Sean Penn says US has to accept ‘level of shame’ for not arming Ukraine faster

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Penn’s film represents a serious attempt to tell the story of Ukraine and its charismatic leader, including an extraordinary interview with a clearly exhausted Zelenskiy in a tiny side room at some point on the first day of the Russian invasion.

“He wants us to be dead,” Zelenskiy said in the encounter, referring to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and it is not clear if the Ukrainian leader is referring to himself and his team – or the entire country. “Sanctions are not enough,” the leader added, the first of many pleas for western help to save his embattled nation.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/18/sean-penn-says-us-has-to-accept-level-of-shame-for-not-arming-ukraine-faster

February last year

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It is coming up on 1 year since we woke up with the building shaking and the sounds of bomb blasts in Kyiv. We were in shock for a long time and now it just seems like some alternate reality. This evil war sometimes feels like it will never end and then there are days where we are filled with optimism and spirit. We believe Ukraine will win this war and that we will return to our home there, but we have no clue when that might be, and that is an unsettling feeling.

On a selfish and material level I sometimes think of all my stuff in our apartment in Kyiv. I am a collector and a hoarder. And everything I cherish that I have collected over my life is in Kyiv. None of this stuff has any real monetary value, but to me it means a lot. Funny and quirky stuff, a lot of nostalgic wonders, magic tricks, pranks, DVDs, LaserDiscs and VHS tapes, books, cool gadgets, and a lot lot more. I was hoping the Bunster will sit down one day and explore some of these things. I hope he will love the art of magic – he certainly could dive into a cool collection of fascinating illusions and storytelling wonder. I hope we still get that opportunity one day. Interestingly, David Copperfield is of Ukrainian origin.

Yes, I do believe we will return to The Nest in Kyiv. But what happens if WW III breaks out across Europe? What if we cannot return. Do we start again? Is that what a reset is all about? It is a thought we sometimes have. Was there any point to all that sentimental collecting? The war has shaken everyone up inside and outside of Ukraine. And it has challenged what we believe was important. Family and health are fundamental, and making a difference is what we think about everyday. Purpose.

The news online is predicting that as the 24th of this month approaches that the evil Russians are going to attack Ukraine like never before. The West said Ukraine would not survive the first week. They were wrong. And then it was said that Ukraine would not survive the winter as the evil Russians pound the electrical infrastructure. And Ukraine is still standing strong. February 24th will be behind us soon and I am confident Ukraine will still be there. And comes May, we will be there too. I can’t wait.

“I love the fact that Ukraine getting weapons that repel, localize, and derail hostile offensive actions in its territory is always an ESCALATION!!!!, and at the same time Russia’s overt campaign to bomb Ukraine into the stone age in the middle of winter is totally fine” – Illia Ponomarenko