Ukraine Invasion: Part 17

[MagicFox]

A new place for us to convene, thread 17.

A more recent example, in March this year. I'm sure money (inc click-revenue) plays its part in their motivation, but it doesn't appear to be their only motivation.

GOP torn as Greene speaks to far right amid ‘Putin!’ chants
apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-marjorie-taylor-greene-race-and-ethnicity-europe-mitch-mcconnell-6dd6985db085537fcb103c0d022ac775
The congresswoman was welcomed to the stage after Fuentes led the crowd of mostly white men into a rousing embrace of Russia, marveling at its show of strength invading Ukraine.

“Can we get a round of applause for Russia?” he asked. The crowd chanted “Putin! Putin!”

I remember Michael Flynn was caught on that same hook.

Flynn seems to be spinning into crazier and crazier places.

On western Putinists, I can make some sort of sense of communist collaborators with the Soviet Union in the past, but his fellow travellers and arse lickers of recent years have been a diverse bunch. I suspect they have a mix of loathing of their own country, contrariness, admiration for the strongman, a liking for a platform (hello RT) and a fondness for pieces of silver.

And then there was the involvement of Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin in the NRA, which sometimes actively stokes the highly divisive and destabilising issue of guns in the US.

Maria Butina: The Russian gun activist who was jailed in the US
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44885633

The NRA has run into financial and legal troubles since then, filing for bankruptcy in 2021 though not actually being disbanded.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rifle_Association#2020_lawsuits_and_2021_bankruptcy_filing

Obviously the NRA long predates Russian influence campaigns. It was merely a convenient vector for them.

Sergej Sumlenny
@sumlenny
Do you remember Ms. Ovsyannikova, who has appeared with her protest poster on Russian not-so-live state TV? Now this FSB asset is urging the EU to lift sanctions because "grandmas and kids are suffering, and this is Putin's war". Those who cheered her have helped Putin.

twitter.com/sumlenny/status/1508201460487659528

I initially thought she was amazingly brave and then did wonder when she was released from jail just a few hours later after receiving a mere tap on the wrist...

@MagicFox that link isn’t working for me - is there a general summary of what’s being said? It sounds like they’re priming the Russians for something else, maybe an escalation? Maybe part of their face-saving if they do agree with any negotiations via the peace talks (still really not convinced about this). Always find the Russian state media stuff quite hard to get a handle on!

These are just examples which sprang to mind.

There will undoubtedly also be Russian-supported influencers in every other flavour of political circle too – again very likely chucking money around and/or using the "enemy's enemy" schtick.

Flynn seems to be spinning into crazier and crazier places.

Quite a challenge, give how nuts he was already.

I know folk who had to read some of his publications professionally, and even back c2015, before any Trump-related party-politicking, opinion was that he might be actually insane.

.

I didn't see whether this was spelt out explicitly on the last thread, but re Biden mentioning the pope in his speech: it's not just that Poland is Catholic or that JPII oversaw the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's that Pope John Paul II was Polish. He's a national hero for Poland.

So for Biden to invoke him is to do as Zelensky has been doing so cannily and aim straight at the deepest heart of the country to which he's speaking.

Re Ovsyannikova now acting as an FSB asset, here's the experience of the last journalists in Mariupol:

We reached an entryway, and armoured cars whisked us to a darkened basement. Only then did we learn from a police officer we knew why the Ukrainians had risked the lives of soldiers to extract us from the hospital.

“If they catch you, they will get you on camera and they will make you say that everything you filmed is a lie,” he said. “All your efforts and everything you have done in Mariupol will be in vain.”

The officer, who had once begged us to show the world his dying city, now pleaded with us to go.
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/the-russians-were-hunting-us-down-the-war-on-journalism-in-mariupol

“@PerkingFaintly

I didn't see whether this was spelt out explicitly on the last thread, but re Biden mentioning the pope in his speech: it's not just that Poland is Catholic or that JPII oversaw the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's that Pope John Paul II was Polish. He's a national hero for Poland.”

“So for Biden to invoke him is to do as Zelensky has been doing so cannily and aim straight at the deepest heart of the country to which he's speaking.”

Yes, absolutely.

Other journalists, this time in Ukraine:

Viktoriia Roshchyna was taken in Ukraine by unknown men, then released a "hostage style" video;

Svetlana Zalizetskaya's father was taken and held hostage by captors demanding she give herself up.

Ukraine War: Civilians abducted as Russia tries to assert control
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60858363

The head of the Ukrainian NUJ, Sergiy Tomilenko, said the detentions were part of "a wave of information cleansing" which is aimed towards the "intimidation of journalists and public figures".

@PerkingFaintly

Other journalists, this time in Ukraine:

Viktoriia Roshchyna was taken in Ukraine by unknown men, then released a "hostage style" video;

Svetlana Zalizetskaya's father was taken and held hostage by captors demanding she give herself up.

Ukraine War: Civilians abducted as Russia tries to assert control
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60858363

The head of the Ukrainian NUJ, Sergiy Tomilenko, said the detentions were part of "a wave of information cleansing" which is aimed towards the "intimidation of journalists and public figures".

This is so chilling

Indeed.

So I'm going to stick to my assessment of Marina Ovsyannikova having done a damn brave thing and now trying to keep herself and her family alive and not (very) tortured.

It's something we may have to get used to seeing: resistance followed by mitigating statements. I'm not going to hate on folk who do that.

Ugh really is like seeing someone living in Orwell's 1984 isn't it.

@Sorryfornamechanging They're basically saying Putin has to win in Ukraine or else it's the 'final countdown' - the implication is win at all costs. He says if you can't beat Zelensky how will you beat nato? How will you beat the west? He suggests Russia's very existence is at stake. All that escalatory language

Oh I see @magicfox not great. But then I guess it’s addressed to a Russian audience and they have to maintain the strongman image. Curious that they would say they have to win at all costs when I thought they were already portraying what was happening as a win for Russia, all according to plan, to the Russian population though.

Have you seen the pro-invasion rallies in Germany?! Wtf is that about?

No?!

I can't figure out if the the protestors are Russian or German - maybe somebody who speaks German can enlighten us www.bild.de/regional/koeln/koeln-aktuell/sowjetisches-ehrenmal-in-bonn-pro-russische-demo-mit-hunderten-autos-79581574.bild.html

Afp news agency@afp
Last EU train out of Russia arrives in Helsinki.

Just after 7pm on Sunday, the Allegro express train from St Petersburg pulled into the Finnish capital, marking the closure of the last rail link between Russia and the EU

@MagicFox

Have you seen the pro-invasion rallies in Germany?! Wtf is that about?

Every country has its share of fuckwits. The 'few hundred' who turned up will be a drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds of thousands who march against the invasion.

@MagicFox

Have you seen the pro-invasion rallies in Germany?! Wtf is that about?

Nuremberg by any chance ?

Hope everyone who could get out that way (not many tbf) got out already.

Shoigu has reappeared www.ft.com/content/793acc71-1357-4319-87c0-51cb12ef73e6?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8#myft:notification:daily-email:content

@MagicFox

Have you seen the pro-invasion rallies in Germany?! Wtf is that about?

Focus on the millions of Germans who support Ukraine, rather than a tiny minority who don't. My neighbour, who is a ukipper, strongly backs Putin :( the far right and Putin seem to have a lot in common.