Russian invasion of Ukraine

[GaudinoMotors]

You are totally wrong on this. The UAE has a lot of investments in Ukraine through Mubadala, whom CEO is Khaldoon.

The UAE decided to abstain as its more focused on the resolution that will be presented next week that will propose sanctioning the Houthis following their attacks on Abu Dhabi. The UAE needs Russia's vote to pass this resolution.

You may be right Akai, but it's a very self serving, selfish, unhelpful and unsupportive approach

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Some thoughts at the end of a distressing week. Prayers go out to the innocent, especially the civilians among them, in the war zone.

1. Been one of the strangest weeks I've ever had in Russia, which is really saying something. Life under this Russian government is basically a bit like living in an abusive relationship. Over time, you've seen any delusions shattered that you might have harboured about them having a moral compass that would prevent them from doing stuff that's truly evil. But you just kind desperately hope that some kind of rationality or pragmatism might hold them back from ultimately inflicting terrible damage not only on you but also potentially on themselves. Even when you basically expect it, nonetheless it comes as a sickening shock when they do cross the line.

2. But the above analogy only works if the perpetrator is someone of such hideous evil that they're doing much worse outside the relationship. While you're entitled, I think, to a degree of self-pity, you also have to acknowledge, feel for and hopefully assist those victims in their terrible and unwarranted suffering, which by any sensible measure is far, far worse than yours.

3. What seems a lifetime ago now yet was only a few days, though before the invasion per se began, I noted that P***n is often hailed as some kind of strategic genius, even by some commentators in the west who revile his views and actions. I claimed he was nothing of the sort, citing the dismal (from his perspective) fizzling out of the 2014 eastern Ukrainian rebellion fomented by the Russians. He hoped to seize five or six provinces for his "separatists", but ended up with less than half the territory in two of them. He completely overestimated then the willingness of Russian-speakers in the east to back the adventure. Now he's hopelessly underestimated the willingness and ability of the Ukrainian army and the people to fight his complacent forces.

4. While I have enormous admiration for the fight put up by the Ukrainians, in other ways it makes me fearful. I don't want them to surrender in the least, but I also dread what might happen. P***n will do anything to avoid losing this war and needs a victory in the short term. He won't care how much of a bloodbath he creates in doing so. That makes me sick. In the long term, I've no idea how he thinks he can successfully bring to heel a country where his invading force is as unwelcome as it is here.

5. There was a particularly nauseating piece of propaganda on the news on Russian state TV last night, showing clips of Zelensky's comedy over the last decade to make him look like a dickhead who's not fit for office; that's intellectually dishonest, as with selective editing you could do it with many comics including many of the true greats. Well, look at how he's conducting himself in this conflict. He's worth a million of that evil, foul, amoral, Botox-overdosed, cuntish dwarf you have in the Kremlin.

6. Also from the head of the Russia Today media stable Margarita Simonyan, a revealing action on social media laying bare how the Russian elite actually thinks. She retweeted some unhinged government nobody railing about people within Russia who don't believe the state propaganda being traitors and needing to be dealt with. The country's making itself an international pariah and as a result leading to the significant impoverishment of its people. Call yourself patriots? Don't insult our intelligence, you gaslighting cunts.

7. Russia has started to ban Facebook, allegedly because of it having marked some Russian state sources as fake news (still working for me, though). They're also managed to slow or cut off internet connections across Ukraine as well. This shows that they're rattled, I think, but also has me a little concerned. As state TV laughably claims no Russian casualties here, there's obviously a narrative they want to suppress. I hope it's just that things aren't going as well as expected but fear there could be atrocities they want to hide.

8. That's pretty well it. On Thursday, I was somewhat stunned for the reason discussed in para 1 above. I've overcome that, but the unmitigated horror and revulsion I feel is only becoming stronger as the days pass.

Fantastic post - thank you and stay safe.

 

[JASR]

That's the point of sending troops in, to make it significantly worse for the aggressor who in this case is Russia who have INVADED a sovereign country and is killing their citizens.

Sending troops in could make the situation significantly better for the Ukranians, most kind minded people couldn't give a toss about it making it worse for the Russians, as for doing nothing we all know what happens when you appease someone like Putin.

Hell he's even threatening parts of Scandinavia.

Reading the last bit of your post reminded me of when another megalomaniac fantasist president of a nuclear weapons owning state wanted to take another ‘snowy’ country that had nothing to do with their country apart from ‘its practically next door’ status.

<fantasy alert warning - Brand level 3>
China, alarmed at knowing that Trump was a puppet for putin and would continue to dismantle the US and NATO, giving Russia free rein to re-invent imperial/soviet borders and beyond, release a worldwide virus to slow the process down, pushing Putin’s plans back almost 2 years, forcing Trump to fight for re-election in the face of a complete shitshow of US power in his presidency, to continue enabling if Putin’s plans. Trump despite carpet bombing Russian propaganda and influence, again, fails to win, pushing Putin into going alone with his plan. The virus has bought NATO time to arm and prepare the countries bordering Russia.
Putin finally deals with covid enough to begin invasion planning, and invades , but his intelligence is based on assessments 3 years old, and the expectations of a quick and decisive victory with no interference evaporate.
Trump, along with Syria’s Assad, praise Putin.
China smiles inwardly but remains inscrutable.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Wow - Ukraine.

Seems to be a country of Klitschkos, Usyks, Zinchenkos and of course Zelenskyys. You may have bitten off too much putin.

 

[andyhinch]

Some thoughts at the end of a distressing week. Prayers go out to the innocent, especially the civilians among them, in the war zone.

1. Been one of the strangest weeks I've ever had in Russia, which is really saying something. Life under this Russian government is basically a bit like living in an abusive relationship. Over time, you've seen any delusions shattered that you might have harboured about them having a moral compass that would prevent them from doing stuff that's truly evil. But you just kind desperately hope that some kind of rationality or pragmatism might hold them back from ultimately inflicting terrible damage not only on you but also potentially on themselves. Even when you basically expect it, nonetheless it comes as a sickening shock when they do cross the line.

2. But the above analogy only works if the perpetrator is someone of such hideous evil that they're doing much worse outside the relationship. While you're entitled, I think, to a degree of self-pity, you also have to acknowledge, feel for and hopefully assist those victims in their terrible and unwarranted suffering, which by any sensible measure is far, far worse than yours.

3. What seems a lifetime ago now yet was only a few days, though before the invasion per se began, I noted that P***n is often hailed as some kind of strategic genius, even by some commentators in the west who revile his views and actions. I claimed he was nothing of the sort, citing as just one example the dismal (from his perspective) fizzling out of the 2014 eastern Ukrainian rebellion fomented by the Russians. He hoped to seize five or six provinces for his "separatists", but ended up with less than half the territory in two of them. He completely overestimated then the willingness of Russian-speakers in the east to back the adventure. Now he's hopelessly underestimated the willingness and ability of the Ukrainian army and the people to fight his complacent forces.

4. While I have enormous admiration for the fight put up by the Ukrainians, in other ways it makes me fearful. I don't want them to surrender in the least, but I also dread what might happen. P***n will do anything to avoid losing this war and needs a victory in the short term. He won't care how much of a bloodbath he creates in doing so. That makes me sick. In the long term, I've no idea how he thinks he can successfully bring to heel a country where his invading force is as unwelcome as it is here.

5. There was a particularly nauseating piece of propaganda on the news on Russian state TV last night, showing clips of Zelensky's comedy over the last decade to make him look like a dickhead who's not fit for office; that's intellectually dishonest, as with selective editing you could do it with many comics including many of the true greats. Well, look at how he's conducting himself in this conflict. He's worth a million of that evil, foul, amoral, Botox-overdosed, cuntish dwarf you have in the Kremlin.

6. Also from the head of the Russia Today media stable Margarita Simonyan, a revealing action on social media laying bare how the Russian elite actually thinks. She retweeted some unhinged government nobody railing about people within Russia who don't believe the state propaganda being traitors and needing to be dealt with. The country's making itself an international pariah and as a result leading to the significant impoverishment of its people. Call yourself patriots? Don't insult our intelligence, you gaslighting cunts.

7. Russia has started to ban Facebook, allegedly because of it having marked some Russian state sources as fake news (still working for me, though). They're also managed to slow or cut off internet connections across Ukraine as well. This shows that they're rattled, I think, but also has me a little concerned. As state TV laughably claims no Russian casualties here, there's obviously a narrative they want to suppress. I hope it's just that things aren't going as well as expected but fear there could be atrocities they want to hide.

8. That's pretty well it. On Thursday, I was somewhat stunned for the reason discussed in para 1 above. I've overcome that, but the unmitigated horror and revulsion I feel is only becoming stronger as the days pass.

Thanks for sharing, stay safe.

 

[whp.blue]

You are totally wrong on this. The UAE has a lot of investments in Ukraine through Mubadala, whom CEO is Khaldoon.

The UAE decided to abstain as its more focused on the resolution that will be presented next week that will propose sanctioning the Houthis following their attacks on Abu Dhabi. The UAE needs Russia's vote to pass this resolution.

So basically fvck the Ukrainians we need the Russians.
Like I said Disgusting!

 

[nw42]

Wow - Ukraine.

Seems to be a country of Klitschkos, Usyks, Zinchenkos and of course Zelenskyys. You may have bitten off too much putin.

We can only hope but @petrusha 's post above suggests not.

 

[Blue Llama]

You may be right Akai, but it's a very self serving, selfish, unhelpful and unsupportive approach

A bit like the UK's and other countries approach to plastic sword sanctions.

 

[MCFC1993]

So Italy and Cyprus are advocating cutting Russia off from SWIFT.

Just need Hungary to agree.

 

[Big mals fedora]

The fundamental problem is that pretty much all career politicians are cunts. It’s no mistake that he’s had another life outside politics.

That’s what i mean, we need someone with a normal life to step up at sometime or other, not a career politician. Anyway as I say that’s probably for another thread

 

[GaudinoMotors]

A bit like the UK's and other countries approach to plastic sword sanctions.

Er no - nothing like that as a matter of fact.

 

[Akai]

So basically fvck the Ukrainians we need the Russians.
Like I said Disgusting!

Just like the whole world did, indirectly. Not because they need the Russians, but because they have their own national interests to protect.

 

[AlgarveBlu]

The sheer amount of videos online of people talking to Russian soldiers, small skirmishes, tanks running out of fuel, civilians telling Russian soldiers to fuck off (in a variety of ways) and general odds and sods is just incredible, war has never ever been covered like this. It's remarkable.

I really don't think Putin and his generals had thought this element through enough before deciding to go in. The footage taken from handheld devices in Ukraine is like having a million journos on the ground and it will find it's way on to the devices of millions of Russians civilians. They will be able to see for themselves that the lies and propaganda coming out of the Kremlin does not correlate with the commentary they are seeing and hearing from Ukrainians civilians (young and old) on the ground.

Hopefully the Russian people will see that the Neo Nazi president Zelenskiy (Jewish) that Putin is protecting his people from is doing very well on logistics whilst apparently high on crack. If the Ukrainian army and people didn't believe in this cause they would have capitulated on day one.

If there is an escalation of demonstrations across Russian cities (I mean how big are there jails?) and as we are seeing in Georgia yesterday below and with the pariah status they have now acquired, then I suspect the knife will be wielded in Putin's back before long and I hope it fucking hurts.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Reading the last bit of your post reminded me of when another megalomaniac fantasist president of a nuclear weapons owning state wanted to take another ‘snowy’ country that had nothing to do with their country apart from ‘its practically next door’ status.

<fantasy alert warning - Brand level 3>
China, alarmed at knowing that Trump was a puppet for putin and would continue to dismantle the US and NATO, giving Russia free rein to re-invent imperial/soviet borders and beyond, release a worldwide virus to slow the process down, pushing Putin’s plans back almost 2 years, forcing Trump to fight for re-election in the face of a complete shitshow of US power in his presidency, to continue enabling if Putin’s plans. Trump despite carpet bombing Russian propaganda and influence, again, fails to win, pushing Putin into going alone with his plan. The virus has bought NATO time to arm and prepare the countries bordering Russia.
Putin finally deals with covid enough to begin invasion planning, and invades , but his intelligence is based on assessments 3 years old, and the expectations of a quick and decisive victory with no interference evaporate.
Trump, along with Syria’s Assad, praise Putin.
China smiles inwardly but remains inscrutable.

Sounds like a good film/series! What’s it called?

 

[Scottyboi]

Ukrainians are using the name of a bread as a way of telling Ruskies apart, they pronounce it completely different in Russia. ''scuse me mate you got the time''

 

[Akai]

So Italy and Cyprus are advocating cutting Russia off from SWIFT.

Just need Germany to agree.

Germany are open to ban Russia apparently, but it is Hungary who are opposing it.

 

[Blue Llama]

Does anyone really know what Putin is trying to achieve? His stated motivation was to stop the Ukraine joining NATO. I can understand Russia not wanting NATO on their doorstep but how does moving your doorstep next door to existing NATO member countries satisfy that target?

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

When was the Ukraine formed? I couldn't quite find out. All news media seems to begin their history in 1991. I'm aware they had a revolution is the 1600s against Poland incursion which ended up with them aligning more, or being incorporated into Russia, and then something in the 1900s.. But when did Ukraine become an actual country anyone?

As a state with Ukraine as a word in it, then 1917 but it wasn’t straight forward after that. They had a war with Poland, a civil war, the western side also joined forces with Poland in their war with Russia and finally were a founding state of the USSR in 1922. Prior to 1917 they were largely “passed around” the various empires for centuries but never had their own state. The various empires forced different people in and out of the region to suit their needs.

 

[mexico1970]

We have to be very careful with things like this, Putin has nuclear weapons and other weapons that can obliterate anything so the last thing we want is our troops going in there.

The Russian advance so far has been really weak, they're doing the bare minimum really to take control of the country. They haven't even tactically taken control of the airspace over Kiev even though they could do it very quickly if they tried.

I think they expected to walk in and Ukraine would surrender quite quickly but actually they're going to face a short campaign followed by months of resistance warfare on the streets. The Russians don't have any experience of these type of campaigns and I'm not sure the motivation is there at home for that. The sanctions will see to that anyway.

I'm reckoning this will go on for a while and then Putin will suddenly declare that Russia has 'achieved' its goals and they'll withdraw. Their key goal really is to eliminate the government in Ukraine so that they can leave and go back to pressuring for a more Putin aligned government as in Belarus.

I'm agreeing with you, but with this large caveat.

Putin IMO is a lunatic and he may not stop he may continue, and if he does continue to prosecute war with either threats or actions his bluff would have to be called.

 

[Elbow beards]

Some thoughts at the end of a distressing week. Prayers go out to the innocent, especially the civilians among them, in the war zone.

1. Been one of the strangest weeks I've ever had in Russia, which is really saying something. Life under this Russian government is basically a bit like living in an abusive relationship. Over time, you've seen any delusions shattered that you might have harboured about them having a moral compass that would prevent them from doing stuff that's truly evil. But you just kind desperately hope that some kind of rationality or pragmatism might hold them back from ultimately inflicting terrible damage not only on you but also potentially on themselves. Even when you basically expect it, nonetheless it comes as a sickening shock when they do cross the line.

2. But the above analogy only works if the perpetrator is someone of such hideous evil that they're doing much worse outside the relationship. While you're entitled, I think, to a degree of self-pity, you also have to acknowledge, feel for and hopefully assist those victims in their terrible and unwarranted suffering, which by any sensible measure is far, far worse than yours.

3. What seems a lifetime ago now yet was only a few days, though before the invasion per se began, I noted that P***n is often hailed as some kind of strategic genius, even by some commentators in the west who revile his views and actions. I claimed he was nothing of the sort, citing as just one example the dismal (from his perspective) fizzling out of the 2014 eastern Ukrainian rebellion fomented by the Russians. He hoped to seize five or six provinces for his "separatists", but ended up with less than half the territory in two of them. He completely overestimated then the willingness of Russian-speakers in the east to back the adventure. Now he's hopelessly underestimated the willingness and ability of the Ukrainian army and the people to fight his complacent forces.

4. While I have enormous admiration for the fight put up by the Ukrainians, in other ways it makes me fearful. I don't want them to surrender in the least, but I also dread what might happen. P***n will do anything to avoid losing this war and needs a victory in the short term. He won't care how much of a bloodbath he creates in doing so. That makes me sick. In the long term, I've no idea how he thinks he can successfully bring to heel a country where his invading force is as unwelcome as it is here.

5. There was a particularly nauseating piece of propaganda on the news on Russian state TV last night, showing clips of Zelensky's comedy over the last decade to make him look like a dickhead who's not fit for office; that's intellectually dishonest, as with selective editing you could do it with many comics including many of the true greats. Well, look at how he's conducting himself in this conflict. He's worth a million of that evil, foul, amoral, Botox-overdosed, cuntish dwarf you have in the Kremlin.

6. Also from the head of the Russia Today media stable Margarita Simonyan, a revealing action on social media laying bare how the Russian elite actually thinks. She retweeted some unhinged government nobody railing about people within Russia who don't believe the state propaganda being traitors and needing to be dealt with. The country's making itself an international pariah and as a result leading to the significant impoverishment of its people. Call yourself patriots? Don't insult our intelligence, you gaslighting cunts.

7. Russia has started to ban Facebook, allegedly because of it having marked some Russian state sources as fake news (still working for me, though). They're also managed to slow or cut off internet connections across Ukraine as well. This shows that they're rattled, I think, but also has me a little concerned. As state TV laughably claims no Russian casualties here, there's obviously a narrative they want to suppress. I hope it's just that things aren't going as well as expected but fear there could be atrocities they want to hide.

8. That's pretty well it. On Thursday, I was somewhat stunned for the reason discussed in para 1 above. I've overcome that, but the unmitigated horror and revulsion I feel is only becoming stronger as the days pass.

Really feel for you mate, stay safe.