Today's News: Phase This, Russia!

@NikaMelkozerova tweets this photo today of heroic Ukrainian women going to war.  

Today Russia announced its war of aggression has entered "phase two" - they are pretending that being forced to withdraw further east toward Russia was actually part of their plan all along.

I'm sure those Ukrainian women are saying to Putin: Phase this, you asshole!

Russia is moving into Phase Two of their invasion of Ukraine, which is “lying about how well they did during Phase One.”

— Jay Black (@jayblackisfunny) March 25, 2022

The head of the Russian army has just announced that “The main aims of the first phase of the operation have been fulfilled,” I guess losing 15% of their army through death and injury and not taking any significant territory is a success for Putin. https://t.co/3tn5PxBcUr

— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) March 25, 2022

I do believe there may be a new phase starting now, but its actually for the Ukrainians, as they begin to focus on pushing Russia out of their country:

My latest.
Basically, my thoughts after a month in the big war.
“Now, the war is entering a new phase — a grueling longer-term war of attrition, and a new, difficult test for the Ukrainian military and the nation.”https://t.co/VAXu4l9cCT

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) March 25, 2022

In order for it to be a frozen conflict, Ukraine needs to accept that. How can we expect for Ukraine to accept that.

Russia may want a frozen conflict and proclamation of victory but if Ukraine mobilizes 500 000 people and goes on the offensive, what can Russia do?

— FittingMechanics (@FittingMechani1) March 25, 2022

How did the Russians ever think these people could be conquered, my god. pic.twitter.com/w2OkEBAacP

— Rina (@rinanpakkala) March 24, 2022

Russia is, of course, still lying -- as they were making this announcement today about their Phase 2 withdrawals, they were also bringing up more troops and warships to get them ready to expand the war. Adam Silverman writes "The Russians are not negotiating in good faith. People need to stop deluding themselves that Ukraine can negotiate its way out of this war." 

Here are a couple of fascinating tweets from an American with combat experience who travelled to Ukraine to join up:

This village has been Russian occupied for a month, they terrorized the people and took their food. Today we entered, took out 7 tanks and countless Russians thus liberating these people pic.twitter.com/0Fm3qHdepB

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

Myself and a UK soldier regularly hold training on our down time. Tactical maneuvers, first aid, etc. they are eager and fast learners. It’s really an honor to be fighting with these fine men pic.twitter.com/SalpaiZ7l0

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 25, 2022

And here's the story of a Nova Scotia lobsterman who has been helping refugees in his childhood home:

N.S. fisherman trapped by Russian shelling as he attempts to ferry refugees to safety https://t.co/QXqkNNiLe0

— TheStarPhoenix.com (@TheStarPhoenix) March 26, 2022

Another interesting development:

Line of young Polish men on their way to enlist in the Territorial Defence Forces.

The Polish Army is growing quickly.

🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/jK1nTMNMwZ

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 25, 2022

And I love this photo of Joe Biden sharing pizza today with the 82nd Airborne:

President Joe Biden talks with members of the 82nd Airborne Division in Jasionka, Poland. pic.twitter.com/xeA8lbQ8sq

— Evan Vucci (@evanvucci) March 25, 2022

Some funny tweets about Putin's bizarro "cancel culture" whine about how everybody is being so mean to poor widdle Russia

Say what you will about Hitler but he’s never publicly defended JK Rowling

— Fairy Gothmother, MD (@jenny2x4) March 25, 2022

If you catch yourself siding with Putin because he’s against “cancel culture”, or agreeing with nazis because they hate Trudeau, maybe you need to reassess your priorities.

— Carl Boucher (@CarlBoucherKnee) March 25, 2022

Speaking of Trudeau, he is having a good trip to Europe again -- the more he gets targetted by Nazis, the more Canadians realize just how important he is on the world stage:

Because Prime Minister Trudeau’s far right critics in Canada have lost all credibility since the Ku Klux Konvoy, they had to pull some strings with neofascists in Europe to get a few of them to make speeches in Brussels to fool the rubes back here on the PM’s reputation abroad.🤷🏼

— David Hamer🇨🇦🇺🇦🇨🇦 (@DavidHamer_1951) March 25, 2022

I’d be much more worried if right-wing fascists LIKED Trudeau. So their crazy tirades denouncing him just let me know Canada is on the right track - at least to 2025 👍🏻🇨🇦🌈 #cdnpoli

— Jeffrey Luscombe (@JeffreyLuscombe) March 25, 2022

To those who have been paying attention, you’ll notice there has been what can only be described as a coordinated info-ops attack on 🇨🇦’s PM. Far right political operatives & politicians in 🇺🇸 & Europe have launched alarming levels of disinformation at Trudeau. Why? #cdnpoli https://t.co/k0EezP6Blf

— Heather e^​‑1/​x^​2🌻 (@HeatherMoAndCo) March 25, 2022

So PM Trudeau shut down the Nazi-antivax occupation of Ottawa and upset some Nazi-antivax MPs in Europe by doing so. @brianlilley and the #CdnMediaFailed brigade would like you to be upset about that. I choose instead to be upset that Brian Lilley enables Nazi-antivaxers #cdnpoli

— #SHIFT (@TheGentYYC) March 26, 2022

And this will be Canada's most important event next week:

“It’s important for our healing journey to make sure that the Church understands exactly what happened to us under its watch.”

Survivors of residential schools in Saskatchewan are on their way to Rome for a meeting with the Pope.https://t.co/CZvE2FpRc0

— APTN News (@APTNNews) March 25, 2022