That sounds good.
Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion
- Thread starter Wednesday at Stoke
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That sounds good.
The whitest side?
Let me guess, we can save the situation by going back to the 1920s?
Welp, this is the bit that might make people in Russia realise Putin done fecked up bad this time.
Putin farcically attempting an alliance with China had Molotov-Ribbentrop written all over it, with China playing the role of the Germans.
I think it was an act of desperation in the first place. Last ditch attempt to snatch Ukraine back before losing it entirely. He won't have given up on it yet either. Not while there's still chance of forcing a surrender or cease fire on Russia's terms
I think from his point of view worst case scenario isn't much different from what would have happened if he didn't try anything. He doesn't care about the human cost involved or what NATO think of him.
He probably wanted them to make a move on Taiwan to make it seem like he was merely following the autocratic mood.
Well, that and Russians on the ISS to be fair
I'm wondering if Biden could have made some diplomatic progress with China?
I find it hard to judge how much he miscalculated because I find it hard to tell what he actually thought the outcome would be after taking Ukraine.
Is he telling India and the UAE, "if you don't vote with us, you're not true partners"?
I know that Germany got much shit for blocking Swift, but Baerbock (new foreign minister) and other german politicians said that banning Russia from Swift would hurt the normal people more than the banks and government.
No Russian citizen could use their credit cards anymore or make bank transfers.
And the banks could also use other systems and the current sanctions would already be harsher to them than banning them from Swift.
Is this discussion also present in other countries?
I really don't know what to make of it. After how long German officials defended North Stream 2 I think it's unfortunately possible that our own interests (stopping the rise of energy prices; 50blns that our banks gave to Russian companies that would be lost) are the main reason to block the Swift ban.
Can somebody with the knowledge and an objective view help me understand?
Tbh, social media has fecked the likes of Putin et el. It’s both good and bad in that misinformation can be spread, but live images of conflict are spread so fast that authorities can’t close it down and that has economic consequences.
China ain’t stupid. Russia is a piss ant in the grand scheme of things on an economic scale except for the supply of natural resources. This is the might of Russian military and a country with limited resources is making them look amateurish.
China is already having its own economic issues, it doesn’t need this clown fecking it up further.
China abstained. So 11 votes in favor, 3 abstained (didn't see who else besides China), Russia against.
As much as this would be great, I have my doubts for now. Seen a few reports stating China against Russia in recent days only for it to be incorrect/retracted/clarified. I really hope it's true but lets wait and see.
When it is more or less too late China tries some publicity stunt. All they want is cheap gas and oil and i think they'll get it, same thing the US wants.
China just abstained that’s huge.
Well, that and Russians on the ISS
"Ivan, do you read me up there? We have new orders from Kremlin. Find 'self destruct' button. If no such button exists, please start fire or break window"
We're talking about a country that has been working very hard to destabilize large regions for quite some time, including the US. Fine, there will always be conflicts, difficult to completely get rid of those, but the scale of what Russia is doing is completely off the charts and it has been for quite some time. There's no actual threat towards Russia and we're long past the point where citizens don't have access to international media. The level of aggression makes very little sense from a tactical point of view, beyond just proving that you can do it and that the west is afraid to step in.
Considering the overall situation, I'd say it's fairly reasonable to speculate if she actually believes it or if she's just doing her job. That certainly goes for Lavrov as well. If you don't believe the things you're saying, it's certainly the right time to stop saying it and walk away, because they're quickly becoming a rather large part of a big problem and a pawn in pushing buttons that could potentially have extremely dire consequences for all of us. Heck, a month ago this level of distortion would've been laughed at, just Russia being Russia, but given the fact that they're now on the verge of taking Kiev after invading Ukraine, it might be time to start questioning if Putin has lost his marbles.
UK MoD:
Can’t really see this being substantiated and widely reported on.
If that is not about the strongest message of defiance from Georgia against Putin's aspirations regarding the country, then I don't know what it is.
We already saw that photo yesterday. It was in Berlin (cue the historical Brandenburg Gate in the background).
Well, Putin is fecked at this time. Hopefully, this news also mean good news for Taiwan for the longer run as well.
Isn't this what they usually do? I don't think anyone expected them to condemn or vote against, realistically.
Im gonna be proper pedantic, that was yesterday and not today.
Sanctions are more medium / long term anyway and by hurting Russian citizens there's more likely a potential revolt against Putin. Because banning swift will affect citizens as much as the economy makes it a more difficult decision but with a potential long term big gain.
The Stand With Ukraine UN vote went as follows
11 For
3 Abstentions (Including China and India)
1 Against (Russia)
The resolution fails to pass
Discussion continues
11 For
3 Abstentions (Including China and India)
1 Against (Russia)
The resolution fails to pass
Discussion continues
They always abstain
Gonna be a rough night for Kyiv...
It seems they were considering voting against it. But it was watered down to obtain their abstention.
I can say something for what I’m readng and I know about my country. Italy is under duress (huge debt, gruesome pandemic, migrant crisis) and the technocratic government of a sensible, experienced leader like Draghi cannot last forever. The EU did not help much until very recently, with populists and sovereignists still aiming at a victory next year. Hopefully, if we are all lucky enough to survive the possible unpredictability of mad vlad and his nukes, our public opinion will appreciate the benefits and forgive the costs. This is a terrible hour indeed, if Putin is doomed he still needs a way out.
It would be a bit of a surprise given that Russia is obviously voting against it. Abstaining is just a prettier version of voting against
Why did India abstain?
Namely because they still receive most of their military equipment from Russia (that goes way back) and because they are a long-standing figure of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Even the preparatory airstrikes were mainly conducted at dawn. This is a big asymmetry vs how the US has fought conflicts for the past 30 or so years, with the US preferring to do offensive actions at night.