CNN reports that China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin pledged to deepen their strategic partnership in Beijing yesterday (5/15/2024), in a clear show of the two countries’ growing alignment as Russian troops advance in Ukraine.
Putin, during his two-day visit to China, was welcomed to Beijing’s Great Hall of the People with full military pageantry. A joint statement was released by the two leaders laying out their countries’ alignment on a host of issues including energy, trade, security, and geopolitics with specific references to Ukraine, Taiwan and the Middle East. Putin and Xi Jinping referred to each other as “priority partners.”
Putin’s red-carpet welcome to Beijing comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would halt all upcoming international visits, as Ukraine’s military is defending against a surprise Russian offensive in his country’s northeastern Kharkiv region.
The CNN report may be read HERE.
The official website of Ukraine reports that Russia’s estimated total combat losses since February 24, 2022 include: 488,460 troops; 7,529 tanks; 14,538 armored vehicles; 12,565 artillery systems; 1,070 MLRS; 798 anti-aircraft warfare systems; 351 aircraft; 325 helicopters; 17,048 military auto vehicles and fuel tanks; 26 military boats; 1 submarine; 10,028 tactical UAVs; 2,062 items of special military equipment; and 2,200 cruise missiles.
Despite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement that the United States is releasing an additional $2 billion in military financing to Ukraine, Russian military operations against Ukraine continue unabated. According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during the last 24 hours, 145 combat clashes took place on the frontline, with the Russian military launching three missile strikes, 70 guided aerial bombs, and more than 320 UAV strikes against Ukrainian troops and territory.
The official website of Ukraine may be viewed HERE.
My brothers and sisters, despite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s pledge of $2 billion in military financing to Ukraine to supply much-needed ammunition and weapons, the situation is deteriorating.
Many in the United States now refer to Ukraine as “corrupt” – calling for no further military support by the United States. When it comes to pointing fingers, perhaps the United States might first want to look in the mirror and remove the plank from it’s own eye (ref. Matthew 7:2-4)!
Lives, on both sides, continue to be lost daily in Ukraine. Politically, and despite the enormous outrage in 2022 when Russia attacked Ukraine, many persons in the United States (elected officials and citizens alike) seem to consider the situation as unimportant. This writer, who loves the United States and has served faithfully in its military, would point out that when it comes to pointing fingers, the United States should first look in the mirror! Hypocrisy would likely be observed!
Have we forgotten that Ukraine is a freedom-loving nation that escaped the tyranny of the former Soviet Union and desires to be part of NATO and the EU? Have we forgotten WWII and the Soviet Union’s dividing of Germany into East and West with communism? Have we forgotten the resulting Iron Curtain and the decades-long Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union (now seemingly admired and longed for by former KGB Colonel Vladimir Putin)? Do our schools even teach about WWII, the Holocaust, the Cold War, communism’s detrimental effects on the world, the Iron Curtain, and so forth?
The situation in Ukraine needs to be viewed from a longer lens than the disastrous border policies of the Biden administration. History is incredibly important. On December 31, 1991, the Cold War was won and the former Soviet Union collapsed, with 15 countries obtaining freedom – including Ukraine. Freedom began to take hold in Russia; however, internal corruption and politics involving oligarchs and political leaders destroyed the (then) increasingly capitalistic economy, and created an environment for the likes of Putin to return to power. Sadly, Russia is again strongly communist, with the civil government and its military led by a power-driven leader in Putin.
As followers of Christ, we know that the world’s issues, including the ongoing and evil battle in Ukraine, are spiritual at the core. The evil one despises God’s creation and seeks in every possible way to deceive the hearts of man, such that wars, killings and all matters of untruth would reign in the earth and destroy the souls of those made in the image and likeness of God (image bearers) – you and me! Praise God that we have a Savior in Christ Jesus who has overcome the world and sacrificed Himself so that we can walk in love, with wisdom, on this earth – until we join Him in heaven eternally! Amen.
Here are some important reminders from scripture:
Matthew 7:2-4 (Amplified Bible)
“For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you. Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘[l]et me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye?”
Psalm 34:14 (NKJV)
“Depart from evil and do good; [s]eek peace and pursue it.”
Proverbs 2:6-8 (NLT)
“For the Lord grants wisdom! From [H]is mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to [H]im.”
Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, [b]ut the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!