Category Archives: Ww3

The four-day Conference on the Future of Europe has come to a close in the most unconventional way.

To mark the end of the event in Strasbourg where EU lawmakers came together to discuss how they can improve the European Union a troupe of interpretive dancers appeared out of nowhere.

They performed a routine around the hemicycle for the first ten minutes, with a narrator that reportedly whispered in French: "You have just arrived on the Moon... your hands become fish... You discover a new planet. Here, plants have taken power." MEPs could be seen awkwardly watching on looking just as baffled as those on Twitter when the clip surfaced online.

Choreographed by French dancer Angelin Preljocaj, the unexpected move led Pro-Brexiteers to chime in on the action.

GB News presenter Darren Grimessaid: "Interpretative dance at the EU parliament. Brexit was worth it to avoid this alone.

"The faces of the MEPs are hilarious. #cringe"

Nigel Farage also jumped in and reiterated on Twitter: "There are many reasons why I am pleased to no longer be an MEP.

"Not having to witness this 'interpretive dance' is one of them."

One Twitter user hit back at Farage, saying: "Other countries have a deep and ancient culture to you bell***. Just coz you dont like or respect it doesnt mean its bad or wrong."

"You hardly ever turned up, Nige," another joked.

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More stunned people turned to social media to gauge what was happening.

"WW3 about to break out... But first..let's dance," one witty user penned, while another mirrored his comments, tweeting: "There are people starving, on the verge of WW3 and they are wasting time and money on that... Looking at some of the representatives, they don't look impressed."

The room was treated to another performance around an hour later. But, this time, it was Beethoven's Ode to Joy - the European anthem by a group of musicians from each member state.

EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola concluded: "Citizens - especially young people - are at the heart of our vision for the future of Europe. They have directly shaped the outcome of the Conference.

"We are at a defining moment of European integration and no suggestion for change should be off-limits.

"We should not be afraid to unleash the power of Europe to change people's lives for the better."

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Interpretative dancers just performed at the European parliament and people are confused - indy100

Thousands of British Army soldiers, along with tanks and weapons, are to be sent to eastern Europe amid growing World War Three fears.

In one of the largest military deployments since the Cold War, British personnel will be placed in countries from Finland to North Macedonia.

These plans were in place before Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his "special military operation" in Ukraine, but have since been bolstered.

Over 100 armoured fighting vehicles and dozens of tanks will be sent with the troops, who will join tens of thousands of others from NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies.

The British deployment will peak at around 8,000 personnel between April and June.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the aim of the operation is "deterring Russian aggression in Scandinavia and the Baltic states".

British personnel will take part in a number of exercises with their allies involving parachute drops, helicopter-borne air assaults and Challenger 2 tanks.

The point of these exercises is to "showcase the scale and significance of the British Army's contribution to the defence of Europe", the MoD said.

Brits will also be involved in some exercises in Poland alongside American troops.

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has hailed the plans as a show of "solidarity and strength".

He said: "The security of Europe has never been more important. These exercises will see our troops join forces with allies and partners across NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War.

"Operating across Europe, the British Army will stand alongside partners, combining our capabilities and shared values, promoting peace and security."

Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse described the plans as "fundamental" with regards to security in eastern Europe.

"The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression. The British Army's series of exercises is fundamental to both," he said.

"The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century."

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Thousands of British troops to be sent to Europe with tanks amid Russia WW3 fears - Daily Star

Vladimir Solovyov, known as Putin's "mouthpiece", has threatened Europe and NATO countries of an impending war as he said Russia's war is entering "a new stage".

The prominent Russian state TV presenter said there "will be no mercy" during his ranting speech.

Solovyov questioned whether NATO countries will have enough weapons left to defend themselves once Russia's invasion of Ukraine ends.

The ranting propagandist, who was sanctioned by the EU for his close ties to the Russian leader, warned that Moscow will be "grinding up NATO's war machine as well as its citizens".

On the state-owned Russian television channel Russia 1, Solovyov said: "I believe the special military operation is entering a new stage.

"Ukrainians alone are no longer enough. Now they're talking about NATO countries supplying de-facto their own weapons. We'll see not only NATO's weapons being drawn into this but also their operators.

"De-facto, we're starting to wage war against NATO countries. We'll be grinding up NATO's war machine as well as citizens of NATO countries."

He added: "When this operation concludes, NATO will have to ask itself: Do we have what we need to defend ourselves? Do we have the people to defend ourselves?

"And there will be no mercy. There will be no mercy. Not only Ukraine will have been denazified, the war against Europe and the world is developing a more specific outline which means we'll have to act differently and to act much more harshly."

READ MORE:Rublev discloses Wimbledon phone call with Russian players after ban

The presenter's troubling comments come just weeks after arsonists targetted his villa in Lake Como, and activists poured red paint into his swimming pool at another of his luxury properties and scrawled "killer" on the wall.

Russia recently announced its plans to take over the south of Ukraine and the whole of the Donbas region.

Rustam Minnekayev, the deputy commander of Russia's military, said Putin's army plans to forge a corridor between Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014, and the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian fighters left in Mariupol, that Russia claims to have seized, are holed up at Azovstal industrial facility which Putin has ordered to be blockaded, condemning the soldiers and civilians inside to their deaths.

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Mr Minnekayev said should Russia's forces seize southern Ukraine, it would improve the army's access to Moldova's pro-Russian breakaway region of Transdniestria.

Transdniestria borders Ukraine, causing Kyiv to fear the area could be used as a launching pad for new attacks from Russian troops.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry has denounced Russia's plans to seize full control of Donbas and southern Ukraine, calling it "imperialism".

The ministry wrote on Twitter that Russia had "acknowledged that the goal of the 'second phase' of the war is not victory over the mythical Nazis, but simply the occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine. Imperialism as it is".

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WW3 threat as Putin's mouthpiece warns of 'no mercy' in war 'against Europe and world' - Express

Love Island couple Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran spent the evening playing TopGolf. Chloe called the game 'fixed' as he beat her by a long shot

Love Island stars Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran have shut down split rumours by enjoying a rare date night together.

Fans began speculating that the two had split up as they hadn't been seen together in several weeks.

But it looks like all is good with the couple as they went out for a night of activities at TopGolf.

On both their Instagram Stories, they shared footage from their dates in their casual outfits.

Chloe looked gorgeous in simple beige leggings, a cropped puffer jacket, and white trainers.

She had her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun as she took a shot.

Toby shared a post of the golf ball and added a caption that read: "Bad memories playing golf."

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In the end, Toby - a football player - came out victorious, but Chloe claimed it was 'fixed'.

The sports star wore grey sweatpants and a warm cream-coloured puffer jacket on his date with his beau.

Chloe and Toby sparked split rumours after not featuring on each other's Instagram pages for a while and not being seen with each other.

On several of the star's posts, fans asked her about the couple's relationships.

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"Are u and Toby together still?" one concerned user asked while another said: "Where's Toby!?"

One user commented: "Are she and Toby still together??" and another added: "Did you and Toby breakup."

Chloe and Toby moved in together only three months after their time on the reality show.

The two met during their stints on Love Island last year and have been together ever since.

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Meanwhile, Chloe recently had to hit back at trolls after she branded 'thick' by one of them.

The reality star asked followers why World War 3 was a trending topic on Twitter and was hit with a barrage of mean tweets.

Why am I seeing tweets about ww3???!!!!! Chloe posted in February, as Russian soldiers began to invade Ukraine.

Youre probably too thick to realise what a WW is. Carry on promoting lip filler and Botox, the Twitter user fired.

But Chloe refused to ignore the cruel jibe and decided to fight back.

Jokes on you I dont have either and I got a first class degree!!! What you got? :)))))) xxx, she replied.

P.s if you wanna get Botox and filler then bloody go for it, she added, earning high praise from her fans.

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct at 0207 29 33033.

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Love Island's Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran rubbish split rumours with date night - The Mirror

Image via Warner Bros.

Gal Gadot has confirmed that work on Wonder Woman 3 has begun. Its been a rollercoaster ride for the Princess of Themyscira across the DCEU so far, with Gadots Diana Prince featuring in both critically praised and panned movies. Take her two solo films, for instance. 2017s Wonder Woman was a huge hit, but 2020s Wonder Woman 1984 is generally agreed to have dropped the ball and forgotten what made the first so good.

So fans will be hoping that the upcoming third entry in the Amazon warriors saga will be able to restore the franchise to its former glory. Forbes recently spoke to both Gadot and director Patty Jenkins, with interviewer Jeff Conway congratulating the pair on the news that WW3 is a go. Jenkins responded, Thank you! So happy to hear that. I appreciate that. We cant wait to get the next movie out, too.

This then prompted the Israeli actress to offer a more illuminating update, revealing that the script is in the process of coming together:

Were talking! Were actually in the mix of working on the script and getting the third one made, so its all wheels are working and turning and Im super, super excited for the fans to come and watch Wonder Woman 3 once its made.

Not much is known about what we can expect from the threequel, although we can say that one cast member from WW84 will return and one wont. 1970s Wonder Woman icon Lynda Carter looks set to reprise her role as Asteria from the sequels post-credits scene, this time in a much more substantial role. Meanwhile, Chris Pine has ruled out a further resurrection for Dianas love interest Steve Trevor, after he was briefly brought back to life in the last one.

While Wonder Woman 3 is already in the scripting stage, fans should be prepared for a long wait for it. Gadot has previously confirmed that filming wont get underway until mid-2023 at the earliest. Thats no doubt due to the stars incredibly busy schedule. One of her many upcoming projects includes a Cleopatra biopic, which was to reunite her with Jenkins before Kari Skogland took over as director due to Jenkins commitments to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

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'Wonder Woman 3' Script Is Being Actively Worked On, Reveals Gal Gadot - We Got This Covered

Newly minted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz succeeded Angela Merkel in late 2021, after a campaign where he was conspicuously silent on NATO nuclear deterrent plans.

Germany is not a nuclear-capable nation, despite having the facilities to produce warheads, but is included in NATO's weapon sharing agreements.

Under the Scholz administration, the country has ramped up defence spending amid the crisis in Ukraine.

He pledged to raise defence spending to two percent of Germany's GDP and increased the annual defence budget from 50.3 billion to nearly 70 million.

As part of this push, German defence minister Christine Lambrecht announced the government would replace its Tornado bomber jets with US-made F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

While she didn't mention nuclear production, Ms Lambrecht said these planes could deliver nuclear warheads.

The German Chancellor has demonstrated a readiness to defend his country from potential aggression, meaning his forces would be well equipped to respond to active warmongering in Western Europe and beyond.

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Nato map: The THREE NATO countries that could attack Russia first in WW3 - Express

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WHEN the coronavirus pandemic first engulfed the world with its soul-crushing, life-ravaging force, I mistakenly assumed the worlds more self-obsessed celebrities would take a much-needed time out from their constant virtue-signalling, dumb antics and narcissistic me-me-me cravings for attention.

Of course, I was labouring under a massive misapprehension.

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Instead, they promptly tried to make the killer virus all about them, from Gal Gadots absurd star-studded video rendition of Imagine where a bunch of mansion-owning multi-millionaires sang about a world with no possessions, to Madonna lying in a candle-surrounded bath full of rose petals, prattling on about the virus being the great equaliser, and Princess Pinocchio and Hypocrite Harry ratcheting up their perpetual whining about the Royal Family that enriched them.

So, when the war in Ukraine erupted, I knew with weary cast-iron certainty that many of the planets showbiz population would react in their usual crude, shameless, headline-grabbing manner to ensure our eyes werent too distracted by the appalling daily scenes of innocent women and children being bombed to pieces by Vladimir Putin.

Nothing, though, quite prepared me for the staggeringly selfish, inappropriate, insensitive and unctuous conduct of Kim Kardashian and the stupendously ghastly men in her life, Kanye West and Pete Davidson.

Not a day goes by without some new breaking news development in their toxic, ugly feud, which in their pampered tunnel vision eyes is the only war any of us should really care about it.

And every time I think they cant possibly plummet any further into the abyss of cretinous spoiled brat nonsense, down they dive like spotlight-ravenous reptiles.

The nadir for this noxious trio arrived this week, coincidentally just as my covid-wrecked sense of smell showed the first signs of beginning to scent extremely pungent excrement-related odours.

For the blissfully uninitiated and God, I envy you if you are, and apologise profusely for now enlightening you - Kim dumped her rapper husband Kanye last year and then hooked up with heavily-tattooed comedian Davidson whose exhaustive back catalogue of famous female girlfriends includes Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Cindy Crawfords daughter Kaia Gerber and Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor.

Kanye took this well as you could imagine from the globes most thin-skinned inhabitant, releasing a record Eazy in which he threatened to beat Pete Davidsons a** and in the accompanying video, depicted a plasticine animated figure of Davidson being kidnapped, decapitated and buried alive.

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He also called Davidson who he nicknamed Skete - a d*ckhead, trash and garbage and accused him of having an affair with Hillary Clinton.

This weekend, after Kanye spent the morning posting text message arguments between him and Kim about custody issues involving their kids, Davidson hit back, sniping, Im not gonna let you treat us this way anymore and Im done being quiet, and thenbranding Kanye a little internet b*tch boy whose actions are so p***y and embarrassing and told him to grow the f*** up.

When Kanye retorted with Where are you right now?, Davidson sent him a topless selfie with the words: In bed with your wife.

As they carried on attacking each other in this ever-more-unedifying manner, and Kim and Kanye carried on squabbling over their poor children, all of it promptly beamed to gazillions of people because as they all know - Kanye shares every sordid detail with his followers in real time, Twitter and Instagram blazed with all the fresh barbs, gorging delightedly on this insane public horn-locking showdown.

But I didnt.

Instead, I felt a surging sense of rage building inside me.

At the same time as these three supremely rich, famous, entitled imbeciles are trading stupid insults, Ukraine is exploding with horrifying scenes of murder and mayhem.

Maternity hospitals are being attacked, killing pregnant women and their babies.

Desperate refugees are being targeted as they tried to reach the safety of the border, their bodies incinerated as they made their bid for freedom.

Journalists are being shot and killed for courageously doing their jobs trying to tell us the truth about whats happening on the ground.

Whole cities in one of Europes biggest countries are being destroyed in a non-stop orgy of violence by evil Putins brutal military.

And nuclear power plants have been hit by missiles, as the Russian dictator warns he will unleash his own nuclear arsenal on anyone who intervenes to stop his barbaric illegal invasion of a sovereign democratic nation.

Yet, as we stand on the potential precipice of World War 3, all Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Pete Davidson give a damn about is their own pathetically petty war, seemingly without a moments concern either for the welfare of the four young children caught up in their constant battles of b*tchy attrition, nor the far more important very real conflict causing such devastation in Ukraine.

To compound my anger, Kardashian thought this was the perfect moment to give advice for women in business, as she promoted her new reality TV show.

'Get your f***ing ass up and work,' she sneered toVariety magazine,'it seems like nobody wants to work these days.'

Putting aside the laughable irony of a woman born to huge wealth and privilege, who literally made her name from a sex tape involving extensive footage of her naked a**, and who now rakes in millions by having TV cameras follow her and her dimwit family around 24/7 as they lead their vacuous lives, lecturing anyone about what it means to do a real job, my mind went to the extraordinary women of Ukraine.

Day after day, hour after hour, we see them dodging bombs or carrying their hungry, crying kids for miles after leaving their homes and dreams behind them, as their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons wage real fight-to-the-death war with Russian invaders determined to take everything they have.

And the one thing we never see from any of these astonishingly brave, heroic people is an ounce of self-pity or self-aggrandisement.

The juxtaposition of these remarkably selfless Ukranians, led by their brilliantly inspiring President Zelensky, fighting for their very lives and freedom, and the remarkably self-absorbed likes of Kardashian, West and Davidson fighting each other for Instagram bragging likes and TV ratings is so jarring it makes me want to physically puke.

Yet this is the inevitable consequence of a society which puts such egotistical monsters on a pedestal so high that they genuinely believe their own relationship bullsh*t is of more vital public interest than a genuine war.

And not even the prospect of the entire planet being extinguished in a nuclear holocaust can quench their nauseating self-promotional thirst.

If only one positive thing emerges from the Ukraine war, other than a reminder of the awesome power of human resilience and spirit in the face of terrible adversity as epitomised by the Ukrainian people, let it be that we condemn the Kims, Kanyes and Petes to the dustbin of utter irrelevance where they belong.

Help those fleeing conflict with The Suns Ukraine Fund

PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraines devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.

Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos and now you can, by donating to The Sun's Ukraine Fund.

Give as little as 3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.

Donate here to help The Sun's fund

Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles

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Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. 5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visitredcross.org.uk/mobile

The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis.

In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.

For more information visithttps://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund

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Were on the precipice of WW3 & all Kim, Kanye & Pete give a damn about is their own pathetic war, says P... - The US Sun

CHINA is willing to send weapons to Russia to help its invasion, the US warned.

And Beijing was told it would face isolation and penalties if it helped Moscow as WW3 fears grow.

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It came after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome.

Washington told allies in NATO and several Asian countries that China signalled a willingness to provide military and economic support to Russia, but is expected to deny the plans.

One US official said: Its real, its consequential and its really alarming.

The White House said: "We have deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions."

Chinese companies defying U.S. restrictions on exports to Russia may be cut off from American equipment and software they need to make their products, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last week.

But Yang said China was committed to resolving the conflict, adding: "China firmly opposes any words and deeds that spread false information and distort and smear China's position."

Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution said Chinese support for Russia "would considerably narrow its path for preserving non-hostile relations with the United States and the West".

It comes after Russia reportedly asked China for help last month with its Ukraine invasion.

Vladimir Putin's side is believed to have asked Chinese presidentXi Jinpingfor both military equipment and support after its February 24 invasion.

Several U.S. officials have since said Beijing could undermine Western efforts to help Ukraine, theNew York Timesreports.

And Sullivan said Washington believed China knewRussiawas planning to invadeUkrainebefore it did.

He also warned Beijing would "absolutely" face consequences if it offered Russia support.

He told CNN: "We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them."

Heavy explosions were heard in Kyiv Monday as an apartment was hit in one of the citys suburbs. Over 2,500 civilians in Mariupol have died, according to Ukrainian officials.

There are many who remain in the city without electricity, water, and heat as the fourth round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were put on pause until Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said difficult talks are ongoing with Russia.

Difficult talks continue. Everybody is waiting for news. This evening we will report on the outcome, he said in a video message.

One person has died and six others were injured in Kyivs Obolon district after an attack on an apartment building.

Rescuers who arrived on the scene found that as a result of enemy shelling between residential five- and 10-story buildings, a fire broke out in two apartments on the third and fourth floors of a 5-story residential building, said rescue services.

Meanwhile, Nato has amassed 30,000 troops and 50 warships near Russia's border for military exercises, risking Mad Vlad's rage.

The drill, named Cold Response, has kicked off today in Norway amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West over the invasion of Ukraine.

We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them.

The exercise includes 30,000 troops from more than 25 countries from Europe and North America, 200 aircraft, and 50 vessels.

The largest Nato exercise which is held just a few miles from the Russian border was planned long before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine but its significance has now been heightened.

"This exercise is extremely important for the security of Norway and its allies. We will practice an allied reinforcement of Norway", Norwegian Defence Minister Odd Roger Enoksen.

"It is not being held because of the Russian authorities' attack on Ukraine, but given the backdrop there is a heightened significance."

The aim of the drill is to test how Norway and Alliance members would work together on land, in the air, and at sea in line with Article 5 of NATO's charter, which requires member states to come to the aid of another member state under attack.

"I find it totally normal, perhaps now more than ever, to train together to demonstrate our capacity and our willingness to defend our values and our way of life", stated General Yngve Odlo, head of Norway's Joint Headquarters and in charge of Cold Response.

The Norwegian armed forces said it provided thorough information to the Russians, including the Russian Ministry of Defense, saying that was vital for preventing misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.

Russia has declined to observe the exercise, which is held every two years and is due to end on April 1.

And even though it was planned months ago, it is bound to infuriate the Russian dictator who may have "roid rage" potentially caused by cancer treatment.

Western spies have speculated Putin's decision to invade Ukraine may have been sparked by his physical health condition as he appears "ashen and bloated" in recent pictures released by the Kremlin.

They believe he is suffering from a brain condition, such as Parkinsons disease or a more generic form of dementia - or has cancer.

Another theory is that he is suffering from roid rage from the long-term use of steroids.

Side effects of steroids include increased risk of infection - which it is claimed could explain his paranoia about catching Covid.

What is happening between Russia and Ukraine?

RUSSIA and the Ukraine have remained technically at war since 2014.

Ukraine was aligned with Russia as part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991, following which it became an independent state.

Both nations remained closely tied - but Ukraine gradually began to distance itself, seeking deeper ties with the West.

The open conflict was triggered by the Ukrainian Revolution in 2014 - when an uprising overthrew the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych.

Vladimir Putin's forces reacted by annexing the region of Crimea from Ukraine - a move which was widely condemned by the West.

The conflict then spiralled when pro-Russian groups in Eastern Ukraine then took up arms against the state.

Russia gave their backing the separatist forces which formed breakaway republics in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Putin's forces then launched a military incursion into these regions as they gave their support to the rebels.

Russia continues to hold Crimea - and claims the region joined them willingly after they a referendum.

Almost seven years have now passed and the War in Donbass remains at a stalemate.

It is estimated some 14,000 have been killed in the conflict, including more than 3,00 civilians.

Ukraine and the rebels signed a new ceasefire in July 2020 - but clashes have been steadily increasing again since last November.

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China willing to send Russia WEAPONS to help with Ukraine invasion, US warns as WW3 fears grow... - The Sun

Photo-Illustration: Photo-Illustration: The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

Youve seen them: the one where the Wordle is peace. The Harry Potter jokes about Putin. That John Cena tweet about his show Peacemaker. As Russian forces began their invasion of Ukraine last week, our news feeds began to show us in addition to plenty of misinformation, legit harrowing footage from on-the-ground war reporters, and whatever this is memes about World War III.

Others Ive seen in the past few days include dozens of memes about drafted Americans doing silly things on foreign soil. The official Ukraine Twitter account posted a literal meme. Tweets about surviving a (still ongoing) pandemic only to be rewarded with war. Its been a choir or responses. And they feel inescapable. Theyre on every social-media platform, and everyone from celebrities to the very online feels compelled to chime in through retweets, reshares, screenshots, and attempted dunks.

This kind of online behavior treats memes as social currency things to post to get attention, to fit in, or to make public statements about who we are. In a way, it makes sense. Memes are woven into our language and culture, and theyre ridiculously good at packaging information and projecting it across the internet at uncanny speeds.

We also share memes as shorthand for things we feel we dont have the right words to express. Like, say, anxiety over escalating imperial aggression. Just reposting a meme about current events says I read the news, Im a good person, but I dont know what to say or do, LOL. The problem with this offering is its three I statements in a row. In this particular case, it doesnt seem to facilitate connection and learning let alone make any tangible impact. Instead, its flooding our feeds with half-baked thoughts and needy Look at me! performances that make demands on our attention and create so much noise (perhaps an accurate externalization of whats going on in some minds).

Consider the history of these particular memes. They are not, if you can believe it, the first World War III memes to go viral. In January 2020, #ww3 memes followed then-President Trumps admission that hed ordered the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian official. The memes jumped to the WWIII conclusion because those are, historically, the kind of assassinations that prompt world wars (remember Archduke Ferdinand from history class?). It was mostly a meme about Trump, about his political bravado and cartoonish antics. It was Americans under Trump making memes about Trumps America, an unsafe reality we were actively navigating or trying to, at least. That March, we dipped our toes into coronavirus memes as we adjusted for the change and began to cope with the losses. Meme culture under the Trump administration was definitely dark and maybe even self-indulgent and fatalistic.

But this round of WWIII memes feels different.

As a meme librarian whos worked for Instagram and Tumblr, Amanda Brennans job is to decipher the mass of popular memes for whatever sense, story, or meaning she can make of them: Seeing some of these memes feels so haunting because it feels more like the gravity of the uprisings is different than the fake WWIII memes that trended throughout 2020. The war we theorized about 2020 did not exactly materialize; the one in these recent memes, in a way, has. Brennan noticed that this time the people making and sharing these viral memes are not the people at the center of the conflict. While it does feel large and overwhelming, as an elder millennial, I just feel at a loss to do anything let alone process through memes.

Vlasta Pilot is a Los Angelesbased artist and TikTok creator. I follow her TikTok for her pickle reviews. She was born in Russia (where she still has family) and is in regular contact with friends in Russia and Ukraine. She attributes the weirdness of these WWIII memes to the abstract ways their creators are talking about war: I have a hard time empathizing with the whole Millennials are tired of living through historical events narrative when most people are not, in fact, living through it but watching it happen to others from the safety of their couch.

Between her Russian and Ukrainian friends, she admits that memes have been passed around to share a smirk, but overall they dont give us any hope or relief at the moment. Memes prove limited in their ability to help people cope in situations like these. Theres a specific type of content that, as much as I try to avoid it, always finds its way on to my FYP, Pilot tells me. Its the short viral videos about Vlady Zaddy Putin, Ukraine being in Pluto return, or Jeff Bezos coming to save everyone by buying Russia.

Making memes, Pilot points out, requires a certain level of detachment. How else could you turn actual people and events and, in this case, human suffering into content? Here, we see how memes can separate content from its reality, which in this case is literal war (amid the threat of nuclear war) and the senseless slaughter of actual people.

It would be easy to cast all blame upon the form of the meme, to decide that memefication is a process that inherently corrupts good discourse and only serves as a vector to misinformation.

But a meme is what you make of it.

Take, for instance, @blackpowerbottomtext, run by organizer Nicols Esquis. This account was once exclusively a meme page (now it hosts a mix of posts), its politics leaning heavily left. Last week, Esquis shared a meme about the liberal tendency to turn complex issues into aesthetic social-justice slideshows. On the grid, it shared this meme with nesting captions (each complicating the previous one) demonstrating that just because something is complex and layered doesnt mean its beyond our comprehension that it actually makes more sense when we make room for critical thinking. This popular tweet about CNN running ads for Applebees in between footage of air raids over Ukraine is basically a multimedia political cartoon about commercial journalism. Whether you agree with the politics of this content or not, these memes prove its entirely possible for memes to facilitate nuanced conversations.

Given their ubiquity, memes will likely inform many on whats going on in Ukraine and serve as a point of entry for people who might not otherwise be aware of the issue. But the memes that are going viral on mainstream Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram cant be defended as information. And saying theyre helping people cope feels like a cop-out.

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Russia, Ukraine, and World War III Memes - The Cut

Early Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he would be carrying out a military operation against Ukraine, shortly after explosions were heard across the countrys capital of Kyiv. Thoughts and prayers for Ukraine flooded timelines across Twitter and Instagram, along with a bizarre video of former 90210 star AnnaLynne McCord, wishing that she had been Putins mother because maybe he wouldnt have started a war if he had been shown more love.

Social media users have never been shy about acting out when it comes to the unfolding of major historical events, and while some try to be a beacon of hope, like McCord, others deal with their anxieties through jokes and memes, as theyre doing now with the start of World War 3.

On Instagram, popular pages began sharing posts with multiple memes that have captions like Me showing up to my physical after getting drafted in WWIII and including a video of a woman saying shes legally blind.

Some users also began spamming Putins Instagram page, calling him Daddy Putin or Vladdy Daddy and pleading with him to stop the violence. On TikTok, meanwhile, creators quipped in their own ways about being drafted instead of going to college as some tried to help people understand what is even going on. Some women users joked that they arent going to war because they belong in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning.

Similar jokes spread across social media when IranianGeneral Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by the United States in 2020. Its worth noting that the likelihood of a draft is actually very low. As the New York Times pointed out after the assassination, the draft hasnt been used since it was abolished in 1973 after people opposed fighting in the Vietnam War. To change that, Congress would have to pass a law reinstating the draft, and the president would have to sign it, actions that would likely require broad political support, the Times writes.

On Twitter, many users continue to remind people to have a sense of humanity and compassion when it comes to joking about major historical events. Its not funny, one user wrote in a tweet that has gone viral. [Its] the heartbreaking and cruel reality of so many people, and all you can do is reduce their fear to jokes that you use to cope when youre not even the ones in danger.

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Will there be a draft? WW3 TikTok videos speak to the anxiety of the moment - Fast Company