Tag archieven: Putin

People fleeing the war in Ukraine walk towards a train which will take them to Berlin from Karkow, Poland, on March 15. Of the roughly 3 million refugees forced to leave Ukraine, more than half have crossed into neighbouring Poland. Photo: TNShttps://www.astridessed.nl/published-in-the-south-china-morning-post-eu-welcoming-of-ukrainian-refugees-in-stark-contrast-with-those-from-middle-east/

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POSTLETTERS: EU WELCOMING OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN STARK CONTRAST WITH TREATMENT OF THOSE FROM

MIDDLE EAST

ASTRID ESSED

17 MARCH 2022
https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3170656/eu-welcoming-ukrainian-refugees-stark-contrast-treatment-those

Like most people who respect international law, I condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The UN General Assembly, the US and European Union are also right to condemn the invasion. However, the EU’s hypocrisy over the tragedy also stands out.

First, its sanctions against Russia go too far. They are causing ordinary people in Russia, who have nothing to do with Vladimir Putin’s war policies, to suffer. Such collective punishment is not fair.

Even more dangerous is the fact that the EU and individual European countries are sending all sorts of military weaponry to Ukraine. This is provoking Russia and risks setting off a bigger war.

Putin’s reaction to EU sanctions has been to put his nuclear forces on high alert. This is no joke. He may also decide to turn off the gas tap to Europe, with disastrous consequences. The EU should stop putting peace at risk with such cowboy-like behaviour.

European countries have expressed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people. But while they are rightly doing everything they can to help Ukrainian refugees, what about the Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian refugees who were trapped last year between the borders of Belarus and Poland, brutally pushed back by Polish border guards and abandoned to die in the winter cold?

The EU supported Poland in “defending” its borders. The same Poland that welcomes Ukrainian refugees is at this very moment building a wall to prevent refugees from the Middle East from entering. This is inhumane and also contrary to international law.

It’s very good that the EU is condemning the Russian invasion in Ukraine, but European countries must also stop provoking Russia by sending weaponry to Ukraine and start treating refugees from the Middle East as humanely as they do the Ukrainian refugees.

Astrid Essed, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN AND UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT ZELENSKY

DOUBLE STANDARDS

UKRAIANIAN REFUGEES ARE WELCOME AND REFUGEES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST ARE PUSHBACKED

BY POLISH BORDER GUARDS

CARTOON ABOVE FROM SEM JANSSEN

THE RUSSIAN INVASION IN UKRAINE, PUTIN, WARCRIMES AND

THE EU HYPOCRISY

READERS!

Underlying  my Letter to the Editor about the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

As you know, I sent a similar Letter to the Editor to  several European [includingRussian newspapers!] and international newspapers before. [1]

Now you’ll read my adapted [to new actualities] Letter to the Editor, which I sent to several African, Chinese, Indian and other newspapers.

ENJOY!

ASTRID ESSED

[1]

SENT BEFORE:

THE RUSSIAN INVASION IN UKRAINE/PUTIN AND THE

EU HYPOCRISY

ASTRID ESSED

NEW VERSION

THE RUSSIAN INVASION IN UKRAINE/PUTIN, WARCRIMES AND

THE EU HYPOCRISYLETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

As most people, who have a fundamental respect for International Law,I condemn the Russian attack on the Ukraine as a violationof the sovereignty.Therefore international condemnations, like those of the United NationsGeneral Assembly, the USA and the European Union, are the right thing to do.The Russian army also bombed with internationally forbidden clustermunitions,which by the way the US and Great Britian also did in Iraq and Afghanistan.In both cases-The Russian and the USA-it costed civilian deaths, which makes it a warcrime.
However there are more sides on this case, among else the EU hypocrisy regarding the Ukrainian tragedy.But firstly the EU economic sanctions against Russia::They go too far, sincethe common Russian man and woman, who have nothing to do withPutin’s war policies, are suffering from them.That’s close to a collective punishment and not fair at all!Even more dangerous is the fact, that different EU countries are sendingall sort of military weaponry to the Ukraine, since it is provoking Russia and brings a major war closer and closer.Very irresponsible, because Putin’s first reaction on those EU sanctions-to order his nuclear forces on high alert-is no joke.

He also can decide to turn off the gas tap to Europe, with desastrousconsequences.

Therefore EU should stop putting peace at risk by such cowboylike behaviour.
But there is more:Because with all those seemingly sympathetic EU actions, aiming toexpress ”solidarity” with the Ukrainian people, the EU is full of hypocrisy:
Because, when the USA and the EU really respected International Law,as they claim to do in the Ukraine case, why they never sanctioned Israel,that is a champion in violating International Law with its illegaloccupation of the Palestinian territories and their illegal settlement policy?
And to stay closer at the USA and EU:
What about their own violations of International Law, like the thenBritish-American invasion of Iraq, which was contrary with International Law?And perhaps the most bitter part of all: 

The refugee issue:

While EU countries are doing everything they can to help Ukrainianrefugees-which is the right thing to do-last year, Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian refugees, who were trapped between the border of Belarus and Poland,were brutally attacked and pushbacked by Polish military guards, sometimes shooted at and abandoned in the wintercold to die there.
With the blessing of the EU, that supported Poland in ”defending it’s borders”The same Poland, that welcomes Ukrainian refugees, is on this very momentbuilding a Wall to prevent refugees from the Middle East to enter it’s border.Inhumane and also contrary with International Law!

So very good, that the EU/USA combination [united in the NATO] is condemning the Russian invasion in Ukraine, but EU, stop provoking Russia by sending weaponry to the Ukraine and treat the remaining or future refugees fromthe Middle East as humane as now the Urkrainian refugees.

Otherwise the EU is sinning against their own EU Treaties!’
Astrid Essed

Amsterdam

The Netherlands