Ukraine on Saturday placed over 100 Russian artists and public figures on a sanctions list for their alleged support for the Russian invasion.
The list includes TV presenters, singers, and musicians who Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, called “propagandists of death.”
Anna Netrebko, a Vienna-based opera singer, is one of the most famous figures on the list. She has come under criticism for allegedly supporting the war despite speaking out against the conflict.
“I am opposed to this war. I am Russian and I love my country but I have many friends in Ukraine and the pain and suffering right now breaks my heart. I want this war to end and for people to be able to live in peace. This is what I hope and pray for,” Netrebko said on Facebook shortly after Russia invaded.
The opera singer did add that she didn’t think artists should be forced to take a political position. “Forcing artists, or any public figure, to voice their political opinions in public and to denounce their homeland is not right. This should be a free choice,” she said.
Three of the people on the list of 119 sanctioned individuals are Ukrainian nationals. The sanctions freeze any assets they have in Ukraine and will be in effect for at least 10 years.
Ukrainian media reported Sunday that Zelensky also revoked citizenship for 13 priests of the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The UOC cut ties with Russia after the invasion and denounced the war, but Kyiv claims it still has ties to Moscow and recently started taking action against the church.
Earlier in December, Zelensky targeted seven other priests with sanctions. As part of its crackdown against the UOC, the Ukrainian government took control of a 1,000-year-old cathedral in Kyiv, the Pechersk Lavra, and allowed the similarly named Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which doesn’t have historic ties to Russia, to hold a Christmas service there on Saturday.
Saturday marked the first time a Christmas service was held at the Pechersk Lavra using the Ukrainian language. While the UOC is linked to Moscow, it has a larger presence in Ukraine than the rival OCU. According to the UOC website, as of 2022, it had over 12,000 parishes. According to numbers from 2019, the OCU had about 7,000 parishes at the time.
But, but, but… Freedom! democracy vs authoritarianism!
I call bullshit.
Zelensky is the planet’s number one bullshit artist, bar none.
He is an comic turned actor, plain and simple. He knows how to read and memorize a script effectively. There is zero substance with this man. A perfect proxy.
Unfortunately, the hunger of his ego has convinced him of the actual lies he spews. His narcissism compels him to squash the Orthodox churches, artists, etc. because he is afraid of them.
Most people that have some knowledge of European history and the current political situation can sniff out his bull$hit from across the Atlantic.
I totally agree that he’s the planet’s #1 bull$hit artist and has duped a lot of people. Of course this was and is only possible with the ongoing backing from his Big Brother.
His luck will run out and I cannot wait for that day to come.
His “Luck???” What luck????? Everything he touches turns to rubble!!! It’s no wonder Russians don’t kill him. He is doing what they need to be done. Destroying the entity known as Ukraine. It goes back to being a non state outland! As such it’s not possible to join NATO… The real question becomes: What was the endgame that Obama, Clinton, Nuland & Platt envisioned that their coup & liberation of the Nazi’s hate of Russian folk would precipitate, if not a proving ground for Russian resolve and military might??? Russia has already used its hypersonic missiles on Ukrainian targets it deemed important enough to deserve a guaranteed hit. They still have their Tsar 200 megaton Super Nuke to debut, should a need for that occasion arise. Perhaps it’s the elephant in the room behind recent calls for “talks” from those whose Coup De’ Etat set in motion this dangerous game of chicken that’s outcome seems to suggest a great fall by the losing party. Russia seems comfortable letting Ole Man Winter call the moves in the next round of this crazy grudge match compliments of the Obama peace presidency and various Neocons.
Gone utterly mad. Not suprised at targetting priests — but am surprised that the witch hunt is taking on decidedly anti-Christian feel. Zelenski may not be a Christian but majority of the country is. Where is he heading with this? Russia may have to come in to defend 1000 years of tradition at Pechersk Lavra. He does not like the ancient language and want to hear Ukrainian? Why does not he ban any use of Latin in Catholic churches?
It seems that the man is just seeking publicity.
probably zelensky couldn’t distinguish latin from spanish
I don’t believe he could distinguish Latin from Zulu.
ROTFLMAO………
😉
So Zelensky is afraid of artists too. Good to know.
Artist and priests, very medieval, … oops sorry. I meant to say, that’s what barbarians do.
Because of the war, I doubt that any serious legal challenge will happen. But Ukraine nationalists have wanted to rid the country of anything Russian for years.
The Five Eyes Empire that is the problem. They have been trying to destroy Russia since the end of the Great Patriotic War and they can’t do it. Russia isn’t attacking America or Britain so Americans aren’t really into it in general, only some are, so they have to use the Nazis and the Poles to fight and Die.
This has become part of a larger national campaign to cleanse Ukraine of its eastern heritage through forced westernization. Putin may be a d*ck but he wasn’t wrong about Russophobic genocide. Tragically, his idiotic invasion has made it worse. Initiatory war is a flesh-eating virus, and it targets the brain first.
Master Yoda taught that the slippery slope leading down to the Dark Side is very easy. Putin started with good intentions and just grievances. But when he ordered his troops to cross the Ukrainian border Darth Vlad crossed over to the Dark Side.
It has sadly become a Dark Side on Dark Side battle with poor peasants trapped between the tyrants. A tiresome but familiar story for the Bloodlands.
It fundamentally a battle between the Russian imperialists and the Ukrainian popular resistance with the US/NATO imperialists backing the Ukrainian resistance. It is important to understand there are three parties in this fight. Ukraine is being aided by US/NATO. But US/NATO does not control the Ukrainian resistance. In fact, Zelenskyy does not control the resistance he is leading. Even if Zelenskyy sold out and agreed to give up territory, the resistance would continue under new leadership. Kinda like how Palestinians turned to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Lion’s Den after the PLO leadership failed.
When my father was sent to the Kislau con*entration camp, his German citizenship was taken away (1). He became stateless and, as a consequence, me too. What Zelensky does with the Orthodox priests is therefore nothing new to me. I was stateless in The Netherlands from 1936 until 1947 when I became a Dutch citizen.
Our president does not have that power. Only our courts have it and only for special cases such as lying on your naturalization application (1). Ergo, our president is not the most powerful person on Earth. Zelensky has more power than Biden!
However, FDR believed that he had the power to sanction (essentially lock up) naturalized US citizens born in Japan. However, he did not take their US citizenship away. I doubt that this could be done again.
And notice: apparently Zelensky has not dared to sanction a single Russian artist living in our country! He knows who his puppeteer is.
(1) On the Kislau papers his citizenship was listed as “Jew”!
(2) I seem to remember the case of a con*entration camp guard who had failed to mention that on his immigration application. His US citizenship was revoked and he was extradited to Germany. By courts. Not by our president.
Anna Netrebko’s scheduled performance at the NY Met was cancelled in the first month of the war.
https://tass.ru/politika/16758935
Patrushev said that Russia is not at war with Ukraine
This operation might end sooner if reluctant Ukrainians take out the Nazis within their units and then offer to surrender.
That’s easier said than done. The Russians may issue edicts through blowhorns before an annihilation operation begin.
Perspective is everything in describing this conflict. Ukraine survives solely due to support from NATO. From that perspective, Patrushev is stating the obvious.
Would there even have been a war if the US had not aided and abetted fringe groups to overthrow their democratically elected government in 2014? Probably not.
Would Russia accept a national socialist government in Kyev in exchange for an end to hostilities related to the land Russia has annexed? Probably not. When Merkel and others revealed that the Minsk agreements were negotiated in bad faith, the solemn word of the government in Kyev became worthless.
Guys remember? The Ukrianians are the freedom loving good guys who got invaded for no reason at all!
/s
Ukraine sanctioned Russian Blue and Siberian cats for supporting the war.
Ukraine sanctioned Russian wolfhounds for supporting the war.
Ukraine sanctioned Amur River maple trees for supporting the war.
Ukraine sanctioned Russian sage for supporting the war.
Ukraine sanctioned Siberian irises for supporting the war.
And Ukraine sanctioned CDs of Russian composers for supporting the war.
LOL!
Now we’re talking, that should really cause a turnabout in the fortunes of Ukraine.