My thoughts on Ukraine Keep calm and don’t give in

On the 24th of this month is a full year since this ugly war began and sometimes I worry it may become the old news and as such it would be pushed down the list of whatever else is going on in the world. Mister Putin I’m sure would like this to happen, as he no doubt counts on wearing everybody down; make people used to it and therefore more willing to advocate peace at the expense of Ukrainian territory.

While nobody really says it openly, although to be fair I do hear such voices, we can just as well call it the World War Three. It is so because it involves the entire world and our future. From the day it started it is nothing short of war between people who defend their country, their freedom and sovereignty from a particularly nasty regime wanting to enslave them. This is why it very much concerns us all.

I began to draft this article late in October. Outside my window the sky is clear and a beautiful day is dawning but it is the same sky from which Russian missiles and the so called “kamikaze” drones are raining down on Ukrainian cities and towns. The Russian Federation is trying to bomb Ukraine into submission by launching missile and drone attacks on civilian targets in several Ukrainian cities. Officially Russians are saying they are aiming and hitting only military targets and command centres but it is yet another shameless lie in a long chain of them. I wonder sometimes – will these people ever say a single word of truth?

It is increasingly difficult to find words to describe what Putin and his government are doing. Striking residential buildings, streets, schools and parks is outrageous. These are the actions of a desperate thug trying to terrorize people who refuse to submit to his will. The Russian propaganda machine continues to lie and throw accusations at Ukraine and the West as if trying to sway public opinion. In their idiotic persistence they are trying to tell the world that it is actually our fault. It almost sounds as if Russia did not want to do it but had to because of the West or NATO or EU – whatever. In one of his obnoxious statements Dmitry Medvedev said only a Russian win in Ukraine can save the world from the global war. In this absurd narrative Russian propaganda omits one detail – it is Russia who invaded Ukraine, not the other way around. Over eighty years ago the Nazis looked at themselves as the superior ones, better than anyone else. In a similar way Putin and his cronies insist theirs are the right ways which implies that by this default everybody else is wrong. It is therefore right for them to destroy Ukraine, it is right to have their citizens bombed, moved by force to Russia, robbed, raped, locked up, tortured, executed and buried in mass graves. It is right to blackmail the West with energy or nuclear weapons. It is right to lie and kill as long as it serves the purpose of Putin and his army.

Newsgroup Medusa reported that in yet another outrageous move the Russian Parliament known as Duma is debating a proposed law which would remove criminal liability for crimes committed to “defend the interests of Russia” on the occupied territories of Ukraine.

We are witnessing madness, my dear readers, just like our parents or grandparents saw it eighty years ago. It is as bad or worse than Hitler or Stalin, or both combined. For no matter what your political orientation is, we can –I’m sure – agree that both were nasty dictators. The trouble is that Putin’s Russia is well on its tracks to outdo them both and the Russian propaganda machine works day and night trying to force us to accept their vision.

Late in WW2 out of desperation Hitler was looking for a wonder weapon that could turn the tide of war in his favour and he thought he found it in the infamous V1 and V2 rockets. Both were very scary and worked as instruments of psychological terror, but were useless as tactical weapons because they were not accurate. They could be aimed at London in general but not at any specific target. In a similar way Putin is now shooting the so called “kamikaze” drones and missiles at Ukraine. Russians are unable to aim them accurately. They can aim at a city but not at a specific place so in this random madness they fall on residential areas killing civilians. Does Putin care? Of course not, he possibly even likes it as randomness only increases fear among a civilian population. This is yet another form of warfare in an attempt to force Ukraine to submission. His other attempts are failing or failed so he found a new one. Are these actions the convulsions of a rotten system on the verge of collapse? One hopes so.

Putin’s “new order” he was threatening us with a while ago is mercifully not really dawning on the world. After so many years in power and surrounded like every dictator by yes men, he got used to getting what he wanted. And I am sorry to say, regretfully we the West helped by not opposing Russia when he snatched a piece of Georgia in 2008. We did not react when he annexed the Crimea in 2014 either. Central - Eastern European countries were warning us for years by repeating one can’t trust Putin. But we were always dismissing Eastern Europeans as too emotional with a tendency to exaggerate. And besides, business in Russia was so profitable for Western investors.

On the 6th of January Putin unilaterally ordered 36 hours cease fire for observance of the Russian Orthodox Christmas and asked Ukraine to respect it, while he cynically rejected an identical request for a cease fire for Christmas in December proposed by Ukraine.

He broke his own word because there were incidents of Russians opening fire despite his pledge. It is yet another proof showing that Putin and his thugs can not be trusted and are not interested in peace or anything else except what they want and it is Ukraine. This is precisely why we can not let it go in any way and must see Russia leave Ukraine’s territory completely.

Wojtek Migdalski

Saltburn Athletic Football Club

Prior to Christmas the cold weather played havoc with the fixtures but we are now well into the new year and games are being played again.

The under 16s have continued their excellent season with wins over Greatham by 3-1 and an easy victory over Darlington’s young bulls by an 8-0 scoreline and now are sitting in the runners up position in the league.

The under 14s are again having a hard season and although they won 5-4 against Wynyard they have lost to Ferryhill by 8-4 and to Hartlepool Pools Youth by 5-3.

The under 12s continue to play but struggle as they lost 7-0 versus Great Ayton, 3-1 against Whitby and then 2-0 against Dormanstown. I am sure a victory is just round the corner.

The under 7s, under 8s and under 9s continue to progress through their revised fixtures.

We have recently had all our pitches and the school pitches tested for quality purposes and we will continue to improve these grassed pitches with the advice given.

We are also looking to make further improvements to our clubhouse and working with Huntcliff school as we look to hopefully expand our teams and age groups.

Happy new Year to you all.