Russia Invades Ukraine. Again by captaincrunch

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Russia Invades Ukraine. Again

POSTED BY: CAPTAINCRUNCH
UPDATED: Monday, May 11, 2026 11:03
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VIEWED: 466772
PAGE 203 of 203

Friday, May 8, 2026 4:41 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

I don't give a flying fuck about Putin.

Your pansy, non-threatening faggot ass can say as much stupid shit about Putin as it wants.

There are no Nazis in 2026. Grow the fuck up, you stupid bitch.

We're sick of your hyperbole that you've allowed to evolve into full-blown psychosis.

You are not a serious human being.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Evil. Be a dick.
Be real for once, 6ix. Your life is a fucked up mess because you are fucked up.

My life is fine. Why don't you worry about your own for once?

How was work this week? I haven't done that for seven years, next month.

Look at your pathetic life, dude. You spend all day here whining about Trump, calling people Nazis and telling people to kill themselves.

Get some help.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Evil. Be a dick.

The world wasn't safe until Hitler was dead, along with millions of Nazis and their families. The surviving Nazis were intimidated by the death of so many of their kind to be quiet about exterminating Jews, Gypsies, and the whole spectrum of other people despised by the Nazis. The world won't be safe until Trump is dead, and millions of Trumptards are intimidated to be quiet about taking over America and exterminating the whole spectrum of other people despised by Trumptards. By the way, the Nazis did NOT publicly admit to exterminating the people they killed. Neither are Trumptards publicly admitting to their plans to exterminate people. The Russians did not admit to their plans to kill tens of millions, either, just like the German Nazis did not admit to their multi-million murder rampage.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Friday, May 8, 2026 4:41 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Trump declares 3-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine

By Abbey Fenbert | May 8, 2026 9:13 pm

https://kyivindependent.com/breaking-trump-announces-3-day-ceasefire-b
etween-russia-and-ukraine/

President Volodymyr Zelensky then issued an official declaration authorizing Russia to hold a Victory Day parade in Moscow. The declaration states that Ukraine will not attack Red Square while the parade is underway.

"For the duration of the parade (beginning at 10:00 a.m. Kyiv time on Saturday May 9, 2026), the area of Red Square shall be excluded from the plan for the use of Ukrainian weapons," the declaration reads. It also includes the precise coordinates of Moscow's Red Square.

The declaration makes no mention of a ceasefire on attacks elsewhere in Russia.

"They were concerned about one specific square, and now, as part of the diplomatic process, permission has been granted to hold a parade in that square," an official from the Ukrainian Presidential Office told reporters.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Friday, May 8, 2026 5:30 PM

SECOND

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Putin’s attack dog flips — now he calls him a ‘war criminal’

By Kathrine Frich | May 8, 2026

https://www.dagens.com/war/putins-attack-dog-flips-now-he-calls-him-a-
war-criminal

Loyalty in a strict regime usually lasts right up until the moment it suddenly vanishes.

For years, insiders have followed the rules and crushed dissent. But when one of those fierce defenders abruptly changes sides, it often exposes a hidden, dangerous fracture.

A sudden shift

Ilya Remeslo spent roughly ten years working as a loyal lawyer and propagandist for the Kremlin. Then, this past March, he publicly turned on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He demanded the leader step down.

According to reports from the Washington Post and Ziare.com, authorities quickly moved to silence him. They dragged him to a psychiatric hospital against his will. The swift arrest happened right after he called the Russian leader a “war criminal and thief” in public.

Then something highly unusual happened. In a country known for locking up government critics for decades, officials released the blogger after just thirty days.

Not backing down

The former loyalist has chosen to stay in Russia rather than flee. He plans to keep fighting the current leadership. He insists he will not be quiet.

“I said from the beginning that I would not stop,” Remeslo told the Washington Post in his first interview since leaving the hospital. “I decided that this is my life’s work.”

The lawyer claims he is not acting completely alone. He told reporters that a colossal wave of discontent is sweeping through the system behind closed doors. He believes the current friction mirrors the final days of the Soviet Union.

Cracks in the wall

Tensions are boiling over as the economy falters and internet restrictions tighten. State polling firm VCIOM reported that the president’s approval rating recently hit its lowest point since the invasion of Ukraine began.

Experts suggest a massive internal fight is unfolding between political advisers and state security forces. Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky believes this hidden friction explains why the outspoken lawyer walked free.

“There is an absolutely clear conflict between the presidential administration and the second directorate of the FSB,” the London-based opposition figure explained.

Remeslo echoed this idea of an elite turf war, pointing to the obvious fractures in the government. “There is a very big battle for power,” he said. “The FSB and the administration are in strong conflict.”

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Friday, May 8, 2026 9:16 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

I don't give a flying fuck about Putin.

Your pansy, non-threatening faggot ass can say as much stupid shit about Putin as it wants.

There are no Nazis in 2026. Grow the fuck up, you stupid bitch.

We're sick of your hyperbole that you've allowed to evolve into full-blown psychosis.

You are not a serious human being.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Evil. Be a dick.
Be real for once, 6ix. Your life is a fucked up mess because you are fucked up.

My life is fine. Why don't you worry about your own for once?

How was work this week? I haven't done that for seven years, next month.

Look at your pathetic life, dude. You spend all day here whining about Trump, calling people Nazis and telling people to kill themselves.

Get some help.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Evil. Be a dick.
The world wasn't safe until Hitler was dead, along with millions of Nazis and their families.

Shut the fuck up, psycho.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

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Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:08 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Not getting the Western weapons it wanted drove Ukraine to create the gear and tactics the West now seeks

Story by Sinéad Baker | May 8, 2026

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/not-getting-the-western-weapons-i
t-wanted-drove-ukraine-to-create-the-gear-and-tactics-the-west-now-seeks/ar-AA22G7Xm

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:11 AM

SECOND

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Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted "victory will be ours" during his speech to mark Victory Day on May 9, addressing a parade lacking any military equipment due to Moscow's changing fortunes in the war in Ukraine.

The decision to not show off any military hardware at the parade this year was made in large part because of the threat of Ukraine's increasingly effective long-range drones.

https://kyivindependent.com/victory-will-be-ours-putin-tells-victory-d
ay-parade-without-any-tanks/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:20 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

Shut the fuck up, psycho.

--------------------------------------------------

Be Evil. Be a dick.

Ukraine is moving to implement a major expansion of defence spending in its 2026 state budget, building on a €90 billion EU support package designed to cover wartime financing needs through 2027.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said the government has prepared budget amendments that significantly increase resources for the security and defence sector, with funding enabled by the EU loan agreement.

The package is expected to deliver €45 billion in 2026, with the first tranche scheduled for June. Earlier government planning outlined that initial disbursements would prioritise domestic defence production and energy security, particularly drone manufacturing and protection of critical infrastructure.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/05/08/eu-loan-fuels-major-ukraine-def
ence-expansion/

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Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:04 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

For the first time since both sides started ramping up ranged attacks two years ago, the Ukrainians launched more systems against Russia than Russia used against them — about 7500 to 6500.

The steep rise in Ukrainian attacks over the last two months points to successes in Ukrainian manufacturing capacity. To go from a previous peak of just over 4000 strikes to about 7500 is a massive increase in a short period.

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-184-a-most-revea
ling

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:07 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Ukrainian defense successes on the battlefield have prevented Russian forces from making significant advances across the theater, depriving Russian President Vladimir Putin of any significant operational successes to celebrate on Victory Day. Putin did not discuss the battlefield situation in Ukraine during Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9 and instead simply claimed that Russia’s victory is inevitable.[19]

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive
-campaign-assessment-may-9-2026/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, May 10, 2026 6:13 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
For the first time since both sides started ramping up ranged attacks two years ago, the Ukrainians launched more systems against Russia than Russia used against them — about 7500 to 6500.

The steep rise in Ukrainian attacks over the last two months points to successes in Ukrainian manufacturing capacity. To go from a previous peak of just over 4000 strikes to about 7500 is a massive increase in a short period.

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-184-a-most-revea
ling

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Oh, baloney. A lot of the drones are being manufactured in Europe. Europe even says so.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Sunday, May 10, 2026 8:42 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

ANALYSIS: Why Russia Violated Every Ceasefire for 12 Years, Even Those They Proposed

Kyiv Post scrutinizes 17 ceasefires starting with the Kremlin’s initial invasion of Ukraine in February 2014. Since the first one on June 20, 2014, all have been violated by the Russians. Here, Kyiv Post covers why Russia does so and what Ukraine and its allies could do.

By Sergii Kostezh | May 9, 2026, 1:04 pm

https://www.kyivpost.com/analysis/75728

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Sunday, May 10, 2026 8:45 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Planning three years ahead for more war with Russia

Swedish Gripen jets become top priority for Ukraine's air defense

Ukraine's Defense Ministry names key advantages of Swedish Gripen jets

By Daryna Vialko | Fri, May 08, 2026 – 23:04

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/swedish-gripen-jets-become-top-priorit
y-for-1778270002.html

Ukraine and Sweden are preparing to sign contracts for the supply of Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. The aircraft has officially been identified as one of the top priorities for strengthening Ukraine’s Air Force, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

Key features of the Gripen fighter jets

The Swedish-made Gripen was specifically designed for conditions very similar to the realities of the war in Ukraine. One of the aircraft’s main advantages is its ability to operate from dispersed locations.

The fighter jet can take off and land on ordinary highways and short runways. This helps protect aircraft from strikes on airfield infrastructure, as it becomes harder for the enemy to locate the jets.

In addition to mobility, the Gripen is known for requiring only a minimal number of personnel for maintenance. For air-to-air missions, full refueling and rearming take less than 10 minutes, while preparation for ground attack missions requires under 20 minutes.

Features of the Gripen E variant

Ukraine is particularly interested in the Gripen E version. The aircraft is powered by a General Electric F414G engine, allowing speeds of up to 2,500 km/h and a combat radius exceeding 800 kilometers.

Its Raven ES-05 radar with active electronically scanned array technology can detect targets at long range, even under intense enemy electronic warfare interference.

The jet is also equipped with the Saab Arexis electronic warfare system. The aircraft can carry up to 7.2 tons of combat payload.

It is also capable of carrying Meteor missiles with a range exceeding 100 kilometers, giving it an advantage over Russian interceptor aircraft.

Ukraine and Sweden are in talks over Gripen jets

Earlier reports suggested Ukraine and Sweden could sign a Gripen agreement as early as this year. Under the proposed plan, both sides would finalize the contract terms and financing model for the fighter jet purchase.

Last autumn, Sweden also clarified when deliveries of Gripen E jets to Ukraine could begin. At the time, officials said the first aircraft could arrive within three years after all required agreements are signed.

Swedish officials have repeatedly highlighted the fighter’s technical advantages, especially its ability to operate from short runways and roads. That capability is seen as critically important for protecting Ukrainian airspace amid ongoing Russian attacks on airfield infrastructure.

How will the planes be financed? How many? Will Ukraine still be at war when the earliest planes are first delivered? Here: https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-and-sweden-could-sign-gripen-f
ighter-1778176476.html

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, May 10, 2026 12:50 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
ANALYSIS: Why Russia Violated Every Ceasefire for 12 Years, Even Those They Proposed

Second day of "ceasefire": Russians have attacked Ukrainian positions 60 times so far

Russian forces are conducting artillery attacks on border areas. The following settlements have been affected: Korenok, Novovasylivka, Rohozine, Yastrubshchyna, Budky, Atynske, Neskuchne, Bachivsk, Luzhky, Volfyne and Iskryskivshchyna in Sumy Oblast.

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/05/10/8034069/

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Monday, May 11, 2026 4:44 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Instability in Moscow

By Joshua Yaffa** | May 8, 2026

https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/rumors-of-instability-in-mosco
w

. . . Since Putin first assumed the Presidency, almost twenty-seven years ago, his rule has rested on a certain mythology: that he is the country’s unitary authority and arbiter, the one figure who can hold together Russia’s many factions, clans, and interests. For members of the élite, even if they don’t like every decision—including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022—it is safer and more profitable to have Putin in charge than to face a Hobbesian all-against-all struggle for power and resources. “The defining characteristic of the Russian élite is its opportunism,” Konstantin Remchukov, a newspaper publisher in Moscow, said. “And its ability to survive in any conditions. That’s how they get to be the élite in the first place.” In Putin’s repressive state, the costs of disloyalty are clear: Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison, after all, is not only full of political prisoners but ministers, generals, and governors.

The war has tested but not yet broken that loyalty. “Just about everyone would like to stop the war tomorrow—that’s obvious,” a fixture of Russia’s political élite told me. “There’s not a single person, other than Putin and the military brass, who wants to keep on fighting. But no one would ever dare to express their displeasure.”

The only real threat to Putin’s authority came a year into the war, when Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, a Russian paramilitary organization, launched a mutiny directed against Russia’s military leadership. He claimed that he wasn’t targeting Putin, but the sight of Wagner mercenaries in armored vehicles barrelling toward Moscow was undeniably a sign of instability. Putin called it “treason against our country,” saying that “all those who consciously chose the path of betrayal . . . will suffer inevitable punishment.” Two months later, Prigozhin and Wagner’s top leadership were killed when a private jet they were on exploded shortly after takeoff from Moscow. Message received.

The recent series of events—none of which, on their face, are as dramatic as an armed uprising of mercenary fighters—has created a sense that the political system is at once tightly controlled and utterly rudderless. “On the one hand, the regime is more airless than ever,” Farida Rustamova, the founder of “Vlast,” a newsletter on Russian politics, said. “All the screws have been tightened to the max.” At the same time, she said, “it’s also never been as chaotic and unpredictable.” There is a sense, among everyone from military officials to regional bureaucrats, that “the old rules are breaking down, and no one knows what the new ones are, or whether they exist at all.”

The main factor is the seemingly unresolvable deadlock in Ukraine. . . .
_______________________________

** Joshua Yaffa is a contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of “Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin’s Russia,” which won the Orwell Prize in 2021. He is currently the writer-in-residence at Bard College Berlin.

Download a free copy of Joshua Yaffa’s book from https://annas-archive.gl/search?q=Joshua+Yaffa

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, May 11, 2026 5:09 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Analysis: Is Ukraine starting to win the war again?

By Francis Farrell | Updated: May 11, 2026 1:16 am

Who is winning?

Since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the information space around the war has been obsessed with this deceptively simple question, and the constant new iterations of answers to it.

In the hands of those fighting the narrative war, from officials on both sides, online cheerleaders, armchair generals, and a certain world leader who likes to talk about who has the cards, the answers differ radically, but all are delivered with consistent venom, emotion, and intellectual assuredness.

One camp says that Ukraine, with its stark disadvantage in manpower and without the backing of the United States, cannot hope to out-endure Russia, and should sign whatever peace deal now, as time is on Moscow's side.

The other camp says that Russia has already been defeated, their human wave attacks are stupid and hopeless, and at this rate they would take a century to take Ukraine.

Serious analysts are more careful, speaking of positive or negative trends as they grapple with the vast complexity of such a large-scale war. As much as Moscow might be humiliated by this or that event, as long as its plan to secure victory by slowly grinding down the outnumbered Ukrainian military continues, there is no cause for celebration, they say. The upper hand will be gained by the side in whose favor the long attritional fight is running.

Who is right? This spring, something strange is in the air. What? Find out at https://kyivindependent.com/analysis-is-ukraine-really-turning-the-tid
e-of-this-war/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, May 11, 2026 9:12 AM

THG

Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
For the first time since both sides started ramping up ranged attacks two years ago, the Ukrainians launched more systems against Russia than Russia used against them — about 7500 to 6500.

The steep rise in Ukrainian attacks over the last two months points to successes in Ukrainian manufacturing capacity. To go from a previous peak of just over 4000 strikes to about 7500 is a massive increase in a short period.

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-184-a-most-revea
ling

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
Oh, baloney. A lot of the drones are being manufactured in Europe. Europe even says so.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

Second, I remember when anyone would post about Russia signym and kiki would respond in a flash. They were incapable of letting anything negative about Putin or Russia pass without a rebuttal. Now kiki is dead and signym is hiding, because the evidence over the years has been presented. Our comrade Russian friends were wrong about everything; everything. Russian interference not just in America but globally, and how Russia is a paper tiger; everything.
All we need to do is quote old posts and give updates with the current facts to show we were right.

Hey comrade; Russia is losing the war.

T

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Monday, May 11, 2026 10:16 AM

THG

Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM: Sunday, February 27, 2022 3:13 PM

Kiev surrounded, says the mayor.

https://california18.com/live-kiev-surrounded-follow-the-news-of-the-w
ar-in-ukraine/3558542022/

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Are you sure?

T

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Monday, May 11, 2026 10:28 AM

THG

Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM: Thursday, March 3, 2022 8:08 PM

SIGNYM
Humanitarian corridors were negotiated.

This could be useful

Reminds me of the battle for Aleppo. Remember, however, it wasn't the Russians who blocked the humanitarian corridors, but the various terrorist groups (ISIS,HTS etc) who didn't want to lose their human shields.

So let's hope that the far right Ukies stick to the agreement- something they don't have a great history of doing- and allow civilians and surrendering soldiers to exit safely.
-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Russia slammed as ‘inhumane’ after blocking UN cross-border aid operation to Syria

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/europe/un-syria-aid-turkey-russia-veto-
intl-hnk

Oops...

T

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Monday, May 11, 2026 11:03 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

West has power to end Russia’s war against Ukraine — it’s choosing not to: Human rights lawyer tells us why

Human rights lawyer Simon Papuashvili on what Western governments won’t say out loud — and what it would actually take to stop Russia.

By Olena Mukhina | May 11, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/05/11/west-has-power-to-end-russias-w
ar-against-ukraine-its-choosing-not-to-human-rights-lawyer-tells-us-why/

There are people who know things, and there are people who will say them. Simon Papuashvili, Program Director of the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), is rare in being both.

The Brussels-based NGO documents killings, torture, and abductions through open-source investigations — and in 2016, their evidence contributed to the International Court of Justice proceedings against Russia over crimes in occupied Crimea.

Which is why, when I spotted him at B4Ukraine, a conference on strengthening sanctions against Russia, I wanted to talk to him.

What strikes you first is that he doesn't convey urgency. He is calm, with the occasional trace of a smile that suggests he has already thought through whatever you're about to ask. What he says, however, is not calm at all. He is one of the few voices willing to state it plainly: Europe has adopted sanction after sanction against Russia, and then, quietly, looked the other way on enforcement.

Can you tell what works better, kinetic or economic sanctions?

Well, I think they're both important, and they should be seen as complementary rather than one or the other.

If you look at the Russian state budget, a large part of its revenue comes from the sale of fossil fuels. Still, four years after the full-scale war, a big chunk of the fossil fuels that Russia sells are being bought by the European states. We're talking about hundreds of billions of euros that go directly into the Russian state budget.

Taking this into consideration, the most effective sanction would be to basically say no to buying Russian oil and gas. That will have a direct, immediate impact on the war and Russia's ability to continue it.

Is Russia's gas and oil biggest part of Russian budget?

Well, the most conservative estimate is 30%, and even if we stick to that, 30% of income is a lot, you know. Russia has still been able to operate a shadow fleet, beside Europeans continue to buy oil and gas.

"The price cap on oil and gas, mostly on oil, has not been effectively enforced. There are things that can be done in this regard," Papuashvili said.

What has worked with sanctions and what hasn't, and how can we tell?

The sanctions' impact has been limited, and this is partly because we have a big problem with enforcement.

This problem is partly due to the fact that sanctions are not far-reaching and come very slowly and painfully. Also, it's because Europeans and Americans, Ukraine's allies, don't have, and haven't been put in place, proper institutions that are well-resourced to ensure that the sanctions in place are effectively enforced.

"So you can adopt as many sanctions as you want, but if you don't enforce them, there's no point. We have a big problem with enforcement, or the lack of enforcement," the human rights lawyer explained.

Experts say that Russia's overall goals — Ukraine and Europe's destruction — will not change, even if its economy declines

To gauge the war, you need resources. War is expensive, and you can't conduct a war if you don't have money. It’s very simple.

The Russians are used to living in harsh conditions, and they probably still have room to go in terms of how bad it can get.

"But if the government of Russia does not have money to produce drones, missiles, military equipment, and pay the soldiers, they just will not be able to sustain this. Full stop," he stressed.

It's not just about worsening economic conditions. Generally speaking, it's about financing actual military combat operations.

We can see that Hungary demanded that Russian gas be delivered to Europe through Druzhba pipeline, despite many years of genocide…

I do hope that, in the medium to long term, this Hungarian government and other European nations disengage from dependence on Russian fossil fuels and build infrastructure for renewable energy that can make this possible.

Saying no to Russian fossil fuels cannot possibly happen overnight; it doesn't matter how much Ukraine wants this. It takes some time. But what is clear is that we're like four years in the full-scale war, and if the European nations, including Hungary, had wanted to do that, they could have done a lot.

Hungary and its former prime minister, Orban, did not want to do that. Hopefully, this will change now that they have the new government.

However, it’s clear that Peter Magyar would have likely avoided implementing unpopular decisions amid the election campaign. As it could have had a negative impact on the Hungarian economy, leading to him losing elections and, in the future, to Fidesz returning to power.

So maybe problem is talking to society and explaining why prices are rising?

Absolutely, yeah. Finland has been doing a great job in this regard. They take this whole-society approach, with drastic policy measures, including saying no to Russian fossil fuels. They spend a great deal of time, energy, and resources explaining to society why they do this, why it will be painful, and why they have to endure this pain.

They run information campaigns, produce explainers that are shared on social media, have dedicated TV programs, and people write articles in the news to explain this.

What do Western governments believe about how this war ends? How? Do they have strategy?

Unfortunately, they don't. I don't see that, especially in Europe. The US is a particular case right now.

"The Europeans don't seem to have a vision for how to end this war. That's a big problem," Papuashvili noted.

I really believe that if they wanted to end the war, they have the power to do so. If they say, "In one year, we want the Russian economy to be in tatters, and we want Russian troops to be out of all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and we want Ukraine to join the EU", this is possible. But they are not doing it. They're not doing it because of…

… because they feel comfortable with what is going on right now? “Ukraine fights, but Russia doesn't lose?"

Unfortunately, it is so.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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