Latest Updates on Russia, Ukraine and Moldova

Russian War Crimes: The World Criminal Court issued arrest mandates to two Russians for war crimes committed in Ukraine as part of the Russian aggression against the former Soviet Republic. The Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. Meanwhile, the Bishop who is the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church made a pastoral visit to the United States, where there are many Parishes in the Eastern Rite Church, which is in full Communion with the Catholic Pope. He pleaded for more American aid to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russians. The Bishop reported the killing and imprisonment of Priests and the destruction or damage of hundreds of churches and other spiritual structures in the territories occupied by the Russians, as Russia deliberate target religions other than those Ukrainian Orthodox churches loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church, which is loyal to Putin. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the largest church in Ukraine. It had split from the Russian Orthodox Church before the full-scale Russian invasion. The second largest church is the Catholic Church, mostly Latin Rite, but also Eastern Rite. The Ukrainian Catholic Bishop also noted the lack of religious freedom not only for Catholics, but Protestant Christians, Jews and Muslims in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Russia has been conducting genocide against Ukraine to destroy its culture, as “Czar” Putin falsely claims Ukrainians do not have a separate identity from Russians. Before it was part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, like all former Soviet Republics and much of the Russian Federation, had been part of the Russian Empire. but with its own language, history and culture. Russian Intimidation of Exiles: Russia has labeled Garry Kasparov, the greatest chess player in history who is a conservative Russian opposition leader living in exile in America, a “terrorist.” As I have posted, dictatorships label any opponent as “terrorist,” including not only guerillas who attack government targets, as opposed to targeting innocent civilians to cause mass terror, which is the definition of terrorism, but even those who simply exercise their freedom to express criticism. And as I have also posted, Russia charges exiles with crimes and even assaults or murders them on foreign soil, including with radioactive and chemical weapons. Russian Interference in Moldova: Moldova, a former Soviet Republic, accuses Russia of interference in local elections, funding anti-government protests, engaging in disinformation and even bribery of voters. Russia maintains troops in a breakaway part of Moldova next to the Ukrainian border against Moldova’s wishes. Russia is trying to discourage the approval of a Moldovan European Union membership referendum later this year. In the meantime, like much of Europe, Moldova has weaned itself off Russian energy to become more independent, after Russia had hiked prices to bully it, as well as increased its defense spending. Although constitutionally neutral, Moldova and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have an official partnership. Like other former Soviet Republics and Soviet Satellite States in Eastern Europe, Ukrainians and Moldovans prefer liberty and representative government and to trade with the West, instead of being dominated by a Russia imperialist “czar.”