Rude gestures are rare on postage stamps, but Ukraine's best known stamp has one. It shows a soldier raising the middle finger to a Russian warship in reference to a stand-off at Snake Island on day one of the full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.

The Russians demanded surrender but the Ukrainians refused, using unprintable language.

The warship in question, the cruiser Moskva, was sunk by the Ukrainians two days after the stamp was issued, and it sold out within a week of going on sale.

Such is the significance of the stamp that whatever was left was given to government delegations representing Ukraine on the world stage.

Ihor Smilyansky, the head of Ukraine's postal company Ukrposhta, acknowledges it was a risqué step to take.

"It was my decision. I said - I don't care whatever everyone else thinks. I just believe it's the right thing to do," he told the BBC. "I know it's breaking all the philatelic [study of stamps] rules and all the rules. But we're about breaking the rules."

Ukrposhta often tests its designs on the public, and the results of such online polls tend to be very political too.

That was how Ukraine's best-selling stamp came into being, showing a Ukrainian tractor towing a captured Russian tank and featuring the popular wartime greeting: "Good evening, we're from Ukraine."

Ukrposhta has sold about eight million such stamps.

Stamps featuring Ukraine's famous mine-sniffing dog Patron* earned Ukrposhta about $500,000 (£400,000): 80% of the money was spent on mine-clearing equipment, and the rest on animal shelters.

Another stamp of a mural left by renowned graffiti artist Banksy** on a building devastated by shelling outside Kyiv, helped fund 10 bomb shelters. This stamp features another popular but unprintable Ukrainian slogan - this time directed against Vladimir Putin.

Ihor Smilyansky says a dose of humour is added to Ukrposhta's stamps to maintain Ukrainian morale during the war with Russia.

"Humour has become a fighting force for Ukrainians in this war," he tells the BBC. "Even in the most difficult circumstances you have to take it with a sense of humour. And that's what our stamps are sometimes about."

Oscar Young from UK-based stamp dealers and auctioneers Stanley Gibbons says Ukraine's approach to stamps by focusing them on the war is highly unusual.

"Generally stamps are artistic and polite, but to go out your way and be quite rude, placing profanity and being very gesturous on stamps - that is quite unique to these particular issues," he tells the BBC.

He says the frank image used on the warship stamp is what made the stamp so famous and caused such a stir when it was issued.

The distinctive character of Ukrainian stamps has earned them popularity with collectors worldwide.

Laura Bullivant from Gloucester, in the UK, believes that other stamps look bland by comparison.

"I think they're like the Ukrainian thought process, they're just strong, and they're just not bowing down to whatever's coming into their country," she says. 

"At a time of huge worry and awfulness, they are bringing something to the game that no other country could."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly4w8z28xzo

--------------------

Western Europeans losing faith in Ukraine – poll
Peace talks are the most popular option in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain

Public support for backing Ukraine “until it wins” the conflict with Russia has fallen dramatically in seven Western European nations, a YouGov poll has found. In four of these, more people now support a peaceful resolution even if it means forcing Kiev to accept territorial losses.

The poll was conducted earlier in December in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and the UK, and published by The Guardian on Thursday.

In Sweden, Denmark, and the UK, 50%, 40%, and 36% of respondents, respectively, said that they would favor supporting “Ukraine until Russia withdraws, even if this means the war lasts longer,” down around 10% in all three countries since February. Meanwhile, 24%, 34%, and 32%, respectively, said that they would “encourage a negotiated end to the fighting, even if Russia still has control of some parts of Ukraine,” figures that are up by a corresponding amount.

In Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, however, support for a Ukrainian victory has tanked, and peace talks are the most favored outcome in all four.

READ MORE:

https://www.rt.com/news/610017-europe-ukraine-losing-support-poll/

----------------

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian armed forces have lost over 230 soldiers in the Kursk region in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"Over the past day, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 230 servicepeople, three infantry fighting vehicles, including one US-made Bradley IFV, an armored personnel carrier, three armored combat vehicles, seven vehicles, an artillery piece and two electronic warfare stations were destroyed," the ministry said in a statement.

In total, Ukraine has lost over 43,970 servicepeople and 255 tanks during offensive in Kursk area, the ministry added.

On the Goals of the Special Military Operation

Russia will continue to achieve all the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine in 2025, because this task is number one, Putin said.

"Of course, we assume that we will solve all the goals of the special military operation. In general, this is the number one task. We will support our people. We are talking now, and they are fighting now," Putin told a news conference, adding that he was interested in the situation on the battlefield every day.

On the Use of the Oreshnik Missile System

Russia might use the Oreshnik missile systems again if necessary, but this will not be a rushed decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"If the need arises and we see that the use of more powerful medium-range weapons is required, we will certainly use them [Oreshnik]. But we're not in a hurry," Putin told a press conference.

Russia currently has multiple Oreshnik missile systems, albeit "not many," but has already launched flow production to ensure "adequate quantity," the Russian president noted.

"We cannot rule out using Oreshnik today, tomorrow or at any time that we feel there's a need to use it," Putin said, during the press conference after Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting https://t.co/AtQi0dWUUS pic.twitter.com/7LuRdD2JIp

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 26, 2024

On Russia's Economic Growth

Russia's economy will grow by almost 4% in 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"In the Eurozone you know 1% growth, and in Belarus - 5.4-5.5%, according to the results of the year. In Russia, we are generally satisfied with the results - 3.9. Most likely it will be under 4. In Belarus - 5.5. This is a good result," Putin told a press conference.

On Slovakia as Platform for Future Talks on Ukraine

Slovakia is ready to provide a platform for negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"As for the place, yes, he [Fico] said that if it comes to negotiations, they would be happy to provide his country's venue for such talks," Putin told reporters, following the Commonwealth of Independent States summit and the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Russia's Leningrad Region, adding that Fico had talked talked about a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine during their meeting in Moscow.

Russia is not against Slovakia becoming a negotiating platform in talks on Ukraine, Putin said, adding that Russia intends to end the Ukraine conflict.

Last Sunday, Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico held talks in the Kremlin.

On Ukraine Gas Transit Contract

It is impossible to conclude a contract for gas transit through Ukraine just a few days before the new year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"There is no contract [for gas transit through Ukraine], and it is impossible to conclude it in three or four days. There will not be a contract," Putin told a press conference.

Russia is ready to supply gas through Ukraine under a contract with any counterparty, but this is impossible in the context of a lawsuit filed by Kiev, the Russian president added.

"The war is a war, but we delivered [gas] regularly and paid and, by the way, we are still paying for the transit [of gas through Ukraine]," Putin emphasized.

The current agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine expires at the end of the year. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that they did not plan to extend it. Last week, Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out extending the gas transit deal with Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241226/ukraine-loses-over-230-soldiers-in-russias-kursk-region-over-past-day---mod-1121276087.html

MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

THESE WILL ALSO INCLUDE ODESSA, KHERSON AND KHARKIV.....

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

TRANSNISTRIA WILL BE PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

EASY.

THE WEST KNOWS IT.

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

HYPOCRISY ISN’T ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS SINS.

HENCE ITS POPULARITY IN THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS…

* THE DOG HAD TO SNIFF UKRAINIAN MINES BECAUSE THE MILITARY "HAD LOST THEIR MAP' OF THE MINEFIELD... (https://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/44076)

** BANKSY'S MURAL WAS STUPID... (https://yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/46192)

SEE ALSO: 

What Happens To Europe When Russia Wins?