@BNR schrijft over neo-nazistische praktijken bij het Oekraïense leger, maar het lijkt of de auteur, afrikanist @MVanHarreveld zich beter bij dat continent kan houden. Hij verkondigt namelijk het russisch narratief en leunt vrijwel volledig op één bron: Marta Havryshko. Een controversiële onderzoekster die regelmatig optreedt bij pro-kremlin influencers als Glenn Diesen en Jackson Hinkle en zich positief uitlaat over figuren uit de pro-russische en extreemrechtse hoek, waaronder Alice Weidel van de AfD. De auteur trapt met dit artikel volledig in de val van russische desinformatie die al jaren over Oekraïne wordt verspreid. Dat BNR ervoor kiest om uitsluitend dit perspectief te verkondigen, roept serieuze vragen op over de journalistieke afwegingen achter dit stuk. Voor wie meer context wil over de achtergronden en het netwerk van Havryshko, lees deze analyse van een echte Oekraïne- en ruslandonderzoeker @P_Kallioniemi: x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/2…

Several Ukrainians have told me in person and X that my original spelling of Kyiv is wrong. I said “Kiev” originally, which is the Russian spelling. When the war started, on-air journalists gradually switched from saying Kee-yev to Keev. I never understood why. Until now. Russia is waging a cultural war on Ukraine. They are indoctrinating kidnapped children to only speak Russian, forbidding the use of Ukrainian. Russian leaders claim Ukraine has no distinct cultural identity or history separate from Russia. But last night I ate borscht, a Ukrainian dish, for the first time. I’m in a city originally named Kyivan Rus’. Muscovites took the name to create “Russia.” Even the underlying technology for Russia’s nuclear energy is Ukrainian. Russia has appropriated Ukrainian history and culture since Russia’s founding. Ukrainians take pride in their history and identity. They do not like to see it appropriated by Russians killing their families every single day. So if you’re an American asking yourself why this matters, you have your answer. Reporting from KYIV with @LauraLoomer @LoomerUnleashed

When this war is over, and Ukraine is victorious and whole again, and every innocent victim, every fallen defender, every destroyed city and town is documented, let no one say they did not know. These Russian crimes against humanity are happening in full view in real time.

When is he NOT criming and stealing?

The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, criticized Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and wants to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from him. He was outraged by the awarding of the Order to a unit of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine named after the Heroes of the UPA. As a sign of protest, Lech Walesa also removed the badge with the Ukrainian flag from himself, which he had worn since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This game can be played by two. Poles honor Pilsudski, who betrayed the UNR in favor of the Bolsheviks. He was the ideologist of the "Volhynian experiment" and gave the start to Pacification — terror against Ukrainians in Galicia. Ukraine has never demanded that Poland condemn Pilsudski. For Poland, he is a national hero, and we do not interfere in this decision. Poland is deliberately stoking a conflict against a state that is defending, among others, itself. Such shortsightedness will only help Russia in its future aggressive actions against Poland itself. - Sternenko

💥 THOUGHT OF THE DAY © Polish FM Radosław Sikorski says he sees little point in negotiating with Putin. According to Sikorski, dictators who stay in power for decades become detached from reality because everyone around them lies to them. He also reminded that Putin has repeatedly broken promises — from denying Russian troops in Crimea to claiming he wouldn’t invade Ukraine. That’s why, Sikorski argues, Putin is unlikely to end the war himself: admitting failure could cost him power.

It is a scandal of alarming proportions: for four years, a German company has unhinderedly supplied European high technology—including microcontrollers, sensors, and other dual-use components—to the Russian military-industrial complex, thereby directly supporting Putin’s war machine. Around 16,000 shipments, valued at over 30 million euros, were processed while the German government apparently stood idly by. Only now, after years of systematic circumvention of EU sanctions, is action finally being taken. This is not merely a failure; it constitutes active complicity through willful blindness. The German Federal Government—which rhetorically positions itself so vociferously as a pioneer in sanctions policy—allowed a network under Russian control (operating via the sanctioned firm Kolovrat) to place fictitious orders for four years, funneling goods through Turkey so that they would arrive in Russia in record time (often within just 5 to 10 days). Particularly insidious is the fact that many components ended up at the All-Russian Research Institute of Automation—an institution directly involved in the development of Russian nuclear weapons. Thanks to these 16,000 shipments, Russia was able to modernize its weapon systems, enhance its precision guidance capabilities, increase the reliability of its drones and missiles, and further expand its nuclear infrastructure. Every single shipment has potentially endangered German and European soldiers, as well as Ukrainian civilians. Why did the German government merely stand by and watch for four years? • Bureaucratic inertia and a lack of political priority: The relevant authorities (BAFA, Customs, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and the BND) evidently possessed information but failed to consistently translate it into concrete action. • Fear of economic repercussions: There was a reluctance to unduly disrupt Germany’s export-oriented economy, leading officials to instead turn a blind eye. • Political hypocrisy: Loudly proclaiming "Stand with Ukraine" while simultaneously allowing German companies to supply Putin’s war machine with dual-use technology. Why?

I have nothing to say really other than what I say for years. . I’m angry at whole world for letting russians continue their only cultural trait: depravity. They will never change and they will never stop. Entire planet waiting for Putin to fall while not understanding that russians will just get another Putin, Stalin, Andropov, Ivan, Lenin. They will claim new form of government. New ideology and try to again sell world idea that russians can change. They can’t. If they could, they would have by now. Two world wars ago or 2 revolutions ago, 3 forms of government ago, countless leaders ago, centuries ago. Same fucking Golden Horde toilet that russia has always been no matter what lie they believe or sell. They can’t change because it’s what they are. But they will sell idea that it’s just Putin and his regime. And West so eager for investments and russian resources will say yes, again, its new russia. It will be different this time. But it wont. No matter if they are imperialists, communists, fascists or whatever new mask they put on, they are same. No matter who lead them. They are same. They value nothing, believe in nothing but myth of their own greatness. That’s it. Even when this war ends, no peace can exist as long as russians escape consequences. We must have nukes. We must have strong military that has no reliance on anything American. And russia must be in pieces. There is no other future. Peace will exist only when russia has no power to ever commit another genocide again. It’s not possible any other way. And American alignment with russia over us is proof that America can offer us nothing. We cannot and will not ever let russia walk away from their crimes again. Good news is we will have Nuremberg 2.0 and this time; we will also try them as they should have been during Nuremberg. They must pay for all of it. All of it. Because as nation if you murder more people in one century than you have as citizens, then you are all guilty. All. And all of you must pay for your crimes.

Direct message from Giorgia Meloni to Volodymyr Zelensky: "Dear President Zelensky, you know that you can count on our loyal support for the cause of freedom of Ukrainian people. Stay strong and keep your faith steadfast!" 😉 Just, wow 😊