Top Ukraine buttons online solidarity store? It is dubbed a “special military operation” by the Kremlin, but Russians’ opposition to the war in Ukraine is showing through, according to an intelligence update from Britain’s Defense Ministry on Friday. Speaking out against Russia’s invasion is being criminalized, the ministry noted, adding that the war “has accelerated the state’s long-term trajectory towards authoritarianism” and that Russia’s parliament has moved to introduce 20-year jail terms for Russians who fight or take up arms against the nation. But among everyday Russians, the mood is changing, the ministry said. “Despite the majority of Russians telling pollsters they support the ‘special military operation’, elements of the population both actively and passively demonstrate their opposition,” it said. “Some high profile Russian officials have highly likely been side-lined after criticizing the war.” It said skepticism was “particularly strong” among Russia’s business elite, with migration applications indicating that some 15,000 Russian millionaires “are likely already attempting to leave the country.” Motivations for such an exodus include “personal opposition to the invasion and an intent to escape the financial impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia,” the ministry added. See additional Ukraine relief info at Ukraine Caps.
May 2014: The pro-West politician Petro Poroshenko, a former government minister and head of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine, is elected Ukraine’s president. He promotes reform, including measures to address corruption and lessen Ukraine’s dependence on Russia for energy and financial support. Sept. 5, 2014: Representatives from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany meet in Belarus to attempt to negotiate an end to the violence in the Donbas. They sign the first Minsk agreement, a deal between Ukraine and Russia to quiet the violence under a fragile cease-fire. The cease-fire soon breaks, and fighting continues into the new year. Ukrainian troops train with small arms on March 13, 2015, outside Mariupol, Ukraine. The Minsk II cease-fire agreement, which continued to hold despite being violated more than 1,000 times, was nearing the one-month mark.
March 26: During a visit to US troops in Poland, Biden appears to suggest regime change in Moscow. “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden says of Putin. Biden backpedals on the remark the following day. March 29: Russian and Ukrainian negotiators meet in Istanbul. Ukraine puts forward a detailed proposal of neutrality. April 1: An Al Jazeera report reveals that Russia is using proxy groups in Syria to recruit fighters for Ukraine. April 2: As Russian troops withdraw from Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv, dozens of corpses in civilian clothes are found on the streets.
Ukrainian prosecutors open criminal investigations into Tymoshenko, alleging corruption and misuse of government resources. In October, a court finds her guilty of “abuse of power” during the 2009 negotiations with Russia over the gas crisis and sentences her to seven years in prison, prompting concerns in the West that Ukrainian leaders are persecuting political opponents. Anti-government protesters guard the perimeter of Independence Square, known as Maidan, in Kyiv on Feb. 19, 2014. Protesters were calling for the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych over corruption and an abandoned trade agreement with the European Union.
March 9: Russian air strikes target a maternity hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol. March 10: The US Congress approves $13.6bn in spending for Ukraine. March 11: The EU issues the Versailles Declaration, calling on member states to strengthen defence spending, investment, research and co-ordination. The US leads a new round of sanctions against Russia backed by the Group of Seven (G7) bloc of nations. March 16: Hundreds die when Russian troops bomb the Mariupol theatre, as civilians shelter inside. Fighting reaches the city centre. See even more Ukraine unity info on Ukraine Buttons.
