Ukraine Updates: U.S. Hits Russia With New Sanctions That Target Putin’s Children
China is helping Russia with microchips for banking cards.
Day 43 of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I’m seeing people at the top level of the government acting like this is all brand new. No. Russia invaded Ukraine eight years ago. Russia annexed Crimea. Russia has been in Donbas.
This conflict has already been going on for years.
Live stream:
Boston Marathon Banning Runners in Belarus and Russia
The Boston Marathon won’t allow Russian and Belarussian runners who still reside in their home countries:
The Boston Marathon will not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes who were accepted via open registration and live in their home countries to compete in this month’s event, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) said on Wednesday.
Runners who are Russian or Belarusian citizens but reside outside either country will be permitted to compete but not under the Russian or Belarusian flag.
“We are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine,” BAA President and CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. “We believe that running is a global sport and, as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine.”
The BAA said it will not recognise country affiliation or the flag of Russia or Belarus at any of its races and events “until further notice”.
US Claims New Sanctions are “Damaging”
Biden bragged about the new “devastating” sanctions against Russia, which include ones against Putin’s children. Officials believe Putin and his patsies hid their assets with their families:
“I made clear that Russia would pay a severe and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha,” President Biden said in a tweet. “Today, along with our Allies and partners, we’re announcing a new round of devastating sanctions.”
The White House says the measures freeze the assets of “Russian elites and their family members, including sanctions on: President Putin’s adult children, Foreign Minister Lavrov’s wife and daughter, and members of Russia’s Security Council including former President and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.”
“President Biden will sign a new Executive Order that includes a prohibition on new investment in Russia by U.S. persons wherever located, which will further isolate Russia from the global economy,” the White House added.
The sanctions also freeze the assets of Sberbank and Russia’s largest private bank, Alfa Bank, from “touching the U.S financial system and prohibit U.S. persons from doing business with them,” the White House also said.
Putin and his trolls are always one or two steps ahead of the West. They’re smart, unfortunately. After the first round of sanctions they had to know the West would eventually target their families. More than likely this will not affect these people at all.
UN Votes Tomorrow to Suspend Russia From Human Rights Council
The UN will vote tomorrow to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council:
Diplomats tell Fox News on Wednesday that the U.S. and Ukraine will present to the U.N. tomorrow a proposal to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council.
The meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in New York will begin around 10 a.m. local time and a two-thirds majority vote is needed to suspend Russia from the Council.
This is great news! Except for one thing. Well, actually, a handful of things.
The Human Rights Council includes Cuba, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, and Venezuela.
Weird, huh? There’s no doubt Russia is violating human rights in Ukraine, but the government does it to its own people. There’s also no doubt the five countries above violate human rights on a daily basis.
The UN is useless.
The Czech Republic Sends Tanks to Ukraine
The Czech Republic is the first NATO country to send heavy armor to Ukraine. I wonder how Poland feels about that since the US put a stop to them sending jets to Ukraine:
The Czech Republic has sent tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, becoming the first Nato country to provide the heavy armour Kyiv has been calling for.
More than a dozen T-72 tanks as well as a number of BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles have been loaded on to trains destined for Ukraine.
The vehicles will provide much-needed firepower for the Ukrainian army as battles continue to rage across the country.
Twitter Won’t Recommend Russian Government Accounts
President Donald Trump does not have a Twitter account. Russian government officials and agencies still have accounts.
I’m not for censorship. I’m for consistency. But everyone clap because Twitter will finally…not recommend those government accounts:
The official accounts will no longer be “recommended” to Twitter users across all categories of the app, including in searches, the platform said.
The official English account of Russian President Vladimir Putin has 1.7 million followers.
The Californian company, like its rival Meta – parent company of Facebook and Instagram – had already blocked the accounts of the Russian state-run media RT and Sputnik in the EU.
Moscow responded by restricting access to Twitter in the country and blocking Facebook and Instagram, AFP reported.
“We will not amplify or recommend government accounts belonging to states that limit access to free information and are engaged in armed interstate conflict – whether Twitter is blocked in that country or not,” Twitter said.
China Helping Russia Banking Cards
To the shock of no one, China has swooped in to help Russia with their banking cards. Sanctions keep Russia away from SWIFT while Visa and MasterCard stopped servicing Russians:
Russia is turning to microchip manufactures in China to circumvent western sanctions which have boosted demand for bank cards linked to the Mir payment system, an executive with the domestic payment system said.
Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine have cut Moscow off the global financial system and from nearly half of its $640 billion in gold and foreign exchange reserves.
Oleg Tishakov, a board member with the National Card Payment System (NSPK), said Russia is facing a shortage of microchips as Asian manufactures suspend production amid a coronavirus pandemic and European suppliers have stopped cooperating with Moscow following sanctions.
“We are looking for new microchip suppliers and found a couple in China, with certification process ongoing,” Tishakov told a conference on Tuesday, without giving further details.
Some of Russia’s biggest banks no longer have access to the SWIFT global banking messaging system, and international payment cards Visa and MasterCard have stopped servicing Russian accounts abroad. Mir’s connection to Apple Pay was removed last month.
Ukraine Conflict Lasting for Years….Like Eight Already
It infuriates me when I have to be a broken record: Russia invaded Ukraine eight years ago. You could actually go back to the Orange Revolution.
Someone tell Gen. Mark Milley that this conflict has already been going on for years:
A top US general has warned that the potential for “significant international conflict” is increasing and said the Ukraine conflict could last for years.
Gen Mark Milley told Congress: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine is threatening to undermine not only European peace and stability but global peace and stability that my parents and a generation of Americans fought so hard to defend.”
“I do think this is a very protracted conflict, and I think it’s measured in years. I don’t know about decade, but at least years, for sure.”
“We are entering a world that is becoming more unstable and the potential for significant international conflict is increasing, not decreasing.”
Milley, who is chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, also said he would support establishing permanent US bases in eastern Nato states like Poland and the Baltics – but with US forces rotating through.
All About Mariupol
The Ukrainian security agency SBU said Russia will concentrate on Mariupol. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thinks Russia is blocking anyone from helping people evacuate so they can “clean up” their war crimes:
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of blocking humanitarian aid to Mariupol to buy time so Moscow can “clean up” human rights abuses.
Ukraine’s president spoke in an interview with Turkey’s Haberturk television following the discovery of bodies of civilians in towns around Kyiv, including hundreds of murdered victims in Bucha.
—
Russia is preparing a “large-scale provocation” in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and plans to blame it on Ukrainian troops, security services have warned, writes Ewan Somerville.
The SBU, Ukraine’s security agency, said data showed Russian forces “plan to gather bodies of Mariupol residents killed by the Russians themselves in one place and present them as mass victims of Ukrainian troops”. “The atro cities… in Bucha came as a shock to the whole world,” the SBU wrote in a post on the social media site Telegram. “Ruthless concentrated evil cynically covers its actions with clumsy fables about the Nazis.”
Following the international outcry at mass civilian deaths in the town, “t he main task of Russian propaganda today is to divert the attention of the audience, both international and domestic, as much as possible,” the agency added.
“Scenarios for new fakes have already been developed, and Russian propagandists are preparing the groundwork. In particular, lies about alleged crimes of Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol are actively being ‘thrown’ into the information field.”
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Comments
I”m getting tired of the propaganda: “Zelensky Says” “Zelensky Says”
It’s getting on my nerves.
Zelenskyy is the new Billy Mays and his claims are worth about as much
Zelensky’s only chance to win this thing is to manufacture atrocities that bring NATO into WW3.
One day after another big massacre was exposed as a hoax, he’s already readying the next one.
Which big massacre was exposed as a hoax?
It’s not as though Ukraine need to manufacture hoax atrocities, they can just reference the multiple real ones the Russians have committed.
By the same token, which claim has been properly vetted and proven to be accurate?
I’m not a Russian or Putin fan in any way but those claims work both ways and neither Zelenskyy nor the others have a lock on credibility.
@taurus the judge
There is absolutely tonnes of evidence of Russian war crimes. You wouldn’t even need to collect bodies to know this, all you need to know is that they are launching indiscriminate artillery fire on residential buildings, theatres etc some with giant signs saying civilians here!
Listen up Sh!t for brains,
You don’t have a clue as to what you are talking about ( even for a troll)
Now, shut up and learn from those of us who actually do.
I’m going to be nice Diaper because I believe the sincerity of what you are saying.
The difference is, I have been in the combat zones ( as a combatant, DOD Civilian, and Contractor) and seen it first hand as well as having investigated claims before.
First, all of this “evidence” boils down to pictures/video ( lacking full context) and claims unsubstantiated ( people who want to remain nameless).
Second- “dead bodies” ( civilian or otherwise) is simply the way war is. (War is evil in its highest form and nothing good comes from it or during its execution).
The presence of these “bodies” and video of them dying is not proof of either a “war crime ( as defined by whatever international law or treaty) or of “excessive force” ( which really doesn’t exist in war and some countries like the US pay “lip service” to it through rules of engagement but they are the first things thrown out the window when the shooting starts) Nobody gives a tinker’s damn about rules or treating the opposing side fairly when bullets are flying and death is laying right beside you and nobody in that position ever will.
That is just a plain unpopular truth.
Here are some challenges to your comments
You say “murdering” (implying something illegal as defined in war) of civilians- Define this “murder”. Civilians wandering into hot combat zones are going to get hosed. Its that plain and simple. Nobody checks ID’s in a firefight. That’s not nice, fair, humane or even “right” but that’s war. ( and not a war crime by definition)
Bodies in the street? No military has a battlefield clean up brigade following behind the warfighters nor do they have the manpower, resources or willing to risk the exposure to do so ( other than graves registration). That’s never happened anywhere before in any war so why are the Russians expected to do it now?
Let me clue you into a fact ( without going into too many gory details based on experience)
These “holes in the head” and tie ups actually ( and factually) point AWAY from a military killing and more to an insurgent. Here’s why.
Combat forces are there for combat- its a SLOW ( and exposing) act to capture, round up, identify, interrogate, decide who to shoot, time to bind and all that. A STATIC “Army of occupation” can do these things ( like we hear about with the Nazi’s) but a hot mobile combat force doesn’t have the time or resources.
A head shot is NOT a “combat shot” ( bullets go everywhere and with people moving that’s rare for them to sit still).
Then there’s the obvious LACK or detail that routinely accompanies a legitimate war crime that seems absent ( or at least undisclosed at this point).
It all boils down to emotionally charged anecdotal and circumstantial “bits” of evidence with a supporting narrative by people with a deeply vested interest in a specific outcome.
This is not to say the Russians are not “guilty as charged” either. ( they may very well have committed prosecutable war crimes)
Then again, the Ukrainians may be just as guilty as well.
Which atrocities? Which specific Russian Soldier? If unable to specify an individual how about naming a particular Russian unit that committed them?
As horrific as a pile of bodies is it doesn’t tell us who did what to whom. Piecing together evidence to determine guilt requires far more. At present there simply is too much confusion to apportion guilt. An emotional response isn’t helpful and shouldn’t be the basis for widening the conflict.
The Z Man is a grifting noodge, ran by the US military complex and the US state dept
as always, it’s all about money
“Moscow off the global financial system and from nearly half of its $640 billion in gold and foreign exchange reserves.”
One thing is certain, Russia has invaded the Ukraine and is causing lots of loss of life and property destruction (like what pallyscum should get). Citizens of Ukraine should be entitled to damages.
“Moscow off the global financial system and from nearly half of its $640 billion in gold and foreign exchange reserves.”
That sounds like a good source of money for those damages.
For about a week now, Ukraine has been trying to fly helicopters into the Azovstahl in Mariupol. Several shot down.
Rumors are that macron has been calling Putin, and begging him to let them in and out. Also French military and diplomats calling Russian military and diplomts for help.
What’s in there? Could it be embarrassing for Macron in the coming elections?
For well over a week now Ukraine has been successfully flying helicopters in and out of Mariupol. It was only when the Russians finally succeeded in shooting (some of) them down that everybody else found out about it.
To be fair, due to that operational security I don’t know if flights are continuing.
Successful? The rumors I heard was that two helicopters were shot down coming in, and one was shot down coming out.. Four more have not, but there is no rumor that any were successful.
Latest rumor is that one of the people is US Lt. Gen. Roger Cloutier Commander of Nato Land Forces. Maybe. We shall see. I doubt that macron is extending himself for an American General.
Sorry, one of which people is some bloke called Roger? Your post has left me confused on that point.
I’ve also heard of 2 helicopters being downed over a week ago, and since my original post I’ve heard of another downed since. My sources are also where I’ve heard that these flights were covertly transferring supplies in and wounded out of Mariupol.
The Commander of Nato Land forces, US Lt. Gen. Roger Cloutier . Rumor is that he is one of the people they are trying to extract.
@Thad the man
US Lt. Gen. Roger Cloutier is not in Ukraine, he was on holiday in Turkey. Why on earth would a NATO commander be in Ukraine, and in particular a city that’s been sieged since more or less the start of the war. It makes no sense other than a a clear example of Russian propaganda
The only evidence ( so far ) are photos in Turkey which could have been taken at any time. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Politifact says he is not in Azovstal, so he is likely not there. We shall see.
As for what a Nato commander would be doing there, even though he shouldn’t be there. Are you joking?
It seems Macron is at least trying to talk to Putin.
The idiot in the WH is trying to get us all killed by nuclear war
For all the commenters here criticizing Zelensky, please keep in mind that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine for no good reason, and not the other way around.
Jack,
Clearly the Russians had a reason or reasons they considered important enough to do so. Can you list what those reasons are and then explain why they are unimportant or should be unimportant to Russia?
Understanding what the other guy is thinking, his motivations, concerns and priorities is incredibly important. Even if we don’t understand why a particular thing is such a crucial issue to the other guy we must at least acknowledge it’s importance to him as well as acknowledging that any encroachment by us onto that issue will have consequences.
Jack in effect stated that he had seen no good reason for the invasion. You, on the other hand suggest that clearly there were some. Would you be kind enough to enlighten us as to what they are?
Sure,
To clarify your assertion it isn’t my argument that the reasons cited by Russia rise to the level of justification for an invasion of Ukraine. Russia has cited their reasons and has done so consistently over time which indicates that they didn’t dream them up in 2022.
The position of Russia has been that the eastward expansion of NATO is viewed as threat. NATO itself was conceived as a counter poise to the USSR and Warsaw Pact. Neither of those exist today and haven’t in nearly 30 years.
So one reasonable question from the Russian perspective is why does NATO still exist when the original purpose of its founding is moot? The obvious next question is does NATO view Russia as it’s adversary? How can the Russians be reassured that NATO isn’t their adversary? Especially now in light of the actions by it’s members and as an organization to provide arms, training, equipment and intelligence to Ukraine? These actions would suggest that Russia was correct in believing that NATO may not have been entirely truthful about the benign nature of the NATO expansion.
The original 12 NATO members added four members prior to the end of the cold war. Since the end of the cold war it has added another 14. It’s easy to tell the Russians that it’s NATO’s decision who they add so suck it. Which is more or less the response to repeated Russian objections at every expansion.
Why would Russia be concerned about NATO anyway? The same reason they are concerned about their borders with China. Russia sits in the middle of the Eurasian landmass. It has a declining population going off a demographic cliff. It sits on vast natural resources and agricultural areas.
In a word Russians are best described, IMO, as having a strategic paranoia. They have been invaded, most recently, from the west by Germany and France though the Poles and even Lithuania used to kick them around. The Mongols and Tatar’s invaded from the east. Multiple invasions or attempts from the South. Further Russia in all it’s incarnations has always sought to have weak buffer States between it and strategic competitors.
So in sum Russia repeatedly voiced it’s historical concerns and historically important objections and was ignored or dismissed. Not to mention there has been a proxy war in eastern Ukraine for since at least 2014 with US, UK and NATO members assisting Ukraine v Russian speaking/oriented separatists backed by Russia.
Eventually Russia decided that they had sufficient justification to act in Ukraine just as NATO decided they had sufficient reason to expand and send ‘advisors’ to Ukraine; for what it’s worth Russia views the advisors as a violation of the Minsk accords.
Clearly stated reasons that were consistent over time to establish red lines by Russia? Yes. Sufficient to invade? Not my decision. Frankly in the end that will be moot except for historians. The real politic of crass worldly considerations will determine what if any consequences fall on Russia and their duration.
Very impressive long list of Russian propaganda talking points. Quickly put together with the help of Russian government bureaucrats. Your trolling is more than transparent. Pathetic!
Aggiecon,
Nope, it’s my own small list, no coordination with Russia needed. You asked me to provide what the Russians may view as justification. That’s what I provided. None of the things on the list are disputed by any serious person. It doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what those in power in Russia think. Ignoring their concerns is exactly what led them to make the determination to use force. That’s what every Nation does when diplomacy stops.
Just as your current attitude towards me displays your refusal to engage honestly with historical facts, broad policy concerns and their implications the same sort of arrogant dismissal was displayed by NATO members and NATO as an organization towards Russia.
The result of that sort of folly is plain. An invasion by Russia. There is a stack difference between recognition of that; the what a brutally prosecuted war by Russia vs recognition of why they felt they had to do it.
It seems like a pretty good idea to me to be interested in determining what specific acts might lead to a future armed conflict in order to avoid or mitigate them to minimize the chance of blind provocation. For unstated reasons you seem to reject that idea.
Best wishes in your volunteer service on the front lines in Ukraine. If you will take a bit of well intentioned advice from someone who fought for this Nation on three continents the best way to survive is:
Listen to the vets and the NCOs. They have the relevant experience to keep you alive. Do what they do, move when they move, step where they step. Don’t pick up random objects; they may have explosives. At night without NVG aim low to avoid over shooting your target.
Good luck!
I grew up having to listen to Soviet propaganda. I thought that the modern Putin regime could have graduated to something better, but no! Evidently the army is no better than the one that was killed and starved in the winter of 1939-40.
Aggiecon,
All wars are destructive. Warfare is the single most inhumane act we engage in as a species. It should always be the last resort. The impulse to jump into conflict should be resisted until no other options exist. Ignoring or misunderstanding the motivations of our potential adversaries always leads to potential for unnecessary conflict.
The Soviets allowed N Korea to invade when Dean Acheson gave a speech that excluded Korea from the US Pacific Defense Perimeter. The Iraqis invaded Kuwait when the State dept advised that ‘the US had no special defense or security commitment to Kuwait’ followed by the US Ambassador stating that ‘the US had no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts like your border disagreement with Kuwait’.
Both are examples of mistakes by the US in misunderstanding how much impact official statements would have which were interpreted as giving a green light to invasion.
IMO, the govts of the West have largely ignored and downplayed the Russian govts stated concerns by mistake. The alternative is that the West made a deliberate decision to do so and provoke this conflict. Whether intentional or unintentional the Ukrainian people are ones paying a very high price. A cost they don’t deserve.
Jack,
We cant say Putin (Russia) had no “good reason” because we simply don’t know what the reason(s) are. (Media speculation doesn’t count)
Throughout history, a countries “reason” for aggressive actions usually seems “right” to the aggressor and history is written by the winner.
And, that’s in NO WAY justifying or even trying to minimize what Russia did.
For example, Putin may have invaded it to regain things lost from the dissolution of the USSR.
Putin may have “discovered” hidden CIA/US/ whatever and launched a preemptive strike. ( he might have discovered Biden plans to attack because they really NEED the “Russians” to be the bad guys as their false Trump narratives and other things are falling apart)
The whole point is- we simply don’t know what prompted this action both what it is and the timing but you can bet it was something worth (to Putin) taking the risks and expenditures they are enduring.
So, has it been established beyond the shadow of a doubt that Russia was behind the Bucha incident, and not Ukrainian forces retaliating against those whom they allege are Russian sympathizers?
The latter sounds more plausible to me, but without independent (i.e. not Ukrainian mouthpieces) verification, nobody can say for sure.
There are hardly any Ukrainian sympathisers in Ukraine unless you look at maybe the don bass region. Even Russian speaking Ukrainians think Putins war is totally unjustified.
There is a hell of a lot of evidence not least with the number of contradictory stories coming from Russian state TV which have claimed that
Very few Frenchmen sympathized with the Germans in WW2 yet Germany found plenty of collaborators.
Not to say everything is WW2 but there is nothing unviable about presence of collaborators and retaliation. It is why wanting independent non-combatant nation corroboration is reasonable.
If you would like a non-nazi example plenty of Han Chinese collaborated with the Imperial Japanese Army.
How many have you personally polled out of the population fat boy or are you just spouting more unvetted propaganda?
Which of the multiple Bucha incidents would you like evidence for?
One of them has evidence of bodies in the street two weeks before Russian forces left the area. Other have eye witness accounts that need to be verified.
Nobody however has provided any evidence whatsoever that anybody other than the Russians murdered these people.
I would definitely like that evidence. Full and complete- not just edited pieces.
Actually ( to be fair) the BURDEN of proof ( claiming war crimes) is on those MAKING THE CLAIM.
They are FAR FROM IT right now.
They have proven people have died in a war zone yes but they are light years away from “proving” that they all died at the hands of Russians only and exclusively or that the acts qualify as legitimate prosecutable “war crimes” as defined by various laws.
Biden’s children are the ones doing all the illegal crap. Maybe they ought to hit Hunter Biden with some sanctions.—even prosecuted for crying out loud. If it was anybody else’s children they would be.
Ka-ding a ding a ding!
Hunter?
“The Boston Marathon will not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes”
I’m sure the Tsarnaev brothers having been Russian didn’t help.
“The White House says the measures freeze the assets of “Russian elites and their family members,”
I lost track of which one it was who sends Hunter his “CARE package$.” Is she on the new list? Why do I think she’s not?
Eric Matheny: “Two years of the media lying to us about COVID followed three years of the media lying to us about Russian Collusion. Why would we ever believe a word about Ukraine?”