Peace never comes through weakness. Today, representatives of the U.S. Congress were in Kyiv – a bipartisan delegation – and I am grateful to them for visiting Ukraine at such a difficult time. They asked: what is needed to end the war? The answer must be strong. There must be sanctions under the Lindsey Graham bill, there must be support for Ukraine in protecting lives, and there must be pressure on Russia for its war. And today, there was a conversation between the leaders of America and Russia. A conversation that leads to something different. Recently, there was a European decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Since then, Russian strikes and the torment of people have only increased. This past week alone, there was a brutal Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, aerial bombs were dropped on Kramatorsk – on ordinary city buses – and there have been constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and on the life-sustaining infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and our other cities. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded. The Russians are compensating for their inability to achieve their objectives on the battlefield with this kind of terror. This year, Russia is weaker on the battlefield than at any other point in the war. That is why Putin is relying on terror. That is why he is relying on attempts to strike backroom deals to secure some form of pressure relief for Russia, in order to buy more time and more opportunities for war. Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world. Ukraine is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps, and the American team knows our position. Our strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities are a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine will not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is the kind of agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise. Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis. We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one.

Horrendous cruelty

#Taijijapan This dolphin was wild now it will have a iife of misery through us going to aquariums. Destination unknown, a lot of these Dolphins don't even make it to there destination.,one more dolphin that leaves these waters this dolphin came from the pens. Credits kunito seko

This is Olha. She is a director of the animal shelter in Odesa. The russians sent a missile at her shelter, destroying it fully, burning alive ten cats and three dogs. Olha managed to rescue five animals, pulling them from the fire. The others got terrified and hid, unfortunately. Meanwhile, what do we read and see? While Ukrainians are fighting to survive this genocidal war with no pause and no break, some Western leaders are spending time talking about sanctions relief for russia and how to appease it through hostage diplomacy. Morality and legality of such steps aside -- don't they understand that this appeasement only incentivizes russia to capture more of your people? And the number of useful idiots traveling to russia because "this is not their enemy" only seems to grow? What a shameful time to live in. Photo: Suspilne

United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal Levi Tuddy Angell was killed in action on April 8, 2004 in Anbar Province, Iraq. Levi was 20 years old and from Cloquet, Minnesota. Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. Remember Levi. Semper Fidelis.🇺🇸

Evil people.

🇺🇸 Marine Sgt. Merlin German of Manhattan, N.Y., died at age 22, April 11, 2008, at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Anbar, Iraq. On Feb. 21, 2005, a gas-fed improvised explosive devise detonated near a German Humvee outside Camp Ramadi. The explosion burned 97 percent of his body, disfiguring his face and destroying his hands. It was a miracle that he survived the injury. Despite his physical, mental, and emotional struggles, German always made his rounds to motivate fellow brothers and sisters in arms during his treatment and rehabilitation period at the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center. #TheIraqWar #RIP #USMC

Dog Plays The Wind Chimes Every Day So She Can Sing Along

Fighting back: 21 attorneys general representing TWENTY US states and Washington DC have filed federal lawsuits challenging Trump's changes to the Endangered Species Act. They need protection—we're not going to let him get away with this.

This is vile and evil

This dog understands her shelter days are over, and her happiness is worth watching. Nobody can buy love, but anyone can find it in a shelter.