A Spiritual Resistance

The Rise of Ukraine as a Powerful Leader of the Free World and Russia Without Putin

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  – Matthew 19:26

In 2019, a Shaman who lives in the coldest city in the world, located in eastern Siberia, set on a historic journey by foot to free Russia and the planet from what he regards to be the most dangerous evil that humanity currently faces – Vladimir Putin. Through the harsh climate, the Yakutsk Shaman, Aleksandr Gabyshev, began his eight thousand kilometer walk to Moscow where he planned to conduct a peaceful spiritual ritual outside the Kremlin to cleanse it of its illegitimate and dangerous occupant.

Along the way, as he walked from one village to another, the Shaman met countless Russians from a diversity of ethnic and religious backgrounds who shared his passion for ridding themselves of Putin. Strangers opened their homes to him, provided a safe place to sleep and nourishment in the form of food and kindness. The Shaman recorded his journey and conversations with fellow victims of Putin’s unlawful regime, using a technology that was not available to his predecessors during the brutal rule of the Soviet Union when Shamans were among the millions of people of faith who were hunted, persecuted, and killed. With the power of social media, the Shaman was joined on his journey by millions around the globe and an outpouring of support. As more shared his online posts, journalists began to amplify his story. The light shining on his spiritual mission continued to grow.

The Shaman started to hold events in historic cities along his route to Moscow. Almost two thousand kilometers from his home, he reached Chita, where the Russian Empire and Soviet Union held captive their most prestigious exiles and prisoners, including the Decemberists leaders who unsuccessfully launched a military coup d'état after the sudden death of Emperor Alexander II. The last Emperor of China was imprisoned there too. In the late 19th century, a western journalist who met with exiled prisoners in Chita described them as “some of the brightest, most cultivated, most sympathetic men and women we had met” in the region. At a rally hosted in his honor, the Shaman was met by almost a thousand supporters from Chita who united under the banner ‘Russia Without Putin.’

After walking another six hundred kilometers, the Shaman reached the city of Ulan-Ude, best known for a 42-ton monument shaped in the form of Vladimir Lenin’s head. The statue was installed in the town square in 1971 to celebrate the centennial of the birth of the first ruler of the Soviet Union who was propped into power and supported by some Westerners. Lenin personally ordered the brutal massacre of the last Russian Emperor and his young family, then he declared war on other people of faith, starting with a killing spree of Russian Orthodox priests, many murdered by being crucified on church gates to send worshipers a clear message: the new tenants of Moscow were waging a militant anti-religious crusade, and no one was safe. Lenin’s lethal political missiles aimed at religion, like those launched by his Soviet successors over the decades, did not discriminate based on age, gender, ethnicity, or religious ideology, and were explosively destructive. He created an “Evil Empire,” as one former actor and U.S. President branded, an unimaginably oppressive and deadly system that eventually gave birth to Putin, a KGB star, who started out working for the Kremlin’s intelligence arm, and rose to rule the Kremlin less than a decade after the Soviet Union’s fall. Like Lenin, some Westerners helped prop Putin into power and many continue to support him as he wages war on Russians, Ukraine, and the world today.  

In Ulan-Ude, the Shaman’s journey began to darken, which only shined more light on his mission. While he had not yet reached his destination of Moscow, he had Moscow’s attention. First, he was confronted by a small envoy of pro-Putin Shaman’s accusing him of starting a war. Next, a couple followers accompanying the Shaman were arrested, and their cars confiscated. That led to protests breaking out in support of the Shaman, which the police violently broke up. Finally, a few days later, masked police invaded the Shaman’s camp, arrested him, and hid him in an undisclosed location, then sent him back to his hometown where the government involuntarily confined him in a psychiatric institution. Like the Soviet Union, Putin’s regime uses mental institutions to imprison and silence dissidents who the government fears could mobilize opposition against it.

The more aggressive Putin’s regime became toward the Shaman, executing lawfare, the more light shined on his story. Lawfare, the hybrid warfare tactic of weaponizing the legal system to unjustly prosecute, intimidate, and silence opponents, is clearly illustrated by Putin’s unjust prosecution of political opponents, including those who survive the Kremlin’s poisonings. Mandating psychiatric intervention based on fraudulent claims is a common practice too. International human rights groups protested the Shaman’s psychiatric imprisonment and journalists amplified his story and unjust persecution. By July 2020, during the peak of a global pandemic that Putin was drastically worsening, causing countless Russians to needlessly die, the Shaman was released on the condition that he issue a public statement that he would focus on his health and no longer protest Putin. Almost six months later, the Shaman set on another mission.

In early January 2021, a few days after the Kremlin-installed, Putin-obedient President of the United States led a violent insurrection to keep himself in power after failing to steal another election like he did in 2016 with the full support of a Russian military intelligence operation, the Shaman announced he was starting his journey to Moscow again, this time on horseback. Later that month, before he had left, dozens of armed police officers stormed the Shaman’s home in the darkness of night, arrested him, and sent him to a psychiatric facility far away from his hometown, and where he remains today as his sister pleads for his release and warns that the court-ordered “intensive treatment” he receives, including injections, are poisoning him. As the Shaman remains one of countless victims of the world’s most dangerous rogue criminal regime, run by the world’s richest thief and sociopath who secured power through acts of terrorism against Russian voters to pump fear throughout the nation, Putin flexes his military might on the world stage to mask his greatest weakness – fear of truth.

“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others” – Winston Churchill

The world finally understands the truth that the Shaman, Ukrainians, Russians, and countless others Putin’s regime has tried to destroy, have warned for years– the evil of Putin. He is a threat to humanity and the planet. This evil rose to power because of a global pandemic of corruption, with too many people worshiping money, power, and ego. An evil that has cast asleep millions of people of faith through stories of lies, using them as pawns in games of disinformation warfare. An evil that uses religion as a tool of suppression and to fuel hate, exactly the opposite of what religious teachings command, and in violation of humanity’s golden rule, “Do unto others as you wish others do unto you.” Love and kindness, compassion and understanding have taken a back seat or been exterminated by some of the world’s most powerful political systems, most clearly demonstrated by the Russian Federation under Putin’s failed leadership. Putin’s international cult of death operates by fueling hate, lies, chaos, deceit, destruction, war, and murder. He knows no boundaries and violates rules.

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” – Maya Angelou

The greatest gift western governments gave to Vladimir Putin is the policy of appeasement, which was executed in exchange for financial deals, political support, and power. Is it no wonder the United States political system operates off dark money that cannot be traced and raises Kremlin-backed politicians? Planting seeds of corruption grows poisonous fruit that is making countries sick and that now threatens nuclear terrorism. Less than two weeks ago, Ukraine was a lively, prosperous, thriving country that was approaching the 8th anniversary of Putin’s illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea, and now this beautiful country with medieval roots dating back well over a thousand years, is a war zone; villages bulldozed, civilians targeted and murdered, orphanages and schools bombed, missiles flying, Kyiv under constant threat, and multiple assassination attempts against Ukraine’s Jewish president. At this time, there are reports Russian soldiers are going door to door executing civilians..

On Thursday, Putin’s invaders attacked the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, one of four nuclear plants in Ukraine. It fell under the control of pro-Putin militants, including Chechens who serve as Putin’s praetorian guard and are involved in all high-profile military operations. While many pro-freedom Chechens fight on the side of Ukraine, the Kremlin has historically had a strong network of loyal Chechen terrorists, who have been strategically used by Putin, including in the 2002 Moscow Theater Crisis, and the Boston Bombing on April 15, 2013, which took place less than 48 hours after the U.S. announced its very first list of Russian sanctions under the Magnitsky Act. When the sanctions were published, the Kremlin publicly promised it would retaliate, then the bombing happened that murdered and disfigured Americans. About two months later, American traitor Edward Snowden stole a trove of classified material from the United States government (that was vital to enabling Putin wage hybrid warfare on the West and invade Ukraine less than a year later); Snowden remains in Moscow under the protection of Putin. Fortunately, the Zaporizhia nuclear plant is now back under the control of Ukraine, but that does not eliminate the danger of Putin launching another attack on any one or all four of Ukraine’s nuclear plants, including by launching missiles, which is even more reason why Ukrainian sky must be protected.

The severity of the threat of nuclear terrorism that Putin demonstrated this week cannot be overstated. This dangerous madman is threatening to destroy a large portion of the planet and murder countless people. While many underestimated Ukraine, it continues to stand its ground under the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who desperately pleads with NATO to protect Ukrainian sky with a no-fly zone, and as Ukrainians protect not only their own country from Putin but also NATO member countries, and at great sacrifice and cost. Putin’s threats of nuclear war in the form of launching nuclear missiles, a fear pumped into the western psyche since the Cold War, are fruitless, and every NATO leader knows this. He has lost control of his own government as there is an internal coup underway. He has as much capability to launch nukes as Trump did the multiple times he tried. But Putin does have power to use his terrorism proxies to turn nuclear power plants into nuclear-weapons of mass destruction that will be ten times worse than Chernobyl and will destroy Ukraine and Russia, and impact every NATO member-state, as well as countless other countries. Ukrainians need their sky protected from a storm of Putin’s missiles so they can secure the ground, including these nuclear plants. Based on these circumstances alone, with this direct threat to NATO, NATO must act and help Ukraine diffuse this catastrophic threat immediately.

Protecting Ukrainian skies protects citizens from around the world who are volunteering to serve in Ukraine’s International Legion, risking their lives to defend Europe from Putin, including a significant number of America’s finest who never back down from a call of duty. Last week, Ukraine’s President and Minister of Foreign Affairs invited international veterans to join the historic fight for freedom, and a “surge” of American veterans did not hesitate to sign-up to help. Dave Phillipps for the New York Times reports that “All across the country, small groups of military veterans are hungry for what they see as a righteous fight to defend freedom against an autocratic aggressor.” “Hector,” a United States Marine who served several violent tours in Iraq, told the Times, “A lot of veterans, we have a calling to serve, and we trained our whole career for this kind of war…Sitting by and doing nothing? I had to do that when Afghanistan fell apart, and it weighed heavily on me. I had to act.” David Ribardo, a former U.S. Army officer and business owner from Pennsylvania said, “It’s a conflict that has a clear good and bad side, and maybe stands apart from other recent conflicts…A lot of us are watching what is happening and just want to grab a rifle and go over there.” These countless brave Americans representing the spirit of the United States – standing up for freedom, regardless of the cost or danger, must be reflected in the nation’s leadership and that of NATO.

Days before the perilous incident at the nuclear plant, Putin’s soldiers opened fire on British journalists traveling outside of Kyiv. The Sky News Crew was going to the location where Ukraine’s military had destroyed Putin’s convoy that threatened the capital city, when they suddenly found themselves under fire, their car aggressively shot by attackers in the distance. It has been a common practice for Russian soldiers to open fire on innocent Ukrainian civilians, as illustrated in a video that went viral this week, showing a family being shot at by Russian soldiers as they were peacefully driving. The father and his two dogs were massacred in front of his wife and son, who miraculously survived the ambush. The British journalists, during a moment of silence in the shooting-rampage, clearly identified themselves as press, but that did not stop the attack. The Russian soldiers continued spraying their vehicle with bullets, as the journalists barely escaped to a nearby warehouse. The entire incident was filmed. Not only was this attack an international war crime, one of countless Ukraine continues to record for The Hague where it filed against Putin’s regime, it is a direct attack on the citizens of the U.K., a member of NATO. This is an act of war against both the U.K. and NATO.  There is no denying that under these circumstances, the U.K. and NATO have now been officially brought into a war with Putin’s regime. There is no excuse to pretend otherwise. The first order of business must be to protect the Ukrainian sky. If there is no action, then it is one of the most historic acts of cowardice seen in recent modern history. Even Russian intelligence has shown more courage protecting Ukraine.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main security agency of Russia and successor to the Soviet Union’s KGB, has been helping keep President Zelenskyy alive. There have been multiple teams of assassins that Putin hired to kill the Ukrainian President, including his most powerful paramilitary group that Erik Prince helped him build, the Wagner Group which terrorizes many parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. With the help of the FSB, Ukrainians assassinated Putin’s assassins. Given this information alone, it should be clear to the world that Putin can no longer launch nukes, which is why it is so imperative that Ukraine’s airspace have a non-fly zone. It took courage for the FSB to land on the correct side of history, just as it took courage for the Shaman to continue his mission opposing Putin despite the personal cost that he continues to pay. What kind of world do we live in when Putin’s own intelligence arm is protecting Ukraine’s president from Putin’s assassins but NATO refuses to protect the Ukrainian sky from Putin’s missiles? Especially under these larger circumstances, NATO is proving to be a well-financed arm of the war machine, with no moral compass, and an inability to keep peace and rise in this decisive moment of world history.

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”  – Albert Einstein

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy rises as the leader of the free world, while NATO member nations fall as cowards who made a choice to witness genocide and other war crimes rather than helping stop them even though they are best positioned to do so. Failing to protect Ukrainian sky has hindered Ukraine’s ability to focus on securing its independence from Putin’s deadly invaders, preventing Ukraine from putting its full attention on the ground war, and continues to cause immense destruction, kill civilians, including children, and has caused a refugee crisis (a potential “brain drain” of Ukraine that will benefit NATO nations with a wave of immigrants who are smart, sophisticated, pro-democracy Europeans, talented professionals and skilled laborers). Ukraine should caution its refugees to avoid permanent settlement in any nation that has betrayed them by failing to close its skies.

“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
-        Winston Churchill

What kind of message have NATO leaders sent Ukraine, the nation on the front-lines taking down Putin and protecting NATO member states, other than the demoralizing one of betrayal? Imagine watching someone put a newborn into a bag and violently beating the bag against concrete, and not intervening to stop it because it “wasn’t your business” or you feared being attacked next. This is the same scenario only with more than forty million lives at stake and too many babies and children whose lives have already been taken. Genocide is everyone’s business and an attack on humanity, that if not immediately extinguished, is given permission to spread. Putin’s evil terror spans across the globe, impacts every nation, ethnicity, race, religion, ideology, gender, and generation. There is no room for cowardice in war and in this moment of history. Western leaders must show only a fraction of the courage President Zelenskyy has shown, to quickly end this war and save lives. There is no more time to waste, NATO countries have enough blood on their hands in the war, and are the ones who benefited most from Putin’s blood money over the years, as illustrated clearly by the United States and the U.K., two of the original signatories of the Budapest Memorandum who promised to protect Ukraine in exchange for its nuclear disarmament when it had the third largest amount of nukes in the world after the Soviet Union’s fall, and who have since been the greatest benefactors of Kremlin blood money. The path forward is clear, as even a recent poll confirms that 74% of Americans agree that the Ukrainian sky should be protected; a nation that has spent years being divided is now united on the right side of this important moment of history. Putin has shown the world he is evil, but it is also evil to willingly bare witness to genocide and fail to intervene when one has the power to help. Cowardice is not an excuse for being an active and complicit observer of war crimes.

In his latest video address, President Zelenskyy blasted NATO for refusing to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which he called a sign of weakness. He also said that the only support Ukraine has received through NATO’s procurement system to date has been 50 tons of diesel. A journalist for the Economist also reported on twitter, “Ukraine continues to voice frustration at lack of anti-aircraft support from the West. They also say German weaponry arrived rusty and in non-usable condition.” The Ukrainian government said, “We believe it was direct sabotage of a political decision and must be investigated.”

“Кто не рискует, тот не пьет шампанского”                                                                       “He who doesn’t take risks doesn’t drink champagne”
-        Russian Proverb

Three years after the Shaman from Siberia started his journey toward Moscow in a spiritual mission to rid the world of Putin and free Russia, people around the globe have united against Putin and are witnesses to his evil atrocities. Russians have the full support to take him down by any means necessary, but those who are best positioned to do so must act now. Otherwise, he will destroy the Russian Federation beyond repair and cost countless lives. He will do the same to Ukraine. No mother should lose a child, whether a soldier or kindergartner, to Putin’s wars at home and abroad. Evil dictators fall quickly when those closest to them show bravery, as we are reminded today, on the anniversary of Joseph Stalin’s death.

Putin’s wars are unwinnable. Victory is achieved on the path of unity. Putin’s global and domestic alliance is fractured as he tries to wage war on multiple fronts, including military and hybrid both at home and abroad, a recipe for disaster. He is losing on all fronts, and his loss cements his fate, one of two options left, a trial at The Hague or death.

·        Putin cannot win the war on Ukraine. Ukrainians have proven to be a battle-tested force against Putin’s best efforts to destroy them after eight years of his illegal invasion. Instead, Putin rallied the world behind Ukraine and elevated Ukraine’s president as the world leader, shining the most courage and light in this historic time of darkness, and under incredibly challenging circumstances. Ukrainians have never been more united; their country’s history and unbreakable spirit is finally being understood, as years of Putin’s false narratives evaporate. Some experts believe that his ability to finance his illegal war on Ukraine will cease after Sunday, though that does not prevent great atrocities from occurring before then. Ukraine will rise victorious, despite the cost of human life and destruction, which NATO has the power to lessen but refuses.

·        Putin cannot win the war on Truth. Once the king of disinformation warfare, whose lies caused chaos, deaths, and paralyzed political systems, Putin’s greatest lies now only unite more people against him. Long-gone are the days of Putin being hailed “man of the year” by irresponsible western magazines; the danger he poses to the world normalize at summits, or his war in Ukraine being described by western media as “civil” or his military as “separatists,” as had been the case for eight years. He has lost support of his greatest American political enablers who now openly call for his death. When his Foreign Minister spews Kremlin talking points, diplomats collectively walk out of the room. His troll factories have been shut down by Twitter being suspended in Russia. Even his most loyal, cheer-leading western propagandists like Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, who earned the nickname ‘Tucky Rose’ after Tokyo Rose, now publicly support Ukraine. 74% of Americans want the Ukrainian sky protected against him. The Russian Federation’s top propaganda outlet, Russia Today (RT), is now banned in parts of the world and its American division has been shut down. Russia shutting down Facebook and Twitter, and its draconian tactics to censor journalists, will not prevent truth from surfacing with modern technology, including smartphones and computers. Without hesitation, Elon Musk responded to Ukraine’s request for the SpaceX Starlink internet terminals, which help ensure communication remains possible. The truth about Putin’s global network will become increasingly exposed after he falls.

·        Putin cannot win the war on the West. For years, Putin has enjoyed appeasement policies of governments influenced by Kremlin money – including lobbyists, lawyers, public relations firms, polling firms, propagandists, politicians, etc. – as he poured money into these countries, including by laundering money. He and his accomplices have spent a full previous U.S. presidential term feeling emboldened that they successfully installed a puppet regime as they weaponized Putin’s political weapon of mass destruction that occupied the White House and caused chaos in the U.S. and around the world. They enjoyed watching the European Union and United Kingdom spin after the Putin-supported Brexit referendum. But the days of waging aggressive hybrid warfare against the West are difficult without financing and a global army of once powerful western proxies executing the Kremlin’s dirty work to advance Putin’s agenda. Now, Putin and his inner circle of Russian oligarchs face the harshest sanctions to date and the Russian Federation has been removed from SWIFT. The Russian economy is spiraling as Russian oligarchs desperately try to liquidate and hide assets. His war budget is in jeopardy. Russia’s state airline is suspending all flights. Russian oil and energy companies have publicly turned against him, American and other western companies continue to pull business out of Russia, and some of Putin’s most obedient American politicians and propagandists have turned against him, as the FSB helps weaken Putin. It is also important to note that Putin’s regime continues to do a lot of damage in other parts of the world that will also be spared his brutality as he falls, it will be a victory shared and celebrated by many around the world.

·        Putin cannot win the war on Russians. One of the greatest victims of Putin’s murderous regime are Russians, who have lived through his atrocities for well over two decades, including when he bombed residential buildings to secure power, and more recently when he worsened a pandemic. His authoritarian rule, once masked as democratic through fraudulent elections, has robbed Russians of their basic freedoms to life, liberty, and happiness. He has killed the entrepreneurial spirit of his own people and caused the Russian population a deficit as Russian women grow increasingly hesitant to birth another generation imprisoned by a dangerous tyrant. People of faith continue to be under threat, NGOs and journalists censored and harassed. After decades of pumping disinformation, many, especially among older generations, can no longer decipher fact from fiction, but the younger generation has demonstrated it has the capability to light a spark that could instantly ignite a blaze of mass protest. For the first time since Putin’s illegitimate rule, Russians are finally positioned to take down Putin, and many have already started protesting, despite the Russian military being stationed in key cities and social media being shut down. Putin’s regime stands between Russians and their future, a future where Russian scientists, academics, business leaders, entrepreneurs, parents, activists, and politicians, move Russia toward the path of progress and as a global community partner that shines, rather than one imprisoned in darkness.

The door is open for Russians to break-off the shackles of oppression of the Putin regime; they need to take the first step to walk through it, like the Shaman took a first step when he started his journey to rid Russian and the world of the evil of Putin.

In yesterday’s Washington Post, Michael Vickers, “a former CIA officer who played a key role in supporting the Afghan resistance during the 1980s and served as undersecretary of defense for intelligence from 2011 to 2015,” wrote a powerful piece called, ‘What Putin’s top aides need to tell him today.’ Vickers summarizes how Putin’s regime has lost the war in Ukraine, isolated itself, and united the world. He also makes a compelling case how the Soviets were “driven out of Afghanistan in 1989 after suffering 26,000 war dead over nine years,” and how Russians have a fraction of the armed forces the Soviets did then, and that continuing a war in Ukraine will result in far worse losses. He highlights all the reasons Ukraine has a fiercely successful resistance and calls Putin’s nuclear threats to be empty. Vickers suggests the following for Russian Federation advisors to include in their briefing to Putin:

“Here is the situation, Mr. President: Our rapid-strike plan was supposed to have caused the Zelenskyy government to quickly capitulate, enabling us to install a puppet regime in Kyiv and incorporate Ukraine into the Russian Federation. Instead, it has unified the West, kindled in the Ukrainian people a fierce resistance, and led the NATO alliance and the European Union to boost their military support for Ukraine and impose economy-destroying sanctions on Russia.”

It is common-sense advice but requires courage to deliver. There is another point based on these circumstances: the situation is not personally survivable for Putin. His fate is sealed. It is the responsibility of Russian leaders around Putin and NATO to take every step necessary to prevent as much loss of life as possible until then, which means acting decisively and immediately, and without fear.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.”    -        Desmond Tutu

In an unusual video released by the Kremlin this morning, Putin, who has been pictured over the past weeks sitting on long empty tables on the opposite side of his most trusted advisors or a head of state, is seated on a long table surrounded by young women as he provides an update on his illegal war in Ukraine. He told the female audience that “it’s going entirely to plan,” when describing the war. If his plan was to crash, at full speed into fierce Ukrainian resistance, faster than the Titanic hit the iceberg, then his mission has been accomplished, but he has no lifeboat. He also said, “Ukraine could lose its statehood if it continues to behave in the same way.” Ukraine stole Putin’s manhood and now he is having a tantrum like a spoiled child. His tiresome threats again the West if it does the correct thing and provides Ukraine with a no-fly zone, or his meltdown about sanctions that he now refers to as an “act of war” (they’re “peace keeping” operations), illustrates that he has nothing left but his own delusions and lies that no one believes. Even his promises of “ceasefires” in areas of Ukraine to allow the safe evacuation of refugees illustrated that his words are meaningless. What we do know is that Ukraine must be shielded, its sky protected, for the wrath that Putin will be launched in his final hours.

Putin’s regime and its illegal invaders of Ukraine all suffer from low morale, lack of financing, and fatigue. Some Russian soldiers are still not aware why they’re in Ukraine, like many in Russia may be confused why they no longer have access to Facebook or Twitter as of yesterday. Meanwhile, the more that the Putin regime’s morale depletes, the more Ukraine’s morale continues to grow.

Ukraine’s resistance inspires globally, a light shining in darkness. This morning, there have been videos released showing more Ukrainian military successes, including Russian helicopters shot down, more tanks seized, and Russian soldiers captured. But some of the most inspirational visuals pouring out of Ukraine and all-over social media, include large groups of peaceful Ukrainian unarmed protestors, waving their nation’s flag, and singing the Ukrainian anthem as they stand up to the heavily armed foreign invaders who claim to have seized their towns and cities. They have rejected Russia’s “humanitarian aid” and continue to cause “good trouble,” as the late civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis branded.  “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” Lewis famously said. Some Ukrainians put themselves directly in front of massive Russian military vehicles, causing human blockades.  In one video, streets lined with Ukrainian protestors, as Russian tanks make their way down the road, a woman jumps on top of a tank as it continues moving and is seen waving a large Ukrainian flag. One Ukrainian government advisor and hybrid warfare expert, Liubov Tsybulska reported on Twitter that a “Kyiv woman knocked down a Russian drone from a balcony with a jar of cucumbers.” “How did they expect to occupy this country,” she asked. A defense reporter with The Kyiv Independent, Illia Ponomarenko reported on a recent poll that said “82% of Ukrainians believe their country can prevail in war against Russia. 77% say Ukraine will end up being stronger after victory. Like I said, popular morale is very, very high,” he tweeted. Independent journalist Olga Tokariuk tweeted, “A whole new historical narrative is being created in Ukraine right now. New names of heroes, new locations of battles. Streets will be named after them, books will be written about their feats, movies will be made telling their stories. It will happen beyond Ukraine too. Forget WWII…not literally. I mean that we are in a new era already: the post WWII global order is no more. We need new thinking, new approaches, new leaders. What is happening now in Ukraine – and how we react to it – will define a future world.”

The Klitschko brothers – Vitali and Wladimir, Ukrainian former professional boxers - released a video on twitter calling all leaders of every faith to unite around Ukraine and invited them to Kyiv, “Let us make Kyiv the capital of humanity, spirituality, and peace,” they said. This spirit is reflected in Ukrainians and their Jewish President, Zelenskyy, who illustrates the teachings of the Torah – hope through action – as he not only stands strong against Putin, who continues to spiral, but stands up to NATO, calling out its leaders’ failure to land on the correct side of history and protect the Ukrainian sky and save countless lives. As Jewish Ukrainian American retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman demonstrated to the world when he risked his life and his career to testify against the former Putin-installed U.S. President who was trying to extort President Zelenskyy into conducting bogus investigations targeted at Putin and Trump’s shared enemies list, at the detriment to Ukraine and America’s democracy, “Right matters.”

We see Russian resistance strengthen too. Russians continue to protest Putin’s illegal war, despite many being arrested and harassed by Russian law enforcement, as they chant “Glory to Ukraine.” The last thing Putin wants Russians to see is the powerful resistance of Ukrainians, especially leading up to Sunday’s protests in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, along with other parts of Russia. Mikahail Khodorkovsky, a respected exiled Russian public figure, created an Anti-War Committee, a coalition of other prominent Russian exiles who have come together to demand that the world choose a side and stand with Ukraine. World chess-champion Gary Kasparov, opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza (who Putin poisoned before), former legislator Dmitry Gudkov, and economist Sergei Guriyev, are among the leaders of this powerful coalition, according to Radio Free Europe. Is it any wonder Putin is going to extremes to censor Russians’ access to Twitter and Facebook, and initiating draconian policies against independent journalists? There’s also resistance coming from Belarus. Today, Natalia Khvostova, the Belarusian consulate in Munich, resigned over Putin’s war in Ukraine. The spirit of Ukraine is contagious, it is a spirit of freedom and peace.

In addition, though more can be done, sanctions are working. Russian businesses, including Gazprom and Rosneft, are being cut off around the world, and their executives continue having their yachts and other assets seized over Putin’s illegal war. Russian oligarchs are being hit so hard, that one offered a bounty for Putin to be killed. Matthew Mpoke Bigg of the New York Times, reported that Aeroflot, Russia’s state airline, said “it would suspend all international flights from Tuesday “due to additional circumstance that prevent the performance of flights.”” This applies to its “subsidiaries Aurora and Rossiya.” This is a direct impact of sanctions that have hit Russia’s airline industry especially hard and is a major blow to Putin’s regime. Aeroflot is also recommending that Russian airlines register with foreign jurisdictions to avoid being seized by foreign governments, Bigg reported. The more reports of Russian oligarchs feeling the impact, the stronger Ukraine’s resistance becomes.

As one Ukrainian politician said, everyone around the world who stands with Ukraine is part of this global resistance against Putin. That includes the Siberian Shaman who continues to be imprisoned in a psychiatric institution, and who never made his destination of Moscow, but whose message of a ‘Russia without Putin’ is now the focus of the world and set in motion.

Here are more ways the international community must participate in this global resistance against Putin’s regime being led by Ukraine and its friends around the world, including in Russia.

Hope through Action:

1. No Fly Zone: President Zelenskyy could not be clearer on the need to protect the Ukrainian sky. This is especially crucial now as a desperate Putin will continue to grow increasingly hostile. A no-fly zone will not only prevent greater loss of civilian life but could avert a global nuclear catastrophe if he decides to launch missiles at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Cowardice is not an option at a time of war. Friends of Ukraine living in any of the 30 NATO countries should urge their governments for a no-fly zone, especially since Ukraine is on the front lines protecting NATO countries. Friends don’t let friends get destroyed by Putin’s missiles.

2. Close European Ports to Russian Ships: Russian ships should not be permitted to port in Europe while Putin wages an illegal war against Europe’s largest country. European citizens should encourage their governments to close these ports until Putin is removed from power and his illegal invaders leave Ukraine.

3. Stop Purchasing Russian Oil: All nations should suspend the purchase of oil from Russia until Putin is removed. Right now, Russian oil is blood money, it finances Putin’s war. A short-term price spike is a small price for consumers to pay while Ukrainians risk their lives and watch Putin try to destroy their country and are on the front lines protecting the world from him. Putin is an enemy of humanity, a threat to the planet. He is one of the greatest obstacles against the free world addressing climate change.

4. Support Ukrainian Humanitarian Assistance: Yale history professor and authoritarian expert Timothy Snyder created a good list of ways people can support Ukrainians during the war.

5. Support Russians Standing Up to Putin: This week, Ukrainian mathematicians working with their counterparts in Russia, issued a powerful statement on the crisis Putin has caused in Ukraine and that many in Russia, especially among older generations, do not understand the illegal war he is waging on a peaceful neighbor and are being heavily censored. They have received countless messages from their Russian colleagues, including those among the more than 7,000 Russian scientists who have signed a petition against Putin’s war, telling them how poor the understanding is in Russia about what is happening. They continue to share how apologetically embarrassed they are by Putin’s regime. The Ukrainian and Russian scientists urge people around the world who have friends in Russia to reach out to them to share the truth, especially as there is a major crackdown on information. As of today, there are reports that Putin has shut down Russia’s internet. Phone calls and messages through secured applications on smartphones may be the best means of communication.

6. Demand Accountability: Putin’s criminal regime includes his political hybrid warfare proxies who are citizens of foreign countries and betrayed their nations while advancing the Kremlin’s interests. We have seen this clearly in the United States. They must be held accountable, and the public must demand they’re prosecuted for participating in his war crimes. Justice must be served to ensure history doesn't repeat itself. We will need truth and reconciliation hearing too, ensuring we understand how to avoid future hostile threats that endanger humanity.

Though the Shaman from Siberia, who was on a mission to rid the world of the evil occupying the Kremlin, remains locked away indefinitely, his spirit is part of the international awakening shaping a world toward the path of justice, freedom, and peace. A Russia without Putin.