To my knowledge, it's Dombas, Luhansk, and Crimea.
Now in 2014, Crimean citizens favored being absorbed into Russia; but those living either in Dombas or Luhansk did not. If a region wouldn't go with Russia, it would stay with Ukraine.
But now, Russia has deliberately invaded each of these regions; and I understand, Russia wants to claim each as its own because of the present occupation. I would think it is no longer entitled to claim these lands, wherein it has forcibly seized each of them.
In addition to the trips, to be completed by July 1, I need some more support. Michael O'Hanlon of Brookings and the China Institute that Brookings has set up under President Allen both could be useful to me.
I'm not used to such support, so there should be someone on my team that will be liaison with Brookings, should they go along with this plan.
Let's do it!
Cordially
The editors of the Economist, I've gotten an indication from, have reminded me that only the Russian people of Russia can replace President Putin. To chez.
My thought is to mold Russia into a democratic state by making the international popularity of Zelensky count in Russia, itself! He would either become President or work with his associates, one of whom would run for the office. Russia has always admired the American Constitution. The dream is not so far fetched.
Years ago, after being in Moscow amid the happenings of the fall of the USSR, I returned to San Francisco. Former President M. Gorbachev opened an office near Pier 39; and I was lucky enough to have made contact. I believe his people in Russia are still active and could know how to follow through on this dream. There are rumblings in Russia now of discontent because of current visible demonstrations in the streets of some cities.
Anyway, I would like for the idea to be kept in the back of the Biden administration people as perhaps something to ruminate about--viz., how to pull it off!
My kooky idea! Some of them have merit to me, anyway.
That President seems to me to be mean! But anyway, the central government is permitting humanitarian succor for the residents of Tigray province, formerly ruling Ethiopia, but no longer.
Be it observed there's an important hydroelectric facility to the north of Ethiopia.
More importantly, China is moving into the horn of Africa region and is constructing a large military facility in the country where 2 oceans intersect--probably being its navy that is most significant. China is supposedly mediating the conflict in Ethiopia!
I'd suggest Bruce Jones, one of the Panelists at the Brookings, on the topic "New Geopolitics of State Fragility" March 18th discussion, as a resource to find out what China's relation is to the President of Ethiopia that suddenly a many year conflict is calmed.
If the United States is committed to replacing Putin's leadership in Russia, I concur; and find the best way is through the Russian military, who, when push comes shove, will not support him. He needs that support to continue.
My opinion. Zelensky is fantastic! And, he's Ukrainian.
I can't believe that a President of an attacking nation, of Russia, is given the right to determine the ground rules for a truce or ceasefire; and his soldiers are meantime bombing the major cities of Ukraine, the nation President Putin wants to obliterate; and whose so powerful a potentate that he is causing a mass exodus from Ukrainian territories by civilians who helplessly are endangered because they are told by the Allies they are subject to death if they stay in Ukraine, their homeland!
One man in the world, thought to be committing war crimes for which he could be subject to prosecution at some time or other, this man, President Putin, is telling the world what he wants and seemingly everybody else, including the current Chinese President, must capitulate to his demands or the world faces the threat of a nuclear confrontation initiated, yes, you guessed it, by the Russian President Putin himself and only.
How does this accused leader of heinous crimes, get away with causing the major powers of this world to bow down and do obeisance to him--even if only for a time? I can't believe this. I must be in an Alice in Wonderland world.
Here is President of the Ukraine, a lone leader in the battle for democratic freedom, and it's not his demands for a truce or ceasefire that would save his country; but the demands of one whose maybe unhinged mentally--President V. Putin; we are told--take his demands very seriously.
You say we've got him cornered and on the run; yet it's the Ukrainian refugees that are fleeing Ukraine. If they were to stay, they become subject to Russian bombing and could lose their lives.
Anyway, I can't understand how this one man, maybe a criminal-type, is telling everybody else on the planet where to get off, if they don't capitulate to his desires for world domination.
They're--the Western powers--are having a big meeting coming up this next week. Maybe they have a plan to lead us out of this world conundrum that Putin has been causing, that apparently is sending everybody else into consternation. Oh yes, we're told Russia is bankrupt; and its people are internally "hemorrhaging" from all the Putin lies. What Ukrainians are left in Ukraine are to just wait and see from their basement shelters what trick the Allies will play when Putin is looking to the heavens instead of surveying on TV the ravage and chaos he's causing on earth.
Maybe they'll issue a communique to President Putin--something to the effect: "Run for your life or we'll run after you!"
I am inclined to believe, from what I heard of President's Biden talk with President Xi, that China is willing to accommodate the Russians with their aggressive action against Ukraine. This follows the point of view that China takes, powerful leaders are to decide international politics.
Meantime, Russia is pushing prosperity through oil and gas of their oligarchs. It is a vestige of what the world has emerged ffrom: WWII.
A construction bricklayer can point to a building he worked to build by pointing to the very bricks he laid. "See I did that!"
So, I, too, have tried to use my worldly and professional training to leave behind my pieces of work that are incorporated through some enterprise or governmental project into some lasting edifice for the societal good.
For instance, as a college professor, I was molding the minds of my students to think wisely in coming to their opinions and beliefs. While teaching at a community college in the Chicago area, I worked to improve the community colleges of the nation by participating with a professor from the University of Chicago, in a statewide study of the state's Illinois Community Colleges Board at its tenth year anniversary. I understand the study has proven successful in laying down the permanent features of the community college system of education.
Also, I did what I could to promote peace by encouraging the US military to expand its bases to nearly all countries in the world that by their mere presence, the US could demonstrate its dedication to a peaceful resolve of international problems. A project that netted some 190 countries granting permission for US installations on their soil.
And, it's been fun for me to see the bricks being laid firmly into the material for mankind's future.
Not the less of an impact, I encouraged the FBI-institution to become international by talking it up with agents I knew.
Has the perfect response to long range bombing into Ukraine! God bless 'em!
And God bless the stalwart Ukrainians, Europeans, and us Americans in staying the course toward victory!
Marni Hughes and News Nation. My opinion.
Now that Brexit is over, Boris Johnson is a good team member in promoting democracy in Africa and even in Russia. I know it seems far-fetched, but I can imagine even a Russia embracing the rule of law and holding democratic elections. All it takes is teams believing in the goodness of democracy with a message of hope for the average guy and gal--hope that they both count through an electoral process determining the government under which they live; and their voice enabling dissent when they believe their government is wrong.
But there are plenty more democracies in the world who aver democratic ways like that of GB and USA!
