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Stuck Amid Ukraine War

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Walid Toufic to Majalla: “I Do Not Use Composing Music for Business”

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Issue 1894- March- 04/03/2022

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s Winston Churchill

Issue 1894- March- 04/03/2022 www.majalla.com

World Unites to Condemn Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

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Editorial The Russian military operation against Ukraine has entered its second week with its shock waves hitting all the world. Western powers are uniting their forces to isolate Russia and condemn its attack on Ukraine. While the Russian military operation is wreaking havoc in major Ukrainian cities, pushing thousands of Ukrainian refugees to flee their homes to neighboring European countries, western economic sanctions and calls for boycotting Russia are gaining momentum in what seems to be an unwavering campaign against Moscow. In an emergency session held last Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted on a draft resolution to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The resolution was endorsed by a historic support of 141 out of the total of 193 member states. At the time of writing, UkraineRussia talks are being resumed at the UkrainianBelarusian Borders with prospects of a temporary cease-fire to allow evacuation of citizens. This week, Majalla provides different readings of the current world standoff, whereby Dalia Ziada addresses the stance of Arab countries whom she suggests have the power to change the course of events in their favor, only if they focus on playing the right cards at the right time, rather than simply reacting to the developments of the current global clash. Maia Otarashvili focuses on the Western position to support Ukrainian people and ensure stability of world order while displaying caution “not to get caught up in a direct kinetic war with Russia”. She notes that the global pressures against Putin would eventually be in Ukraine’s favor. On another side, Dr Samy Amara pinpoints how the western narrative has mobilized the world against Moscow which is reacting to NATO’s expansion attempts at the expense of Russians’ security. He also stresses that Russia still has more cards to play. Read these articles and more on our website eng. majalla.com. As always, we welcome and value our readers’ feedback and we invite you to take the opportunity to leave your comments on our website.

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

04/03/22

A Weekly Political News Magazine

24 Who is Aggravating the War

Between the “Two Slavic Sisters” ?

Issue 1894- March- 04/03/2022

24 NATO vs. Putin

World Unites to Condemn

20 Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

Turkey Attempts a Neutral Stance

30 on Russia and Ukraine

32 Iran- Al-Qaeda Relation: A Marriage of Convenience

‘The Batman’: Darkness and Loathing in Gotham City 5

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56 Top Ways to Reduce Daily Stress

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Dubai drops mandatory wearing of face People visit the Dubai Expo 2020 on February 28, 2022 as the UAE drops mandatory wearing of face masks in outside areas, the most significant easing of Covid-19 restrictions since April 2020, when the pandemic spread across the globe Dubai, , United Arab Emirates )AFP Photos(

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People visit the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai People visit the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai on March 1, 2022, Maharashtra, India )AFP Photos(

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LEBANON.

EGYPT Arrangements are being made to help as many as 20,000 Ukrainian tourists stranded at Egyptian resorts to fly to Europe, Ukrainian embassy officials in Cairo said on Thursday, adding that many were ready to head to Ukraine to fight Russian forces. The tourists, estimated at between 17,500 and 20,000, are mostly in the Egyptian Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, with some further south in Marsa Allam. A few have flown out of their own accord but the embassy is working with Egyptian authorities and tourism companies to set up returns to countries neighbouring Ukraine, said the embassy deputy head Yevhen Zhupeyev.

A US Treasury delegation urged Lebanese authorities to mount investigations into what it described as abuses within the Lebanese banking system by members of the political and economic elite, the US Treasury said on Wednesday. The unusually candid statement issued at the end of a three-day visit to Beirut by a senior delegation did not say to which members of the elite it was referring in a country where corruption and abuse of power has long been commonplace. Allegations of financial misconduct by elites spiked following the country's 2019 financial collapse, when banks imposed tight controls on hard currency accounts for most savers but critics say some people with influence were able to more freely access funds. Banks have denied claims of favoritism towards certain clients.

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UDI ARABIA

lans to facilitate the deployment of audi Arabia for the first time in s government said on Tuesday, part oration of ties that were severed by ate over a multi-million dollar heft. as been eager to normalise relations l-rich Kingdom after a spat that has ns of dollars in two-way trade and venues and the loss of tens of of overseas Thai jobs.

UAE Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, in a phone call on Tuesday, discussed the OPEC+ oil deal and pledged to continue coordination on global energy markets, Russian news agencies reported. The OPEC+ group of leading oil producers is due to meet online on Wednesday in order to discuss its further oil output policy.

QATAR Airbus has reportedly filed a $220 million claim against Qatar Airways in damages for two undelivered A350 jets to the airline and recover millions of dollars worth of credits. The major turn of events in the dispute came after Qatar Airways decided to ground two additional A350’s. In total, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has grounded 22 Airbus A350’s since last year. Qatar Airways took Airbus to a UK High Court over defects in Airbus’ A350 jets. The airline demanded $618 million in contractual compensation from the planemaker.

IRAN The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Tehran on Saturday, the agency confirmed on Thursday, raising the prospect of progress on one of the last thorny issues blocking a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The visit by the UN nuclear watchdog’s director general was reported overnight by the Nournews news agency affiliated with Iran’s top security body as negotiators in Vienna seek to restore US and Iranian compliance with the deal.

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A WEEK ACROS BRAZIL.

U.S. The United States on Thursday planned to impose economic sanctions on a wider array of Russian oligarchs and their families, a source familiar with the matter said, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Washington has already hit a variety of oligarchs with asset-blocking sanctions. The source, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said some significant names would be included in Thursday's actions.

Brazil's ambassador to the United Nations, Ronaldo Costa Filho, reaffirmed on Wednesday the country's position in favor of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, but said the indiscriminate application of sanctions on Russia does not lead to the reconstruction of dialogue. He made his statement minutes after the UN General Assembly voted to reprimand Russia for invading Ukraine and demanded that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces. "The resolution cannot be seen as something that allows the indiscriminate application of sanctions. These initiatives do not lead to the reconstruction of a diplomatic dialogue and it brings consequences that go beyond the current situation," he said.

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LIBYA.

Libya's political crisis looked set t worsen on Thursday with a risk of return to fighting or territorial div as a new government preparing t take office accused the incumben administration of abducting two proposed cabinet members. Parliament has been preparing to swear in Fathi Bashagha's govern later on Thursday in Tobruk, in ea Libya. The incumbent prime mini Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah in the ca Tripoli, in the west has vowed not cede power.

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RUSSIA. CHINA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told French leader Emmanuel Macron on Thursday that Russia would achieve the goals of its military intervention in Ukraine whatever happens, the Kremlin said. In a statement issued after the French and Russian presidents spoke by phone, the Kremlin made clear its goals included the demilitarisation and neutrality of Ukraine. Any attempts by Kyiv to delay negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials would result in Moscow adding more items to a list of demands it has already set out, it said.

INDIA. India said on Thursday it had not received any reports of its students being held hostage in Ukraine after Russia accused Ukrainian authorities of forcibly keeping a large group of them in the city of Kharkiv as "human shields".

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China will not join in sanctions on Russia that have been led by the West, the country's banking regulator said on Wednesday, adding that he believed the impact of the measures on China would be limited. China, which has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has repeatedly criticised what it calls illegal and unilateral sanctions. "As far as financial sanctions are concerned, we do not approve of these, especially the unilaterally launched sanctions because they do not work well and have no legal grounds," Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, told a news conference.

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Arab’s Dilemma in the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Between Economic, Political Consequences and Potential Energy Opportunities

By Dalia Ziada

The so-called “special military operation” which the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, launched in Ukraine, on February 24th, with the hope to seize Kiev over one night, is now stretching to several days of nonstop war. Thanks to the exemplary resistance of the brave Ukrainian people, the unprovoked invasion, which started with a scene where Ukraine stands alone in the face of the giant and powerful Russia, is quickly becoming a historic momentum where Russia is stuck alone in the face of the international community. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is only the beginning of a cluster of political, diplomatic, and economic clashes, between eastern and western world powers, that will

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eventually change the face of the world as we know it. Despite being geographically distant, the countries of the Middle East and North Africa region are expected to be directly affected by the security and economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, most of the countries of the region, either Arab or non-Arab, have the power to change the course of events in their favor, only if they focus on playing the right cards at the right time, rather than simply reacting to the developments of the current global standoff.

WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR THE ARAB COUNTRIES?

A general view of the 11th emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 2, 2022. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

Most of the Arab countries are expected to be affected, at least economically, by the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, separately, occupy crucial positions in the economy of most Arab countries; either as top suppliers of wheat, which is a high-demand product, or as tourists who flood in large numbers to the sea resorts of the region. Besides, Russia is one of the main resources of armament for several Arab countries, especially at times when the United States, their favorite ally, declines to sell them weapons until they improve human rights conditions. Above all that, Russia is one of the key geopolitical players in the Middle East, since its political and military involvement in Libya and Syria, in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Egypt is the clearest case where the economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine could be seen. Egypt is one of the top five importers of wheat, in the world. The Egyptian population of more than one-hundred million citizens consumes average four million tons of wheat per year. In 2021, Egypt produced only 20% of its needs and had to import the remaining 80% from Russia (50%) and Ukraine (30%). The current war between Russia and Ukraine has already caused the prices of wheat to increase to unprecedented levels. Soon, that will be reflected as a huge burden on the Egyptian economy, and may consequently affect the prices of other basic food products. Even after the Russia-Ukraine war comes to an end, the sanctions imposed by western powers on the Russian economy will continue to affect the food prices in Egypt and several other Arab and African countries which have similar needs and circumstances. Meanwhile, the Egyptian tourism sector, which is barely recovering from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, is also expected to be badly affected by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Large percentage of the tourists pouring into Egypt, every year, come from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus during the winter season. When the flights between Russia and Egypt were suspended in the period between 2015 and 2021, the Red Sea resorts suffered to keep their business. The Egyptian economy also suffered, as tourism accounts for 9% of Egypt’s GDP. Given the fact that the current Russia-Ukraine war is expected to keep happening for a long time, as the French President Macron noted, the Egyptian tourism sector is doomed to go through a similar period of sluggishness, that will eventually echo in other sectors of the Egyptian economy.

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Most of MENA countries have the power to change the course of events in their favor, only if they focus on playing the right cards at the right time, rather than reacting to the developments of the current global standoff. THE SECURITY RISKS IN SYRIA AND LIBYA Libya and Syria are the two Arab countries that will be particularly shaken by the geopolitical and security consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war, due to their direct linkage to Russia. In fact, Russia’s war on Ukraine is only a more aggressive copy of Russia’s uncalled-for interventions in Syria and Libya, in the recent years. Ironically, the claim that “Russia had to defend its national security against the expansion of the NATO,” which is currently used by Putin and his media propogandists to justify invading Ukraine, was previously used to justify Russia’s interventions in each of Syria (2015) and Libya (2017). Still, there is a key difference between the three cases. While state officials in Libya and Syria paved the way for Putin to destroy their countries and kill innocent citizens, in order to keep their own political seats; the Ukrainian citizens and their political leadership are standing united in the face of Russia’s aggression in an impressive way that eventually forced the international community to jump in to rescue them. In that sense, it is not a surprise that the Syrian and Libyan political leaderships were the first, among all other Arab countries, to take sharp positions with, or against, Russia’s invasion to Ukraine. In Syria, where Russia is supporting Assad regime against his own people, the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad made public statements to praise Russia’s invasion to Ukraine, calling it a “correction of history and a restoration of balance in the global order.” Ironically, the Assad regime was among the first few to applaud Russia’s recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. In contradiction, Assad may not hesitate to launch a war on the Kurds of Syria, if they ever try to have an autonomy rule in the northern territories, following the example of the Kurds of Iraq. In 2016, a few months after Russia’s intervention in Syria, Al-Assad publicly said that he is ready to go to war against the Kurdish-led “Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)” to regain Syria’s control over the territories that they live in. On the other side of the region, and the opposite side of the

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spectrum of political alignment, Libya’s interim Government of National Unity (GNU), through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement to reject Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. The statement also condemned the practices of Wagner Group (a Russian private military corporation that serves the Russian regime), in both Libya and Ukraine. Russia sent Wagner Group’s militia to Libya, in 2017, to support the Libyan National Army (LNA) of Warlord Khalifa Haftar, in the eastern territories, against the former UNrecognized interim Government of National Accord (GNA). Since the installation of the current Government of National Unity (GNU), in March 2021, there have been several local, regional, and international calls on Russia and Turkey to withdraw

As the situation in Ukraine developed into an actual war, the Arab League called for resolving the crisis via diplomacy, affirming “the importance of respecting the principles of international law.”

their foreign forces from Libya. Yet, neither Russia nor Turkey, which backs the Tripoli-based government, responded positively. But, in mid-February, western media reports mentioned that Putin withdrew Wagner Group’s militia from Libya to aid in his war on Ukraine, which actually started a few days after that. Unfortunately, the shrinking interest of the international community in solving Libya’s crisis, as it is getting focused on solving the Ukrainian crisis, may widen the scope of conflicts between the eastern and western political leaders, and push the country down the road of civil war, once again.

COLLECTIVE ARAB ACTION IS NOT REALISTIC Most of the Arab states were careful not to side with any of the conflicting parties, at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. The flawed Middle East policy of the United States Administration of President Biden is making Arabs hesitant to take the side of the west, their favorite ally, against Russia and the other eastern powers. The Biden Administration has been taking decisions that empowered Iran and its proxies against national Arab states. One apparent example is the decision to remove the Houthi militia in Yemen from the list of foreign terrorist organizations, while declining to fulfil armament deals with Arab Gulf countries, creating a situation that eventually allowed the Houthi militia to attack Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January, with Iran-made drones. Nonetheless, as the situation in Ukraine developed into an actual war that dragged the international community to intervene, Arab states found themselves obliged to announce their position. On February 28th, the fourth day of the war, the League

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On February 28th, the fourth day of the war, the League of Arab States called for an extraordinary meeting, on the level of permanent representatives, to discuss the Ukraine crisis. A 2018 file picture of an Arab League meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo. (AFP)

A combine harvests wheat in a field near the village of Hrebeni in Kyiv region, Ukraine July 17, 2020. (REUTERS/ Valentyn Ogirenko/ File Photo)

of Arab States called for an extraordinary meeting, on the level of permanent representatives, to discuss the Ukraine crisis. In conclusion of the meeting, the Arab League expressed concern, in an official statement, and called for resolving the crisis via dialogue and diplomacy, and affirming “the importance of respecting the principles of international law.” Yet, the Arab League’s statement did not clearly condemn Russia for invading Ukraine. In fact, the Arab League has never condemned Russia’s military actions against any country, including in Libya and Syria, despite being Arab countries. At the conclusion of the statement, the Arab League made an interesting recommendation about forming a ministerial committee, led by Arab ministers of foreign affairs, to monitor the Ukraine crisis and mediate for a diplomatic solution between the warring parties. Realistically, the Arab League, as a diplomatic body, is not qualified to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, given its record of failing to mediate for peace in any of the old or new conflicts of the Arabs, starting from the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the post-Arab-Spring civil wars in Yemen, Syria, and Libya. However, some of the Arab countries can, individually, play tremendous roles in affecting the course of events in the ongoing standoff between eastern and western powers.

ARAB’S WINNING CARDS Like it has been the case with all the major events that are happening since the eruption of the Arab Spring, it seems that the Arab Gulf countries should take the lead on handling and affecting the consequences of the current Russia-Ukraine war on the region.

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Most of the Arab states were careful not to side with any of the conflicting parties, at the beginning of the RussiaUkraine war. On one hand, the UAE holds the crucial card of international diplomacy, due to its elected membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2022-2023. This month, March 2022, the UAE shall serve as the president of UNSC, which will definitely put it on the forefront of influencing international community decisions regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. However, UAE’s success in this mission requires achieving a level of consistency in its own foreign policy approach. At the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the UAE abstained from voting on a UNSC resolution condemning Russia’s aggression. Only China and India, who are known for their political alignment with Russia, shared the same position of the UAE, while the other eleven countries supported the resolution. In its statement before the UNSC, the UAE’s representative focused on the humanitarian crisis that is expected to result from the war and urged “all parties to implement their obligations under international law, including by allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need and to refrain from targeting civilians.”

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The UAE’s statement neither supported Ukraine or condemned Russia, which made observers think that the UAE is keeping a neutral position, similar to the majority of Arab countries. Then, on the fifth day of the war, March 1st, the UAE leadership exhibited greater alignment to the Russian side. According to an official statement by Russia’s Kremlin, Putin had a phone conversation with UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, wherein Bin Zayed “reaffirmed that Russia has the right to ensure national security,” and promised to continue coordinating with Russia within the frame work of OPEC+. A few hours later, the Swiss-based company of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline that extends from Russia to Germany, announced that it fired all of its employees and is filing for bankruptcy, due to the recently imposed economic sanctions on Russia. That perhaps explains why Putin called Bin Zayed, on that day, to confirm his country’s status in the OPEC+, before his citizens and his enemies. That takes us to the critical card of energy resources, which Saudi Arabia and Qatar possess. Saudi Arabia is the top producer of crude oil in the region, and the third in the world after the United States and Russia. Meanwhile, Qatar is the top producer of natural gas in the region, and the top third in the world after Russia and Iran. As European countries are determined to boycott the Russian gas and oil, they should be looking for Saudi Arabia and Qatar as potential alternative resources. So far, neither Saudi Arabia nor Qatar took a biased position on the Ukraine crisis. Both of them are strong allies to the United States. Recently, the US gave Qatar the status of non-NATO strategic ally. However, it seems that both countries are still waiting for the right time to throw down their most powerful energy cards. Nevertheless, despite being a giant producer of natural gas, Qatar alone cannot realistically replace Russia in fulfilling Europe’s needs. Europe’s average consumption of natural gas exceeds 400 billion cubic meters per year, while Qatar’s annual

production of gas is average 180 billion cubic meters, most of which is contracted to Asian countries. From an optimistic point of view, this could be a ripe opportunity for the countries of North Africa to expand their presence in the European energy market, alongside Arab Gulf countries. Their advantageous geographic location at the south of the Mediterranean improves their potential in that regard. Since 2018, Egypt has emerged as regional hub, in the eastern Mediterranean, for producing, liquifying, and exporting natural gas to Asia and Europe. Since the last quarter of 2021, Egypt officially started to ship cargos of liquified natural gas (LNG) to Turkey and southern Europe. In January 2022, for the first time ever, Egypt shipped LNG cargos to the Netherlands, in northwestern Europe. The current standoff between Europe and Russia may enhance Egypt’s gas industry in impressive ways. There is a catch, though. For Egypt to hunt this ripe opportunity, it has to cooperate with its North Africa neighbors, Libya and Algeria on liquifying and selling their oil in the Egyptian offshore plants, the same way it is currently doing with Israel. Libya possesses the highest volume proven oil reserves in Africa, and is the fourth top exporter of natural gas to Europe, via the GreenStream offshore pipeline (length: 540 km) extending from Mellitah Port in Libya to the shores of Sicily in Italy. Meanwhile, Algeria is top regional exporter of natural gas to Europe via the Maghreb-Europe pipeline (length: 1400 km) that runs from Algeria, through Morocco, to end in Spain. However, the unsettling political conflicts in Libya and Algeria are hindering their potential to seize this opportunity. In Libya, the extreme divisions among the political elite in the eastern and western territories is delaying the government funds needed to operate natural gas facilities and keep reserves and production at stable levels. In Algeria, its renewed conflict with neighbor Morocco over the Western Sahara led to the abrupt termination, in November 2021, of the contracts governing their use of the Maghreb-Europe pipeline, and thus affected the volumes of gas flow from Algeria to Europe.

Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, separately, occupy crucial positions in the economy of most Arab countries; either as top suppliers of wheat, or as tourists who flood in large numbers to the sea resorts of the region. 18

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A sign reading “Nord Stream 2 Committed. Reliable. Safe.” is seen on an information container for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline at the Lubmin industrial park. (Photo: Stefan Sauer/dpa)

A general view of the United Nations Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters in New York City on February 2022 ,28. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

AFTER THE WAR On the seventh day of the war, on March 2nd, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) convened an extraordinary session to seek member states voting on a draft resolution to scold Russia over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. At the opening of the session, the United Nations officially condemned Russia’s “choice of war” and called upon Moscow to withdraw its military troops from the sovereign state of Ukraine. Eventually, the resolution received a historic support of 141 out of the total 193 member states. Out of the 22 Arab countries, 13 voted in support of the resolution. They are: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen. The surprise, here, is that all the four key pillars of the Arab region (namely; Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar) voted against Russia. Also, all of the six Arab Gulf countries, who literally hold all the winning cards in the current international turmoil, voted in support of the UN resolution to condemn Russia. That included the UAE which a few days before that abstained from voting against Russia at the UNSC session. The significance of this voting trend among the Arab countries is that it is a clear message that the Arabs will be more inclined to their favorite western allies of Europe and the United States, in the future. Actually, it seems that Russia has already committed a mistake that may end its legacy forever. For some Arab public observers, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, blinded by his arrogance and desire to flex his muscles before the weakened west, is reminiscent of the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, in 1990. As the war period is lengthening, Russia’s economic and political losses are increasing, while the United States and Europe are getting relatively stronger. Most likely, Putin

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The transformation process of our world has already begun. It will take years to shape into a stable format that portrays the features of the new world order. will commit the same mistake of Saddam Hussein by refusing to admit that he is already losing the war and should withdraw his forces. Rather, he will continue to fight, in a brutal way, in order not to hurt his own pride. This means he may eventually cause Russia to lose its position as an international or even a regional power. In any case, the transformation process of our world has already begun. It will take years to shape into a stable format that portrays the features of the new world order. In the middle of that process, all the countries of the world – no exception – are going to face varied degrees of political and economic challenges. While the majority are expected to suffer, some lucky countries are expected to survive and grow throughout these crises. Many of the Arab countries have the potential to be among the lucky ones, only if they succeed in managing the scope of their interactions with the current clash of world powers in Ukraine. * Dalia Ziada is an Egyptian author and Director of the Liberal Democracy Institute. Her work covers military affairs, political Islamism, and geopolitics in the Middle East and North Africa. Tweets at @daliaziada.

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World Unites to Condemn Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

Exceptional Ukrainian Courage Stings Invader’s Plans

By Maia Otarashvili

It’s been a week since Russia invaded Ukraine. After months of massing troops and military equipment on Ukraine’s border on the Russian and Belarussian sides, Vladimir Putin announced he would be conducting a “special military operation” to “denazify and demilitarize Ukraine” and immediately began bombing Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv. The horrific act of full-on Russian invasion of its neighbor quickly turned out to be “Putin’s blunder”. One week into the war Russia has suffered major losses. The Ukrainian side has reported at least

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9,000 Russian military personnel dead. Russia has also lost at least 217 tanks, 900 armored personnel carriers, 374 cars, 60 fuel tanks, 90 artillery pieces, 11 anti-aircraft weapons and more. But perhaps the greatest loss that Russia has experienced so far is one to its international standing and to its economy. Seemingly Ukraine stands alone to defend itself from the Russian invasion. The country has put up a heroic fight. Despite most predictions that it would fall within 48 hours after the invasion, Kyiv still stands. The president of Ukraine is dubbed a hero around the world as he fights alongside his people to ensure Ukraine’s survival, and has refused to accept Washington’s offer to evacuate to safety. But over a million refugees have fled the country as cities throughout Ukraine, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, are bombed every day. Russian war crimes in this invasion are indisputable as photos and videos of Russian attacks on residential areas surface daily. The world watches in horror as residents flee to the subway stations underground to hide from the bombs. The civilian death toll grows every day. But, on the other hand, the world is also witnessing exceptional acts of bravery and heroism of the Ukrainian people as they confront the Russian soldiers in the streets, hold up Russian convoys in unarmed protests, or organize to make “Molotov cocktails” and blow-up Russian tanks. Regular Ukrainians and members of parliament alike stand in lines to pick up guns in order to defend their country. Ukranian citizens take part in a demonstration against the Russian invasion in Ukraine at the Urraca park in Panama City, on March 2, 2022. (Photo by Luis ACOSTA / AFP)

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, thus there are no NATO boots on the ground. The West is displaying incredible caution not to get caught up in a direct kinetic war with Russia, but it has been arming Ukraine and supporting it unequivocally throughout the entire crisis since it began to intensify in April of 2021. As promised, the EU and the United States introduced swift economic sanctions that have left the Russian economy reeling. In a matter of days, the currency has fallen to historic lows, the Russian stocks have fallen, and the country’s economy has become almost fully cut off from the rest of the world as a result of the devastating economic sanctions. The United States and Europe are displaying never-before-seen unity to show solidarity to Ukraine. The West is finally awake to the full display of Putin’s malignant power and is taking decisive action to weaken his regime. Severe economic sanctions have already debilitated the Central Bank as it is now cut off from U.S. dollar transactions. Moreover, major Russian banks have been blocked from the SWIFT system and severe export bans have been imposed on Russia. President Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov, top Russian oligarchs and Putin’s inner circle have also been sanctioned – this includes travel bans and foreign asset freezes. Even Germany, previously hesitant to join the harsher measures on Russia, has joined the sanctions regime and committed to increase its military spending to 2% of its GDP. Germany

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Seemingly Ukraine stands alone to defend itself from the Russian invasion. The country has put up a heroic fight. Despite most predictions that it would fall within 48 hours after the invasion, Kyiv still stands. has also halted the NordStream 2 pipeline project, and is joining the EU’s commitment to move away from Russian energy supplies. The anti-Russia rhetoric in the West is decisive and bold. In her address to the European Parliament, president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, perfectly summed up this sentiment: “If Putin was seeking to divide the European Union, to weaken NATO, and to break the international community, he has achieved exactly the opposite. We are more united than ever and we will stand up in this war, that is for sure that we will overcome and we will prevail. We are united and we stay united.” In endorsing Ukraine’s application for immediate EU membership she added “Today, the European Union and Ukraine are already closer than ever before. There is still a long path ahead. We have to end this war. And we should talk about the next steps. But I am sure: Nobody in this hemicycle can doubt that a people that stands up so bravely for our European values belongs in our European family.” In his State of the Union Address on February 28th President Biden sounded similar sentiments: “We are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever. Together with our allies –we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions. We are cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system. Preventing Russia’s central bank from defending the Russian Ruble making Putin’s $630 Billion “war fund” worthless. We are choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come.” There is also an intense focus on Putin’s inner circle and the top Russian oligarchs seem to be under a microscope. The European allies are vowing to no longer harbor the Rus-

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sian oligarch money known to rest in safe havens in major European capitals, and President Biden too explained that those days are over in the United States as well: “Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime no more. The U.S. Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs. We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts your luxury apartments your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.” The Western actions thus far have not stopped the war.

The West is displaying incredible caution not to get caught up in a direct kinetic war with Russia, but it has been arming Ukraine and supporting it unequivocally throughout the entire crisis since it began to intensify in April of 2021.

Ukraine’s military is outgunned and outnumbered by the invaders. Russia may have suffered losses, but its military is far from fully expanded in Ukraine. As week one of the war has shown, Putin is isolated and angry, he clearly underestimated the people and the government of Ukraine. It seems he started to believe in his own lies and delusions, that the Ukrainian people lacked national identity, that they would not fight for independence, and that they were better off in Ukraine as a Russian province. Putin also did not expect that the West would unite against Russia to this degree. Moreover, the war is unpopular in Russia too. The Russian state media has had to dial up its propaganda and fake news in order to keep presenting the war as a special military operation to “liberate the people of Ukraine”, but it’s not working. Putin’s regime is fighting two wars at the moment; one to keep a lid on dissent at home - arresting thousands of Russians protesting the war, and the other in Ukraine where his soldiers appear to be unmotivated and often confused about their mission and purpose. This is why Moscow’s war efforts are expected to intensify. Greater force deployments and more devastating attacks on Ukraine are imminent. Many experts now suspect that Putin likely has a Syria-like strategy where the Russian forces bombed cities block by block, obliterating all residential areas and essentially flattening entire towns. In mere days into the war Putin has already put Russia’s nuclear forces on alert. This shows his desperation - although he is unlikely to use nuclear weapons, introducing

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The results of a General Assembly vote on a resolution is shown on a screen during a special session of the General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters on March 02, 2022 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/ AFP)

A protester supporting Ukranian demonstrates outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on March 2, 2022. - The UN overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that “demands” Russia “immediately” withdraw from Ukraine, in a powerful rebuke of Moscow’s invasion by the global body charged with peace and security. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

the threat itself would have been the last resort in any conflict and he is already starting to use all tools in his strategic arsenal. In Europe and the United States there are calls for establishing a no-fly zone in Ukraine. But even a humanitarian no-fly zone would be impossible to reinforce without committing to engage with Russia militarily. This option is off the table in Western capitals at the moment. The West can keep arming Ukraine, keep supporting its fleeing citizens, and keep tightening the sanctions on Russia in the hopes of decimating its ability to keep funding and fueling the war. But these are not solutions that will end the war immediately. And with every passing hour more Ukrainian (and Russian) lives are lost. This crisis is uniting not just the West, but the entire world against Russia and in support of peace. On Wednesday the UN adopted a resolution to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, with an overwhelming majority. Even Russia-friendly nations like Kazakhstan are sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine and reassuring President Zelensky of their support. Amid the crisis Vladimir Putin is no longer seen as a cold and calculating former KGB agent-turned-president. His mental stability is now questioned every day. His speeches make him sound more unhinged every time he appears on television. He is said to be self-isolating and surrounding himself with only yes-men who filter information from the outside world for him. He is hated abroad, but also

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Severe economic sanctions have already debilitated the Russian Central Bank as it is now cut off from U.S. dollar transactions. Moreover, major Russian banks have been blocked from the SWIFT system and severe export bans have been imposed on Russia. increasingly distrusted and questioned at home. His special forces are now detaining grandmothers and children for peacefully protesting the war. This may be a tragic time for Ukraine, but this is also the beginning of the end of Russia as we know it. * Maia Otarashvili is a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Her research is focused on geopolitics and security of the Black Sea-Caucasus region, Russian foreign policy, and the post-Soviet protracted conflicts.

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Who is Aggravating the War Between the “Two Slavic Sisters”?

Moscow Raises Penalty for Disseminating Fake News, Freezes Activity of “Pro-Foreign” Media Platforms By Dr. Sami Amara – Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned overnight from the subject of “undisclosed” amusement and infatuation to a devil threatening the world’s security, stability, and peace. The accusations against Putin have been made under the pretext that he plans to forcefully bring back the Soviet Union. After all, he is the one who said, “Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain.” Western media seem to be inching towards achieving their goal: portraying Putin as a “vicious aggressor” who disregards

the charters of the “civilized” world and its “unique” support for democracy and human rights. Moreover, some channels and radio stations labelled in Russia as “foreign traitors” have been particularly active. Take Echo Moskvy radio station and Dohzd TV channel for example, and their attempt to portray the “failure of the first phase of the military offensive,” as per the well-known Russian journalist Mikhail Fishman. Perhaps these facts could explain why the Duma is discussing the terms of a draft law that imposes a criminal penalty of up to 15 years in prison for anyone who is proven to disseminate “fake news.” The Public Prosecution also announced the possibility of shutting down the Echo Moskvy radio station and Dohzd

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Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, left, the Head of the Ukrainian Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia, second left, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak, third left, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, fourth right, Russian Presidential Aide and the head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky, third right behind Fomin, Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Fomin, second right, and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, greet each other prior to the Russian-Ukrainian talks in the Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park, close to the Polish-Belarusian border, northward from Brest, Belarus, Thursday, March 3, 2022. (Maxim Guchek/ BelTA Pool Photo via AP)

TV channel, which are known for their Western inclinations and opposition to the official authorities. Talking to Russia Today, Igor Ashmanov, an expert in information security, revealed that Western countries have opened many “propaganda” centers against Russia in recent years. Ashmanov pointed out that these centers are mostly based in the Baltic States, in addition to two powerful centers in Poland, the Association Citizen Journalists in Prague, and another center in Georgia. There are also other centers in Ukraine backed by the “virtual fighters” of Russian-speaking hackers on social networking sites. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, with the success of the special military operation to protect Donbass and disarm Ukraine, the volume of misleading and fabricated information has been growing exponentially. The suspicion furthers thanks to the almost continuous airtime presence of certain figures such as Yakov Kedmi, the Mossad general and the former Soviet dissident who fled to Israel at the end of the 1960s. There, he joined Mossad, supervising the agency “Nativ” that was created to transport Soviet Jews to Israel, and later joined the Israeli army in its war against Egypt in 1973. Kedmi, who is introduced in his capacity as an “Israeli social figure,” is clearly trying to draw a constant comparison between the Russian forces and the Egyptian armed forces during the June War of 1967 in order to show similarities. Kedmi constantly recalls how the Egyptian army was publicizing false victories in the first days of the war against Israeli defeats, which later proved to be non-existent. In this regard, it is a shame that worldwide media fall into the trap of inciting Arab countries and the opponents of Israel on every occasion as such inappropriate conduct is not worthy of the media of a superpower. Such tactics have exposed people who take their own country as an enemy at a time when loyal nationalism is much needed. When it comes to tackling the battlefield, including the victories and setbacks witnessed by both sides, the Western media has been surely turning a blind eye to many events. Examples include when the Russian army took control of Kherson in southern Ukraine and the fresh water sources there, close to the Crimean Peninsula. The Ukrainian authorities had prevented the Crimea from access to water in Kherson since March 2015, which caused much suffering to the Crimean residents. In this regard, Igor Konashenkov, the official spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, revealed that the forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic were able, with the support of the Russian forces, to tighten their siege around the Port of Mariupol on the shore of the Azov Sea. Such an accomplishment was an indicator of taking control over large areas south of the Donbass region. Meanwhile, thousands of tons of weapons are flowing, backed by the so-called “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine,” which was hastily formed of factions from ISIS “fighters” and other terrorist factions which still enjoy the protection of a number of Western countries, according to Bashar Jafari, the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister and former representative of Syria to the UN. The Western sanctions are be-

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Western media seem to be inching towards achieving their goal: portraying Putin as a “vicious aggressor” who disregards the charters of the “civilized” world and its “unique” support for democracy and human rights. ing profusely issued in an attempt to isolate Russia from the international community in a manner unprecedented since the Cold War. As for the real goals of the raging conflict and confrontations, they remain within the framework of what many sources have revealed as the “color revolutions” that ravaged many of the countries that were part of former Soviet Union. Scholars and artists recall that Hitler’s forces reached Moscow’s doorstep, and were only 12 km away from the Kremlin in October 1941, only to retreat. The Soviet forces then emerged victoriously and managed not only to liberate the Soviet lands, but also the lands of all Eastern European countries. They even reached Berlin where they planted the Soviet flag on the dome of the Reichstag in May 1945, a few days before the arrival of the Allied forces. In this regard, one must highlight how many of Russia’s great icons in arts and music have been treated. The international opera singer Anna Netrebko was suspended by the management of La Scala, the Italian opera house. In Germany, the Munich Philharmonic terminated its contract with Maestro Valery Gergiev. The reason? They refused to announce their rejection of war and to condemn President Putin. The absurdity reached the point of cancelling a lecture by Italian writer and translator Paolo Nori on the Russian writer Feodor Dostoevsky. This is in addition to the sanctions and bans to which many sports teams in various games have been subjected, even though people in the field have long called for separating sports from politics. Then came the downpour of rumors and fake news that which could explain why Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko launched the “Explain.rf” portal, stressing that it was the only source of reliable information. Chernyshenko added that at the present time, “huge volumes of news and so-called information are being disseminated on social networks and sites and in the media, among which, unfortunately, include many fake rumors. It is therefore important for the government to pass on relevant and reliable information to the people.” The Deputy Prime Minister explained that the portal will work in cooperation with “stopkoronavirus.rf.”

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According to Chernyshenko, the portal has already published answers to questions encompassing areas of interest, including the extent to which the current conditions affect social payments, and whether there are enough basic products in stores. He stressed that the only information that will be published is that which is verified as well as official statements. The portal also has a “Stop Fake” section that debunks false information circulating on social media. As for the current events and developments on the battlefield, announcements and statements oppose and converge according to the stances of the websites of the concerned warring parties. These websites play a key role in supervising, controlling and directing the course of the confrontation, amidst growing pressure from the USA and other Western countries to dissuade Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy from any decision that would lead to a compromise with Russia. It is worth noting that Zelenskyy had previously announced his country’s readiness to accept “the situation of his country’s neutrality,” which means abandoning the “dream” of joining the NATO. However, he later reneged on his promise with clear support from his “present friends” represented by the NATO and the European Union. In this regard, all eyes are on the prospects of attempts at communication between both sides, and their talks in search of a “lost peace” and a ceasefire. The Ukrainian sources confirmed that the main objective of these talks is to reach a “ceasefire.” As for the Russian side, it said that Moscow remained committed to the previous statement of President Putin: “Demilterizatsya,” which means “disarmament,” and “Dyntsvikatsiya,” meaning the liquidation of Nazism. Neither of the two goals have been yet fulfilled. Putin later added the need to recognize the annexation of Crimea, stressing at the same time that there were no intentions to occupy Ukraine. A review of the positions of the two sides and what is related

One must highlight how many of Russia’s great icons in arts and music have been treated. The absurdity reached the point of cancelling a lecture by Italian writer and translator Paolo Nori on the Russian writer Feodor Dostoevsky.

primarily to Russia’s stance, shows that Moscow insists on adopting the constants of history and many historical events as the basis and starting point for any interpretation and revision of the events in southeastern Ukraine. Moscow has previously explained its decision on annexing Crimea in March 2014, a milestone in the history of the development of the Ukrainian crisis. However, consider what is happening in southeastern Ukraine, which is witnessing intense battles. The forces of the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel republics, both recognized by Moscow, continue their battles there in order to fulfill two main goals. (1) Pressure the Ukrainian government forces to evacuate as much as possible of the lands they seized from the two “provinces” in response to their unilateral decision to separate in the wake of the “coup” that overthrew former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. The aim is to mitigate the burdens and consequences of the continuous bombardment and to prevent further destruction and devastation. (2) In the words of President Putin, the recognition of the two republics extends to all the historical lands of the Donbas region. This underlines restoring all the remaining historical territory of the two provinces, which Russian official sources say is “Russian land” that the leader of the October Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, decided to include in Ukraine in support of its working class. This is the genesis of the “Ukrainian crisis” and the associated armed confrontations. Many decisions characterized by racism and national sectarian discrimination came hand in hand, the culmination of which was the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) issuing a law banning the use of the Russian language and the closure of Russian schools in regions where Russians and Russian-speaking nationalities accounted for more than 35% of the population. Observers note that the armed confrontation between the two sides had reached a peak and was in dire need of mediation. The beginnings of the reconciliation were with the formation of the Normandy Group during the celebrations of the seventieth anniversary of the landing of the Allied forces in French Normandy. The group consisted of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, former French President Francois Hollande, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir

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A handout photo made available by BelTA news agency shows head of Russian delegation, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky (C) speaking to media as other delegation members Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov (L) and Chairman of the Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky (R) attending ahead of Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, at an undisclosed location in the Brest region, Belarus, 02 March 2022. EPA

The “International Legion” is an attempt to lure ISIS and Nusra factions to Ukraine under western auspices.

Civilians attend a military training with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers to fight against the Russian aggression in Ukraine in 2014, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

Putin. The meetings of this group led to the announcement of the commencement of the “Minsk talks” at the invitation of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in February 2015. After a “marathon” of discussions that lasted for more than 16 hours, the concerned parties reached what is called today the “Minsk Accords.” They explicitly stipulate Ukraine’s recognition of a special status for the two “separatist” republics, a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, an amendment to the Ukrainian constitution, including the subsequent recognition of the Russian language and the right to local elections, and the formation of special security authorities before the return of Ukraine’s supervision of the borders of these two “republics” bordering Russia. However, the RADA Council refused to ratify these agreements and former President Poroshenko refrained from implementing them. These factors were the main reasons for the return of military confrontations. Nonetheless, the accords managed to facilitate a partial exchange of prisoners. It is worth mentioning here that current Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy ran in the presidential elections under slogans calling for a peaceful solution to the crisis, including the recognition of all the provisions of the Minsk agreements. He even initiated the “reconciliation” with a large-scale exchange of prisoners. However, it was not long before he disclosed his desire to join the NATO and return to the EU accession talks. Moscow was not aloof from the pressures and persecutions that many Russian-speaking people face, which were a prelude to many efforts aimed at persuading the Ukrainian leadership to implement the Minsk Accords which had been mediated by the German and French. Meetings followed at the level of the leaders of the Normandy Group in Berlin and Paris, in addition to the formation of the so-called Minsk Accords group, which held several meetings in Minsk without making any progress. There are indicators that the failure of these talks and the insistence of the Ukrainian side on joining NATO are at the forefront of the reasons for the messages that President Putin delivered along with his country’s security demands. These include the non-expansion of NATO to the east, and the return to the reality of 1997 before the formation of the “RussiaNATO” council and the before Eastern European and former

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Soviet Union countries started joining NATO. Accordingly, these countries should withdraw their strategic forces, including nuclear ones, from the alliance that they joined as of 1997. In this context, Putin made sure to stress the need to obtain a written response during his contacts with his US counterpart Joe Biden, and in the meetings of the foreign ministers of both countries, Sergey Lavrov and Anthony Blinken. This would prevent any attempt to deceive the Russian side once again, similarly to what happened with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Former NATO Secretary General Manfred Werner, and former US Minister of Foreign Affairs James Baker retracted their promise to Gorbachev which was made in the wake of announcing the Warsaw Pact. The Pact had brought together the former Soviet Union with all the countries of Eastern Europe in 1991 over the commitment not to allow the NATO expand “one inch” beyond its existing borders at the time. Western sources had attempted to deny such promises, which were refuted by the German magazine Der Spiegel over the past few weeks, thanks to the documents it published from that period. It can be noted that the summit of NATO leaders in 2008 in Bucharest after the Georgian-Russian war retracted its decision regarding the annexation of Ukraine and Georgia. The move prepared for the realization of their deferred dreams, foremost of which, as we mentioned above, is “the overthrow of Russian President Putin,” and dismantling Russia in a manner similar to what happened with the former Soviet Union. This is what no one in Russia can accept, except for the opposition factions known for their loyalty to Western liberal ideals. The current reality confirms that Russia has not yet revealed all its cards, although there is much evidence that the more dangerous and more severe actions are yet to come. Hence, all eyes are on the results of the negotiations, with the first round kicking off last Tuesday on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. However, the only result was the announcement of Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, who declared the existence of a “reasonable area of agreement on which we can build.” A second round of talks was also announced, which was held last Wednesday. It is worthwhile to monitor how neighboring countries, including Turkey and Kazakhstan, are actively attempting to reach a mediation that might ease the current confrontation, and implicitly answer the question we posed in this article’s headline.

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NATO vs. Putin

American Academicians Debate the Ukraine War Implications

By Mohammad Ali Salih – Washington As the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its second week, the overwhelming American public opinion, not only opposed the invasion, but, also, criticized President Joe Biden for not providing more support to the Ukrainians. According to a poll by Harvard Center for American Political Studies (CAPS), 62 percent of voters say Putin wouldn›t have invaded Ukraine if Trump were president. 85 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of Democrats answered this way. However, 38 percent of all Americans polled believed that Putin would have invaded Ukraine even if Trump had been president. And according to a poll by CNN, the Americans overwhelmingly, 83 percent, favored increased economic sanctions against Russia and broadly supported further action to end Russia›s invasion of Ukraine. But, most oppose direct US military action. Among university professors, a heated debate has been going on about the historical, military and geo-political implications of the Russian invasion. While most of them, critical of Russia’s dream of the past power

of the Soviet Union, if not of the Russian Empire that reached its zenith during the 18th century, argued that Putin has been appealing to the Russians’ emotions for his own benefits. But, a sizable opinion among historians and political scientists, while not less critical of Putin, argued that the NATO, as it has been expanding to the east after the fall of the Soviet Union, should have considered the Russian historical sphere of influence. Below are excerpts from opinions by two American university professors, from their tweets, websites and statements to the media. On one side, the expanding power of the NATO benefits Putin, said Brett Benson, an associate professor of political science at Vanderbilt University (in Tennessee), and author of a book, “Constructing International Security: Alliances, Deterrence, and Moral Hazard.” On the other side, Putin is but a harsh dictator whose main concern is his own self, said Graeme Robertson, professor of political science at the University of North Carolina, and coauthor, with professor Samuel Greene, of a book, «Putin v. the People: The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia.”

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BRETT BENSON: “THE NATO POWER”

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a working meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 01 March 2022. EPA/ ALEXEI NIKOLSKY / KREMLIN POOL / SPUTNIK

“In analyzing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many commentators have focused the following factors: First, President Vladimir Putin’s hatred of democracy. Second, his desire to show that post-Soviet Russia remains a global power. Third, Russians’ view that Ukraine is historically part of their state. War, however, is not the obvious approach for achieving these goals. What makes war attractive in this case is the fact that one country (Ukraine) has been positioning itself to join an alliance (NATO) which is meant to counter the other country (Russia) … International-affairs scholars know that, throughout history, few moments are riper for war than when the enemy (Ukraine) of one country (Russia) makes a bid to join forces with other adversaries (NATO). Such alliances can utterly transform the balance of power between two countries (Russia and Ukraine) and therefore, when a potential alliance (with NATO) is signaled, the nation that will be put at a disadvantage (Russian) faces a huge incentive to strike. Ukraine’s membership in NATO was hardly imminent, but Russia felt threatened enough by the possibility that it was willing to launch a war to prevent it … Recognizing the dynamic at play is the first step toward understanding the conflict — and recognizing how NATO’s membership process may unintentionally invite this kind of crisis. The relationship between alliance formation — imminent partnerships, especially — and war is a close one: In 1939, Britain made a commitment to defend Poland, but was not able to make good on the pledge right away. Germany attacked Poland before Britain and France could get into position. In 1954, the Chinese communists attacked islands held by the Chinese nationalists in a failed attempt to block an alliance between the United States and Taiwan. In 2008, Russia attacked Georgia after NATO membership for that country was proposed. Perhaps not coincidentally, Georgia is still not a NATO member. Alliances — even “defensive” ones such as NATO — bring about significant power shifts, creating a new strategic landscape … Research suggests that impending alliances are particularly dangerous when certain conditions apply: First, the alliance explicitly or implicitly targets another country. Second, the anticipated power shift from the alliance is large. Third, it takes time, so, opening a window for attack. Fourth, the attack is likely to block the alliance … Ukraine potentially joining NATO checks those boxes. NATO is a military juggernaut, and Ukraine’s situation would be utterly transformed if its 30 members were pledged to defend it. NATO also “targets” Russia, in the sense that its raison d’etre, at

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its founding, was to counter the Soviet Union. In Putin’s mind, war today may lead to a better outcome than negotiating with Ukraine in the future, when it could be backed by the combined strength of NATO countries …”

GRAEME ROBERTSON: “SELFISH PUTIN” “We know what Putin’s domestic political motivations might be. His overriding interest is in maintaining and cultivating his power; that focus often crowds out concerns about the future and his legacy … The archives of Putin’s speeches are littered with grand promises and even good ideas, many of which were abandoned because they threatened his power base. Such as: First, shifting the economy away from natural resources. Second, making the police more accountable to citizens. Third, breaking up powerful monopolies … It turns out that, like most politicians, Putin is willing to sacrifice long-term goals for short-term survival. We know that there are limits to Putin’s ability to manipulate public opinion. While the Kremlin’s TV and online propaganda machines are formidable, they can’t change the way people think and feel about the things that matter to them most — especially the economy. And we know that when Putin does decide to go on an adventure abroad, he tries very hard to minimize the costs to him at home. When possible, this means making his wars short and sweet: First, his five-day invasion of Georgia in 2008. Second, his virtually bloodless annexation of Crimea in 2014. Third, his use of mercenaries (in Syria, Libya and the Central African Republic) … Put these things together, and we have a much clearer view from Putin’s vantage of what might happen in the current showdown. Whatever ambitions Putin may harbor for restoring Russian greatness or reconquering Ukraine, he is not likely to pursue those goals at the expense of his own power … It is true that the annexation of Crimea gave Putin four years of stratospheric approval ratings of over 80 percent, even as the Russian economy tanked. A large-scale invasion of Ukraine, however, would be very different. For more than one reason: First, it would involve massive numbers of regular Russian troops, not a few thousand “little green men,” proxies or mercenaries. And many of those troops would die. Second, it would bring immediate and sweeping sanctions onto an economy that is already struggling to cope with the pandemic and inflation … Putin’s power depends on his popularity. That makes him vulnerable. But would Russian public opinion reward him for such an adventure? …”

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Turkey Attempts a Neutral Stance on Russia and Ukraine

“Ankara Adheres to Montreux Convention and the Closure of Bosphorus and Dardanelles Does Not Target Moscow” – Int’l Relations Expert By Jiwan Soz The Turkish government considered the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24, to be a “war.” As a result, the transit of ships through the two straits was prohibited since the movement of warships as well as civilian and commercial ships, are under its full control. This was expected under the Montreux Convention, in which Ankara has been a major party since agreeing to it with other parties in 1936, namely Britain, France, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Japan, Australia, the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Turkey’s decision to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits leading to the Black Sea came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had a phone call with his American counterpart Anthony Blinken, in which they discussed the developments of the Ukrainian crisis and efforts to organize a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev. The U.S State Department later announced that Blinken expressed his appreciation to Turkey for implementing the Montreux Convention and the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister regarding it. The latter said in a press briefing after the Turkish government meeting earlier this week that “The Montreux Convention gives our country absolute powers to close the straits if it is a party to the war.” “But if Turkey is not a party to the war, it has the power not to allow the ships of the warring countries to cross their straits,” he added explaining that “the Montreux Treaty does not prohibit the transit of warships returning to their bases in the Black Sea.” He also added that; “Turkey has notified all riparian and non-riparian countries of the Black Sea not to send its warships to pass through the Turkish straits,” stressing “Ankara’s commitment to all the provisions of the treaty,” noting that “The Russians were wondering whether we would implement the agreement if necessary or not. We told them we would implement literally all of its provisions.”

Commenting on Turkey’s closure of the two straits linking the Black Sea and the White Sea, a political analyst specializing in international affairs stressed that “Turkey used the term ‘war’ and applied it to the Russian military operation in Ukraine, to determine its position on the issue of ships and warships transiting through its straits.” Aydin Sezer, a Turkish academic and expert in international relations, elaborated to Majalla that: “There is no other explanation for Turkey to consider the Russian military operation in Ukraine as a war than the issue of the Montreux Convention and how its provisions are implemented,” emphasizing that “all international parties to the Montreux Treaty cannot object to closing the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, including Russia.” Here is the full text of Majalla’s telephone interview with Aydin Sezer, the well-known international affairs analyst based in Ankara: - Why did Turkey consider the Russian military operation in Ukraine to be a “war” and not just a military operation or invasion? Ankara has used the description of the war around the Russian military operation in Ukraine, to define or indicate a great tension in the region, which was done to determine its position on the issue of closing the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. In my opinion, there is no other explanation for Ankara’s description as a war for the Russian military operation. - Can Russia object to the closure of these two straits? Russia is a party to the Montreux Convention relating to the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, so it knows all the protocols and procedures related to this treaty, and it is obliged to agree to the implementation of its provisions that gave Turkey the right to control the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, and therefore neither Russia nor any other country can object to the Turkish decision. By the way, Ukraine also became a party to the Montreux Treaty after the fall of the Soviet Union. Therefore, we cannot consider the closure of

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“The Montreux Convention gives Turkey absolute powers to close the straits if it is a party to the war. If Turkey is not a party to the war, it has the power not to allow the ships of the warring countries to cross their straits.”

Aydin Sezer, the Turkish academic and expert in .international relations

these two straits as a Turkish message to Russia. - Do you mean by this that Turkey abides by all of the Montreux clauses? Turkey is trying to implement the terms of the Convention regulating the traffic of trade vessels and steamers in times of peace and war. Ankara has exceptions under the Montreux Convention with regard to the passage of warships. For example, Russian warships located in the Mediterranean can easily pass through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, provided that they are registered in the ports of the Black Sea. This is in accordance with Article 19 of the Convention, which provides for the right of the warring countries to return their ships to their ports on the Black Sea. - Are there other exceptions in transit that Moscow may benefit from? Ankara can approve the passage of ships equipped by humanitarian organizations to provide medical and food aid, etc. There are also other exceptions, for example, if a member state of the United Nations Security Council demands that Turkey reopen the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, this can happen if the member states vote by a majority vote. - This is with regard to the passage of humanitarian aid, what about trade vessels and steamers, will they be stopped? When it comes to trade vessels and steamers it is different. For example, if there is a war and Turkey is not a party to it, then all trade vessels and steamers from different countries of the world can cross through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, but if Turkey is a party to it, it can prevent the passage of trade vessels and steamers belonging to the countries it is fighting against. - Speaking of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, where does Ankara stand?

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From my point of view, Turkey was standing with Ukraine, especially in the past year and before that as well. It has military cooperation agreements with Kyiv, and it was strongly objecting and denouncing foreign interference in Ukraine, which it considered unacceptable according to international law, but since the start of the Russian military operation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been trying to keep his country on the fence. - Can Erdogan maintain this “neutrality”? I believe that the Turkish president is trying to keep Turkey away from the negative frequencies of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, especially in terms of its repercussions on his country’s economy, because the Turkish economy depends heavily on Russian energy sources and Russian investments. In addition, there are many Turkish companies operating in Russia, and therefore it seems that Ankara does not want to escalate with Moscow, because the economic consequences will be great if Turkey abandons its neutrality. - In your opinion, when can Moscow consider that the closure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits is used as a decision against it? For example, let’s suppose that the United States of America or France decided to send their warships towards Russia and tried to pass from the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, and Ankara allowed this. In this case, Russia could consider it as a declaration of war against it, so Turkey should not allow the passage of the warships of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into the Black Sea. This is the only thing that interests Moscow in terms of regulating the traffic and transit of ships and warships between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. * Jiwan Soz is a researcher and journalist who focuses on Syrian and Turkish affairs and minorities in the Middle East. He is also a member of Syndicat National des Journalistes (National Syndicate of Journalists [SNJ]). He tweets at @JiwanSoz1

olitics

Iran- Al-Qaeda Relation: A Marriage of Convenience Despite Divergent Ideological and Strategic Goals, Both Have Identified Tactical or Operational Interests By Jassim Mohamad – Bonn Discussing the relation between al-Qaeda and Iran develops into a conversation about quite a perilous situation. After all, the two conjoin over terrorist operations on an international level in terms of securing safe havens, training, planning, financing, and implementation. The danger lies in Iran’s allowing al-Qaeda to operate train-

ing camps, recruit militants, establish command headquarters to carry out terrorist plots around the world, and obtain access to advanced technologies for operations that serve Iran’s interests. At the end of the day, al-Qaeda continues to be an imminent threat to global security. IRAN HOSTS AL-QAEDA LEADERS Based on the history of Iran’s relation with al-Qaeda after September 11, and on the documents that were

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Captured Afghan al Qaeda members sit on a bench as they are presented to the media in Tora Bora, in this file picture taken December 2001 ,17. REUTERS/ Erik de Castro

found during the raid of Usama bin Laden’s Abbotabad Compound, the cooperation between al-Qaeda and Iran becomes evident. Some analysts, however, have had a contrary viewpoint. When the US forces arrived in Afghanistan, dozens of second-ranking leaders and alQaeda members fled with their families to Iran, where authorities there set up camps. At the same time, the top leaders took shelter in Pakistan. The Abbotabad documents reveal extensive correspondence between Usama bin Laden and Abu Abd al-Rahman Anas al-Subay’i, known by the nom de guerre Abu Anas al-Libi. The latter explained in detail how the Iranians dealt with al-Qaeda leaders and provided their transportation. After Usama bin Laden was killed, the relation between Iran and al-Qaeda under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri has had its ups and downs. The disputes between ISIS and the al-Qaeda branch in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2015 revealed the alliance between the two sides. In one of his audio speeches entitled, “Apologies Emir of al-Qaeda,” former ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani said, “ISIS did not target the ‘rawafed’ in Iran, in compliance with al-Qaeda’s order to preserve its interests and supply lines in Iran... Yes, let it be written in history that Iran owes al-Qaeda a heavy debt!” The most notable al-Qaeda personnel that Iran has hosted include some members of Usama bin Laden’s family. These include one of his wives, his sons Khaled and Saad, and his daughter Iman, in addition to Saif al-Adl, the prominent security commander in al-Qaeda, as well as Abu Muhammad al-Masri, Abu Musab al-Suri, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who were under house arrest for a certain period. Moreover, the assassination of al-Qaeda leader Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah, known as Abu Muhammad al-Masri, and his daughter Maryam in Tehran revealed the depth of this relationship. Although Iran’s tolerance of al-Qaeda might provoke the West, it does not compare to the broad support that Tehran has given to extremist proxy groups in the region.

TRACING BACK THE HISTORY BETWEEN IRAN AND AL-QAEDA The relationship between al-Qaeda and Iran is neither new nor old. It has been documented through a combination of publicly available US intelligence assessments, declassified al-Qaeda documents, statements, and publications. Iran continues to provide great support to alQaeda, which has helped the organization survive and continue. This support becomes very crucial in times of crisis. The roots of the relationship date back to the early 1990s. At the time, al-Qaeda and Iran struck a deal that included al-Qaeda members training with Iranian intel-

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Based on the history of Iran’s relation with al-Qaeda after September 11, and on the documents that were found during the raid of Usama bin Laden’s Abbotabad Compound, the cooperation between al-Qaeda and Iran becomes evident. ligence operatives in Iran and Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. In the mid-1990s, after al-Qaeda moved from Sudan to Afghanistan, Iran provided al-Qaeda operatives with logistical and travel support. As per the 9/11 Commission Report, “Iran facilitated the transit of al-Qaeda members into and out of Afghanistan before 9/11, and … some of these were future 9/11 hijackers.” Immediately after 9/11, Iran offered to open its borders for Arab fighters wanting to travel to Afghanistan. In tandem with Iran’s relationship with al-Qaeda, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards provided practical and financial support to Hezbollah during the Lebanese civil war in the early 1980s. Hezbollah has accordingly grown into an Iranian arm that underwent training, and was equipped with both armaments and an extremist ideology. Al-Qaeda’s relationship with Iran has mitigated the differences between both, perhaps thanks to Hezbollah’s senior operative Imad Mughniyeh. After the meeting between al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in Khartoum, al-Qaeda sent a number of military leaders to Lebanon. It did not only end up with training videos and a propaganda while in Lebanon, but it also received a major shipment of explosives from Iran that the organization has since used against targets in East Africa. During this visit, Zawahiri met with Mughniyeh and later sent members of his movement to train with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Zawahiri managed to pave the way for the relationship between bin Laden and Iranian officials. The result was a cooperation agreement to provide support, even if it meant only training for operations carried out primarily against Israel and the United States. Tehran helped al-Qaeda in many of its activities and operations by providing facilitation, training, and logistical support. This enabled the organization to strengthen the presence of its network in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen, in addition to its activities around the world.

TACTICAL COOPERATION The cooperation between extremist groups and rogue

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governments such as the Iranian government is based on terrorist tactics at the level of terrorist states or organizations. A review of the literature of terrorist cooperation indicates four general types of cooperation in a decreasing order of collaboration: mergers, strategic alliances, tactical cooperation, and transactional cooperation. Cooperation varies according to the following factors: the expected duration of cooperation, the degree of interdependence between the two entities, the diversity of cooperative activities in which groups participate, the ideological affinity, and the level of mutual trust. The cooperation between Iran and al-Qaeda was limited to the logistical and operational fields, yet it did not include ideological cooperation. There is no doubt that

The roots of the relationship date back to the early 1990s when al-Qaeda and Iran struck a deal that included al-Qaeda members training with Iranian intelligence operatives in Iran and Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

Iran and al-Qaeda have maintained two separate and incompatible ideologies, which deems the relationship between them a “pragmatic” one that guarantees mutual friendship and interests. The relationship between Iran and al-Qaeda alternated between periods of focused cooperation. Despite the tensions that rocked the boat at times, it was a relationship that could described as a “long-term marriage or a marriage of convenience.” Despite their divergent ideological and strategic goals at different points in their shared history, both have identified tactical or operational interests that could be enhanced through mutual cooperation and that transcended any ideological reservations about such a cooperation.

HERAT CAMP ON THE IRANIAN BORDERS The city of Herat is situated 150 kilometers from the Iranian border and the province’s capital that has the same name. Throughout the years, Iran has been accused of cooperating with al-Qaeda. During the 10 years of Soviet occupation, more than 1.5 million refugees crossed the western borders of Afghanistan into Iran. The Iranian government took care of those refugees who could sense a cultural and linguistic familiarity, without the need of any help from the international community. These refugee camps later grew to become stable communities highly integrated with the Iranian community. However, in 1996 and 1997, new groups of people started moving to the eastern borders, running away from

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Afghan Taliban militants and villagers celebrate the peace deal and their victory in the Afghan conflict in the Alingar district of Laghman Province on March 2. NOORULLAH SHIRZADA / AFP

Iranian flag flies at halfmast at the country’s embassy in Berlin following the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Photo: Paul Zinken/DPA/AFP.

drought and the ruthless presence of Taliban. Many of these people belonged to the Hazara ethnic minority, highly despised by Taliban because they are Shiite Muslims. The others varied among Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Pashtuns. Iran has taken advantage of the states of poverty and destitution that prevailed in the Herat camps to find new recruits for al-Qaeda as well as mercenaries for its militias in Syria and other countries. The statements of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on January 15, 2021 - which came just a week before President Donald Trump left office - revealed that Iran has become the “new Afghanistan” for al-Qaeda fighters. Pompeo stated publicly for the first time that alQaeda’s No.2 Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah, known as Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was assassinated in Tehran in August 2020. The statement verified that Iran has been providing protection and a safe haven to al-Qaeda leaders.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION APPEASES IRAN An open question remains unanswered: What are the reasons that withhold the USA, the UN, and the Security Council from condemning Iran? The answer could be the policy of turning a blind eye to Iran, or rather the policy of appeasement of Iran, especially during the former Obama administration and the current Biden administration. The Obama administration is still working to reach an agreement with Iran at all costs. The reason may be an “American vision” that wants to see Iran

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The cooperation between Iran and al-Qaeda was limited to the logistical and operational fields, yet it did not include ideological cooperation, as they have maintained two separate and incompatible ideologies. stripped off nuclear weapons, because that poses a threat to international security. What the United States, specifically the US Treasury Department, should do is to put an end to all threats. It should accordingly add Iran and Iranian leaders, especially from the Revolutionary Guards and the Quds Force on the lists of terrorism. Iran’s relationship with al-Qaeda and other similar extremist groups should also be exposed. * Jassim Mohamad is a researcher who focuses on international security & counter-terrorism; his work covers Europe, Middle East (Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran and Yemen), and African Sahel. He is the Head of the European Center for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies ECCI.

ociety

Stuck Amid Ukraine War

Egyptian Students in Ukraine Seek Way Out of Ukraine As Crisis Continues

By Menna A. Farouk About four thousand Egyptian students have found themselves stranded in Ukraine because of the impact of the Russian invasion while the government is scrambling to bring them back home amid harsh conditions. Students from Egypt go to Ukraine annually to continue their university education, especially in medicine and engineering, due to the ease of obtaining entry visas to this country and the low university fees.

A plane took off from Cairo International Airport this week to bring back dozens of students who managed to cross the Ukrainian-Polish borders. But thousands are still either stranded in neighboring countries such as Romania and Poland or stuck in Ukraine where the war is still ongoing. Ahmed Khaled is a 20-year-old engineering student stranded in Kharkiv. He was unable to leave university dorms despite the departure of dozens of foreign students living there, in compliance with the instructions of their country’s embassies.

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“I did not receive any instructions from the embassy. All the friends I know here left and I do not know anyone who can help me,” he told Majalla. A group of other Egyptian students managed to reach Poland, but cannot exit the country as they are left without food and money. “We have been here over the past two days. Some Romanians hosted us and then the embassy provided a shelter for us. But now we are stuck here. We want to return to our family and home,” said Noha Mohamed, a 20-year-old medical student.

Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram during her meeting with some Egyptian students in Ukraine. Photo Credit: The Ministry of Immigration’s official Facebook page

Students from Egypt go to Ukraine annually to continue their university education, especially in medicine and engineering, due to the ease of obtaining entry visas to this country and the low university fees.

Noha and her colleagues left Egypt because she wanted to study medicine at a low-cost university abroad.

as planes fly at low altitudes, with sirens sounding from time to time, in addition to tanks passing through the main streets of the city.”

Several Facebook pages about travel dedicated their content to help Egyptian as well as Arab students in Ukraine return back to their countries.

In a distress call, Mohsen said, “We hope that our government will provide planes to evacuate us due to the seriousness of the situation, or provide safe, land exit routes to nearby European countries.”

TERRIFIED Mohamed Mohsen, a medical student in Kyiv, lives with a number of Egyptian students in the center of Kyiv, only about 3 kilometers from its closed international airport. Amid the sound of sirens blaring, Mohsen said that they all woke up to the sounds of shelling and explosions. “At times, we felt as if we were in the midst of a violent earthquake.” The Egyptian student points out that the Kyiv municipality sends messages from time to time asking residents to immediately resort to shelters in case the sirens sound more than once. He explained: “The capital’s municipality provided maps of all the shelters, where there is a shelter approximately every 200 meters.” Describing the current conditions and atmosphere with the start of the Russian attack, he continues: “We are living in a state of extreme terror

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CONSTANT COMMUNICATION Amr Abbas, assistant to the Minister of the State for Immigration Affairs, said that there is daily communication with the students through the community representative. “The representative follows up all the needs of the students and gives them the necessary instructions and advice to avoid areas where there are military operations,” he told Majalla. Abbas added that since the crisis began, the Ministry of Immigration has opened an operations room and a platform for communication with Egyptian students, which are the hotlines affiliated with the Ministry of Immigration or with the embassies in Ukraine and Romania to receive all complaints, inquiries and give instructions. “All the Egyptian community in Ukraine is fine and there are no deaths so far as a result of the war,” he confirmed.

ociety

Egyptian students seen as they take on an Egyptian plane heading from Romania to Egypt. Photo Credit: The Ministry of Immigration’s official Facebook page

Abbas also said that the government is currently collecting a list of the names of Ukrainian universities, the years of study in them and the examination system, to be sent to the Ministry of Higher Education so that students know their fate upon returning to Egypt. Minister of Immigration and Egyptians Abroad Affairs Nabila Makram confirmed that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is continually updating his directives to take care of the Egyptian student crisis in Ukraine, communicate with them and

“We are living in a state of extreme terror as planes fly at low altitudes, with sirens sounding from time to time, in addition to tanks passing through the main streets of the city.”

provide all possible psychological support and needs. She said: “Egypt presents an honorable image in returning Egyptians from Ukraine.” Other Arab countries are making efforts to evacuate their citizens. Morocco called on its nationals to go to border points with Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Tunisia, which does not have diplomatic representation in Ukraine, plans to send planes to Poland and Romania to bring back any of its 1,700 nationals, eighty percent of whom are students. Libya has identified, according to its embassy, gathering points in Ukraine for its three thousand nationals, to be evacuated to Slovakia. Algeria, which is linked by military agreements with Russia, was an exception, as it did not invite about 1,000 students in Ukraine to leave the country. But the authorities urged them to “exercise extreme caution and not leave their homes except in an emergency.”

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Egyptian students queuing before their flight took off from Romania to Egypt. Photo Credit: The Ministry of Immigration’s official Facebook page

Egyptian students posing for a photo before taking off from Romania heading to Cairo. Photo Credit: The Ministry of Immigration’s official Facebook page

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pinion

Arabs and Israel: A Not So Impossible Peace

By Abdelkader Zaoui

Arabs and Israelis have been accustomed to documenting their conflict based on the wars between them and the assassination operations they have carried out against each other. It seems as if they adopted bloodbaths as their only fate, while ignoring the various efforts throughout the years that have been striving to spare the region any further destruction or bloodshed and to establish the foundations for a sustainable, comprehensive peace that guarantees everyone’s rights. The region has witnessed four far-reaching and destructive wars and several skirmishes that were geographically confined, such as the Stone-Throwing Intifada of 1987 and the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah. Nonetheless, the region has also anchored peace initiatives that varied in terms of goals and political prowess. The sponsors of such initiatives have ranged between international and regional organizations, political and intellectual figures, and civil societies that all share a goal of avoiding the scourge of conflict and laying the foundations for a peaceful coexistence.

tion of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The Jewish state was announced on May 15, 1948, and was called “Israel.” The Arab state, meanwhile, is still nonexistent, but its land area falls under Jordanian sovereignty. These efforts persisted after the first war, resulting in the international mediator, Ralph Bunche, concluding armistice agreements in April 1949 that managed to survive for a few years. However, they later fell apart after the Suez Crisis in 1956, and then the Six-Day War in June 1967.

The hostility between the two parties has grown more deep-rooted. Their intransigent stances posed a threat that thwarted most of the agreements and subverted many initiatives. Nevertheless, the UN efforts did not wane. It continued by sending envoys, issuing resolutions to stop hostilities, containing disputes and attempting to settle them. This is evident in Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967 and Resolution 338 of 1973, both of which stipulate the need to pave the way for a just and lasting peace that guarantees everyone’s security. The resolutions rejected the confiscation of land by force The international community’s efforts and called for intensifying international may be traced back to United Nations mediation to sustain efforts for a peaceResolution 181, which was before the ful and acceptable settlement. first armed conflict between both parties. The resolution called for the parti- The international community was alone 40

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in its efforts. After the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, a moderate Arab rhetoric started to take shape and managed to wear the cape of an official Arab consensus. This was embodied in Fahd Plan announced during the Fez Summit in 1982. This language was validated after the Madrid Conference of 1991 through the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Beirut Summit 2002. Peace initiatives in the Middle East have been advocated not only in such an official manner. Politicians and intellectuals from various nationalities also pushed forward. The most prominent of these was the project of Anthony Eden, former British Prime Minister, who called in 1955 for mutual concessions and sought a compromise between the Arab stance that insisted on retaining the borders as per the partition plan, and the Israeli position that was adamant on the borders of the 1949 Armistice Agreements. Ten years later, in April 1965, there was the proposal of Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, who presented a draft settlement that reflected his outlook on the dimensions of the conflict. Bourguiba proposed the return of Israel to the partition borders and the establishment of a Palestinian state to which refugees from the Green Line areas would return, as an alternative to their return to the areas of 1948. Bourguiba’s proposal was vehemently opposed by the Arab side. However, then Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol initially welcomed it. The latter in turn established a peace project that he showcased in May 1965, stressing the need to hold direct negotiations between his country and the Arab countries that concluded the armistice agreements. His goal was to bypass the interim conditions and turn these agreements into

one of permanent peace that took into account the new territorial conditions with minor modifications. It allows utilizing the advantages of peace such as freedom of movement, trade, and navigation, among others. Despite the good intentions of the various peace endeavors, the proponents paid a heavy inhuman tax marred by blood, defamation, slander, and displacement. Their crime? Believing in the prospect of peace and pursuing it. In this context, the assassination of the international mediator Count Folke Bernadotte by the Stern gang in September 1948 is considered the first blood tax paid by peace supporters. Count Bernadotte’s project had intended to consolidate the establishment of the Hebrew state and to persuade the Arab countries to make peace with it. The assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is deemed the most famous blood tax paid for the sake of peace. Neither Rabin’s Zionist faith nor his military past spared him the assassination in 1995 after he exchanged recognition with the Palestine Liberation Organization and signed the GazaJericho Agreement. Some of the other heavy costs that peace campaigners had to pay also included defamation, displacement, and deprivation of sources of livelihood. This happened to members of the International Alliance for Arab-Israeli Peace, who were courageous enough to issue the Copenhagen Declaration in 1997. It marked the first document that believes that “peace is so important that it was not left to governments only, and that the links among peoples were vital to the success of peace efforts in the region,” which, unless was popularly propagated, would wane. 41

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Despite the good intentions of the various peace endeavors, the proponents paid a heavy inhuman tax marred by blood, defamation, slander, and displacement. Their crime? Believing in the prospect of peace and pursuing it .

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Issue 1894- March- 04/03/2022

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s Winston Churchill

www.majalla.com

nterview

Walid Toufic to Majalla: “I Do Not Use Composing Music for Business”

“Nancy Ajram is One of the Closest Stars to My Heart” By Nour Bohlok - Beirut The Lebanese singer, Walid Toufic, is considered the star of the golden generation with his morals, the majesty of his voice, and his sophistication of his words. He has maintained his stardom and position over forty years of success and made an honorable artistic history for Lebanon and the Arab world. His humility and morals are the most notable and prominent successes throughout these years between art, acting, composing and politics.

A. “Dr. Fel Hob” is one of my most recent songs. It is a popular, lovely, beautiful song. The filming of the song was done by the Lebanese director Jad Shwery. The idea of the work was youthful, somewhat new, and inspired by Western video songs. We applied the idea to combine the song “Dr. Fel Hob” with an old song that was performed in the past, which is the song “Teji Neksem El Qamar,” and it is a remarkable work that I hope will be admired by the audience.

Q. Are you thinking of returning to the cinema? A. I hope to return to cinema, but on one condition, which is to find the topic that suits me and befits the Q. Tell us about your latest work, “Doctor in Love” artistic career I have maintained throughout these (Dr. Fel Hob) and you dealt with director Jad Shw- years. I do not like the commercial offers I got in recent years, and I refuse such offers because my ery? goal in acting is much higher than that, which is to serve Egyptian and Arab cinema in general through the voice, songs, melodies and acting of Walid Toufic, nothing more. The success of my films prevents me from accepting any work that is not worthy of my artistic career Al-Majalla Interviewed the Arab star Walid Toufic.

I hope that Lebanon rises and consolidates its relationship again with the Gulf countries and all countries of the world.

Q. What do you think of Sha’abi songs becoming popular in Lebanon recently?

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This crisis will inevitably lead our youth to leave the homeland or emigrate in search of psychological, material and moral stability in light of these terrible conditions that Lebanese society has been experiencing lately. Baheya” by the late artist Ahmed Adawiya. Q. Why do you think the Syndicate of Artists in Lebanon does not regulate this kind of substandard song?

Lebanese artist Walid Toufic.

A. Sha’abi songs have wonderful resonance with the public and have their listeners and lovers. They are never less important than classical and tarab songs, but the quality of the lyrics should not be vulgar because today’s songs enter every home, and young and old hear them through YouTube and all social networking sites. Therefore, we must pay close attention to the song’s lyrics, and do not forget that we live in an Arab society that has its own traditions, culture and beliefs. The Sha’abi songs in Lebanon recently are considered a type of monologue. Shokoko, Al-Zaani and Al-Jizawi performed this type of song. Sha’abi songs are beautiful and successful, and the audience needs to hear this type of song because it resembles the language of the street and general people. I sang in this genre with “Oyoun

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A. Today, we cannot control any type of song because it is promoted massively and quickly through several channels that are open to the world and channels that offer everything for “money,” unfortunately. It does not matter if the song is bad or not. But now, all we have to do is present beautiful and classy art for the song to live long and eradicate this type of song. There is no doubt that the success of the substandard song, even for a short time, is associated with people’s love for the spirit of humor. People have loved to hear it for a long time, but there was a committee that allowed the promotion of this type of song, but today with open channels and social networking sites, we cannot control the spread of this genre of songs or other styles. Q. What do you think of the decisions taken by the head of the Musician’s Syndicate in Egypt, artist Hani Shaker? A. When the head of the Musician’s Syndicate in Egypt, Hani Shaker, tried to ban this kind of song, most singers traveled to other countries to perform them. Q. Who are the Lebanese stars whose singing you enjoy? A. There are stunning voices on the art scene, including Najwa Karam who has the mountainous

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voice, the queen of sensation Elissa, the golden star Nawal Al Zoghbi who beautifully sings the Egyptian dialect, and the artist Nancy Ajram who is one of the artists who is closest to my heart. I love her style of presenting the sha’abi song and how she delivers it to the audience smoothly and fast. Q. Do you ever think of composing for any star? A. I prefer composing songs for artists who have beautiful voices, such as Sherine Abdel Wahab, Nancy Ajram, Nawal Al Zoghbi and other great singers on the art scene, and I never use composing as a business. Q. You have not released an album in 5 years, what is the reason? A. During the last five years, I released several solo works, including “Alemteni Aaraf Aheb” (Tango Genre), and it had beautiful echoes, followed by the song “Oshak El Sahar,” which is one of the beautiful classic songs, and recently the song “Ya Aleb Haji T3en,” which touched people’s hearts. The last one was produced by Lifestyle Studios, and it is one of the most beautiful songs presented, and reached 3 million views the moment it was posted on social media and YouTube.

We must pay close attention to the song’s lyrics, and do not forget that we live in an Arab society that has its own traditions, culture and beliefs.

Q. What is the difference between stardom before and after social networking sites? A. Before the world opened up to each other in this direct and quick way through social media, stardom was a bit difficult, but it had its own flavor that smelled of success, creativity and effort. It was challenging to interview an artist, watch concerts or get even a picture of him. Today, getting to the star has become very fast, and the spread of his song is more rapid. Everyone is available to everyone quickly, and the artist who was waiting for five or six years to achieve stardom today gets it within several months, or perhaps a year at the most. Q. Why did you leave Lebanon in this critical period? A. I will not leave Lebanon, and I will never think of leaving my country, but I am currently moving between Egypt, Dubai and Lebanon to follow my work. The economic collapse and the political and

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Lebanese artist Walid Toufic.

I prefer composing songs for artists who have beautiful voices, such as Sherine Abdel Wahab, Nancy Ajram, Nawal Al Zoghbi and other great singers on the art scene, and I never use composing as a business.

Lebanese artist Walid Toufic.

economic crises that the country is going through is miserable. Also the boycott by the Gulf States has the most significant impact on the collapse of the tourism sector, which has led more and more to impoverishment of the Lebanon and the collapse of its economy. This crisis will inevitably lead our youth to leave the homeland or emigrate in search of psychological, material and moral stability in light of these terrible conditions that Lebanese society has been experiencing lately.

sess Lebanon’s recently situation, especially in your city Tripoli? A. The situation in Lebanon is very critical. The country faces huge popular unrest, and the political situation is deteriorating day after day. There are no long-term solutions, and the people are exhausted psychologically, waiting and hoping for change. God willing, this change happens after the parliamentary elections. We hope that the politicians will reach solutions soon to save what is left of our homeland.

Lebanese artist Walid Toufic.

As for my beloved, beautiful Tripoli, this city is permanently and frighteningly targeted by the media, highlighting only the “fanatical Islamists” in it, but the truth is entirely different. Tripoli is one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean. I filmed the song “Tripoli Umm Al Nour” in it, and it is available on YouTube. I hope that these crises will pass and everything will be fine soon and this beautiful country rises and consolidates its relationship again with the Gulf countries and all countries of the world.

Q. How do you as-

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ovies

‘The Batman’: Darkness and Loathing in Gotham City It’s the Darkest Dark Knight Yet, as Robert Pattinson Puts on the Batsuit And No One Turns on the Lights By Adam Graham

on a wholesale level.

Unrelentingly and unnecessarily bleak, “The Batman” is the darkest, heaviest big screen Batman yet, the result of years of fan demand that the Dark Knight’s brooding match the weight of our world.

Back in 1997, Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin” was pure cartoon, and it flopped. Fans revolted and let their voices be heard, and that led to the character’s more grounded reinvention in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy of Batman films, and into Ben Affleck’s joyless stint in the Batsuit in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.”

Well, here it is, and it’s no fun whatsoever. That’s by design: director and co-writer Matt Reeves has scaled this Batman to let in as little light as possible, both tonally and aesthetically; this is a movie that exists in the shadows of shadows. That it’s coming out at a time when the world is in a particularly grim state — two years into a global pandemic, war raging overseas — is in keeping with its mood board. This is the world, “The Batman” says, so why should Gotham City be any different? How about escapism, or entertainment? Well you can find that elsewhere, just not in “The Batman,” which is a fairly representative snapshot of the ways these types of movies are constructed today, and the way that internet fan demands have influenced blockbuster filmmaking

“The Batman” goes even moodier, and in its color palate and temperament, its default setting is despair. This is a movie that drops a needle on Nirvana’s anthem of anguish “Something in the Way” not once, but twice. C’mon, even Kurt Cobain had a sense of humor. Robert Pattinson, who played hottie vampire Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” movies before pivoting to a series of esoteric art films, plays Batman/ Bruce Wayne like a guy who throws on “Something in the Way” to listen to while he drinks his morning coffee. His blackout eye makeup doesn’t get wiped off when he takes off his Bat helmet, it stays on, caked around his eyes like a goth teen

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Jeffrey Wright (left) as Lt. James Gordon and Robert Pattinson in “The Batman.” (Warner Bros. Pictures/TNS)

that just discovered the Cure. We’ve always been able to count on Bruce Wayne to be a billionaire playboy when he’s not out busting heads in the streets in his superhero gear, but not this time around. He’s not the smoothest or the savviest player in the room. He’s a disaffected broken soul who’s in pain and can barely muster a smile, and his suits fit like he’s wearing his dad’s clothes. (At least we don’t have to see his parents get killed in an alley, again.) But Bats is the life of the party compared to his foe this time around, the Riddler, who’s no longer a cackling funnyman in a bright green question mark leisure suit but a barking mad serial killer who’s part Zodiac, part Jigsaw. He’s played by Paul Dano, the babyfaced “There Will Be Blood” and “Love & Mercy” star, who showed his nasty side as a vile slave driver in “12 Years a Slave” and as a deeply damaged suspected kidnapper “Prisoners.” Dano pushes things even further here, playing a deranged psychopath in oversized army green

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“The Batman” is the darkest, heaviest big screen Batman yet, the result of years of fan demand that the Dark Knight’s brooding match the weight of our world. coat and a leather mask that looks copped from the Gotham City bondage gear outlet, and he’s disturbing in ways we’re not used to from “Batman” movie villains. And then there’s Catwoman, the leather-clad cat burglar (she signs her checks Selina Kyle) who is on her own mission of revenge in the city. She’s played by Zoe Kravitz as a wild card who doesn’t fit into traditional hero-villain categorization, and her scenes with Pattinson bring “The Batman’s”

ovies

only feelings of electricity, as well as levity. On the periphery are a handful of familiar side characters: Jeffrey Wright is typically strong playing James Gordon, a lieutenant with the Gotham Police force who has yet to make commissioner; Andy Serkis is Alfred Pennyworth, Wayne’s butler and confidant, more youthful than we’re used to in some incarnations of the character; and Colin Farrell is Penguin, in a role that is as underrealized as Farrell is unrecognizable underneath his fat suit and layers of makeup. Along with crime lord Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Gotham district attorney Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard), they’re all players in a drug and corruption yarn that only unfolds during

Director and co-writer Matt Reeves has scaled this Batman to let in as little light as possible, both tonally and aesthetically; this is a movie that exists in the shadows of shadows.

nighttime hours. If there’s a Gotham City neighborhood bagel shop that does a good mid-morning walk-up business, we certainly don’t see it in “The Batman.” Reeves, who made his name with the mysterious monster film “Cloverfield” and also helmed the last two “Planet of the Apes” movies, has a wide net in which to work and decades of mythology to play with. He downplays the cool side of the Batman character — the cars, the gadgets — and leans into the gloom: scenes unfold in near total darkness, the occasional high red or burnt orange cutting through the black. The film’s themes are just as dark as its visuals: Wayne is investigating troublesome truths within his own family legacy, Kyle is on her own mission of harrowing self-discovery, and crime and murder blot the city (both are up, of course, we’re told in an early news report). And that’s not even counting the Riddler, who is leading an army of copycats and detailing horrific how-tos in plotting mass murder. Fun stuff! Comic fans will argue this is the “Batman” that most closely matches the soul and spirit of the Batman character and what he represents:

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Robert Pattinson (left) is the Dark Knight, and Zoe Kravitz is Catwoman in “The Batman.” (Sony Pictures/TNS)

Producer Dylan Clark, cast members Andy Serkis, Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano and Jeffrey Wright, and director Matt Reeves arrive at the London launch of ‘The Batman’, in London, Britain, February 2022 ,23. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson

he is vengeance, as we’re reminded many times throughout the film. But in catering to that mindset, “The Batman” alienates crowds who don’t read the comics, who just want to enjoy the latest installment of a long-running, immensely popular superhero franchise. It’s tough to have it both ways, and Reeves doesn’t even try. This one’s for the hardcore fans. Don’t like it? Go watch a Marvel movie. But even within a similar framework, 2019’s “Joker” was able to evoke more humanity from and more sympathy for its lead character. It existed in a world that was more recognizable to our own, and struck a chord with audiences who were familiar with the character but were open to a darker take on the material. It worked because on a base level it told a relatable story of an outcast pushed to, and beyond, his breaking point. “The Batman” is a layer removed from that world, and at three hours, it’s certainly a lot of time to spend in the darkness and the rain. (That heaviness is felt, especially in the cumbersome third hour.) It’s tough to see where we go from here, or how the pendulum swings back toward the light, but if the Batman movies are in any way meant to reflect our times — honest question: are they? —

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Comic fans will argue this is the “Batman” that most closely matches the soul and spirit of the Batman character and what he represents: he is vengeance, as we’re reminded many times throughout the film. “The Batman” certainly mirrors the dismal state of the world today. Any breaks from that dreariness will have to come at a different bat time on a different bat channel. This review was originally published by The Detroit News.

‘THE BATMAN’

Grade: C MPAA rating: PG-13 (for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material) Running time: 2:56 Where to watch: In theaters Friday

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The Ramifications of the Russian Attack on Ukraine Reach Sport Athletes Condemn Moscow›s Actions and Call for Peace and an End to War

By Sarah Gamal Russia›s hosting of the 2018 World Cup and before the Sochi Olympics in 2014, as well as gas giant Gazprom›s sponsorship of the European Football Association, represented soft tools to improve Russia›s image globally and increase Putin›s popularity internally, but the invasion of Ukraine changed everything! Since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine, Russian sport has faced a major crisis, both in terms of organizing major sporting events and participating in various competitions. From last Friday evening

to this day, Russian sport is facing a new blow every day because of the war.

FIFA AND UEFA EXCLUDE RUSSIA’S NATIONAL TEAMS AND CLUBS UNTIL FUR-THER NOTICE

Both the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) decided in a joint statement on Monday to suspend the Russian national team and clubs from all international competitions until further notice

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St Petersburg is set to be stripped of this season’s Champions League final as early as Friday (Via EPA).

due to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine”, statement says. Russia was scheduled to host Poland in the World Cup qualifiers on March 24, and if the suspension continues until this date, it will not be able to reach the finals in Qatar in November. Meanwhile, the Polish Football Association announced that it would refuse to play against Russia, and the Czech Republic and Sweden had ruled out facing Russia in the same playoff. The decision means the cancellation of the match between Spartak Moscow and RasenBallsport Leipzig in the round of 16 in the European League, so that the German team qualified for the quarter-finals. The Russian Football Federation said in a statement that it «completely opposed» the decision of FIFA and UEFA, noting that it contradicted the «spirit of sport». «The decision is clearly discriminatory and harms a huge number of athletes, coaches, club and team officials, and most importantly millions of Russians and foreign fans, whose interests must be protected by international sports institu-tions in the first place,» it added. Earlier, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recom-mended international sports federations to ban athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus from participating in the competitions. FIFA faced criticism on Sunday after a statement suggested Russia could continue to play on neutral territory and under the name «Russian Football Federation». However, FIFA warned Russia against exclusion from the competitions if the situation in Ukraine did not improve. UEFA also canceled its partnership with the Russian gas company Gazprom in all competitions with immediate effect, and the partnership began since 2012 and in-cluded sponsoring the European Champions League, European club competitions and the European Championship 2024. The value of sponsorship was estimated at 40 million euros per season. In a related context, the European Basketball League decided to ban Russian clubs; they are CSKA Moscow, Zenit and Kazan, who will participate in the tourna-ment this season.

RUSSIA STRIPPED OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

In the same regard, soccer’s European governing body, UEFA, announced last Fri-day that its Champions League final would no longer be held in St. Petersburg. “UEFA strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine,” UEFA said in a statement as President Aleksander Ceferin stripped the -68,000capacity Gazprom Arena of the showpiece event. “UEFA” decided to move the final of the current version of the European Champions

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Russian sports stars were not shy about expressing their concern over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Denouncing voices rose from Andy Rublev, crowned in the Dubai Tennis Tournament, football professional Fyodor Smolov, ice hockey professional Alex Ovechkin and cyclist Pavel Sivakov. League, scheduled for May 28, from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg to the French capital, Paris.

DROPING GAZPROM FROM SHIRT SPONSORSHIP

On the other hand, the German club Schalke 04 announced, in light of the recent events and escalations, that the name and logo of its main sponsor, the leading Russian oil company “Gazprom”, have been removed from the main shirt sponsor-ship position after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “In light of the events, developments and escalation of the past days, FC Schalke 04 has decided to remove the logo of the main sponsor, Gazprom, from the shirts,” said Schalke in a statement.

TERMANATION OF A SPONSORSHIP CONTRACT WITH A RUSSIAN COMPANY

Manchester United also terminated its sponsorship deal with Russia’s national air-line, Aeroflot, which the British government had already banned from U.K. airports as part of a raft of sanctions. The English club issued a brief statement announcing the termination of the contract with the Russian company, saying, “In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights,” the club said in a statement. “We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected” And press reports revealed earlier that the Manchester United club is considering contracting with Qatar Airways as part of the English club’s plan to contract with a new carrier for the team to succeed the Russian carrier. The English newspaper, «Daily Star», said that the management of Manchester United club is ready to end a sponsorship deal worth 40 million pounds after Russia

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declared war on Ukraine, and not renew the deal. SOLIDARITY AND A REFUSAL TO WAR Formula One canceled the Russian Grand Prix. Athletes also have responded, in-cluding the NBA’s two Ukrainian players, Alex Len and Svi Mykhailiuk, who issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s attacks. In addition, the Ukrainian national fencing team announced on Sunday its with-drawal against its Russian counterpart in the 8th round of the team competitions within the World Cup, which is currently being held in the indoor hall complex at Cairo International Stadium, against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Also, the International Swimming Federation canceled the World Junior Champion-ships, which was scheduled to be held in the Russian city of Kazan in August. «The FINA will not organize any future tournaments in Russia if this crisis continues,» the statement said on Sunday (February 27). And on Friday, the same federation canceled a World Water Polo League match in St. Petersburg next month, as well as a synchronized swimming and diving tournament in Kazan, which was scheduled for April. On the other hand, Russian sports stars were not shy about expressing their con-cern over Putin›s invasion of Ukraine. Denouncing voices rose from “Andy Rublev”, crowned Sunday in the Dubai Tennis Tournament, international football player Fyodor Smolov, US professional ice hockey star Alex Ovechkin and cyclist Pavel Si-vakov. With Russian clubs banned from participating in European championships, some players rejected the ongoing war, as Barcelona and Napoli players displayed a banner that read ‹STOP WAR› before their Europa League match that brought them together at Diego Armando Maradona stadium in reaction to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

In the same tournament, the Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovsky, the Italian midfielder, Atalanta, celebrated one of his goals against Olympiacos of Greece, revealing a message on his inner shirt, saying, «No to war in Ukraine.» This was after his compatriot Roman Yarimchuk scored a 2-2 draw for his Portu-guese team, Benfica, against its guest, Ajax Amsterdam, in the first leg of the 16th round of the European Champions League, before taking off his shirt and revealing the logo of the Ukrainian Football Association “The Three Spear”, which is a na-tional

Both the FIFA and the UEFA decided in a joint statement on Monday to suspend the Russian national team and clubs from all international competitions until further notice due to the RussianUkrainian crisis. 54

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Barcelona and Napoli players stood in front of a ‹Stop War› banner before their match on Thursday after Russia›s invasion of Ukraine (Via Reuters).

Russia against it. Ukrainian flags appeared in large numbers among the fans in the stands, and the electronic board at Wembley Stadium contained the flag of Ukraine with the phrase «Football stands with you.» In addition, the players of the two teams stood to pay a special greeting to the Ukrainian people, before the start of the match, due to the difficult conditions they are experiencing. Several Ukrainian men who found fame and fortune in boxing have called for peace, even as they have taken up arms. Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning heavyweight champion and a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, and Vasiliy Lomachenko, a former world champion and twotime Olympic gold medalist, joined a territorial defense battalion in Ukraine. On Instagram, Lomachenko pleaded for peace, writing, “A prayer for the peace of the whole world and the enlightenment of the peoples of the earth.”

CHELSEA FC’S RUSSIAN MULTIBILLIONAIRE

symbol in his country for more than 100 years, in order to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, in the English Premier League players, managers, and fans have per-mission to protest the Russian invasion by waving the blue and yellow banners (Ukraine flags), wearing shirts calling for peace, and offering unwavering messag-es of support at their matches in the weekend. Wembley Stadium, which hosted Chelsea›s match against Liverpool, on Sunday, witnessed also a demonstration in support of Ukraine, and the Cup final turned in-to a case of full support for Ukraine because of the war waged by

In the same context, Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, the multi-billionaire and a celebrity football tycoon, has decided to hand over control of Chelsea Football Club to trustees of its charitable foundation hinted that the -55year-old oli-garch fears his substantial assets in Britain are about to be frozen. Abramovich was one of the businessmen working in the shadows following Russia›s collapse in the 1990s, seizing control of lucrative assets once held by the Soviet state, at bar-gain prices. JUDO In addition, the International Judo Federation stripped Putin’s status as honorary president and ambassador. Former pro boxers and Ukraine natives Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko received praise for vowing to fight and defend the country from Russian invasion. Vitali Klitschko is also the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, which has so far repelled Russian attacks. “This is a moment in society where we understand things like life and death are more important than sports,” said Hill, adding that it’s “profoundly important” for sports organizations to “say and do the right things.”

TENNIS

The Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina, announced that she will donate the prize money she gets from the WTA tournaments to the Ukrainian army and to help in humanitarian efforts after the Russian invasion of her country. The world number 15 told Eurosport that her family and friends in Ukraine are de-fending the country and that she wants to help, explaining: «Really, until the last moment, we did not think that this war would actually start, and then everything happened in one night. Everyone is terrified.»

Ukrainian attacker Ruslan Malinovsky held up a ‹No War In Ukraine› shirt after scoring for Atlanta at Olympiacos on Thursday night (Via EPA).

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ealth

Top Ways to Reduce Daily Stress

Ward off Health Risks Posed by Frequent Stress by Following These Tips

By Heidi Godman Try these tips to ward off ongoing stress and its many health risks, such as chronic inflammation

and chronic disease. Do you handle stress as well as you used to? For most folks, it gets harder as the years go by-and that’s a potential problem for health. Stress

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lifetime of wear and tear (and perhaps unhealthy habits, such as a poor diet or not exercising).

WHY IS STRESS BAD FOR US? We need the body’s stress (“fight or flight”) response to get us through tough times. When you sense a threat or danger, your body rises to the challenge by releasing stress hormones, tightening your muscles, making your blood pressure rise and your heart and lungs work harder, and releasing a surge of fat and sugar to give you energy. When danger subsides, your body goes back to normal operations. If you get stressed out frequently, however, the stress response can become constant and cause ongoing harm, including chronic inflammation-the persistent activation of the immune system, which sharply raises the risks for many diseases such as dementia, heart disease, and stroke.

FIGHTING STRESS

Try an imagery exercise, “Imagine being in your favorite vacation place, maybe the beach or in nature”. Photo by Keegan Houser on Unsplash

The best way to cope with stress is by getting at least seven hours of sleep per day, eating a predominantly plant-based diet, exercising regularly, meditating, and staying socially connected. “If you’re practicing all these healthy habits, it helps you become more resilient and better able to adapt to life’s challenging situations,” says Dr. Shalu Ramchandani, an integrative medicine specialist at the Harvardaffiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Something else that helps: quelling the body’s stress response whenever you feel triggered. Try any of these tips for on-the-spot relief. Do a relaxation exercise. The relaxation response-the opposite of the stress response--was defined by Harvard Medical School professor Herbert Benson. It slows your breathing, reduces your heart rate, and lowers your stress hormones. To elicit this state, Dr. Ramchandani recommends a basic breathing exercise, such as taking 10 very slow breaths in and out. Or try an imagery exercise: “Imagine being in your favorite vacation place, maybe the beach or in nature,” Dr. Ramchandani suggests. “Imagine all the sensations you’d experience there, such as the sight and sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean, and the breeze

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The best way to cope with stress is by getting at least seven hours of sleep per day, eating a predominantly plant-based diet, exercising regularly, meditating, and staying socially connected. brushing against your skin. Hold this image for a few minutes and notice the relaxing effect.” Stretch your muscles. Your muscles tense up under stress. Relieve that tension by stretching. “While sitting or standing, inhale, raise your arms overhead, lace your fingers together, stretch, release your fingers, and exhale as you lower your arms to each side. Repeat three times,” Dr. Ramchandani says. Take a mindfulness break. Being mindful helps elicit the relaxation response by bringing you to the present moment; it can break a cycle of stressful thoughts. It’s like a real-time imagery exercise: you note all of your senses as you do something soothing. “It could be having a cup of tea and noticing its warmth in your hands, the scent of the tea, and the way it feels going down your throat,” Dr. Ramchandani says, “Or it could be taking a mindful shower or a leisurely and mindful walk through nature.” Take a brisk walk. Getting 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, is important for all aspects of health, including stress management. But even a quick -10minute walk when you’re feeling triggered can help “burn off” stress hormones, counter muscle tension, and release the body’s feel-good chemicals, which promote relaxation. If arthritis or another condition make walking difficult, ask your doctor about other aerobic exercises you may be able to do. Use laughter. “Laughter has been referred to as ‘internal jogging’ by Dr. William Fry, and may provide a source of healing. It reduces stress hormones and becomes an expression of joy, optimism, and hope,” Dr. Ramchandani says. “Watch a movie or TV show that makes you laugh, maybe your favorite episode of ‘I Love

ealth

Lucy.’” Reduce loud noise in your environment. “Loud noise triggers the stress response,” Dr. Ramchandani notes. “It makes it hard to think and takes you away from being mindful. If loud noise is unavoidable--perhaps because it comes from neighbors, traffic, or someone in your home or office--try wearing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.” Play soothing music. Unlike loud noise, pleasing music can help elicit the relaxation response. “Music therapy can be very powerful for healing, and it is used in medical settings for everything from cancer treatment to recovering from COVID19-,” Dr. Ramchandani says. “But you need to be present and engaged in the sounds you’re hearing. If your mind is wandering to a stressful place, music won’t help.” Counter negative thoughts. Positive thoughts help boost positive emotions. “Find three positive things for one negative or stressful thought,” Dr. Ramchandani suggests. “Count your blessings, such as a safe place to live, a nice meal, and heat for your home during cold weather,” she says. Use positive self-talk. “When you’re self-critical, that automatically activates the stress response. If you give yourself praise and support, it helps reduce stress.” Dr. Ramchandani says. Words to use: “You can do this. You’re smart and strong and you’ve done bigger things before. Even if

If you get stressed out frequently, the stress response can become constant and cause ongoing harm, including chronic inflammation--the persistent activation of the immune system, which sharply raises the risks for many diseases.

things don’t go your way, you’re doing the best you can.” Ask if it’s really worth it. Try to put things in perspective by asking if the cause of your stress will matter a year from now, or if it’s worth the health problems that stress can cause. “As soon as you realize that something may not be as important as you thought, it buffers stress,” Dr. Ramchandani says. Reach out for help. We all want to be independent, but it’s okay to ask a friend or family member to simply listen to your concerns or to help you with activities, such as getting groceries, mowing the lawn, or lifting something heavy. Relieving a burden--either physical or mental--will help reduce stress. Another resource is the Harvard Special Health Report Stress Management (www.health.harvard. edu/sc). This article is originally published by Harvard Health Letter.

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We need the body’s stress (“fight or flight”) response to get us through tough times. Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s Winston Churchill

By Majalla Illustration by Jeannette Khouri

Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first appearance as head of state as an actor on Ukrainian television, in a comedy series popular in the country. But soon acting be-came a reality. In 2019, Zelenskyy was already elected president. Today, he leads a country as a wartime leader of 44 million people who are is facing a Russian mili-tary invasion. In 2015, Zelenskyy became the star of the television series Servant of the People, where he played the role of the president of Ukraine. In the series, Zelenskyy’s character was a high school history teacher in his 30s who won the presidential election after a viral video showed him ranting against government corruption in Ukraine. It was a fairy tale that captured the imagination of Ukrainians who were fed up with politics. “Servant of the People” became the name of the political party he founded and used to publicize his political approach, which was calling for the purification of po-litical life of corruption and the establishment of peace in the eastern regions of the country. Now, the buildup of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border and its invasion of the country have put this inexperienced president at the center of an international cri-sis on a par with the Cold War between the West and the Soviet bloc. President Zelenskyy, 44, had to take a cautious stance, galvanizing support for his country’s cause on the one hand and asking the West to avoid panicking and trying to placate its citizens on the other. The path Zelenskyy took to the presidency was by no means a familiar one. Vo-lodymyr Zelenskyy was born to Jewish parents on 25 January 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. His father, Oleksandr Zelenskyy, is a professor and the head of the Department of Cybernetics and Computing Hard-ware at the Kryvyi Rih

State University of Economics and Technology. His grandfa-ther, Semyon (Simon) Ivanovych Zelenskyy, served in the Red Army (57th Guards Motor Rifle Division) during World War II. In his youth, Zelenskyy was a regular participant in a competitive humor program that was broadcast on Russian television. In 2003, he co-founded a successful tel-evision production team called Kvartal 95. This team produced programs for the Ukrainian 1+1 TV Channel, whose billionaire owner Igor Kolomoisky later support-ed Zelenskyy’s campaign to win the presidency. Politics was not Zelenskyy’s primary interest until the mid-2000s, before which he focused mostly on his television and film work in films such as Love in the Big City (2009) and Ravsky vs. Napoleon (2012). The turbulent events of 2014 were the scene of Zelenskyy’s sudden entry into poli-tics, following the ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, after months of “protests.” After that, Russia annexed Crimea and began providing support to the separatists in eastern Ukraine in a war that has escalated dangerously in recent days. One year later, in October of 2015, the first episode of the series “Servant of the Peo-ple” was shown on the TV Channel 1+1. In the series, Zelenskyy played Vasily Gol-oborodko, whose rapid rise to the top was similar to that of Zelenskyy in the fu-ture. In 2019, Zelenskyy defeated then-President Petro Poroshenko, who sought to por-tray his opponent as a political novice — though voters saw this as Zelenskyy’s laudable trait. Zelenskyy was elected by a large majority of 73.2 percent and was sworn in as President of Ukraine on May 20, 2019. Zelenskyy tried to fulfill his promise to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has left at least 14,000 people dead. He tried the path of compromise at first, as negotiations took place with Russia, an ex-change of prisoners,

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and attempts to implement the terms of the Minsk Peace Agreement. But these attempts were not followed up seriously. To the ire of the Russian president, Zelenskyy sought a more assertive effort to bring Ukraine into the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was not easy for Zelenskyy to portray himself as a statesman, and his critics fre-quently pointed out his lack of political experience. But he was distinguished by the reassuring tone of his speech before the Russian invasion, despite Western warn-ings of its imminence. Zelenskyy also struggled to make good on another of his election promises: to counter the huge political and economic clout of the very wealthy Ukrainians. Zelenskyy has had his share of scandals. In October 2021, his name appeared in the Pandora Papers - the massive leak of documents exposing the hidden fortunes of many of the world’s leaders and rich elites. The documents revealed that Zelenskyy and those close to him control a network of companies established in tax havens. But Zelenskyy said that the documents were not new, and he denied that he or any of his company members - Kvartal 95- were involved in money laundering. In the early hours of 26 February, during the most significant assault by Russian troops on the capital of Kyiv, the United States government urged Zelenskyy to evacuate to a safer location, and said it stood ready to assist him in such an effort. Zelenskyy turned down the offer and opted to remain in Kyiv with its defense forc-es, saying that “the fight is here [in Kyiv]; I need ammunition, not a ride.” Zelenskyy gained worldwide recognition as the wartime leader of Ukraine during the Russian invasion; historian Andrew Roberts compared him to Winston Church-ill, and he has been described as a national hero in Ukraine. He contributed to the renewed popularity of the salute Slava Ukraini as a symbol of resistance.

pinion

Did NATO Cause the War? If one read the political analysis circling before the invasion, it would seem that the war was never going to occur, yet the unforeseen happened. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is considered one of the major war crimes of the 21st century, alongside the US invasion of Iraq. In this article, I’ll not be discussing the status of the war, whether sanctions are strong enough or can Russian financial system survive. However, I’ll be talking about the political and military alliance known as NATO, as its expansion and inclusion of eastern Europe is seen as the primary cause of the war.

By Saif Al-Abri

NATO claims it was intervening against brutal power systems, yet US, British and NATO forces killed the same amount of civilians and in some countries killed greater amounts than such brutal systems.

The western narrative sees Putin as this guy caught up in paranoia, acting alone and detached from reality. This claim might bear some truths, but there might be a better explanation to such invasion. As best articulated by Jack Matlock a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, “Since Putin’s major demand is an assurance that NATO will take no further members, and specifically not Ukraine or Georgia, obviously there would have been no basis for the present crisis if there had been no expansion of the alliance following the end of the Cold War, or if the expansion had occurred in harmony with building a security structure in Europe that included Russia.” And goes on to conclude it “can be easily resolved by the application of common sense…. By any common-sense standard, it is in the interest of the United States to promote peace, not conflict. To try to detach Ukraine from Russian influence — the avowed aim of those who agitated for the ‘color revolutions’ — was a fool’s errand and a dangerous one. Have we so soon forgotten the lesson of the Cuban Missile Crisis?”. So, what is this NATO which we keep hearing about, and what’s its relation with Russia to provoke it to such extremes. Starting with the prior, their purpose is

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“to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means” which was created to protect western countries from Russia, however one would’ve expected it to have dismantled after the end of the Cold War. Yet it expanded, and this was right after George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev made a verbal agreement that NATO would not expand an inch into eastern Europe in exchange allowing Germany to unite and join a hostile western force, a major concession. As NATO documents show nowadays it thinks of itself as also responsible for the safety of the entire global energy system. Bypassing the rhetoric as pointed by Noam Chomsky and generally known it’s a US-Dominated Military aggressive alliance. This is seen from interventions in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen – where countless civilians died – whereby their purpose was mainly to secure geopolitical assets rather than protect their member’s freedom and security. NATO claims it was intervening against brutal power systems, yet in the article mentioned below, US, British and NATO forces killed the same amount of civilians and in some countries killed greater amounts than such brutal systems. If not yet convinced I would direct you to an article titled “If there were global justice, NATO would be in the dock over Libya” by Seumas Milne. As such when one is presented with the true nature of NATO, you realize that any Russian leader would’ve reacted aggressively. This could’ve been ignored as mentioned by Jack Matlock “by the application of common sense”. However brutal and barbaric modern power systems do not operate in such way. The implications and consequence of such invasion is very hard to predict, if worse comes to worse nuclear weaponry can become involved