Our hearts beat and our souls bleed for the people of Ukraine. They are showing courage and a desire for freedom and democracy beyond what many would be able to muster who have never faced what Ukrainians are currently facing. We provide what we can in support of their fight. However, it remains not enough. This is a struggle that will endure far beyond what Putin imagined and we, as Ukrainians have already shown they are, must be prepared to endure it whatever the length and however great the suffering and tragedy.
Putin mistakenly believed the world would look away. Do not look away. Do not refuse to watch and understand what he is doing. We must all be as strong as the Ukrainian people and show the world that democracy endures as an essential aspiration of all. Autocracies and autocrats will not prevail. Human spirit endures and we are ready for the struggle.
‘…a handful of key leaders — notably including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — were reluctant to proceed with some of the harshest proposals.'
'Talk of barring Russia from the global financial messaging system known as SWIFT, however, stalled amid skepticism on the part of Scholz and the leaders of Austria, Italy and Cyprus, according to officials familiar with the deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.'
'Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dialed into the meeting via teleconference with a bracing appeal that left some of the world-weary politicians with watery eyes. In just five minutes, Zelensky — speaking from the battlefield of Kyiv — pleaded with European leaders for an honest assessment of his country’s ambition to join the E.U. and for genuine help in its fight with the Russian invaders. Food, ammunition, fuel, sanctions — Ukraine needed its European neighbors to step up with all of it.'
“It was extremely, extremely emotional,” said a European official briefed on the call. “He was essentially saying: ‘Look, we are here dying for European ideals.”
Before disconnecting the video call, Zelensky told the gathering matter-of-factly that it might be the last time they saw him alive, according to a senior E.U. official who was present.
Just that quickly, the Ukrainian president’s personal appeal overwhelmed European leaders’ resistance to imposing measures that could drive the Russian economy into a state of near collapse.' (WashingtonPost)
The west was never able to read the horrors of Eastern Europe because these countries were occupied after wwii. Stanislav Aseyev‘s writing gives a sense of what the Ukrainians (and Poles) were subjected to. Aseyev’s account of the purpose of torture to humiliate and break the individual brings to mind “Alyo” the Russian slang call for “hello” called out before shooting a Katyn prisoner in the back of the head. If the spirit of Ukrainians survived the constant and prolonged assault of the Soviet era, they can be so passionately strong.
Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia and many more states were ALLIES of Hitler. They deserved to be occupied. They assisted Hitler in killing 20 million Russians and 6 million Jews.
I am glad the world appears to be in a different place today with regard to Putin and his war. I listened to the Bundestag Sondersitzung today from German language media. Finally, I felt proud of what they have done in the past 24 hours. It has been embarrassing since the threats began. I have a deep concern for the Ukrainians who will go to Pripyat for "talks". I keep remembering how things happen - like airplane crashes with political leadership on board. I personally do not believe anything can come of these talks because Putin wants all of Ukraine. The only way he'll even begin to get it is if he can "decapitate" the elected leadership and bring such violence upon the population they must hide. Right now however, my heart has hope that Putin and his army will be turned back from their intentions. The question then will be: how to defang the poisonous snake burrowed into the heart of Europe.
I just read your newsletter and read the excerpt you referred to written by the young man who was tortured and raped. The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened, my blood pressure rose. The cruelty towards its own citizens is unconscionable! May these particular Russians suffer a fortunate fate.
I meant to ask: How does one order the book? I have looked at the links you provided. Maybe you can give that info in another post. But, since I cannot read Ukrainian or Russian, I can read German, I wonder if it is an English translation. The excerpt was horrifying.
Thanks. I did look at the website - perhaps I can send an email to them. Wonder if The New York Review of Books would consider working on getting this title? Since you often have articles in that publication, perhaps that would offer an angle on accessibility in the U.S. BTW, I am (re) reading The Road to Unfreedom. My Lord! I hope folks in our government and other governments are reading this book.
"In the artillery war that followed, much of Donetsk was destroyed"
That's just wrong, Donetsk never experienced an artillery war and had not much of it destroyed, it was not even partially destroyed, it was indeed hit by some shells, but to such minor degree that russian troops had to do shelling of Donetsk themselves, there were multiple investigations and call intercepts about such cases.
Why is he (the guy whose book you referred to) being tortured. I know that bashing Russia is the persecution de jour, but no matter how bad the big bad bear allegedly is, I hardly think that they would torture people just for the hell of it. Would you have us believe that they are Jews. I am a Jew. I am of Eastern European extraction. We know that as the Panzers swarmed East, The Red Army evacuated Jews. And we also know that Ukrainians were among the most enthusiastic supporters of Hitler's plan to made Europe "Judenrein."
I would like to understand a few things. In 1989, Pres Bush pledged Nato would not move any further East. Why did the US lie about its intentions, just as Hitler lied at Munich. And what is Russia to make of the incotporation of so many of Hitler's allies into NATO. Rumania was an ally of Hitler; Antonescu famously had ads in the NY Times to the effect that they would sell Jews to the US at the rate of 100 dollars a Jew. (The other Jews were killed). Hungary was an ally of Hitler. Hell, it was ruled by Admiral Horthy, a fascist, and he came to power in the 20's long before Hitler. And I have another question: NATO was formed to defend Europe and Amerikkka against communist aggression. After the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO has only grown , like a cancer, going further and futher East like a ghoulish visitation of barbarosa and the accursed teutonic knights. For a change of pace, consider this https://davidgottfried.substack.com/p/the-lie-that-is-bigger-than-trumps?s=w or https://davidgottfried.substack.com/p/kyle-rittenhouse-is-the-horst-wessel?s=w
Our hearts beat and our souls bleed for the people of Ukraine. They are showing courage and a desire for freedom and democracy beyond what many would be able to muster who have never faced what Ukrainians are currently facing. We provide what we can in support of their fight. However, it remains not enough. This is a struggle that will endure far beyond what Putin imagined and we, as Ukrainians have already shown they are, must be prepared to endure it whatever the length and however great the suffering and tragedy.
Putin mistakenly believed the world would look away. Do not look away. Do not refuse to watch and understand what he is doing. We must all be as strong as the Ukrainian people and show the world that democracy endures as an essential aspiration of all. Autocracies and autocrats will not prevail. Human spirit endures and we are ready for the struggle.
‘…a handful of key leaders — notably including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — were reluctant to proceed with some of the harshest proposals.'
'Talk of barring Russia from the global financial messaging system known as SWIFT, however, stalled amid skepticism on the part of Scholz and the leaders of Austria, Italy and Cyprus, according to officials familiar with the deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.'
'Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dialed into the meeting via teleconference with a bracing appeal that left some of the world-weary politicians with watery eyes. In just five minutes, Zelensky — speaking from the battlefield of Kyiv — pleaded with European leaders for an honest assessment of his country’s ambition to join the E.U. and for genuine help in its fight with the Russian invaders. Food, ammunition, fuel, sanctions — Ukraine needed its European neighbors to step up with all of it.'
“It was extremely, extremely emotional,” said a European official briefed on the call. “He was essentially saying: ‘Look, we are here dying for European ideals.”
Before disconnecting the video call, Zelensky told the gathering matter-of-factly that it might be the last time they saw him alive, according to a senior E.U. official who was present.
Just that quickly, the Ukrainian president’s personal appeal overwhelmed European leaders’ resistance to imposing measures that could drive the Russian economy into a state of near collapse.' (WashingtonPost)
heartache
‘…thinking is always difficult and unpleasant.’ (Aseyev, from interview after excerpt from cited book). Whew.
Like his puppet, Lardo Lardass, the Jefe of Mar A Lardo, everything Putin touches dies.
The west was never able to read the horrors of Eastern Europe because these countries were occupied after wwii. Stanislav Aseyev‘s writing gives a sense of what the Ukrainians (and Poles) were subjected to. Aseyev’s account of the purpose of torture to humiliate and break the individual brings to mind “Alyo” the Russian slang call for “hello” called out before shooting a Katyn prisoner in the back of the head. If the spirit of Ukrainians survived the constant and prolonged assault of the Soviet era, they can be so passionately strong.
Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia and many more states were ALLIES of Hitler. They deserved to be occupied. They assisted Hitler in killing 20 million Russians and 6 million Jews.
I am glad the world appears to be in a different place today with regard to Putin and his war. I listened to the Bundestag Sondersitzung today from German language media. Finally, I felt proud of what they have done in the past 24 hours. It has been embarrassing since the threats began. I have a deep concern for the Ukrainians who will go to Pripyat for "talks". I keep remembering how things happen - like airplane crashes with political leadership on board. I personally do not believe anything can come of these talks because Putin wants all of Ukraine. The only way he'll even begin to get it is if he can "decapitate" the elected leadership and bring such violence upon the population they must hide. Right now however, my heart has hope that Putin and his army will be turned back from their intentions. The question then will be: how to defang the poisonous snake burrowed into the heart of Europe.
After doing a title search at amazon and coming up with nothing, I did an author search and found this: "In Isolation: Dispatches from Occupied Donbas" (Harvard Library of Ukrainian Literature), which is to be published on 4/19/22 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674268792/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I pre-ordered it ($19.95). I found a review of both books by journalist Ian Birrell, who is stationed in Kyiv and was in Donetsk in 2014 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10324473/Putins-torture-chamber-No-3-Paradise-Street-Journalist-details-secret-military-camps-Ukraine.html). Mr Birrell interviewed Stanislav Aseyev in December 2021, and the review contains some of their conversations.
I ordered "Words for War: New Poems from Ukraine," on Feb. 17 (Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard). It is due to arrive on 3/5. All of the book's poems are about the 2014 invasion and occupation (https://www.amazon.com/Words-War-Ukraine-Ukrainian-Studies/dp/1618118617/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IHCRD1Z9NWJQ&keywords=Words+for+War+%3A+New+Poems+from+Ukraine&qid=1646069669&s=books&sprefix=words+for+war+new+poems+from+ukraine+%2Cstripbooks%2C181&sr=1-1).
I just read your newsletter and read the excerpt you referred to written by the young man who was tortured and raped. The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened, my blood pressure rose. The cruelty towards its own citizens is unconscionable! May these particular Russians suffer a fortunate fate.
I meant to ask: How does one order the book? I have looked at the links you provided. Maybe you can give that info in another post. But, since I cannot read Ukrainian or Russian, I can read German, I wonder if it is an English translation. The excerpt was horrifying.
I couldn't figure that out myself. One of the links gives an email to the Ukrainian publisher, so people could ask. My own copy was given to me.
Thanks. I did look at the website - perhaps I can send an email to them. Wonder if The New York Review of Books would consider working on getting this title? Since you often have articles in that publication, perhaps that would offer an angle on accessibility in the U.S. BTW, I am (re) reading The Road to Unfreedom. My Lord! I hope folks in our government and other governments are reading this book.
See the above comment for more ordering information. Yes, RTU is very relevant, I don't know quite how to say so myself
"In the artillery war that followed, much of Donetsk was destroyed"
That's just wrong, Donetsk never experienced an artillery war and had not much of it destroyed, it was not even partially destroyed, it was indeed hit by some shells, but to such minor degree that russian troops had to do shelling of Donetsk themselves, there were multiple investigations and call intercepts about such cases.
Why is he (the guy whose book you referred to) being tortured. I know that bashing Russia is the persecution de jour, but no matter how bad the big bad bear allegedly is, I hardly think that they would torture people just for the hell of it. Would you have us believe that they are Jews. I am a Jew. I am of Eastern European extraction. We know that as the Panzers swarmed East, The Red Army evacuated Jews. And we also know that Ukrainians were among the most enthusiastic supporters of Hitler's plan to made Europe "Judenrein."
I would like to understand a few things. In 1989, Pres Bush pledged Nato would not move any further East. Why did the US lie about its intentions, just as Hitler lied at Munich. And what is Russia to make of the incotporation of so many of Hitler's allies into NATO. Rumania was an ally of Hitler; Antonescu famously had ads in the NY Times to the effect that they would sell Jews to the US at the rate of 100 dollars a Jew. (The other Jews were killed). Hungary was an ally of Hitler. Hell, it was ruled by Admiral Horthy, a fascist, and he came to power in the 20's long before Hitler. And I have another question: NATO was formed to defend Europe and Amerikkka against communist aggression. After the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO has only grown , like a cancer, going further and futher East like a ghoulish visitation of barbarosa and the accursed teutonic knights. For a change of pace, consider this https://davidgottfried.substack.com/p/the-lie-that-is-bigger-than-trumps?s=w or https://davidgottfried.substack.com/p/kyle-rittenhouse-is-the-horst-wessel?s=w