People wave flags while waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin, before a holiday honoring the country's armed forces at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. AP
People wave flags while waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin, before a holiday honoring the country's armed forces at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. AP
People wave flags while waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin, before a holiday honoring the country's armed forces at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. AP
People wave flags while waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin, before a holiday honoring the country's armed forces at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. AP


Opinion: Russia's military operation in Ukraine is ensuring its national security


Timur Zabirov
Timur Zabirov
  • English
  • Arabic

February 24, 2023

The first anniversary of the beginning of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine provides an opportunity for us to recall the fundamental causes of the crisis, as well as to gain a better understanding of its true nature and wider background, drawing some conclusions based on unpleasant truths uncovered since February 24, 2022.

We can be confident now that the decision put into force on this same date one year ago was absolutely right and timely. The current crisis did not arise today but originates in the Maidan coup in 2014, when the radical nationalist forces supported by the West took power in Ukraine and for eight years after that had been preparing for a war which, by our estimates, could have started no later than March 2022. First, they aimed to violently subdue the defiant people of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, who did not accept the russophobic policies of the post-Maidan authorities and were defending their right to speak their native Russian tongue in their homeland. Eventually Kiev planned to bring the war to our country.

The preventive military operation launched in February allowed Russia to ensure its national security, protect the people in our historical lands and neutralise the threat from the aggressive neo-Nazi regime in Kiev. President Zelenskyy was so blunt in his aggressive designs that he did not even hesitate to voice a desire for nuclear weapons at the Munich Security Conference of 2022. This left us no choice but to take decisive measures for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, as further delay would have endangered the very existence of our country.

The brutal fact is that Russia’s militant neighbour has not been acting on its own. Ukraine was, and still is, merely an instrument of a global hybrid war against the Russian Federation and an element of the struggle by the US and its satellites to preserve at all costs the obsolete domination of the global West in a rapidly changing, multipolar world. As has become crystal clear by now, the Euro-Atlantic camp had been preparing for confrontation with Russia for years, building alliances, surrounding our country with military bases, encircling it with a “belt of instability” and intervening in our internal affairs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony in the Alexander Garden during the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow on Thursday. AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony in the Alexander Garden during the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow on Thursday. AP

As for Ukraine, it is an example of an artificially bred “anti-Russia” project and a battering ram, though disposable, to be used against us. While Moscow is persistently reiterating that it is not fighting the Ukrainian people, the handlers of the regime in Kiev are making every effort to instigate and mobilise Ukrainians to fight Russia – literally until the last of them. The scale of the support provided for Mr Zelenskyy for this purpose is remarkable and demonstrates that the West has staked a great deal on its war against Russia waged by Ukrainian hands and at the cost of the well-being of millions of Ukraine’s citizens, who have become hostages of the radicals in Kiev and their western masters.

Declaring its desire to see Russia 'beaten' on the battlefield, the West is striving to isolate our country and cut it off from the global economy

The international community, including the states subdued to be the allies of Washington in this “adventure”, are paying their price, too. Having already spent more than $150 billion to pump up Kiev’s punitive forces with weapons, mercenaries and advisers, the US is demanding from its partners and satellites further material contributions and a stronger political commitment to the war effort. It seems that other global issues and challenges, such as fighting poverty, hunger and climate change, promoting sustainable development, and protecting the environment, have been put on hold. For what reason? For the sake of the geopolitical ambitions of the Euro-Atlantic community that hardly represents a quarter of our planet’s population.

Declaring its desire to see Russia “beaten” on the battlefield, the West is striving to isolate our country and cut it off from the global economy. Moscow is being held responsible for a number of global setbacks, such as the food crisis, which in fact was primarily due to the selfish position of the US and its allies and had been in the making long before the start of the special military operation. Moreover, the purposeful anti-Russian steps taken by the West – both before and during the operation in Ukraine – were precisely what brought the world closer to the threshold of uncontrolled nuclear confrontation.

It is important that the dominant part of Russian society today stands behind our leadership, understands the compelling reasons of the military action in Ukraine and is confident that we are doing the right thing.

Attempts to boycott Russia have also failed. Our responsible approach to addressing the challenges of the Ukrainian crisis and other pressing global and regional issues contributed to the further strengthening of Moscow’s dialogue with non-western partners and fuelled their interest in promoting various formats of mutually beneficial co-operation. Among the best examples are the enlargement of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and the discussions to bring new members into the Brics group.

What should the world expect next? Russia will continue to deal with the emerging challenges carefully and consistently – be they military, political or economic – pushing threats farther away from our borders and, at the same time, building stronger ties with our friends and partners. We will spare no effort to rebuild a peaceful life in the new Russian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye which have returned home forever.

Globally, regardless of the West’s drive to prevent the transformation of the world order towards a more balanced and polycentric architecture, the developments around Ukraine will contribute to the acceleration of this overdue process.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Ukraine war, The National is publishing an op-ed authored by the Ambassador of Russia to the UAE on the ongoing war. The National also published a joint op-ed by the Ambassadors of the EU and Ukraine. In the spirit of reflecting their thoughts accurately, The National has published their articles in full, and the views expressed within them do not represent that of the paper.

ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

Racecard

7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m

8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m

8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m

9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m

9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The%20Mother%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Niki%20Caro%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jennifer%20Lopez%2C%20Joseph%20Fiennes%2C%20Gael%20Garcia%20Bernal%2C%20Omari%20Hardwick%20and%20Lucy%20Paez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

5pm: Reem Island – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Farasah, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi

5.30pm: Sir Baniyas Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: SSR Ghazwan, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Astral Del Sol, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

6.30pm: Al Maryah Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Toumadher, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar

7pm: Yas Island – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Saadiyat Island – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,400m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Gary Sanchez, Ismail Mohammed

The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6

Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm

Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km

Price: Dh375,000 

On sale: now 

The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Results:

6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres

Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m

Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m

Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor

8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m

Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m

Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m

Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.

Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FA Cup quarter-final draw

The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March

Sheffield United v Arsenal

Newcastle v Manchester City

Norwich v Derby/Manchester United

Leicester City v Chelsea

WIDE%20VIEW
%3Cp%3EThe%20benefits%20of%20HoloLens%202%2C%20according%20to%20Microsoft%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EManufacturing%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Reduces%20downtime%20and%20speeds%20up%20onboarding%20and%20upskilling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngineering%20and%20construction%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Accelerates%20the%20pace%20of%20construction%20and%20mitigates%20risks%20earlier%20in%20the%20construction%20cycle%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20care%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Enhances%20the%20delivery%20of%20patient%20treatment%20at%20the%20point%20of%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Improves%20student%20outcomes%20and%20teaches%20from%20anywhere%20with%20experiential%20learning%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
%3Cp%3E6.00pm%3A%20Heros%20de%20Lagarde%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20City%20Walk%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Mimi%20Kakushi%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20New%20Kingdom%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Siskany%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Nations%20Pride%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Ever%20Given%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RACE CARD

6.30pm: Baniyas Group 2 (PA) Dh 97,500 (Dirt) 1,400m.

7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m

7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m

8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m

8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm Handicap (TB) Dh 85,000 (D) 2,000m

ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: February 26, 2023, 8:18 AM