War in Ukraine

it is, but China was already using internal mechanisms to avoid the dollar (they didn’t just make these up for Russia to use), India isn’t going to bail on the west for a multitude of reasons, not to mention China and Russia have already stated they plan to ditch the dollar, so the post that precipitated this discussion was already a bit over the top.

China and Russia ditch dollar in move toward 'financial alliance'

 

so, yes

 

if Ukranian air defenses are still functional, how much of a difference would a no fly zone make? The number of helicopters in play and lack of missile attacks on the convoy seems to indicate that Ukranian shoulder mounted missiles for tanks and air are in short supply.

 

sounds like

analysts were told to report back what the brass wanted to hear and none of it was right
nobody knew there was actually going to be war
their logistics cannot sustain this attack

 

Does Vladimir Putin have cancer?

 

That lines up with what our “experts” were saying days ago, and also that their next move would be to siege the cities with artillery bombardment, because they couldn’t possibly take control of them with a 200,000 invasion force.

 

Russia recruiting battle hardened troops in Syria.

Russia Is Recruiting Syrians to Fight in Ukraine: Report (businessinsider.com)

Russia is recruiting fighters from Syria to aid in their invasion of Ukraine, four US officials told The Wall Street Journal.

Moscow is interested in Syrians who have experience with urban combat in hopes they can help Russian forces take Kyiv, Ukraine's capital and largest city, the officials said.

It was not clear how many Syrian fighters had been recruited or if any had already been deployed to Ukraine, though one official told The Journal some were already in Russia preparing.
Deir Ezzor 24, a media outlet based in Syria, reported last week that Russia was offering Syrians between $200 to $300 for mercenaries willing to go to Ukraine for six months to "operate as guards." The outlet said Russia was contracting Syrians who fought in the Libyan war. Reuters reported in 2020 that Russia had hired hundreds of Syrian mercenaries to fight in Libya.

Foreign fighters have also joined the war on behalf of Ukraine. Days after the full-scale Russian assault began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of an International Legion for foreigners who wanted to come to Ukraine and fight against Russia.

 

This Chechenian group posted a video to Reddit bragging about their mission. Ukrainian government asked citizens via social media for help locating this group with vehicles marked in a certain way. One hour later they were all dead including their general.

 

Ex pat Ukrainians come home in numbers.
80,000 people return to Ukraine from abroad, most of them men

80,000 people return to Ukraine from abroad, most of them men
During the 5 days of fighting against the aggressor, people have not just left Ukraine: almost 80,000 of our compatriots have returned to their homeland, most of them men.

Source: State Border Guard Service

Quote: "Patriots who were working or temporarily living abroad are coming back to Ukraine to join the Armed Forces, other military formations, and territorial defence. We are proud of our compatriots!"

Details: Border guards have issued a reminder that all checkpoints on the western border are open 24 hours a day.

Border checks have been simplified as much as possible, and the list of documents required to leave [or enter] the country has been minimised.

 

Russia and Ukraine account for 30% of world wheat production. Whet prices are up 30 - 50% and this war could very well lead to a worldwide food crisis

Subscribe to read | Financial Times
Russia and Ukraine supply almost a third of the world’s wheat exports and since the Russian assault on its neighbour, ports on the Black Sea have come to a virtual standstill. As a result, wheat prices have soared to record highs, overtaking levels seen during the food crisis of 2007-08.
“If farmers in Ukraine don’t start planting any time soon there will be huge crisis to food security. If Ukraine’s food production falls in the coming season the wheat price could double or triple,” said the Dutch national, who has been farming for two decades in Cherkasy, 200km south of Kyiv. He is part of a farming union, whose 1,100 members cover just under 10 per cent of the country’s farmland.

 

I believe that our the Cold War 2 we've engaged in with China started when China began taking steps to de-dollarize.

 

The majority of those 3 billion people have so little money it really doesn't matter. Plus the fact that the value of their money isn't worth much.
The ruppee is now worth more than the ruble

Russia-China Trade Stifled by Yuan’s Surge Against Ruble

India-Ukraine bilateral trade
* $2.3 billion: India-Ukraine bilateral trade so far in FY22
* This includes $372 million exports and about $2 billion imports
* $2.5 billion: India-Ukraine bilateral trade in FY21

India-Russia bilateral trade
*$9.4 billion: India-Russia bilateral trade so far in FY22
This includes $2.55 billion exports and $6.9 billion imports
* $8.1 billion: India-Russia bilateral trade in FY21

https://www.business-standard.com/p...-russia-ukraine-conflict-122030700500_1.html*

 

Former Russian FM on Putin’s rationality. Notable is one item of propaganda we see here daily that he states is Russian in origin.

 

Good take especially on the he's insane angle. Doesn't stop most of us thinking he's bonkers especially pretty much threatening nukes. But hopefully he'll realize his vision of a Russian empire can't happen if the world is incinerated.

I know we have missile defenses & they're not 100%. Looking at their current state I have serious doubts he'd have anything to protect Russia. So his big empire would be dust.

 

Oh good, maybe India can just be a "friend" to those 2 and start scamming them instead. They'll have to adopt Russian/Chinese names, though, & can't pretend to be from the FBI.

 

I understand we can't put a no fly zone over Ukraine. But I do not understand why we can't just once stop making excuses and bite the bullet when it comes to Russian oil. It's not like we'd have to do it forever, just till the bastards give up and do whatever they're going to do with Putin when he gets brought to his knees. Cutting off their oil would be like bringing in Tom Brady for a couple of years. Sure, you gotta pay him, but c'mon, man.

If Putin isn't stopped now, he's never going to quit taking back more.

 

Russia has said they'll allow for civilian/humanitarian corridors, but all but 1 route take Ukranians either into Russia or Belarus, through active fighting. From CNN live:

"All but one of the corridors leaves civilians in an uncertain future in Russia or Belarus, while several of the routes would pass through areas of active conflict. TASS said that once in Russia, civilians would be moved by "air, rail and road transport to selected destinations or temporary accommodation points.""

They also mentioned that it was framed as a take it or leave it scenario and that Russia never consulted with the Red Cross, etc.

Edit to add -- also when discussing issues with evacuation routes over the weekend:

"Illustrating his point, he said some ICRC staff had tried to get out of Mariupol along an agreed route on Sunday, but soon realized "the road indicated to them was actually mined.""

 

From CNN live...not targeting civilians /sarcasm

"Russian tanks take up positions among civilian apartment blocks

From CNN's Tim Lister in Kyiv, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Katie Polglase

Video geolocated by CNN on Monday shows Russian tanks taking up positions in a densely-populated area just west of Kyiv.

The 17-second clip was apparently filmed by a resident in an apartment block in the district of Irpin, a site where Russian forces fired towards the capital on Sunday and Monday, killing several civilians.

The video shows at least five Russian tanks and their crews within a few yards of tall apartment blocks."

The caption for the photo from the clip reads that the Russians were "hiding" tanks between apartment buildings & the video was by a resident in one of them.

 

cutting off Russian oil will result in prices rising even more...and with mid-terms right around the corner..well, you know the priorities in washington

 

Love this - Molotov artillery. Ukrainians are like angry hornets. Trebuchet next?