–As Russians Flee Putin’s Reservists Call-up
IPNEWS-Monrovia: The war in the eastern European country of Ukraine is in is seven months, a war brought to the people of Ukraine by Russian president Vladimir Putin. According to the Pres. Putin, he does not call what is happening in Russia as a war, but rather a military operation to right some wrongs in their region.
The Ukraine-Russia war, which has been raging for nearly 7 months now, dominated the speeches and other discussions of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York with Liberians joining the fray.
In this regard, President George Weah delivered a firm reproach of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the war is having a harsh impact on Ukraine just as the rest of the world.
The ongoing General Assembly is the UN’s first full, in-person leader’s summit since the COVID-19 pandemic and comes as the war in Ukraine approaches its seventh month. That conflict has become the largest war in Europe since World War II, with thousands killed and millions forced to flee their homes.
Addressing the issue, Weah said the invasion of Ukraine is an unwarranted military incursion that has impacted the world. He was throwing indirect gloom at Putin, while making known the Liberia’s position on the war.
“Just as the Ukrainian people are enduring the harsh impact of this unwarranted military incursion, the rest of the world is feeling the harsh consequences of economic downturn caused by disruptions in global supply chains, food insecurity, and rising prices of basic goods and services,” Weah said in a speech at the UNGA, which was highly attended by other world leaders.
“This year’s Assembly [is] taking place at a difficult time in the world, as countries are recovering from the scourge of COVID-19, and also facing other challenges such as the war in Ukraine and climate change, which is having devastating effects on our environment.”
Weah’s address came the same week Pres. Putin ordered reservists to report for duty to fight the war in Ukraine – something political analysts and commentators argued significantly escalated war efforts and the threat of nuclear retaliation.
In the biggest escalation of the Ukraine war since Russia’s February 24 invasion, hours before world leaders gathered at the U.N. headquarters, Putin in Moscow announced the partial mobilization of his country’s military, calling up 300,000 reservists and vowing he would consider all options to protect what he considers Russian territory, raising concerns of a nuclear attack.
This actions by Putin were condemned by the US, France, Germany and other world leaders in their UNGA speeches.
And while the Liberian leader speech may not have dwelled much more on the war, it is however significant as its reiterates Liberia’s position on the conflict and reminders the UN of the need to redouble efforts in tackling other critical issues confronting the world and its peoples – with the world being a priority, a local daily reported.
Weah noted that the theme of this year’s Assembly, “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges,” is appropriate and meaningful as it reminds world leaders about the current state of the world, while also providing the space for reflection on the multiple challenges that confront mankind today.
“We have the platform to generate the transformative solutions we seek,” President Weah further stressed. “The world is watching, our people are watching; and we must now seize the moment; confront the challenges and collectively endeavor to lift the poor from poverty and hunger, sickness and disease, and ensure progress, development, and prosperity for all.
“We must pursue efforts to make the United Nations more efficient, more effective, more inclusive, more accountable, and more suited for the purpose,” he said.
Since the dissolution of the once powerful Union of Soviets Socialists Republic (USSR), that was made up of several Confederations, including Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, among many others, current Russia president Vladimir Putin has always harbored a plan to reunite the USSR, so over the years he has engaged in covert operations with the intent to re-annex the former Soviet States to Russia, which is considered the most power former Confederation State.
Silvio Berlusconi: Ex-PM defends Russian war on eve of Italian election
Mr. Berlusconi with Mr. Putin during a controversial visit to the annexed-Crimean peninsula in 2015
In a related development, former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has defended Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, saying Russia’s leader was “pushed” into the conflict.
The 85-year-old said Russian troops were meant to replace the government with “decent people” then leave. The three-time Italian PM is a long-term ally of the Russian President.
This weekend his party is expected to take power as part of a right-wing coalition in a general election in Italy.
A narrative alleging the Ukrainian government was slaughtering Russian speakers in the east of the country was created by the media in Moscow, Mr. Berlusconi told Italian TV.
He said the reporting, pushed by separatist forces and nationalist politicians in the Russian government, had left Mr Putin with no choice but to launch a limited invasion.
“Putin was pushed by the Russian population, by his party and by his ministers to invent this special operation,” he said.
“The troops were supposed to enter, reach Kyiv in a week, replace the Zelensky government with decent people and a week later come back,” Mr. Berlusconi added.
“Instead they found an unexpected resistance, which was then fed by arms of all kinds from the West.”
Mr. Berlusconi has long been an admirer of Mr. Putin, in 2012 joining the then-prime minister for a skiing trip in the Russian city of Sochi.
But in April, he condemned the invasion and said he was “deeply disappointed and saddened” by Mr. Putin’s behavior, adding that the “massacres of civilians in Bucha and other localities are real war crimes”.
The Forza Italia party leader is currently campaigning as part of a right-wing coalition ahead of Sunday’s general election.
His centre-right party is the junior partner of the alliance, which is anchored by Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right Brothers of Italy and Matteo Salvini’s populist Lega Nord party. Polls have suggested the bloc will win a majority.
Despite Mr. Berlusconi’s past friendship with Mr. Putin, and Mr. Salvini’s criticism of Western sanctions on Russia, Ms. Meloni, who is expected to lead any potential government, has pledged to continue Italy’s support of Ukraine.
“The war in Ukraine is the tip of the iceberg of a conflict aimed at reshaping the world order,” she said earlier this month. “So we have to fight this battle.”
Ukraine War: Russians Flee to Border after Military Call-up
Russian men are attempting to leave the country to avoid a military call-up for the Ukraine war. Queues have formed at border crossings since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization on Wednesday, which could see 300,000 people summoned to fight.
The Kremlin says reports of fighting-age men fleeing are exaggerated. But on the border with Georgia, miles-long queues of vehicles have formed including men trying to escape the war.
Some of those heading into the neighboring country have used bicycles to bypass lines of cars and evade a ban on crossing on foot.
One of these men, who did not want to be named, told the BBC’s Nina Akhmeteli that he had waited since 09:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Thursday and managed to cross over late that evening.
Another man reported a 12-hour wait, citing the partial mobilization as a reason for leaving Russia to continue his studies.
‘I will break my arm, my leg… anything to avoid the draft’
Georgia is one of the few neighboring countries that Russians can enter without needing to apply for a visa. Finland, which shares a 1,300km (800 mile) border with Russia, does require a visa for travel, and also reported an increase in traffic overnight – but said it was at a manageable level.
Other destinations reachable by air – such as Istanbul, Belgrade or Dubai – have seen ticket prices skyrocket immediately after the military call-up was announced, with some destinations sold out completely. Turkish media have reported a large spike in one-way ticket sales, while remaining flights to non-visa destinations can cost thousands of euros.
Germany’s Interior Minister signaled on Thursday that Russians fleeing the draft would be welcome in her country.
Nancy Faeser said deserters threatened by “severe repression” would receive protection on a case-by-case basis, following security checks. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic struck a different tone, saying they would not offer fleeing Russians refuge.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence, commenting on the call-up in its Wednesday morning briefing, noted that the mobilization “is likely to be highly unpopular with parts of the Russian population”.
“Putin is accepting considerable political risk in the hope of generating much-needed combat power. The move is effectively an admission that Russia has exhausted its supply of willing volunteers to fight in Ukraine,” it said.
Even if successful, challenges remain – and it is unlikely new units will be ready for combat for several more months, the defence intelligence update said.
Russian officials insist the call-up will be limited to those who had completed military service, and fall short of widespread conscription. But inside Russia, there is also speculation that the military mobilization could be larger than formally announced.
The independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, which moved its operations to Europe amid a post-war crackdown on media, reported that Vladimir Putin’s decree contains an additional paragraph which has been classified and kept secret.
The newspaper alleges that the secret paragraph allows for a call-up of up to a million people, rather than the reported 300,000, citing an unnamed government source.
