To comment that anyone wanting to find more about Zelensky - offshore dealings

[SandyStrawToad]

I'm not a bot.

Was just trying to find out a bit more about the situation, build-up of current events beyond the surface information.

Found a lot of information from late last year (leaked Pandora Papers) - of course like all news it's

but he isn't some naïve young actor with a cute architect wife who accidentally fell into politics whilst playing Paddington?

www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/03/revealed-anti-oligarch-ukrainian-president-offshore-connections-volodymyr-zelenskiy

www.occrp.org/en/the-pandora-papers/pandora-papers-reveal-offshore-holdings-of-ukrainian-president-and-his-inner-circle

globalhappenings.com/opinion/15391.html

eutoday.net/news/politics/2021/ukraine-82.3-consider-zelenskys-involvement-in-offshore-activities-unacceptable-poll-shows

Got my flameproof suit on but I just think in terms of information (especially as some Mumsnetters are probably using this forum as a primary source of information) it's useful to try to have a complete picture if you're thinking about how to engage with a situation that you're learning about.

Everyone comes into a situation from a different angle - I'm personally fairly uneasy with backing policies that put myself and people on the breadline at risk, by a multi-millionaire with substantial assets abroad with links to a billionaire who is already sanctioned by the EU and the US (awaits flaming).

(am I the only one who is hunting down a source of "unbiased news" regularly?)

I'm sure the regular media is aware of this and when it suits the narrative/story arc they'll bring it up again.

You are pretty gross to be actively looking for dirt on a president whose country is under seige in the worst way by Putin.
What is the matter with you.? What is your angle by doing that?

I'd like to know what the Ukrainian army were burning from the government intelligence building in Kiev when the Russians started to attack. Instead of helping the people they had time to build a bonfire and carry countless documents outside to be destroyed.

In war it's always the innocent civilians that get off worse but there's something not right about this whole situation in my opinion. What do they have that's so bad they couldn't risk the Russians seeing it so had to destroy it?

You mean like the British embassy destroyed papers when Kabul fell to the Taliban? Can you really not see why this would happen?

Here's an example of a story that I don't believe the BBC has touched (for political reasons). I am happy to be corrected if wrong.

Bangladesh were one of 35 countries which abstained from the Russia condemnation vote. As a result, and a particularly murderous and unpleasant bit of virtue signalling, Lithuania announced it was cancelling a donation of over 400,000 covid vaccines it had promised to Bangladesh.

You can argue about whether that's justified or not, but you need to have heard the report in the first place to be able to.

www.dhakatribune.com/foreign-affairs/2022/03/07/lithuania-cancels-decision-to-donate-covid-vaccines-to-bangladesh-after-un-vote-on-russia

scroll.in/latest/1019066/lithuania-cancels-vaccine-donations-to-bangladesh-for-not-condemning-russian-invasion-of-ukraine

www.newsweek.com/vaccine-delivery-canceled-country-that-did-not-condemn-russia-1685561

Of course, you may believe that only rich, white Switzerland should enjoy the luxury of neutrality, and tinpot little African and Asian countries should align themselves with the West or else. But at least report on it.

I'm no reader of espionage thrillers but even I know that you don't let your classified security information fall into the hands of the enemy.

dig further and you might find he's set up a fund to persuade his oligarch mates to pay for ridiculously expensive wall paper and interior designer.

The current situation we've arrived at in Ukraine can be traced back to 2014 and is a direct result of the West and NATO fermenting disorder and disunity amongst the population to the point where violent insurrection and atrocities occurred.

The wider question is whether Putin was too weak and ineffectual to prevent this happening until he felt he was backed in to a corner and left with no option other than a bloody military one, or whether he's been shrewd enough to deliberately allow the West to go as far as they have done in influencing Ukraine's political landscape so he's got the justification and pretext he felt he needed for an invasion.

As with so many politicians he is not completely clean.

However, I tend to judge a leader by how they lead especially during difficult times and by that measure he seems to be doing a pretty fine job to me.

OP I don't know who you are or where you're from but I think you will find the majority of Mumsnet care more for the Ukrainian people and government than they do for the Pandora Papers right now.

@fallfallfall

Seems wise for the country he’s representing and the level of politics he’s dealing with. Bad enough he has a target on his back so does his family. I’m sure an estate planner would suggest similar safety nets.

Yes, I thought the same. It is a small gun of his (and his wife's) general competence that they are financially secure. It is a very different environment to here and they've made sure they are safe in that fundamental respect. It also secured the freedom to be creative and make TV/films.

Good on them, I say. Yet more to admire about him.

Weird typo 'small gun'?! I meant it is a SIGN of competence.

Kremlin's that way ---->. Don't forget your toothbrush.

We'll said OP. Our press loves to simplify every argument down to are you a nice person or a nasty person. In this case only nasty people dare criticise NATO and the Ukrainian government - put in power by the West. Putin's bad - so is NATO. Geopolitics is complicated and ordinary people always pay the price. Zelensky is no hero. He's not on the front lines. If he wanted to save lives he could agree that the Ukraine will not join NATO. Maybe Putin wouldn't accept that now but it should at least be tried. What's worse an agreement to remain neutral or war?

The current situation we've arrived at in Ukraine can be traced back to 2014 and is a direct result of the West and NATO fermenting disorder and disunity amongst the population to the point where violent insurrection and atrocities occurred.

Oh right. You mean when Russia under Putin illegally annexed Crimea?

@ABitBesotted that covid vaccine cancellation to Bangladesh is shameful and evil.

Yes this wasn't widely reported

No. This about the present! Ukraine being invaded by Russia! His actions now.

If Putin annexes Ukraine, Russia will have four more direct neighbours who are NATO members, doesn't seem to worry him.

This thread clearly highlights that, for the most part, what a nation of low information, unthinking, naive, reactionary idiots we've become... utterly incapable of accepting nuances or carrying out independent research or formulating opinions based on facts.

Instead just slavishly complying with whatever narrative our State controlled broadcaster and media spoon feed us.

Yes I'm sure Putin's invasion of another sovereign country is very nuanced. If only we could all be critical thinkers like you 🙄

Good god. Compared to most world leaders that looks squeaky clean to me!

There is no nuance in invading a sovereign country and killing its people unless they submit to your demands, none whatsoever.

What has this got to do with the war in Ukraine OP?!!

To have your name in pandora papers means in itself v little imo and is not an indication that someone is underhand in general. It was not illegal and plenty of companies owned by UK people have been set up (often by companies that offer a business set up service) for similar reasons (looks like a investment vehicle company set up to manage investment properties).

Owning property in Italy is also not an issue.

So no I do not see any of the issues that you have cited as cause to suspect Zelensky of being a poor character and unworthy of support fighting the invaders Russia.

A kgb agent who has shown himself to be a cold blooded narc and out of touch with reality- thar guy should be no where near a seat of power.

@Yants

This thread clearly highlights that, for the most part, what a nation of low information, unthinking, naive, reactionary idiots we've become... utterly incapable of accepting nuances or carrying out independent research or formulating opinions based on facts.

Instead just slavishly complying with whatever narrative our State controlled broadcaster and media spoon feed us.

Yeah, join the dots, sheeple!

I am seeing a few "do your research" style FB comments. Sadly, people are very gullible and the long-term aim of the populist movement is to get people to question "mainstream" press and instead rely on whatever popular bullshit they want to press for. They use a current situation (immigration/covid/war) to push people away from the mainstream into looking at whatever suits their agenda. See Trump/Farage/Johnson/Putin. They obviously don't give a shit about the actual issues but want to disenfranchise people from the usual voting norms and to act in ways that will benefit whoever is pushing the agenda. This is an extension of that. The op is either a bot or is swallowing some of the misinformation and is being used as a pawn. They will of course protest against this as in most likely terms they don't realise this is what is happening.

I've just done some "research" and learned that Zelenskyy is a puppet under the control
Of the New World Order. Stands to reason, he's literally an actor

🤪🤪🤪

People's brains have been fried I think