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Putin and actors within his control have used increasingly hostile and threatening rhetoric against Ukraine to lay the groundwork for rejecting Ukraine’s existence as a state, a national group, and a culture. Just Security maintains an up-to-date collection of these statements at "Russia’s Eliminationist Rhetoric Against Ukraine: A Collection."
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Putin's violent attacks (indiscriminate murder, terrorism, kidnapping, and theft at tremendous scale) on Ukraine and subsequent annexation of Ukrainian lands violates international law
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Putin's latest military invation started 24 February 2022. It has resulted in tremendous numbers of casualties, human suffering and economic loss. The Russian and Ukrainian militaries (and mercenaries) continue killing each other at scale. Russian forces are continuing to attack both military and unambiguously civilian targets far from the battle front lines, including electrical and water systems.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_battle_for_the_2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine)
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Russia and Ukraine historically produce roughly 25% of wheat exports (as well as material amounts of export barley, corn, potatoes, sunflower seed/oil and sugar beets). More broadly, Ukraine produces about 10 percent of the world’s wheat and 15 percent of its corn. The IMF reports that food accounts for about 40 percent of consumer spending in Sub-Saharan African countries. Despite tentative shipping experiments that food source is still largely unavailable to populations that have limited options. For example, Egypt imports more than two-thirds of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and, more broadly, in early March 2022 as many as 25 African countries imported more than one third of their wheat from the Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and 15 of them imported over half (page 5). Russian aggression in Ukraine has also resulted in a range of commodity export, import and pricing measures across the globe that also increase food costs and reduce its availability. For large populations around the world, this shortage is escalating existing food insecurity as well as creating new pools of food insecurity. In addition, CNN reports that Russians have been stealing "vast amounts of Ukrainian grain and (farming) equipment." All of this increases the scope and intensity of already widespread food-related suffering. Begin/continue donating to reputable organizations that will be helping feed the millions impacted by Putin's evil misinformation, destruction and death machines.
- Donate via a reputable channel that you trust -- and have some clear reasons that you trust them. Unfortunately, there are lots of scammers and grifters stealing money behind pleas for food aid around the world and/or for Ukraine. (I justs received a plea via email with links to what looked like 8 top-tier 'organizations' and each of the 'donation options' appears to be well-crafted look-alike site on a look-alike domain set up to accept credit card payments.)
- Unfortunately, energy and food costs for many Americans have also been negatively impacted by this inflation. Find a food pantry in your area: https://www.foodpantries.org/
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If you want to direct your commercial activity or investing to companies that resist doing business with Putin's war machine, check at https://moralratingagency.org or https://leave-russia.org or https://www.yalerussianbusinessretreat.com/simplified-version.
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2023-06-23 (ongoing) -- Yevgeny V. Prigozhin led his Wagner mercenary company in a mutiny, attacking and controlling the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and then extending his forces toward Moscow. The goals of this mutiny remain unclear. One version reported was that they intended to topple Russia’s military leadership. "Despite a deal announced by the Kremlin, under which Mr. Prigozhin would depart Russia for Belarus and avoid prosecution, the mercenary tycoon appears to have remained in Russia," and the Kremlin reported that Prigozhin and his top commanders met with Putin five days after the mutiny.
- Reuters reports that "Russia says genetic tests confirm (Yevgeny) Prigozhin died in plane crash." 2023-08-27. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-investigators-confirm-wagner-mercenary-chief-prigozhin-died-plane-crash-2023-08-27/ "The crash came two months to the day after Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries staged a mutiny against Russian military commanders in which they took control of a southern city, Rostov, and advanced towards Moscow before turning back 200 km (125 miles) from the capital."
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2023-07-12 -- NATO leaders launched a new forum called the NATO-Ukraine Council. It will serve as a permanent formal body where NATO’s 31 members and Ukraine can hold consultations and call for meetings in emergency situations.
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2023-09-20 NewsGuard reports that they are tracking "397 Top Russia-Ukraine Disinformation Sites."