WWIII?

It seems to be. I don't know what other stipulations come with the offer. I'd guess that anybody that takes the offer cannot return to Russia. That's a pretty high bar. But, I'm also betting that there is no counter offer from the Russian Army.

It would seem grass-roots activists within the Republican Party are paying scant attention to the war in Ukraine. They have much more important matters to attend to, such as the mid-term elections in November. This BBC article reports on last week's Conservative Political Action Conference that was held in Florida from 24 to 27 April. "Some of the top Republican officeholders in the party didn't mention Ukraine at all in their speeches," says the BBC.

Exactly. These activists are (or were until sanctions?) significantly funded by Russia, and they know it. Just like Trump himself, and, lest we forget, Boris and the Conservative Party.

He's a very smart genius.

What an idea! Funny. Would it work?

Although I'm sure that I am deep in the envelope of Ukraine propaganda, I still find the odd war story to be fascinating, and suspect. Like the recent story of a Ukrainian woman who, while preparing food in her upper story apartment, spied a drone outside her window. She was reported to have hefted a jar of pickled cucumbers at the drone, downing the drone in the street. Initially dismissing the story as propaganda, some journalist tracked down the woman, who averred that the story, as presented, was not true. That's because the jar was not pickled cucumbers, but pickled tomatoes. Humorist Stephen Colbert used this to deliver two separate sets of derogatory putdowns of Russian efforts...an initial punchline, and a revised punchline.

Ah yes I heard the tomatoes one

We have a church friend whose daughter-in-law's parents live in Russia. Her mother is Russian but her father comes from Ukraine. She has tried to tell her parents what is really going on in Ukraine but they simply do not believe her. "Our government would never do such a thing," they say. It is horrible.

I did not realize that the Anglican Church was also implicated. I'd heard of the complicity of the Roman Catholic church.

I understand that all organisations involving children - churches, scouts, youth clubs, holiday clubs, children's care homes, approved schools etc - have been implicated in the abuse of children. It has been said that churches are/were safer organisations than non-church ones, although I don't have a reference for that.

Where likely victims congregate, there will their tormentors also congregate. I personally doubt your claim that church organizations were 'safer' than non-religious organizations. Religious organizations provide better cover for the abusers. Plus, non-religious organizations don't tend to adopt superior attitudes and plump themselves as morally outstanding and 'safe'. I think that makes religious organizations involved in child abuse all the more heinous. Church organizations which knowingly cover for the abusers and act to protect the tormentors are particularly repellent. What is also abhorrent is that these religious organizations then have the gall to think that their particular brand of moronic doctrine ought to be that held by everyone else...and act to make that possibility a reality.

Note here....In my youth, I engaged in scouting. Boy Scouts, starting as a Cub Scout. And, yes, this international organization also got its dick in a wringer over sexual abuse of scouts by their adult scoutleaders. The thing is, many, if not most, of the scout troops organized in my community were sponsored by some church. Thus, what we got often had Christian nationalist overtones. It's what you get with militaristic adult leadership (practically all were military veterans) provided under the auspices of a Christian church 'sponsorship'. I tired of all the brownshirt paramilitary claptrap by age 15 and bolted the Boy Scouts without ever having made First Class. I never experienced, nor witnessed, any abuse in scouting; I just tired of all the uniforms, standing at attention, saluting, and hypocrisy ad nauseum.

It is completely appalling. I really, really hope that Putin's days are numbered but none of this can be undone.

I wonder. I suspect the Russian public opinion might be turning against him, as they see their sons being killed.

From time immemorial, undisciplined soldiers have always behaved appallingly.