Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Comment: The division in Ukraine – and the hate rhetoric here at home

The war in Ukraine

While Swedish media spin on narratives of Russian propaganda and Trump's alleged evil, dramatic shifts are taking place on the ground in Ukraine. However, Colombian mercenaries, increased divisions and a society on the brink of civil war barely make headlines at all.

Published 10 April 2025
– By Jenny Piper
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
4 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

The news flow is currently not very informative but revolves around the chatter about the stock market slump that mainly affected multinationals in Big Tech, Big Pharma, investment banks, energy companies and the defense industry. In addition, Swedish mass media offers the bickering about Trump’s tariffs, Ukraine’s alleged new successes in a war that they have in practice already lost, and the usual Swedish hate rhetoric against Trump and Putin that they feed the population around the clock.

This afternoon, for example, they are making a big deal out of Zelensky’s claim that Chinese soldiers have been captured, but they omit to report that the Ukrainian military has struck Russian energy facilities in the Kursk and Zaporizhzhya regions twice in the past 24 hours, and that Colombian mercenaries have been brought into the Kursk region.

The Ukrainian publication Zerkalo Nedeli writes that the commander of the 47th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Hamlet Avagyan, confirmed the presence of mercenaries from Colombia in the assault company in the Kursk region and that another 200 people from Colombia are expected to arrive in April.

The Colombian ambassador in Moscow admitted in an interview with RIA that they do not have exact data on the number of Colombian mercenaries taking part in the fighting, but it is known that up to 80 people have died at the front.

“An acute psychosis”

Considering how many months the MSM spent reporting on the alleged North Koreans fighting on Russia’s side, it would have been appropriate to inform about this as well – but as usual, it is dismissed as “Russian propaganda”, while all claims coming from the Ukrainian regime for some unfathomable reason never get the label of disinformation.

It is also interesting to note that Ukrainian political scientist Konstantin Bondarenko, in a video published on Telegram for the publication Politnavigator, states that Ukrainian society is deeply divided, with mutual hostility growing between different groups of the population while socio-political tensions are rising – bringing the country not far from civil conflict.

According to Bondarenko, sociological research shows very serious fragmentation of Ukrainian society. The current state of affairs can be described as an acute psychosis, with the risks of tensions escalating into open civil confrontations becoming increasingly likely.

There is a very serious antagonism between groups of people. And if earlier there was a division into East, West, Russian-speaking, Ukrainian-speaking and so on, now they begin to hate those who are fighting at the front line, those who are in the background, those who stayed, those who left… Civilians or military and even deserters. That is, there are many such moments that can be added to an already military split.

Ukrainian society is ready to deny rights to compatriots who did not go to war and to consider these as second-class people. I think that in reality we are now witnessing an acute psychosis that exists in society. They will look for an enemy among their own kind – in the government, in a neighbor who doesn’t speak the right way, who goes to the wrong church, etc. And this is an extremely difficult situation, because it is lined with civil wars, civil conflicts”.

Resignation demands on Zelensky

So what is really happening behind the scenes now that the focus is elsewhere? The US and Russia are probably busy making deals behind the EU’s/NATO’s back, and more countries are signing tariff agreements with the US. It will be interesting to see if they reach an agreement on Ukraine in May, as previously speculated – which would be a win for all involved.

Zelensky probably needs to step down first, as he continues to cause problems – something Finnish university professor Tuomas Malinen wrote about on X, where he argues that US President Donald Trump should demand that Zelensky surrender and resign for the sake of peace.

Today, American investor David Sachs – appointed by US President Donald Trump to be responsible for AI and cryptocurrency policy – wrote a post on X in which he said that Ukraine is robbing the United States and that Washington should “cut loose” Kiev if Zelensky does not sign an agreement.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of similar public statements in Sweden, where someone really needed to put their foot down – because here only those with the “right” opinion are heard in the media noise.

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

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Slovakia urges West to engage in dialogue with Russia

The new cold war

Published 2 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Juraj Blanar believes that Western leaders must use diplomacy and dialogue to end the war.
2 minute read

Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar believes that the war in Ukraine cannot be decided on the battlefield. Instead, he urges the Western world to seek a peaceful solution through direct dialogue with Russia – and warns that continued tensions could lead to a catastrophic large-scale war between NATO and Moscow.

– We do not want a war between Russia and NATO to break out, because that would be the Third World War. We want the conflict to be settled peacefully, Blanar said during a discussion program on Slovak public broadcaster STVR last Sunday.

Blanar emphasized the importance of diplomacy and called for a return to “respect for international law”. He also suggested that the Western world should seek ways to renew contact with Moscow – “and perhaps even forgive everything that has happened”.

Slovakia, like Hungary, has consistently pushed for de-escalation of the conflict and opposed additional EU sanctions against Russia.

The country’s president Peter Pellegrini has also urged EU member states to resume direct talks with Moscow and has simultaneously rejected demands for rapid military buildup within NATO, arguing that defense spending should reflect each country’s own priorities – rather than concerns about Russia.

Russia demands Ukrainian neutrality

Russian officials have condemned the US-led bloc’s decision last week that member countries should raise their defense budgets to 5 percent of GDP – a measure that NATO says will deter the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security”.

The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that it has no intentions of attacking any NATO country and has called the accusations “nonsense” – a scare tactic that, according to Moscow, is used by the West to legitimize increased defense spending.

Moscow states that it seeks a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that a lasting agreement must include recognition of the actual situation “on the ground”, as well as Ukrainian neutrality.

According to Putin, contacts between Moscow and Kyiv are being maintained regarding a possible third round of peace negotiations. Previous talks have been held in Turkey, where the parties have exchanged draft peace proposals and carried out several prisoner exchanges.

Majority of Ukrainians want peace through compromise

The war in Ukraine

Published 1 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
It was previously often claimed that Russia would be defeated on the battlefield - today the picture is different, and more voices are advocating for peace through negotiations instead.
2 minute read

A majority of Ukraine’s population now indicates they are willing to accept compromises or make concessions to end the war with Russia.

This is shown in a new opinion poll conducted by the Ukrainian think tank Janus Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts, the polling institute SOCIS Centre for Social and Marketing Research, and the publication Barometer of Public Opinion, which compiles and disseminates opinion data.

According to the survey, 55.7 percent of respondents now support a solution through compromise with the involvement of international leaders. An additional 16.6 percent advocate for a temporary freezing of the war, with a ceasefire along the current line of contact.

Photo: facsimile/socis.kiev.ua

In total, this means that over 70 percent of respondents are open to some form of settlement or pause in the hostilities.

Meanwhile, 12.8 percent want to continue the war until Ukraine’s borders from 1991 are restored, while 8.6 percent indicate they prefer continued fighting until the borders from February 23, 2022 – the day before the Russian invasion began – are restored.

1.2 percent chose another option, and 5 percent of respondents refused to answer or could not take a position.

Photo: facsimile/socis.kiev.ua

The survey also shows that 57.6 percent believe elections should be held in Ukraine if peace negotiations with Russia lead to a temporary cessation of hostilities and an end to the state of war.

The opinion poll was conducted between June 6-11, 2025, and included 2,000 respondents aged 18 and older who were interviewed in person across Ukraine. The survey did not include residents in temporarily occupied areas or in areas where active fighting was ongoing at the time of data collection. The statistical margin of error is stated as ±2.6 percent.

Russia: Kiev and London planning false flag attacks

The war in Ukraine

Published 17 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with Volodymyr Zelensky.
2 minute read

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accuses Ukraine and the UK of jointly planning sabotage operations and false flag attacks with the aim of escalating the Ukraine conflict and making continued dialogue between Moscow and Washington impossible.

In a statement on Monday, the SVR claimed that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and Military Intelligence (GUR) are increasingly coordinating their efforts with British intelligence, as a result of what the SVR describes as Kiev’s “mounting battlefield setbacks and deepening moral exhaustion”.

According to the SVR, these sabotage operations and false flag attacks follow a recurring pattern, with the UK responsible for planning and coordination while Ukrainian agents carry out the attacks. The agency pointed to the railway sabotage in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, which Moscow describes as Ukrainian terrorist attacks, as well as drone attacks on Russian air bases on June 1, as examples of this tactic.

The intelligence service is now warning that the “Anglo-Ukrainian terrorist tandem” is preparing more false flag attacks. The aim is said to be to escalate the conflict, sabotage the dialogue between Moscow and Washington, and influence the US to continue its military support for Kiev.

Planted sea mines and torpedoes

One scenario described is an attack in which a Russian torpedo attack on a US Navy ship in the Baltic Sea is staged. According to the SVR, Ukraine has already delivered Soviet-made torpedoes to the UK. Some of these are intended to detonate at a safe distance, while one is to be left undetonated “as evidence of Moscow’s malicious activity”.

The SVR also points to a possible scenario in which British, Ukrainian, and Northern European actors plan to “accidentally” find Russian sea mines in the Baltic Sea in order to claim that Russia is trying to sabotage international shipping – another type of false flag attack.

“Kiev has become the perfect executor of vile provocations and terrorist acts for perfidious Albion (England)”, the SVR concluded.

The head of intelligence, Sergei Naryshkin, has previously warned of similar British attacks and says that Russian intelligence is well aware of London’s covert hostile activities against Russia.

Hockey legend Ovechkin added to Ukrainian “kill list”

The war in Ukraine

Published 11 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Alexander Ovechkin is an outspoken supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
2 minute read

Russian hockey legend Alexander Ovechkin, who recently became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, has been added to Ukraine’s notorious “enemy list” on the website Mirotvorets (Peacemaker).

Mirotvorets is a database that publishes personal information about individuals who allegedly threaten Ukraine’s security, but has been condemned by human rights groups and described as a “kill list”, as several people listed there have been assassinated or died under unclear circumstances shortly after.

According to Mirotvorets, Washington Capitals star Ovechkin has been included for allegedly working to “whitewash Russia’s reputation” in front of the international community through his participation in international sporting events, as well as for justifying “aggression against Ukraine among foreign audiences”.

The 39-year-old forward is also accused of “deliberately violating” Ukraine’s border, which likely refers to his vacation on the Crimean Peninsula in 2015 – a year after the region voted in a referendum to reunite with Russia.

It is now easier to find people who are not included on the Mirotvorets database, so there is really nothing to discuss, commented Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Founded “Putin Team”

Russian MP and 2006 Olympic gold medalist in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova expressed surprise on the news channel VseProSport that Ovechkin’s name was only added now.

– It is strange that they did not add Ovechkin to the Mirotvorets database earlier. Alex created the Putin Team (movement in support of Vladimir Putin’s candidacy in the 2018 presidential election in Russia), and for that alone he should have already been on the list.

Zhurova added that she does not believe the listing will have any major consequences for Ovechkin:

– He will not face any restrictions in his daily life or experience problems with entering the US, where he plays for the NHL team Washington Capitals.

Linked to several assassinations

In April, Ovechkin scored his 895th goal in the NHL regular season, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s previous record of 894 goals. Since then, he has added to his tally and now stands at 897 goals.

Ovechkin’s contract with the Washington Capitals runs until the summer of 2026. Earlier this year, he mentioned that he was considering returning to Russian club Dynamo Moscow, where his professional career began.

The website Mirotvorets has been described by critics as a “kill list”,  as several people who have appeared on it have later been murdered. Yulia Gorbunova, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, warns that the list poses a real threat to the lives of those on it. In April 2015, for example, the website published the home addresses of Ukrainian writer Oles Buzina and former member of parliament Oleg Kalashnikov – just days before both were killed in separate attacks.

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