3/23/2022

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Bon voyage! I hope your trip to Brussels & Poland works out for the best. I continue to struggle to make sense of the Ukraine situation. Today I was moved by a video of Denys Karachevtsev playing cello in front of bombed out buildings in Kharkiv. It’s unclear to me why one would ruin a place that one wants to take over. The NYT reports that VVP is facing dissent in his ranks as generals are dying in battle & government officials are quitting. Some opine that this whole thing will lead to the demise of Russia. I doubt that, but who knows.

I hope you & Andrzej Duda figure something out. I find it fascinating that the leaders of Poland have done a “somersault” as they have had a huge change of heart about foreigners, the US, the EU, NATO & everything else that this seems to be at stake in this crisis. Isn’t it fascinating how “Russian aggression is scrambling politics and public opinion across Europe.” (Higgins, NYT)

            Thank you for authorizing Sec of State, A. Blinken to proclaim the Burmese government committed genocide against the Rohingya people in 2016-17. I’m sorry it took us so long to use that word to describe the activities of the military. I hope that the average citizen suffering under the Tatmadaw hears about it & gets a glimmer of hope that the world is concerned about the tactics of their military.

            May your journey be easy,