02.11.2023

The war between the State of Israel and Gaza is much more likely to come to a rapid political solution, whereas the war between Russia and Ukraine will not resolve itself politically anytime soon, because someone has to win and someone has to lose.

The relevant statement was made by Timothy D. Snyder, an American historian and Professor of History at Yale University, in a commentary to Ukrinform, following the theatrical release of the documentary A Rising Fury, which took place in New York on October 27-November 2, 2023.

Commenting on what is common and different between the two present-day wars, Snyder noted: “The war in Ukraine is one of the least morally complicated wars that one can imagine. The aggression and the genocide is all on one side. The horrible propaganda and the terrorism is all on one side. The war between Israel and Gaza is not like that.”

According to Snyder, the Israeli conflict is much more mixed and complicated.

“And I think another difference is that the war in Gaza, I think, is much more likely to come to a rapid political solution, whereas the war between Russia and Ukraine will not come to a political solution anytime soon, because someone has to win and someone has to lose,” Snyder said.

The American professor mentioned that he is very skeptical of the ability of the United States, Europe, or anyone else to directly affect the course of Russian politics. In his words, the only way that Russia can be influenced in the right direction is by supporting Ukraine.

Snyder expressed confidence that it is possible to make a difference in Ukraine.

“If Ukraine gets through this and is a successful, constitutional pluralist society, it then becomes a model for Russia down the line, it shows that such a thing is possible,” Snyder explained.

According to him, many Russians understand this logic, which is that “so long as you fight imperial wars and don’t lose, that’s where all your politics is going to be.”

U.S. expands sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine

02.11.2023

The U.S. government has announced the introduction of sanctions and other restrictive measures against hundreds of individuals and entities in Russia and other countries linked to the Kremlin’s efforts to continue military-industrial production and sustain its own army.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury said this in a press release published on Thursday, November 2, Ukrinform reports.

“The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) continues to disrupt the networks and channels through which Russia attempts to sustain its beleaguered military,” the press release reads.

Today’s sanctions focus on 130 individuals and entities abetting Russia’s unconscionable war against Ukraine by providing Russia with much-needed technology and equipment from third countries. Additionally, these actions take aim at Russia’s domestic industrial base, which is seeking to reinvent itself as the maintainer of Russia’s war machine. With these designations, Treasury “is disrupting producers, exporters, and importers of nearly all of the high-priority items identified by the international coalition imposing sanctions and export controls on Russia.”

In addition to Russian enterprises, organizations and officials, the sanctions list also includes companies from Turkiye, which supplied Russia with electronics, critical technological components and other equipment for the military industry. Restrictions have also been imposed on companies and corporations in the UAE and China, as well as international entities that ensured the operation of schemes to circumvent previously introduced sanctions. Entities located in Luxembourg and Singapore were also sanctioned.

The U.S. Department of State is also issuing nearly 100 sanctions today targeting Russia’s future energy production and revenue, metals and mining sector, defense procurement, and those involved in supporting the Russian government’s war effort and other malign activities.