What does this human factor even mean, vodka and cigarettes???
1 Like
1 Like
1 Like
1 Like
2 Likes
-
Yes, this is what is happening now. Negotiations already underway with the Emirates. Lots of deals that I won’t like will have to be made because it is a situation in extremis.
-
Agree.
-
This is true. I can only agree and I think I know now without reading the rest of the bullet points where this is going.
-
I think gas is the main issue far more than oil, but fair enough. I note that India imports currently 2 percent of oil from Russia. There is more than enough oil though. We won’t see significant oil shortages yet, and if we do, OPEC can increase supplies.
-
The sanctions on Iran are lifted not only because of this situation with Russia and Ukraine but because of the Nuclear negotiations. The sanctions on Iran were and are, also completely different. Iran is not waging agressive imperial war against a neighbour, at all. I don’t see this as a valid comparison. What Russia is doing is unique and it is territorial conquest. It is the most basic of the Do Nots in International Law.
-
See Germany 1930’s. Countries were willing to go far to prevent break down in relations and trade, as well as to keep the peace and avert the outbreak of destructive war. It is the same issue, no one in Western Europe nor the United States listened to eastern european countries, no one thought Russia would launch a full scale invasion. You are wrong though, sanctions were imposed on the Russian Federation after Crimea. Just not very forceful ones, because sanctions are as you know damaging to everyone and as stated, no one thought Russia would go further than Crimea and establishing a frozen conflict in Donbas to prevent Ukrainian recovery and integration with the West. I remember well, because I followed events in Ukraine and also, personally here in Norway, the Norwegian krone dropped and the global oil price dropped due to those sanctions back in 2014. Those sanctions are still in effect by the way. However, these sanctions are obviously another ball game, this is a serious attempt to dramatically change Russia’s calculus for the future and act as a very strong deterrent to further imperial adventures in that it shows the will to sacrifice which have surprise Russia to say the least.
I still blame India for not condemning Russia. Nothing you said above will alter that. Russia needs India, India could go much further and stop protecting Russia. Russia today is desperate for partners. I believe there is no room for neutrality in this conflict, it is far too significant. If one is neutral, one accepts what Russia is doing by default and so should be criticised.
4 Likes
Well, they are at war, so if it’s a worthy target and Ukraine has Tocha in reach, they are free to bomb it.
If tocha, Russia will not admit that anyway. Ukraine is not supposed to be able to penetrate their air space this late into the war.
I wondered about this aspect with regard to the video allegedly showing Ukrainians abusing Russian POWs. Would Russian state media be in two minds about broadcasting it? Sure, it (allegedly) shows Ukrainians in a bad light but equally it would be admitting that Russian soldiers are getting captured by Ukrainian forces.
1 Like
2 Likes
I think they are broadcasting it all over, it is significant propaganda and will probably be highly effective. Either it is real, and so a large boon to their rally around the flag sentiment (and of course will make soldiers less likely to surrender unfortunately) or fake and made for this effect. I haven’t checked russian tv myself but know that they often show brutal war violence, far more so than western tv. Russian tabloids such as life usually show very graphic violence and war propaganda (but when i tried to enter now i get this )
We are now blocked from reading Life.ru in Norway at least (not that i want to read that horrible nationalist tabloid really).
1 Like
I should have a VPN really. I really need to get hold of that one of these days…
Wagner has been there for some time now. commanded by a man with with Waffen SS tattoos (Dmitri utkin). A Russian nazi and Ultra Nationalist, which is funny given the supposed reason for the war and De-Nazifaction and jadajadajada.
What can I say. Ultra Nationalists love to wage war and kill and be killed. It is their favorite activity. Their prime ethos.
Everyone with a brain knows the De-nazification bullshit the Russians are using as casus belli is prepostrious bullshit, they don’t mind using their own (and they have many, more than Ukraine) nazis and fascists to wage war.
5 Likes
Yeah let’s hope that lots of these Wagners die painful deaths. An international drone strike would be nice under the auspices that they are terrorists not Russian forces. If Russia wants to retaliate then they know they will be crushed. Not sure even Putin would go for that sort of gamble for such little reward.
Personally I hope that France and Germany finally step up - it’s clear Biden is prepared to commit US troops and hopefully that can embolden the timid French and Germans to start heavily arming Ukraine. A war by proxy with their latest hardware will destroy the Russian peasant army and force Putin into choosing between a humiliating ‘future 2nd offensive’ or ‘victorious’ back down.
It’s time to really step up the pressure on Russia. Much heavier energy sanctions with the aim of making Russia a CCP satellite but also military support for Ukraine and clear signalling that the west is ready to destroy Russia if it doesn’t maintain its claimed ‘back down’. Call his bluff now (even if that means a risk of worldwide carnage) rather than allowing this to drag out further and spread beyond Ukraine.
1 Like
They are legal combatants of the Russian Federation according to the Geneva Convention:
When they fight in Syria, it is different. But since Russia is at war with Ukraine, I am fairly certain they count as just well payed combatants as long as they have Russian citizenship.
1 Like
1 Like
2 Likes