Re: One good sanction deserves another
Some Russian Athletes were visibly supporting the Russian War against it's neighbours. Many Russian Athletes are employed by Russian Military for propaganda (public functions & school visits in uniform) & state funding them to be professional athletes. There's big conflict of interests. Russian sports committees/federations & State funded agents were also caught repeatedly hiding & tampering drug tests so their athletes could get away with cheating. If you don't play by the rules, you don't get to play. Some Russian athletes have been allowed to compete but not as "Russian" athletes from Russian sports committees/federations.
Winter sports athlete with "Z" in big bold print while collecting his medal like Nazis. Russian Skiers & spectators making big "Z" at the ski event, just like Nazis. When the population clearly supports their government/terrorists & fails to act against it, then they share some responsibility for the consequences. Full trade with Russian would've helped Russian fund the war & makes total nonsense why you would've expected UK & it's allies to have continued trade with the Nazis after Nazis invaded Poland, Belgium, Holland, France...
Russia has used global trade, diplomatic service & tourists to cover it's spying & clandestine attacks against the West. The Berlin wall & Iron curtain were made primarily to keep people IN not to stop USSR from being attacked. Many states like the Baltics knew how Russians behaved as "friends", they hurried to leave USSR & hurried to join NATO as soon as they could for very good reasons. Countries now in NATO were never attacked nor invaded by NATO, no NATO tanks in the streets, no NATO soldiers holding them at gunpoint to vote. Even France chose to leave and was allowed to leave. Turkey chose to limit USA/NATO activity in/over it's territory. Most NATO forces in each country are it's own & locally paid for. You don't see cities like Mariupol after Russian attacks in other countries who joined NATO.
Russia requested gallantry medals for the return of Crimea in December 2013, the contract signed in Jan 2014 to be ready before the 20 Feb 2014, they were made with the campaign start date of 20 Feb 2014. The Ukranian president (VY) abandoned his office/duty late 22 Feb 2014 & officially confirmed by the Ukranian national government (Rada) by way of majority. The Rada members were still as they were democratically elected (bar 3 resignations, I think). Some members & most former party members of his own party voted against him to create the opposition majority. The Rada was not occupied by protesters, not held at gunpoint. They voted for new elections which were held within 4 months despite Russian interference (couldn't vote in some areas, Ru militias attacked ballots & polling place before the vote).
Compare that with Igor Girkin et al who used false names, false passports, were there in Crimea ready to act on/before 21 Feb 2014. Girkin & others admitted that the Crimean gov/officials were going to stay with Kyiv (until Russians came to change that). Girkin admitted to leading a militia to take Crimean gov by force, held its members at gunpoint to vote (opposition members held under house arrest) for the changes Russia wanted to legitimise the Russian military invasion & annexation that had already occurred (retrospective). These methods were repeated in parts of Luhansk & Donetsk regions (in 2021, Russian held only a third of this area) and failed in several other places that Russia had attempted. Russia paid separatists since 2005. Russia paid people to be protesters & provocateurs - this was obvious from their accents, the busses, those asking for directions, those attacking the wrong building & those getting lost. Many of those who opposed Russian annexation in this area primarily spoke Russian, including the Ukr soldiers. Many videos of Russian led militias with guns taking control of buildings while officials, police/soldiers & citizens were outside & unarmed. The Ukr military were inside their barracks with no orders to deploy, no tanks outside, no bombing, no gun battles when Russian led militias came to surround them. Some Ukr soldiers were off base with no weapons, when they arrived for their next shift/duty they were blocked by Russian led militias so they couldn't enter their base & they didn't have any guns to fight/defend so no shooting each other. (this is how it started). Russia denied any & all involvement until partially admitting it several months after Minsk2. Russia never negotiated in good faith & never held itself to be bound by those agreements (not signed as a belligerent).
Fmr president VY was not arrested when he attempted to fly away, he wasn't held at gunpoint when he chose to leave. He tried to find support in his home city/region but companies/VIPs didn't want him to visit. His party held a conference and VY was told not to come. At this, all but 1 from Crimea said they didn't want to split from the rest of Ukraine, they didn't want to be annexed by Russia. Protesters supporting of Kyiv soon outnumbered those supporting Russia in the East. The KIIS polls in 2013-14 before 22 Feb 2014 never had any region with a majority that wanted to be annexed by Russia. Claims that because they primarily spoke Russian meant they supported Putin was FALSE. Ask people in USA & many other countries that primarily speak English (eg former colonies of England) if they want to be annexed by England today. NO WAY !!! Even Australia has it's own constitution & governs itself, our laws are not made by England/Queen/King, we chose our members of government, England/Q/K don't pick our PM.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
