“One year and one week ago—on February 17th, 2022—I warned this council that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine Sovereignty and Russian Accountability today.
It is comforting to have experienced diplomats associated with the Biden administration and NATO. Blinken has taken very important steps to ensure the Ukrainians that we, as well as the G7 in NATO, will not leave them behind. We want them to win and be successful as a country. I want them to prevail for selfish reasons. My father was born in Boryslaw Poland. The pronunciation of the city is “Borslav”. The city is now a part of Ukraine and is very rich in oil, as many small cities were. Many of my father’s relatives and friends were annihilated by the Nazis there. It would give me the greatest of joy to see Ukraine forever gain freedom from the likes of Putin and autocracy.
After reading this, can an old man feel extraordinarily uplifted and proud while fighting back tears? This is our troubled country at one of its finest moments.
And without HCR keeping us so well-informed, I doubt I would’ve read so much of what Blinken said or appreciated the full context. If only more people would read it and comprehend the historic work the U.S. is doing for Ukraine and the rest of the world.
President Biden’s decades of service in public office, and his ability to choose brilliant, motivated people to help his administration accomplish the many tasks before them, gives me such a deep sense of relief, compared to the chaotic criminality of the previous administration. Thank you, Heather, for laying out in clear terms, what Biden and his team are accomplishing. We all need to know.
You quoted Secretary of State Blinken showing, by use of Mendevev’s words (Russia plans to “push the borders of threats to our country as far as possible, even if these are the borders of Poland.”), why we need to assist Ukraine—if Russia invades Poland or any other NATO country, then there will be US boots on the ground.
The fact that the Russian leadership disavowed plans to invade Ukraine should not surprise us; after all, Putin told TFG that Russia had not interfered with the 2016 election. If they were to state today that, if we stop helping Ukraine, they will not invade any other countries, we would do well to remember their past lies.
Secretary Blinken lays bare that this whole, dreadful, punishing conflict was willed into existence by one deeply immoral individual. I hesitate to call Putin a man, because that would imply that he has some humanity. He is as vicious and cruel as any dictator who has lusted for raw power and worked ills to achieve it. May his days be numbered, may his health fail, that his vanity will no longer crush innocents.
If you want to understand why Biden’s age doesn’t matter, think about the leadership he has organized in his administration... that’s what matters, in Ukraine or at home. Watch Richard Engel tonight to get a sense of our support matters and ask what you would do for your country.
On this sad anniversary, it was important that Blinken affirmed ongoing support for Ukraine by the US and NATO. The most poignant takeaway was “If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends.”
EVERYONE MOVED BY THIS SPEECH, and by Ukraine’s determination to survive, CALL YOUR REPS. Especially if you live in R states -- there is a small but vocal group centered around MTG that is favors Russian and wants to end US assistance to Ukraine. If they can, they will, and they intimidate the larger caucus. Please make your voice heard on this important issue.
Zelensky is fighting to preserve his country AND THE REST OF US…..that ‘Polish’ border issue is perhaps a trial balloon….’dipping into NATO’ ……Biden has said repeatedly we will protect ‘every inch’ of NATO space…and Putin is ‘pinching’ at the edges…..thanks Heather we need your ‘updates’ regularly on this one!
Powerful statements from our country followed by powerful continuing commitments from NATO countries and the G7. I feel pride in Mr Blinken's admonitions on behalf of American leadership. I am also sorta scared. But, on the whole I am proud that we, Americans, stand with Ukraine in the most important war for saving democracy and repelling autocracy. Russian reasoning is an insult to international protections and it has waged not war but brutal assault upon citizen and children.
Thank you Dr. Richardson. One organization that is helping the 700+ hospitals that have been bombed/destroyed is the Ukraine Medical Relief Fund. They work primarily with neurologists in Ukraine helping children and adults with neurological diseases. (Most of the other Medical Assistance Funds provides help for general medical needs who also need donations.) Neurological diseases require specialized medicines & equipment that the Doctors in Ukraine would otherwise have a hard time obtaining. Please check out the organization here: https://www.rocukrainemedrelief.net/
A wonderful, concise, to-the-point speech. How do we get the Russia lovers in our government as well as Fox and right wing entities to understand it? They are not going to give up their impossible desire for a white Christian country.
Thank you Heather for such a insightful analysis. Just saw MTG on a clip with Tucker Carlson..." I don't want to start WW lll so we must stop supporting Ukraine." What Biden and Blinken are doing is what we would say "an ounce of preventive is worth a a pound of cure". The G)P either does not understand this or are just plain evil. Time to call out Republicans!
Bravo, Secretary Blinken, Bravo NATO, Brava, Professor. History matters, truth matters.
It is comforting to have experienced diplomats associated with the Biden administration and NATO. Blinken has taken very important steps to ensure the Ukrainians that we, as well as the G7 in NATO, will not leave them behind. We want them to win and be successful as a country. I want them to prevail for selfish reasons. My father was born in Boryslaw Poland. The pronunciation of the city is “Borslav”. The city is now a part of Ukraine and is very rich in oil, as many small cities were. Many of my father’s relatives and friends were annihilated by the Nazis there. It would give me the greatest of joy to see Ukraine forever gain freedom from the likes of Putin and autocracy.
After reading this, can an old man feel extraordinarily uplifted and proud while fighting back tears? This is our troubled country at one of its finest moments.
And without HCR keeping us so well-informed, I doubt I would’ve read so much of what Blinken said or appreciated the full context. If only more people would read it and comprehend the historic work the U.S. is doing for Ukraine and the rest of the world.
President Biden’s decades of service in public office, and his ability to choose brilliant, motivated people to help his administration accomplish the many tasks before them, gives me such a deep sense of relief, compared to the chaotic criminality of the previous administration. Thank you, Heather, for laying out in clear terms, what Biden and his team are accomplishing. We all need to know.
You quoted Secretary of State Blinken showing, by use of Mendevev’s words (Russia plans to “push the borders of threats to our country as far as possible, even if these are the borders of Poland.”), why we need to assist Ukraine—if Russia invades Poland or any other NATO country, then there will be US boots on the ground.
The fact that the Russian leadership disavowed plans to invade Ukraine should not surprise us; after all, Putin told TFG that Russia had not interfered with the 2016 election. If they were to state today that, if we stop helping Ukraine, they will not invade any other countries, we would do well to remember their past lies.
Secretary Blinken lays bare that this whole, dreadful, punishing conflict was willed into existence by one deeply immoral individual. I hesitate to call Putin a man, because that would imply that he has some humanity. He is as vicious and cruel as any dictator who has lusted for raw power and worked ills to achieve it. May his days be numbered, may his health fail, that his vanity will no longer crush innocents.
If you want to understand why Biden’s age doesn’t matter, think about the leadership he has organized in his administration... that’s what matters, in Ukraine or at home. Watch Richard Engel tonight to get a sense of our support matters and ask what you would do for your country.
On this sad anniversary, it was important that Blinken affirmed ongoing support for Ukraine by the US and NATO. The most poignant takeaway was “If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends.”
EVERYONE MOVED BY THIS SPEECH, and by Ukraine’s determination to survive, CALL YOUR REPS. Especially if you live in R states -- there is a small but vocal group centered around MTG that is favors Russian and wants to end US assistance to Ukraine. If they can, they will, and they intimidate the larger caucus. Please make your voice heard on this important issue.
Zelensky is fighting to preserve his country AND THE REST OF US…..that ‘Polish’ border issue is perhaps a trial balloon….’dipping into NATO’ ……Biden has said repeatedly we will protect ‘every inch’ of NATO space…and Putin is ‘pinching’ at the edges…..thanks Heather we need your ‘updates’ regularly on this one!
Powerful statements from our country followed by powerful continuing commitments from NATO countries and the G7. I feel pride in Mr Blinken's admonitions on behalf of American leadership. I am also sorta scared. But, on the whole I am proud that we, Americans, stand with Ukraine in the most important war for saving democracy and repelling autocracy. Russian reasoning is an insult to international protections and it has waged not war but brutal assault upon citizen and children.
Please let an end be in sight.
Thank you Dr. Richardson. One organization that is helping the 700+ hospitals that have been bombed/destroyed is the Ukraine Medical Relief Fund. They work primarily with neurologists in Ukraine helping children and adults with neurological diseases. (Most of the other Medical Assistance Funds provides help for general medical needs who also need donations.) Neurological diseases require specialized medicines & equipment that the Doctors in Ukraine would otherwise have a hard time obtaining. Please check out the organization here: https://www.rocukrainemedrelief.net/
The difference between right and wrong couldn’t be more obvious. Thank you for your column, Heather.
A wonderful, concise, to-the-point speech. How do we get the Russia lovers in our government as well as Fox and right wing entities to understand it? They are not going to give up their impossible desire for a white Christian country.
Thank you Heather for such a insightful analysis. Just saw MTG on a clip with Tucker Carlson..." I don't want to start WW lll so we must stop supporting Ukraine." What Biden and Blinken are doing is what we would say "an ounce of preventive is worth a a pound of cure". The G)P either does not understand this or are just plain evil. Time to call out Republicans!