Vladimir Putin’s Adolf Hitler tribute act
Let’s just assume the Russia’s theories on their war crimes are lies and until they or their pro-Putin pals in the West produce direct evidence to support their conspiracy theories we can ignore their hustle and focus on documenting their crimes for accountability. — Eliot Higgins, Bellingcat
This is not about Ukraine at all, but the world order. The current crisis is a fateful, epoch-making moment in modern history. It reflects the battle over what the world order will look like. — Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister
Before a packed stadium, cajoled, bullied, bussed in, Vladimir Putin wearing a €12,700 Loro Piana jacket, paid for with money stolen from Russian people, Vladimir Putin performed his Adolf Hitler tribute act.
Meanwhile whilst the fascists cheered and Putin raved, close on 15,000 Russians killed in Ukraine, residential areas razed to the ground leaving rubble and burning apartment blocks, hospitals, schools, kindagatens, a theatre sheltering children, targeted.
What is moving, woman and children walking to cross the border to countries bordering Ukraine, the children towing their luggage, and carrying their pets.
And the kindness of strangers from all over Europe, who meet them when they cross the border, and open not only their arms, but also their homes.
Then contrast with Putin’s war crimes.
Eliot Higgins, Bellingcat:
Let’s just assume the Russia’s theories on their war crimes are lies and until they or their pro-Putin pals in the west produce direct evidence to support their conspiracy theories we can ignore their hustle and focus on documenting their crimes for accountability.
Especially when it’s just recycling the same lies they told about Syria. Let’s not waste our time debating the same war crime denying idiots who lied about war crimes in Syria, and focus on accountability for those crimes.
It’s more convenient for them to turn the discourse over war crimes to a conspiracy fuelled debate over one incident, and make the entire debate about one thing, not a systematic pattern of crimes. Its exactly what they did in Syria, so let’s not repeat the same pattern ourselves.
They are not equipped, morally or intellectually, to engage in a serious discussion about war crimes and accountability, so they turn it into a one issue story, but we’re in the best position we’ve ever been to build cases for accountability, so let’s focus on that.
It’s fine to highlight disinformation and demonstrate the tactics used by those spreading it, but let’s not frame accountability efforts around the conspiracy theories of bad faith actors.
Putin is carrying out the same tactics he used in Aleppo and Grozny, war crimes, raze cities to the ground, leave behind rubble and burning apartment blocks.
Putin has the same satellite imagery as the West, he can see the destruction wrought on Ukraine.
Syrians warned, do not identify your schools, hospitals, kindergartens, they will be deliberately targeted.
A month ago, early February, Ukraine was a free democratic European country. People led ordinary lives, went for a walk in a park, met friends in a coffee shop for a coffee.
Thursday 24 February 2022, war criminal Mafios thug Putin launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
Ukraine a free democratic European country, an affront to Putin, a beacon on the border to Russians as what their country would become once Putin deposed. Hence had to be destroyed.
A fascist rally, Putin’s Adolf Hitler tribute act, is what Putin wants Russians to see, beamed into their homes on every state TV channel. What he will not tolerate, independent media, brave protesters on the streets.
End game: Overthrow Putin either with bullet through the head or on trial at The Hague. Detain his thugs and oligarchs, strip oligarchs of assets, release all political prisoners, hold free & fair elections. Those responsible for war crimes, issued orders, carried out, put on trial. A 10km demilitarised strip established within Russian border. Sanctions on Russia should be tightened and remain in place until all these conditions met.
