The regional administration building in Kharkiv's central square, Ukraine, after Russian shelling on Tuesday. (State service of special communication and information protection of Ukraine via AP)
BRITISH High Commissioner Sarah Dickson said it is “time to stand with Ukraine,” noting that while Russia’s invasion of its neighbour may seem far away, the shock waves felt by the war will be felt even here.
In a letter to the editor, Ms Dickson said Russia’s leaders are afraid of “successful, outward-facing, free market democracies” in its neighbourhood, because they do not want Russian people to know there is a world outside of a “stifling, corrupt dictatorship”.
She noted that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced sanctions against Russia and that Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell has condemned Russia’s actions.
“What’s happening in Ukraine may seem very far away, but the shock waves, created by the brutal invasion by Russia, will be felt even here,” Ms Dickson wrote. “The globalised world we live in means that the fall out of war will impact fuel and food prices; as well as consumer and investor confidence.”
“The British Prime Minister was quick to act and announced an unprecedented package of sanctions against Russia. These sanctions include restricting access to London’s capital markets, and asset freezes and clearing restrictions on the Russian banking sector, banning Aeroflot from the UK and undertaking further steps against Russian money and oligarchs,” she said.
The United States also placed additional sanctions on Russia’s central bank yesterday, which “effectively prohibits Americans from doing any business with the bank as well as freezes its assets” within the US, according to CNBC.
Yesterday, Ms Dickson underscored why it is important for nations to support Ukraine.
“Our support and that of The Bahamas matters for the sake of Ukraine, a European sovereign nation and UN member, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity, which should be protected by the UN Charter, is being dismembered by a UN Security Council permanent member.
“. . . Why have we come to this? Some say Russia is threatened by NATO expansion. Seriously? Having spent two years negotiating for the UK at NATO and in the OSCE on the movement of armed forces in Europe, I know how carefully the alliance deliberates to ensure continuing peace. So, let’s be clear on what Russia fears. It’s not the immediate prospect of Ukraine in NATO, no more than it was the EU/Ukraine agreement in 2014 which led to the illegal annexation of Crimea.
“What Russia’s leaders fear is successful, outward-facing, free market democracies in Russia’s neighbourhood, because they are afraid these potent counter-examples will show the Russian people that there is a future beyond stifling, corrupt dictatorship.
“It’s not for the EU or NATO, not for the UK or US, to dictate Ukraine’s future. But neither is it for Moscow. The world will stand with Ukraine against President Putin’s barbaric invasion so as a democratic, sovereign nation Ukraine and its people can chart their own course,” she said.
Russia launched a “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine on February 24. More than 200 people are reported dead after weapon strikes in Ukraine while hundreds of thousands of people have fled to neighbouring countries.
Last week, Mr Mitchell said gasoline prices could soar to $8 a gallon due to the conflict.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 8 months ago
History recalls NATO illegal war then break up of Yugoslavia, the Balkanuzation process. Then the destruction then occupations Iraq but failed total breakup to date. The thirty trillion dollar financing of Syria destruction after Libya suffered that fate. The partitioning of Africa script us in plans for Russia also. Only China, Iran, Cuba and Russia remain unconquered lands waiting to become spoils of colonialism. And yes. We will benefit.
Lil242 2 years, 8 months ago
The Bahamas needs not to be caught up in geopolitical issues of superpowers. War is war, all war should be condemned. The cherry picking condemnation of some wars over other conflicts/wars is hypocrisy. Many forget Ukraine sent 5,000 troops to Iraq in support of the US/ NATO baseless invasion where many innocent civilians lives were lost. This is the same UN, US/ NATO that pass resolution that give them the right in invaded Iraq, where was the public outcry against the West for countless nations the West invaded; where are the sanctions against the West on these matters. The Ukraine crisis is not different from the Cuba Missiles Crisis, the US wont let anyone place missiles on their backdoor but want to do it too other nations; its called a double standard. The US is only interested in its hegemony and its world order anyone that challenges it is a enemy. How many countries has the US invaded or overthrown governments and place western friendly government puppets, Ukraine just got used by the West. How am I your friend? when I want you to stay dependent on me economically and for security eg. NATO and other puppet nations to keep me #1 in the world. History states great nations rise and fall an another nation takes its place not everyone can accept that. Most of the wars and conflicts in the world can be trace back to one source that's US foreign policy and its hegemony. Ukraine should have stayed neutral with both the West and the East.
Sickened 2 years, 8 months ago
Preach it Mr. Putin!
Proguing 2 years, 8 months ago
Can she tell us why the UK has been silent on the continuous bombing by Saudi Arabia of Yemen for the past 8 years? At the last count there were over 100,000 deaths. Saudi Arabia also has a bloody dictator who cuts to pieces critics such as Khashoggi or who beheads children because they posted a critical messages on social media. But no, nothing, no outrage, no sanctions, on the contrary the UK and USA are assisting Saudi Arabia in the war against Yemen.
Also painting Ukraine as an ideal democratic and sovereign nation vs a “corrupt” Russia is just not true.
In 2016 Biden ordered Ukraine to fire the prosecutor who directed investigations into the natural gas company that hired his son to serve on its board of directors. Does that sound sovereign to you?
In 2020 the main opposition leader was put under house arrest and his assets frozen. The same year three TV channels were shut down.
About corruption, Ukraine is rated in the top 3 most corrupt countries in the world according to Erst & Young (Russia is not part of the top three).
Ukraine has neo-Nazi military units. This is from Wikipedia: "Azov Battalion, is a right-wing extremist and neo-Nazi Ukrainian National Guard unit, based in Mariupol, in the Azov Sea coastal region. It saw its first combat experience recapturing Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists forces in June 2014."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azov_Batt…
I will stop here although I could continue. When the UK will start taking the same interest in protecting persons of color being bombed, as when it happens to white people, I may start listening to you.
hrysippus 2 years, 8 months ago
What a strange set of unsubstantiated allegations are being made by some of these commentators. For instance; Biden in 2016 ordered Ukraine to fire its prosecutor? Really? Biden was not even president in 2016.
Proguing 2 years, 8 months ago
When he was VP. Here is the video of him bragging about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA--dj…
carltonr61 2 years, 8 months ago
@pus..You are so incorrect. His son was placed as head of the energy department of Ukraine and paid millions a months. He has trillions of horses in the race race there that will loose on futures trading.
Sickened 2 years, 8 months ago
So we should be invaded as well because we are certainly corrupt? Hopefully the US invades us - not Russia... me no speako no Russiano.
Proguing 2 years, 8 months ago
BTW the barrel of oil is up 11% today because of the sanctions imposed on Russia (highest price since 2014). This is what you call shooting yourself in the foot. Unfortunately the Bahamas will be a collateral victim of this war.
carltonr61 2 years, 8 months ago
Biden just release millions of gallons from the strategic reserves to offset this.
Proguing 2 years, 8 months ago
This will only have a temporary effect. We are moving into a period of Stagflation.
LastManStanding 2 years, 8 months ago
Jimmy Carter 2.0
LastManStanding 2 years, 8 months ago
I think that a lot of people are unnecessarily making this out to be some kind of moral dilemma; it is not, this is simple geo-politics running it's course. The pro-Russian government was toppled by a Western backed colour revolution in 2014 shortly after canceling a massive economic agreement with the EU worth billions signed by the prior pro-West government. The new Western backed government immediately put it out there that joining NATO was one of their primary goals, and immediately moved to ban Russian from being spoken in the East (which is what lead to the revolutions in Luhansk and Donetsk). It is important to note that the Ukraine has always been pro-Russian in the east, and pro-West in the western part. There has always been a division of allegiances. What is happening now is simply a mere subset of bigger events that have been in the run up for a decade plus.
Russia was never going to tolerate the Ukraine becoming a member of NATO. The best that they could have hoped for was some kind of deal like Finland during the Cold War, where the Fins simply stayed neutral in the conflict between East and West. It is worth noting that this is not the first time the West has used the "colour revolution" strategy to stir up issues with Russia. Study the Rose Revolution in Georgia and the 2008 war that shortly followed. The West tried to repeat the same in Belarus during 2020 and Kazakhstan earlier this year. These are deliberate provocations in nations that are in the Russian sphere of influence.
Does anyone think that the USA would tolerate a Bahamian government becoming allies with China and allowing them to set up a naval base here? Go ask Grenada, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and many more if you are unsure of the answer. One side is no better than the next, which is why framing this situation in a moral context is absolutely stupid. This is geo-politics playing out plain and simple, and people need to look at this situation without trying to create a Marvel movie out of it.
JohnDoes 2 years, 8 months ago
Sadly, the days of doing actual research are slightly gone as more of the current generation's eyes and minds are glued to Tik Tok, IG, Youtube, and the biased media. Everything you said was true, and there is definitely an agenda behind trying to make Russia look like they've lost their minds. Yes, it is very sad what is happening and I would never wish suffering on anyone but almost all 'savvy' persons know that this conflict is something that was boiling over for many years, it's not like Putin woke up and was like today we're going to invade Ukraine for nothing. The man hasnt been in power for 20 years due to rational decisions.
carltonr61 2 years, 8 months ago
@lastman. Great
Proguing 2 years, 8 months ago
Breaking news. Biden has completely wrecked the oil market by making Russian oil untouchable. We are going to see an oil crisis not see since 1979. But remember when you pay $10 per gallon, this is to punish Putin (says Biden).
Bobsyeruncle 2 years, 8 months ago
So it's Biden's fault and not Putin's? Why don't you grow some cajones and stop making this all about Biden, or did he make you impotent too ?
Proguing 2 years, 8 months ago
The rise in the price of oil is entirely the fault of Biden, first with his energy transition policy which has brought the price of gas at over $5 per gallon in the Bahamas and now it could double due to the sanctions imposed on Russia by the USA.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
Had it not been for Biden's very foolish decisions resulting in the disastrous way in which the U.S. exited Afghanistan, Putin would not have been incentivized to go to war with the Ukraine.
And to add insult to injury, Biden both shamefully and shamelessly failed to acknowledge in his State of the Union address last night the 13 U.S. soldiers who lost their lives at the Kabul airport because of his gross incompetence as Commander and Chief.
You had better just pray the increasingly nutty and isolated Putin doesn't decide to fire off a 'big one' aimed at the large U.S. military base in Homestead, Florida, because it would surely take out most if not all of the Northern Bahamas. The world would be lucky to survive three more years of the Biden presidency.
ted4bz 2 years, 8 months ago
Here we go again!!!!!
Yeah, and Juan Guaido is president of Venezuela, and covid vaccine stops covid. How gullible! The moment the US media starts blabbering the political narrative everyone goes on parroting the nonsense without know anything. Stop the nonsense and learn what this Ukraine thing is really about.
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