Germany & Austria. Not shocked. Just when I'd praised Germany for finally doing right & sending equipment. "Some of Russia's biggest gas customers in Europe may accept Putin's payment terms. Here's what to know. From CNNs Anna Cooban Gas distributors in Germany and Austria told CNN Business that they were working on ways to accept a Russian ultimatum that final payments for its gas must be made in rubles, while complying with EU sanctions. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that "unfriendly" nations would have to pay rubles, rather than the euros or dollars stated in contracts. Buyers could make euro or dollar payments into an account at Russia's Gazprombank, which would then convert the funds into rubles and transfer them to a second account from which the payment to Russia would be made. Germany's Uniper said on Thursday it would continue to pay for Russian gas in euros but added that it believes a "payment conversion compliant with sanctions law" is possible. ..... A Uniper spokesperson told newspaper Rheinische Post on Thursday that the company would make payments into a Russian bank in euros, instead of a bank based in Europe."
Don’t know if our ballistic missile defense can stop Russia. This author doesn’t think it can stop N Korea. No US missile defense system proven capable against 'realistic' ICBM threats: Study - Breaking Defense
This is kind of what I'm talking about. Comparing Japan to today is fallacy as an example of a "limited" nuclear war. There is NO comparison. There was only one nuclear power at the time and thank God it was us. If Putin's goal is to return Russia to it's former glory and sees just the opposite happening who knows what he will do. If he's shown one thing lately it's that he's operating with a false sense of reality. The absolute worst thing for ANYONE is to have someone in control of nukes who believes there is such a thing as a "limited" nuclear war. There isn't. Once that seal is broken the unstoppable cascade of events insures mutual destruction. Do you think we would trust Putin if he tells us that the nukes he used in Ukraine were "limited" and not to worry? Specially when he has said that he believes that with his new hypersonic missiles he has first strike capability and thinks he could win a nuclear war? Are you willing to risk the existence of the world that he's bluffing? The stakes are enormously high. Higher than at any time in the history of the world. Hoping that our defense systems are good enough doesn't even come close to cutting it. Besides, they aren't. There is no way to stop thousands of nuclear missiles. Specially if they are carried by a hypersonic delivery system. If even one tenth of them make it through we cease to continue as a functioning country. I'm not suggesting allowing Putin to destroy Ukraine. We should be supplying arms to help the Ukrainians fight back and push the Russians out. But it has to be entirely a Ukrainian fight. And we need to be in direct communications with as many people in the Russian government as possible working on giving them a way out of this quagmire they've created that will allow them to save enough face. I get that people want to see them punished and made to pay for the atrocities and destruction they've caused. I certainly do. But there is what I want and what reality dictates. As I said, the stakes are just too enormous to not be exceedingly careful in the way we proceed.
Im a little uneasy about the bill myself, but then when I saw that list of reps that voted against, I figured I’d keep that opinion to myself, but now I guess I can confess. Seizure of assets from these people definitely seems to have a due process problem.
Understand everything else but to clarify MY take is that we used nukes. They were basically small tactical ones. There are different sizes to where yes I do think that Putin could drop a smaller one with the intent to destroy Ukraine but not be a "world ender" level bomb. That's what I was referring to.
Also I don't think I said to nuke Putin. He's the one threatening anyone providing weapons/military assistance to Ukraine. He's the one who's mouthpieces are "preparing" Russians to say dying in a nuclear attack isnt the worst thing because they get heaven and the evil West gets hell. Just to clear that up. My whole take him out is what I hope his people do (which seems not likely), or special forces (but they'd martyr hihe'll. So yes tread lightly. But he's threatening on what's currently been sent not on anything we're saying we'll send.
Think the only way he can save face & keep WW3 at bay is give Russia those 2 separatist states. They pay for Ukranians who don't want to be there to relocate to Ukraine. Ukraine allows any Russian sympathizers to go unimpeded to the separatist regions. No disarmament for Ukraine. Think that's why he wants the sham referendum & to overrun Mariupol. He can then claim both Kharkiv & Mariupol want to be Russian but it's not going to plan & the war crimes have hardened Ukranians to compromise. But no Odesa, no Mariupol, & Russia pays reparations. Putin claims "victory" against evil NATO. Ukraine can stop getting pummeled & can rebuild/get stronger, and in his victory Russia ends up financially ruined. Keep some sanctions permanent, roll back others depending on how Russia complies
Cnn live. More peacekeeping "How Russian forces are trying to eradicate Ukrainian identity in Kherson From CNN's Tim Lister and Julia Presniakova Russian forces occupying much of the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson are trying to extend their grip over the area and eradicate its Ukrainian identity. ..... In recent days the Russians have appointed their own officials to run Kherson, replacing elected Ukrainian officials. On Thursday one of those newly installed officials said Kherson would begin to use the ruble from next week and the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, would be replaced within four months. Additionally, Russian television channels have taken the place of Ukrainian networks. .... Serhii Hlan said the message to principals from the occupiers had been simple: "Either give us the keys and documents, or we’ll send you 'to rest' in the basement." ..... "The Russians are simply destroying Ukrainian education, threatening employees, and intimidating principals. In total, they plan to leave two schools in the city [open], what the fate of others will be is unknown," the official noted. "The workers are scared. They did not leave, remained in the occupied territories, guarded the school property," he added."
Rumblings that Poland will be invading Western Ukraine. If that seems troubling, just pretend this is the war in Syria or the war in Yemen. Then it doesn’t seem so troubling and we can all focus on Depp vs. Heard.
Someone in a tweet mentioned Putin was at a similar point regarding threats behavior, etc as Kruschev (sp?) before Kruschev retreated. Don't know how true that is, but for the smarter folks is this an accurate assessment?
no problem with seizure, final disposition should be determined by int'l court for seizures worldwide
It is always nice to see the Russian bots expanding out from news sites and 4chan... Sergei Naryshkin, the chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), cited unpublished intelligence that he said showed the United States and Poland, NATO allies, were plotting to restore Polish control over part of western Ukraine. "According to the intelligence received by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Washington and Warsaw are working on plans to establish Poland's tight military and political control over its historical possessions in Ukraine," Naryshkin said in a rare statement released by the SVR. Poland denied the claim and said it was disinformation spread by Moscow.
I think about this issue a lot. I have always understood, and it only makes sense, that our defenses could not stop any form of significant ballistic missile attack. It might not even be enough to stop a lesser attack. But one thing always sticks in my mind is that our adversaries like Russia invest a ton of money in the hypersonic technology and other similar countermeasures solely to evade our defenses. I don't know how to reconcile those points. Just mentioning them.
This is an more misinformed post than usual. The only “rumblings” of that are from inside your country as a pretext to march all the way through Moldova to the Polish and Romanian borders. And the only problem with that plan is that you’re in no position to march to those borders anytime soon. Your army is advancing only a few miles (if that) a day along a broad front under conditions where they are expending massive amounts of munitions and still taking enormous casualties, even by Russian standards. And you are presently fighting in the some of the most permissive terrain you are likely to see and still relatively close to your bases of supply. I can’t wait to see what a giant Charlie Foxtrot you create trying to cross the Dnieper under fire given the incompetent display of Russian combined-arms operations to this point. If you thought an air assault against a civilian airport was hard, you’re going to absolutely love a river crossing. It’s like I can already see the Russian dead stacked high enough for Ukrainians to use them as sandbags. So I wouldn’t worry so much to paint false narratives about the “Poles are coming!” When and if it’s time for the Poles to come, then we are all coming. And if that terrible day comes, then you will never be more sorry in your entire life for starting this war and then not backing out of it somewhat gracefully after you saw it was not going to go down easily.
Personally, I’m just honored that our little Gator website rates its own Russian agents spreading disinformation. It also gives us someone to talk shit to about how little Ukraine has absolutely emasculated Putin’s massively overrated armed forces.
