Indonesia Ke Semifinal Setelah Tenggelamkan Korsel 111-0 - Rafael Struick menjadi Pembeda

Sejarah baru tercatat dipersepakbolaan Indonesia yang kini ditorehkan Tim Nasional Indonesia U-23 setelah menenggelamkan timnas Korea Selatan U-23 di laga babak perempat final Piala Asia U-23 di Stadion Abdullah bin Khalifa, Doha, Qatar, pada hari Jumat, 26/4/2024. Timnas Indonesia mampu mengalahkan Korea Selatan kemenangan dramatis dan menegangkan lewat drama adu penalti 111-0 (11-10).

Tim asuhan Shin Tae Yong menaklukkan Korea Selatan melalui adu penalti 11-10. Pratama Arhan menjadi penentu kemenangan lewat sepakan ke sisi kanan gawang penjaga gawang Korsel J. Baek. kemenangan ini Shin Tae-yong disebut oleh media Korsel seperti menang KO atas Hwang Sun-hong.

Rafael Struick menjadi pembeda, gol yang dilesatkanya memberi sinyal kepada Korea Selatan 'Jangan Meremehkan Timnas Indonesia dibawah asuhan Shin Tae-yong'. Golnya sangat indah, membuat gembira suporters Indonesia dan menyakitkan bagi suporters Korea Selatan.

Ini adalah rekor pertama Tim Garuda Muda unggul atas Korsel dalam kelompok umur U-23.

Pertemuan antara kedua tim menunjukkan dominasi Korea Selatan U-23. Timnas Indonesia U-23 selalu menelan kekalahan dalam tujuh pertemuan terakhir. Kekalahan terbesar terjadi pada Kualifikasi Olimpiade 2000 di Seoul, di mana Indonesia ditekuk dengan skor telak 0-7.

Dalam pertemuan terakhir, tepatnya pada laga persahabatan 2018 silam, Timnas Indonesia mampu memperkecil kekalahan dan bertanding sengit dengan skor 2-1 hingga peluit akhir ditiupkan.

Secara keseluruhan, timnas Indonesia U-23 selalu kalah dari timnas U-23 Korea Selatan. Indonesia juga harus kalah dengan kemasukan 24 gol.

Indonesia U-23 sudah kebobolan 24 gol dari Korea Selatan U-23, sementara hanya berhasil mencetak tiga gol sebagai balasan. Namun, momentum positif dari fase grup Piala Asia U-23 2024 memberikan harapan baru bagi skuat Garuda Muda.

Physically tested for 120 minutes. Mentally tested in the penalty shootout. The Indonesian national team is at a much better level.#AFCU23 #AFCU23AsianCup #NationalTeamDay#TimnasDay #TimnasIndonesia pic.twitter.com/WktuRmelHT

— TopTrends90 (@TopTrends90) April 25, 2024

Pemain Korsel udah selebrasi gini tapi akhirnya kalah langsung dibales jogetan sama Ernando😭😭😭😭

Alhamdulillah Ya Allah Target Shin Tae Yong Benar terjadi sampe 4 Besar, Bismillah 1 langkah lagi menuju Olimpiade🥹🇮🇩#TimnasDay
Wasitnya pic.twitter.com/EFscGojwVq

— YBBA (@BolaBolaAja) April 25, 2024

🇮🇩 Indonesia U23 through the Semi Finals of AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024

Quarter Finals
FT: South Korea U23 🇰🇷 2 (10) - 2 (11) 🇮🇩 Indonesia U23#AFCU23 #AsianCupU23 #TimnasIndonesiaU23 pic.twitter.com/E2YQGsCmBg

— Vincent Ennio Gunawan (@vins_ennio) April 25, 2024

Crowd cheering , What a goal ⚽
Only genuine fans may like this tweet. ❤️#TimnasDay #AFCU23AsianCup#AFCU23 #football

pic.twitter.com/ci4lWnmFrB

— Chandan (@arjun_choubey) April 25, 2024

Laga Timnas U-23 Indonesia vs Korea Selatan berakhir imbang 2-2 selama 90 menit waktu normal. Dua gol Timnas Indonesia dicetak oleh Rafael Struick pada menit ke-15 dan menit ke-45+4. Gol Korea Selatan didapat melalui gol bunuh diri Komang Teguh pada menit ke-45 dan aksi Jeong Sang-bin pada menit ke-84.

Babak adu penalti, pemain Korea Selatan, Kim Min-woo (2 penalti), Lee Kang-hee, Hwang Jae-won, Paik Sang-hoon, Byun Jun-soo, Hong Yun-sang, Cho Hyun-taek, Jeon Sang-bin, dan kiper Baek Jong-beom berhasil melakukan tugasnya. Kang Sang-yoon gagal, sedangkan tendangan kedua Lee Kang-hee mampu ditepis kiper Ernando Ari.

Di kubu Indonesia, Ramadhan Sananta (2 penalti), Pratama Arhan, Rafael Struick, Marselino Ferdinan, Justin Hubner, Jeam Kelly Sroyer, Rizky Ridho, kiper Ernando Ari sukses. Hanya Arkhan Fikri yang gagal. Arhan menjadi penentu kemenangan Indonesia.

Shin Tae-yong melakukan sejumlah perubahan pada susunan pemain sebelas pertama. Tetap menggunakan formasi 3-4-3, ia memainkan Komang Teguh menggantikan Muhammad Ferrari yang sebelumnya menjadi pemain utama pada laga menghadapi Yordania dalam laga terakhir penyisihan Grup A. Komang bertandem dengan Rizky Ridho dan Justin Hubner di lini bertahan.

Shin Tae-yong juga mengubah komposisi di bek sayap. Sisi kiri tetap menjadi milik Pratama Arhan, sedangkan di sisi kanan, ia memilih menurunkan Rio Fahmi untuk menggantikan Fajar Faturrahman.

Korea mencoba tampil menekan sejak awal babak pertama. Tim Taeguk Warriors menghadapi strategi pressing tinggi para pemain Indonesia sehingga kesulitan menguasai bola dan mendekati area kotak penalti kiper Ernando Ari Sutaryadi.

Usaha Korea sempat berbuah hasil pada menit ke-7. Berawal dari skema tendangan bebas yang memicu kerumunan di area kotak penalti, tendangan keras Lee Kang Hee tak mampu diblok dengan sempurna oleh Ernando. Gol itu sempat membuat Korea unggul. Namun, VAR membatalkan gol tersebut karena ada seorang pemain Korea yang berada dalam posisi offside.

Timnas Indonesia mampu keluar dari tekanan pemain Korea setelah pertandingan berjalan sepuluh menit. Indonesia berhasil mencuri gol pertama pada menit ke-14. Berawal dari skema serangan balik, Rafael Struick berhasil memanfaatkan blok tak sempurna dari barisan pertahanan Korea. Ia melepaskan tendangan jarak jauh ke arah sudut kiri gawang Baek Jong Bum.

Mendominasi laga, Korea Selatan baru bisa menyamakan pada menit ke-45. Berawal dari umpan silang di sisi kiri pertahanan Indonesia, Eom Ji-seong berhasil menyambut bola. Arah sundulannya berbelok setelah terkena blok Komang Teguh dan mengarah ke gawang Indonesia. Skor 1-1.

Keunggulan Korea tak bertahan lama. Empat menit masa injury time, Struick mengembalikan keunggulan Indonesia. Berawal dari umpan panjang Ivar Jenner, Struick berhasil memanfaatkan kebingungan di lini bertahan Korea. Sentuhannya mengelabui kiper Baek Jong Bum. Skor 2-1 untuk keunggulan Indonesia bertahan hingga turun minum.

Statistik menunjukkan bahwa laga berimbang. Korea mendominasi 51,1 persen penguasaan bola berbanding 48,9 persen untuk Indonesia. Meski begitu, Korea hanya berhasil membuat satu peluang bersih, sedangkan Indonesia memiliki tujuh peluang mencetak gol dan tiga di antaranya mengarah ke gawang.

Korea Selatan mengambil inisiatif serangan pada babak kedua. Pelatih Hwang Sun-hong memasukkan Kang Sang-yoon dan Lee Young-jun untuk mengganti Lee Tae-seok dan Kim Dong-jin. Perubahan itu membuat Indonesia sempat terkurung hingga sepuluh menit awal.

Indonesia praktis hanya mengandalkan serangan balik. Pada menit ke-54, Struick punya peluang untuk menambah golnya setelah memanfaatkan umpan Rizky Ridho. Sayangnya, tendangan Struick masih melenceng. Empat menit berselang, Marselino yang punya peluang, tetapi tusukannya dari sisi kanan pertahanan Korea gagal berbuah gol.

Pada menit ke-70, Korea Selatan harus bermain dengan sepuluh pemain setelah Lee Young-jun diganjar kartu merah. Ia dianggap melakukan pelanggaran berbahaya terhadap Justin Hubner.

Bermain dengan 10 pemain, Korea justru semakin agresif dan Indonesia kesulitan keluar dari tekanan. Pada menit ke-75, Korea Selatan memiliki peluang lewat tendangan bebas, tetapi Ernando Ari melakukan penyelamatan gemilang.

Timnas Indonesia lengah menjelang akhir pertandingan. Melalui skema serangan balik pada menit ke-84, Hong Yoon-sang melepaskan umpan panjang pada Jeong Sang Bin yang tak terkawal. Ia melepaskan tendangan mendatar yang tak mampu dihalau Ernando Ari. Skor 2-2.

Indonesia berusaha keluar menyerang, tetapi Korea menerapkan garis pertahanan yang dalam sehingga menyulitkan para pemain Skuad Garuda menembus kotak penalti. Di sisi lain, Korea mampu bermain lebih tenang. Dengan 10 pemain, mereka justru mampu membangun serangan yang lebih berbahaya.

Babak Perpanjangan Waktu

Timnas Indonesia gagal menunjukkan dominasinya meski punya keunggulan jumlah pemain. Mereka gagal membongkar permainan rapat Korea Selatan di lini pertahanan. Tak ada peluang tercipta pada babak pertama perpanjangan waktu.

Shin Tae-yong melakukan perubahan. Ia memasukkan Jeam Kelly Sroyer dan Arkhan Fikri untuk menggantikan Fajar Faturrahmam dan Ivar Jenner. Ramadhan Sananta juga masuk menggantikan Witan Sulaeman. Peluang matang Indonesia dapatkan pada menit ke-111 lewat Sroyer memanfaatkan bola muntah tendangan Justin Hubner. Namun, peluang kembali terbuang.

Pada menit ke-115, Indonesia dapat peluang lagi lewat Nathan Tjoe. Tendangan keras dari luar kotak penalti melabung tipis di atas mistar gawang Korea. Sananta mendapatkan peluang memanfaatkan umpan lambung Marselino. Namun, sundulan masih melebar.

Statistik pertandingan selama 120 menit menunjukkan dominasi Indonesia dalam penguasaan bola sebesar 52,9 persen berbanding 46,9 persen untuk Korea. Indonesia menciptakan 20 peluang mencetak gol, lima di antaranya tepat sasaran. Korea memiliki delapan peluang dan hanya dua yang mengarah ke gawang. Tak ada gol tercipta hingga babak perpanjangan waktu selesai.

Liberal world order must be destroyed – Orban

FILE PHOTO.
©AFP/Attila Kisbenedek

Western liberal hegemony has failed and must be destroyed, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated on Thursday, suggesting it could end as soon as this year.

Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC Hungary) in Budapest, Orban criticized the existing “world order based on progressive liberal hegemony,” saying it has spawned numerous figureheads who are “not fit to be leaders,” with even “beauty pageants” knowing more about peace then they do.

He accused liberal politicians of building “hegemonic ideological control to which everyone must submit” instead of actual governing, while turning “state bodies into tools of oppression.” Such forces are a dangerous enemy whose time is coming to an end, Orban claimed.

The proponents of the old world are sitting in Brussels, and although it is not my business to interfere in American politics, I fear that they are also sitting in Washington. This is what we are doing this year. This year, we will try to drive them out,” the Hungarian prime minister said.

This year, God willing, we can end the inglorious era of the Western civilization. We can end the world order built on progressive liberal hegemony. The progressive liberal world spirit has failed. It gave the world war, chaos, unrest and destroyed economies.

The emerging world order will be based on true sovereignty, with countries driven by their actual national interests rather than a global ideology, according to Orban.

“Let the era of sovereignty come, let’s get back towards peace and security. Let’s make America great again, let’s make Europe great again,” he concluded.

Western media trying to be ‘political player’ in Indian election – foreign minister

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has hit out at Western media for criticizing the country’s system of democracy amid polling to elect the next government. He addressed the issue while speaking about the “respect” New Delhi has gained internationally.

Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar addresses a press conference at BJP HQ, DDU Marg, on April 1, 2024 in New Delhi, India.
©Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

“I get a lot of these noises from the Western press,” said the top diplomat, who was speaking at an event in Hyderabad, Telangana, on Tuesday. “If [Western media] criticize our democracy, it is not because they lack information,” he asserted. “It is because they also think they are political players in our election.”

The foreign minister’s comments come in the wake of reports questioning the credibility of the Indian election, given the threats posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly “deepfakes,” as well as concerns over “divisions within the country.”

Many reports have been critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for “cracking down” on the opposition, particularly in the wake of the recent arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister and founder of the opposition Aam Admi Party (AAP) for alleged involvement in a liquor scam.

Bloomberg’s opinion piece by David Fickling on Tuesday went so far as to question why the country is conducting an election in the middle of a heat wave. Referring to the piece, without naming it, Jaishankar pointed out: “I wanted to say, listen: In that heat, my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout.” “They will question your election system, your EVM (electronic voting machines), your election commission, even the weather,” he added.

In a recent article, former Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta described the Western media as “sanitation inspectors” for their relentless attacks on the Indian government.

“The temptation to tell Indian voters what is good for their well-being has never deserted the Western agenda,” he wrote, recalling a letter written by several well-known people in the diaspora to The Guardian, in which they argued that “it would bode ill for India’s future” if Narendra Modi becomes PM. Modi’s party secured a majority both in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

India has been on the radar of not just the media, but US and Europe-based non-profit organisations and even state agencies for alleged “democratic backsliding.”

The US State Department’s annual human rights assessment earlier this week found “significant” abuses in India’s Manipur state last year and attacks on minorities, journalists, and dissenting voices in the rest of the country. “The government took minimal credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses,” the report claimed.

The allegations came just days after Modi spoke about the “need for collective responsibility” to deal with the Manipur situation “sensitively” and the “improvement in the situation due to the timely intervention” of the central government.

Last year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) asked the Biden administration to designate India as a “country of particular concern.” New Delhi has repeatedly slammed the criticism of its policies and comments on what it regards as “internal matters” and has lately resorted to summoning Western diplomats over such comments.

Russia freezes assets of largest US bank

The seizure order, published in the Russian court register on Wednesday, targets funds in JPMorgan’s accounts and shares in its Russian subsidiaries © Mike Segar/Reuters

A Russian court sided with state-run lender VTB Bank in its efforts to recoup $439.5 million from JPMorgan Chase that the American lender froze in U.S. accounts after the Ukraine invasion.

The court ordered the seizure of funds in JPMorgan's Russian accounts and "movable and immovable property," including the bank's stake in a Russian subsidiary, according to a court order published Wednesday.

JPMorgan declined to comment. VTB didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment.

Russia has retaliated against sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies over the war in Ukraine by limiting the access of companies from so-called unfriendly states to the assets they hold domestically.

JPMorgan has previously warned that it faces “actual and threatened litigation in Russia seeking payments on transactions that the firm cannot make, and is contractually excused from paying, under relevant sanctions laws.” The lender said that assets it holds in that country could be seized as a result.

A St. Petersburg court ordered the freezing of funds owned by US banking giant JPMorgan Chase in Russia on Wednesday. The ruling was made in favor of the country’s second-largest lender VTB, which filed a lawsuit seeking to recover $439.5 million that is blocked abroad under US-led sanctions.

VTB sued JPMorgan and its subsidiaries in the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region on April 17, court filings showed on Monday. The order targeted funds in JPMorgan’s Russian accounts and “movable and immovable property,” including the bank’s stake in a Russian subsidiary.

The dispute centers on $439.5 million in funds that VTB held in a JPMorgan account in the US, which were blocked by Washington as part of Ukraine-related sanctions in 2022.

The court ordered the seizure of all funds in JPMorgan bank accounts in Russia, including correspondent accounts and those opened in the name of a subsidiary.

It also revealed that VTB had requested interim steps because the respondents were “taking measures to withdraw their assets” from Russia, while the Russian lender was seeking to recover money from the US bank.

In its own lawsuit against VTB last week in the Southern District of New York, JPMorgan sought to block the Russian bank’s efforts, noting that US law prohibited the bank from releasing the $439.5 million owned by VTB.

JPMorgan is concerned that VTB will try to seize its Russian assets, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing the US lender.

The Wall Street bank admitted to the outlet that VTB’s prospects were good, since Russian courts had granted at least six other local lenders relief against US and EU banks that were required to comply with sanctions laws.

The next hearing in the JPMorgan case is scheduled for July 17.

3 Anggota TNI Tersambar Petir di Dekat Mabes Cilangkap

3 anggota TNI tersambar petir saat berteduh di pohon dekat gerbang masuk Mabes TNI, Cilangkap, Jakarta Timur, pada hari Rabu, 24/04/2024.

Insiden tersebut pun viral pada sejumlah akun media sosial melalui rekaman video milik warga sekitar, tampak anggota TNI itu tergeletak di tanah. Warga sekitar yang melihat hal itu berusaha menolong korban dan mengevakuasi ke dalam mobil.

Ryan seorang saksi mata insiden tersebut mengatakan peristiwa bermula dari tiga anggota TNI yang tengah meneduh di bawah pohon saat hujan turun.

"Kronologis sementara korban sedang berteduh di bawah pohon. Kemudian sambil main hp dan setelah itu tersambar petir," katanya kepada awak media, Jakarta, hari Rabu, 24/04/2024.

Ryan mengungkap insiden sabaran petir itu cepat terjadi hingga dirinya hanya mengetahui saat kondisi korban telah terjatuh.

Kata ia, saat itu terdengar suara dentuman yang sangat keras hingga disusul teriakan minta tolong dari korban.

"Jadi kebetulan itu depan kantor saya, pas posisi ada petir tiba-tiba nyamber kayak bom meledak, setelah itu selang beberapa menit terdengar oranh minta tolong, pas saya langsung ke luar dan di depan kantor tiba-tiba sudah banyak orang yang ngerubungin seperti divideo," ungkapnya.

"Benar. Sekarang sudah mendapat perawatan di RS," kata Nugraha kepada kumparan.

Berdasarkan keterangan saksi mata kejadian, Ryan (25), peristiwa itu terjadi sekitar pukul 16.00 WIB.

"Jadi kebetulan itu depan kantor saya, pas posisi ada petir, tiba-tiba nyamber kayak bom meledak. Setelah itu selang beberapa menit terdengar orang minta tolong. Pas saya langsung keluar dan di depan kantor tiba-tiba sudah banyak orang yang ngerubungin seperti di video," tutur Ryan saat dihubungi.

"Kalau dari kronologi sementaranya katanya korban sedang berteduh di bawah pohon. Kemudian sambil main HP dan setelah itu tersambar petir," jelas Ryan.

Kapuspen TNI, Mayjen Nugraha Gumilar, membenarkan hal itu. Saat ini ketiga anggota TNI tersebut dirawat di rumah sakit.

Kepala Pusat Penerangan (Kapuspen) TNI Mayjen Nugraha Gumilar menungkapkan kronologi satu dari dua prajurit TNI yang tersambar petir di Mabes TNI Cilangkap, Jakarta, meninggal dunia.

Dia menjelaskan dua prajurit yang tersambar petir itu tengah melintas di Delta 1 Mabes TNI, Cilangkap, Jakarta Timur. Insiden terjadi pada hari Rabu, 24/04/2024, pukul 15.20 WIB saat beberapa orang mendengar bunyi petir, kemudian pada pukul 15.22 WIB, melihat orang-orang membantu korban.

“Ada dua korban ditemukan jatuh," kata Gumilar dikutip dari Antara.

Kemudian, setelah keduanya ditemukan tersambar, prajurit TNI AL yang luka-luka itu mendapat pertolongan pertama di Satuan Kesehatan (Satkes) Mabes TNI AL, sementara korban lainnya sempat dirawat di Satkes Mabes TNI.

"Sekira pukul 16.00 WIB, korban tersambar petir (prajurit) TNI AL dievakuasi oleh tim satkes ke RS Ridwan Meuraksa, Jakarta Timur. Berselang 5 menit, korban dari TNI AD dievakuasi juga ke rumah sakit yang sama," kata Gumilar.

“Yang terkena petir dua orang atas nama Prada Ardiansyah, dan KLS (Kelasi Satu Perbekalan) Dani. Prada Ardiansyah meninggal dunia,” kata dia.

Korban meninggal dunia adalah prajurit TNI Angkatan Darat berpangkat prajurit dua (prada) atas nama Ardiayansyah, sementara korban luka-luka yang saat ini dirawat ialah prajurit TNI Angkatan Laut berpangkat kelasi satu (KLS) perbekalan (Bek) atas nama Dani Sidiq.

Ardiansyah berdinas di Markas Komando Akademi TNI, dan Dani berdinas di Dinas Administrasi Personel TNI Angkatan Laut (Disminpersal) Mabes TNI AL Cilangkap.

NATO Maneuvers Near Russian Borders Raise Risks of Possible Military Incidents - Zakharova

©AP Photo

The NATO maneuvers near Russia's borders scheduled to kick off on Friday in Finland increase the risks of possible military incidents, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

"The alliance continues its practical military exploration of a once neutral state, a respected participant in discussions on strengthening stability and security. The mentioned maneuvers near Russia's borders increase the risks of possible military incidents," Zakharova said.

Russia, for its part, is closely monitoring "the aggressive actions of the collective West," she said.

"Beyond any doubt, all necessary measures of political, military and technical nature to counter threats to the defense capability of our country will be taken," Zakharova said.

NATO Pressuring Greece and Spain to Give Europe's Remaining Air Defense Systems Away to Ukraine

Russia dramatically ramped up its air and missile strikes inside Ukraine in March in the wake of a coordinated campaign by the Ukrainian military targeting Russian infrastructure using drone warfare. The strikes created large holes in Ukraine’s air defenses, which Kiev’s NATO patrons are now hoping to patch up.

Officials in the European Union and NATO have launched a pressure campaign targeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to give their advanced air defense systems away to Ukraine.

“We all know who has them, we all know where they are, and we all know who really needs them,” a person briefed on the campaign told London-based business media in an article published Monday.

The campaign mirrors increasingly loud appeals by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asking NATO allies to donate their air defenses to Kiev amid Russia’s strikes. “Patriots can only be called air defense systems if they work and save lives rather than standing immobile somewhere in storage bases,” Zelensky wrote in an X post on Sunday.

Germany agreed to give one additional Patriot to Kiev, but other countries, among them Greece and Spain, have hesitated, reportedly sharing more than a dozen Patriots and a handful of S-300 launchers between them (the latter bought by Greece in the 1990s). Greece previously ruled out handing off its S-300s to Ukraine, citing the need to keep its forces balanced with the capabilities of Turkiye – which possesses Russian-made S-400s.

Mitsotakis and Sanchez were reportedly asked to give up their air defense systems to Ukraine at a summit in Brussels last week, and pressure was expected to “intensify” at a Monday meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers, according to officials.

“There are countries that are not in an immediate need of their air defense systems, to be very honest. Each country is being asked to decide what it can spare,” an EU diplomat involved in Monday’s negotiations said. “The most important discussion will be to identify what member states can do to support Ukraine’s air defense. That’s the most important thing,” a senior EU official said. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell confirmed to reporters on Monday that Brussels has been “asking all member states to do whatever they can in order to increase the air defense capacity of Ukraine.”

NATO has engaged in its own push lobbying members to surrender their air defense systems, with alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg announcing Friday at a defense ministers meeting attended by Zelensky that allies had agreed to provide additional air defense support.

“NATO has mapped out existing capabilities across the alliance and there are systems that could be made available to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said, elaborating that “this mapping confirms that there are systems including Patriot systems available to be provided to Ukraine.”

Weeks of Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian military positions, defense factories, ammunition depots, and electricity-generating infrastructure have left Ukraine’s air defense network in a shambles, with the national air defense system disintegrating and forces reduced to operating on a local level.

“Their [unified] radar field has been completely lost, and the automated control system has been lost. Their air defenses act locally: what they see, they shoot down. That is, there is no centralized leadership there, like we have with a central command post,” former Commonwealth of Independent States’ Integrated Air Defense System deputy commander Aytech Bizhev said last week.

Russia’s Defense Ministry says it has destroyed over 508 pieces of Ukrainian air defense equipment since February 2022, including 63 systems destroyed since the start of the current year. Along with Patriots and S-300s, Russia has targeted an array of other systems, from mobile tracked Flakpanzer Gepard anti-air artillery to SAMP-T extended range air defense systems, IRIS-T short-range SAMs, NASAMS short-to-medium-range air defense systems, AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radars, and other equipment.

The NATO and EU pressure campaign asking members to throw even more pricy air defense equipment into the Ukraine crisis contrasts sharply with claims by bloc officials that Russia may be preparing to attack European countries, and warnings from military officials in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, and other countries that the depletion of weapons and ammo stocks has left allies with enough supplies to last just days in case of a full-scale conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed Monday that the risk of a direct clash between Russia and the West exists, but said this was the result of NATO’s continued sponsorship of the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

US Congressman Says Facing $500 Fine for Sharing Video of Lawmakers Waving Ukrainian Flag

©AP Photo/Bryan Woolston

US Congressman Thomas Massie said on Tuesday that he faces a $500 fine for posting a video to social media of US House lawmakers waving Ukrainian flags during a passage vote on a bill with nearly $61 billion in Ukraine-related funding.

On Saturday, the US House of Representatives passed a series of foreign aid bills, including funds for Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific partners, totaling approximately $95 billion in funding. Some House lawmakers cheered and waved Ukrainian flags on the House floor during a passage vote, drawing criticism from numerous Republican colleagues.

“Instead of fining democrats for waving flags, the House Sergeant at Arms just called and said I will be fined $500 if I don’t delete this video post. [US House Speaker] Mike Johnson really wants to memory hole this betrayal of America,” Massie said in a statement via social media platform X.

Instead of fining democrats for waving flags, the House Sergeant at Arms just called and said I will be fined $500 if I don’t delete this video post.

Mike Johnson really wants to memory hole this betrayal of America. https://t.co/5DPWoo4cLw

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 23, 2024

Republicans were split roughly down the middle on Saturday’s vote to provide Ukraine with $60.8 billion in aid, but in the aftermath, Speaker Mike Johnson tried to project unity on at least one aspect of the ordeal.

A tide of blue and yellow washed over the House during the vote, as dozens of Democrats held up mini Ukrainian flags. Others tucked them in their breast pockets, while New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. draped a larger version over his shoulders like a cape

It was a striking scene, and one that drew immediate rebukes from Republicans. Banging the gavel repeatedly as he called for order, presiding Rep. Marc Molinaro of New York reminded his colleagues to “observe proper decorum,” adding that “flag-waving on the floor is not appropriate.” Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna was even blunter: “Put those damn flags away.”

The outrage has sparked debates about decorum, prompted eye rolls from some Democrats and given new meaning to the concept of political flag-waving.

Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack vowed to draft legislation that would ban the display of foreign flags on the House floor. That measure could be introduced as early as this week, according to a spokesperson, who did not provide details on the exact form it would take.

“Watching American representatives pass out & wave Ukrainian flags in the United States House of Representatives chamber infuriated me,” Cammack wrote on the social media platform X. 

“If there is one room in our country that should only have the American flag present, it is this room,” continued Cammack, who voted against the aid for Ukraine.

House rules state that members may not engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct. While the rules bar things like smoking or wearing nonreligious headdresses or hats, waving a mini flag is not explicitly mentioned.

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie seized on the moment to attack Johnson, posting a shaky video to his social media showing the Democratic side of the chamber erupting. 

“This is the U.S. House of Representatives under the direction of Speaker Mike Johnson. Democrats are celebrating his total capitulation with no victory for securing our border,” wrote Massie, who has been sharply critical of his fellow Republican and supports a potential effort to oust him from the speakership led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

Massie kept his criticism alive on Tuesday afternoon, saying he received a call from the House sergeant-at-arms threatening a $500 fine if he didn’t remove the clip. “Mike Johnson really wants to memory hole this betrayal of America,” he wrote.

If members violate House rules by taking photos or videos on the floor, they can in theory be fined $500 for a first offense and $2,500 for a subsequent offense. Massie declined to provide further comment, but Johnson quickly posted a response on social media: “Upon viewing Rep. Massie’s tweet, our team reached out to the Sergeant at Arms. I do not agree with this assessment and there will be no fine imposed on Rep. Massie.”

According to some House Democrats, all the Republican outrage over the flag-waving episode is just sour grapes.

“There’s much ado about nothing. There are so many other things we should worry about,” Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, a co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said in an interview. “Some of them are just upset because this happened and because the vote went the way it did.”

“To all the [R]epublicans who just booed me and my colleagues on the House floor for Ukraine flags here’s my answer — screw [Vladimir P]utin and Slava Ukraini!” Pascrell wrote, more pointedly, in a post on X.

Pascrell also posted a picture of rioters brandishing a Confederate flag inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, suggesting lawmakers should reserve their outrage for displays like those.

After Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, some House members wore blue and yellow to the State of the Union or attached a Ukrainian pin to their lapels. Those fashion statements were meant to signal their support for sending military aid to the war-torn country, as the issue became increasingly contentious. 

Quigley said he can remember other times that members have displayed flags to show their support for foreign nations or leaders.

“People have had little flags sometimes when foreign heads of state come in. It’s just not that big a deal,” Quigley said.

In one instance, when Pope Francis came to Washington to address a joint meeting of Congress, members could be seen displaying the yellow and white flag of Vatican City.

Other Democrats pointed out that symbols of foreign nations, especially American allies, can be seen throughout the Capitol. Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island, who helped distribute the Ukrainian flags on the floor over the weekend, cited the portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette that hangs in the House chamber. There’s a bust of Winston Churchill in the building, and many members, including Cammack, have hung the Israeli flag outside their House offices since the war with Hamas broke out last year, Magaziner noted.

A little more than half of Republicans voting on Saturday opposed the Ukraine aid bill, while Democrats unanimously supported it. The final tally was 311-112, plus one “present” vote.