Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

The weather changed dramatically again. It got colder and there was heavy rain and thunderstorms. Ukrainians have a special attitude towards thunder. What sounds like explosions is not exciting.

One of the most relevant topics for those who are not in the army is the question of how not to get into it.

Absentee fines for violations of military accounting rules and legislation on mobilization will become possible after the adoption of amendments to the Code of Ukraine on administrative offenses proposed by the Cabinet of Ministers. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/299830-verkhovnaya-rada-legalizuet-zaochnye-shtrafy-dlya-muzhchin-kotorye-ne-stali-na-voennyy-uchet-ili-ne-yavilis-po-povestke
In this way, the officials of the mobilization centers will be able to impose fines and, with the involvement of the executive service, block bank accounts and seize property without the need to notify violators or their participation in the case. The possibility of appealing their actions in courts seems doubtful.
So far, all these attempts by the authorities to strengthen punitive measures lead to the fact that men are deprived of property, selling or re-registering real estate and cars to women.

Also, almost every day there are reports about the deaths of mobilized people from heart attacks or epilepsy during their forced delivery to mobilization centers.
https://www.facebook.com/dniprootcksp/posts/pfbid02qHVsj8BGP6ePbkU3PLJbqjDmT5sLNufm5JjZrDz7v6UKSLfNS6KVBt8ocms6J1Tvl
But the daughter of one of those who died in the mobilization center said that her father did not have epilepsy, but that he died as a result of being beaten by the workers of the mobilization center.
https://hromadske.ua/suspilstvo/223573-u-ttsk-na-dnipropetrovshchyni-pomer-cholovik-nibyto-vid-napadu-epilepsiyi-odnak-rodychi-kazut-shcho-yoho-byly

Also there are reports about those who died while trying to cross the Tisza River on the border with Romania in order to leave Ukraine.
https://t.me/VGlagola/11620

Metropolitan of Pereyaslav and Vishnevsky Orthodox Church of Ukraine Oleksandr (Drabinko) answered the question about being a draft dodger, is there a sinful component here? Does the church not consider this question?
- I cannot answer for the church. Here, of course, it would be worthwhile for the theological and ethical commission to consider this issue. It should give an unequivocal answer. Although I don't think there is an unequivocal answer to this question.
We live in our state, we must protect it, but the state must also protect our constitutional rights, duties and interests. Unfortunately, we have Ukraine as our native mother, we have a land that we love, but the state as an institution very often does not fulfill its constitutional duties to its citizens.
Sometimes through this prism you can understand the dodgers, but it is the duty of every citizen of Ukraine to protect both his family and his (I will not say the state) native land.
The state is an institution that political clans or oligarchic personalities very often use in their own interests. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the country as a territory and as mother Ukraine, but as an institution and someone's personal interests, who do not want to protect them themselves, but send others there - this is a very difficult issue.
https://df.news/2024/04/30/pytannia-vyznannia-ptsu-na-70-80-zalezhyt-vid-zavershennia-vijny-mytropolyt-ptsu-oleksandr/

[US7IGN]

The member states of the European Union whose representatives will be present at the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir pootin on May 7 have become known.
Radio Svoboda received the corresponding list:
France; Hungary; Slovakia; Greece; Malta; Cyprus.
https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-inavhuratsiya-putina-uchast-yes/32936115.html

Ukraine sees no legal grounds for recognizing pootin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of russia. This is the official position of our state regarding the inauguration of the russian dictator expressed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
https://24tv.ua/ukrayina-ne-viznaye-putina-prezidentom-rosiyi-mzs-zvernulosya_n2549796

The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that russia is conducting an operation called Maidan-3. The enemy is trying to question Zelensky's legitimacy as the President of Ukraine after May 20, when, according to the Constitution, his term of office expires. https://lb.ua/society/2024/02/25/600312_budanov_rf_provodit_spetsoperatsiyu.html

russian President Vladimir pootin has ordered training of russia's non-strategic nuclear forces to prepare them for combat missions. The russian Ministry of Defense also added that the decision was made "in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the russian Federation." https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c4n1ln64619o?xtor=AL-73-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bukr%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bukrainian%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

The Chinese leader expects that his visits to France, Serbia and Hungary will deepen the differences in the Western bloc, writes the Le Figaro. https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/sous-pression-des-etats-unis-xi-jinping-en-tournee-pour-neutraliser-l-europe-20240505
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in France on Sunday, May 5. This is his first visit to Europe in five years, which takes place against the background of the war in Ukraine and tensions in trade relations with the EU.
The route of the Chinese leader actually reflects strained relations with Europe oriented towards the Atlantic alliance, as well as China's desire to stop the American "encirclement", playing on divisions between European countries.
After meeting the French leader on Monday, Xi will fly to Serbia on May 7, the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy.
Xi Jinping will end his tour with a two-day visit to Hungary, where he will meet with the great critic of Brussels, Viktor Orbán, who will take the presidency of the EU on July 1.
This clear turn to the east, bypassing the big capitals, marks the cooling of Sino-European relations.

The EU has said neutral countries can opt out of its plan to use the profits of Russia’s frozen assets to buy weapons for Ukraine, six EU diplomats told POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ammunition-war-in-ukraine-frozen-russian-assets/
The proposal comes ahead of a meeting of the EU's 27 envoys on Wednesday, in which the Belgian Council presidency hopes to strike a deal to unlock funding for Ukraine.
Capitals that oppose military aid to Kyiv can limit themselves to providing humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country, according to a new text circulated by the presidency on Friday.
This is a last-ditch attempt to win over EU countries that are not part of NATO — such as Austria, Malta, Cyprus and Ireland — and who demanded an exemption from buying ammunition. Other vocal critics of the EU's military strategy in Ukraine, such as Hungary and Slovakia, also support this caveat.
EU countries that are also members of the G7 — Germany, France and Italy — are the least enthusiastic about this proposal due to the legal and financial risks, said an EU diplomat who was granted anonymity to speak freely. It is feared that these capitals will not support the deal on Wednesday.

In the UK, they announced that a Ministry of Defense database containing personal data of military personnel had been hacked.
The government does not directly name the country involved in the hack, but according to Sky News, it is China. Hackers attacked the payroll systems of active military personnel and some veterans. Mostly names and bank details were revealed. https://news.sky.com/story/china-hacked-ministry-of-defence-sky-news-learns-13130757#:~:text=MPs%20will%20be%20told%20of,later%20today%2C%20targeting%20service%20personnel.&text=The%20Chinese%20state%20has%20hacked,the%20MoD%2C%20targeting%20service%20personnel.

[US7IGN]

During the massive combined attack on Ukraine on the night of Wednesday, May 8, russian terrorists used 76 means of air attack - 55 missiles and 21 attack drones (UAVs).

As reported by the command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it was possible to destroy 59 air targets - 39 missiles and 20 drones.

In particular, air defense (air defense) shot down:

33 out of 45 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;
all four Kalibr cruise missiles;
both Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles;
20 of 21 BpLA Shahed.
Accordingly, it was not possible to destroy:

12 winged X-101/X-555;
two "Iskander-M" ballistic missiles;
one aeroballistic X-47M2 "Dagger";
one winged "Iskander-K";
one "shahed".
https://www.dw.com/uk/masovanij-udar-ppo-znisila-59-z-76-rosijskih-cilej/a-69022512?maca=ukr-rss-ukrnet-ukr-all-3816-xml

To me it looked like one powerful explosion nearby and several far away. Not the best way to wake up at 5am, but it was to be expected. In this way, the racists decided to congratulate Ukrainians on the anniversary of the victory over fascism 79 years ago.

As a result of this attack on the energy infrastructure in the Lviv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, generation facilities were damaged. Also, russian drones damaged the equipment of one of the facilities of "Ukrenergo" in the central region. Currently, consumers in this region are fed by backup connections. At the moment, the State Emergency Service is working on the damaged objects, and emergency restoration work is ongoing. The energy company warned that tonight from 18:00 to 23:00 there may be restrictions on household and industrial consumers throughout Ukraine.
https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2024/05/08/novyna/suspilstvo/ukrenerho-poperedzhaye-pro-mozhlyvi-vidklyuchennya-svitla-vvecheri-po-vsij-krayini

Last year, the russians were ridiculed for sending convicts to the front, and today the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law that allows the mobilization of convicts, excluding deputies, some of the top corrupt and those guilty of serious crimes, for example murders, rapes. https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/rada-pidtrimala-zakonoproekt-mobilizatsiyu-1715168759.html

Unlike the rest of Ukrainians, the mobilization of convicts requires their consent.

[N0TZU]

The consent of convicts is required?! Apparently irony is not understood in the government.

 Putin is attempting to convert Russian society and industry into a military entity. His primary goal as always must be his self preservation, so no doubt he feels it is safer for him, besides the obvious of reinvigorating the military to continue the disastrous Ukraine invasion. (How successful this is, beyond making more missiles and drones, isn’t clear to me.)

He, like most dictators, must do something large and militaristic to show he’s still the strong man to distract the very obvious failures of his invasion, the worst being not being able to defeat Ukraine and directly causing a huge expansion of NATO, much of it on Russia’s border. He lacks the capacity to attack any other country at the moment, so apparently this is the next best thing.

He will use this to further his goal of a neo-Russian Empire by threatening Europe, and perhaps in a few years try other military adventures in non-NATO Europe, and of course as a showpiece for his massive domestic and external propaganda machine.

It will have the opposite effect within the NATO countries (with one or two exceptions such as Hungary) which he is surely aware of. As I had hoped, the extremists in the Republican Party are now in retreat, which if it lasts, will be a return to historical norms and allows Congress to once again function at some level. Perhaps he simply ignores all of this, or feels he has no choice but to continue down the path.

[ke6sls]

Hi Bob,

I agree with much of what you stated.  My only additional thoughts are these:

We (the USA) also used convicts in our military.  I served with half dozen who were offered prison OR military.  In my company, ALL of them passed the riggers of basic training and I think they actually thrived.  It was the first time they had enforced discipline and rewards for hard work.  I don't know if this still happens today, but back in the 1980's, it was a thing.

putin dug his hole and now his only option is to continue digging it.  His goal is to build/hold a his populace stance.  Thinking russians know what is happening and the blind followers will obviously follow until the fragile system ultimately reaches its collapse.

With renewed commitments by the European countries, and including the USA.  The pressure has been added.

So I will continue to worry about my Ukrainian friend's well being.  Praying they will see the light of freedom and peace--soon.

73

Jaye

[N0TZU]

Hi Jaye. 

I think every day about the plight of our friends in Ukraine and hope they are safe. Hopefully the additional air defense and other badly needed materiel will arrive and be deployed soon, and continue to be sent.  It should, so as long as the dictator loving extremists are not in power nor throwing wrenches into legislative processes.

Interesting that you worked with convicted (presumably young) men in the military. It’s sounds like their choice of military service had the intended effect of rehabilitation, rather than sitting in prison which can have the opposite effect. Too bad that isn’t practical to do with more criminals.

[US7IGN]

Thank you Jaye and Bob!

Today I slept very poorly because it constantly seemed to me that something was exploding. Maybe it was a noise on the street, or maybe it was a dream.

In the process of preparing for the webinar, I realized that I had collected a lot of material and it turned out to be a full-fledged article. Therefore, I have modified the text a little more and will be able to use it twice.

Every day there is an air raid warning, but today missiles hit other places and everything is calm in Kyiv. Every day there is information that the Russians have advanced a little more in the east.

It is also reported that the russian military aviation has lost another SU-25 aircraft, dozens of armored vehicles and more than a thousand soldiers.

The most important news of the day is that the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny was finally released from military service and appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

[US7IGN]

The weather is great today, but something is pulsating in my head. I hope this is because of the magnetic storm that is raging these days. Probably because of it, I also did not hear Colin G3ZAF again on any band available to me.

However, I have completed an article on the bankruptcy procedure in the USA and am ready to record a webinar. At this point, I will consider my obligation to the National Bar Association of Ukraine fulfilled.

At five in the morning, after a long period of artillery and air bombardment, the russians launched an attack in the Kharkov area in the east. The Ukrainian military denies information about the capture of several villages, but new gray zones have appeared on the Deepstate map. https://deepstatemap.live/#11/50.3168/36.6064

Shelling of Kharkov itself is also reported.
https://war.gordonua.com/ukr/minoboroni-ukrajini-o-5-ranku-vidbulasja-sproba-prorivu-protivnikom-nashoji-liniji-oboroni-1706679.html
https://flot2017.com/udar-po-kharkovu-poshkodzheni-budynky-ie-postrazhdali/

The US Army is getting new ‘Iron Fist’ technology – thanks to Ukraine war aid. The more money spent on helping Kyiv, the faster US forces will be re-equipped with better kit.
One thing many critics of US aid to Ukraine don’t seem to understand is that most of the money actually gets spent in the United States, very often on improved equipment for our own armed forces. For example, some Ukraine aid is being spent getting the latest Iron Fist “active defence” equipment into the US Army’s own armoured vehicle fleets much faster than it would otherwise arrive.
This is happening because the United States typically supports Ukraine by donating older weapons from existing US stocks, and then using the authorized “Ukraine aid” funds to re-equip US troops with newer weapons to replace those older weapons they just gave away.
Quite literally, the roughly $140 billion the United States is spending on Ukraine through the war’s first three years is actually funding a major modernization drive for the US military. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/09/us-army-ukraine-war-aid-iron-fist-aps-m2-bradley-armour/

The Minister of Economic Cooperation of Germany, Svenja Schulze, spent 16 hours getting to Kyiv to meet with the Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine - the Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, but he was released on the day of the German official's arrival on May 9. This was reported by Welt. It is emphasized that during the negotiations, Schultze was supposed to discuss the development of the Ukrainian energy network, German aid, as well as the preparation of the conference on the restoration of Ukraine, scheduled for June 11-12 in Berlin. As Welt noted, such an important conference for Ukraine was to be prepared by Schultze and Kubrakov. The German minister emphasized that she considers his resignation "very, very sad", as they promoted many projects together. https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article251444748/Svenja-Schulze-SPD-Als-die-Ministerin-in-Kiew-ankommt-ist-ihr-Gespraechspartner-gefeuert-worden.html

The head of the Ministry of Justice noted that he supports the decision of the Ukrainian parliament to allow the mobilization of citizens who incarcerated in prisons. Denys Malyuska does not hide that his department will also benefit from this, since penitentiary institutions in Ukraine are overcrowded. https://top.today.ua/ministr-yustitsiyi-nazvav-kilkist-dostupnih-dlya-mobilizatsiyi-zasudzhenih/

No one is surprised anymore by cases of death or hospitalization of sick people who are forcibly mobilized regardless of their condition. https://tsn.ua/exclusive/na-sumschini-55-richniy-cholovik-pislya-vizitu-do-tck-opinivsya-u-reanimaciyi-scho-vidomo-2576114.html

Confused and contradictory changes to the legislation with huge fines led to the fact that people generally avoid meeting with mobilization centers, so the hunting of people by joint squads of representatives of the centers and the police reached a new level.

[N0TZU]

Yes, most of the Ukraine aid money is indeed spent here in the US for new build weapons and replacements, just as you said. I’ve had to explain this to a couple of very conservative friends. I’m not sure they entirely believed it because their preferred news sources don’t explain this. It’s better for ratings to let the audience be angry, assuming that their tax money is sent directly to Ukraine to be wasted in corruption schemes, some including the Bidens, and other such stories.

[US7IGN]

With a surprise cross-border attack, russia ruthlessly exposes Ukraine’s weaknesse.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/11/europe/ukraine-kharkiv-russia-attack-intl/index.html

Nothing unexpected. Everything is very expected.

[N0TZU]

How much of the delays in aid and in mobilization are the result of Russian propaganda? Quite a lot I think. This was a month ago, but extremely noteworthy:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-rep-mike-turner-russian-propaganda-uttered-house-floor-rcna146760

Of course it’s in the body politic as well, especially on the right, which their representatives must take into account to keep their jobs.

[US7IGN]

How much of the delays in aid and in mobilization are the result of Russian propaganda? Quite a lot I think. This was a month ago, but extremely noteworthy:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-rep-mike-turner-russian-propaganda-uttered-house-floor-rcna146760
Of course it’s in the body politic as well, especially on the right, which their representatives must take into account to keep their jobs.

I don't think that congressmen are stupid people and believe in propaganda. The fact that they support it says something else. At the same time, I ask - what can Ukraine offer the world that will be more important than what russia offers? Politicians are very mercantile people and support whoever pays them the most. At the same time, I am seeing more and more comments from ordinary people who ask their politicians whether all the problems have been solved in their countries, that they are spending money on Ukraine? And they all have reasons to act and think this way.

After I started Zoom calls with Colin and my Ukrainian friend who is learning English, I decided to do the same with my son. Today the three of us spoke in English for two hours and Colin was surprised at my son’s level of English. Apart from minor mistakes sometimes, he speaks completely fluently and we discussed many issues in English without any problems. That is, in addition to Polish, he also learned English only through classes at school and university. This says a lot about the level of education in Poland and the difference with the situation in Ukraine.

Poland has pledged to assist Ukraine in repatriating men subject to military conscription, following Kyiv's announcement of a new mobilization law set to take effect on May 18. Beyond ethical considerations, the move could have a significant knock-on effect on the Polish economy as thousands of Ukrainian citizens residing in the country might be forced to leave their jobs and join the army. Additionally, there are mounting concerns that a sizable number of them will seek to leave Poland to avoid draft. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lidiakurasinska/2024/05/11/polands-pledge-to-repatriate-conscription-age-men-to-ukraine-could-have-economic-costs/?sh=1bb4a02e1e2a

This suggests that everyone needs Ukrainians, but different countries can offer different conditions.

From 2022, experts of the Center for Economic Strategy studied the state and mood of Ukrainian refugees and the impact of their non-return on Ukraine's economy. As of the end of January 2024, 4.9 million Ukrainians are abroad due to the war. The vast majority of refugees are women (the largest share is women aged 35-44 - 13%) and children.​ As of January 2024, the largest share of Ukrainian refugees in Europe is in Germany (30%) and Poland (22%). Outside of European countries, the largest countries in terms of the number of Ukrainians accepted since the beginning of the full-scale invasion are the USA (280 thousand people), Great Britain (253.2 thousand) and Canada (210.2 thousand).​
The future of the status of temporary protection: the most optimal scenario is to grant Ukrainians freedom of movement and choice of place of residence, similar to EU citizens.​ According to various scenarios, 1.4 million to 2.3 million Ukrainians may remain outside Ukraine.
But unfortunately, even the end of the war does not mean the end of migration. CES analysts investigated how many more Ukrainians can go abroad after the end of the war and the lifting of the ban on men going abroad. Only those who already have family members abroad and may want to leave to reunite with them outside of Ukraine were considered. In particular, we are talking about men who are currently in Ukraine and do not have the right to leave the country due to travel restrictions, but their wives are abroad. According to the Central Central Committee's calculations, an additional 87.6 thousand Ukrainians can go abroad under the optimistic scenario, 115 thousand - under the average scenario, and 154.9 thousand under the pessimistic scenario. https://ces.org.ua/ukrainian_refugees_third_wave_research/

According to UN analysts, after the start of the full-scale invasion, many Ukrainian refugees lost a large part of their income, but in two years the situation has improved significantly: more than half of the Ukrainian refugees in Europe have higher incomes than before the start of the full-scale war. As of May 2023, the share of people who did not have enough food or clothing decreased by 10 percentage points, while the share of those whose income is sufficient to not deny themselves anything increased by almost three times. The increase in wealth among Ukrainian refugees is explained by both social benefits and increased participation in the labor market. In half a year, the share of those who report that they have a job or are engaged in business has increased from 39% in May 2023 to 45% in January 2024.

Among employed Ukrainian citizens abroad, 61% report earning more than before the full-scale invasion. For example, in Ukraine the minimum wage is 200 dollars, in Germany it is 10 times higher. But the prices of products, goods, and services in Germany are 1.5-2 times higher, not 10. We like to discuss sky-high housing prices in Europe, but here too, things are not so simple. A study in December 2023 showed that in Kyiv, people spend 78% of the average income in Kyiv on housing rent. There is no such thing as giving away four-fifths of the income just for a roof over your head anywhere in Europe. Therefore, there is no need to talk about worse living conditions. Those who work and have a minimum or average salary in Europe have better living conditions than those who work, respectively, for a minimum or average salary in Ukraine."
https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine

In Ukraine the government is going to raise taxes. https://enovosty.com/uk/ekonomika-ukr/full/1105-ukraincyam-rizko-pereraxuyut-osnovni-podatki-chogo-ochikuvati

[US7IGN]

Yesterday Sergiy came to see me and we walked around a little. I suggested we go to a small store to buy some food. The cashier looked at me cautiously and asked if I was sure I wanted to buy a pack of sausages, noting that they cost $3/lb. When we left the store, Sergiy started laughing at me, saying that apparently I looked so bad that the cashier wasn’t sure if I had the money for such an expensive purchase. I objected that I looked the same as the rest of the residents of my poor area, and apparently she had already encountered the fact that people left the products after knowing its price.

The air raid warning ended today with another strike on Kharkiv. https://tsn.ua/ato/u-harkovi-prolunav-vibuh-zmi-2577356.html
The russian attack near Kharkiv develops and has several goals - to divert troops from other places and attack there, break through the defenses if successful and surround Kharkiv, approach it another 10 kilometers and be able to bombard it with artillery. All options are bad for Kharkiv and Ukraine, and the authorities have already found the culprits - the commanders and units who retreated. But I would advise trying to sit in trenches under an aerial bombardment, because the fortifications were never built...
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c72p0xx410xo

russia is blaming a Ukrainian strike after an entire section of an apartment block collapsed following an explosion in Belgorod. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68998913
The russians blame Ukraine, but this looks like another russian glide bomb that missed its target, which happens from time to time in that place.

[N0TZU]

I don't think that congressmen are stupid people and believe in propaganda. The fact that they support it says something else. At the same time, I ask - what can Ukraine offer the world that will be more important than what russia offers? Politicians are very mercantile people and support whoever pays them the most. At the same time, I am seeing more and more comments from ordinary people who ask their politicians whether all the problems have been solved in their countries, that they are spending money on Ukraine? And they all have reasons to act and think this way.

What do you think the “something else” is?

You probably aren’t familiar with some of our representatives who are demonstrably as dense as a brick and probably believe much of what they say. Unfortunately one of them hails from my state.

Most however will simply do whatever they need to in order to be re-elected. If the majority of party primary voters in their district think the world is flat, then they will echo that. Never underestimate the lack of knowledge, the naivety and the stupidity of large parts of the electorate, especially when they’ve been fed propaganda.

As for those wondering why we spend money on Ukraine, it’s a fair question. Our leaders in all positions need to do a much better job of explaining the consequences of Russia winning and how that would affect the world and our security.

But for many that’s too esoteric. Few could find Ukraine or even Russia on a map, and something that might happen over years isn’t a concern. Then there are “news” media and social media sewers that, like the representatives, are happy to make billions telling their audience that yes, the world is indeed flat, and please buy the products shown in the next advertisement.

[US7IGN]

What do you think the “something else” is?

Knowing how much russian money and agents there are in Europe, I see no reason to think that the situation in the USA is radically different. The fact that stories like Menendez’s can be called an exception only shows how well the russians organized all this and how helpless those who are supposed to resist it are.

It is very difficult to distinguish between the responsibilities of politicians and the people who elect them, but it is fair to expect that everyone will mind their own business. People delegate power, and those elected must work in the interests of the people. A worker or a waitress should not understand and be able to calculate the consequences of certain actions of their state, but this is the direct responsibility of the authorities. The people are directly responsible for choosing “managers,” and "managers" are responsible for the prosperity of the “company” and its “shareholders.” I have never heard of populism or unprofessional CEO leading a company to success.

I read an interview with Victoria Nuland, in which she, among other things, talked about Ukraine. "I believe, and where Putin is stymied enough to go to the negotiating table from a position of strength. It’ll be up to the Ukrainian people what their territorial ambitions should be. But there are certain things that are existential. Any deal that they cut in their interest and in the larger global interest has to be a deal that Putin is compelled to stick to. We can’t be doing this every six months, every three years. It has to actually lead to a deal that includes Russian withdrawal. Putin is a master at what we call rope-a-dope negotiating, where he never actually cuts the deal. It has to be a deal that ensures that whatever is decided on Crimea, it can’t be remilitarized such that it’s a dagger at the heart of the center of Ukraine." https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/11/victoria-nuland-state-department-diplomat-interview-00157408

It is interesting that she categorically talks about a deal with pootin, although the Ukrainian authorities completely deny the possibility of any negotiations and deals with russia and pootin.

The countries of the "Big Seven" (G7: USA, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Canada) have taken up the problem of corruption in Ukraine, which already carries three serious risks for our country. The issue of Ukrainian corruption became one of the key topics discussed at the two-day meeting of G7 justice ministers on May 9-10. At the same time, the Minister of Justice of Germany, Marko Buschmann, directly called corruption a "triple problem of Ukraine", Tagesschau reports. So: firstly, according to Bushman, every euro that "flows out" through corruption schemes instead of financing the armed forces weakens Ukraine in terms of fighting against russian aggression; secondly, "the fight against a high level of corruption" is a necessary step for Ukraine on its way to EU membership, Bushman said; thirdly, corruption can harm the post-war future of Ukraine, he is sure.
"The issue of corruption is a triple problem for Ukraine... If Ukraine wants to go on the path of membership, it must fight the high level of corruption," Bushman said on the first day of the meeting in Venice. He emphasized that foreign aid will be needed to restore the country. But potential donor countries will not want to help if they know that a significant part of the aid will be consumed by corruption.
https://www.tagesschau.de/newsticker/liveblog-ukraine-donnerstag-340.html

In Poland, negotiations with Ukraine regarding the protests of Polish farmers on the Ukrainian-Polish border have been suspended due to suspicion of corruption against the former Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky and his deputy Markiyan Dmytrasevich. Solskyi is accused of illegally taking possession of land in Sumy Oblast. Polish Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michal Kolodziejczak said this in an interview with Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/kraj/artykuly/9505618,kolodziejczak-ja-nie-protestowalem-zeby-sie-promowac-wywiad.html
"It is obvious that we will not negotiate with people who are accused of corruption," Kolodziejczak emphasized. In addition, he added that despite the fact that the protests of Polish farmers are almost over, the issue of corruption in the Ukrainian department should be clarified.