by Christos Zabounis

On February 24, 2022, responding to the request of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, the president of the Russian Federation announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine. A few days before the two-year anniversary, I’m watching the Russia Today newscast from my hotel room in an Arab country. The first news is the recapture of Avdeevka, a strategic town in the Donetsk region. Images accompanying the report show trophy-bearing Russian troops entering the bomb-ravaged urban fabric. Then, a tab appeared on the screen with a statement from Ukrainian general Oleksandr Syrskyi, who explained the reasons for the retreat of his troops. Monday news is the reading of the announcement by the representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova, who blasted the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that the only thing he cares about is money. The comment from the knowledgeable, it is true, senior Kremlin official came after Zelenskyy visited Berlin and Paris, where he received new funding.

“No trial, before you hear both sides”, don’t condemn anyone before you hear the story from both, said Fokylides. Hmm. The Russian satellite channel is banned from broadcasting in the West, Greece included.