At the museum at Chełmno swastikas are very prominent in the displays. A nice Polish guide in his 20s offered a short introduction to the complex. He used the phrase „the Germans“ four times – I counted because the first time was so noticeable to me. He didn’t say „Nazis“ once. He also talked about „the Jews“ being killed, rather than „Poles“, which I found interesting partly because this differs from the narrative I found at Auschwitz in October. Language on the memorial plaques document the transition, from „Nazis“, „Nazi beasts“, before 2010 or so to the very consistent „Germans“ of today.

Guardian:

After war broke out last week, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, called for the west to implement a no-fly zone over his country, arguing that “people are dying as we speak”, and the idea has captured the imagination of many as the bombing worsens.

Creating airspace where Russian aircraft cannot fly would need to be enforced militarily, typically with surveillance, pre-emptive strikes and ultimately by downing banned aircraft. This would mean Nato forces engaging directly with Russian planes.

Western leaders have repeatedly said it would not be possible for Nato to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine because, in the words of the UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, it would “lead to a war against Russia across the whole of Europe” as western jets would have to seize control of the skies.

But Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chair of the defence committee, complained that Wallace should have not ruled the idea out so publicly at least. “This shows we’ve forgotten the rules of post-cold war statecraft by exhibiting weakness and failing to keep the enemy guessing – even if you’ve privately ruled the option out,” the MP said.

SF Gate:

A photo of San Francisco’s Bernal rock on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, sporting a fresh new paint job in support of Ukraine after Russia invaded the country last week. Grant Marek/SFGATE

The colorful rock near the top of San Francisco’s Bernal Heights Park — which has been anonymously painted mostly by neighbors to resemble everything from a poop emoji to an avocado to a Santa hat — now features a horizontal, bicolor design of blue and yellow, mirroring the Ukrainian flag, with the words „Stop Putin“ scrawled across the front, referencing the man responsible for the invasion: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The side and the back of the rock both feature Russian phrases that translate to „Glory Ukraine“ and „Russian ship – go f—k yourself!“ — a nod to the Ukrainian border guards stationed on a small, rocky Black Sea outcropping known as Snake Island who responded such when asked by a Russian naval ship to surrender on the first day of the Russian invasion last week.

US White House:

Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated.

He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined.

He met the Ukrainian people.

From President Zelenskyy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, inspires the world.

Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland.

In this struggle as President Zelenskyy said in his speech to the European Parliament “Light will win over darkness.”

Guardian:

Joe Biden’s State of the Union address showed an old enemy re-entering US consciousness

Joe Biden’s speech on Tuesday mentioned Russia 18 times – more than any other State of the Union Address since the tradition started in 1790.

Guardian:

Russia’s star conductor, Valery Gergiev, has been dropped by his management over his close ties to Vladimir Putin as he faces a looming deadline to publicly denounce the Russian president or lose yet another role in his rapidly crumbling career.

The 68-year-old Russian, an old friend and supporter of Putin, has faced increasing pressure to speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over the last week. He has been removed from performances around the world and faces more professional punishment if he does not condemn Putin’s aggression in the next 24 hours.

On Sunday, his manager, Marcus Felsner, announced he would be dropping Gergiev, who he called “the greatest conductor alive and an extraordinary human being with a profound sense of decency”, but who “will not, or cannot, publicly end his long-expressed support for a regime that has come to commit such crimes.”

“In the light of the criminal war waged by the Russian regime against the democratic and independent nation of Ukraine, and against the European open society as a whole, it has become impossible for us, and clearly unwelcome, to defend the interests of Maestro Gergiev,” Felsner said in a statement, calling it “the saddest day of my professional life.”

The move by Gergiev’s management comes just before a Monday deadline imposed by the mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, on Gergiev to publicly denounce the invasion. If Gergiev does not comply, Reiter said he would be fired as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic.

faces more professional punishment if he does not condemn Putin’s aggression in the next 24 hours – I didn’t make this line up. It is a direct quote. The article really does say this.

Germany has the handy concept of Berufsverbot – just ask anyone who lived through the 1960s/70s maintaining a posture critical of the US war against Vietnam. As this article makes clear, however, cities in Italy, the Netherlands, and the US have already made the opportunity to direct music conditional upon public declarations of state-sanctioned political beliefs.

Guardian:

Republican Tom Cotton refuses four times to condemn Trump on Ukraine
The former president’s views are clear. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin and though at CPAC on Saturday he condemned the invasion, he again called the Russian leader “smart”.

…

Stephanopoulos cited Trump calling Putin “smart” and “savvy” and “say[ing] Nato and the US are dumb”, and asked: “Are you prepared to condemn that kind of rhetoric from the leader of your party?”

Cotton said: “George, you heard what I had to say about Vladimir Putin. That he is a ruthless dictator who’s launched a naked, unprovoked war of aggression.

…

Stephanopoulos asked: “Why can’t you condemn Donald Trump for those comments?”

The public instruction is clear: Putin is a „ruthless [as opposed to merciful] dictator“. Putin is not „smart“ or „savvy“. Nato and the US are not „dumb”. Presumably this means Nato and the US are „smart“ and „savvy“?

Die Abgeordneten erheben sich für den anwesenden ukrainischen Botschafter. Und Bundespräsident Gauck macht das einzig richtige und umarmt ihn.

After bravely shipping two trucks of helmets towards Ukraine (not actually into Ukraine – there’s a war on, after all) Germany embraces the Ukrainian Ambassador, Covid distancing be damned, ‚cause here in the Bundestag that’s just how we roll! 💪🏻