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Some 2,800 troops from host Georgia, the United States, and six other countries have begun a major military exercise in the South Caucasus nation.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and other leaders on July 30 said they see the event as a substantial step toward their goal of one day joining NATO.

"These exercises will help Georgia to get closer to NATO standards and to strengthen stability in the whole region," Kvirikashvili said at the opening ceremonies at the Vaziani military base near the capital, Tbilisi.

Georgia's defense minister, Levan Izoria, called the scale of exercises "unprecedented" and said they "make clear the support for Georgia by the NATO member states, especially the U.S."

U.S. officials in the past have spoken favorably toward Georgian hopes of eventually joining NATO, a move Russia vehemently opposes.

At a 2008 summit in Bucharest, NATO leaders made a formal pledge that Georgia "will become a NATO member," but alliance leaders have moved warily toward that goal in the face of Moscows opposition.

About 1,600 U.S. troops and 800 Georgian soldiers are taking part in the two-week exercises, dubbed Noble Partner.

Troops from Britain, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine, Slovenia, and Armenia are also participating, with the United States deploying a mechanized company, including several Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and M1A2 Abrams battle tanks.

It is the third time the exercises have been held in Georgia, a country that has seen much-larger rival Russian encroach on its territory since its independence from the Soviet Union.

The Kremlin recognized Georgia's breakaway areas of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries after fighting a five-day war against Tbilisi in 2008, and Russia maintains thousands of troops in the two regions.

In previous years, Moscow warned that the drills could destabilize the region, a notion that Georgia and the United States have dismissed.

"This exercise is not directed against any country. It's about to help Georgia to grow its capacity to interoperate in international operations," U.S. Ambassador Ian Kelly told Reuters news agency, citing missions such as the current one in Afghanistan.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to visit Georgia on July 31 after a stop in Estonia to meet with Baltic leaders also concerned about Russias intensions in their region. He will meet with U.S. troops on August 1.

During his stop in Tallinn, Pence said, "Our message to the Baltic states -- my message when we visit Georgia and Montenegro -- will be the same: To our allies here in Eastern Europe, we are with you, we stand with you on behalf of freedoms."

Originally posted here:
US, UK, Ukraine, Others Begin Massive Military Drills In Georgia - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

Graffiti targeting the World Zionist Organization (WZO) in north-Western Ukraine.. (photo credit:VLADIMIR MOZICHENKO)

Vandals in northwestern Ukraine sprayed Nazi symbols and other antisemitic graffiti that targeted the World Zionist Organization, the organization learned on Sunday.

According to the WZO, local residents visiting a monument for victims of the Holocaust discovered the graffiti near the site, located in the village of Pyatydni in Volyn Oblast. In 1942, the Nazis killed 20,000 Jews near the village, shooting them execution-style on the edge of giant pits into which the bodies fell.

A local Jewish activist affiliated with the WZO who is engaged in work to fight antisemitism reported the incident.

An equals sign with the initials WZO painted on one side and a Star of David and a swastika on the other were found on the ground in front of the steps leading to the monument.

We get multiple reports of antisemitic incidents on a daily basis, but this one particularly caught our eye because it was specifically against the WZO, the acting chairman of the organization, Yaakov Hagoel, told The Jerusalem Post Sunday.

Vladimir Muzichenko, who visited the site to commemorate the victims, also reported antisemitic graffiti at several other locations in the area and instances of grave-robbing.

Other graffiti found at a bus stop included scrawlings of the WZO initials, the word Judenreich (sic), the names of Ukrainian parliamentary parties and the Star of David.

Antisemitism continues to raise its head and harm memorial sites for the victims of the Holocaust, Hagoel said. This time, the threat was directed at the World Zionist Organization, the organization that Herzl founded 120 years ago, and I strongly condemn the escalation of threats and antisemitic incidents in the Ukraine. We will not stand idly by and ignore direct threats to the World Zionist Organization, and we will not remain silent in the face of antisemitic and anti-Zionist events taking place around the world.

According to Ukrainian community leader Eduard Dolinsky, vandalism of Holocaust mass graves, monuments and Jewish cemeteries occurs on a daily basis across the country, but no such case has ever been investigated nor has anyone ever been caught.

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Antisemitic graffiti targets WZO in Ukraine - The Jerusalem Post

BBC News

Georgia ex-leader Saakashvili plans defiant return to Ukraine BBC News The former Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, says he will go back to Ukraine to mobilise his supporters there, in defiance of Kiev's decision to strip him of Ukrainian citizenship. Mr Saakashvili moved to Ukraine in 2013 and served as governor ... Ukraine strips Saakashvili of his only citizenshipAljazeera.com Democracy, rule of law thrown under bus by Ukraine dictator PoroshenkoHuffPost Ukraine's President Sidelines Opponent by Stripping His CitizenshipNew York Times RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty -FRANCE 24 all 133 news articles »

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Georgia ex-leader Saakashvili plans defiant return to Ukraine - BBC News

Ukraines official Twitter account is no stranger to memes.Courtesy of Adult Swim

When a massive cyberattack hit Ukraines airport, government agencies, and national bank in early June, the countrys official Twitter account, @Ukraine , responded with a GIF. Some of our gov agencies, private firms were hit by a virus. No need to panic, were putting our utmost efforts to tackle the issue, read the tweet, which was accompanied by an illustrated GIF of a dog sitting in a room ablaze, drinking coffee, saying This is fine.

The cartoon, a meme generally used to signify disastrous government inaction, seemed to send the wrong message: Guys youre doing this meme thing wrong, one journalist replied on Twitter.

But the oddball tweet had the intended effect: it garnered 7,800 retweets, 10,600 likes, and brought the accounts follower count to 42,000 (its now 45,400). And it wasn't unique: Since May 2016, @Ukraine has been engaging in twiplomacy in a similarly self-deprecating, sardonic tone, making consistent use of GIFs and emoji. Some tweets highlight Ukraines natural beauty and national holidays (#BeautifulUkraine), while others enter the diplomatic fray, at times sarcastically trolling official Russian accounts (#DecommunizationBenefits) and giddily @ing friendlier nations (Hey @Nigeria!).

Whos behind it? Fortune tracked down the team with the gumption to casually refer to a "bromance" Sweden, and blatantly troll Russian accounts. They are Yarema Dukh, 30, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkos press attach, Oleg Naumenko, 24, a Cambridge graduate who helped build the Ukrainian governments communications team before joining the private sector, and Artem Zhukov, who coordinates strategic digital communications for the presidential administration. All three became politically active during Ukraines Maidan Revolution three years ago, joining Poroshenkos new administrationwhich took office with the aim of reforming and modernizing the country.

Dukh registered the account after discovering Canadas official accounts ( @Canada and, in French, @AuCanada ), which advertise the nations abundant natural beauty, and he thought Ukraine should have a similar outlet. The effort to turn a faceless institutionbe it a country or companyinto a personable online presence will be familiar to anyone who follows U.S. corporate accountssee Wendys , Square, and Delta . But for a nation at war, the stakes are considerably higher.

Throughout much Ukraine's long-running conflict with Russia, Russian leadership repeatedly insisted the country did not have troops in Ukraine. Details have only recently started to reach the public. On Twitter, though, @Ukraine is spreading the word, and periodically reminds its followers of the wars ongoing toll. That includes calling out accounts like @Russia , a promotional Twitter feed run by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The feeds most famous clash came this spring. During a speech in Paris, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that French-Russian relations date back to an 11th century French queen whom he called Russian Ani. @Ukraine promptly responded, clarifying that Russian Ani was in fact Anne de Kiev, who married French King Henry I in 1051, when Moscow did not yet exist.

We are proud of our common history...which should unite our nations, not divide us, @Russia shot back, prompting to @Ukraine to respond with a Simpsons GIF equating Russia and the Soviet Union, adding, You really dont change, do you?

The levity was a conscious choice for @Ukraine's creators. Humour, even the sardonic kind, is the only thing that allows us to talk about hard topics and see the bright side even in the most tragic situations, Naumenko says.

The tweets are also intended to counterbalance the Russian messaging and propaganda that has become increasingly pervasive on social media sites. At the very beginning, @Russia tweeted something like, Welcome to Crimea, a beautiful Russian land, recalled Dukh. Crimea was a part of Ukraine Russia forcibly annexed in 2014. We reply to their claims, and we always get more likes and retweets than them.

On Twitter, at least, Ukraine can reclaim lost ground in late June, Dukh registered the @Crimea handle. When the official Twitter of the Russian Embassy to the U.S. tweeted, Goodnight America! #VisitRussia #travel #Crimea, @Crimea replied, If youre a tomb raider, this could be a good movie. But sanctions & isolation is the only prize you get for violating int law, accompanied by a GIF of a gun-toting Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft (in which she is, presumably, breaking into UNESCO World Heritage sites).

Soon, Dukh hopes, every Ukrainian region will have its own official account. @Ukraine is already broadcasting the countrys latest diplomatic news. It celebrated the European Parliaments approval of visa-free travel to the EU with a Minions GIF, and congratulating Lithuania on its independence day with a GIF of a jubilant Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. It can also strike a somber tone, at times reminding followers of how many Ukrainian servicemen have lost their lives at war in the east, and of Russias Crimea annexation.

But @Ukraine was not created solely to respond to Russian propaganda or aggression. Its primary focus is still to promote a positive image of the country, and to provide a means of reaching out to fellow nations. Ukrainians are extremely open-minded and friendly nation with a great sense of humor. Twitter is just the mirror, Zhukov says.

Its a good opportunity for international interaction, Dukh wrote in an email. Not necessarily to settle beef with Russia, but to have a nice exchange with friendly countries like Poland, Israel, Canada or Lithuaniawe're happy to have some banter and to raise a glass of e-wine! 🙂

The feed has been remarkably, if haphazardly, successful at doing so, one follower at a time. It gives a new, unconventional perspective on Ukraine and puts the country on the map of English-speaking world, says Dukh. Even if you need to use a few memes and Simpsons GIFs to do so.

A version of this article appears in the Aug. 1, 2017 issue of Fortune with the headline "First the World War, Now the Flame War."

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Meet the Millennials Who Started Ukraine's Twitter War With Russia - Fortune

Angelina Diash in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2010 (Terrell Jermaine Starr)

Angelina Diash is a black woman, a native-born Ukrainian patriot.

She loves her country but hates the direction in which its headed. Corruption is rampant. The leadership talks a good game about democracy, but at times, she says it feels like a dictatorship. Though with a new, western government in office, Diash felt she at least had freedom of expression.

Her harsh reality check came last week when she was arrested after baring her breasts in protest during a ceremony where Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko signed documents of cooperation between their countries. Human-rights abuses are rampant in Belarus, which former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice once called the last dictatorship of central Europe. Diash believed that Poroshenko didnt need to be seen shaking hands with someone most of the world thinks is a tyrant.

Diash made her way into the ceremony last Friday afternoon, bared her breasts with long live Belarus written on them and began shouting the phrase. The refrain is commonly used by the Belarusian opposition against Lukashenko. Two large men dressed in black suits quickly whisked her out of the packed ceremony as journalists snapped photos, shot video and looked on.

Lukashenko and Poroshenko grinned calmly. Watch the video of Diashs protest for yourself:

After sharing a jail cell with three other women overnight, she was released the following morning and placed in a holding cage in court, where she heard the stiff charges against her.

At most, Diash figured shed get arrested, be slapped with a small fine and released after a few hours. Instead, she faces between two and five years in prison for hooliganism with aggravating circumstances, according to the Kyiv Post. The police allege that she resisted arrest as she was carried out of the ceremony, thus the stiff jail time. Diash denies that claim.

Its not normal, she said. Im really frustrated. [Ukraine] wants to move toward Europe. The United States supports us. We want democracy to develop in our country, but our authorities show that they are not ready. Dont know whats happening with them. Im really surprised.

Diash is part of a feminist group called Femen whose members are known for staging protests by showing their breasts. Founded in Ukraine in 2008, the group of sextremists, as they are called, made a name for themselves protesting against the Ukrainian and Russian governments in this manner. Their tactics drew reactions ranging from curiosity to out right hostility. Though as the group continued their protests and gained international coverage, the Ukrainian government began cracking down on them, and its key members were forced out of Ukraine. Femen is now based in Paris, France.

I met Angelina in Ukraine during my Fulbright program in 2009, and she participated in my Black Women in Ukraine Photo Project, which you can find here. Diash has always been passionate about political and social justice issues in her country and has never been shy about discussing the racism she deals with.

And that is what makes Diashs current case so unique: She is a black woman in Ukraine fighting against what she feels is creeping authoritarian rule, all while fighting against racism from her own people. When news of her arrest hit social media, the language people used toward her wasnt pretty.

She says some of the comments included, Why is a black monkey protesting in our country? and of course, the universal slur for black people, nigger.

Its really frustrating that people judge me by the color of my skin, she said. Theres not a lot of black people in Ukraine, especially those who were born here.

Diash was born in western Ukraine to a Ukrainian mother and an Angolan father who studied in Ukraine during the 1980s on a Soviet scholarship. In her small town, she was one of a few black kids, and their classmates were quite cruel. Schoolchildren would tell them they should feel cold because they were outside of Africa. They were constantly called Negros.

As hurtful as the taunts were, Diash didnt allow it to break her spirit. In 2009, she sat through a college lecture where a professor said that mixed-race children had a bad gene that made them criminals. Worst of all, the professor was her adviser and had to sign off on her graduation papers. Furious, Diash stormed to the professors office and demanded that she explain the science behind her logic. Of course, the professor could not.

When the Euromaidan protests against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych took place at the end of 2013, Diash was on the streets in the freezing cold with millions of other Ukrainians demanding a new government. Government forces shot at protesters, killing dozens. When Yanukovych fled to Russia and a more western-minded leadership took over, Diash was optimistic that the new government would transition the country out of its authoritarian past.

But as I see, its not true, she said. And I do not know why all of those people were dying and standing in the rain. And now they want to put me in the prison. I made a protest action, she added, emphasizing that she was peaceful and feels the charges against her are extreme.

During our 30-minute conversation on Facebook video, Angelina sounded confident, but she admitted she is very scared and doesnt want to go to prison.

Her mother supports her activism but was reduced to tears after realizing her daughter could get five years for a protest that lasted less than 20 seconds. Diash has never traveled outside of Ukraine. Her first trip abroad was supposed to be for her sisters wedding in Chicago in September, but her passport has been confiscated, and her travel is reduced to Kyiv.

She doesnt know her court date, which is further exacerbating her anxiety. It is Diashs hope that the case will be dismissed soon and shell be able to see her sister, whom she hasnt seen in over a year.

I asked her if she regrets the protest and if shed do it over again. Without hesitation, she said yes to doing it over. Even though many Ukrainians do not see her as one of their own, Diash is resolute. Ukraine is her country, and she doesnt plan on leaving. She is a black feminist Ukrainian patriot who risked her life protesting with millions of other Ukrainians for a better future. Diash wont abandon her country noweven if it means serving prison time.

If she is thrown in prison, Diash says it will prove that Ukraine is not the free and open society it claims to be.

It will really show how truly our country is moving towards democracy, Diash said. And [it will prove] how interested the authorities are in being in Europe and being a normal country.

Editors note: We have reached out to the Ukrainian National Police and Diashs lawyer for comment and will update this article with their remarks.

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Black Ukrainian Woman Faces 5 Years In Prison After Baring Breasts During Protest - The Root