Fewer than 2% of eligible Americans have elected to receive a new COVID booster shot, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/number-of-americans-who-often-get-news-from-social-media-declining-survey-says">according</a> to CDC data.
While more than <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/updated-covid-booster-shots-doses-administered-cdc-rcna48960">4.4 million Americans</a> have received a “bivalent” COVID booster shot, only 1.5% of people for whom the shot is available have actually gotten it since the CDC started recommending it several weeks ago. The latest COVID vaccine booster is designed with Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 in mind.
The CDC’s COVID vaccine <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-count-total">tracker</a> shows that 67.8% of the U.S. population who are eligible for the vaccine have completed the primary series of shots. The <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/">Bloomberg</a> tracker shows that 32.5% have received at least one booster.
On September 1, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recommended the booster, providing the following <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0901-covid-19-booster.html">statement</a>: “The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant. They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion. If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it.”
As the CDC and many public health officials are recommending booster shots, the White House is dealing with an unforced crisis regarding COVID after President Joe Biden said that the pandemic was “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-shocks-white-house-by-declaring-pandemic-is-over-while-hundreds-of-americans-die-every-day">over</a>” during a recent “60 Minutes” interview.
“Mr. President, first Detroit Auto Show in three years. Is the pandemic over?” host Scott Pelley asked.
“The pandemic is over,” Biden claimed. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. It’s — but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing, and I think this is a perfect example of it.”
Following Biden’s claim, as well as subsequent backlash from many on the Left, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/karine-jean-pierre-biden-covid-over-claims-morning-joe-interview/">walked back</a> the president’s remark during an appearance on MSNBC.
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html">The New York Times</a>, as of September 22, the 7-day average daily COVID cases stood at over 55,000 with approximately 424 deaths. The highest 7-day average came in January 2022 with over 800,000, and the highest 7-day death counts came in January 2021 with over 3,300 deaths.

Vaccine

Only 1.5% Of Eligible Americans Have Gotten New COVID Booster: CDC Data

Only About 1.5% Of Americans Have Gotten New COVID Booster: CDC

Biden Administration

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Joe Biden

According to a recent survey from <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/09/Social-media-and-platform-fact-sheet-TOPLINE.pdf">Pew Research</a>, 50% of Americans get their news from social media — but the number who frequently go to social media for news is apparently declining.
The survey, which was conducted July 18 through August 21 with more than 12,000 respondents, asked a variety of questions regarding news consumption habits. Once the survey narrowed down to those who at least “rarely” get news from “digital devices,” the survey asked: “Now thinking about the news you get on a smartphone, computer, or tablet, how often do you get news from … social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?”
Seventeen percent of respondents indicated that they “often” get their news from social media, while 33% said they “sometimes” do. Twenty percent responded that they “rarely” get their news from social media, and 29% said they never do.
The percentage of individuals who “often” get news from social media is down for the second year in a row. In 2020, it was 23%, and in 2021, it was 19%. The percentages for “sometimes” grew from 30% to 33%, while the combined “rarely” and “never” grew by two points, 47% to 49%.
According to the survey, the most used social media site is YouTube, with 82% of respondents indicating they use the site. Facebook comes in second with 70%, while Instagram comes in a distant third place with 47%.
This survey comes as multiple social media companies have issued more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-pledges-to-crack-down-on-election-misinformation-ahead-of-midterms">restrictive</a> policies regarding political news.
In August, TikTok updated its political guidelines in advance of the 2022 midterm election.
“TikTok isn’t a go-to hub for breaking news, and we don’t accept paid political ads, but we are committed to combatting the spread of misinformation on the platform, including through supporting our community with education and authoritative information on important public topics like elections,” reads the election integrity policy.
Twitter and Facebook have also updated their guidelines.
In an August blog post, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp stated that their “approach” to the midterms “exceeds the measures we implemented during the last midterm election in 2018.” The updates include security to combat alleged foreign and domestic interference and influence, transparency regarding political ads, and more.
Facebook also recently came <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-blasts-decision-decreasing-reach-of-facebook-political-content">under fire</a> from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over their decision to limit the reach of political content right in time for the midterms.
In July, following months of apparent trials, Facebook announced the means by which they would reduce the reach of political content.
“Our tests have concluded and demonstrated that placing less emphasis on likes and shares for political content is an effective way to reduce the amount of political content people experience in their Feed,” Meta stated. “We have now implemented these changes globally.”
McCarthy tweeted on August 5: “Facebook made sure no one saw the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election. But now that America has record inflation, rising crime, &amp; a border crisis —all as a result of Dem policies— Facebook is shutting down more ‘political content’ to hide the truth from Americans.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Facebook made sure no one saw the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election.
But now that America has record inflation, rising crime, &amp; a border crisis—all as a result of Dem policies—Facebook is shutting down more &#8220;political content&#8221; to hide the truth from Americans. <a href="https://t.co/RLe1W3ybTb">pic.twitter.com/RLe1W3ybTb</a>
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1555610847245996032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
Dillon Burroughs contributed to this report.

Social Media

Number Of Americans Who ‘Often’ Get News From Social Media Declining, Survey Says

Number Of Americans Who ‘Often’ Get News From Social Media Slightly Declining: Survey

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Facebook

News

In a pre-taped video during Saturday’s UFC, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone introduced a brand new 30-second trailer for “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/terror-on-the-prairie-official-trailer?utm_campaign=totp&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=ufcarticle">Terror on The Prairie</a>,” The Daily Wire’s upcoming film starring Gina Carano.
The movie — which also stars Cerrone, Nick Searcy, Gabriel-Kane Day Lewis, Samaire Armstrong, and others — is set to debut exclusively on The Daily Wire this summer.
“On the Montana plains, a frontier woman must protect herself against a ruthless gang of outlaws hell-bent on revenge,” reads the IMDb logline for the film.
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“This is the next chapter of my life. UFC and everyone who’s supported me over the years, please follow me into the acting side of the world,” Cerrone said, describing the movie as “a gritty, hell-of-a-badass western.”
Speaking of the film, Carano said:
<blockquote>I’m super excited about my movie, “Terror on the Prairie.” I’m just so grateful to have done this movie with The Daily Wire; this is a movie that’s close to my heart.</blockquote>
“Terror on The Prairie” is The Daily Wire’s fourth feature film, and second produced exclusively for the company. It follows the success of “Run Hide Fight,” “Shut In,” and “The Hyperions,” the latter two of which debuted earlier this year.

Terror on the Prairie

New ‘Terror On The Prairie’ Trailer Debuts During Saturday’s UFC Matchup

Entertainment

Gina Carano

Jeremy Boreing

The Daily Wire

Dave Rubin

Dave Rubin Talks New Book ‘Don’t Burn This Country,’ Woke Parasites, The Need To Create, And More

Capitalism

Freedom

Socialism

Wokeness

On Friday’s episode of the “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/morning-wire">Morning Wire</a>” podcast, bestselling author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy joined hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe to discuss Elon Musk’s massive purchase of Twitter stock.
Ramaswamy first noted that Musk’s actions “might be the most promising path for driving cultural change in corporate America and in the market more generally.” Instead of “divestments” or “boycotts,” Musk is “representing the voice of everyday citizens and everyday shareholders as a shareholder, including in the boardroom.”
While he doesn’t know how much the billionaire can tilt the scales at Twitter, Ramaswamy suggested that we are likely to see more “shareholder activism” from others.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/morning-wire">CLICK TO HEAR THE LATEST EPISODE OF &#8220;MORNING WIRE&#8221;</a>
“So you&#8217;re describing effectively a positive or proactive move rather than a defensive one – adding influence as a shareholder rather than, say, staging a boycott,” Bickley said.
Ramaswamy responded by comparing it to the ESG (environmental, social, governance) movement, which he defined as essentially “a political ideology that says that companies are supposed to take action to advance particular agendas,” such as implementing racial, gender, or sexual orientation-based quotas.
ESG essentially acts as an end-run around the constraints of politics and lawmaking by targeting the market, “where people work, where they bank, where they invest” to achieve particular ends, Ramaswamy said.
He continued, saying that although much focus is on the non-investment angle of ESG, the issue isn’t that companies like BlackRock are “divesting from companies like Exxon,” it’s that they are “invested in companies like Exxon, and they vote for actually new boards of directors as they did last year, voting for three new board members, that changed the purpose of that company.”
This “is distorting the behavior of companies across corporate America,” he added, “in part because BlackRock and State Street and Vanguard, those are the three largest asset managers, they don&#8217;t actually represent the shareholders. They&#8217;re not the shareholder; they’re the stewards of other people&#8217;s money. Everyday citizens’ money. What makes the Elon Musk move really interesting is he&#8217;s showing up as an actual shareholder with his money. Now, the top shareholder of Twitter, who&#8217;s going to say that I actually, as the shareholder and owner of the company, want to see that company heading in a different direction.”
Bickley suggested that through his actions, Musk is effectively “countering the ESG movement.”
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The conversation shifted away from ESG, and toward Twitter specifically, with Ramaswamy suggesting that Musk’s move is important because alternative forms of social media are difficult to expand.
“The reason that&#8217;s really hard to do is that you have a network effect that ultimately once you — the platform becomes more valuable based on the more people who are on it, and you have an incumbency bias and there&#8217;s all kinds of algorithms and table stakes that you have set up as an existing behemoth that make it really hard in a natural monopoly business,” he said.
But what Musk has done is bring “true diversity and true competition, not to the marketplace of products, but to the marketplace of ideas in the boardroom of the company.”
Ramaswamy cited late economist Milton Friedman, who said social value can’t be advanced at the expense of shareholders. However, he said what certain companies such as Blackrock and Vanguard have done is purchase shares in corporations, then turn around and claim that they can indeed advance social value.
“One of the ways it&#8217;s false is it&#8217;s not actually their money,” Ramaswamy said. “It&#8217;s the money of everyday citizens who are the actual shareholders who disagree with the voice they&#8217;re bringing to the boardroom.”
“They threw a tripwire in the system of classical shareholder capitalism,” he added. “What Elon Musk is doing [is] saying, you wanna play that game, too? [I] can play that game actually.”
“Time will tell whether he actually brings that different voice or whether he merely joins the managerial class by now joining the board — but I&#8217;m optimistic that even if he doesn&#8217;t do it here or doesn&#8217;t go all the way here, he&#8217;s paved a path to show us the right way forward, which is actually exercising our voices as citizens, but also as shareholders in America,” Ramaswamy concluded.
All episodes of “Morning Wire” can be found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire">here</a>.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy: Musk’s Twitter Venture Might Be ‘Most Promising Path For Driving Change In Corporate America’

Elon Musk

Twitter

As mask mandates are dropped across the country, one of the few places left where a face covering is still required is in the air. On Friday’s episode of “Morning Wire,” Georgia Howe and John Bickley speak with The Daily Wire’s Cabot Phillips about a group of airline CEOs who are urging the federal government to finally lift the mandate.
The Biden administration extended the mask mandate earlier this month, which is now set to expire on April 18.
After noting that this kind of unity among competing businesses is a rare phenomenon, Phillips said that the “CEOs of Delta, American, United, Alaska … and more signed a joint letter to the White House” saying that it’s time to sunset the mask mandates.
“Now is the time for the Administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions — including the international pre-departure testing requirement and the federal mask mandate — that are no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment,” wrote the CEOs.
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The letter also pointed out the hypocrisy in requiring masks for air travel while simultaneously allowing people to gather maskless in other public spaces such as restaurants and sporting events.
“The letter cited the fact that their employees are being put in a tough position by enforcing a mandate that few passengers, or the employees themselves, feel is necessary at this point,” Phillips added. “They also cited the thousands of in-flight incidents that have been reported because of altercations over masks.”
Bickley then asked Phillips about a recent vote in the Senate regarding the travel mask mandate.
Phillips responded, stating that Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) bill to overturn the mandate, which was introduced on March 15, received bipartisan support. “It actually passed with a 57-40 vote, including 8 Democrats,” Phillips said. “It’s worth noting four of those Democrats who broke with their party are up for re-election this November.”
The singular Republican to vote against Paul’s bill was Mitt Romney of Utah — and despite the remarkable bipartisanship on display, the White House vowed that President Biden would veto the bill if it arrived at his desk.
Though the Biden administration hasn’t addressed the letter from the CEOs, “they said they’d consult with the CDC and other pertinent agencies to make a decision when the time was right,” said Phillips, but that was weeks ago.
With all 50 states having axed indoor mask mandates, and polling indicating growing distaste for the measures, it will be difficult for the administration to continue to justify requiring masks on airplanes.
“We’ve also talked about how the Democrat message has shifted on COVID as public sentiment has changed, and President Biden is no exception. But in this case, his actions aren’t really in line with his messaging,” Phillips said, noting that the CEOs referenced Biden’s State of the Union line that “COVID-19 need no longer control our lives.”
Friday’s episode of “Morning Wire,” and all episodes of “Morning Wire,” can be listened to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/sc/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336">here</a>.

Terminal

Airline CEOs Urge Biden To ‘Sunset’ Mask Mandate, Senate Also Votes To End It

Airlines

Mask Mandate

On Sunday, Biden administration National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan appeared on CBS’ “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jake-sullivan-face-the-nation-transcript-03-13-2022/">Face the Nation</a>” with host Margaret Brennan to discuss several issues relating to Russia’s ongoing invasion on Ukraine.
Brennan first asked Sullivan about allegations of chemical weapons use.
“There are reports of white phosphorus being used in Ukraine, reports of chlorine gas,” Brennan said. “How imminent is a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine?”
Sullivan said that while he cannot make an exact prediction, the “escalating level of rhetoric” from Russia seeming to claim that the U.S. or Ukraine are poised to deploy chemical weapons is a sign that Russia “getting ready to do it and try and pin the blame elsewhere.”
He then reiterated what President Biden said on Friday, that if Russia uses chemical weapons, “they will pay a severe price.”
Brennan pressed Sullivan on if American military force might be used in the event of a chemical weapons attack, but Sullivan stated that he wouldn’t “go further than what President Biden said on Friday” regarding “severe” consequences for such a weapons attack.
Sullivan added that Russia’s alleged consideration of escalation comes, in part, as a result of what the United States and allies have done in terms of aid to Ukraine.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
How imminent is a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine? “We can&#8217;t predict a time or place,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSullivan46?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JakeSullivan46</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> while emphasizing an &#8220;escalating level&#8221; of rhetoric from the Russians by trying to accuse Ukraine and the U.S. of using chemical weapons. <a href="https://t.co/eCxQTNsoNA">pic.twitter.com/eCxQTNsoNA</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1503021854998605827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRENNAN: Jake, there are reports of white phosphorus being used in Ukraine, reports of chlorine gas. How imminent is a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine?
SULLIVAN: We can&#8217;t predict a time or place. All we can say is that there is an escalating level of rhetoric on the Russian side trying to accuse the Ukrainians and the United States of potentially using chemical or biological weapons. And that&#8217;s a tell, Margaret. That&#8217;s an indicator that in fact, the Russians are getting ready to do it and try and pin the blame elsewhere, and nobody should fall for that. That is why we&#8217;ve gone out so decisively at the United Nations Security Council and elsewhere to rob the Russians of the capacity to pin this on anyone other than themselves. And as the president said on Friday, if in fact the Russians do use chemical weapons in Ukraine, they will pay a severe price.
BRENNAN: Overnight, Poland&#8217;s president has said [the] use of a weapon of mass destruction would be a game changer for NATO. President Biden seemed to say military force is completely off the table in Ukraine, even if a weapon like this was used. Is that the case?
SULLIVAN: We are consulting with our allies, and collectively we are communicating directly to the Russians. Sitting here before you today, I&#8217;m not going to go further than what President Biden said on Friday, which is that the Russians would pay a severe price if they were to move forward with chemical weapons.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But none of the sanctions you&#8217;ve imposed so far have stopped Putin. So is there any red line for the administration here in terms of humanitarian catastrophe that would change the president&#8217;s calculus? Is this a game changer?
SULLIVAN: The use of weapons of mass destruction would be a shocking additional line that Putin is crossing in terms of his assault on international law and international norms, his assault on the human rights and human dignity of the people of Ukraine. But bottom line, Margaret, the premise of your question, which is, well, sanctions haven&#8217;t stopped Putin, so are they not working? I think we have to look at this in two respects. One is, have we imposed severe costs on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine? And the answer is yes. And the second is, have we been able to help the Ukrainians defend themselves against these attacks, to push back Russian forces from being able to take major cities, including the capital city Kyiv? And the answer to that is yes as well. And part of the reason why Putin is resorting to the possibility of extreme tactics like the use of chemical weapons is because he&#8217;s frustrated because his forces aren&#8217;t advancing. And one of the reasons they&#8217;re not advancing, the central reason is the bravery and skill of the Ukrainian people, but they are being supported by substantial amounts of military assistance from the United States and our allies.</blockquote>

Putin

NSA Sullivan: Russia Could Use Chemical Weapons, Then ‘Pin The Blame’ On U.S. Or Ukraine

Russia

Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

On Sunday, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba appeared on CBS’ “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dmytro-kuleba-ukrainian-foreign-minister-face-the-nation-transcript-03-13-2022/">Face the Nation</a>” with host Margaret Brennan to discuss the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The segment covered several hot topics, including the United States’ decision to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-admin-rules-transfer-polish-fighter-jets-ukraine-rcna19398">nix</a> a plan involving Poland providing fighter jets to Ukraine, as well as the potential for Russia to employ chemical weapons in the war.
Brennan also asked Kuleba if he believes Putin’s intent relates to genocide.
“The president of Poland said that what happened in the past week, specifically the bombing of that maternity hospital that got so much attention around the world, that it bears the features of genocide,” Brenna asked. “Is that what you believe Russia&#8217;s intent is?”
Kuleba responded, saying that “Putin definitely believes that Ukraine has no right to exist as a country,” and that he claims Ukrainians are Russians. He added that bombing a maternity hospital and engaging in other “war crimes” indicates that Russia is “trying to break us down and to destroy us.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DmytroKuleba</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>: “President Putin definitely believes that Ukraine has no right to exist as a country. He doesn&#8217;t recognize our identity. He says we are Russians, we are not Ukrainians.” <a href="https://t.co/6EyXLJL6PG">pic.twitter.com/6EyXLJL6PG</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1503031916508897281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRENNAN: The Biden administration is warning of an impending chemical weapons attack in Ukraine. Do you have any further information about where or when, or what the consequences would be? Would NATO defend you?
KULEBA: Well, we don&#8217;t know the details, but we do not exclude that option because we see that Russia is using one prohibited weapon after another to break us down, and United Nations have already confirmed that some of the internationally prohibited weapons have been used against Ukrainian civilians, against our cities. So, we will work closely with the United States and other partners trying to identify where chemical weapons can or may be used by Russia. And when you&#8217;re asking me whether NATO will defend us, well, we do not have — we do not expect that. What we are asking is very simple thing. We say arm Ukraine, and we will do the rest. Give us all the weapons necessary and we will fight for our own land and for our people.
[…]
BRENNAN: The president of Poland said that what happened in the past week, specifically the bombing of that maternity hospital that got so much attention around the world, that it bears the features of genocide. Is that what you believe Russia&#8217;s intent is?
KULEBA: Well, Russia, President Putin definitely believes that Ukraine has no right to exist as a country. He doesn&#8217;t recognize our identity. He says we are Russians, we are not Ukrainians. We are the same, which is obviously not the case. And from what we&#8217;ve been seeing in recent three weeks is a series of deliberately-committed war crimes, crimes against humanity. And when they bomb hospitals, maternity houses, schools, when they kill civilians passing by trying to be evacuated from the war zone, that, of course, indicates that they are trying to break us down and to destroy us.</blockquote>

Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister: Putin Thinks ‘Ukraine Has No Right To Exist As A Country’

On March 6, Russian pilot Lieutenant Colonel Krishtop Maxim Sergeevich was shot down and apprehended as a prisoner of war in Ukraine, and on Friday, he spoke at a broadcast <a href="https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/video/811478.html">press conference</a>.
Krishtop began by claiming that he had “asked the military services of Ukraine” to provide him with the opportunity to speak at a press conference in order to “stop this conflict as soon as possible.”
The unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, has been strongly condemned by world leaders, resulting in numerous and severe sanctions on the nation. The bombardment of Ukrainian cities and towns by Russian forces has led to a surge of refugees into European nations.
According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukrainian-refugees-immigration-united-states-cbs-news-explains/">CBS News</a>: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the swiftest refugee displacement crisis in Europe since World War II, prompting more than 2.5 million people to flee the country during the conflict&#8217;s first two weeks.”
Krishtop continued, saying that prior to being taken into custody on March 6, he finished his third assignment, during which he realized it was a bombing of civilian homes. “I want to say sorry to all Ukrainian people for the genocide, and I will do my best to stop this war as soon as it’s possible,” he said — though he later added after being asked about the moment at which he understood he was attacking civilians that he “was weak,” and “fulfilled the assignment.”
Krishtop then asked Russian forces to “stop fulfill[ing] military crimes against the peaceful people of Ukraine.”
After being asked whether or not he was sincere in his statements, and not simply speaking under pressure of the Ukrainian government, Krishtop repeated his earlier remarks that he had requested to speak at a press conference, and that no pressure was required.
Following the press conference (and others like it), some have suggested that Ukraine is in violation of <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/TreatmentOfPrisonersOfWar.aspx#:~:text=Prisoners%20of%20war%20must%20at,breach%20of%20the%20present%20Convention.">Article 13</a> of the Geneva Convention, which states in part that “prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.”
Amnesty International <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/russia-ukraine-prisoners-of-war-must-be-protected-from-public-curiosity-under-geneva-convention/">writes</a>:
<blockquote>The authoritative commentary by the International Committee of the Red Cross specifies that “any materials that enable individual prisoners to be identified must normally be regarded as subjecting them to public curiosity and, therefore, may not be transmitted, published or broadcast.”</blockquote>
Friday’s presser with the POWs isn’t the first out of Ukraine. The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/09/ukraine-russia-prisoners-pows/">reports</a> that another broadcast with different POWs was similar, and that it was “unclear” if the “comments were coerced or scripted.”
At the press conference to which The Washington Post was referring, the captives didn’t have notecards or papers in front of them, but at Friday’s presser, multiple pieces of paper can be seen on the table before the POWs.
Regarding what would happen to him in the future, Krishtop suggested that he would “probably answer during international court of justice [at] The Hague.”
Asked about the motivations of Russian forces, Krishtop said that he harbors no ideological motivation and no animus toward the Ukrainian people or the nation’s military. He also stated that he believes Putin’s “decisions about the military operation in Ukraine” are “wrong and criminal.”
“The consequences of that war will remain in the hearts of people for generations,” he said, adding, “I’m very sorry that all this happened.”
Krishtop said that he would like to see negotiations take place, which would be difficult, “but much better than [destroying] civilians [and] maternity hospitals.” The invasion of the capital city of Kyiv would lead to destruction, “huge losses of people from both sides,” and would have “terrible consequences the scale of which is hard to imagine,” he added.
Near the conclusion of the press conference, Krishtop noted that he and the other POWs were being taken care of by the Ukrainians.
Prior to the press conference on Wednesday, the Odessa area Ministry of Defense legal department head stated that Ukraine “strictly adheres to the rules and regulations of the Geneva Convention,” according to the Post.
Notable responses to the videos of Russian POWs include:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just a reminder to everyone on here of Art 13 of the Geneva Convention;
&#8220;prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.&#8221;
You should think long and hard before posting POW videos.
— Carl Dinnen (@carldinnen) <a href="https://twitter.com/carldinnen/status/1500549522371629061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hey let’s stop sharing videos of captured Russians, okay?
Exploiting POWs is contrary to the Geneva Conventions, even when the good guys do it.
— Kai Ryssdal (@kairyssdal) <a href="https://twitter.com/kairyssdal/status/1500650703395557376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just a reminder to all journalists, bloggers and activists that posting footage/video of Russian prisoners of war is against the Geneva convention. Remember a lot of Russian soldiers are 19 year old kids who don’t want to be here and don’t know why there are.
— Dan Rivers (@danriversitv) <a href="https://twitter.com/danriversitv/status/1499293743890980866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As far as violations of the Geneva Conventions go, I&#8217;m more worried about thermobarics and cluster munitions dropped on civilian areas than I am interviews with POWs. Priorities&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/15ZdWBmrfr">https://t.co/15ZdWBmrfr</a>
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1500824880966737926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

Ukraine flag

Ukraine Holds Press Conference With Russian POWs

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100007211555008/videos/482654886652700/">video</a> on his Telegram, as well as other social media accounts, urging Russian mothers to not allow their sons to be sent to war in Ukraine.
“I want to say it again for Russian mothers — especially for mothers of conscripts — do not send your children to war in a foreign land. Do not believe the promises that they will be sent just somewhere for exercises or just somewhere in non-combat conditions,” Zelensky said. “Check where your son is. And if you have even the slightest suspicion that your son may be sent to the war against Ukraine, act immediately. Do not give your son to death or captivity. Ukraine never wanted this dreadful war, and Ukraine doesn&#8217;t want it — but it will defend as much as necessary.”
Prior to Zelensky’s plea to mothers, the Ukrainian president spoke of the alleged death toll of Russian soldiers in the war, as well as those captured, and offered those still involved the opportunity to leave:
<blockquote>The number of killed Russian servicemen on the territory of Ukraine already exceeds 12,000 people. 12,000! The number of wounded invaders is many times bigger. We did not invite any of them here. And we repeat to each of the invaders: You can still save yourself at any moment. Just lay down your weapons and go home. Leave our land. The number of captured invaders has already reached such a level that the issue cannot be left to the structures that we had before the war. Therefore, today, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Thousands of enemy soldiers who have been captured or surrendered received from our state the treatment required by international conventions. But there are so many of them that a special structure is needed to deal with all related issues.</blockquote>
The number of casualties being reported cannot be independently verified, and claims from either side could be downplayed or inflated for purposes of propaganda.
Russia has countered Ukraine’s claim of over 12,000 deaths, alleging on March 2 that only about 498 troops had been killed and 1,597 injured, reported <a href="https://tass.com/society/1415449?utm_source=washingtonpost.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=washingtonpost.com&amp;utm_referrer=washingtonpost.com">TASS</a>, a Russian state-owned news agency.
TASS quoted Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov, who claimed of Ukrainian casualties: “Among Ukrainian nationalists and armed forces, the losses are as follows: over 2,870 killed and about 3,700 wounded. The confirmed data alone indicates that 572 Ukrainian servicemen have been captured.”
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-death-toll-invasion/">reported</a> on Thursday that a U.S. official estimated that “between 5,000 and 6,000 Russian troops may have been killed in just the first two weeks” of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The official stressed, however, that this is a difficult number to assess in real time, and the number could be closer to 3,500,” CBS News added.
On Thursday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) <a href="https://ukraine.un.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/Ukraine%20-%20civilian%20casualty%20update%20as%20of%2024.00%209%20March%202022%20ENG.pdf">said</a> that from the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine through “midnight on 9 March 2022 (local time),” they have “recorded 1,506 civilian casualties in the country: 549 killed and 957 injured.” Of the civilian deaths, the OHCHR claims that 26 were children.

Zelensky

Zelensky Urges Russian Mothers To ‘Not Send Your Children To War’ And ‘Death Or Captivity’

Volodymyr Zelensky

On Sunday, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova appeared on CBS’ “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/full-transcript-face-the-nation-03-06-2022/">Face the Nation</a>” with host Margaret Brennan to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During the segment, Brennan asked Markarova to explain why, in her view, Americans should be concerned about this conflict.
Markarova replied, saying that Ukraine is a “peaceful democracy” that did nothing to provoke Russian aggression, but is facing it anyway. As such, she argued, Russian aggression might not be limited to Ukraine.
The ambassador continued, referencing the Budapest Memorandum:
<blockquote>We have to stop him because again, it&#8217;s not just some conflict, it&#8217;s not just some regional problem. It&#8217;s a full-fledged war that a nuclear large power that actually signed [an] assurances, together with the United States and Great Britain when we denuclearized Ukraine voluntarily in 1994 – signed … gave us assurances not to attack us. So, we are first, and we need to stop Putin and this criminal war in Ukraine, rather than waiting until we all together will have to fight it everywhere.</blockquote>
The agreement Markarova referenced was signed in 1994 by Russia, the U.K., and the United States. The <a href="http://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/12/13943175580.pdf">Budapest Memorandum</a> offered a series of assurances to Ukraine after the fall of the USSR if it were to hand over its Soviet nuclear weapons.
Those assurances stated that the signees would “respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine”; “reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine…” and “reaffirm their commitment to seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine … if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used,” among other declarations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/OMarkarova?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OMarkarova</a> says that more than just the sovereignty of Ukraine is at risk after Russia’s invasion. “Then Europe and the whole world is not safe,” she tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>. <a href="https://t.co/0OO8ylsjYX">pic.twitter.com/0OO8ylsjYX</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1500507943380426753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRENNAN: You attended the State of the Union last week as a guest of the first lady. The president addressed this country talking about Ukraine. That&#8217;s very different for the American people to hear. How do you explain to the American people why this $10 billion in aid that President Biden is asking for, why should U.S. taxpayers be concerned and invested in your country?
MARKAROVA: Well, Ukraine didn&#8217;t do anything to be attacked. We didn&#8217;t provoke Russia; we didn&#8217;t do anything. We were not a threat to Russia unless being a peaceful democracy and just peacefully living in your own country is a threat. And if it&#8217;s so, then it&#8217;s not only about Ukraine, then Europe and the whole world is not safe. I mean, we see President Putin threatening everyone with all the forces, including the nuclear force. We have to stop him because again, it&#8217;s not just some conflict, it&#8217;s not just some regional problem. It&#8217;s a full-fledged war that a nuclear large power that actually signed [an] assurances, together with the United States and Great Britain when we denuclearized Ukraine voluntarily in 1994 – signed … gave us assurances not to attack us. So, we are first, and we need to stop Putin and this criminal war in Ukraine, rather than waiting until we all together will have to fight it everywhere.</blockquote>

Ukraine Amb References Budapest Memo: ‘Not Just Some Conflict’ Or ‘Some Regional Problem’

On Sunday, Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko appeared on ABC’s “<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-amb-linda-thomas-greenfield-sen-marco/story?id=83280394">This Week</a>” with host George Stephanopoulos to discuss the situation on the ground in his city, as well as what this fight means more broadly.
Following a brief back and forth regarding what’s happening in Kyiv today, Stephanopoulos asked Klitschko to explain what Ukrainians need from the West.
The mayor said that Ukrainians “need unity; we need pressure; we need sanctions. We need the weapons support because we stand in front [of] one of the strongest armies in the world, Russian army.”
Despite needs such as weaponry, Klitschko stated that the Russian forces don’t have the same level of will that Ukrainian defenders have.
“President Putin vowed yesterday to eliminate Ukraine if you keep up the fight,” Stephanopoulos said. “How do you respond?”
Klitschko replied that Ukraine isn’t merely buildings or land, but a people, and that despite Russian President Vladimir Putin essentially viewing Ukraine as part of a new USSR, Ukrainians view their “future as democratic, modern European country.”
The mayor concluded by saying that Ukraine isn’t simply fighting for itself, but for the “whole modern world.”
<blockquote>And we expect support from all world because we&#8217;re fighting not just for Ukraine, we’re fighting for others. We&#8217;re fighting for whole modern world. We have to stop Putin all together.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gstephanopoulos</a>: &#8220;What do you need from the west to defeat Vladimir Putin?&#8221;
Kyiv Mayor <a href="https://twitter.com/Vitaliy_Klychko?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vitaliy_Klychko</a>: &#8220;We need unity, we need pressure, we need sanctions, we need weapon support.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/EP7rpnbDHa">https://t.co/EP7rpnbDHa</a> <a href="https://t.co/76AX4MzOCY">pic.twitter.com/76AX4MzOCY</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1500483660021178370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>STEPHANOPOULOS: What do you need from the West to defeat Vladimir Putin?
KLITSCHKO: We need unity; we need pressure; we need sanctions. We need the weapons support because we stand in front of one of the strongest armies in the world, Russian army. But the weapons are very important for us. But Russians doesn&#8217;t have so huge will and &#8212; as we Ukrainians. We actually are very much ready. We defend our city, our houses, our families. We defend our [inaudible] and our future.
And we need &#8212; we very appreciate for the friends. We&#8217;re very thankful for support, but we have to make much more pressure and help Ukraine. We need the help. We need the help.
We&#8217;re still fighting. We still fight for our country and more pressure, more pressure. And unity between all the democratic countries around Ukraine.
STEPHANOPOULOS: President Putin vowed yesterday to eliminate Ukraine if you keep up the fight. How do you respond?
KLITSCHKO: Ukraine is not just land. Kyiv, capital of the country, is not just buildings. People is main our power. We are very appreciate &#8212; Ukraine was always friendly nation. We always was friendly country.
We never was aggressive to anyone, but right now, we have huge motivation to defend our future, our country.
Putin has huge ambition to rebuild Soviet empire. We [was in] USSR, and we don&#8217;t want back to USSR. We see our future as democratic, modern European country. And we expect support from all world because we&#8217;re fighting not just for Ukraine, we’re fighting for [others]. We&#8217;re fighting for whole modern world. We have to stop Putin all together.</blockquote>

Kyiv mayor

Kyiv Mayor: Putin Wants ‘To Rebuild Soviet Empire,’ We Are ‘Fighting For Whole Modern World’

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Frank Camp