The Pope, Macron, Scholtz, and Draghi betraying Ukraine.

 "A complete news cycle consists of the media reporting on some event, followed by the media reporting on public and other reactions to the earlier reports. The advent of 24-hour cable and satellite television news channels and, in more recent times, of news sources on the World Wide Web (including blogs), considerably shortened this process. " (Wikipedia)

As reported by Dan Sabbagh (left),

"Ukraine’s war with Russia is heading towards its fifth month amid increasing local concern that dwindling media attention could lead to a gradual loss of western support just as Moscow is making slow but steady gains on the frontline." (The Guardian : 12 June 2022) (my emphasis)

And as media attention on Putin's second war with Ukraine dwindles, Putin, donning the cloak of Peter the Great, is wishing to reverse the defeat of Peter the Great at the hands of Sweden during the battle of Narva. Russia was ill-prepared to fight the Swedes, and their first attempt at seizing the Baltic coast ended in disaster at the Battle of Narva in 1700. (Wikipedia) (video below: The Guardian (YouTube) 10 June 2022 and Metro 10 June)

Putin quite categorically states in his pep talk to students commemorating Peter the Great   that,

"Well, it seems it has fallen to us to take back and strengthen (territories), and if we take these basic values as fundamental to our existence, we will prevail in solving the issues we are facing" (ibid video above)

What is rather disconcerting is that Putin's TV propaganda machine in Russia is also pushing this delusion of Putin.

• 
  Olga Skabeeva : "Now all of us understand the plans of the Russian State for the future: we're returning and fortifying ... The president formulated our goals ..."
• Andrey Kartapolov (State Duma Member) : In this new world, Russia will be the power, the moral compass, the landmark of purity, truth and correctness, to which sensible people will flock from all over the planet ..." (2nd part of video above) (above: Skabeeva and Kartapolov)

Yet we now also learn about the Pope supporting Putin's initial arguments about NATO as the catalyst that caused him to start his second war with Ukraine.

As reported by Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli

"He [the Pope] has conspicuously avoided condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as the aggressor. He has criticized the West’s sanctions and defense spending. And in an interview published this month by an Italian newspaper, Francis appeared to echo a Kremlin talking point, describing the “barking of NATO at Russia’s door” as one of the triggers for Putin’s wrath." (Washington Post : 20 May 2022) (my emphasis)

And as we learn of the Pope, "describing the “barking of NATO at Russia’s door” as one of the triggers for Putin’s wrath.", MSN News (The Guardian) reports that,

 

"Zelenskiy repeated his call for the west to step up the provision of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
...
Zelenskiy added that Ukraine does not have enough anti-missile systems to shoot down Russian projectiles targeting its cities. “Our country does not have enough of them ... there can be no justification in delays in providing them.” (MSN : 15 June 2022) (my emphasis)

 

 

(video from article : Sophia Mencarelli : Express : 13 June 2022)

 

Even NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg (right) agrees with Zelenskiy.

 

As reported by RFE/RL,

 

"Yes, Ukraine should have more heavy weapons," Stoltenberg told a press conference at The Hague after meeting with the leaders of seven European NATO allies ahead of a summit at the end of June.
...
NATO is already "stepping up" deliveries and officials would be meeting in Brussels on June 15 to coordinate further support, including heavy weaponry, Stoltenberg said." (RFE/RL : 15 June 2022) (my emphasis)
 

And finally, we now learn that French president Macron has decided to vist Kiev.

 

As reported by Jon King (left),

 

"Emmanuel Macron will visit Ukraine for the first time later this month ....
The French President will be joined by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, according to reports." (Express : 13 June 2022) (my emphasis)

 

Jon King continues, however, that,

 

"The Élysée Palace is reported to have told French daily Le Parisien that Mr Macron will go to Ukraine when the visit will be most useful for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
...
Other reports suggest he may take advantage of a planned trip to Romania and Moldova, which share a border with Ukraine, this Tuesday and Wednesday to visit Kyiv" (ibid Jon King). 

 

Or could Macron's sudden impending visit to Kyiv have been precipitated by, as reported by Leia Paxton (right),

 

"Emmanuel Macron has been blasted for his calls not to "humiliate" Vladimir Putin as Wladimir Klitschko detailed the stench of death left behind in Ukrainian towns occupied by Russian troops." (Express : 9 June 2022) (my emphasis)

 

But there are also economic reasons why Macron has been rather reluctant to visit Kyiv, and why he has been constantly calling Putin.

 

As reported by Antony Ashkenaz (left),

"French President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of betraying Ukraine as the latest figures showed that French gas imports from Russia soared since the war began.
...
The report showed in April and May, France received a dozen shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other fossil fuel products worth almost €900million (£773million).
...
Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at Crea, told the Telegraph: “France and Belgium stand out as buyers of Russian LNG on the spot market." (Express : 14 June 2022) (my emphasis)

 

No better than Macron, we now have Millie Cooke (right) reporting that,

"Germany has been shamed after a weapons delivery to Ukraine was delayed, with one commentator accusing the country of having "been in Putin's pockets for decades."

 

She further reports that,

 

"Last month, German news outlet Die Welt revealed that Germany had not sent any heavy weapons to Ukraine since mid-March, saying that the country appears to be scaling back military support.
...
Meanwhile, a recent study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy found that Germany, [ gave less support to Ukraine than the US, the UK and Poland....]
...
And yet, earlier this week Mr Scholz claimed that he was providing more support to Ukraine than "almost anyone else". (Express : 9 June 2022) (my emphasis)

 

But as reported by Brian McGleenon (right),

Germany has blocked Spain from sending Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine.
...
The Visegrád 24 Twitter news outlet tweeted: "Germany has blocked Spain’s plans on sending dozens of Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine.
...
"According to Der Spiegel, the Scholz government warned Spain that it would constitute a departure from an alleged informal decision by the West not to provide Western tanks to Ukraine." (Express : 11 June 2022) (my emphasis)

 

Please Note! "An alleged INFORMAL decision.." not "A legally BINDING decision"

Meanwhile, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (right) seems to be (reluctantly???) dragged along by Macron and Scholtz, no doubt to somehow add politcal weight to their belated visit to Kyiv. 

 

And in the meantime, Putin continues to commit war crimes against the people of Ukraine as evidenced by the recent revelation that,

 

"Russia has killed hundreds of civilians in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv using indiscriminate shelling and widely-banned cluster munitions, according to new research by Amnesty International." (Joel Gunter : BBC News : 13 June 2022) (my emphasis) 

What the pronouncements of the Pope, and the recent actions of Macron, Scholtz, and Draghi, illustrate is their betrayal of the people of Ukraine.

 

(to be continued)