Thoughts for the Day, February 25, 2022: Putin is not a friend to the U.S. or any country including Russia. He is only a friend of power and control.

Vladimir Putin is not a friend of the United States of America or any other country, including his own country of Russia.  No matter how much money, land, or power he has, it will never be enough.  His unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is proof positive.  He is a threat to every person on earth.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.  Republicans, conservatives, Democrats, liberals, and everyone else should be denouncing his invasion of Ukraine.  He should not be praised or envied for his actions in the past, the present or in the future.  Unfortunately, Former President Trump does just that.  The following are two sets of quotes. Please consider the striking difference in these quotes when deciding to vote in the future for Trump and his political supporters.

Quotes of the Day from Around the World about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine:

“Russian warship, go f**k yourself.” A Ukraine soldier right before he and 17 others were killed by Russian a warship.

“How can we live through it in our time? What should we think? Putin should be burnt in hell along with his whole family.”

“Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany. Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one. Stop Putin. Isolate Russia. Sever…all ties. Kick Russia out of everywhere.

“They are trying to wipe the village off the face of the earth,”

“Today’s events are a watershed moment for Europe. Bombs are falling on innocent women, men, and children. They fear for their lives, and many are dying. All of this happens in 2022 – in the very heart of Europe. President Putin chose to bring back war to Europe.

“Let me stress that these events, indeed, mark the beginning of a new era. We must be very clear in our analysis: Putin is trying to subjugate a friendly European country. And he is trying to redraw the maps of Europe by force. He must, and he will, fail.”

I fear Putin is unstoppable. This time he’s not concerned about public opinion. There was an overall euphoria [in Russia] after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 but now literally nobody supports the war. People may support Luhansk and Donetsk regions as they’re Russian speaking, but nobody wanted us to invade Ukraine. For the younger generation, we’re worried about what’s going to happen with our future.”

“I felt fear crawling in my guts.  It was as if someone, maybe Mr. Putin himself, had grabbed my heart and squeezed it.”

“I would rather die in my perfectly decorated flat than in some dirty basement,”

“Western leaders and diplomats think they live in a world where rules matter, where diplomatic protocol is useful, where polite speech is valued. All of them think that when they go to Russia, they are talking to people whose minds can be changed by argument or debate. They think the Russian elite cares about things like its ‘reputation.  It does not.”

He (Putin) threatened any country trying to interfere with “consequences you have never seen,”

“Now we see him for what he is – a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest.”

“We still believe—it is our assessment—that they have every intention of basically decapitating the government and installing their own method of governance.”

Quotes about Putin by former president Trump.

“He is “pretty smart. He’s taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions, taking over a country — really a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people — and just walking right in.”

 “The man has very strong control over a country.  Now, it’s a very different system and I don’t happen to like the system, but certainly in that system, he’s been a leader. Far more than our president has been a leader.”

“Look at Putin – what he’s doing with Russia – I mean, you know, what’s going on over there. I mean this guy has done – whether you like him or don’t like him – he’s doing a great job in rebuilding the image of Russia and also rebuilding Russia period,”

“Putin has big plans for Russia. He wants to edge out its neighbors so that Russia can dominate oil supplies to all of Europe, I respect Putin and Russians but cannot believe our leader allows them to get away with so much…Hats off to the Russians.”

I think he’s done really a great job of outsmarting our country,”

“He’s running his country and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country. I think our country does plenty of killing also.”

Well actually, I called him a competitor. And a good competitor he is. And I think the word ‘competitor’ is a compliment.”

He was going to be satisfied with a peace, and now he sees the weakness and the incompetence and the stupidity of this administration, and, as an American, I’m angry about it, and I’m saddened by it, and it all happened because of a rigged election. This would have never happened.”

What are you doing to stop the violence?  Get vaccinated and get your booster.

Orchid of the Day:  Naz Hillmon, U of M’s women’s basketball star. Michigan’s top senior had herself a night. Honored pregame with the rest of her record-setting classmates, Naz Hillmon scored 28 points to power Michigan past rival Michigan State 62-51 on Thursday night.  In the final regular-season home game for Michigan’s seniors, they completed a perfect 14-0 mark at Crisler Center this season.

Onion of the Day:  Former President Trump.  See above quotes.

Video of the Day: Russian Invasion of Ukraine