Really strange to be defending Macron. I don’t like him politically at all however when I go to England they spout so much shit and now someone who hasn’t a clue and I feel forced. It’s just not fair to paint people in colours they most clearly are not.
As for Putin I have always thought him to be wicked and nasty and he most clearly is nuts now. (Then again a Russian who believes Ukrainians are all Nazi’s will surely correct me. 
)
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German intel have the reputation of being fairly smug about their superior insight into Russia, so this is just catastrophically bad. They were clearly completely discounting the hard intel the US was making available, and then bought the Russian disinformation about pulling back just as completely.
On the other hand, it really does underscore fears that something has shifted dramatically in the Kremlin. Some American thinking is that Putin has been playing the long game and has been planning something like this for years, but it is at least possible that the Germans were right, until they weren’t.
Just had a conversation about how this is really fruit of the poison tree of Iraqi WMD. For a generation, Western intel agencies have been accustomed to interpreting US-provided intel data themselves, and willing to arrive at very different conclusions. Instead of analyzing own Intel they do meta-analysis of the US product and keep budgets low, and have needed to develop robust skepticism of US spin. Essentially, all US product is treated as political, and in this case, the skepticism was too robust
Italy finally breaking ranks to back restricting Russia’s access to swift.
Russia’s credit rating now “junk”.
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I think we will likely see asset seizures in Russia soon enough. The entire concept of a credit rating will be out the window.
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Seriously, I will never understand the lefts/Greens. 
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Tbf there’s usually quite a difference when it comes to Russia between the Greens and the Left Party (the latter’s insane opinions, including leaving NATO is one of the main reasons why I could never vote for them). But yeah, embarassing. Hope they get their shit together like yesterday in that government.
First the Chechens, then this war crime on wheels. I think the last place those were actually used was Grozny.
I believe the original design intent for these was for ground saturation to clear minefields.
There’s every chance Kiev could end up looking like Grozny did.
Orban now on board with the rest of the EU regarding sanctions.
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Doesn’t seem to matter to the Putin, the US, the UK and most countries…
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There has long been an attitude towards him from normal people that I have never been able to get my head around. There is an admiration for him as a person and character based on traits and actions that you somehow have to simultaneously pretend are not real and not impacting real human to find admirable and charming. Yet that is how so many people react to him. It’s sort of like the perverse pride Italian Americans take in claiming their family is connected. To a degree I got through his first term…he was maybe a funny throw back, someone too anachronistic to be a problem. Even partly into his second term. But activities in Donbas changed that. And things jus kept going in the same direction after that…Crimea, involvement in Brexit and Trump, Navalny, Skripal. There came a point long ago where it was clear he was an aberration. A very dangerous man willing to do outrageous shit. To the point that chummy photo ops with him at the world cup final were disgusting. Yet people were all over it. I think that points t a real defect in the human character, not of the individuals necessarily, but a trait that seems to be conserved in us as a species.
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It really is quite amazing how by just following what @Magnus posts I have better intelligence and knowledge than French, German, British … inteilgence, what are we paying these fools for?
Heads should roll!
Also all those against the European defense force, what do you think now that Russia is sinking innocent ships anchored in bays?
This is exactly the type of piracy I mentionned all those months ago and it was poohooed as never going to happen. Wake up FFS!
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People in RT are leaving their jobs.
And sputnik too:
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The Thomas Friedman world view has been shown to be 180 degrees wrong. Globalization and economic ties doesnt so much as prevent war, but forces countries into accepting awful behavior of sates they have become too economically reliant on.
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Oh shit!
The longer Ukraine resists the greater the option that Russia will and has to take all of Ukraine, which means they will have a border with Slovakia.
Anyone who can not see the implications of this hasn’t a clue about European or world history. It’s a nighmare and will push us towards WWIII surely. If we leave the slaves to take the brunt one more time the only result is disaster for Europe.
Suposed Inel on Rusia from Estonia. Salts need, culd be extrapolation and just misinformation. Could of course also be true. I would say that parts of it is true.
"THREAD 1/7 Intel from a Ukrainian officer about a meeting in Putin’s lair in Urals. Oligarchs convened there so no one would flee. Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days.
2/7 Russians didn’t have a tactical plan. The war costs about $20 bln/day. There are rockets for 3-4 days at most, they use them sparingly. They lack weapons, the Tula and 2 Rotenberg plants can’t physically fulfil the orders for weapons. Rifles and ammo are the most they can do.3/7 The next Russian weapons can be produced in 3-4 months – if even that. They have no raw materials. What was previously supplied mainly from Slovenia, Finland and Germany is now cut off.
4/7 If Ukraine manages to hold the Russians off for 10 days, then the Russians will have to enter negotiations. Because they have no money, weapons, or resources. Nevertheless, they are indifferent about the sanctions.
5/7 Alpha Spec Ops have been near Kyiv since the 18th February. The goal was to take Kyiv and instal a puppet regime. They are preparing provocations against innocent civilians – women and children – to sow panic. This is their trump card.
6/7 Russia’s whole plan relies on panic – that the civilians and armed forces surrender and Zelensky flees. They expect Kharkiv to surrender first so the other cities would follow suit to avoid bloodshed. The Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered
7/7 The Ukrainians must avoid panic! The missile strikes are for intimidation, the Russians fire them at random to “accidentally” hit residential buildings to make the attack look larger than it really is. Ukraine must stay strong and we must provide assistance!
8/7 Spread this information so the world would realise how important it is to assist Ukraine right now and without hesitation! It is difficult for Russia, but it is difficult for Ukraine as well if the West does not provide meaningul support!
It sounds plausible. But I am always skeptical. It could also be disinformation designed to hurt Russia. But yeah, it could all be true. Very interesting never the less. I think perhaps 60% or more of it is true. Leaning towards truth. The only bit I found a bit strange was t he lack of ammo tbh.
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They are invading all of Ukraine, mate. The question is just how much of it they intend to occupy after a capitulation.
Have I missed something, or has it gone a bit quiet in Ukraine? Have the Russians slowed their advance? Surely they should be in Kiev by now?
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