Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been underestimated his entire political career.
The latest to make the mistake of thinking a former comedian could be pushed around is Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, a mostly pro-Russian head of state in a NATO country visited by Zelenskyy on Thursday.
Bulgaria actually has a pro-Ukrainian Parliament and prime minister that supports arms exports to Ukraine, but Radev decided he’d school Zelenskyy.
It didn't end well for Radev.
Gathered on each side of a long wooden table, the khaki-clad Ukrainian delegation sat stony faced, occasionally grimacing and taking notes, opposite Radev’s team as the Bulgarian president explained that there was “no military solution” and that “more and more weapons will not solve it.”
Zelenskyy delivered his response with measured scorn. “God forbid some tragedy should befall you and you should be in my place,” he said. “And if people with shared values do not help, what will you do? You would say: Putin, please grab Bulgarian territory?”
“No, you, as a real president, I am sure you would not allow a compromise with your independence. It is your right not to support aid to Ukraine. But I would really like you to understand me correctly,” he noted with barbed irony, as a cowed Radev intermittently took refuge in the note paper in front of him.
Zelenskyy lambasted Radev for largely describing Moscow’s invasion as a “conflict” rather than a war, and for vague assertions that the war is spilling over and “expanding its spatial size.”
Roundly brushing aside Radev’s suggestion of a diplomatic fix, Zelenskyy stressed the Kremlin had launched a “war of annihilation against Ukrainians, not other countries” and said Sofia’s government — at odds with Radev — was right to supply arms.
“I also want to tell you, whatever your army has in terms of munitions, it will not be enough to fight with the Russian Federation. You don’t have a bad army, your people are good but it would not be enough to fight against 160 million people. That’s why it’s good to give [weapons] so [we] can defend [ourselves] and war does not come to you,” he said.
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This is most likely an ammunition depot in the city of Sorokyne, which is southeast of Luhansk and almost on the border with Russia.
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With the official announcement today that the United States will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, it is worth noting that the first country to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions was Russia.
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Turning AK-47s into an anti-drone weapon that looks like a DIY Gatling gun.
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This is a casualty count you don’t normally see but carries a lot of weight.
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This is one more Russian ammo dump going kaboom. The more, the better.
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Smart Russians surrender.
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A recruitment poster for the Russian Army. I shit you not.
Uncle Vlad Wants You!
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The trauma of war lasts many decades after the last shots are fired.
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Is it surprising that Prigozhin’s apartment would have severed heads and sledgehammers?
Might make a good band name though — Severed heads and Sledgehammers.
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And finally, some uplifting items.