Muellners Foundation Joins the Open Invention Network Community
Copenhagen, Denmark (February 21, 2022) – Muellners Foundation, a not-for-profit humanitarian organisation that advocates for financial inclusion, social inclusion, and biodiversity, announced today that it has joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community in history.
Muellners Foundation hosts a global open source community and supports best practices and industry standards in the financial services sector. Foundation also suggests regulatory reforms to financial supervisory and regulatory agencies, inter-governmental agencies, social and development organisations and financial crimes agencies, among others, through its open research.
As an industry association, Foundation independently observes, investigates and peer reviews research, and creates studies on open-source documentation and practices regarding different financial services and technologies.
“We are excited to be part of the larger OIN community and contribute towards freedom of the collective and a patent “no-fly” zone alongside strong non-aggression IP policies,” said Ankit Muellner, Foundation’s Independent Board member.
“We are pleased that an organization that supports open collaboration and diversity globally has joined OIN. The financial services and fin-tech industry will continue to improve based on innovations that spring from open-source software’s collaborative innovation model,” said Keith Bergelt, CEO of Open Invention Network.
Keith further added that “Given its focus on best practices in the financial services sector, it is notable that the Muellners Foundation has joined our community and is publicly supporting patent non-aggression in open source.”
OIN’s community practices patent non-aggression in core Linux and adjacent open source technologies by cross-licensing Linux System patents to one another on a royalty-free basis. Patents owned by Open Invention Network are similarly licensed royalty-free to any organization that agrees not to assert its patents against the Linux System.
About Muellners Foundation:
Muellners Foundation is a global think tank, a not for profit initiative. The foundation hosts a community of thought leaders, distributed across different time zones.
The Foundation’s community has embodied an Open Constitution and a decentralised autonomous governance model. Foundation’s initiatives are self-organised with democratic principles.
Muellners Foundation advocates a public, carbon-neutral, & ergonomics driven monetary system.
The purpose of the Foundation is to promote ethical technology governance to tackle social, ecological and development challenges of human society.
Muellners Foundation is a ‘Non for Profit’ voluntary association, based in Copenhagen, Denmark and with Fiscal hosts and constituent bodies in different countries.
The foundation advocates Diversity, Equity and inclusion with its open research and community development programs. Read Foundation’s guiding principles here
Muellners Foundation supports social sustainability – financial inclusion and green projects. Read about open-source Finscale. Foundation maintains an open and global Trust System – Project Serenity. For more information, please visitwww.muellners.org
One of the UK’s largest community led nature restoration projects has taken a big step forwards, with its crowdfunder surging past £100,000 after a £20,000 donation from charity Rewilding Britain.
The community of Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway is seeking to raise £2.2 million to double the size of the vast new Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, created last year following the successful first stage of the South of Scotland’s biggest community land buyout.
Led by the Langholm Initiative charity, the community is now in a race against time to complete the buyout by purchasing a remaining 5,300 acres of Langholm Moor from Buccleuch, before the land is put on the open market after the 31 May deadline.
Success would boost plans for community regeneration, including nature-based tourism opportunities, and for tackling the nature and climate emergencies.
Over 1,000 people from across the UK and the world have now donated to the public crowdfunder on Go Fund Me at bit.ly/LangholmMoorAppeal, which aims to raise at least £150,000 of the £2.2m needed.
“Thanks to the donation from Rewilding Britain and the amazing support and generosity of so many people from across the UK and the world, we’ve taken our ‘impossible dream’ another step closer to reality,” said Jenny Barlow, Tarras Valley Nature Reserve’s Estate Manager.
“But we have a long way to go if we are to safeguard this land for future generations by bringing it into community ownership. A big push is needed over the next few weeks to get us over the line. We really need people to keep donating to the crowdfunder, while we also seek support from major funders.”
Rebecca Wrigley, Rewilding Britain’s Chief Executive, said: “The people of Langholm are showing how community-led nature recovery projects can make a real difference for people, nature and climate, and this hugely important project deserves all the support it can get. There is a unique opportunity here to bring this culturally important land into community ownership.
“The buyout is an inspiring example of local empowerment and the positive change that can happen when people come together with a bold vision. We’re delighted to add our support alongside the remarkable generosity shown by over 1,000 people worldwide, and we urge major funders to back the appeal and help the community achieve something truly historic.”
With Buccleuch’s offer to keep the land off the open market being time limited, the £2.2m target needs to be reached by 31 May or the community’s chance of purchasing the land will be lost forever.
If the land goes on the open market, its price will probably rise beyond the community’s reach. There are fears it may then be bought by corporate investment firms, which are land banking in Scotland.
The buyout’s first phase saw the Langholm Initiative and Buccleuch reach an agreement of £3.8 million for 5,200 acres of land and six residential propertiesin October 2020. On the resulting nature reserve, globallyimportant peatlands and ancient woods are being restored, native woodlands established, and a haven ensured for wildlife.
Ensuring community regeneration through a nature-based approach is a central aim of the new nature reserve. Langholm was once a thriving textile centre, but the industry has declined in recent years.
The community buyout has already seen jobs on the land rise to six from zero, alongside detailed plans that are underway for generating social and economic opportunities for local people.
According to a recent report by Rewilding Britain,‘Rewilding and the rural economy’, localised nature-based economies can increase and diversify rural jobs, while helping Britain meet its biodiversity and climate commitments.
Leading charities that have supported the buyout include Borders Forest Trust, John Muir Trust, Rewilding Britain, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Trees for Life, and the Woodland Trust.
To find out more, visit langholminitiative.org.uk.
Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of Langholm Initiative, on Friday 18 February, 2022. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/
The St. Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria summoned two Russian clergy to a church court. These are the priests Georgi Maximov and Andrei Novikov, who were sent by the Moscow Patriarchate to Africa to attract African clergy to the Russian Exarchate in Africa.
In the two letters of the Holy Synod says: “You are summoned to appear in person before the First Instance Synod Court of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, intended for elders, deacons and monks, in the Patriarchal Palace of Alexandria (hereinafter the address, ed. Note) on February 24, Thursday, 10 a.m. to be tried for the offenses you are accused of, as described below, in accordance with the provisions of the Rules of Procedure of the Ecclesiastical Courts of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Based on divine and sacred rules, he is accused of the following canonical violations:
• acts outside (church) borders by performing the Divine Liturgy and other sacraments in the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa without the permission of His Divine Beatitude the Pope of Alexandria and All Africa Pope and Patriarch Mr. Theodore II and in places (rules 15th of the First Ecumenical Council, 15th of the Holy Apostles, 3rd of the Council of Antioch, etc.);
• fellowship with deposed clergy (rules 10th and 11th of the Holy Apostles, 2nd of the Council of Antioch and 3rd of the Council of Carthage, etc.);
• intrigues and divisions (rules 18th of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, 31st of the Holy Apostles, 6th of the Council of Ganges, 5th of the Council of Antioch, 5th of the Antioch, 10th, 53rd, 62nd of the Council of Carthage, 34 the Fifth Ecumenical Council, etc.);
• severe scandal of the believers in the Church “woe to that man by whom the offense cometh” (Matt. 18: 7).
We warn you that in case of your disobedience and non-appearance on the specified day and time, you will be tried in your absence.
The following are the signatures of three metropolitans, members of the court of first instance, as well as the place and date of the summons: Alexandria, February 18, 2022.
Simultaneously, theologians from the Thessaloniki Faculty of Theology declared: The actions of the Russian Church in Africa are blasphemy against the Holy Spirit!
The Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at the Faculty of Theology at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki described the Moscow Patriarchate’s decision to establish an “exarchate” in the Alexandria Patriarchate as an “anti-canonical act” that violates “fundamental church principles.” a strong blow against the unity of the Orthodox Church. “
“The theological world is watching with pain the growing isolation in the Orthodox Church, mainly due to ethnocentrism,” said an extremely sharp statement from the university, which essentially accused the ROC of succumbing to the “temptation of power.” arising from the feeling of power.
“It is unjust and ultimately blasphemous against the Holy Spirit for the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which is finally recovering from the cost of struggle, martyrdom and the testimony of humble missionaries, to suffer the anti-canonical behavior of a younger sister church. according to Orthodox diptychs. “Especially when this church in its inter-Christian relations shows special sensitivity and attention not to harm, for example, its good cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church,” the theologians said.
Here is the text of the entire statement, signed by the head of the department Prof. Konstantinos Hristu:
The Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture at the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki expresses deep sorrow at the decision of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate to establish a Russian Exarchate under the jurisdiction of the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria. This canonical act violates above all the basic ecclesiastical principles based on the canonical decisions of the Ecumenical Councils, and is a strong blow against the unity of the Orthodox Church. The consequence of this action is the weakening of the authority and testimony of our Church in the modern world. A study of historical sources shows that such actions ultimately turn against those responsible for this anti-canonical nature.
The theological world is watching with pain the growing isolation in the Orthodox Church, mainly due to ethnocentrism, which has recently, unfortunately, become associated with the logic of “an eye for an eye”. This spirit, alien to the gospel of Christ, opposes above all the laws of catholicity and unity introduced by the Founder of the Church himself. We know from the teachings of the Holy Fathers that the Church, according to her highest principles, carries the gospel message of “the unity of all.” In this context, the use of secular authority to achieve world ecclesiastical hegemony is a temptation similar to that of Christ in the desert, so it is most strongly rejected by the Church Fathers, and even by secular authors, as a typical representative. is the Russian writer F. Dostoevsky in “The Grand Inquisitor” by “The Karamazov Brothers”.
The temptation of power, arising from the feeling of the strong, of one who can use even the means of a superpower, but also the channels of propaganda to look convincing, has nothing to do with the spirit and thinking of the holy fathers. In the long-suffering African continent, the Church was created through the sacrificial service of weak missionaries, but strong by the grace of Almighty God. The arrogance of the secular ruler, according to the apostle of the nations Paul, collapses before the spiritual power of God’s saints, these devoted workers of the Lord’s vineyard.
Unfair and ultimately blasphemous against the Holy Spirit is the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which is finally recovering from the cost of struggle, martyrdom and the testimony of humble missionaries, suffering from the anti-canonical behavior of a sister church, younger than her according to orthodox diptychs. Especially when this church in its inter-Christian relations shows special sensitivity and attention not to harm, for example, its good cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church. We remind you that when the Russian Church endured the hardships of the ungodly regime, the churches of the Greek tradition invariably provided assistance to support the Russian Orthodox brothers in the faith and alleviate their pain. Then the spirit of unity, blessed by God, prevails. In addition, we recall that the Moscow Patriarchate performed its ministry much better when it practically carried out the spiritual covenants, experience and tradition of the ancient patriarchates and especially of the Great Church of Christ. Numerous cases of spiritual assistance from the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the strengthening of Orthodoxy in the Russian lands are known.
The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Crete 2016) stated that: “The Orthodox Autocephalous Churches are not a confederation of churches, but one, holy, universal and apostolic Church” and as such must develop and promote its unity. The same council decided that it was not possible to have a diaspora within the jurisdiction of the local autocephalous Orthodox churches. Therefore, the Russian Church, with its concrete action, also challenges the modern conciliar decisions, which were also adopted by it, as it co-signed all the pre-conciliar texts.
The future of the Orthodox Church presupposes unity, and that is why we must all work in this direction, respecting and supporting church institutions. Recent experience from pan-Orthodox cooperation to the Holy and Great Council has shown the way to the creative and fruitful cooperation of local churches. This process must continue.
Standing in the apostolic and patriarchal tradition, we call for the restoration of the canonical order, which revives the testimony of Orthodoxy in the world and glorifies God in the Trinity.
City officials plan to turn this long-forgotten ancient site into a major attraction
The ancient amphitheater in Milan is being turned into a green archeological park under a 1.5m-euro restoration project, Art Newspaper reported.
It is planned to plant a hedge of boxwood, myrtle and ligustrum on the site of the destroyed parts of the facility.
City officials plan to turn this long-forgotten ancient site into a major attraction. Many bushes will be planted in the ruins of the Roman amphitheater, which will allow visitors to imagine how the so-called Colosseum of Milan. Excavations, which are still ongoing, have already “rewritten chapters from the history of Milan”, say the people behind the project.
Mediolanum, as the city was formerly called, was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 402 AD, when it had a palace, a circus, many basilicas, thermal baths and a huge forum. Built in the first century, the elliptical amphitheater was originally 150 meters by 120 meters – smaller than the Colosseum in Rome – but was gradually demolished in the late fourth century to provide material for new structures, including the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Archaeologists discovered its location in 1931, and in the 1970s excavations found seven walls that supported the stands.
The new project, which began in 2018, envisions an increase in the area of the city-owned archeological park from 12,500 square meters to 22,300 square meters. Thus, it will become the largest in Milan. Excavations, launched in 2019 under the control of Italian authorities, revealed 14 more walls and a hypoge, consisting of two underground galleries, from which gladiators and beasts were brought to the stage.
The project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture and private donors. The park is expected to be open to visitors by the end of this year.
Hedges of boxwood, myrtle and ligustrum will mark parts of the structure that have been destroyed, including the walls of the base, and more than 100 trees will form a passage representing the outer walls of the amphitheater. Wild flowers will create a balance on the example of a central garden in the Renaissance style. Covering the hypogeum with a wooden stage will allow the arena to be used for performances.
Fragments of at least 150 pre-Roman vases dating from the fourth to the third century BC were discovered in the park last year, suggesting that a Celtic shrine may have been nearby. These and other finds – including a spear and a marble head resembling Agrippina, the wife of Emperor Claudius – are likely to be on display either in the park museum at the entrance or in an abandoned building that could be renovated with funds from the Ministry of Culture. The excavations will continue after the opening of the park for visitors.
The Holy Gospel tells us that the Pharisees, dissatisfied with the miracles the Lord performed, asked Him for a special miracle: a sign from heaven (Mark 8:11). The request for such a sign, according to some strange notions of signs and wonders, was repeated many times, as the Lord testified: this kind wants signs (Mark 8:12). The Sadducees also took part in the Pharisees’ request, differing so much in their beliefs (Matt. 16: 1). Sometimes the people expressed a desire to see a sign from heaven. For example, after the miraculous multiplication of the five loaves and the saturation of the great multitude of five thousand men, without women and children, the eyewitnesses of this miracle participating in this meal said to the Lord: What figure do you give us to see and believe? What are you doing? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat” (John 6: 30-31). They saw insufficiently the wonderful multiplication of the loaves in the hands of the Savior: it became quiet, with holy humility, which permeated all the actions of the God-man, and they needed a spectacle, they needed an effect *. They had to cover the sky with thick clouds, thunder and lightning, and the loaves fell from the air. Such was the character of the request for a miracle made by the Jewish high priests and chiefs of the people to the God-man, when He was pleased to be crucified. And the chief priests mocked together with the scribes and Pharisees and elders, saying, Save others; but he cannot save himself. If He is the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in Him (Matt. 27: 41-42).
They acknowledge the miracles performed by the Lord, but at the same time they laugh at them and thus essentially reject them; and rejecting the miracles bestowed by God’s mercy, they seek a miracle of their own whim and discretion, a miracle which, if performed, would destroy the purpose of the God-man’s coming to earth, and then the redemption of men would not follow.
Herod was among those who wished to see a miracle of the Lord with which they intended to satisfy their curiosity, frivolity, and recklessness (Luke 23: 8). He needed a sign to have a good time. When he did not get what he wanted, he showered the Lord with ridicule, which gave him a minute of entertainment. What does this general request for miracles from the God-man, expressed by so many different people, and connected at the same time with contempt for the astonishing miracles performed by the God-man, mean? Such a request is an expression of carnal wisdom about miracles.
What does the term carnal wisdom mean? This is the way of thinking about God and everything spiritual, which is borrowed from people in their state of fall, not from the Word of God. The property of enmity and opposition to God, with which the carnal wisdom is infected and overflowing, is especially clearly expressed in the request for miracles from the Godman according to the notions of deceptive reason, in case of carelessness, rejection and condemnation of the miracles performed by the Godman. kindness. And He did them, being God’s power and God’s wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24).
PART ONE
The request of a miracle from the Godman was a grave sin, it was based on the concepts of carnal wisdom. Hearing this bold, blasphemous request, the God-man sighed with His Spirit and said: what does this race want a figure for? I tell you the truth, no figure of this kind will be given. And leaving them, he passed away. (Mark 8: 12-13)
There is joy in heaven for every repentant sinner, but also the opposite – the ungodly mourn the fall of every man and the rejection of repentance by the sinner [1] (Luke 15:10). In a gracious contemplation of God’s infinite goodness to mankind, in a contemplation of God’s benevolence for the salvation of all men, the great Macarius decided to say that the most holy and dispassionate God is filled with his characteristic weeping for human destruction. This cry, which transcends our notions, is not alien to the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God, who dwelt in man, intercedes for him (for the man in whom he dwelt) with unspeakable sighs (Rom. 8:26). Such a sigh caused the Son of God to ask for a miracle, a request proud and insane. Sighing with His Spirit, He said: what does this race want a figure for? This question was God’s answer to the hostile request for a sign. What a deep cry is heard, God’s cry is in this answer! It seems to express bewilderment caused by the audacity and absurdity of such a request! It shows the loss of hope for the salvation of the people who made this request, contrary to the Spirit of the Giver of salvation! Marked with carnal wisdom and stubbornly abiding in it, as sick incurably, the Lord leaves them – hands them over to themselves, hands them over to destruction, which they have freely accepted and carried within themselves. And leaving them gone. It is true: Carnal wisdom is death (Rom. 8: 6). It is characteristic of the dead not to feel that they are dead, it is characteristic of the carnal
it is wise not to understand and not to feel human doom. Due to the lack of consciousness of his doom, he does not feel the need to revive, and on the basis of his deceptive, false consciousness of life has rejected and rejects real life – God.
Could there be a special authenticity of the sign from heaven – because those who wanted it, that is why they wanted it, attributing such authenticity to it. Can it be concluded that the sign from heaven is necessarily a sign from God? The opposite is seen from the Divine Scriptures. The very expression sign from heaven is too vague. Then they believed, and even now most of the people unfamiliar with the sciences, refer to the sky what is done in the air and in the air. For example, the sun, the moon, the stars are considered to be in the sky, while they are actually moving in space. The rain, the thunder, the lightning (James 5:18) are called celestial phenomena, but in fact these phenomena take place in the air, in the earth’s atmosphere and certainly belong to the earth. In the Candle. Scripture tells that by the action of the devil, God’s fire fell from heaven, burned the sheep and the boys and devoured them (John 1:16). Apparently this fire was formed in the air, just as lightning is formed in it. Simon the Magi amazed the blinded people with miracles, who considered the satanic power in them to be the great power of God (Acts 8:10). Simon was especially astonished at the Roman idolaters when he declared to the assembled crowd that he was a god, that he would ascend to heaven, and suddenly began to rise into the air. This is what the blessed Simeon Metaphrastus tells us, who borrowed his story from the ancient Christian writers. A great calamity is the lack of true knowledge of God in man: then people accept the works of the devil as the works of God.
Before the Second Coming of Christ, when Christianity, spiritual knowledge and reasoning will be reduced to the extreme, false christs and false prophets will appear among the people and show great numbers and miracles to seduce, if possible, the elect (Matt. 24:24). The antichrist himself will perform many miracles and with them will amaze and satisfy the carnal wisdom and ignorance: he will give them a sign from heaven, which they seek and long for. His appearance – says St. Apostle. Paul – by the action of Satan, will be with all power and with omens and false miracles, and with every unrighteous seduction those who perish because they have not accepted the love of truth as their salvation (2 Thess. 6:10). Those who do not understand and are overwhelmed by carnal wisdom, seeing these miracles, will not think at all and will immediately accept them because of the affinity of their spirit with theirs and according to their blindness will recognize them and confess the action of Satan as a great manifestation of God’s power. . The Antichrist will be accepted very quickly and recklessly. People will not understand that his miracles have no good, reasonable purpose, no definite meaning, that they are alien to the truth, full of lies, that they are a monstrous, vicious, meaningless acting that tries to amaze, to led to bewilderment and self-forgetfulness, to seduce, to deceive, to captivate with the charm of the brilliant but empty and foolish effect.
It is not surprising that the miracles of the antichrist will be accepted unquestioningly and enthusiastically by the apostates of Christianity, by the enemies of truth, by the enemies of God: they have prepared for the open, active acceptance of this messenger and instrument of Satan, his teaching, of all his actions, having long since entered into communion in spirit with Satan. It is worthy of deep attention and weeping that the miracles and actions of the antichrist will cause difficulty even to God’s elect. The reason for the strong influence of the antichrist on people will be his insidious cunning and hypocrisy, which will skillfully hide the terrible evil, his unbridled and shameless audacity, the abundant help of fallen spirits, and finally his ability to work miracles, though false, but striking. The human imagination is powerless to imagine such a villain as the antichrist. It is not inherent in the human heart, though corrupt, to believe that evil can reach the extent that it will in the antichrist. He will blow the trumpet for himself, as his forerunners and foreshadowers did, he will be called a preacher and restorer of the true knowledge of God, and those who do not understand Christianity will see in him a representative and fighter for the true religion and will join him. He will blow the trumpet, he will declare himself the promised Messiah. Alumni of carnal wisdom will greet him with a joyful voice. Looking at his fame, power and genius, his all-round development in all areas of this world, they will proclaim him a god and become his associates. The Antichrist will appear before men meek, merciful, full of love and all virtue. Those who accept only the truth of fallen humanity and have not renounced it for the sake of evangelical truth will accept him as such and will obey him for his “sublime virtue.” The Antichrist will offer mankind the highest earthly prosperity and well-being, will offer him honors, wealth, splendor, bodily comforts and pleasures. Therefore, those who seek the earth will accept the antichrist and call him their master. The Antichrist will open to mankind, like a theatrical performance, a spectacle of astonishing miracles inexplicable by modern science, will cause fear with the horror and strangeness of his miracles, will satisfy with them reckless curiosity and gross ignorance, will satisfy human pride and vanity, will satisfy wisdom and superstition will perplex human learning. All people who are guided by the light of their fallen nature and have become estranged from the guidance of God’s light will be drawn to and subdued by the deceiver (Rev. 13: 8). The signs of the antichrist will be manifested mainly in the air, [8] because that is where Satan reigns supreme (Eph. 2: 2: 6-12). Signs will act primarily on vision, attracting and deceiving it.
St. John the Theologian, contemplating the events of the world that must precede his end, says that the antichrist will do great deeds and even bring down fire from heaven on earth before men (Rev. 13:13). This sign Candle. Scripture points to the greatest of the signs of the antichrist, and the place of its performance will be the air. It will be a terrible and majestic spectacle. The signs of the antichrist will complement the action of his cunning. They will make most people on earth his followers. Opponents of the antichrist will be pointed out as troublemakers and enemies of the public good and public order, will be subjected to covert and overt persecution, torture and death. Sly spirits sent around the world will awaken in people the highest opinion of the antichrist, universal enthusiasm, irresistible attraction to him [10]. With many scars Candle. Scripture depicts the severity of the last persecution of Christianity and the cruelty of the persecutor. The most characteristic and defining feature is the name that Scripture gives to this terrible man: he is called a beast (Rev. 13: 1), while the fallen angel is called a dragon (Gen. 3: 1 Rev. 12: 2). The two names very accurately depict the character of the two enemies of God. One acts more secretly, the other more openly, but to the beast, who bears a resemblance to all beasts, uniting in them their various ferocities, [11] the dragon gave him … his power, and his throne, and great power (Rev. 13: 2). Then there will be a terrible trial for the saints of God: the cunning, hypocrisy, and miracles of the persecutor will intensify to deceive and deceive them. Sophisticated, thoughtful and insidiously concealed persecutions and worries, as well as the unlimited power of the torturer, will put them in the most difficult position. With their small number, they will seem insignificant to all mankind, and their opinion will be given special helplessness. Universal contempt, hatred, slander, harassment and violent death has become their lot. Only with the special assistance of God’s grace and under its guidance will God’s elect be able to stand up to God’s enemy, to confess before him and before men the Lord Jesus Christ.
Directly related to what has been said is that the Pharisees and Sadducees, asking the Lord for a sign from heaven, desired a miracle such as the miracles of the antichrist. The fact that they wanted such a miracle is indicated by the behavior of the Lord, His attitude to their desire. Once the Godman expressed deep indignation, resolutely refused to comply with their request and did not want to stay with those who allowed themselves such a request, but withdrew from them. In another case, He gave them the following answer: A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a number, but no number will be given to it except the number of the prophet Jonah (Matt. 16: 4). Here are called “genus” all those who want such a sign because of their kinship in spirit. They are called “adulterous” because they have spiritually entered into communion with Satan [12] by severing their communion with God, and they are called “cunning generation” because, realizing the miracles of the Godman, they pretended not to understand them. Humiliating and blaspheming God’s miracles, they prayed for a miracle, according to their unhappy disposition, with their spirit. The request for a sign from heaven was not so much a request for a miracle as a mockery of the miracles of the Godman and an expression of the ignorant, perverse notion of miracles. The figure of the prophet Jonah, according to the explanation of the Savior Himself (Matt. 12:40), signifies the signs accompanying His death and resurrection. Then, God’s sign was given from heaven! The sun, seeing the crucified Lord, darkened in the middle of the day, deep darkness everywhere, which lasted three hours, the curtain of the Jerusalem temple itself tore in two from the upper to the lower end, there was an earthquake, cracked stones, opened graves, many holy resurrection and they appeared to many in the holy city (Luke 23:45, Matt. 27:45, 51-53). At the very resurrection of the Lord there was another earthquake, a light-bearing angel descended from heaven to the Lord’s tomb as a witness to the resurrection and terrified the guard at the tomb of those seeking a sign from heaven (Matt. 28: 2-4, 11-15). The guards announced the resurrection of the Lord to the Jewish Sanhedrin. But he, having received such a sign from heaven, showed him contempt and hatred, as he showed all the previous miracles of the God-man, bribed the guards and together with them tried to cover the miracle of God with the darkness of lies (Matt. 28: 2- 4, 11-15).
Let us now consider the miracles performed by our Lord Jesus Christ. They are a gift of God to humanity, a gift given not as a duty, but only out of mercy and benevolence. People were obliged to treat this gift and the Giver of the gift with the greatest reverence and prudence, because the Giver of the gift revealed to them that He is God, accepted the human image for their salvation, and gave the gift as a testimony of Himself. This gift had undeniable dignity. But because the acceptance of salvation is left to the free will of man, people have been given the opportunity to consider the miracles of Christ, discussing their authenticity and quality, to draw conclusions about their doer, to accept and acknowledge the Redeemer. by virtue of free, undoubted conviction, and not of hasty, frivolous, as if violent indulgence. Christ’s miracles were very clear. For all of them can be said what the Lord said to St. Apostle. Thomas: Put your finger here and see My hands, put your hand and put it in My ribs, and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer (John 20:27). Christ’s miracles were tangible, they were clear to the simplest people, there was nothing mysterious about them, everyone could look at them calmly, there was no room for doubt and perplexity whether it was a miracle or just like a miracle. The dead were resurrected, incurable diseases were cured, the lepers were cleansed, the blind were seen, the dumb began to speak, food instantly multiplied for those in need, sea waves and winds subsided with a single word of command and saved people from death. who were threatened with death by the storm; the nets of the fishermen, who toiled for a long time in vain, were suddenly filled with fish, obedient to the silent voice of the Lord. The miracles of the Godman had many witnesses, most of whom were either hostile to Him, or careless, or sought only bodily help from Him. And the worst enemies of the Lord did not reject them, but tried to humiliate them with blasphemous explanations and by all means that inspired them with cunning and malice (Matt. 12:24, John 9:24).
(to be continued)
(Writings of Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov. Volume IV. Ascetic Sermon and Letters to the Lay People, St. Petersburg, 1905, pp. 292-326.)
NOTES:
* All underlining in the text is by the translator
1. St. Macarius the Great. Talk 30, ch. 7.
2. There.
3. Cf. the life of St. Apostle Peter. Pinetti lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, performing such miracles, performing them and performing others like him.
4. Prep. Ephraim Sirin. Essays. Part II Word 106 – for the antichrist.
5. There.
6. Prep. Macarius the Great. Talk 31, ch. 4.
7. The Evangelist. Interpretation of the Gospel according to John, ch. 5, § 43.
8. Prep. Ephraim Sirin. Again there.
9. “The devotee of prayer must too seldom stare at heaven for fear of evil spirits. That is why they are called air spirits, because they commit many different deceptions in the air “- St. Simeon the New Theologian. For the third type of attention. Benevolence, vol.
10. Prep. Ephraim Sirin. Again there.
11. “The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet like a bear and its mouth like the mouth of a lion (Rev. 13: 2).
12. The Evangelist. Interpretation of the Gospel according to Matthew, ch. 16, § 4.
The European Times is sharing the Ten Love Letters to the Earth of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. These meditations are an invitation to engage in intimate conversation, a living dialogue, with our Earth.
I
Beloved Mother of All Things
Dear Mother Earth,
I bow my head before you as I look deeply and recognize that you are present in me and that I’m a part of you. I was born from you and you are always present, offering me everything I need for my nourishment and growth. My mother, my father, and all my ancestors are also your children. We breathe your fresh air. We drink your clear water. We eat your nourishing food. Your herbs heal us when we’re sick.
You are the mother of all beings. I call you by the human name Mother and yet I know your mothering nature is more vast and ancient than humankind. We are just one young species of your many children. All the millions of other species who live—or have lived—on Earth are also your children. You aren’t a person, but I know you are not less than a person either. You are a living breathing being in the form of a planet.
Each species has its own language, yet as our Mother you can understand us all. That is why you can hear me today as I open my heart to you and offer you my prayer.
Dear Mother, wherever there is soil, water, rock or air, you are there, nourishing me and giving me life. You are present in every cell of my body. My physical body is your physical body, and just as the sun and stars are present in you, they are also present in me. You are not outside of me and I am not outside of you. You are more than just my environment. You are nothing less than myself.
I promise to keep the awareness alive that you are always in me, and I am always in you. I promise to be aware that your health and well-being is my own health and well-being. I know I need to keep this awareness alive in me for us both to be peaceful, happy, healthy, and strong.
Sometimes I forget. Lost in the confusions and worries of daily life, I forget that my body is your body, and sometimes even forget that I have a body at all. Unaware of the presence of my body and the beautiful planet around me and within me, I’m unable to cherish and celebrate the precious gift of life you have given me. Dear Mother, my deep wish is to wake up to the miracle of life. I promise to train myself to be present for myself, my life, and for you in every moment. I know that my true presence is the best gift I can offer to you, the one I love.
II
Your Wonder, Beauty and Creativity
Dear Mother Earth,
Each morning when I wake up you offer me twenty-four brand new hours to cherish and enjoy your beauty. You gave birth to every miraculous form of life. Your children include the clear lake, the green pine, the pink cloud, the snowcapped mountain top, the fragrant forest, the white crane, the golden deer, the extraordinary caterpillar, and every brilliant mathematician, skilled artisan, and gifted architect. You are the greatest mathematician, the most accomplished artisan, and the most talented architect of all. The simple branch of cherry blossoms, the shell of a snail, and the wing of a bat all bear witness to this amazing truth. My deep wish is to live in such a way that I am awake to each of your wonders and nourished by your beauty. I cherish your precious creativity and I smile to this gift of life.
We humans have talented artists, but how can our paintings compare to your masterpiece of the four seasons? How could we ever paint such a compelling dawn or create a more radiant dusk? We have great composers, but how can our music compare to your celestial harmony with the sun and planets—or to the sound of the rising tide? We have great heroes and heroines who have endured wars, hardship, and dangerous voyages, but how can their bravery compare to your great forbearance and patience along your hazardous journey of eons? We have many great love stories, but who among us has love as immense as your own, embracing all beings without discrimination?
Dear Mother, you have given birth to countless buddhas, saints, and enlightened beings. Shakyamuni Buddha is a child of yours. Jesus Christ is the son of God, and yet he is also the son of Man, a child of the Earth, your child. Mother Mary is also a daughter of the Earth. The Prophet Mohammed is also your child. Moses is your child. So too are all the bodhisattvas. You are also mother to eminent thinkers and scientists who have made great discoveries, investigating and understanding not only our own solar system and Milky Way, but even the most distant galaxies. It’s through these talented children that you are deepening your communication with the cosmos. Knowing that you have given birth to so many great beings, I know that you aren’t mere inert matter, but living spirit. It’s because you’re endowed with the capacity of awakening that all your children are too. Each one of us carries within ourself the seed of awakening, the ability to live in harmony with our deepest wisdom—the wisdom of interbeing.
But there are times when we have not done so well. There are times when we have not loved you enough; times when we have forgotten your true nature; and times when we have discriminated and treated you as something other than ourself. There have even been times when, through ignorance and unskillfulness, we have underestimated, exploited, wounded, and polluted you. That is why I make the deep vow today, with gratitude and love in my heart, to cherish and protect your beauty, and to embody your wondrous consciousness in my own life. I vow to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before me, to live with awakening and compassion, and so be worthy of calling myself your child.
III
Walking Tenderly on Mother Earth
Dear Mother Earth,
Every time I step upon the Earth, I will train myself to see that I am walking on you, my Mother. Every time I place my feet on the Earth I have a chance to be in touch with you and with all your wonders. With every step I can touch the fact that you aren’t just beneath me, dear Mother, but you are also within me. Each mindful and gentle step can nourish me, heal me, and bring me into contact with myself and with you in the present moment.
Walking in mindfulness I can express my love, respect, and care for you, our precious Earth. I will touch the truth that mind and body are not two separate entities. I will train myself to look deeply to see your true nature: you are my loving mother, a living being, a great being—an immense, beautiful, and precious wonder. You are not only matter, you are also mind, you are also consciousness. Just as the beautiful pine or tender grain of corn possess an innate sense of knowing, so, too, do you. Within you, dear Mother Earth, there are the elements of Earth, water, air and fire; and there is also time, space, and consciousness. Our nature is your nature, which is also the nature of the cosmos.
I want to walk gently, with steps of love and with great respect. I shall walk with my own body and mind united in oneness. I know I can walk in such a way that every step is a pleasure, every step is nourishing, and every step is healing—not only for my body and mind, but also for you, dear Mother Earth. You are the most beautiful planet in our entire solar system. I do not want to run away from you, dear Mother, nor to hurry. I know I can find happiness right here with you. I do not need to rush to find more conditions for happiness in the future. At every step I can take refuge in you. At every step I can enjoy your beauties, your delicate veil of atmosphere and the miracle of gravity. I can stop my thinking. I can walk relaxingly and effortlessly. Walking in this spirit I can experience awakening. I can awaken to the fact that I am alive, and that life is a precious miracle. I can awaken to the fact that I am never alone and can never die. You are always there within me and around me at every step, nourishing me, embracing me, and carrying me far into the future.
Dear Mother, you wish that we live with more awareness and gratitude, and we can do this by generating the energies of mindfulness, peace, stability, and compassion in our daily lives. Therefore I make the promise today to return your love and fulfill this wish by investing every step I take on you with love and tenderness. I am walking not merely on matter, but on spirit.
IV
Your Stability, Patience, and Inclusiveness
Dear Mother Earth,
You are this infinitely beautiful blue planet, fragrant, cool, and kind. Your immeasurable patience and endurance makes you a great bodhisattva. Even though we’ve made many mistakes, you always forgive us. Every time we return to you, you are ready to open your arms and embrace us.
Whenever I am unstable, every time I lose touch with myself, or am lost in forgetfulness, sadness, hatred, or despair, I know I can come back to you. Touching you, I can find a refuge; I can reestablish my peace and regain my joy and self-confidence. You love, protect, and nurture all of us without discrimination.
You have an immense capacity to embrace, handle, and transform everything that is cast at you, whether it be great asteroids, refuse and filth, poisonous fumes, or radioactive waste. Time helps you to do this, and your history has shown that you always succeed, even if it takes millions of years. You were able to reestablish equilibrium after the devastating collision that created the moon and have endured at least five mass extinctions, reviving yourself every time. You have an extraordinary capacity to renew, transform, and heal yourself—and also us, your children.
I have faith in your great power of healing. My faith comes from my own observation and experience, not from something others have told me to believe. That’s why I know I can take refuge in you. As I walk, sit, and breathe, I can surrender myself to you, trust wholly in you, and allow you to heal me. I know I don’t have to do anything at all. I can simply relax, release all the tension in my body, and all the fears and worries in my mind. Whether I’m sitting or walking, lying down or standing, I allow myself to take refuge in you, and allow myself to be held and healed by you. I entrust myself to you, Mother Earth. Each one of us needs a place of refuge, but we may not know how to find it or how to get there. Looking deeply today, I can see that my true home, my true place of refuge is you, my beloved planet. I take refuge in you, Mother Earth. I do not have to go anywhere to find you; you are already in me and I am already in you.
Dear Mother, each time I sit in stillness on your Earth, I will be aware that because you are in me, I can embody your wonderful qualities: of solidity, perseverance, patience, and forbearance; of depth, endurance, and stability; of great courage, non-fear, and inexhaustible creativity. I vow to practice wholeheartedly to realize these qualities, knowing that you have already sown these potentials as seeds in the soil of my heart and mind.
V
Heaven on Earth
Dear Mother Earth,
There are those of us who walk the Earth searching for a promised land, not realizing that you are the wondrous place we’ve been looking for our whole lives. You already are a wonderful and beautiful Kingdom of Heaven—the most beautiful planet in the solar system; the most beautiful place in the heavens. You are the Pure Land where countless buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past manifested, realized enlightenment, and taught the Dharma. I do not need to imagine a Pure Land of the Buddha to the west or a Kingdom of God above where I will go when I die. Heaven is here on Earth. The Kingdom of God is here and now. I don’t need to die to be in the Kingdom of God. In fact, I need to be very much alive. I can touch the Kingdom of God with every step. When I touch the present moment deeply in the historical dimension, I touch the kingdom; I touch the Pure Land; I touch the ultimate; and I touch eternity. In deep contact with the Earth and wonders of life, I touch my true nature. The exquisite orchid flower, the ray of sunshine, and even my own miraculous body—if they do not belong to the Kingdom of God, what does? Contemplating the Earth deeply, whether a floating cloud or a falling leaf, I can see the no-birth, no-death nature of reality. With you, dear Mother, we are carried into eternity. We have never been born and we will never die. Once we have realized this, we can then appreciate and enjoy life fully, no longer afraid of aging or death, nor caught in complexes about ourselves, nor yearning for things to be different than they are. We already are, and we already have, what we are looking for.
The Kingdom of Heaven exists, not outside of us, but within our very own hearts. Whether we’re able to touch the Kingdom of God or not at every step, depends on our way of looking, our way of listening, our way of walking. If my mind is calm and peaceful, then the very ground I’m walking on becomes a paradise.
There are those who say that in their heaven there is no suffering. But if there is no suffering, how can there be happiness? We need compost to grow flowers, and mud to grow lotuses. We need difficulties in order to arrive at realizations about them; enlightenment is always enlightenment about something.
Dear Mother, I promise to cultivate this way of looking. I promise to enjoy the practice of dwelling peacefully with mindfulness in the here and the now, so I can touch the Pure Land, the Kingdom of God, day and night. I promise that with every step I will touch eternity. With every step I will touch heaven here on Earth.
(to be continued)
From Love Letter to the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh (2013). Parallax Press, the publishing house of the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism.
Apart from being beautiful and unique in themselves, plants are also extremely useful if we accept them to be part of our home interior. Some of them have an irresistible scent, others bring color and mood, but whatever we list or offer plants, they remain an excellent helper in the name of good health. In times when the air is polluted and we try to live healthy, see some of the most useful plants for our home and health.
Gerber
Gerber is a really very beautiful and perennial flowering plant. It blooms for a long time and is preferred because it is extremely easy to grow. Apart from being very beautiful, gerbera is also on the list of the most effective plants in the fight against NASA’s dirty air, which makes it even more unique and valuable. The aroma of this great plant has a calming effect and helps people who suffer from insomnia.
Green lily
The green lily, also known as chlorophytum or spider plant, is ideal for people who have no experience in growing houseplants. It is really very beautiful and undemanding, which makes it really easy to grow. The green lily purifies the air in the room. This unique plant is useful in that it manages to capture all the chemicals and impurities that are dispersed in the air when we clean our home.
Spathiphyllum
This is an extremely beautiful and delicate plant, but in addition to being beautiful, spathiphyllum also acts as a natural filter in your home. The plant is able to clean the air of harmful substances by absorbing them through its leaves.
Ficus
Ficus is one of the most common tropical plants that can be grown in pots at home. This plant is known to be evergreen and could grow in the form of a tree, creeping plant or shrub. There are several types of ficus, but whichever you choose to grow at home, know that the plant could neutralize toxins, humidify the air and saturate it with oxygen.
Jasmine
This plant is from the Olive family and there are about 200 species of jasmine growing in the tropics as well as in the temperate regions of Europe, Australia and Asia. Sophisticated and delicate, the jasmine plant is known for its delicate, small flowers and tropical aroma. Jasmine is a perennial plant and is relatively easy to grow. The aroma of this beautiful and enchanting flower is able to stimulate the production of the hormone of happiness, instantly recharging our body with energy and calming us at the same time.
Each flower radiates its energy in our home, be careful with red colors
According to feng shui, flowers grown in our home carry a variety of energy. Here are some representatives of the flora and what energy they would bring to our home. Orchids, peonies and tulips are the bearers of family happiness. If you plant any of these plants you will enjoy an enviable family life.
Cacti have the ability to absorb harmful rays from computers, for example. Therefore, according to feng shui, they are the most preferred of all plants with thorns. Geranium placed next to the front door is believed to attract good luck in the home. Be careful with flowers that have red colors, because red is a very strong color. According to feng shui, it can bring you both happiness and success, as well as bad luck in your love life. The red rose is not a suitable plant as it symbolizes death. If you want to grow red flowers and they bring you positive energy in the home, you can opt for petunias or poinsettia. Their energy is more than positive. The creeping plants that cover the windows worsen relations with relatives. If you have such plants creeping over your door there is a risk of losing your home. In general, these flowers carry negative energy and do not have a good effect on your emotional state.
Depending on what you would like to attract, there are plants that would help you. For example, if you want to succeed in love, grow orchids and peonies to attract money – geranium, poinsettia, daffodil or sunflower. If you need peace of mind, the most suitable flowers are violet, hyacinth and forget-me-not. If, despite the care you take for your flowers, they begin to wither or look dry, you should know that the reason is most likely that the plants capture the negative energy. This can be detrimental to the flowers and a good option to keep them is to simply change their location in your home. Many people do not manage to grow flowers. Coincidentally, if you are among them, you could bet at least on the paintings depicting flowers. They also have a positive effect on the energy of the home. Even according to feng shui theories, if an unmarried woman hangs a picture of flowers on her wall, she will find a suitable husband. Certainly plants have a positive effect on everyone’s home. In addition to beautifying your house, they capture negative energy and convert it into positive energy. So if you don’t have a single flower, consider getting at least one. Just be careful when choosing, because not all plants have positive properties on the success and harmony of your home.
Photo: Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Popularly known as Spath, Mauna Loa, or peace lily Plant Family: Araceae Country of origin: Colombia and Venezuela Toxicity: May be poisonous to humans, cats, and dogs Known benefit: NASA-certified natural air purifier for benzene and formaldehyde.
Six African countries have been selected to create their own mRNA vaccines, the World Health Organization said, after the continent was largely deprived of access to coronavirus vaccines, AFP reported, quoted by BGNES. Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia have been selected as the first recipients of technology from the WHO’s Global MRNA Vaccine Center in an effort to ensure that Africa can make its own vaccines to fight Covid and other diseases.
“No other event, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, has shown that relying on several companies to supply global public goods is restrictive and dangerous,” said WHO chieftain Theodore Gebreyesus. “The best way to deal with health emergencies and to achieve universal health coverage is to significantly increase the capacity of all regions to produce the health products they need.” Hebrews has constantly called for equal access to vaccines and opposed the way rich countries have appropriated their doses, leaving Africa behind other continents. The announcement ceremony of the transfer of mRNA vaccine technology is to take place today in Brussels during the European Union-African Union summit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We have talked a lot about the production of mRNA vaccines in Africa. But it goes even further. It is an mRNA technology developed in Africa, led by Africa and owned by Africa.” Currently, only 1% of vaccines used in Africa are produced on the continent with a population of about 1.3 billion people. Last year, the WHO set up a global mRNA transfer center in South Africa to support producers in low- and middle-income countries to produce their own vaccines. The role of the global center is to ensure that manufacturers in these countries have the know-how to produce mRNA vaccines on a large scale and in accordance with international standards. Used in Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, mRNA technology elicits an immune response by delivering genetic molecules containing the code of key parts of the pathogen in human cells.
The Global Center has the potential to expand production capacity for other vaccines and products, such as insulin to treat diabetes, cancer drugs and possibly vaccines for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. The ultimate goal of the scheme is to expand the capacity for national and regional production of all health technologies. The WHO has said it will work with the first six selected countries to develop a training and support roadmap so they can start producing vaccines as soon as possible. The training will start in March. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the announcement “means mutual respect, mutual recognition of what we can all bring to the country, investment in our economies and investment in the continent’s infrastructure”. French President Emmanuel Macron said support for Africa’s health sovereignty was one of the main goals of launching local production, “to enable regions and countries to cope on their own during crises and in peacetime”.
More than 10.4 billion doses of vaccine have been given worldwide, with nearly 62% of the world’s population receiving at least one injection. However, by early February, only 11.3% of Africans had been fully immunized.
February 20 – Institute for the Study of War, Russia Team
Russia will likely attack Ukraine the week of February 21, 2022. The Kremlin has deployed sufficient military forces and set informational conditions to conduct offensive operations including limited incursions into unoccupied Ukraine, a comprehensive air and missile campaign, and large-scale mechanized drives on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities.
Kremlin Spokesperson Peskov claimed Ukraine cannot and will not implement the Minsk II Accords, marking a significant change in Kremlin rhetoric that Russia could use as a pretext for further escalation.
The Belarusian Defense Minister announced Russian troops deployed in Belarus will remain in the country after the conclusion of Russian-Belarusian exercises—enabling an indefinite Russian military presence in Belarus.
Russia began testing its nuclear early warning system as part of ongoing exercises intended to deter any NATO response to Russian actions against Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a renewed ceasefire (unsuccessfully, as of publication) in Donbas in back-to-back phone calls with Putin and Zelensky.
The Kremlin intensified its disinformation efforts to generate the false appearance of a Ukrainian genocide against Russians in Donbas through evacuation efforts and false claims of Ukrainian targeting of civilians.
A CBS national security correspondent claimed the US has intelligence that Russian commanders already received direct orders to invade Ukraine, but no US official confirmed the claim.
Turkish officials decried the further imposition of sanctions on Russia and refrained from condemning Russia’s military buildup to retain its balancing relationship with the Kremlin.
Key Events February 19, 2pm EST – February 20, 2pm EST
Military Events
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced Russian forces currently deployed to Belarus will remain there indefinitely during a press briefing about the conclusion of joint Russian-Belarusian “Union Resolve 2022” exercises on February 20.[1]Khrenin stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko decided to “continue testing” Union State forces due to the “aggravation of the situation of Donbas.” Khrenin accused NATO and the West of “pumping up” states near the Union State—referring to Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic States—with weapons, increasing their military posture against the Union State without advanced warning, and prioritizing “offensive means.” Khrenin accused the West of refusing to accept the Kremlin’s demanded “red lines” for the “security architecture of Europe.” Khrenin additionally parroted Russian Foreign Ministry rhetoric about the West undermining the “principle of the indivisibility of security” for the first time. Khrenin did not specify what Russian forces would remain in Belarus. Russian forces will likely permanently deploy to Belarus, as ISW has previously forecasted.[2]
Khrenin additionally outlined the outcomes of the exercises and stated that unified combat formations of Russian and Belarusian pilots, mechanized units, tank units, paratroopers, special forces, missilemen, and artillerymen operated with a high level of cooperation. Joint forces also addressed support issues and worked out an effective logical support system that enabled an effective Russian-Belarusian coalition. Khrenin praised the use of modern weapons systems and exchange of military expertise and experience between Russian and Belarusian troops. He thus concluded that “Union Resolve” achieved its intended goals and confirmed the cooperative capabilities of Russian and Belarusian forces in the face of Western pressure.
Russia’s ballistic early warning network, the Russian 15th Aerospace Special Forces Army, began command and staff training in Moscow on February 20 as part of ongoing Russian nuclear exercises likely intended to deter a NATO response to any Russian offensive against Ukraine.[3]Over 800 personnel from command, logistics, armaments, and other unspecified elements of the Titov Main Test and Space Systems Control Center, 820th Main Center for Missile Attack Warning, and the 821st Main Center for Reconnaissance of Situation in Space participated in the command and staff training. These elements comprise Russia’s early warning network against ballistic missile attacks. These exercises are likely part of the “GROM-2022” nuclear triad exercises that began on February 19.
Russia’s 49th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District (SMD) continued general readiness exercises on February 20.[4]Unspecified regiment-sized (over 1,500 personnel) tank, motorized rifle, and artillery elements conducted company-level exercises at the Nikolo-Alexandrovsky Training Ground in Stavropol Krai. The elements conducted live fires with 152mm howitzers, multiple launch rocket systems, and T-72B3 tanks to destroy targets at distances of up to 4,000 meters. Reconnaissance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and signal elements of the SMD conducted support tasks.
Approximately 10 Russian Black Sea fleet ships, including the large landing ships “Novocherkassk,” “Saratov,” and “Tsezar Kunikov” passed through the Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov on February 20.[5]Russian Black Sea Fleet anti-submarine and patrol ships patrolled the Kerch Strait before moving to the Sea of Azov, according to local sources.[6] Russian authorities issued a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) alert over the Sea of Azov for February 21-26.[7]
Russian social media users observed unspecified S-300 air defense elements in Kursk Oblast and Aleksandrovka, Belgorod Oblast heading towards Ukraine on February 19-20.[8]The social media users observed at least 12 vehicles in Kursk Oblast on February 19 and 3 in Belgorod Oblast on February 20.
Russian Activity
The Kremlin intensified the tempo of the mass evacuations of women and children from the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) to Russia to generate the appearance of a genocide against Russians in Donbas between February 19 and February 20. Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry stated that over 53,000 DNR and LNR residents evacuated to Russia as of February 20.[9] The governors of Russia’s Voronezh, Kursk, and Ryazan oblasts declared states of emergency in response to refugee influxes on February 20.[10] Rostov Oblast authorities stated that Rostov Oblast is prepared to receive approximately 14,000 refugees on February 20.[11] At least six trains transported approximately 5,000 DNR and LNR residents to Russia on February 20.[12] The Kremlin likely seeks to intensify its evacuation over the coming days. A prominent Russian Duma deputy from Rostov stated that 170,000 residents of the DNR and LNR are currently applying for Russian citizenship with Russian migration services on February 20.[13] The Kremlin will likely use the claim of threats to civilians in Donbas to justify a Russian military deployment to Donbas or other, more serious military operations against Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov claimed on February 20 that Western states are abandoning negotiations with Russia after the Kremlin only received two responses to 37 letters Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sent to OSCE member states on January 28.[14]Lavrov’s original letters demanded that individual Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member states respond to Russian security demands individually and not as a bloc, in a Kremlin attempt to undermine Western unity. Ryabkov claimed that the recipients of the letters are “leaving this conversation in a defiant way” by not responding to Russian demands.[15] The European Union and NATO each submitted a collective response to the Kremlin that did not capitulate to core Russian demands on February 10. The Kremlin previously stated that Moscow would not accept a group response and that Moscow requires detailed responses from individual states.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that Putin believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “cannot, does not want [to], and will not” implement the Minsk II Accords in an interview on the Russia 1 TV channel on February 20.[16] Peskov stated Ukraine’s only option is to directly negotiate with Russia’s proxies, the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR). Peskov denied Ukrainian statements that Moscow has refused to communicate with Ukrainian leadership. Peskov claimed that the Kremlin has asked Kyiv what Ukraine wished to discuss and did not receive a response. Peskov additionally stated that Western allegations of Russian plans to invade Ukraine have fueled tensions and that daily speculation of the date of an invasion “can have detrimental consequences.”[17]
Peskov’s statement on February 20 is a significant change in tone in Kremlin rhetoric about Ukraine’s intent to never implement the Minsk II Accords and is the closest the Kremlin has come to formally nullifying the Minsk II Accords. Kremlin messaging up to this point has emphasized that Ukraine seeks to sabotage the Minsk II Accords and has called on Ukraine to implement the accords, without explicitly stating that Ukraine “will not” implement these accords. The Kremlin could use the claim that Ukraine will never implement the Minsk II accords as a pretext for overtly deploying forces to the occupied Donbas
Proxy Activity
The Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) escalated their accusations of ongoing Ukrainian plans to attack Donbas on February 20. DNR claims from February 20 emphasized false threats about Ukrainian terrorist attacks against the DNR. The DNR claimed that it found and destroyed explosives caches belonging to Ukrainian sabotage groups, that it apprehended a “terrorist group” that sought to conduct explosive attacks against critical DNR civilian infrastructure, and that it recorded five sabotage attack attempts against the DNR since mid-February on February 20.[18] The DNR reiterated accusations that the West is pushing Ukraine to attack Donbas, claiming that “Kyiv, with the approvals of the Westerners, began implementing the invasion plan for the [DNR’s] territory,” on February 20.[19] LNR claims from February 20 emphasized an accusation that heavy Ukrainian shelling killed two LNR civilians.[20] The Kremlin supported the LNR’s claims about Ukrainian forces killing two LNR civilians; Russia’s Investigative Committee announced that it would open a criminal investigation of “the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ crimes on the territory of Donbas” on February 20.[21] The Kremlin may claim that Ukrainian forces “killed Russian citizens in Donbas” as a pretext to justify new Russian military operations against Ukraine as ISW previously forecasted.[22]
Belarusian Activity
N/A
Ukrainian Activity
Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk on February 20 requested an extraordinary meeting of the OSCE Permanent Committee for February 21.[23] Tsymbaliuk placed the request for the OSCE to discuss Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and explore paths for de-escalation.
US Activity
US officials voiced continued concern Russia will likely invade unoccupied Ukraine but maintained that a diplomatic path is still possible in press engagements on February 20. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia and Belarus’ continuing joint military exercises follow the Russian “playbook” of creating provocations to justify further escalations in an interview with CNN.[24] Blinken noted the joint exercises and numerous false flag operations give “every indication” that Russian invasion plans are already in motion. Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris underscored united international support for sweeping sanctions against Russia should an invasion occur, although Harris acknowledged some differences between NATO allies on the parameters of sanctions in a press conference.[25] Blinken and Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby separately reiterated that the United States has offered Putin several diplomatic options and will continue to peacefully attempt to deter and dissuade Russia until an invasion begins, including Blinken’s planned meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on February 24.[26] Blinken clarified that US recognition of Crimea or Eastern Ukraine as Russian territories is non-negotiable when asked during an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.[27]
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported that the US has intelligence that Russian commanders have received direct orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine on CBS’s Face the Nation on February 20.[28]Martin said Russian commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sectors of the battlefield. Martin emphasized that Russian commanders have received direct orders and are “doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed.” No US official has publicly confirmed that Russian forces have received orders to invade as of February 20.
NATO and EU Activity
N/A
Other International Organization Activity
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Stanislav Zas said the CSTO could “hypothetically” deploy peacekeepers to Donbas with Ukrainian consent, member state support, and a United Nations mandate in an interview with Reuters on February 17.[29]Reuters published the interview with Zas on February 19.[30] Reuters reported that Zas said that the CSTO has 17,000 personnel at “constant readiness,” a specialized “peacekeeping” force of approximately 4,000 personnel and that the CSTO can swiftly deploy the “needed” number of personnel to Ukraine immediately. Zas stated that only diplomacy can solve the Ukraine crisis. The Kremlin may frame a future overt Russian deployment to the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as a “CSTO Peacekeeping mission.”
Individual Western Allies’ Activity
French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to negotiate a ceasefire in Donbas through bilateral calls with Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin on February 20. Macron and Putin discussed convening the trilateral contact group among the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Ukraine, and Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) to oversee a possible ceasefire in Donbas. Russia previously boycotted the two most recent OSCE meetings on February 18 and 19.[31] The Kremlin readout stated that Putin and Macron also agreed to resume dialogue in the Normandy Format at the foreign ministry- and political advisors- levels. The Kremlin may slow down or later refuse to pursue a ceasefire if it assesses the negotiations as detrimental to its calculus, however. The Kremlin criticized NATO and Ukraine for pursuing a military solution, refusing to implement the Minsk II Accords, and claimed that Ukraine’s “intensifying shelling” necessitated civilian evacuations from the DNR and LNR to Russia. The French readout of Macron’s call with Zelensky stated Macron praised Ukraine’s restraint and that Zelensky reiterated his determination to respect the ceasefire by not reacting to Russian proxy provocations. Zelensky’s office did not issue a readout of the call with Macron as of February 20 at 3:30 EST.
Turkish officials urged diplomatic talks and de-escalation on Ukraine instead of sanctions against Russia in several statements on February 19-20.[32]Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin stated that additional sanctions against Russia would undermine or delay a diplomatic solution in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt on February 19.[33] Kalin criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for seeking to redraw Russia‘s borders but urged states to listen to Russia and pursue mutual diplomacy, even if they do not fulfill Russian demands. Kalin also criticized Western and Russian statements for exacerbating tensions and recommended a flexible diplomatic approach—citing Turkey’s existing relations with Russia despite disagreements about Crimea and Libya. Kalin reiterated Turkey’s commitment to mediate between Russia and Ukraine both through NATO channels and bilaterally. Kalin additionally stated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will reiterate his offer to host Putin and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul, Turkey, during a likely upcoming phone call on an unspecified date with Putin.
Separately, Turkish Chief of the General Staff Yasar Guler and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Tod Wolters discussed recent developments in NATO over the phone on February 20. Prior to the call, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar urged caution against the risk of possible escalations due to disinformation campaigns and underlined the need for stability in the Black Sea region in a speech.[34] Akar attended the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany on February 18-19 but his official agenda and Turkish meeting readouts did not focus on Ukraine.[35] Ankara has recently played down the Russian military buildup compared to other NATO allies, likely due to its fragile partnership with Russia. It has not urged its citizens to leave Ukraine as of February 20 and limited its official statements on Ukraine after the most recent escalations nearthe Ukrainian border despite its ongoing defense cooperation with Ukraine.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced the UK will establish a new anti-disinformation center against Russia during an interview with the Daily Mail on February 19.[36]Truss stated the UK’s “Russia-Ukraine Government Information Cell (GIC)” will expose disinformation and rebut false narratives. Truss warned that Russian disinformation campaigns have doubled in the past week and may serve as a false flag excuse for Russia to invade Ukraine. Truss stated the new GIC unit is the first revival of the UK’s original information units that it disbanded after the Cold War. Truss also warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may encourage the Kremlin to pursue similar stated ambitions against other eastern European and Baltic states, including NATO allies. Truss also criticized the coordinated Chinese-Russian pressure against the right of new states to freely join NATO.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson highlighted the potential human cost of a Russian attack on Ukraine, stated the US and UK could suspend Russian companies from trading in pounds and dollars and underscored NATO’s resoluteness should Russia invade in an interview with the BBC on February 20.[37]Johnson claimed a Russian invasion has “in some senses begun.” Johnson said that western intelligence sources believe Russia intends to encircle the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in what would be “the biggest war in Europe” since World War II. Johnson warned this would be a “bloody and protracted” conflict that would be catastrophic for human life. Johnson maintained that the UK and US are prepared to impose extensive sanctions on Russia, including suspending Russian companies from trading in pounds and dollars. Johnson emphasized that NATO leaders learned from Putin’s annexation of Crimea and that Putin will “get more NATO” if he invades Ukraine.
The Canadian Government delivered a security assistance payload to Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 19.[38]Ukraine’s defense minister stated that the shipment included unspecified rifles, machine guns, night vision and surveillance devices, and other military equipment.
Directed by the Chinese director Zhang Yimou, also in charge of the opening ceremony on February 4, the closing ceremony had begun at 20 hours local (13 hours in Belgium) in the Bird’s Nest, the stadium built for the Summer Games in 2008.
The Olympic flame, lit by the Chinese athletes Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Jiawen Zhao, was then extinguished, putting an end to these Olympic Games 2022, during which 109 gold medals were given in fifteen different sports. The Olympics 2022 took place in a sanitary bubble and without spectators, except some guests, because of the pandemic of Covid-19. They gathered 2,911 athletes representing 91 Olympic committees.
“I declare the Winter Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Beijing 2022 closed”. With these words of the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, the first Winter Games after the coronavirus pandemic were closed.
The 91 nations paraded in the Olympic enclosure. The parade of flags was followed by the athletes, after the entry of officials and the national anthem of the host country. A great time for the athletes.
