It would match the intelligence reports that China asked Putin to wait til after the Olympics, and that they're fence sitting by doing just enough (stopping some financing, etc) to not get caught in the sanctions quagmire. Not that there's a worry - too much dependence in the West for cheap Chinese labor.
Succinct educated guessing... Leading up to all this it's been reported that the Chinese and the Russians have been moving to gain a closer relationship to each other. Now that MasterCard and Visa stopped doing business in Russia the Chinese wasted no time in moving in with their banks backing their credit card -- UnionPay. Yeah, there was coordination beforehand. Russian Banks to Switch to Chinese Card System after Visa, Mastercard Suspend Operations in Russia
Lol... I don't even watch the news on TV... I stay away from the editorials/personalities on cable and read the facts from other sources. My "safe place" is not listening to the talking personalities owned and operated by big corporations. So, I take my safe place where ever I go... in real life... having fun in my life. And I sleep better at night since I cut the 'fire-hydrant' news cord.
Most likely, China will suddenly start exporting more wheat than ever before. The good news, if there is any, is that China will take some of Russia's profits, and it will cost money to move the wheat to China, and then to their final destination, so Russia will get the short end of the stick. China is already providing credit card services for Russia, as Mastercard and Visa back out. Russian Banks to Switch to Chinese Card System after Visa, Mastercard Suspend Operations in Russia
Just wow...cnn live "Russian families turn to Ukrainian hotline in desperate search for lost soldiers From CNN's Sebastian Shukla, Alex Marquardt and Christian Streib ..... In recordings shared exclusively with CNN by the Ukrainian officials operating the hotline, the desperation and uncertainty in the callers' voices sheds light on how tightly Moscow is controlling communications about the war. The recordings indicate that many Russian soldiers seemed to not have known what their plans were or why they were being deployed, and bolster reports of Russian soldiers being denied communication with their families. The hotline, called "Come Back From Ukraine Alive," was established by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, which has acknowledged that the initiative is both a humanitarian and a propaganda tool."
They're doing exactly what a super power does--looking out for their own self interest, blood be damned. And speaking of blood, let's have some perspective here. The UN estimates some 400+ civilian casualties thus far, but their estimate for the Yemen war is 377,000 deaths thus far, with 70% being children under the age of 5. Even if you don't count the 60% that's estimated to have died from indirect causes, that's a lot of dead innocent children. An estimated 1 million children under the age of 5 will die in Afghanistan before the end of this winter due to our sanctions on the Taliban, because some folks in our government apparently think killing a million children is a good way to punish evil. I mean, I know in Ukraine it's white lives being lost and all, but do white lives really matter that much more to you? Or is it simply that blood can't stain the hands of Americans or our allies? China isn't gonna do jack to help the Ukrainians, the Yemeni, or the Afghani besides some token gestures here and there, because they don't want to offend either the US nor Russia. They're playing the great power game, which is to maximize self-interest, morality be damned. The Chinese people don't give a crap either, because like you, they don't believe their own crap stinks. The more different you think people are, the more they're really the same.
If you want to go further than having only the slimmest of information, your best bet is history books from reputable outlets from the 2040s onwards. Beyond that you're not gonna make much inroads in penetrating the fog of war.
Noah Smith on how the War will increase worldwide inflation for food, with energy to be address in an upcoming piece Wheat is important because it’s a staple grain, responsible for about 20% of total human calorie consumption. So that’s a big deal. But it’s worth noting that Russia and Ukraine also export a decent chunk of the world’s barley and corn. In fact, data from the International Grains Council pegs Russia and Ukraine’s combined share of total global grains trade at 24%! In any case, it’s no surprise that food prices are already soaring. The Ukraine War and the price of bread
Detailed breakdown of the issues facing the Turks from the always informative Soufan Center Bottom Line Up Front: Concerned about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, NATO member Turkey has sought to avoid alienating Russia while also helping Ukraine militarily. Turkey has closed the entrance to the Black Sea for Russian warships, but has not yet closed its airspace to Russian commercial flights. Putin is in a position to retaliate against Turkey by increasing support to Ankara’s adversaries in Armenia, Syria, and Libya. An importer of oil and natural gas, Turkey’s already strained economy will be damaged further by the crisis-induced spike in oil and gas prices. Turkey Treads Carefully in Ukraine Crisis
A quote from an interview Zelensky did last night. ""Everyone thinks that we are far away from America or Canada. No, we are in this zone of freedom. And when the limits of rights and freedoms are being violated and stepped on, then you have to protect us. Because we will come first. You will come second. Because the more this beast will eat, he wants more, more, and more." For those asking the difference, I won't deal with the "if you don't care about other wars & deaths you're racist" argument, other than to say yes it's terrible. If Russia had just sanctioned Ukraine then that's different (since the evil of sanctions putting the pressure on governments & therefore the people). But they flat out invaded. Flat out shot at evacuees. Etc. Sanctions are meant to be painful if they are to work. It's an alternative to conventional war. Up to the government to change or the people to rise up & change. This is literally the first Tiktok war. People on the ground streaming everything raw, no government filter to make it pretty or hide it. That's a huge difference, & other countries including the US need to remember that going forward. Now perhaps the biggest difference? Not one of the places mentioned before is either capable of annihilating the world nor led by a madman who will have zero qualms about doing it. So while civil war in some country in Africa is sad, it doesn't affect us to the degree Putin does. And Zelensky is right. Putin will set his eyes towards more countries unless he's deposed/killed. Life isn't fair. If some feel so strongly that it's all racist garbage then by all means, go over & volunteer to fight/bring aid, write to CNN, etc. The rest of us will focus on Putin's insanity.
Good post generally. But your mention of the TikTok war reminded me of this Bellingcat map, which is fascinating if hard to follow
Shell won't buy any more Russian oil and gas - CNN Shell oil closing stations in Russia, pulling out, & refusing to buy Russian oil unless ordered to do so by a government. Companies aren't touching Russian oil with a 10-ft pole. Russia threatening $300/barrel gas and threatening to cut Europe off it's natural gas/oil. Another brilliant idea cut off the one thing that your now wrecked country can actually get paid for.
