protecting its “near abroad” as pretexts for invading sovereign neighboring states.

The Russo-Ukraine War of 2014-16 is at its most intense level in a year, according to observers. The United Nations estimates that 73 civilians died because of the war in July, the highest monthly death toll for civilians since August 2015. More than 10,000 have been killed overall.

According to the UN, 57 percent of those civilian deaths came from heavy weapons banned from the front lines as part of the terms of the Minsk ceasefire. Another 38 percent came from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance.

In a statement on August 10, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “in the strongest terms” this latest Kremlin-made provocation and rejected all accusations of terrorism as completely groundless.

“Under a made up pretext, the Kremlin is undertaking another hybrid special operation with the aim to justify its future aggressive actions against Ukraine.

“Concentration of Russian weaponry, armaments and military forces in the temporarily occupied territories in Crimea and Donbas as well as along the Ukrainian-Russian border is a cause of particular concern. This situation signals an imminent threat to the peace and stability not only in Ukraine but also in the entire region. The occupying power does not limit itself to daily shellings in Donbas but also uses staged sabotage acts in Crimea in an attempt to shift responsibility for its own destructive actions on Ukraine and on our partners,” the ministry said.

The Ministry urged the international community to take all possible political and diplomatic steps to force Russia to cease and desist in launching a new round of aggression against Ukraine and the disruption of the Minsk peace process, which Russia has never upheld. It behooves the international community to treat seriously Ukraine’s insistence.

With military activity and rhetoric increasing to a dangerous level in the course of the week, President Poroshenko instructed on August 11 all military units near Russian-occupied Crimea and in the Donbas region that adjoins Russia to be at the highest level of combat readiness, reported CNN and the Associated Press.

Also on August 11, the spokesman for Ukraine's General Staff told Reuters that Ukraine had been holding scheduled military exercises in southern Ukraine. Oleh Slobodyan, spokesman for the Ukrainian border guards, assured friend and foe alike that “we can unequivocally say that Russian troops who were there since March are now being replaced with others. These troops are coming with more modern equipment and there are air assault units. In recent days, we see a strengthening of the units that are at the border. Their number increased.”

At the United Nations, Ambassador Yelchenko presented Ukraine’s case to a supportive Security Council, which once more strongly endorsed Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity including Crimea. At a press conference after the meeting, Yelchenko said Ukraine was satisfied with the position of the Security Council, though Russia, obviously, opposed it.

Yelchenko stated that he had asked Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin to provide the organization with evidence regarding Russia's accusations against Ukraine but said he could hear only his mumblings in reply.

Yelchenko also informed diplomats that Ukraine had sent an official request to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, as well as the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, urging them to gain access to Crimea, in particular, to those people who, as Russia claims, had been detained in connection with the so-called “terrorist activity.” Ukraine has requested those organizations to report the results of their communication with the detainees to the OSCE and the UN Security Council. 

Ukraine’s representative said Russia is maintaining a 40,000-strong army on Ukrainian borders, which, he added, is not merely a coincidence. 

Nearly 30 tanks were transported to eastern Ukraine over the past week, reported Ukrainian military sources. Russia deployed another convoy of military equipment, trucks and fueling vehicles to Ilovaisk (the enemy-held town in the Donetsk region), said Deputy Director of Main Intelligence Directorate at Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Vadym Skybytsky, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Novoe Vremya. 

“Over the last week, about 30 tanks, 11 armored vehicles, six Grad multiple-rocket launch systems, and a large amount of ammunition were transported to eastern Ukraine. More trucks carrying food and military equipment for the Russian-backed occupation forces are expected to arrive on August 2,”said Skybytsky during his on-air interview with the Ukrainian TV channel 112.

As for Russian militarization of Crimea, Skybytsky reported on Hromadske Radio on August 2 that the Crimea could become an outpost from which Russia could wage nuclear strikes against Europe.

According Skybytsky, the Russian Black Sea Fleet annually trains on the use of nuclear weapons. He said they are currently carrying out intensive retrofitting of the fleet with new submarines, frigates, aircraft and other types of military equipment capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

“The Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu personally oversees the creation of the nuclear fortress in occupied Crimea,” Skybytsky said. “The transfer of Russia’s nuclear arsenal to the Crimea can cause an ecological disaster in the Black Sea basin as well as the entire European continent.”

Creating an ecological disaster also violates several environmental and sustainability accords that Russia signed in the recent past.

As for the situation in the Ukrainian peninsula, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister on Crimean Affairs, Georgiy Tuka, said the Russian government in Crimea has called for “military exercises, conducted on along the borderline of demarcation,” Ukrainian television channel 112 reported. Tuka said “in order not to put the civilian population in danger, the border crossings have been frozen.”

The Kherson region of Ukraine contains the country’s three official crossings into Crimea and the press secretary of the border service reported only one was functioning last week.

Eyewitnesses have reported large assortments of Russian military equipment located in the area of Armyansk and Dzhankoi, which is surrounded with military tanks and other equipment, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Nariman Dzhelyalov posted on Facebook.

Vice-President of the Congress of the Crimean Tatars Lenur Islyamov reported that people heard gunshots and saw several helicopters on the administrative border. He believes that the military exercises are carried out at the border.

“The Kherson border guards spotted nine Russian Mi-8 helicopters and two drones moving above the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, along the administrative border with mainland Ukraine,” Ukraine’s State Border Service stated. “The relevant units of armed forces were notified.”

Despite the precarious escalation, spokesman for the General Staff, Vladyslav Seleznyov, told Reuters late last week that Ukraine has the military resources to defend itself and is monitoring the situation around Crimea carefully.

While reading the news about the war last week, I saw that some reporters referred to it as the forgotten war. I disagree. It is not forgotten but rather it is disavowed, ignored and abandoned by many government leaders and pundits. The war in Ukraine has become an I-can’t-deal-with-this-conflict-anymore perhaps because one of the combatants, the perpetrator, is Russia, a country with an unstable leader with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

A worse conclusion would be if Putin overran Ukraine and threatened Poland and Eastern Europe while the free world panicked.

It has again come time for the free world to draw a line in the sand in eastern Ukraine and Crimea and forcefully tell Putin no more, no further and begin to push his army back to Russia. The free world must publicly call Russia Nazi Germany and Putin Hitler. The free world must increase sanctions against Russia to the breaking point, forbid all commerce with it and ban Russia and its citizens from all global events.

There is no alternative. Otherwise, future generations will say – if they are permitted – that Ukraine and the other x-captive nations were lost on our watch.

Trump Continues to Shock; Incurs Wrath of Americans

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump continues to shock partisan allies, American voters and the international community with his favorable comments about Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine mixed with poisonous observations about Ukraine.

Trump’s latest installment of preposterous remarks that demonstrate that he is so mentally deficient about Russia and Ukraine as to be incapable of ordinary reasoning began last Sunday during ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

Continuing to deny in the face of contradictory evidence that he has a relationship with the Russian dictator, Trump first admitted that his minions were involved in softening the GOP platform about Ukraine by eliminating references to lethal weapons but he explained that he was not involved.

Here’s the transcript that began with quotes about his representatives, who did not possess delegates’ mandates, manipulating the will of official Republican delegates and then it transitions to his support for Russian’s invasion of Crimea.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Then why did you soften the GOP platform on Ukraine?

TRUMP: I wasn't involved in that. Honestly, I was not involved.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Your people were.

TRUMP: Yes. I was not involved in that. I'd like to -- I'd have to take a look at it. But I was not involved in that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you know what they did?

TRUMP: They softened it, I heard, but I was not involved.

Is Trump, the micromanager, trying to convince voters that he knew what his people were going to do something shady but he was not personally involved while allowing them to sabotage the GOP’s official policy guidelines?

STEPHANOPOULOS: They took away the part of the platform calling for the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine to defend themselves. Why is that a good idea?

TRUMP: Well, look, you know, I have my own ideas. He's not going into Ukraine, OK? Just so you understand. He's not going to go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down and you can put it down, you can take it anywhere you want.

Trump said with a straight face during the broadcast that Putin is not going into Ukraine – meaning that the Russian army and its mercenary terrorists have not invaded Ukraine and seized control of two eastern oblasts, bringing all of Europe to the brink of a new war. Even the greatest cynics on earth have accepted that Russia invaded Ukraine. Satellite images show Russian soldiers, artillery and missiles in Ukraine, and numerous civilian and military eyewitnesses have testified to their presence.

And Trump denies it on national television.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, he's already there, isn't he?

TRUMP: OK, well, he's there in a certain way, but I'm not there yet. You have Obama there. And frankly, that whole part of the world is a mess under Obama, with all the strength that you're talking about and all of the power of NATO and all of this, in the meantime, he's going where -- he takes -- takes Crimea, he's sort of -- I mean...

In a certain way? What way would that be? Trump again tries to exonerate his buddy. The United Nations, the European Union, NATO, the United States and its allies, and other global groups have condemned Russia’s occupation of Crimea while Trump says Putin “sort of” took Crimea. Indeed, Trump has little respect for those institutions. Instead he favors an isolationist vision for America which would merely suit Putin. The last time the US hid behind an isolationist wall, Hitler came to power in Europe.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you said you might recognize that (Crimean occupation).

TRUMP: I'm going to take a look at it. But, you know, the people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were. And you have to look at that, also.

Where is Trump getting his information? Whose bidding will he do when he recognizes Russia’s invasion, occupation and then annexation of Crimea just like Hitler invaded and occupied Austria, Poland and other European countries? If Trump doesn’t have a relationship with Putin, as he claims, then he is certainly building the foundation for a lifelong bromance thanks to his absurd, dangerous comments that support Moscow’s arbitrary aggression.

And as for hearing that the people of Crimea would rather be with Russia, the source again must have been his pal Putin, certainly not Crimean Tatars who have been suffering ever since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in a fabricated referendum. Moscow’s domination has brought human and religious rights violations, disappearance of Crimean Tatar civic leaders and killings. It also destroyed the local economy and brought its military power to the Black Sea directly threatening Europe and the US Sixth Fleet.

As for the referendum, Halya Coynash of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, observed: “That event has never been recognized by any democratic country, and with good reason.  This was not only the fact that people were ‘voting’ surrounded by armed soldiers and paramilitaries, with the latter having already abducted and tortured to death at very least one peaceful protester Reshat Ametov.  The ‘referendum’ gave two options, with neither being to retain the status quo, and one referring to something few people would have understood.”

Crimean Tatars would be justified in inundating Trump Tower in New York City with boxloads of documented evidence of Russian repression on the Ukrainian peninsula.

Trump’s comments about reviewing US policy about Russia’s occupation of Crimea comes at a time when Putin announced the consolidation of Russia’s Southern and Crimean federal districts into the united Southern Federal District, shuffling and replacing several governors, local representatives and one ambassador. This imperialistic move, which has been condemned by Ukraine and other countries, further binds the Ukrainian peninsula with Russia.

Crimean Tatar Mejlis leader Refat Chubarov castigated the changes, saying: “Dark days are looming on Russian horizon.” Perhaps Chubarov wasn’t included in the survey of residents that Trump cited.

“This move indicates that Russian leadership plans to treat Crimea as every other Russian region where unified state policy is applied. It means ethnic, historic and cultural diversity in the region will exist as a cover until Crimea is cleared up to meet the Russian world standards. Nowadays everyone knows what these 'Russian standards' are and where Putin thinks they end,” Chubarov said.

Trump should expect another nice gift from Putin.

TRUMP: Now, that was under -- just so you understand, that was done under Obama's administration. And as far as the Ukraine is concerned, it's a mess. And that's under the Obama's administration, with his strong ties to NATO. So with all of these strong ties to NATO, Ukraine is a mess. Crimea has been taken. Don't blame Donald Trump for that.

Trump exonerated himself of any complicity with Russian aggressive designs, blamed Obama for what’s happening in that region of the world but simultaneously showed that he is incapable of understanding these events and unable or, more likely, unwilling to help because he believes it’s better to have a strong, friendly relationship with Russia. Trump is either totally ignorant or building a strong partnership with Putin, both of which make him unsuitable to be President of the United States.

Capitol Hill and American voters quickly reacted to Trump’s absurd comments. Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., a Democrat from New Jersey’s 9th CD and a member of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, who lambasted Trump on his anti-Ukraine position a couple of weeks ago, again castigated the GOP presidential hopeful. Last night he sent me this statement:

“This past weekend we again saw that in addition to Donald Trump’s difficulties mastering simple facts, he doesn’t think twice about regurgitating Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talking points on Crimea. It is simply irresponsible for Donald Trump to perpetuate the idea that the Kremlin has not violated the sovereign territory of another country by force. This runs counter to the current policies of the United States, our NATO allies, and even the Republican Party’s platform. These remarks, as well as his history of cavalier compliments for autocratic strongmen like Putin and chosen advisors, demonstrate that Donald Trump would be dangerous for protecting human rights and democracy around the world. I will continue to stand in strong support of the Ukrainian people by pushing for continued sanctions and relief, as they fight against the illegal invasion of its territorial integrity.”

In his statement, Pascrell also quoted Tamara Olexy, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, saying that Ukrainian American voters are very troubled by Trumps statements that he is considering recognizing Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea and even ending sanctions against Russia.

“These statements run counter to the Republican Platform that explicitly states, ‘We support maintaining and, if warranted, increasing sanctions, together with our allies, against Russia unless and until Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored.’ It seems that Candidate Trump has shown a reluctance to condemn Mr. Putin for his continuing war against Ukraine – a country that is currently on the frontlines of defense for Europe, America and the world.” She said.

The New Jersey lawmaker also cited Myroslaw Smorodsky, communications director of the Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA), saying that Americans of every ethnicity and political affiliation should be appalled by Trump’s reckless comments about Ukraine.

“Trump has displayed his inherent inability to observe and comprehend the reality of the historical events as they occur before his very eyes.  There is no reasonable doubt that Russia has -- in full view of the entire world -- illegally annexed Crimea and it is Russian military and mercenaries who are killing Ukrainian soldiers and civilians daily on Ukrainian soil.

“The issue before us is not whether we support or oppose either political party. This crucial question is about the future of the United States.  The issue is simply whether the next president of the United States will have the political foresight to comprehend the geo-political events occurring in the world and to take such steps as may be necessary to protect the United States of America.   Regrettably, Donald Trump’s myopic and distorted geo-political vision of the world - as displayed during his interview – does not engender any confidence whatsoever in his ability to be commander-in-chief of the United States of America.”

Ironically for conceitedly self-confident Trump, he manages to torpedo himself every time he expresses a comment or opinion on any topic. Hillary Clinton would do well for her campaign if she would issue a policy paper on Ukraine and Russia that reflects America’s genuine, traditional views on freedom, independence, sovereignty, democracy, the captive nations, aggression and tyranny.

Congressman Pascrell Lambasts Trump on anti-Ukraine Policy

Where are Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan when the former captive nations need them desperately? They’re all spinning in their graves listening to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump disparage them in favor of Russian dictator, imperialist and invader Vladimir Putin.

Hiring Paul Manafort, who worked as a consultant for Putin lapdog Viktor Yanukovych for 10 years, already sent a clear message to anyone who listened that Trump could care less about the winds of independence, sovereignty and democracy that swept across the former Soviet Russian empire and Eastern Europe 25 years ago. Trump doesn’t care that Manafort was working for Yanukovych during the Revolution of Dignity, when the Ukrainian despot he worked for, in collusion with Putin, killed more than 100 protesters in cold blood on the streets of the Ukrainian capital.

Since the start of the 2016 Presidential Campaign, Trump heaped praise on Putin while disregarding the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine and has been waging a war against it in violation of the UN Charter and resolutions and international law. Trump has discounted the defensive and political needs of the former captive nations.

He obviously didn’t have the slightest desire to form an appropriate plank in the GOP platform that would speak about these global issues. And the platform that was adopted on Monday, July 18, does not have a sentence of meaningful support for Ukraine and will be in opposition to all living and deceased GOP foreign policy leaders. Trump and his minions saw to that.

According to Josh Rogin, writing in The Washington Post on July 18, said: “The Trump campaign worked behind the scenes last week to make sure the new Republican platform won’t call for giving weapons to Ukraine to fight Russian and rebel forces.”

Apparently Trump’s capos, who weren’t GOP convention delegates, were directed to listen in on the foreign policy discussion of the platform committee and ensure that pro-Ukrainian references were toned down or eliminated.

Rogin wrote: “Inside the meeting, Diana Denman, a platform committee member from Texas who was a Ted Cruz supporter, proposed a platform amendment that would call for maintaining or increasing sanctions against Russia, increasing aid for Ukraine and ‘providing lethal defensive weapons’ to the Ukrainian military. ‘Today, the post­-Cold War ideal of a ‘Europe whole and free’ is being severely tested by Russia’s ongoing military aggression in Ukraine,’ the amendment was to read. ‘The Ukrainian people deserve our admiration and support in their struggle.’”

Great statement. It would have properly formulated a Republican statement about Ukraine in its war with Russia and its vision of addressing it.

However, Trump’s spies intervened. They convinced pro-Trump delegates to torpedo this proposal.

Denman told Rogin of this anti-Ukrainian ambush but it was too late to rectify the situation. She challenged Trump’s envoys by saying “What is your problem with a country that wants to remain free?” Indeed. Why does Trump dislike a country that seeks to be free? Except, of course, if it sought to be free of Russia.

An anti-Ukrainian plank meant a lot to the Republican nominee because his staffers wrote an amendment to Denman’s amendment that eradicated the call for “providing lethal defensive weapons” and replaced it with softer language that called for “appropriate assistance.”

Champagne bottles popped in the Kremlin.

“This is another example of Trump being out of step with GOP leadership and the mainstream in a way that shows he would be dangerous for America and the world,” Rachel Hoff, another platform committee member who was in the room told Rogin

Earlier in the campaign, Trump said he doesn’t care if Ukraine joins NATO and expressed disdain for supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia, saying it’s none of America’s business.

This evening I received an email from Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., a Democrat from New Jersey’s 9th CD and a member of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, who castigated Trump on his anti-Ukraine position. Pascrell wrote:

“Donald Trump’s continued impacts on the Republican Party seem to know no bounds. I am shocked to learn his campaign worked behind the scenes to water down language supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russian and rebel forces in their party platform. As someone whose top aide has long and deep reported ties to pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, and who had made cavalier compliments for brutal strongmen like President Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump’s rhetoric and actions shows he would be dangerous for protecting human rights and democracy across the globe. Instead of rolling back support for our allies in Ukraine that would strengthen Russia’s hand, it is vital the US act to prevent Ukraine from descending further into chaos. It is time we stand up in support of the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their freedom.”

Presidential campaigns bring to the surface a host of issues and all voters have personal hot button issues. This one is mine.

If you do not believe that there exists a very real Russian threat faced by Ukraine and the other former captive nations and you don’t support their triumph over Moscow, then vote for Putin … I mean, Trump.

If you do comprehend the needs and perils faced by Ukraine and the other former captive nations, then you should consider voting for Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton, who, at least on this issue, has a verified track record of supporting those countries that are endeavoring to build new sovereign, democratic lives for themselves after fleeing Russian bondage.