You Can’t Deal with a Dishonorable, Evil Country like russia

After more than 630 days of russia’s war against Ukraine, many around the world have become bored by moscow’s brutality and killings of innocent civilians. The war has even been downgraded by many news networks. People don’t understand it; they don’t want to comprehend it; it’s inconceivable. This group also includes U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Consequently, there are calls for talks, negotiations, settlements, or surrender regardless of the immorality of any submission to aggressor russia. Afterall, as Israel’s Gold Meir pointed out, you can’t negotiate with someone who wants to kill you: “To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be.” 

To those who have missed at least previous 30 years, here is a shortlist of the results of negotiations with russia that it never respected compiled by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and posted on his social media pages:

1. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994. Russia agreed to “respect independence, sovereignty, and the existing borders of Ukraine” as well as “refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.” Breached by Russia invading Crimea in 2014.

2. The Russian-Ukrainian Friendship Treaty of 1997. Russia agreed to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and “reaffirmed the inviolability of the borders” between the two countries. Russia breached it in 2014.

3. The OSCE Istanbul Summit in 1999. Russia committed to withdrawing its troops from Moldova’s Transdnistrian region and Georgia until the end of 2002. That never happened.

4. The 2008 Georgia ceasefire agreement following Russian aggression against the country. Russia agreed that “Russian military forces must withdraw to the lines prior to the start of hostilities.” That never happened.

5. The Ilovaysk “Green Corridor” in August 2014 and other “humanitarian” death corridors. Russia pledged to let Ukrainian forces leave the encircled town of Ilovaysk in the east of Ukraine, but instead opened fire and killed 366 Ukrainian troops. In the following years, Russia attacked numerous humanitarian corridors in Syria.

6. The “Minsk” agreements of 2014 and 2015. Russia agreed to cease the fire in the east of Ukraine. There had been 200 rounds of talks and 20 attempts to enforce a ceasefire, all of which the Russian side promptly violated. On February 24th, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

7. The 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative. Russia pledged to “provide maximum assurances regarding a safe and secure environment for all vessels engaged in this initiative.” It then hindered the initiative’s operation for months before withdrawing unilaterally a year later.

NB: Kuleba explained that he only focused on deals made with Russia to address specific issues and conflicts. He said he did not mention almost 400 international treaties that Russia has breached since 2014. There are no conclusions to be drawn here, Kuleba wrote, except that no one can seriously use the words “Russia” and “negotiations” in the same phrase. Putin is a habitual liar who promised international leaders that he would not attack Ukraine days before his invasion in February 2022.

Why would anyone genuinely believe that Russia in 2023 is any different from Russia in 1994, 1997, 1999, 2008, 2014, 2015, and 2022; or on November 2, 1708, when Russian troops under the command of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov captured and destroyed Ukrainian Hetman Mazepa’s capital of Baturyn, killing 9,000-15,000 civilians; or March 8-12, 1169, when prince Andrey Bogolyubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal, the precursor of russia sacked Kyiv a Ukrainian metropolis that in the 12^th century rivalled European capitals.

Russia’s tactics have remained consistent in its many wars since time immemorial: kill, grab, imprison, lie, and deny. Stand with Ukraine! Defeat russia!

Schumer at Holodomor Observance: Never Abandon Ukraine!

 

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine now as well as in the days of its subjugation, assured Ukrainian Americans gathered yesterday for the 90th Holodomor remembrance in New York City that he will never allow Ukraine to be abandoned by the United States.

“I pledge that as long as I am the majority leader in the US Senate, I will never allow America to abandon Ukraine,” promised Schumer, an annual speaker at these commemorative events.

The yearly remembrance of the murder by starvation of 7-10 million Ukrainian men, women, and children at the hands of russia is regularly organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America at the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Echoing the motto “Holodomor then; Genocide now; Justice when,” Schumer stated that nine decades ago Stalin failed in his twisted desire to annihilate Ukrainians by starving them to death while 90 years later russia invaded Ukraine to continue its diabolical plan to destroy the people and country.

“But just like stalin failed so too will putin fail,” Schumer said loudly to the crowd that filled the cathedral.

Schumer like other speakers at the observance equated crimes by Stalin and soviet russia with putin and contemporary russia. The kremlin’s mission is to erase everything Ukrainian from the face of the earth. Stalin weaponized food in 1932-33 just as putin is using food as a weapon today by sealing Ukraine’s grain ports.

Turning to russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Schumer pointed out that Ukraine is not demanding that American soldiers fight their battles. All Ukrainians want, he said, are weapons so that they can keep russia from rebuilding its empire. He said America must give Ukraine everything it needs without any conditions on aid.

“Today Ukraine is fighting for Poland and Eastern Europe and it’s fighting for America as well,” he declared. “By supporting Ukraine, we are supporting freedom and democracy.”

The ecumenical Moleben and Requiem was concelebrated by the Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Greek-Catholic Church, Archbishop Antony, Archbishop Daniel Zelinsky and Archbishop Borys Gudziak, and clergy. Archbishop-Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcomed the attendees. The assemblage was also addressed by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador Elisabeth Mallard, acting US representative to the UN Economic and Social Council, UCCA President Andrij Futey, and Michael Sawkiw, chairman of the US Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor Genocide Awareness and director of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS). The New York City “Dumka” chorus conducted by Vasyl Hrechynsky sang the religious responses.

The observance began with a procession from St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church on East Seventh Street and concluded with the attendees, led by Ukrainian diplomats, escorting a long blue and yellow banner from the cathedral's entrance to the altar.

90th Anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine

Each year Ukrainians around the world add another chronological notch in the timeline of their historical record of subjugation, death and now finally independence.

 

This year Ukrainians are commemorating the 90^th anniversary of the heinous, genocidal famine, the Holodomor, that russia inflicted upon their nation that brutally took the lives of 7-10 million men, women and children.

 

Reading about the Holodomor, you may wonder how a human being dies of starvation, especially when there is no chance of self-preservation, when death is inevitable for yourself and your spouse and children.

 

According to experts, as starvation progresses, the physical symptoms set in. The timing of these symptoms depends on age, size, and overall health. It usually takes days to weeks, and includes weakness, fast heart rate, shallow breaths that are slowed, thirst, and constipation. There may also be diarrhea in some cases. The eyes begin to sink in and glass over. The muscles begin to shrink and muscle wasting sets in. Tiredness and dizziness also commonly occur, especially from any physical task. The skin is often overly pale. One prominent sign in children is a swollen belly. Skin loosens and turns pale in color, and there may be swelling of the feet and ankles. If a person is dying from starvation, they may experience heart problems as well. Pain is not only determined by medical conditions that cause pain, like cancer or lung disease, but also by factors such as emotional distress, interpersonal conflicts, and the non-acceptance of one’s own premature, impending death.

 

But what do the experts know? Those who died of starvation never described their experiences, they don’t leave a record. They couldn’t even compare it with fasting for a few hours or days.

 

But the effect was undeniably catastrophic not only for the existing generation of Ukrainians but for subsequent ones as well. The birthrate, fertility and population were premeditatively decimated by russia because the kremlin rulers, stalin and others, couldn’t force the nation to succumb to their will.

 

Among the many writers who detailed the Holodomor was Nicholas Prychodko, an eyewitness. One of his articles on this and other topics of russian subjugation of Ukraine appeared on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the famine in the 1953 edition of The Ukrainian Quarterly. Here are a few salient passages of what he saw:

“In 1941, when Germans invaded Ukraine, they found in the Academy of Sciences in Kyiv the true statistics of the crops harvested in 1932. These figures proved that the yield was sufficient to feed the Ukrainian population for two years and four months and to seed all the fields. There was no natural cause for the famine. It was purposely created to break the resistance of the farmers to collectivization and to the russian colonial domination of Ukraine…

“Helpless, despairing, they died by thousands, by tens of thousands, by millions. The statistical bureaus were ordered to register the deaths as resulting from prevalent digestive ailments…

“Through the streets of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and other cities, the miserable hulks of humanity dragged themselves on swollen feet, begging for crusts of bread or searching for scraps on garbage heaps, frozen and filthy. Each morning wagons rolled through the streets collecting the bodies. Often even the undershirt had been stripped from the body to be exchanged for a piece of bread…

“At this time, a friend of mine worked as an assistant in the October Revolution Hospital. After completing his medical studies in 1931 he worked in the surgical department. One evening he invited me to visit him in the hospital and promised me an unusual spectacle. When I arrived, he gave me a doctor’s white smock to put on and took me to a large garage in the yard. A guard unlocked the door and we entered. My friend switched on the light, and I beheld an unforgettable picture of horror.

“Piled like cordwood against the walls, layer upon layer, were the frozen corpses of the victims picked off the streets that morning. Some of the bodies, I later learned, were used for dissection and experiments in the laboratories. The rest were simply buried in the pits at midnight in nearby ravines out of sight of the people.

“This,” my friend whispered softly, “is the fate of our villages.”

“I was too unnerved to utter a word. With unbelieving eyes, I could only stare at hundreds of outstretched frozen hands which still seemed to be begging for bread; begging for life.

“My friend turned out the lights and we left without a word. The guard slammed the door shut and locked it behind us. Slowly we walked home, speechless and shaken, but with a mutual understanding between us…

“My son, my darling. Where will I bury you and where shall I find my own grave?

“In this way 1933 brought death to the villages of Ukraine. Many places which had formerly boasted of populations from 2,500 to 3,000 now counted but 200 to 300 inhabitants. Later the government brought colonies of russians to these villages to occupy the vacant homes and to this day they plow and till the rich black soil of Ukraine.

“The tougher farmers who had somehow survived the fatal famine and lived to see the following harvest were sentenced to 10 years of Siberian slave labor if they so much as picked a handful of wheat ears to chew the half-ripened kernels for nourishment. This crime was branded, ‘theft of socialist property.’

Over seven million Ukrainians died in that artificially created famine. If the statement seems far-fetched one need only look in the ‘Small Soviet Encyclopedia,’ 1940 edition, and under the heading ‘Ukraine’ note this fact: in the 1927 census Eastern (Soviet) Ukraine had a population of 32 million; in 1939 (12 years later) it had only 28 million. Where did the 4 million disappear and where was the natural increase in population which should have numbered about 6-7 million? The answer is: the famine and Siberia.

Unable to tolerate further the tragic plight of their people, two of Ukraine’s outstanding ardent communists, the writer Mykola Khvylovy and Mykola Skrypnyk, former friend of Lenin and at that time commissar of education, who had upheld the revolution with heart and soul, committed suicide. They had realized too late the falsity, the duplicity of communist ideals which they had so earnestly believed in and preached.”

Despite the efforts by russia and its lackeys in the west, such as Walter Duranty, Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times, to deny the famine, in time the world learned about one of the greatest crimes against humanity – the planned annihilation of a nation.

Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish scholar who coined the term “genocide” and initiated the Genocide Convention, wrote that the Holodomor “is a classic example of the soviet genocide, the longest and most extensive experiment in russification, namely the extermination of the Ukrainian nation.” According to Lemkin, the Holodomor consisted of four steps: the decimation of the Ukrainian national elites, the destruction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the starvation of the Ukrainian farming population, and its replacement with non-Ukrainians from the russian SFSR and elsewhere.

Lemkin estimated the losses of the Holodomor at 5 million. He considered this famine to be a step in the long sequence of genocidal events that also included forced emigration, destruction of the intellectual elite, religious persecution, and mass shootings of the people of Ukraine.

Annual rallies, requiems and resolutions are still needed to honor the memory of the millions of Ukrainians who suffered and continue to suffer under the russia’s policy of using starvation as a weapon to try to break the independent spirit and identity of the Ukrainian nation. Raising awareness about the Holodomor can help keep russian or other tyrants from repeating this ugly chapter in world history and painful chapter in Ukrainian history.

Out of the 195 countries of the world, these UN member-states and others have recognized the Holodomor as genocide on the state level: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Ukraine, USA, Vatican City, Wales  as well as the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Additionally, 31 US states as well as many local communities have issued proclamations recognizing the Holodomor as genocide.

With russia’s war raging in Ukraine as living proof of its genocidal policy the question persists, where are the others?

As Ukraine continues to fight today to defend its independence and sovereignty in the face of russian aggression, any resolution serves as an even more important reminder of the horrible atrocities inflicted upon Ukraine and the perseverance of nation that has proven its spirit cannot be broken.

Today, for the 90^th time we remember the victims of the famine who were killed and support the efforts of the Ukrainian nation in Ukraine and elsewhere to bring global awareness to its battle, particularly as the world confronts russian aggression on several fronts.

On Saturday, November 18, if you’re in New York City, please join for an ecclesiastical Moleben-Requiem for the victims, survivors, and families of this tragedy at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 1 pm.

War in Ukraine Stagnating? Don’t Kid Yourselves

A group of congressmen sent a letter to President Biden urging him to downgrade support for Ukraine in favor of Israel because russia’s war in Ukraine has been stagnant for several months.

Those lawmakers must be influenced by russian propaganda, or they haven’t registered themselves as operatives of a foreign state – russia. Nothing could be farther from the truth about their conviction. The russian war is still raging in Ukraine but the lion’s share of coverage today is about Hamas’ brutality against Israel and its efforts to defend itself. Proponents of support or no support should take note that russia and iran figure predominantly in both wars.

Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) led seven of his colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to decouple supplemental funding for Israel from a larger package that includes additional funds for Ukraine. They argued, among other points, that Israel is more deserving because it has a 75-year track record of being America’s greatest ally. And apparently, as they say in ethnic communities, Ukraine is chopped liver.

“[T]he unique conditions present in Ukraine and in Israel are such that support for each should be considered separately and on their own merits. Israel and the United States have been allies for nearly 75 years…Furthermore, the situation in Israel is dynamic and threatens to pull the entire region into disarray whereas the fronts in Ukraine have remained largely stagnant for some months,” wrote Garcia and his colleagues in his letter of October 31.

They contend that in today’s political environment on The Hill, the President’s policy is “risking the possibility that important funding for Israel’s defense will be delayed or defeated because of opposition in the House and Senate to your ‘blank check’ strategy in Ukraine.”

While pointing out that “Israel and Ukraine must both be victorious, that much is clear,” the lawmakers, themselves, are endangering such an outcome while virtually ensuring a russian victory in both theaters of war.

The legislators also insisted that President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explain what would happen if American investments into Ukraine cease. This question has been answered numerous times by both Presidents, US military commanders, the former captive nations on Ukraine’s border, and civic groups such as the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Information Service. If you don’t know the answer by now, then you don’t care to know. Without so-called US humanitarian and military aid into Ukraine, Ukraine will cease to exist, russia’s power and prestige will encircle the world, and America’s future will be perennially threatened by countries large and small.

The naysaying congressmen naively maintain that Biden and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy must provide Congress with a win strategy and its price tag. Russia’s war against Ukraine is still ongoing and perhaps less fluid than in the past. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are scoring major victories against russian cutthroats in uniform on land, air and sea even though the invaders continue to slaughter innocent Ukrainian civilians. Furthermore, how can lawmakers demand a price tag for victory without considering the price tag of defeat?

The letter was also signed by Republican congressmen Tom McClintock (CA), Doug LaMalfa (CA), Ralph Norman (SC), Brad R. Wenstrup (OH), Adrian Smith (NE), C. Scott Franklin (FL), and Dan Meuser (PA).

The prevarications by opponents can only prolong the agony of russia’s war, kill more innocent civilians and children, raise global tensions, and contribute to Ukraine’s defeat and moscow’s victory.

As for the so-called stagnation, Moscow fired millions of shells on cities, towns and villages yesterday – more than on any single day so far this year – reducing some to rubble across the eastern and southern parts of the country. This probably means that russia received a new delivery of iranian drones and missiles. In the past 24 hours, russians shelled 118 settlements in 10 regions. This latest barrage came as President Zelenskyy criticized the world’s expectations of a speedy victory on the battlefield.

In response to growing criticism of Kyiv’s counteroffensive, Zelenskyy said: “The modern world is set up in such a way that it becomes accustomed to success quickly. When the full-scale aggression began, many in the world did not think Ukraine would endure.”

If you dig into your favorite news outlet, you’ll spot stories about greater or lesser russian missile attacks against Ukrainian non-military targets. But fresh stories about the war in Israel appear ahead of the 21-month long russian war against Ukraine.

Nonetheless russian killers in Ukraine don’t only conduct widescale attacks. The other day the media reported that the invaders killed a Ukrainian family of nine while sleeping, including two young children, because they refused to turn over their home to russian soldiers. Photos of blood-splattered rooms appeared with the stories.

The United Nations also underscored the lack of stagnation or a lull in the war. The UN pointed out earlier this week that Russian strikes are inflicting unimaginable suffering on Ukrainians and more than 40% of them need humanitarian assistance, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday.

Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination in the UN humanitarian office, said thousands of civilians have been killed in strikes on homes, schools, fields and markets since russia’s invasion in February 2022. The UN human rights office has formally verified 9,900 civilians killed, but he said, “the actual number is certainly higher.”

Ukrainian civilians are suffering “horrendous humanitarian consequences” and “unimaginable levels of suffering” from the russian strikes, Rajasingham said. About 18 million Ukrainians — more than 40% of the population — need some form of humanitarian assistance, and as winter approaches “needs will be magnified,” he said.

Rajasingham said considerable damage and destruction of critical infrastructure continues to severely impact civilian access to electricity, heating, water, and telecommunications, “a particular concern as winter fast approaches,” which will put the elderly, disabled and displaced most at risk.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ), a staunch supporter of the Ukrainian nation since the days of subjugation, lambasted Republicans on Capitol Hill for their manipulation of the issues. “There is no issue, not even an international catastrophe, that House Republicans will not manipulate,” said Pascrell. “Advancing a partisan bill now is a disgrace and will not help Israelis. The bill will also not help Palestinians, it will not help Ukrainians and it will harm regular Americans. This proposal is a toxic political document designed to use the situation in the Middle East to cut taxes for the rich. And by the way: Republicans would add to the deficit by helping destroy IRS tax enforcement. I cannot say I am surprised, but I am still almost speechless by the audacity. There is no bottom for House Republicans.”

In reality, the only end game in this bloody catastrophe is the total and unconditional surrender or defeat of russia. It’s belligerent behavior toward Ukraine has been going on too long for a ceasefire, truce or armistice to save Ukrainian lives, safeguard the infrastructure and ensure the longevity of Ukrainian independent statehood.

American support and firepower while the Ukrainian nation – officials, armed forces and civilians – vanquishes the russian invaders will ensure that conclusion.

Call your congressman/woman about importance of supporting Ukraine or else russians will spread confusion on Capitol Hill.

US must Keep Its Eye on the Ball – Ukraine

With the legislative calamity in Congress still not fully resolved, it is highly likely that Ukraine may not merely be put on the backburner but will rather unfortunately for all fall through the cracks.

This would not only endanger Ukraine’s ability to defeat #russia and save its sovereign independence but its consequences would also reverberate around the world. Washington’s ability to conduct even diplomatic relations with russia, a country and regime that is awash in blood, war crimes and repression, would be harmed. Its reputation for safeguarding downtrodden countries and nations would be called into question. Washington would be behind the eight ball on the world stage.

The dozen former captive nations that today are fiercely in Ukraine’s corner would lose their current ability to serve as a military and political bulwark against moscow’s further encroachments against the free world. Their implied military and political dome against russian aggression would quickly turn into a sieve.

Red China, North Korea, Syria, and other countries are chomping at the bit as they await America’s historic debacles. Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Johnny-come-lately terrorist gangs would be emboldened to launch greater missile strikes against neighbors they dislike. Iran would be earning more money manufacturing drones and missiles rather than pumping oil.

And russia would bask in the sunshine of its re-congealing diabolical holy mother empire. Russia’s target isn’t merely Ukraine;but rather it’s the West and Western unity. Supporting Ukraine means opposing global terrorism and aggression. All of America’s existing adversaries would become powerful enemies.

Two weeks ago, President Biden convincingly assured supporters, naysayers, enemies, and others that he and his Administration are solidly on the side of Ukraine as the Ukrainian nation is engaged in its ultimate, unavoidable existential war against its age-old nemesis – russia. He reminded the world that “Hamas and putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy — completely annihilate it.”

America’s commander in chief emphasized that it is in America’s national security interest to defend Ukraine. He also assured allies near and far that the United States will stand with Ukraine, so russia won’t embark on a course of invading and conquering the neighboring former captive nations.

Biden also announced that he would ask Congress for an historical amount of money to help Ukraine and Israel, which turned out to be $105 billion.

That humanitarian, political and military support would be for naught if the US Congress balks at supporting Ukraine in its existential war with russia.

This battle that is being waged in Ukraine – and in Israel – is the direct consequence of russia’s ceaseless megalomaniac desire to rule the world, not be an equal partner of other countries in all fields of endeavor. The kremlin’s leaders from the tyrant putin to the far-flung villages support the policy of invading, battling, and subjugating all nations in their path. This certainly is not in America’s national interest. An equally powerful adversary is tolerable in the grand scheme of things but not one that is hell-bent on world domination and not afraid to use any weapon in its arsenal to attain that.

The division among lawmakers regarding supporting Ukraine or not is confusing. It leads many to wonder what happened to the conservative congressmen and women like Goldwater, Nixon, Reagan, and McCain who valued the need to support the captive nations later free nations as they sought to rid themselves of russia’s yolk? They understood that by protecting those nations and by standing up to russia’s designs would keep American soldiers from fighting again in Europe.

This war against russia will be won by Ukrainians’ blood and guts. All Ukraine needs is America’s back. As President Biden confirmed, “Ukraine is asking for is help — for the weapons, munitions, the capacity, the capability to push invading russian forces off their land, and the air defense systems to shoot down russian missiles before they destroy Ukrainian cities.”

Furthermore, this isn’t taking a toll on the American budget at a time when there are other legitimate considerations. Biden said America is sending to Ukraine equipment sitting in our stockpiles. “And when we use the money allocated by Congress, we use it to replenish our own stores — our own stockpiles with new equipment — equipment that defends America and is made in America.”

In other words, it helps American labor.

We’re heading toward elections later this month and then the big one, the Presidential Elections in 2024. The question of Ukraine is not a partisan issue even tough President Biden set the bar high. Ukrainian Americans and kindred souls like Polish, Lithuanian, Latvia, Estonian and others will certainly remember their representatives when it comes time to pull the lever. And if you’re on Ukraine’s side, the lever will be pulled in your favor.

UN Says russian Crimes against Humanity in Ukraine Persist at ungodly Levels

The United Nations has uncovered additional heinous examples of premeditated and organized russian crimes against humanity and war crimes perpetrated during its latest war against Ukraine.

The 18-page report of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine on the situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the russian aggression was released on October 19, 2023, and transmitted to the UN General Assembly.

The report paints a gruesome picture of the violent and bloody environment in which unarmed Ukrainian civilians have found themselves during the past 20 months of russian occupation of northern, eastern and southern Ukraine, including Crimea. It demonstrates that in Ukraine today the age-old concept of collateral damage is nonexistent because noncombatants are indiscriminately targeted by russian cutthroats as are combatants. The victims of inhumane acts are men and women, seniors and young boys and girls.

The UN investigated unlawful attacks with explosive weapons and their impact on civilians, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and kidnapping, transfers and deportations of children.

The report stated “As the armed conflict continues in its second year, it has further contributed to suffering and hardship for thousands of affected civilians. The Commission has found new evidence that russian authorities have committed violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law, and corresponding crimes, in areas that came under their control in Ukraine. It documented additional indiscriminate attacks by Russian armed forces, which have led to deaths and injuries of civilians and the destruction and damage of civilian objects.

“The collected evidence further shows that russian authorities have committed the war crimes of willful killing, torture, rape and other sexual violence, and the deportation of children to the russian Federation. The Commission’s investigations confirmed its previous finding that russian authorities have used torture in a widespread and systematic way in various types of detention facilities which they maintained. Interviews with victims and witnesses illustrated a profound disregard towards human dignity by russian authorities in these circumstances. The Commission also documented cases in which russian soldiers burst into houses of villages they occupied, raped women and a girl, and committed additional war crimes against the victims and their family members.”

For example, the Commission concluded that russian uniformed cutthroats, in violation of international humanitarian law, conducted an indiscriminate attack on a residential building in Uman city and failed to take feasible precautions to ensure that the objective was not civilian. In other words, the invaders didn’t care that it was not a military target. The Commission also determined that so-called russian soldiers have carried out indiscriminate attacks on the ATB supermarket and the OKKO gas station, have likely also carried out the attack that hit the Railway Station, all in Kherson city, and failed to take precautions to verify that the objectives are not civilian.

Torture of civilians has not been uncommon, the Commission reported: “In its report to the Human Rights Council, the Commission found that torture was widely used by Russian authorities in seven provinces of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation and detailed how it was practiced in detention facilities.13 During its second mandate, the Commission has continued to document the use of torture against numerous persons in additional detention centers in Ukraine. It focused on areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces, which were controlled by Russian authorities for long periods of time. The new evidence is consistent with and reinforces the Commission’s previous finding that the Russian authorities’ use of torture was widespread and systematic.”

Furthermore, the Commission established that “Victims of torture recounted how severe physical and mental pain and suffering was inflicted upon them during confinement and interrogation. Torture often led to long-term physical and psychological trauma for the victims and their loved ones. A victim who had been subjected to electric shocks stated: ‘Every time I answered that I didn’t know or didn’t remember something, they gave me electric shocks. […] I don’t know how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity.’ The victim reported not being able to walk properly for days and suffering from deep anxiety in the aftermath. The husband of a victim, confined in a neighboring cell while she was tortured, said: ‘I will never forget her screaming of pain.’”

Several victims cited by the Commission mentioned the existence of “torture rooms” or “interrogation rooms.” One witness described how he was brought to a room where he saw tools apparently used for torture; he mentioned plyers, knives, saws, cutters, and a metal device with wires for electrocution.

Rape figured prominently in the russians’ bag of crimes. The Commission investigated reports of rape committed during detention. “Several former detainees, men and women, reported threats of rape and other sexual violence, against themselves, as well as their families and loved ones. For instance, a young woman stated that during interrogation, a russian authority warned that if she did not reveal names of informants of Ukrainian armed forces, he would bring 20-30 men to rape her. A man was told that his fiancée would be gang raped if he did not provide the required information. One former male detainee received threats to be thrown among regular prisoners who would rape him. Another former detainee mentioned threats of having his genitals cut off.” In some cases, the same perpetrator raped the victim two or more times. In two cases, perpetrators gang-raped the victims. One of the victims and her husband were shot dead by Russian soldiers after they reported the rape.

Kidnapping was also related by a host of victims. “The Commission identified three main situations in which russian authorities have transferred Ukrainian unaccompanied children from one area they controlled in Ukraine to another or to the russian federation. Transfers affected children who lost parents or contact with them during hostilities; who were separated following the detention of a parent; and children in institutions. It found that in some of the cases it investigated, such transfers occurred in violation of international humanitarian law and qualified as unlawful transfers or deportations, which is a war crime.”

Among the Commission's recommendations, as naïve as they sound, are demands that russia immediately Cease aggression and all acts of violence committed against civilians in violation of applicable international human rights and international humanitarian law and end the use of torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and other forms of ill-treatment.

It recommends, among other things, that Ukraine: As a preliminary step towards a comprehensive reparations program, establish a victims’ registry as an ‘institutional portal’ for better coordination of government services to victims; Comprehensively address mental health and psychosocial needs resulting from the armed conflict by tackling access and allocation of resources to the relevant services as well as enhancing their institutional coordination, legal regulation, monitoring, and evaluation; and consider establishing a DNA registry which would aid in the identification and recovery of missing children.

Finally, the Commission recommends that other states and regional and international organizations: Strengthen national, regional and international accountability mechanisms, both judicial and non-judicial, including by improving their coordination, and supporting the effective participation of civil society and groups representing victims and survivors; and ensure that all perpetrators, particularly commanders and other superiors, and those ordering, soliciting or inducing the commission of international crimes, are held accountable in accordance with international human rights standards.

The historic magnitude of these war crimes, perpetrated with the blessing of the russian leadership, certainly requires all russian officials from the kremlin to the village be served with arrest warrants, tried, sentenced, and executed like the nazis were before them.

President Biden Gets It!

For the past 600 days at least, President Biden has led the global crusade on behalf of Ukraine in its ongoing cold or hot, political or military battle against russia. However, in the wake of his Oval Office address to the American people last week, the President of the United States undeniably assured supporters, naysayers, enemies and others that he and his Administration are solidly on the side of Ukraine as the Ukrainian nation is engaged in its ultimate, unavoidable existential war against its age-old nemesis – russia.

Extolling the singular greatness of the United States in a unique bipartite mission of aiding Ukraine and Israel, President Biden pledged unceasing support for Ukraine and Israel as he said russia wants to annihilate Ukraine while Hamas simultaneously wants to annihilate Israel. Connect the dots between bloodshed in Ukraine and Israel and you’ll see what’s happening: Russia plus Hamas plus Iran the arms supplier are committed to annihilating Ukraine and Israel.

“Hamas and putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy — completely annihilate it,” the President said last Thursday, October 19.

America’s commander-in-chief emphasized that it is in America’s national security interest to defend Ukraine. He also assured allies near and far that the United States will stand with Ukraine, so russia won’t embark on a course of invading and conquering the neighboring former captive nations.

“So, if we don’t stop putin’s appetite for power and control in Ukraine, he won’t limit himself just to Ukraine. He’s — putin has already threatened to ‘remind’ — quote, ‘remind’ Poland that their western land was a gift from Russia,” Biden said. “One of his top advisors, a former president of russia, has called Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania russia’s ‘Baltic provinces.’  These are all NATO Allies.”

This isn’t a partisan observation but rather an obvious affirmation that the President gets it about Ukraine and Middle East better than the Republicans on Capitol Hill. The President espoused geopolitical themes that have been promoted for years by The Torn Curtain 1991 as well as Ukraine’s former captive-nation neighbors. He gets it who’s the enemy – russia, who needs to be supported – Ukraine, and who needs to be defeated – russia.

“You know, the assault on Israel echoes nearly 20 months of war, tragedy, and brutality inflicted on the people of Ukraine — people that were very badly hurt since putin launched his all-out invasion,” Biden said. “We’ve have not forgotten the mass graves, the bodies found bearing signs of torture, rape used as a weapon by the Russians, and thousands and thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken into Russia, stolen from their parents. It’s sick.”
Despite putin’s propaganda threat, Biden declared that the United States and its allies are not withdrawing from Ukraine.

Alluding to russia’s faltering invasion, Biden said that when putin invaded Ukraine, he claimed russia would take Kyiv and all of Ukraine in a matter of days. “Well, over a year later, putin has failed, and he continues to fail. Kyiv still stands because of the bravery of the Ukrainian people,” he said. “Ukraine has regained more than 50 percent of the territory russian troops once occupied, backed by a U.S.-led coalition of more than 50 countries around the world all doing its part to support Kyiv.”

Toward the end of his address, Biden announced that the next day he would ask Congress for an historical amount of money to help Ukraine and Israel, which turned out to be $105 billion.

“All Ukraine is asking for is help — for the weapons, munitions, the capacity, the capability to push invading russian forces off their land, and the air defense systems to shoot down russian missiles before they destroy Ukrainian cities,” he said.

Turning to domestic critics of his stalwart support for Ukraine that claim he is draining the country of needed funds, Biden pointed out that “We send Ukraine equipment sitting in our stockpiles. And when we use the money allocated by Congress, we use it to replenish our own stores — our own stockpiles with new equipment — equipment that defends America and is made in America: Patriot missiles for air defense batteries made in Arizona; artillery shells manufactured in 12 states across the country — in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas; and so much more. You know, just as in World War Two, today, patriotic American workers are building the arsenal of democracy and serving the cause of freedom.”

With russian boots still on Ukraine’s historic, highly fertile black earth, the Republican opposition growing in Congress, and war fatigue spreading, President Biden’s emphatic words assured the world that with America firmly on Ukraine’s side, it will certainly triumph.