Negotiating with the Russians

The second invasion of Ukraine started a year ago.  Many have called for negotiations with Russia to end the war.  With this in mind, I think that it is fair to mention the previous negotiations that have taken place.

In 1994, The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances was signed where Russia, the US and the UK confirmed their recognition of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine becoming parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and effectively abandoning their nuclear arsenal to Russia, and that they agreed to the following: 

    - Respect the signatory's independence and sovereignty in the existing borders.

    - Refrain from the threat or the use of force against the signatory.

    - Refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by the signatory of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind.

    - Seek immediate Security Council action to provide assistance to the signatory if they "should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used".

    - Refrain from the use of nuclear arms against the signatory.

    - Consult with one another if questions arise regarding those commitments.

We saw what happened with that in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea and likewise, invaded and supported an insurrection in The Donbass.  

The Minsk Protocol, was drafted in 2014 and was not followed and with the aid of Russian volunteers, the DPR captured the Donetsk Airport. Minsk II, which was signed on 12 February 2015 and bought Russia time to prepare to invade again.

Also, before the invasion last year, it appeared at a meeting, that the decision to annexe Ukrainian territory had already been made, but not officially.

Normally, negotiation is needed to end conflict.  However, Putin appears to see it as a way to regroup, rearm and invade again.  If we have a negotiated peace in Ukraine, we need to decide if it is worth enforcing it when Russia finds a reason to break it again.

Get on your bike

Today I was told at work, that walking the dog has not helped me by someone who looked pointedly at my stomach and told me that I needed to start cycling again.  Honesty is the best policy, I guess I had better listen.

When you regain control of your destiny

First of all, family. My son seems to be be coping much better than my wife and I with his COVID infection, my daughter though maybe developing symptoms. My wife is regaining her energy levels faster than me, but Leia is now showing signs of fatigue which make us think that she may have picked it up from us.

Second of all, Arsenal are top of the league again. I try not to hear the scores until I watch Match Of The Day, but I heard that we were 2-1 down at half time. Needless to say I was in ecstasy when I found out that we won, even more so when The Team That Rhymes With City drew. 

My son has COVID for the 4th time

My son tested positive for COVID this morning as my wife tested negative. He had out the recycling last night, but despite being warned, also left the food compost bin out. He agreed to pick up the food if the foxes got to it, but was positive and too unwell to do it, so my wife did it instead. But as I am positive, he did not need to isolate alone and came into my room to watch Grey’s Anatomy with me.

That was until my daughter freed us. My wife and I thought that she brought COVID into the house, and she appears to agree as she decided that my son and I do not have to isolate.

We will find out soon if she has made the right decision or not.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This is another film that I had always intended to watch, but never got round to. I watched it with my wife who expected the plot to follow a Rom-Com storyline, but it did not, most of the time. It was an enjoyable comedy and one that I am surprised that I have never watched before especially as I have watched and enjoyed the sequel Get Him To The Greek. 

Like the series, The White Lotus, this is a great advert for Hawaii but my only quibble with this, is the very male take on being unfaithful. If the situation was reversed, I would consider my partner to have been unfaithful (not that she very would cheat). Other than that, a great comedy and exactly what I needed while recovering from COVID. And if like me, you have not watched it, it is worth watching, but I doubt that I will take time out to watch it again.

Weird Science

One of the plus sides of being in isolation, is that I have had time to watch things I had recorded but never got around to watching. Weird Science was one. I am sure that I had watched most of it when younger, but I honestly do not think that I had watched it all.  

I see no point in showing this to my children who have grown up in a different time to me, but my wife and I enjoyed the film. By the standards of today, it has a predictable plot, but at the time, this was an awesome film. Basically, if you grew up during the 1980’s, you will probably appreciate the film. I am very glad that I have finally got round to watching it, but I do wonder what happened to the grandparents! 

Happy Valley

I am feeling a bit better than yesterday, but still feel awful. I have a lot more sympathy for my son who has had to isolate twice, but I have the company of my wife while he had none. 

Yesterday my wife and I watched all of Happy Valley which was the plus side of feeling so unwell. Although I do feel sorry for myself, I could be worse, one of the doctors where I work got COVID before me and she is short of breath going up the stairs.

Also, to make me feel even more down, Arsenal lost yesterday. This morning, I watched the highlights of the expected loss to the Team That Rhymes With City. I think it is unfair to blame just Takehiro Tomiyasu for the first goal as there was a header which had been lost first, but it was interesting to see that they would play Route One Football when needed and the highlights did not show Arsenal doing the same. 

Anyway, we have two children again today. My daughter was at a sleepover on Tuesday night and did not get home till the afternoon and then was out again in the evening. My son made a great meal last night from Gousto but Leia has found it very stressful as she knows we are locked away and keeps whining at our door to let her in. This happens less when both children are about but is more of an issue if there is just one child here. I feel sorry that the half term week which we had hoped to spend time with them has now resulted in them looking after us. We will make it up to them later.

Hopefully I will be feeling a bit better tomorrow. That and I hope we beat Aston Villa on Saturday when we visit the home of our former manager, Unai Emery.