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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Statement made by Ukrainian First Lady

320 replies

Fallonangel · 03/09/2022 16:13

The Ukrainian First Lady has made a statement addressing the UK telling us while we are counting our pennies they are also counting their casualties.
Aibu to feel selfish moaning about my lifestyle reductions?

OP posts:
pinkpapaya · 03/09/2022 21:23

Weren't she and her husband named in the leaked Paradise Papers for having salted millions away? I think it was extremely ungracious of her.

Dasheen · 03/09/2022 21:23

Miajk · 03/09/2022 21:12

I'm sorry but British people are not facing problems because of Ukraine or the war.

They're facing problems because of a shit government that's greedy and privatized everything.

Look at France where energy prices are capped. They're supporting Ukraine too. So are other countries that are not facing as much of an issue as Britain.

British people just like pointing fingers at immigrants, refugees, victims of war, anyone worse off than them who gets any help.

Quite factually and as reported by the sector, the war in Ukraine has led to the escalation of the gas crisis. Is this not a fact?

Is it not also a fact that energy bills are unaffordable for people earning £45k an below? Fuel poverty is set to increase to about 13 million people.

The government can only help so much. Many will die because of inadequate heating. For more people than before, it will be a choice between heating and eating.

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:24

reminds us that we are at war with Russia. Because we are.

No we fucking aren't.

pinkpapaya · 03/09/2022 21:25

Sorry I meant the Pandora Papers scandal.

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:26

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:24

reminds us that we are at war with Russia. Because we are.

No we fucking aren't.

So Russia turning off the gas is not war?

We have imposed economic sanctions. We are supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine.

Russia has turned off the energy supply to Europe.

War doesn't have to involve fighting.

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:27

pinkpapaya · 03/09/2022 21:23

Weren't she and her husband named in the leaked Paradise Papers for having salted millions away? I think it was extremely ungracious of her.

Pandora Papers but yeah.

Not just her and her husband but also several of his associates including the one who put him on TV - Komoloisky.

Komoloisky himself raided £5.5 billion from the national bank and is such a bad lad that even the USA has noticed him and said he's not welcome there any more.

Which is a bit of a shame for him, because Zelenskiy has just recently removed his Ukrainian citizenship.

All those private planes and yachts going nowhere. (For now.)

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:29

So Russia turning off the gas is not war?

No. It isn't.

Tierne · 03/09/2022 21:30

What did Zelensky say about Macron?

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:32

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:29

So Russia turning off the gas is not war?

No. It isn't.

Using gas as a weapon to stop Europe supporting Ukraine?

Economic warfare.

We are being threatened economically by Russia - and we are threatening the Russian economy with our sanctions.

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:32

We're not at fucking war with Russia.

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:34

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:32

We're not at fucking war with Russia.

You do know what economic warfare is?

gnilliwdog · 03/09/2022 21:35

I think if we were at war with Russia we would have been bombed a bit by now? Or we would have some troops fighting in Ukraine or something. I think someone would have told us if that were the case.

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:36

Here's a handy way to know if you are or are not at war with Russia.

Are your national armed forces killing Russians? Are Russian national armed forces killing you?

If the answer to both of those questions is "no", you are not at war with them.

Fuck my old boots.

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:36

gnilliwdog · 03/09/2022 21:35

I think if we were at war with Russia we would have been bombed a bit by now? Or we would have some troops fighting in Ukraine or something. I think someone would have told us if that were the case.

You do know what economic warfare is?

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:38

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:36

Here's a handy way to know if you are or are not at war with Russia.

Are your national armed forces killing Russians? Are Russian national armed forces killing you?

If the answer to both of those questions is "no", you are not at war with them.

Fuck my old boots.

Economic warfare
www.bbc.com/news/business-60550610

www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/6/3/100-days-of-economic-war-can-the-west-win-against-russia

gnilliwdog · 03/09/2022 21:38

@cakeorwine You could say that about economic sanctions on South Africa or other countries in the past, though. Or aspects of the Cold War. It's not quite being at war.

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:39

Yes, I've heard of economic warfare. And class warfare. And the war between Italian and French opera.

Regardless, I am not confused as to which country my own is at actual war with.

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:40

gnilliwdog · 03/09/2022 21:38

@cakeorwine You could say that about economic sanctions on South Africa or other countries in the past, though. Or aspects of the Cold War. It's not quite being at war.

But now we have the gas supplies to Europe turned off from Russia - which is a real escalation.

He knows what effect this will have on Europe. People (civillians) will die.

cakeorwine · 03/09/2022 21:42

VirginiaWool · 03/09/2022 21:39

Yes, I've heard of economic warfare. And class warfare. And the war between Italian and French opera.

Regardless, I am not confused as to which country my own is at actual war with.

Last time I checked, war with different types of opera wasn't likely to lead to potential economic collapse and civillian deaths.

MissPankhurst · 03/09/2022 21:43

Tierne · 03/09/2022 21:30

What did Zelensky say about Macron?

The Times reports, on today's front page on their web edition, that Zelensky took "a swipe" at macron, accusing him of being afraid of Russia.
The twerp also took a similar swipe at Ireland in March, scolding Eire for not abandoning her traditional neutrality and adopting a more aggressive posture.
Not until every fucker from Africa to Argentina and from Belfast to Bali is involved in a world war, will this entitled man and his wife be happy.
Even then, they won't say thanks.
Too busy banning his own opposition parties, I suppose.
Ungrateful, twerps who want more, more more and take it as their due.
The rest of Europe freezes and starves, so what says they.

vera99 · 03/09/2022 21:44

Oh, and India gets a free pass whilst they happily buy discounted Russian oil (up to 40%) and military hardware..because ....whisper it quietly China and hard cash.

Why aren't UK leaders pushing Modi and threatening sanctions? Realpolitik rules the world and we are fed a line to push an agenda with truth a part of it only if and when it advances that narrative. Not a peep from Johnson or his Foreign Secretary Truss it all stinks to high heaven.

Both Beijing and New Delhi rely on arms sales from Russia, including advanced weapons systems and fighter jets, and both also import Russian oil. In fact, since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s second-largest supplier of oil. The country’s external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently defended the decision to continue buying oil from Russia by arguing that he had a “moral duty” to secure the best deal on energy prices for Indian citizens given its developing economy.

www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/geopolitics/2022/09/china-india-sending-troops-russia

saraclara · 03/09/2022 21:45

Fallonangel · 03/09/2022 16:44

Yes it's actually making me bloody angry. At no point does she utter a thankyou.
I need to go out I think 😡

What do you need thanking for?

pinkpapaya · 03/09/2022 21:45

I would have expected words along the lines of "Thank you to the people of the UK for standing with us and supporting us at a time when we are being greatly tested. We appreciate the sacrifices that people far away are making for us and hope they will continue to support us and stand with us in a spirit of cameraderie and friendship" THEN she could have said her bit about Ukranian inflation and war deaths and expressed her hope that a united front against Russia will bring peace and better times for all. That would have been the most diplomatic and statesmanlike thing she could have said.

Justwantanicepeacfulholiday · 03/09/2022 21:50

“Mrs Zelenska was asked what message she had for British people who are facing soaring energy bills”

she was asked by our media.

Choconut · 03/09/2022 21:54

CheapBeersFilledwithCrocodileTears · 03/09/2022 20:33

@thefoggiest To be fair, I try to follow the “no Hitler comparisons on the internet” law, but this one IS particularly apt. And you’re absolutely right re: Poland. Hitler invaded Poland and that’s when we finally decided we couldn’t appease him and really went to war, full stop. When he invaded Austria, we decided Austria was worth sacrificing to appease him. So does Ukraine 2022 = Austria 1938 - enh, sure seems like it. As for do I think it’s your/our problem, great question. Unfortunately, can only be answered with a question. Here it is: do you enjoy world wars? I mean, if you enjoy world wars, then no, it’s not your problem. If you’ve ever talked to a WW2 veteran, read anything about military policy ever, understood how modern warfare works, maybe even ever read the Prince by Machiavelli, and/or just plain DO NOT ENJOY WORLD WARS AND WOULD LIKE TO STOP THE NEXT ONE, then yes, it is very, very much your problem to get Ukraine sorted. Either by showing Russia that their expansion era is over before it’s begun. By engaging diplomacy before someone engages the more serious bombs. Or some third option. But yes, I’d definitely prefer this whole thing get “fixed” before it’s past midnight and the carriage turns into a nuclear pumpkin. Most of us saw this coming since 2014 after Crimea. And shock, shock, here we are. So what comes next isn’t some surprise we can’t foretell.

To be fair, it’s not OUR problem. I’m actually dying, so I’ll either be dead before it happens or if it kills me, I won’t be losing some long, full life I could have had. But I have friends and family that deserve to have whatever lives they dream of. I know Russia already has the range to hit the UK with missiles in less time than we can evacuate, and possibly less time than we can knock them down over water. So if “this” all continues, eventually people outside Ukraine are going to die. Russia has the capabilities. Did you think we were far enough to be safe, just because no one was “dropping” bombs? No. We’re in missile range. And if they get Ukraine, it’ll be even easier.

Then why doesn't Russia they just 'missile' Ukraine then and get it over with?

Putin will not come after the rest of Europe he's too old, he wants a last show of strength and power and to get some of the old USSR back, he wants to show NATO and threatens the likes of Finland to try to make Europe afraid to medal. He knows no one in the West has any appetite for war.

After taking the Crimea (where many wanted to be under Russia rather than Ukraine making it easy) he thought it would be straightforward to take the rest of Ukraine and regions such as the Donbas where Russian is spoken and there was a lot of influence already were prime for it.

If Zelensky had any sense IMO he would let go of some of the East/South regions that are pro Russia and save the pro Ukraine more Western facing areas. This gives Putin what he ways, a victory - and he won't give up until he gets one, he has everything to lose and by everything I mean pride and face. But his wife in on tv moaning that the UK aren't doing enough 'just' because millions are falling into poverty here.

Putin is a violent, lying scumbag but I have no time for the Zelensky's - they'll be alright. But they need to put the people first and come to an agreement with Putin to allow him the pro Russian areas before the whole of the Ukraine is completely uninhabitable and nobody 'wins' anything.