Free Republic

Ukraine claimed a major victory Sunday against invading Russian forces, saying its military had fought back and retaken full control of the nation’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, amid heavy warfare. “Control over Kharkiv is completely ours!” regional Gov. Oleh Synyehubov crowed in a triumphant Facebook post.

"A major war in Europe may very well erupt; that's how they start, exactly what's happening today – this is how they start," Trump told the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday in Orlando, Florida. " "The Russian attack on Ukraine is appalling; it's an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed to occur, it never would have occurred. "I stand as the only president of the 21st century on whose watch Russia did not invade another country. "I gave Ukraine the Javelins that everyone is now talking about and millions of dollars of other military equipment—the...

I once respected Vladimir Putin for his effectiveness, although I emphatically did not like what he did to neighboring countries, and also Russians with whom he disagreed. One can similarly respect the effectiveness of other despots such as Peter the Great and Catherine the Great without liking how they treated other countries or even their own people. When Peter the Great built Saint Petersburg, for example, tens of thousands of workers died from disease and privation, and some were eaten by wolves in the streets. Putin's invasion of Ukraine, however, demonstrates a colossal lack of judgment that reveals him to...

Ukraine landed a significant blow on Russia Saturday after it killed a large group of bloodthirsty Chechen special forces dispatched to assassinate the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky. The armed group - famed for their barbaric violence and human rights abuses - were obliterated after their convoy of 56 tanks was blown to smithereens by Ukrainian missile fire on the second day of the Chechens' deployment. It is unclear how many died - but the number is likely to run into the hundreds. Among those wiped out was Chechen general Magomed Tushaev. He was commander of the 141th motorized national guard...

The US and allies must be clear-eyed about this: what might the economic and political ripple effects of the war be?We must do what we can to contain Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. But we also need to be clear-eyed about it, and face the costs. Economics can’t be separated from politics, and neither can be separated from history. Here are eight sobering realities:

Russian forces have entered Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as residents of the Ukrainian capital reported a massive explosion and other blasts early on February 27 as Russia’s war on its neighbor intensified and as Western powers announced a new, dramatic step in efforts to punish Moscow with sanctions for its aggression. The head of the Kharkiv regional administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes. Videos posted online by Ukrainian officials showed Russian vehicles moving across Kharkiv and a light vehicle burning on the street. Sinegubov...

What’s going on in the mind of Vladimir Putin? Why did he choose this moment to invade? The conditions are perfect right now for Putin and tyrants around the world to expand their power and territory. Who among the Western leaders has the moral authority to demand that tyrants like Vladimir Putin resist their dictatorial urges? For the past two plus years of the pandemic, Putin observed Western leaders repeatedly lying to their people. When they weren’t outright lying, they were hiding the data. As they pushed mask and jab mandates, Western politicians hid data on their efficacy or lack...