Why Putin refuses to give up on Mariupol

Ukrainians may not give up the fight in Mariupol, but will it matter to Putin

The attention for Putin and the Russian military is now focused on the Donbas region expeditiously targeting the city of Mariupol to create a land bridge to Crimea which was seized from Ukraine by Russia and annexed in March 2014. Russian forces have moved out of the capital Kyiv in north of Ukraine, leaving a trail of death and destruction, deciding to now focus on terrorizing the Donbas region, in particular the city of Mariupol which expands Russia’s control over supplies near the Black Sea.

In the recent weeks focus has been on the Donbas region, specifically the city of Mariupol where their devastation first appeared around two months ago. Furthermore, we have seen some of the destruction occur to the death of women and children at a theater for civilians in need of shelter in the past month.

The West have sent more military aid to Ukrainians defense despite Putin’s threats, but will it be enough with the constant shelling and bombing in Mariupol. President Biden says he is “announcing another $800 million to further augment Ukrainians ability to fight in the East in the Donbas region.” It is hard to say if it will be enough, but we understand from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky it is not in the spirit of Ukrainians to capitulate to the Russian military. More Ukrainian civilians have taken the initiative to leave the region while there is still enough time to flee the area safely. Approximately 5 million citizens have decided to flee Ukraine before things intensify.

The Russians have shown over the last two months they refuse to give up the battle of expanding territory no matter the outcries of the civilians. According to Pentagon and U.S. Military Reporter Dan LaMothe, Putin is “probably trying to slice a section of Eastern and Southern Ukraine that would include Mariupol’, a major city in the south that has been bombarded for weeks.” Now Mariupol is not fully conquered, but most of it is laid to waste. Moreover, it is not completely conquered but Putin is already claiming it a victory. To win Mariupol gives Putin the opportunity to celebrate the advancement of conquering more land which looks victorious for Russia’s Victory Day May,9, which is a celebration of victory over Nazi Germany.

Looking at the outcome of Russia’s first attacks, we see that they got off to a rocky start. Putin moving to the Donbas region gives him an opportunity to regain momentum back from his past failures and gain a region in the nick of time for the celebration in May. Moreover, the more momentum Putin gains, the more people will not pay attention to the mishaps he made in the beginning of the war. Furthermore, we see some Ukrainians stationed in Azovstal Iron and Steel Works where they refuse to surrender to the Russian army.

The sad part about the battle in Ukraine is it has caused division between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers of the same Christian faith. In Europe particularly in Ukraine and Russia, Orthodox Christianity is the dominant faith. This is an additional dagger, seeing two countries where people share the same language and faith, but one is waging war against the other. With the two countries sharing the same religion and history, you should see some type of negotiation work out. The problem is every negotiation has failed thus far which gives the world the feeling Putin wants Ukraine all to himself. The more territory he can claim, the easier it should be for him to slowly take land piece by piece.

Taliban’s new decree in Afghanistan

Women face a new challenge after the regime change in Afghanistan

Now the Taliban– an extremist Islamic movement which rules Afghanistan has ordered women now to cover themselves completely from head to toe when they are seen in public. The new regime took over Afghanistan in August and have made a decree for females to be covered in burqas when they leave from indoors.

A decree was issued last Saturday by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The decree is an example of what administration changes can do to a society in regards of human rights.

The restriction is not to be broken or consequences shall be paid for going against the Taliban’s decree. In Afghanistan the restrictions seem to get tighter by day because of the Taliban’s victory overthrowing the capital Kabul in August. Furthermore, witnessing what is taken place in Afghanistan is not a major surprise to the world. It is not something which is damaging because females must cover themselves fully, but the underlining issue is females are getting stripped of their freedom.

 According to reporter Hannah Hummel women have lost “their right to be seen in public.” The Taliban are not just against women, but they make sure to start with the little girls, preventing them from receiving a proper education. Boys on the other hand can attend schools with no decree hindering them according to their age. The Taliban has strict rules in place for women and girls in schools and higher learning. Girls above grade 6 are not allowed to attend school.

It is an important issue but has not gained as much recognition as it should after the West retreated out of Afghanistan in August. According to Diva Patang a former Afghanistan National Television Presenter, “the strategy they had for Afghanistan is failing.” The punishment paid for women not following direct orders will not be paid first by the female caught in the crime, but by the man of the household. The male guardian in the household will receive jail time in regards of the woman’s disobedience.

What is worrisome, is the fact that this is a pattern which will start with young girls and continue when they become women. The Taliban putting extreme pressure on females will cause a stigma for some individuals living in Afghanistan. The boys will become men that think twice before getting involved in a committed relationship with a female. Furthermore, they have the tough choice on whether they would like to be in a committed relationship with someone that can possibly cause them to receive jail time for being disobedient to the decree of the Taliban.