"Ukrainian soldiers have penetrated the first line of Russian defense in spots on the southern front," Milley said.
He has been cautious about Ukraine's prospects for victory. In this context, his remarks might be even more important.
"Russia ... killing tens of thousands of my fellow Ukrainians. I wish for them to release all the hostages, all the soldiers who are protecting the land, all the civilians who are now in their jails."
Inspiring and spell-binding.
via
@nbcnews
Russian propagandists might be prudent to wait before celebrating Speaker Johnson's past opposition to Ukraine aid. It still enjoys commanding, bipartisan support in both Chambers.
Meanwhile in Russia: state TV is celebrating Mike Johnson's speakership, because of his anti-Ukrainian stance. They also appreciated Virginia Foxx yelling "Shut up!" to a reporter. This too is in total alignment with Russian values and interests.
Meanwhile in Russia: state TV is celebrating Mike Johnson's speakership, because of his anti-Ukrainian stance. They also appreciated Virginia Foxx yelling "Shut up!" to a reporter. This too is in total alignment with Russian values and interests.
"With over eighty million along with two of Europe’s most powerful armies, a shared strategic vision, and huge scope for further economic growth, Poland and Ukraine have potential to form a formidable geopolitical double act."
Rumsfeld's "New Europe."
"
#Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov says supplying arms capable of hitting Russian territory would be a step towards ‘unacceptable escalation.'"
Moscow may worry that these arms will be especially effective.
Might future historians remember Putin as the Kremlin leader who lost
#Russia
's largest East Slavic neighbor
#Ukraine
and the rich European gas market?
via
@nbcnews
"Major shortfall between promises & deliveries of weapons comes from countries of Western Europe, especially Germany."
Newer members on
@NATO
's eastern flank, and the UK, are proving their worth in aiding Ukraine. But why have older members faltered?
USSR/Russia backed down from threats in 1948-49 Berlin airlift, 1962 Cuba missile crisis, 1973 Yom Kippur war & 1989 withdrawal from Afghanistan. In no case did West hesitate for fear of humiliating Kremlin ruler. In every case Western pressure prevailed.
All "large-scale enterprise should be ready, regardless of ownership.” Implies greater state control over economy is on horizon. Excess of it has already stunted productivity growth.
"Macron delivered a more sober message, telling Zelensky that even mortal enemies like France and Germany had to make peace after World War II."
Yes, but after the Nazis were defeated.
With Kremlin propagandists saying "Israelis are hysterical, brainwashed, and Russophobic," this might help clarify Israeli thinking about oing more to support Ukraine.
Vladimir Solovyov and Mikhail Khazin said the Israelis are hysterical, brainwashed and Russophobic. They blamed the British for the Hamas massacre and claimed that the Dagestan pogrom was designed to discourage the reverse migration from Israel to Russia.
#Putin
's comment suggests he seeks to shift blame for failures in
#Ukraine
not only to the military, but also to weapons producers.
Yet, the main strategic blunder was the decision by the Kremlin's ex-KGB cohort to invade.
"Traffic cam data suggests Moscow terrorism suspects were apprehended hours earlier than previously reported."
This undermines the Kremlin claim that the Tajiks reached Bryansk oblast, which abuts Ukraine. Another Kremlin lie debunked.
Michael Hayden ably led
@NSAGov
and
@CIA
, then devoted himself to informing public debate and promoting education about national security and foreign policy.
@GenMhayden
is a great American, and in the thoughts of so many for full recovery.
Western partners of Georgia might begin to think of specific responses. One might be to deny visas permanently to any member of parliament who votes for the foreign agent law.
This extremely sad to watch and to report on, I see the exact same scenes as last year, water cannons, pepper sprays, tear gas.
People are peaceful, see the hands erected symbolizing that, riot police is cracking them down regardless. They want to end the protest asap.
"Kazakhstan has opened Soviet-era archives that detail millions of cases of political repressions, show trials and exile between 1929 and 1965."
Courageous step by Kazakhstan. So many innocent people suffered and died in Soviet-era repression.
@NATO
allies surely hope that Biden's powerful rhetoric about countering Putin's aggression in last night's
#SOTU
might spur passage of aid to Ukraine, but they are wary.
My RAND colleagues and I discussed the future of the war in this recent Q&A:
"Putin is yet to call Netanyahu, while the Kremlin has not published a message of condolence to the country."
The Kremlin may value its ties to Israel's opponents more than to Israel. Perhaps Israel will end its ambiguous policy toward Ukraine.
"Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War (1853-56) led to the emancipation of the serfs, and defeat in the Russo-Japanese war (1904-05) led to Russia’s first constitution."
One might add, defeat in Afghanistan helped lead to the collapse of the USSR.
Especially light of the Bucha massacre,
@ZelenskyyUa
might do well to tone down his pleas for a personal meeting with Putin. There is no reason to expect it could be worthwhile, and Putin may well seek to embarrass him.
🗣️"All those who still protest against the adoption of the law should be tried under the espionage clause," said Guram Macharashvili, a member of the parliamentary majority from the People's Power, a satellite of Georgian Dream.
#NoToRussianLaw
#Georgia
"At a cost of roughly 5% of America’s annual budget for defense, Ukrainian forces have punctured the myth of Russia’s military prowess."
Cost-efficient by any measure.
Still unclear but today Putin may have signaled
#Russian
retrenchment: military call-up over soon, no "massive" strikes for now & no plans to "destroy" Ukraine.
Why? Military losses, sanctions, isolation, opposition to call-up -- all may help explain.
"The uptick in repressive measures is a symptom of Tokayev’s anxiety over his lack of standing among many segments of the public and concomitant fear of losing power."
As well, the repressive Nazarbayev political machine and its cadres remain in place.
The authorities seem less and less confident as they arrest or threaten more and more opponents. Allowing more open political expression could diminish the erosion of popular respect for authority in
#Kazakhstan
.
In Moscow for the 200th anniversary celebration and academic conference of the Institute of Oriental Studies. Across the Moscow river is the stately Radisson Royal, remembered by old Soviet hands as the Hotel Ukraine, built in Stalin's favorite wedding-cake architectural style.
Only an independent investigatory commission, led by civil society, may be trusted. Potemkin investigations could erode citizens' confidence in the government and disappoint many of
#Kazakhstan
's international partners.
The Georgian people have been clear: their future is with the Euro-Atlantic community.
By overriding President
@Zourabichvili_S
's veto to adopt the law on foreign influence, the Georgian Government has stepped away from these aspirations.
The UK stands with the Georgian people.
For the Prime Minister to call political opposition "terrorists" suggests he lacks any sense of proportion. If he stays as PM & opposition leader Melia remains in detention, Western support for Georgia may decline, perhaps leaving it more exposed to external pressure.
About half of the Georgian people voted for the group you say you are in no mood to talk to. You have the power, and there’s still time to step back from the brink.
#GeorgiaCrisis
On 19 July,
#Georgia
in Batumi pledged "unwavering commitment to advance further the process of our integration" into
#EU
.
Does quitting EU-brokered political compromise undermine this pledge? Is Georgia retreating from EU ambitions?
via
@CivilGe
One might expect from Lukashenko's Belarus such an injustice, but not from the
#Georgia
that so many of its friends came to know. The injustice is turning
#Saakashvili
into an unlikely "prisoner of conscience."
Western friends of Georgia are puzzled why its leaders are moving the country away from the West. Do these leaders expect Georgia to find loyal friends elsewhere?
via
@CivilGe
Today 17 March 2023, members of the opposition party «Alga Kazakhstan» have applied for registration for the 12th time. We will wait to see what coward
#Tokayev
has to say. We assume that they will be refused registration.
@osce_odihr
@MalteKaufmann
@plecamp
@Europarl_EN
Georgian Dream has taken off its democratic mask. But most Georgians back EU membership. The current wave of authoritarian rule will not deny Georgians their European and democratic futures. Nor will it deter the West from supporting these ambitions.
Georgia enters its 4th week of protests against unconstitutional Russian law and the country’s shift to Russia. Initially met w water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, arrests; the government now weaponizes personal repression, physical attacks, intimidation as protests persist.
Why is the Kremlin showing that the four Tajiks are being severely tortured? Is it trying to deter future attacks? Or is the Kremlin signaling contempt for Central Asians? Or Muslims? This display of cruelty could anger potential future terrorists.
What does the .
@TokayevKZ
government plan to do about torture and other
#HumanRights
violations of the thousands of innocent
#Kazakhstani
citizens detained by security forces? This will be an urgent issue for the country's friends in the West.
"Kazakh
#HumanRights
organizations recognize four defendants -- Baimaghambetova, Zheksebaev, Rakhymzhanov, and Qylyshev -- as
#PoliticalPrisoners
."
Charging them as extremists lessens popular respect for
#Kazakhstan
's leadership & judicial process.
Two top Russian generals overseeing war in Ukraine might be gone. This might demoralize and confuse some Russian fighters.
Ukraine could not have asked for a better gift. Look for more routs of Russian forces, as in Kharkiv oblast last September
"After [victory in] elections, we will issue a strict political & legal condemnation to the collective UNM [meaning NGOs & political opponents]; it will get due punishment it deserves. They will pay for all crimes against the Georgian people."
This is a call to fascist rule.
This speech by 🇬🇪 leader Ivanishvili this evening shows that he leads a regime alien to the values and interests of 🇪🇺. Anyone who doubts it should read the speech.
At the
#Baiterek
monument and observation tower in Nursultan (
#Astana
), perhaps
#Nazarbayev
's handprint on the top deck could be replaced by a memorial to the fallen peaceful protesters who sought better lives and more freedom.
"Senate Republicans block bipartisan border deal and foreign aid package."
On the eve of WWII, isolationists embarrassed themselves, weakened America, and undercut our allies. They may be doing it again.
If adopted, the foreign agent law -- modeled on a repressive Russia law -- could open the way to authoritarian rule in Georgia. The West should continue to insist on full withdrawal. Any proposal to amend the draft law would likely be a trap.
Ukraine's unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) may be rendering the Sevastopol unusable. USVs can carry large explosives. They could sink most or all Russian warships in the Crimean port.
..
By detaining peaceful protesters, Kazakhstan's rulers look weak and are losing prestige at home and abroad. Allowing civil society and political opposition to have greater role in governance will be essential for long-term political and social peace.
Arrests of those in
#Kazakhstan
who peacefully express their views may gradually undermine popular acceptance of its authoritarian rule. Recent elections in Armenia & Ukraine show rising support in the former USSR for
#democratic
progress. Kazakhstan will not be exempt.
Activist Asya Tulesova now being taken to court and tried for breaching public assembly laws after being arrested for holding banner calling for fair election in
#Kazakhstan
at today's Almaty marathon
What a human tragedy.
Outrageous that the state is not cooperating with the family to investigate the
#murder
.
#KazakhstanProtests
might continue so long as the authorities do not respect
#HumanRights
.
The investigation is being conducted by the family alone, and the state is not cooperating in the investigation into Nuraliya Aitkulova’s murder.
I express my sincere condolences to the family of Nuraliya.
It is very sad to realise that there can be many families like this now
A day on which Kazakhstan's citizens deserve to feel proud of their country's independence has become, as well, a symbol of government repression. A relaxation of repression could improve prospects for the country and its talented people.
"
#Tbilisi
Pride’s 'real objective' was advancing political interests, not that of defending 'rights of anyone.'”
Disappointing comment. Instead,
#Georgia
's leaders could foster tolerance and condemn violence against peaceful demonstrators.
via
@CivilGe
"The ruling party was perhaps unaware that the younger generation would be willing to step up."
Had GD forgotten that the Rose was the first of the color revolutions in the former USSR?
This could be the "Blue" revolution, the color of the EU flag.
"If the West does everything for a total victory of
#Ukraine
, it will also act for the good of other peoples, and also for the
#Russian
people ... For peace to come, Putin’s Russia will have to be defeated — radically, totally."
Many firms in Kazakhstan are "wary of contagion from damage to their trade with foreign buyers or their reputations if they do business with
#Russian
companies."
An example of how sanctions can have a wider effect on Russia's economy.
I like, every other Central Asia watcher, am genuinely flabbergasted that
@RFERL
would be considering letting
@BrucePannier
go. A hugely detrimental decision to international understanding of the region that
@jamiemfly
needs to rectify urgently.
.
@TokayevKZ
's remarks offer no promise of a more open political process with greater
#freedom
of speech and assembly in Kazakhstan. Without this check on official power, promises of reform or better governance may have little credibility.
Like Leonid Brezhnev, Vladimir Putin is taking his country downward. Both invaded neighbors, heightened repression, and lowered living standards and public morale. Soon after the Brezhnev era, the USSR collapsed. It may be too late for Putin’s Russia.
Positive step. But at same time
#Kazakhstan
authorities are imprisoning other opposition
#political
figures. Political life in Kazakhstan is becoming more strained.
In attacks on dug-in Russian forces, Kyiv’s use of US cluster munitions could save thousands of its soldiers' lives. These munitions could prevent Russian forces from protecting their mines and other obstacles, easing Ukraine's task of dismantling them.
"Combined arms operation, in which
#Ukraine
deployed a coordinated attack with tanks, infantry and air cover, has confounded sceptics."
This success showed that Ukrainian forces are able to master the complexity of modern offensive operations.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine is 'about as clear a right-versus-wrong as we've seen in our lifetime.'"
Yes, only two other major cases: North Korea threat to South, and in Cold War, Soviet threat to NATO. In both, the West was firm and never faltered.
Prigozhin may fail in his coup attempt, as did another poorly prepared one in August 1991. Even if Putin retains power, he may be weaker. Regime change is no longer unthinkable. But in Russian history, successful military coups are infrequent.
Ukraine's aim is to win the war, not just end it. With Ukraine having battlefield momentum and Russia illegally occupying parts of it, why would the West "nudge" Kyiv to concede?
The most promising path to ending the war in Ukraine is for the United States to nudge both sides to the negotiating table, writes Barry Posen.
What will prompt Washington to move in this direction?
Will the agenda include launching an independent investigation of the killing and torturing of innocents by security forces, and the freeing of vast numbers of political prisoners? This may be more important for citizens of
#Kazakhstan
than repeating vague promises of reform.
New Kazakhstan agenda aimed at raising living standards, bridging income gaps, create jobs and curb inflation. All we do is making life safer and easier for millions of Kazakhstanis.
The obsessive effort to detain & punish opposition political
#activists
as "
#extremists
" -- when many people know they do not threaten peace -- could erode the legitimacy of the authorities in the eyes of many of
#Kazakhstan
's citizens.
"Putin & Ivanishvili share an obsession with the USA being behind every Western or local entity that they cannot tolerate or any popular resistance to authoritarianism."
Ivanishvili seems to want Georgia to become a new, repressive Russia.
Disappointing. For three decades
#Kazakhstan
has encouraged ethnic
#Kazakhs
abroad to come "home." How painful it must be now to bow to
#China
on who can become a citizen of Kazakhstan.
Three Kazakhs from
#China
who fled persecution in
#Xinjiang
have been denied citizenship in
#Kazakhstan
. If Kazakhstan won't protect these people, who will?
The "listening state" seems not to hear the voices of Kazakhstanis who call for political freedoms and respect for human rights. If those voices grow louder but remain unheard, political stability could decline. Genuine dialogue might reduce risks of political or social shocks.
President
@TokayevKZ
endorsed the Law on protecting women’s rights and enhancing child safety, marking a significant milestone in promoting the well-being of every child and woman in
#Kazakhstan
.
"Not one of the approximately 400 Russian Orthodox Church bishops in Russia has spoken out against the war."
And yet Moscow pretends to be the "Third Rome" and to preserve traditional Christian values against Western "decadance."
"US officials ... appear more concerned than ever that
#Putin
could escalate the war to compensate for his humiliating retreat."
Maybe not. Military setbacks, & Xi & Modi scoldings, might cause Kremlin to ease up on war, to reduce risk of being ousted.
Sending journalists to forced labor and psychiatric hospitals creates martyrs and further undermines the legitimacy of authoritarian rule in
#Kazakhstan
.
"
#Protesters
being dragged or carried away to waiting buses has become dominant image of
#Tokayaev
’s presidency."
Recalls "era of stagnation" in late
#Brezhnev
period. Tokayev wanted
#reform
, but
#Nazarbayev
& security organs remain real power.
Washington does not suffer "Russophobic hysteria." What does cause concern are specific acts of misbehavior: election interference, aggression in Ukraine, new Russia missile that violates INF Treaty, sports doping, et al.
"In January, Makhanbaev was rushed to the hospital with severe bodily wounds and bruises."
The constant stream of reports of official torture and brutality is badly damaging the reputation of
#Kazakhstan
. The world expects better from it.
#Tokayev
: “Without political transformation,
#Kazakhstan
will not be a success story. Without political reforms there will be no progress in
#economic
#reforms
.” Well said. To match these lofty words, gov't should stop arresting every peaceful protester.
#Putin
: "new
#sanctions
on
#Russia
as a result of the
#Ukraine
crisis could lead to 'a complete rupture of relations' between Moscow and Washington."
#Kremlin
may worry further drop in living standards could turn more Russians against current rulers.
Medvedev reminds us that Moscow's motive for waging war on Ukraine goes far beyond the prospect that someday it may join NATO.
Medvedev helpfully upends Kremlin claims of interest in a negotiated solution.
Medvedev: Even if Ukraine surrenders the territories we claim and renounces NATO aspirations in exchange for a peace deal, sooner or later we would still have to put the nail into the coffin of Ukrainian statehood and return the rest of the country’s lands “into the bosom of
.
@TokayevKZ
"said on Twitter on January 7 that '20,000 bandits' had emerged from sleeper cells."
Implausible comments like this, along with the extended Internet & news blackout, make it difficult to believe anything the authorities have said.
"
#Russian
-installed governor of Sevastopol ... said air defenses shot down two drones ... explosions were reported."
Explosions suggest drones might not have been shot down.
"Kyiv is using
@NATO
weapons for strikes on civilian targets and terrorist attacks against peaceful Russian citizens."
Perhaps it is too embarrassing for Shoigu to admit that the weapons were Ukrainian, not Western.
via
@WSJ
#KZ
MFA: "We assume Western
#sanctions
are politically motivated and target individual nations rather than the EEU as a whole."
Wise. KZ has no here interest in becoming enmeshed in sanctions aimed at
#Belarus
&
#Russia
.
“The agencies of the country’s key strategic partner [the U.S.] are receiving distorted information"
To the contrary, most of the information needed by the West to reach judgments is open and available to anyone.
Sadly, Kazakhstan missed an opportuj8ty to show that it has escaped the Nazarbayev era of dishonest elections. Instead, this election was no better. It could plant seeds for future social and political unrest.
On Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections last week,
@PaoloBottleneck
writes the historic low turnout of 54 itself is likely an inflated figure: "Observers noted empty polling stations across the country, and especially in large cities."
In the post-Soviet space,
#authoritarian
governments are plagued by massive corruption and poor governance. The power reshuffle in
#Kazakhstan
is unlikely to break this pattern. Lacking popular legitimacy, the new government may turn to corrupt
#oligarchs
for support.
President Tokayev meets owners of
#Kazakhstan
’s largest domestic companies,explains his economic reforms for
#NewKazakhstan
aimed at curbing inequality,stimulating fair competition,developing new tax policy,urges support to For People of Kazakhstan Fund
ℹ
"The biggest warship by tonnage sunk since 1945."
#Russian
military setbacks on land and at sea could increase anxiety in Moscow about the course of the
#war
and the wisdom of launching it. The crown on Putin's head might now rest more uneasily.
@ZelenskyyUa
's remarks were reminiscent of the inspiration and courage Winston Churchill showed in his remarks to a joint session of Congress just weeks after the December 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.
How do these words accord with massive
#HumanRights
rights violations against
#prisoners
now taking place in
#Kazakhstan
and described in detail on social media?
Kazakhstan remains committed to its international obligations and universal principles of human rights and the rule of law. We will never deviate from the trajectory of further political modernization.
An MP's being questioned by reputable
#journalists
is not being "attacked," but being held accountable as a public servant to the citizens of
#Kazakhstan
.
Dariga Nazarbaeva, a Kazakh MP and daughter of the former Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbaev, said she was "attacked" by journalists of
@AzattyqRadiosy
@Radio_Azattyk
of
@RFERL
for question at the parliament. And hinted about "works of foreign agents"..