Ukraine rejects Macron’s comments on dealing with Russia
Now back to diplomacy - and comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has cautioned that the West “must not humiliate Russia”.
In an interview with French newspapers published today, he said this was important “so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means”.
“I am convinced that it is France’s role to be a mediating power,” he said.
His words haven’t gone down very well with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that such calls would “only humiliate France” and others taking the same view.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, who has served as a negotiator in previous Kyiv-Moscow talks, was asked about the French offer to mediate.
Talks would be “pointless” until Ukraine received more weapons and was able to push Russian forces back “as far as possible to the borders of Ukraine”, he said in comments on Ukrainian television reported by Reuters
Which kinda puts him at odds with just about everyone else on the planet. For most people subjected to watching the horrors that Russia is inflicting on a civilian population every night on their TV screens , humiliation would probably be the mildest punishment they wished on him.
Macron is doing himself no favours going public with all this bollox. If he wants to play the great mediator , even at the risk of being made a fool of again , then let him do it in private , where his entreaties might have more purchase.
Highlights how the war is all about oil and gas. The relations with Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan. How Russia has controlled their exports and applied pressure. How not only Russian piplines go through Ukraine, but the recent discoveries of huge oil and gas reserves (same size as Norways) threaten Europes dependence on Russia.
Some pretty startling claims in this thread, have a read. Not sure it’s quite right but we can hope. One thing for sure is the mobilisation of men in the separatist regions and how they’ve been press ganged into service as little more than cannon fodder with not much gear. Good fucking riddance, imo.
More to suggest that trained infantry is in shorter supply than thought. Something to keep an eye on:
Very clear hit on this one, commander is at the back off the tank and gets tossed off at impact.
Watch the SAM launch at the drone not too far in
Russian MLRS hit, watch the rocket cook off to wherever at impact.
Important to note that these sorts of losses are being sustained by Ukrainian units as well, we just get to see these videos. The Eastern Front is literally a meat grinder chewing to pieces young men on both sides who should have their whole lives in front of them . Spare a moment in your day to send Putin a fuck you.
Also seen a few reports that the Russian 35th army has been destroyed. Wasn’t going to post it but came across another claim of it. Pinch of salt, though.
Seems like it’s all originating from one Russian military blogger. It is addressed as the second point on this article below. So who knows, where there’s smoke and all that…
Dropping like flys, (I don’t know where that term comes from but the flys in my house are a lot more resistant).
I wonder if in fact this special operation was/is just a way of eliminating ‘bad blood’ in the Russian army, allowing a refresh of Putin hardliners?
The flies in my house are typically bludgeoned to death by an angry scouser.
Another weird term I hear is tardy computer systems being said to “run like a dog”. Now my dog is getting a bit old but he’s still capable of going from zero to batshit in under a second.
