Former US ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor: Russian claims of Ukrainian attacks fit a long pattern of lies. Moscow denied its troops in Crimea, then admitted it.
Putin and Lavrov denied plans to invade in 2022 — then did. This is how Russia operates to derail talks. 1/
Taylor: A major Russian attack on Ukrainian cities would confirm Moscow is not serious about peace. Putin wants Ukraine to capitulate, not negotiate.
The US should keep strengthening Ukraine’s defenses with Europe and pressure Putin to stop the war and killing. 2/
Taylor: Russia is grinding forward around Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk, making small gains at enormous cost.
Taking those regions would take months or longer. The US and allies can help stop that advance by providing Ukraine with weapons. 3/
This New Year morning I received a message from a KSE student. Sharing it with permission, because it clearly explains why we are building a university in Ukraine without “schemes” and corruption
“Some time ago, I dropped out of a university in Kharkiv... 1/
I studied there for a year. I saw assignments designed so that students would cheat, and professors would ‘give grades out of thin air’. 2/
I saw corruption, professors aged 85+, and people who watch Russia-1 while living in Belgium. And when, during a thesis defense, I heard a classmate talking to a professor about how much he paid for the code - 3/
Hodges: The only way that Putin would not fill in to whatever part that Ukrainian troops came out of would be if there were thousands of American, German, British, French soldiers sitting there. Otherwise it will be a very short amount of time before you have Russian troops. 1/
Hodges: The fact that Ukraine can reach out and start hitting ships in the Mediterranean or in the Caspian Sea damages Russia's energy industry, jacks up insurance prices, makes companies less willing to take the risk. This is an important part of Ukraine's theory of victory. 2/
Hodges: Article 5 — an armed attack on one shall be considered an armed attack on all. If Russia attacked Ukraine again, that would be as if Russia had attacked the United States. Do you really think this administration would actually do something about it? 3X
“They executed my comrade Yura. Then showed me a bag with pieces of skin he had cut off.
He wanted to cut off my neck tattoo for his collection and cut off my arm. My last name saved me they thought I was Armenian” — Vasyl Davydian, Ukrainian POW, after 3 years in captivity. 1/
Vasyl: They burned my tattoo with a taser until it faded. Beatings were constant — stun guns, pipes, hammers, hands, feet.
They beat my nose, ears and groin. They shocked my tongue until I couldn’t speak. When I said my tongue was gone, they replied: We’ll cut it off anyway. 2/
Vasyl: They tried to sterilize us. I have cysts and tumors in the groin, but I’ll be able to have children. Two men with heart conditions asked for help.
A doctor was promised for tommorow. By morning, one was dead. I asked twice. The answer: “You’ll be treated in Ukraine.” 3/