Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

[River]

I'm sorry, I got stuck at ransoming a raccoon. I realize trash pandas are zoo animals in Europe but if they want a raccoon, the US or Canada can provide a replacement or even multiple breeding pairs.

[Frelga]

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[Voronwë the Faithful]

No big surprise; certainly the right choice.

[RoseMorninStar]

Is there more than one cover this year? I saw one that said 'Women of Iran'. Certainly both are deserving.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The Women of Iran are Time's "Heros of the Year" for 2022, but Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine are Time's 2022 Person of the Year

[Sunsilver]

I also like this one:

[Sunsilver]

Just saw the Iran cover:

[Frelga]

12/09/22 Morocco will be the first African country to provide military aid to Ukraine

12/10/22 Morocco becomes the first African team to make the semifinals of a FIFA World Cup

In case anyone wondered which side has divine blessing.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It's been in the works for several months, apparently, but just became public a few days ago.

Washington's secret diplomacy in Morocco helps arm Ukraine

Morocco abandons its neutrality in the Ukrainian war and aligns itself with the US

[N.E. Brigand]

The arrest of American basketball player Brittney Griner on drug charges in Russia ten months ago seemed to many observers to be a response to U.S. support for Ukraine, so I'll note here that she was finally freed and returned to the U.S. a couple days ago in a swap in which a Russian arms dealer named Viktor Bout was released from an American prison and repatriated to Russia.

[Frelga]

Victor Bout is a Very Bad Person and there have been complaints that the trade was unfair. Of course, a fair trade would require that the United States jailed a relatively innocent Russian citizen, and that Russia cared enough to trade for them. And that the Russian citizen wanted to go back and did not prefer a cozy American jail to the questionable comforts of home.

[N.E. Brigand]

Victor Bout is a Very Bad Person and there have been complaints that the trade was unfair. Of course, a fair trade would require that the United States jailed a relatively innocent Russian citizen, and that Russia cared enough to trade for them. And that the Russian citizen wanted to go back and did not prefer a cozy American jail to the questionable comforts of home.

Within a day of his return to Russia, Victor Bout was interviewed on Russian TV by Maria Butina, the former Russian spy who -- as shown here by former FBI counterintelligence Peter Strzok -- was palling around with a bunch of prominent Republicans and NRA members from 2015 to 2018 while pretending to be merely a student.

There have been a lot of complaints from the right this week that the Biden administration didn't also arrange for the return of Paul Whelan, another American jailed in Russia. He was arrested while Donald Trump was president, and Butina was released to Russia just after Whelan's arrest, and she wasn't traded for anybody. Why not?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Because she served her full sentence.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

There have been a lot of complaints from the right this week that the Biden administration didn't also arrange for the return of Paul Whelan, another American jailed in Russia.

According to John Bolton, Trump had the opportunity to swap Whelan for Bout and refused to do so. I have no idea if that is really true.

https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-wh ... ts-2022-12

Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, revealed on Friday that the Trump administration had the opportunity to swap Whelan for Bout in 2018 but chose not to.

[N.E. Brigand]

There have been a lot of complaints from the right this week that the Biden administration didn't also arrange for the return of Paul Whelan, another American jailed in Russia.

According to John Bolton, Trump had the opportunity to swap Whelan for Bout and refused to do so. I have no idea if that is really true.

https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-wh ... ts-2022-12

Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, revealed on Friday that the Trump administration had the opportunity to swap Whelan for Bout in 2018 but chose not to.

Thanks for the explanation regarding Butina.

Trump today claimed that Brittney Griner would never have been arrested if he were president, but that if she were, he would have been able to get her released much faster. He also confirms that he chose not to trade Victor Bout for Paul Whelan, but then he added, "I would have gotten Paul out, however," with no explanation as to why if he "would have" done so during the two years of his presidency that Whelan was imprisoned, he didn't actually do so.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Truly remarkable.

[N.E. Brigand]

Can't find it now, but yesterday I saw a report that the U.S. has told Ukraine that it's fine to destroy missile bases inside Russia.

Also the U.S. will be sending Patriot missile-defense systems to Ukraine.

[Frelga]

A Russian MP A. Chepa believes that Serbia could accede to Russia after "a referendum".

Gazeta.ru via Kiyiv Post

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[River]

Um...that's weird. On multiple levels.

[RoseMorninStar]

Accede what? Governmental control? According to an article I read it seems Serbia is fairly pro-Putin/Russia. What do you (or S) think River?