The Republicans are out in full force engaging in revisionist history by claiming they’ve supported Ukraine and condemned Putin all along (as we know, neither is true—neither has been true for years). On top of that, they’re pretending that Putin invaded Ukraine because President Biden is weak. On the other hand, they tell us, Putin never would have taken such a step during the Trump administration because, to paraphrase their delusions, “Donald would have kicked Putin’s ass.”
The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is unimaginable. Over a million Ukrainians have fled the country and a million more have been internally displaced. Ukraine has a population of 40 million people.
Please consider donating to one of the following reputable organizations. I will keep adding to the list. (Please let me know if there is something specific you’d like your donation to go towards—the Ukrainian army, refugees, the internally displaced, hospitals, supplies, etc.—so I can vet charities accordingly.)
Leaving aside the fact that we have crazy people like Lindsey Graham, a sitting senator and noted tough guy, who are calling for Putin’s assassination—in Graham’s case, live on television and on Twitter—what more could the EU, the United States, and our NATO allies be doing to help Ukraine defend itself and push back the Russian aggressors? Keep in mind, Russia has more nuclear weapons than any other country in the world and Vladimir Putin is a madman.
How the hell is a call for assassination by a sitting US Senator not behavior that is subject to censure or more severe discipline? That's heinous behavior.
You can bet that Russia will be playing Lindsey Graham's tweet on a loop on state T.V. There is nothing more helpful to the Russian leaders than to convince their people that the evil United States politicians want to assassinate the leader of the "Great Russian Empire". My point is; Lindsay Graham's tweet was quite helpful to Putin!
For the GOP to now try to score brownie points on the back of a less-than-successful Trump presidency is reprehensible! This is the time for bipartisan solidarity, not a continuing barrage of lies about their failed leader! This being said, Trump lied constantly and accused all who spoke the truth as “fake news”; Putin is his Russian counterpart!
I long for the day when both are brought to justice and made to pay for their crimes…
Thanks for sending this Mary. I've already donated. Others, please consider doing so. The Ukrainians did NOT deserve this. While they've done brilliantly so far, Russian resources are vast and it's hard to accept how things may go. I only wish I could donate Stinger missiles. They really need help.😒
So after Putin takes Ukraine and starts looking at Poland or another NATO country…will we also decline to protect them because Putin might let loose his nukes? He has learned that we won’t risk nuclear war so he can do anything he wants. If this is the case, then why not admit we are already in this this war and call his bluff, which we will have to do eventually…at least the brave people of Ukraine would be defended. How can we possibly sit and watch them get annihilated like this? I bet if we simply added them to NATO right now that would be enough to stop Putin.
Heather Cox Richardson: "The U.S., and other countries that belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are supporting Ukraine from outside its borders. For NATO to take on the fight against Putin’s armies directly in Ukraine runs the risk of uniting the currently demoralized Russian people behind their leader, and enables him to start a war against NATO, which would engulf all of Europe." Enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would start WWIII. I wish it weren't so.
Garry Kasparov, Fiona Hill, and Bill Browder all believe that Putin is wholly uninterested in an off-ramp. They also believe that Putin will deliberately provoke NATO, whether to distract from his Ukraine debacle or domestic unrest, and the US is simply delaying the inevitable. In terms of sanctions, the US isn't exactly leading the way: we're far below the EU. Only the UK has a more abysmal showing.
Hi Mary, I just re-read this post and noticed something I missed before. If you know of a way for a donation to go to the Ukrainian military, I'd like to make a donation there too. I originally searched for a way to make a donation to the Ukrainian military but had no success. It's very sad to say, but they probably need weapons even more than they need cots right now. If you do discover a way that seems credible, I'd love to make that happen. As always, thanks for what you do.
I support both WCK and Drs W/out Borders as my charities. Had to suspend for a few months due to financial issues but will restart asap. Good ppl there
It would help if all the allied nations stopped buying Russian oil and gas which hasn't happened yet. Also, every company that is HQ'd in allied nations with a footprint in Russia like McDonalds and Starbucks and on and on and on (thanks to Thom Hartmann for pointing this out on his radio show today) should shut those establishments down. Cut off all avenues of enjoyment for the Russians so they understand that Putin is doing bad things because most older Russians are believing state media lies and not their own relatives in Ukraine.
Militarily, Ukraine needs more fighter jets and missiles that can destroy Russian plans dropping bombs on civilian targets so allied nations should be sending WAY more of those supplies.
Here are three more charities that I found on the Today Show website
I've been going back and forth on what should be done by our government. I've been listening to Gaslight podcast, reading Timothy Snyder, Anne Applebaum, the Vindmans, etc. All people much closer to Ukraine and Putin than me. I think there is a strong argument for a no fly zone. I understand our hesitation but for humanitarian reasons, I don't believe we can only do the toughest sanctions in the world and watch. I don't think it will be enough and some of the sanctions are really tough to accomplish. And not just because self interest gets in the way. Actually they are really tough logistically to say nothing of China being NO help. There is a perspective that says: we are already in WW3 and Putin has gotten away with bombing Georgia, Syria, Ukraine once already and he's always threatening nuclear war. What is the difference between Putin and Hitler? It's the same story. We need at a minimum to help the people get out of there are arm the Ukrainians to the teeth. Lindsey Graham is a Putin stooge - I reported his assination tweer to the Twitter police - I hope everybody else does too.
Unfortunately, patience is called for right now. Just believe there are things going that we (and Lindsey Graham et al) do not want or need to know about.
The US could attack the electricity sources of all of Russia's military communications, which would make Putin more mad but buy Ukraine more time. This might not work since the invasion has been going on for more than a week.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are politicians (and businessmen) cut from the same cloth, and the Republican Party made no secret in 2016 that they thought a Russian-friendly Trump candidacy enhanced, rather than diminished Donald Trump’s suitability for president.
Look at the assertive, intelligent, and devastating sanctions levied against the gangsters and their supporters in Russia, coming from nations run by progressive, left leadership in Germany and France. Spearheaded by the United States, from a Congress that has its executive and legislative branches run by the Democratic Party.
And T H A T is why Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine.
The last spasms of the serfdom and race-based hierarchy economies have arrived.
The oligarchs (conservatives) running Russia know their time is almost up. That’s why they’re keeping Navalny alive, for use as a potential bargaining chip.
Make no mistake: the supporters of authoritarianism taking root in countries like the United States, place their faith in a monopolistic, religious fundamentalist, bigoted worldview.
These authoritarian stakeholders preach the same mantra since the 1960s that the John Birch Society did: Government is bad, regulation is bad, unions are bad.
How lucky indeed we are to witness the twilight of their existence .
It is incomprehensible that Biden said we will not send in troops. Why eliminate an option? Graham lost it when he went from talking about the Great Orange Ego as the lunatic he is to sycophancy. It's wrong to shame a person for being a closet LGBTQ, but someone please find one of the guys he has been physical with his lily-white ass to speak publicly. We ought to have someone like France or Sweden provide planes to enforce a no-fly zone at a minimum. Putin's nuclear weapons are deterring intervention in a situation that is no different than when North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 or when Iraq invaded Kuwait. It was a mistake to allow Russia to hang onto the USSR's veto seat on the Un Security Council.
I think Americans feel powerless as we can’t stop or interfere with what’s going on in Ukraine. We are so used to being in charge and doing what we think is the right thing. This time doing the right thing will lead to awful things. So, we need to feel empowered. This means we need to donate to groups that’ll help the Ukrainians, boycott companies which won’t leave Russia, stop Russian oil, and continue to pressure lawmakers to help Ukraine with weapons.
Mary I do not understand why the Ukrainians scream for a No Fly Zone, Which is declined flatly, goes unheard, BUT NO ONE considers selling the Ukrainians Enough Jets & Planes for them to construct No Fly Zone themselves, We Give Ukraine Weapons, A Plane Is A Weapon, its so helpless a feeling to just watch the Russians Invade Ukraine Daily, Makes My Blood Boil Because Ukraine is a democracy!
Thanks Mary, for not forgetting the animals (IFAW).
Here are some links for how to help out animals and their guardians; animals that were left behind due to circumstances beyond the owners' control, and animals in zoos and shelters:
I think UNICEF should be a good place to donate. I have found the following sources good for news ( I am a Russia and East Europe Specialist by education and grad school, did research for DOD and did special foreign service in Russia and Ukraine for 1 year): UK Channel 4 live on youtube , DW ( Germany) on youtube, Kyiv Independent on Facebook and Warsaw Institute. I have no doubt Rachel would be great if she weren't away. Ari V. is doing well .Amanpour havs good interviews. Watch Rrt Lt Col Alexander Vindman on military matters.
I recently gave to Doctors without Borders, but will also give to IFAW. I cannot imagine losing or leaving behind a beloved fur (or feathered) family member!
Chris Hayes did a great commentary on March 5 of the historical context of Ukraine, Putin and DJT. Putin didn’t have to make waves for 4 years bc DJT did exactly what Putin wanted. Criticized NATO and our allies, tried to blackmail Zelensky, and sucked up to dictators.
Yes, please add WCKitchen to the list of organizations to help the refugees from Ukraine. They fed more people in Puerto Rico after the hurricane than the Red Cross. Doctors without borders is a wonderful org.too.
Even Tho I'm Getting Militant About The Circumstances it doesn't mean I'm Blind To The Humanitarian Crisis. A Free Sovereign Democracy Invaded by Russia is WRONG we must RESIST every way we know how! #IStandWithUkraine
Sane people do not want a nuclear war. While agreeing with that idea, I keep thinking 'what if it was us, the U.S. which was being invaded, and we were denied the help we desperately needed and asked for'? Would sanctions be enough for us?
We should hack the Russian state-controlled media and broadcast accurate news from Ukraine - the devastation their army is inflicting on Putin's orders; interviews with bewildered Russian POWs (showing the Ukrainians treating them well); the systematic attacks on power, heating, and water supplies; the Russian shelling of the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe; inspiring footage of Zelensky, other Ukrainian leaders, and Ukrainians and others traveling there from all over the world to help defend the country against the invasion.
We should also be putting all of the above on thumb drives and smuggling those into the country to be distributed the way samizdat bootleg literature was in the Soviet era.
We should use drones to fly in medical supplies, water purification tablets, freeze-dried food, solar/hand-crank-powered radios, burner phones, GPS units, and space blankets.
We should be delivering massive shipments of small arms and ammunition, military manuals, and more Javelins and Stingers to the border, coordinating with Ukrainians fighting the Russians so they can pick them up - drive trucks up to the border, hand them the keys, and let them take the vehicles along with their loads.
For once I agree with Graham about what needs to be done to Putin. However, we all know that Donald would look the other way while Putin invaded and then try to negotiate a deal for a Trump hotel there...
The US could send a 'Good Will' mission to Ukraine. To spread good will. Peacekeepers. See Yes Prime Minster "A Victory For Democracy". The US has done this before, sending deterrence forces to make Putin stand down. Other people with a grasp of history could explain. I only know British comedies.
Please consider adding World Central Kitchen as Chef Andres is providing meals to Ukrainian refugees. Thank you.
How the hell is a call for assassination by a sitting US Senator not behavior that is subject to censure or more severe discipline? That's heinous behavior.
I know the reasons why we're not directly engaging in this war, and those reasons are imperative. And still, it feels shameful.
You can bet that Russia will be playing Lindsey Graham's tweet on a loop on state T.V. There is nothing more helpful to the Russian leaders than to convince their people that the evil United States politicians want to assassinate the leader of the "Great Russian Empire". My point is; Lindsay Graham's tweet was quite helpful to Putin!
For the GOP to now try to score brownie points on the back of a less-than-successful Trump presidency is reprehensible! This is the time for bipartisan solidarity, not a continuing barrage of lies about their failed leader! This being said, Trump lied constantly and accused all who spoke the truth as “fake news”; Putin is his Russian counterpart!
I long for the day when both are brought to justice and made to pay for their crimes…
tdfg was too busy kissing Putin’s ass to kick it. He was a Putin puppet denying Ukraine weapons and trying to destroy NATO.
Thanks for sending this Mary. I've already donated. Others, please consider doing so. The Ukrainians did NOT deserve this. While they've done brilliantly so far, Russian resources are vast and it's hard to accept how things may go. I only wish I could donate Stinger missiles. They really need help.😒
Lindsey Graham saying stupid things is nothing new. In fact, it's the norm for him.
So after Putin takes Ukraine and starts looking at Poland or another NATO country…will we also decline to protect them because Putin might let loose his nukes? He has learned that we won’t risk nuclear war so he can do anything he wants. If this is the case, then why not admit we are already in this this war and call his bluff, which we will have to do eventually…at least the brave people of Ukraine would be defended. How can we possibly sit and watch them get annihilated like this? I bet if we simply added them to NATO right now that would be enough to stop Putin.
I know the reasons why we're not directly engaging in this war, and those reasons are imperative. And still, it feels shameful.
I am grateful for this column each day. Thank you. Keep coming and talk. Everyone. Come here everyone. Take it on.
Did you see the huge demonstration at the Hague in support of Zelensky & Ukraine? Zelensky did appear on live video from Keiv. Great reception.
Totally wowed me. 🇺🇦💙🇺🇦
I donated to The Voices of the Children. Hope it gets through to them. Hearing about the orphaned children in Mariupol, broke my heart.
Heather Cox Richardson: "The U.S., and other countries that belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are supporting Ukraine from outside its borders. For NATO to take on the fight against Putin’s armies directly in Ukraine runs the risk of uniting the currently demoralized Russian people behind their leader, and enables him to start a war against NATO, which would engulf all of Europe." Enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would start WWIII. I wish it weren't so.
Garry Kasparov, Fiona Hill, and Bill Browder all believe that Putin is wholly uninterested in an off-ramp. They also believe that Putin will deliberately provoke NATO, whether to distract from his Ukraine debacle or domestic unrest, and the US is simply delaying the inevitable. In terms of sanctions, the US isn't exactly leading the way: we're far below the EU. Only the UK has a more abysmal showing.
I cried all night.
Hi Mary, I just re-read this post and noticed something I missed before. If you know of a way for a donation to go to the Ukrainian military, I'd like to make a donation there too. I originally searched for a way to make a donation to the Ukrainian military but had no success. It's very sad to say, but they probably need weapons even more than they need cots right now. If you do discover a way that seems credible, I'd love to make that happen. As always, thanks for what you do.
I support both WCK and Drs W/out Borders as my charities. Had to suspend for a few months due to financial issues but will restart asap. Good ppl there
Thank you so much for this list Mary! I've been wanting to send pet packages.
Mary you’re message elicited some good responses today vs the crazy knee jerkers, at times. Thanks!!
It would help if all the allied nations stopped buying Russian oil and gas which hasn't happened yet. Also, every company that is HQ'd in allied nations with a footprint in Russia like McDonalds and Starbucks and on and on and on (thanks to Thom Hartmann for pointing this out on his radio show today) should shut those establishments down. Cut off all avenues of enjoyment for the Russians so they understand that Putin is doing bad things because most older Russians are believing state media lies and not their own relatives in Ukraine.
Militarily, Ukraine needs more fighter jets and missiles that can destroy Russian plans dropping bombs on civilian targets so allied nations should be sending WAY more of those supplies.
Here are three more charities that I found on the Today Show website
Save the Children https://support.savethechildren.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5751&mfc_pref=T&5751.donation=form1
International Rescue Committee https://help.rescue.org/donate/ukraine-acq?ms=ws_resq_top_nav_btn_fy22_ukraine_mmus_feb_n6568&initialms=ws_resq_top_nav_btn_fy22_ukraine_mmus_feb_n6568
Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ukraine-crisis-relief-fund/
Also, I just saw this from the Obama Foundation
https://www.obama.org/updates/help-ukraine/
Thanks for doing this Mary.
Thank you Mary for the information for donations. Nothing closer to my heart than IFAW. ❣️
I've been going back and forth on what should be done by our government. I've been listening to Gaslight podcast, reading Timothy Snyder, Anne Applebaum, the Vindmans, etc. All people much closer to Ukraine and Putin than me. I think there is a strong argument for a no fly zone. I understand our hesitation but for humanitarian reasons, I don't believe we can only do the toughest sanctions in the world and watch. I don't think it will be enough and some of the sanctions are really tough to accomplish. And not just because self interest gets in the way. Actually they are really tough logistically to say nothing of China being NO help. There is a perspective that says: we are already in WW3 and Putin has gotten away with bombing Georgia, Syria, Ukraine once already and he's always threatening nuclear war. What is the difference between Putin and Hitler? It's the same story. We need at a minimum to help the people get out of there are arm the Ukrainians to the teeth. Lindsey Graham is a Putin stooge - I reported his assination tweer to the Twitter police - I hope everybody else does too.
Unfortunately, patience is called for right now. Just believe there are things going that we (and Lindsey Graham et al) do not want or need to know about.
I hope underground internet gurus can get the truth out to the masses in Russia on what is happening.
Another worthy organization to help Ukrainians (HIAS): https://act.hias.org/page/37014/donate/1
Shocking to discover I agree with Graham
The US could attack the electricity sources of all of Russia's military communications, which would make Putin more mad but buy Ukraine more time. This might not work since the invasion has been going on for more than a week.
Consider Save the Children
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are politicians (and businessmen) cut from the same cloth, and the Republican Party made no secret in 2016 that they thought a Russian-friendly Trump candidacy enhanced, rather than diminished Donald Trump’s suitability for president.
Look at the assertive, intelligent, and devastating sanctions levied against the gangsters and their supporters in Russia, coming from nations run by progressive, left leadership in Germany and France. Spearheaded by the United States, from a Congress that has its executive and legislative branches run by the Democratic Party.
And T H A T is why Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine.
The last spasms of the serfdom and race-based hierarchy economies have arrived.
The oligarchs (conservatives) running Russia know their time is almost up. That’s why they’re keeping Navalny alive, for use as a potential bargaining chip.
Make no mistake: the supporters of authoritarianism taking root in countries like the United States, place their faith in a monopolistic, religious fundamentalist, bigoted worldview.
These authoritarian stakeholders preach the same mantra since the 1960s that the John Birch Society did: Government is bad, regulation is bad, unions are bad.
How lucky indeed we are to witness the twilight of their existence .
It is incomprehensible that Biden said we will not send in troops. Why eliminate an option? Graham lost it when he went from talking about the Great Orange Ego as the lunatic he is to sycophancy. It's wrong to shame a person for being a closet LGBTQ, but someone please find one of the guys he has been physical with his lily-white ass to speak publicly. We ought to have someone like France or Sweden provide planes to enforce a no-fly zone at a minimum. Putin's nuclear weapons are deterring intervention in a situation that is no different than when North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 or when Iraq invaded Kuwait. It was a mistake to allow Russia to hang onto the USSR's veto seat on the Un Security Council.
I think Americans feel powerless as we can’t stop or interfere with what’s going on in Ukraine. We are so used to being in charge and doing what we think is the right thing. This time doing the right thing will lead to awful things. So, we need to feel empowered. This means we need to donate to groups that’ll help the Ukrainians, boycott companies which won’t leave Russia, stop Russian oil, and continue to pressure lawmakers to help Ukraine with weapons.
Mary I do not understand why the Ukrainians scream for a No Fly Zone, Which is declined flatly, goes unheard, BUT NO ONE considers selling the Ukrainians Enough Jets & Planes for them to construct No Fly Zone themselves, We Give Ukraine Weapons, A Plane Is A Weapon, its so helpless a feeling to just watch the Russians Invade Ukraine Daily, Makes My Blood Boil Because Ukraine is a democracy!
Thanks Mary, for not forgetting the animals (IFAW).
Here are some links for how to help out animals and their guardians; animals that were left behind due to circumstances beyond the owners' control, and animals in zoos and shelters:
https://animalfoodbank.org/supporting-ukraine
https://opencages.org/blog/help-animals-in-ukraine
https://www.ifaw.org/uk/news/support-animals-ukraine?ms=KONDF220320075
https://www.charities.org/news/how-humane-society-international-taking-action-ukraine-and-its-animals%E2%80%94and-how-you-can-help
I think UNICEF should be a good place to donate. I have found the following sources good for news ( I am a Russia and East Europe Specialist by education and grad school, did research for DOD and did special foreign service in Russia and Ukraine for 1 year): UK Channel 4 live on youtube , DW ( Germany) on youtube, Kyiv Independent on Facebook and Warsaw Institute. I have no doubt Rachel would be great if she weren't away. Ari V. is doing well .Amanpour havs good interviews. Watch Rrt Lt Col Alexander Vindman on military matters.
I recently gave to Doctors without Borders, but will also give to IFAW. I cannot imagine losing or leaving behind a beloved fur (or feathered) family member!
Chris Hayes did a great commentary on March 5 of the historical context of Ukraine, Putin and DJT. Putin didn’t have to make waves for 4 years bc DJT did exactly what Putin wanted. Criticized NATO and our allies, tried to blackmail Zelensky, and sucked up to dictators.
Yes, please add WCKitchen to the list of organizations to help the refugees from Ukraine. They fed more people in Puerto Rico after the hurricane than the Red Cross. Doctors without borders is a wonderful org.too.
Even Tho I'm Getting Militant About The Circumstances it doesn't mean I'm Blind To The Humanitarian Crisis. A Free Sovereign Democracy Invaded by Russia is WRONG we must RESIST every way we know how! #IStandWithUkraine
Sane people do not want a nuclear war. While agreeing with that idea, I keep thinking 'what if it was us, the U.S. which was being invaded, and we were denied the help we desperately needed and asked for'? Would sanctions be enough for us?
We should hack the Russian state-controlled media and broadcast accurate news from Ukraine - the devastation their army is inflicting on Putin's orders; interviews with bewildered Russian POWs (showing the Ukrainians treating them well); the systematic attacks on power, heating, and water supplies; the Russian shelling of the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe; inspiring footage of Zelensky, other Ukrainian leaders, and Ukrainians and others traveling there from all over the world to help defend the country against the invasion.
We should also be putting all of the above on thumb drives and smuggling those into the country to be distributed the way samizdat bootleg literature was in the Soviet era.
We should use drones to fly in medical supplies, water purification tablets, freeze-dried food, solar/hand-crank-powered radios, burner phones, GPS units, and space blankets.
We should be delivering massive shipments of small arms and ammunition, military manuals, and more Javelins and Stingers to the border, coordinating with Ukrainians fighting the Russians so they can pick them up - drive trucks up to the border, hand them the keys, and let them take the vehicles along with their loads.
For once I agree with Graham about what needs to be done to Putin. However, we all know that Donald would look the other way while Putin invaded and then try to negotiate a deal for a Trump hotel there...
The US could send a 'Good Will' mission to Ukraine. To spread good will. Peacekeepers. See Yes Prime Minster "A Victory For Democracy". The US has done this before, sending deterrence forces to make Putin stand down. Other people with a grasp of history could explain. I only know British comedies.