Thanks bojo https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1525615576160272386?t=KTijCBsohDg7i0kbFAulhw&s=19
Twitter
#the_ukraine_situation
stable girder
Even the DOGS know this war is bs
scarlet crown
animals have been surprisingly friendly with our forces
copper monolith
Thanks man that makes spooky things https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1525471763269926913?t=yWzjW8wuWYItUCPLBK7jvQ&s=19
Twitter
Twitter
copper monolith
<:FeelsSadMan:357565952784859138> https://twitter.com/nolanwpeterson/status/1525...
Days earlier
A true hero
scarlet crown
Eternal glory
copper monolith
copper monolith
https://twitter.com/scottygb/status/1525569182154334211?t=QhuqA_aErc3kFEgbSm5zrA...
scarlet crown
literally me that night
copper monolith
A russian propaganda telegram channel was posting about a destroyed ukrainian force that got on the Snake Island, yet the body shown is wearing a belt belonging to the russian navy https://twitter.com/SputnikATO/status/1525777540429844480?t=17uTGVmlg4EUJ6kEL6Errg&s=19
scarlet crown
i can't with these pigs
and i know for a fact some people will actually believe it
sending fucking paratroopers there is just pointless, not even talking about the difficulty of deployment there
our position for it now is to just strike it once a while so that russos won't set up anti-air equipment
molten tartan
When the "second best military" in the world can't take a city 30km from it's border
copper monolith
molten tartan
Damn
copper monolith
molten tartan
I can't imagine how hard it must be to aim with those things
molten tartan
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1525820181255270400?t=7hzNkNT-2zK3tia9m...
Jesus Christ
silk iron
hey how's things going
I've been avoiding the news recently and focussing on job searching
viral junco
the azov battalion are still holding out in the steel mill
the russians have been pushed back and are leaving kharkiv, the donbass offensive has stalled
silk iron
they've held out for about a month now is it?
I've noticed Sweden and Finland will be sending their formal application to join NATO early next week
split aurora
they've held out for about a month now is it?
yeah
they seem to be prepared for a fight till death
silk iron
How are they still getting food and water?
copper monolith
They're not
silk iron
they must have some water supply to hold out that long.
split aurora
a massive industrial complex built by the USSR to be able to house thousands of workers through a nuclear strike
Is where they're sheltering
it was designed with a situation like this in mind
I know they are suffering from a shortage of resources
especially medical aid
silk iron
I suppose that's why the Russian forces have avoided launching a direct assault on it, and have left merely a minimum sieging force.
split aurora
mhmm
an assault on there would be long and bloody
its easier to just starve them out
especially given the nature of the defenders
silk iron
have you heard much of the "Independence referendums" being organised by the Russian state in Kherson?
split aurora
gtg sorry
silk iron
ah no worries
I'll read into it again
— 22/04/2022 Me
"Apparently the Russians are attempting to fabricate "independence referendums" in the occupied areas of the Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts. The objective being to create a justification for subjugating the occupied territories (much like the de-facto Russian puppet pseudo-states of Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republic.)"
.
If anyone has a reliable source on the "independence referendums" in Kherson/ DPR/ LPR please post it for me thanks.
copper monolith
They gonna fake the results just like they did everywhere else
silk iron
no doubt, but if I can find info on how exactly the referendum is being rigged, it can help undermine the Russian state's propoganda.
It's frustrating I don't really have the time to chase up on this.
ah well
- remember to take a break from the news if it gets a bit much.
Ongoing world events are important but your mental health is even more important.
viral junco
viral junco
no doubt, but if I can find info on how exactly the referendum is being rigged, ...
likely holding them near camps for the russian troops and scaring off the locals
or just not having a vote at all
scarlet crown
no doubt, but if I can find info on how exactly the referendum is being rigged, ...
It's already rigged due to the fact that referendums such as these are not counting votes from the whole country, but only from that region
also the fact that they're being held under watch of occupant forces
they go against Ukrainian constitution and really have no political value
like this is just a circus, a show
even if they try hosting those or somehow announce that they're now part of ru, i don't think it'd even do anything, apart from being a propaganda move
"look!! we liberated Kherson!!!"
scarlet crown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Z51no1TD0 here is the music video kalush posted, filmed in most damaged regions of Ukraine
word "mother" really took a whole other meaning with this war
literal goosebumps, I teared up a bit
unreal path
I’m guessing y’all saw this 
copper monolith
Ye
scarlet crown
Man I'm seeing a lot of meetings today under the slogan of freeing Azovstal
Kalush really made an influence
copper monolith
paper cedar
woo!
copper monolith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IEzqMYGYS4
This video has been edited to take out any personal information.
This young man is a boxer. He signed a contract with the russian army following an advice of his coach, to have free time and easy money - this was how he thought it would be.
Then you hear the whole story from the horse's mouth. How russian troops hid behind civilian houses in Ukrainian cities, how his commander "taught how to fly" from a top floor a surrendered Ukrainian military or potentially a civilian, how middle and upper ranks looted Ukrainian apartments, how he was injured and captured (or more like rescued by Ukrainians).
Then he calls his mother in russia only to hear from her the full range of propaganda that she definitely buys in. About Americans owning land in Ukraine and "planting things in there" (does this mean that she envies Americans and she wants to have Ukrainian land for herself to plant things in it, but for free?), about Ukraine joining NATO "next day", about Ukraine "inventing Coronavirus".
And you would think a mother of a child should be more agreeable and reasonable in a situation like this, but - no! She insists, and it seems she is ready to sacrifice her child to uphold the propaganda she chose to believe.
fierce arch
I’m guessing y’all saw this <a:Dance:810359749357862912>
not just finland
genuinely a little surprised how much nato support there is in sweden
unreal path
genuinely a little surprised how much nato support there is in sweden
Oooo both?
32! 32!
solid adder
genuinely a little surprised how much nato support there is in sweden
there isn't
fierce arch
there isn't
there isn't?
split aurora
theres a spike due to the war
but that spike will pass, and overall nato isn't that popular
this could prove... problematic
a lot of apprehension in sweden/finland is due to their long standing neutrality
and natos recent liking of aggressive pointless middle Eastern conflict
raven fossil
Very divisive in general
split aurora
I think there should need to be a referrendum
for a country to join
(I don't know if that is the case or not in scandanavia)
fierce arch
and natos recent liking of aggressive pointless middle Eastern conflict
hasn't nato had a relatively minor presence in the middle east
solid adder
(I don't know if that is the case or not in scandanavia)
idk either and I live in Sweden lmao
split aurora
hasn't nato had a relatively minor presence in the middle east
All the powers invading afghanistan/iraq were nato ones (bar a couple like NZ), and all NATO members were part of the force to defend the new civilian goverment of Afghanistan post-invasion
In writing, not NATO
fierce arch
All the powers invading afghanistan/iraq were nato ones (bar a couple like NZ), ...
i mean yeah but like
literally every single country in the world helped those invasions
fierce arch
silk iron
im back
btw @fierce arch that's the gulf war which was before the "war on terror", and was a global coalition in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
fierce arch
well yeah i know
silk iron
it's generally considered a defensive war, compared to the iraq war.
hence why there were so many fewer countries willing to intervene in the Afghan/Iraq wars in comparison to the Gulf war.
fierce arch
was nato even involved in the (first) iraq war
silk iron
technically no, nato wasn't involved in any of these wars.
however a lot of the members of nato were the main contributors.
so there's some 'alignment overlap'
NATO is a defensive alliance and rarely gets involved unless it's members are being threatened or attacked
I believe there was an instance in the Libyan civil war... however
fierce arch
ok calling it a defensive alliance is being a little generous
silk iron
a defensive pact might be more appropriate
on further glance, NATO has also intervened in the Balkans wars, with the collapse of the Yugoslavian federal republic.
Sometimes without support of the UN security council.
leaden grove
was nato even involved in the (first) iraq war
The one in 1990/91?
silk iron
It's beyond my scope of knowledge however, and is very controversial.
leaden grove
There was a "coalition of the willing" that took part in the 2003 war
fierce arch
ok they all blend together
silk iron
sums up most middle eastern wars tbh
leaden grove
They kinda do, there’s been a lot of conflict in the Middle East over the last decades
silk iron
partially our (the West/UK/France/America's) fault for stirring revolutionary or reactionary movements with the nation states there.
Not to say those states would be particularly stable otherwise
leaden grove
and natos recent liking of aggressive pointless middle Eastern conflict
Arguably Poland and the Baltic states are playing a big role in Sweden‘s and Finland‘s accession to NATO, and to my knowledge, neither of those countries are particularly fond of the military endeavours in the Middle East either
silk iron
I think Poland intervened in the Iraq war -whether it was popular or not was another thing
leaden grove
Poland did, yeah
silk iron
What would you say the odds are of Sweden/Finland, respectively, joining NATO are?
they'll almost certainly make a formal application next week
leaden grove
Finland has already formally declared that they‘re going to apply today
fierce arch
just pray turkey doesn't be a bitch
leaden grove
There‘ll be a vote in parliament tomorrow but almost all parties declared support
silk iron
Turkey has always been trying to play both sides.
Do you think there'll be continued popular support for NATO in the years to come?
in Finland that is
leaden grove
As for Sweden, they’re going to start the process this week, and I think there‘ll be a majority for the application vote too
fierce arch
in Finland that is
my guess is probably not as much support but it depends on how much finland wants to commit to nato
i mean look at iceland
leaden grove
Do you think there'll be continued popular support for NATO in the years to come...
I‘m not as familiar with the Finns as I am with Latvians and Estonians, but I think there’s a very strong desire to protect Finland and the Baltic Sea region there
silk iron
Don't the Finns have cultural/ethnic ties to the Estonians in particular?
fierce arch
finland was considered a baltic nation for a long time wasn't it
silk iron
IIRC Finland was geographically lumped in with Scandinavia and being part of the Swedish empire for so long altered their culture to be more norse centric
silk iron
but initially they were more culturally aligned with the Baltic peoples
Finland was also part of the Russian empire for a bit
however they broke off before the Soviet revolution
leaden grove
Don't the Finns have cultural/ethnic ties to the Estonians in particular?
Yes, though Estonians were considered criminals for quite a while
silk iron
Whereas the Karelian peoples, who are most similar to the Finns, are still part of Russia.
@leaden grove kinda like the American / Mexican glib stereotype last decade?
leaden grove
Hmm, I guess so
fierce arch
american and mexican relations are so fucking weird i don't think you can compare them to anything
both the relations of the people and the countries
leaden grove
Yeah, there’s a ton of stereotypes and whatnot
fierce arch
on both sides
unreal path
About nato I’m pretty sure article 5 got enacted for 9/11
leaden grove
IIRC Finland was geographically lumped in with Scandinavia and being part of the...
The whole "Nordic" thing only really came to be in the 30s/40s, Finland is still considered a Baltic country in the Stalin-Hitler pact
fierce arch
About nato I’m pretty sure article 5 got enacted for 9/11
yup
unreal path
I think that’s been the only time it’s been activated as far as I remember
fierce arch
yup
unreal path
I mean it made since with 9/11 since it doesn’t have to be a state attacking a nato member to activate it
leaden grove
@silk iron The thing about Finland is that they have a very interesting military doctrine
For example, whereas conscript training often only focuses on basic skills followed by service in a certain unit, they also train their conscripts to serve in a very specific role
unreal path
Technically doesn’t Russia have something like article 5 under there nato like org I can’t remember what it’s called
Starts with a C
CSTO maybe
silk iron
specialised training with conscription
leaden grove
Basic training is the same for everyone, followed by specialist training, and after that everyone is brought together again for a final exercise in which different units work together in a wartime formation
silk iron
makes sense with limited mannpower and an advanced military
leaden grove
And that’s another thing about Finland‘s army, their current structure is only for training purposes, their wartime formation is very different
silk iron
The UK is so far detached from needing conscription, such an idea is truly thrown out the Overton window
leaden grove
Yeah
leaden grove
Tbh there‘s not really a point in reintroducing conscription if it isn’t in place already, since most armies rely on specialists
And the Finnish system is an exception
unreal path
If we are talking about nato the US already has a big force of volunteers
Which makes Vietnam even more sad that we had enact conscription XD
The war I mean
silk iron
Yeah we know
conscripting to invade a foreign nation tends not to end well in the modern era
unreal path
Yeah and it can be dangerous, Russia knows that
Training and arming more of your population who might not be happy with you isn’t the best idea
fierce arch
<@252876471817732099> The thing about Finland is that they have a very interesti...
if finland does join nato i don't see them taking on a necessarily "active" role
more just like "you can put a few military bases here"
silk iron
^ that's the most likely scenario
fierce arch
the iceland route
unreal path
I just love how Russia is like don’t do it! Or we will…or you will do what Russia?
You invaded a country that didn’t join nato so what’s the incentive to stay neutral
silk iron
Russia doesn't have the power projection Putin thought it had
leaden grove
more just like "you can put a few military bases here"
No, I doubt that
limber jolt
Russia tries to scare countries into not joining nato
countries join nato because they're scared of Russia
leaden grove
^ that's the most likely scenario
The main incentive for joining NATO is enhancing intelligence collaboration and local defense
unreal path
Also now that Finland has security guarantees from the Us and UK both nuclear states ye they can’t do anything
Yeah you don’t just join nato your military is integrated
Ofc it can still do things on its own but it has to be able to work together
silk iron
intelligence collaboration is an active role come to think of it
unreal path
That’s been a big thing in Ukraine, intel
silk iron
Cyberwarfare is the primary warfare of this decade
unreal path
If I remember someone from I think the CIA said we kill people with metadata
fierce arch
i was about to talk about that
silk iron
it's frustrating there's a lot of extra cyberattacks occurring as an indirect consequence of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
leaden grove
intelligence collaboration is an active role come to think of it
Sweden has some very good surveillance planes
unreal path
And Space since that’s normally where a lot of the Data comes from
leaden grove
Also Finland has some decent naval capabilities in terms of coastal defence
unreal path
I just love how Russia gave NATO a reason to continue to exist 
silk iron
If you know a good source on the types of cyberattacks and malware which have recently shown up, please feel free to share.
It'll be of practical use to us all
unreal path
I mean they knew there were divisions in NATO and thoughts of ending it
fierce arch
I mean they knew there were divisions in NATO and thoughts of ending it
was there
unreal path
was there?
leaden grove
Macron cough cough
unreal path
Yeah :/
silk iron
and Trump expressed frustration with NATO countries not offering their fair contribution
fierce arch
france has always been apprehensive about nato
unreal path
Trump said some dumb things about nato to
silk iron
I mean it was actually a fair assessment, his threats to pull out of NATO less so.
fierce arch
france has always been apprehensive about nato
they withdrew from the command structure for a while
unreal path
I get the frustrations but you gotta word things correctly this is geopolitics -_-
silk iron
you get the hang of phrasing things accurately yet unemotively after a while.
unreal path
I mean it was actually a fair assessment, his threats to pull out of NATO less s...
Yeah that’s what I mean Obama brought up the funding issues but we still kept our fully commitment
It’s like with nukes
leaden grove
you get the hang of phrasing things accurately yet unemotively after a while.
You can do it emotively if you do it well, Habeck and Baerbock are a good examples of this
unreal path
It doesn’t work if you just go eh
You want 0 questioning on commitments
Even if you plan on not following those, you gotta act like you are at least
silk iron
@leaden grove quite right.
leaden grove
I think regular reevaluations are necessary
But Trump wasn’t just frustrated, I don’t think he particularly cared
fierce arch
trump was not one for geopolitics
unreal path
I think he didn’t understand geopolitics
silk iron
It's likely Trump was using it as an excuse rather than anything
fierce arch
he saw it as something that took up the budget
unreal path
I’m a college drop out and I bet I know more about geopolitics than him
It’s VERY sensitive
And that’s one of the places where your wording can do a lot
silk iron
Trumps worst geopolitical decision was the embargos and trade tariffs as part of the trade war. - the economic dmg to the global economy was greater than that of the pandemic, and failed to contain Chinese economic growth - in fact it lead China to create new economic ties in Sri-Lanka and African countries, while harming India's economy.
unreal path
Nuance is the name of the game
silk iron
but we're going off topic here
unreal path
Yeye
I think every member in NATO have made mistakes but this is not the time to be publicly fighting about it
Like I don’t like Turkey in nato but causing division won’t help Ukraine
And by publicly I mean the leadership ofc
fierce arch
turkey has always been sort of a special case in nato
it is not nearly as westernized as the rest of it
leaden grove
Turkey and Greece too
unreal path
Oh and Hungary
leaden grove
it is not nearly as westernized as the rest of it
Erdogan is partly responsible for that
He discouraged secularism
limber jolt
NATO would probably have weakened and fallen apart eventually if it weren't for Russia
fierce arch
Turkey and Greece too
greece has a stronger connection to the rest of europe than turkey
unreal path
They were going down a secularism path sometimes a bit too much but still
unreal path
NATO would probably have weakened and fallen apart eventually if it weren't for ...
I know that’s what I’m saying
Same with the EU in a way
fierce arch
eu is so much different than nato
unreal path
Well yeah but there has been changes after the invasion started
fierce arch
greece has a stronger connection to the rest of europe than turkey
turkey is one of two countries in nato with a muslim majority
unreal path
Then you have the council of Europe just saying nope you’re gone
leaden grove
greece has a stronger connection to the rest of europe than turkey
Yes, I was talking about the issues between Greece and Turkey
fierce arch
oh
unreal path
Cyprus
zealous rapids
What’s update in ukraine
leaden grove
Cyprus, but also various islands in the Mediterranean
There’s various natural resources there and they both claim the islands there are theirs
unreal path
Are there any updates?
fierce arch
uh
fierce arch
What’s update in ukraine
not much
unreal path
Oh how about that steel factory
silk iron
@zealous rapids tl;dr it's basically a stalemate - the war might go on for months or years, both sides are reluctant negotiate.
unreal path
If I remember the UN/RedCross evacuation successed
zealous rapids
This reminds me of ww1 stalemate in the trenches
unreal path
But the main thing are the troops left at the steel factory that are running out of supplies
silk iron
gradually Ukraine will receive more and more supplies from the West, while Russia's economy will slowly degrade under economic sanctions pressure
fierce arch
<@539549753642319873> tl;dr it's basically a stalemate - the war might go on for...
im betting literally all of my money on the situation that this eventually just becomes a post-soviet style land dispute
silk iron
Ukraine has received "lend lease 2.0" from America which is largely symbolic, but indicates the West has no trouble bank-rolling Ukraine's economy throughout their dogged resistance
btw Ukraine's economy is fucked
unreal path
Ukraine had a meeting at the G7 and one of the topics was getting food from Ukraine to places like Africa and the Middle East
silk iron
-45% GDP from the start of the war.
fierce arch
ukraine's economy was already not doing very good
unreal path
I mean a struggling economy is better than none
silk iron
The Ukrainian people will need immense support rebuilding their country when they eventually repel the invaders
leaden grove
im betting literally all of my money on the situation that this eventually just ...
Could you elaborate?
fierce arch
basically crimea but donbas region
unreal path
One thing I’ve heard conflicting things on, is Ukraine intending on getting Crimea and all of Donbas back? Or is it still just get back to before the war
fierce arch
and zaporizka
silk iron
What happens to Crimea in the long-term is a very good question
historically Crimea was not part of the Ukrainian Soviet until granted to it by Khrushchev
so the Russians do have a weak claim
hollow hollow
<@539549753642319873> tl;dr it's basically a stalemate - the war might go on for...
russia is losing equipment at a completely unsustainable rate, i'd be surprised if this goes on for "years"
silk iron
de jure it should be part of Ukraine going back to 2014
However it is likely to remain part of Russia at least de facto.
unreal path
The thing is it should be up to the people in Crimea and Donbas
With real referendums
silk iron
indeed that's another self-determination argument.
unreal path
It should be up to the local people without any outside influence on what country they are a part of or if they gain independence
silk iron
well yes
unreal path
Just like it should be up to every country on joining alliances or not
fierce arch
unfortunately it is never that simple
unreal path
Yeah
silk iron
but you know referendums tend to not to be 100% integrity under Russian rule.
unreal path
Well yeah if it would to happen it would have to be truly fair and with a 3rd party independent review
hollow hollow
Ukraine has received "lend lease 2.0" from America which is largely symbolic, bu...
also it's kinda hard to call lend lease "largely symbolic" when only 90 american howitzers have played a huge part in shifting momentum towards ukraine. imagine what more of that kind of equipment would accomplish
unreal path
Like there were referendums in Crimea and Uhg what’s the independent port city called
But we all know those were BS
fierce arch
sevestapol?
unreal path
Yes
scarlet crown
That's crimeas capital
unreal path
Wasn’t it designated an independent city?
scarlet crown
Not sure on that
fierce arch
if i remember correctly
sevestapol and the rest of crimea are different administrative districts
unreal path
sevestapol and the rest of crimea are different administrative districts
Ye that’s what I remember
fierce arch
like how moscow is a federal city
silk iron
@hollow hollow the "lend lease 2.0" is likely to ramp up in the near future, and become less of a symbol - however considering the date it was signed with an overwhelming majority in the senate on May 9th of all days, it's definitely symbolic.
unreal path
Yeye
silk iron
my tone came off as dismissive when i meant to emphasise it's but the first step in future American aid to Ukraine
hollow hollow
i mean it's for sure symbolic, but it's also much more than that
unreal path
There’s been so many thing that have happened that i thought would never happen
silk iron
so far the American aid is sufficient for the Ukrainians to hold the line against a partially mobilised Russia
fierce arch
my favorite thing about this has to be how serbia is reacting
unreal path
I mean they voted in favor to condemn Russia
unreal path
I watched that ^
silk iron
the figures have large confidence intervals, but I can't do good service paraphrasing the video
unreal path
It’s funny how a lot of Russia’s Allies have either denounced them or are being quiet on the issue
silk iron
serbia is not having a good time atm
unreal path
I mean Russia isn’t doing well so I don’t blame them
hollow hollow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va8VTrNl_xY
assuming the conflict does continue for months, lend lease will no doubt be huge for ukraine. russia's military productions lines are stalling and unable to keep up with their losses, while biden can send basically anything he wants to ukraine and no one can tell him otherwise
unreal path
Plus Russia has less places to get supplies and materials from
leaden grove
At least not high-tech supplies
unreal path
China is in such a great position
silk iron
@hollow hollow yep it's streamlined the American process for supplying Ukraine, it no longer has to go through the legislative system.
.
Serbia: if we recognise LPR/DPR we can't make a valid argument against recognising Kosovo
unreal path
I mean China would be the one making deals with Russia on trade and Russia would just have to agree to them because who else are they gonna go to, North Korea?
leaden grove
historically Crimea was not part of the Ukrainian Soviet until granted to it by ...
Crimea was acquired as a colony at roughly the same time as the rest of Ukraine
unreal path
Then China has Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, East Turkstan (I misspelled that for sure)
I’m worried for Moldova and Georgia
hollow hollow
I mean China would be the one making deals with Russia on trade and Russia would...
china-russia relations are in a really weird spot rn. their "alliance" always seemed to me like "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", like the ussr and allies in wwii in the sense that they're friendly to each other but there isn't actually much trust between them
silk iron
@leaden grove interesting, I should read more about the early Russian empire
hollow hollow
idk if china really wants to help russia
unreal path
china-russia relations are in a really weird spot rn. their "alliance" always se...
Yeah and the thing is China has leverage over Russia at this point
leaden grove
<@155670791051149322> interesting, I should read more about the early Russian em...
I can recommend this short article on that exact topic, it was published in last month‘s History Today https://www.historytoday.com/archive/behind-times/ukrainian-tales
unreal path
Since like in trade what they could get from Russia they get more from the west
silk iron
China has distanced themselves from the war and has made general pleas for peace on both sides
but China still wants that sweet Russian gas/oil
unreal path
If I remember they sent some money for humanitarian aid as well
unreal path
but China still wants that sweet Russian gas/oil
I mean China can get a nice discount for that
scarlet crown
If I remember they sent some money for humanitarian aid as well
If i remember right, it was some puny amount, even Ireland gave more than them
unreal path
Better than nothing I guess 
silk iron
I suspect China is oddly enough pro a prolonged war, as they see it as wasting the West's resources without them having to lift a finger. - but that's purely speculation on my part
that and the cheap gas/oil
unreal path
It weakens the west and Russia, leaving China better off
leaden grove
Artis Pabriks put it well at today‘s Lennart Meri conference, the Baltic countries have done their part, it‘s time for Germany to step up its support
silk iron
i beg to differ
China wants influence over Africa and Oceania
they want to hold soft power over those regions
leaden grove
^^^
silk iron
China needs to trade with the west, while their economy fully develops
and the west need to trade with china, after all those washing machines don't manufacture themselves
... well
unreal path
Basically one of the biggest winners will be China and they don’t even have to do much
silk iron
that kind of factory work is outsourced to countries like Vietnam now
ah nvm we're well off topic again
unreal path
The relationship between the US and Vietnam have improved a lot in recent years
silk iron
indeed
fierce arch
i know this is offtopic but if you look at a survey of opinions on america across countries vietnam is like at the top
unreal path
Oh really?
silk iron
funny that
unreal path
I mean we have a common enemy
silk iron
I'd like to see the theories to why that is
unreal path
After the Vietnam war we both went you know what you fight good wanna work together ;)
silk iron
anyway i'm tired i'll read adrian's article and catch some Zs
... no no not those Zs
Zzz, zs
unreal path
I mean we have a good relationship with Japan and we nuked them
hollow hollow
i assume the people who once lived in south vietnam probably have a largely favorable view of the us
leaden grove
anyway i'm tired i'll read adrian's article and catch some Zs
Sleep is a good idea, their latest issue also includes an article on Polish-Ukrainian relations which is pretty interesting too
unreal path
🇺🇸 ❤️ 🇻🇳 a start to a beautiful friendship
leaden grove
I‘ll keep on monitoring the situation in Sweden and Finland over the course of the week, I’m sure my Swedish teacher will be happy too if I get some reading practice in
haughty yew
leaden grove
Oh welp
But there’s been a ton of incidents like this, finding the perpetrators is the hardest part
viral junco
If i remember right, it was some puny amount, even Ireland gave more than them
Yep, world's largest country in population outdone by a tiny island
viral junco
🇺🇸 ❤️ 🇻🇳 a start to a beautiful friendship
Also an ironic thing is ho chi Minh really wanted to work with the Americans and viewed them highly
Even having a quote on the declaration of independence when he declared Vietnam free
scarlet crown
unreal path
Also an ironic thing is ho chi Minh really wanted to work with the Americans and...
Sometimes your best friends were once enemies 
I wonder if they have sent any aid to Ukraine
copper monolith
raven fossil
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1525888944226852867/photo/1
It really is their only way of trying to be a threat
copper monolith
split aurora
man
its mad how crazy of an effect river's have on combat
moving water currents and erosion tens of thousands of years ago really did cuz geopolitical wackiness
scarlet crown
The failure on that river was grand
Just so awful that there's no way it wasn't intentional
That or someone is REALLY incompetent, absolutely
hollow hollow
Just so awful that there's no way it wasn't intentional
it was attacked by m777s, i’ve seen footage of a small boat taking a direct hit from a shell while right next to the bridge. people were saying that it was stabilizing the bridge and it getting hit may have caused the bridge’s destruction
just goes to show the massive effect those howitzers have had on the war effort, they outrange everything russia has
and they have pinpoint accuracy
found the video https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/upld52/the_exact_moment_ukrainian_artillery_struck_the/
leaden grove
Kallas puts it very well in this clip https://twitter.com/overdryven/status/1525916446307635200 @fierce arch @split aurora
scarlet crown
oh, god, call an ambulance!...
but not for me
copper monolith
yeeeeeeee boiiiiiii
copper monolith
copper monolith
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525909891973521409?s=20&t=jYDVZFdur8yO5_mj...
copper monolith
https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1526114874186772482?s=20&t=jYDVZFdur8yO5_mj3G...
Twitter
split aurora
yknow, I do get the feeling this is drawing to a close
Russians are back at the border in the vast majority of the country, only limited failed offensives in donbass remain
copper monolith
we said the same thing like 2 months ago xddd
split aurora
I mean that's true
fuck knows what could happen
I just hope we will see this war end shortly, and I'm more hopeful then any other point in the war
Though, it's still as important as ever to put domestic pressure at home for our governments to help more, and to donate and do whatever we can individually to help
copper monolith
it's gonna be a while until Ukraine could liberate the south, especially with bastardrus in the north keeping everyone on edge with their soldiers at the border
I have a feeling the war won't end until the end of this year
limber wagon
I feel more like we're at a point of stagnation. With the russians dug in who knows how long this might take and how much people will end up getting killed.
viral junco
I feel more like we're at a point of stagnation. With the russians dug in who kn...
Hopefully the drones and artys can help flush the bastards out of hiding
scarlet crown
as i see it, we really hit the long game of this circus, with russians now backed in whatever they could initially grasp, facing major losses, low morale and lack of resupplies
any advancement of theirs gets quickly hit out
now it's the matter of us getting all aid needed to make heavy counter-offensives possible
honestly a revolution inside russia would be pretty damn great too...
if only there were people who actually cared for more than their own ass
wicked panther
Revolutions only happen when everyone is losing
In france that was not just the people living in the cities but also the farmers
In Belgium it was the poor, the rich and the catholic that revolted against the dutch each for their own reasons
scarlet crown
i guess
my point is, there won't be any progress done diplomatically if the current rule remains
ripe prism
I feel like a revolution is easier said then done
ripe prism
Im sure it’s possible but highly unlikely in my opinion
ripe prism
Apologies didn’t see that
copper monolith
scarlet crown
what was the point?
copper monolith
chaos
fierce arch
not orwellian at all
leaden grove
Sweden‘s government has formally decided to apply for NATO membership after most parties declared their support in parliament
The key takeaways from the press conference are that 6 out of 8 parties agreed with the government‘s stance and that enhanced security in the Baltic Sea region is the goal, with a focus on Northern Europe and the Baltic countries
wicked panther
Wait the woman on the right is the prime minister of finland?
why do we get all the ugly politicians
leaden grove
She is
And looks aren’t important here, but yeah, young politicians with responsibilities are really rare
unreal path
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/finland-ger-natobesked
Never thought I would see the day
split aurora
hmm
I just hope this doesn't turn into an excuse for Sweden to pump shit loads of money into the military
which will disappear into the greedy hands of the military industrial complex
and I hope sweden can retain most of its famous political defiant neutrally, and not just tow the American line
unreal path
🇦🇱 🇧🇪 🇧🇬 🇨🇦 🇭🇷 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 🇪🇪 🇫🇮 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇬🇷 🇭🇺 🇮🇸 🇮🇹 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇱🇺 🇲🇪 🇳🇱 🇲🇰 🇳🇴 🇵🇱 🇵🇹 🇷🇴 🇸🇰 🇸🇮 🇪🇸 🇸🇪 🇹🇷 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
32!
unreal path
and I hope sweden can retain most of its famous political defiant neutrally, and...
I mean I see no reason for them to say invest more than 2% gdp
split aurora
Thats already a significant increase on current 1.3
it was 0.9 in 2015
germanys used this conflict as an excuse to pump silly amounts of money to the military
unreal path
How much are they investing?
split aurora
copper monolith
Dont worry
split aurora
51 -> 53 -> 100
2020 -> 2021 -> 2022
split aurora
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.dw.com/en/germany-commits-100-billion-to-defens...
wtf this isn't the link
why did it copy an inage
?????
finally
unreal path
Oh yeah that’s already over 2
limber wagon
Thats a pretty radical shift
split aurora
also like, its doubling military spending in a country suffering a growing significant cost of living crisis
in no small part thanks to the last decades austerity
its also like, a very populist kneejerk reaction
copper monolith
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-commits-100-billion-to-defense-spending/a-60933724
Actually insane, this makes them what, the 3rd largest spender on military?
split aurora
its not based on studies, or data
its just
BOOM have moneyz
will put them third, yeah
put them around the uk/Iran as % of gdp
hollow hollow
also of course this is happening https://twitter.com/BasedPoland2/status/1526238207205056514
opal cloak
his hands been Stolen
stable girder
the UK still exists
stable girder
why do we get all the ugly politicians
IN RESPONSE TO THIS
hollow hollow
i think it's kinda funny how one of the most iconic photos of all time will forever be tainted by russian greed and disregard for others
copper monolith
I have never noticed it before and I've probably seen this image like a thousand times wtf
split aurora
hmm
its very blurry, but might plausibly be real
(i got that image seperate)
certainly within possibility like
both the soviets and allies stole everything not nailed down in western Europe
viral junco
I have never noticed it before and I've probably seen this image like a thousand...
yes
thats the point
the picture despite being one of the most famous in history was doctored
to me more faded so that it would hide the two watches guy's watches
not known by a lot of people bar historians or people into that sorta stuff
clear creek
Hot dam that soldier singing Stephania in the factory is mindfucking
Also good to know the border was reached again
icy ridge
Do y'all think Turkey will have a chance to approve the Swedish and Finnish NATO applications?
clear creek
It's simple throw turkey out let him see how it feels to be in Russian invasion range outside of NATO
viral junco
the siege is at an end in azovstal
the garrison is fulfiling orders to save troops, believe they are surrendering
scarlet crown
It's said that this evening, Zelenskiy will address current situation in Azovstal
I really hope the evacuation goes without any interruptions
copper monolith
hm...
molten tartan
Fucking hell
split aurora
trouble in da alliance
copper monolith
have not forgotten that coup which he staged a few years ago just to get a lot more power and arrest everyone that's against him
split aurora
Turkeys a very not nice country
both domestically and internationally
what are their regions for denying this?
Ankara first raised objections to Finnish and Swedish membership on Friday, citing their history of hosting members of Kurdish militant groups and Sweden’s suspension of arms sales to Turkey since 2019 over Ankara’s military operation in Syria.
ah
That explains why
yeah turkey is definitely gonna be an ass about this
joining requires a unanimous vote which is gonna get spicy
opal cloak
It really shouldnt need to be unanimous
opal cloak
I feel like it should just be like 66% or 75%
split aurora
Imagine if a tiny country you didn't want to join was let in, then got invaded 3 days later
you're expected to send your army to defend them to the death
when you didn't sign up for that
nato would fall apart
opal cloak
I feel like given how many countries there are already your military wouldnt have too much risk, and by joining theyd probably be way safer from invasion
Why russia hasnt invaded more
split aurora
I feel like given how many countries there are already your military wouldnt hav...
No but you're still sending your people
to die in a war
you want no part in
and are trying to be forced into
no self respecting nation would agree to that
opal cloak
I just feel like thats less of a risk than forcing someone to be left alone because some other country thats already in has horrible human rights
split aurora
imagine like
USA invites Taiwan to nato
France opposes
It passes on 2/3
China invades
"Hey france please send your entire army to China to fight x"
france would just leave nato and refuse
defensive alliances only work if everyone wants to defend everyone else
split aurora
I just feel like thats less of a risk than forcing someone to be left alone beca...
I mean half the alliance has shitty human rights
a non-unanimous model just... wouldn't work
viral junco
yep
split aurora
nobody would agree to an alliance where they pledge their military to defend nations they don't want to defend
opal cloak
I suppose
opal cloak
I dont have much knowledge of nato
viral junco
of countries have really awful human rights
split aurora
of countries have really awful human rights
Stares at every nation selling guns to Saudi arabia
opal cloak
I was thinking more about the un which is different
split aurora
stares at the coalition in the war against iraq
stares at the way Hungary, Poland, treat migrants and minorities
split aurora
I dont have much knowledge of nato
fair enough!
and yeah it is a really shit situation that one member can be an ass
and block it
both Turkey and the west's action in kurdistan are grim
the uk prosecutes people who join kurdish forces fighting ISIS
to make Turkey happy
limber jolt
honestly a revolution inside russia would be pretty damn great too...
if only th...
just going to point out that there's a very decent chance that such a thing would lead to a civil war that could end up making this even worse
hollow hollow
I mean half the alliance has shitty human rights
honestly i don’t think there’s a single nation in the world with a clean human rights track record, what matters is that they don’t repeat their mistakes
split aurora
yeah
limber jolt
if Ukraine is lucky if that happens, you guys end up being able to push the Russians out and hold your borders if anyone attacks, but for Russia itself they'd be in a very bad civil war for a while probably
it's kind of a miracle the collapse of the USSR didn't lead to that and even then it led to stuff like this eventually happening
split aurora
q peaceful transition of power away from the oligarchs and putin is ideal, but again, that's just ideal
the real world is very messy
split aurora
it's kind of a miracle the collapse of the USSR didn't lead to that and even the...
yeah, it is, it cane very close
and post fall russia was in an extremely bad state
limber jolt
Russia's policy for a while has assumed that they are a dominant power with the right to bully smaller countries into submission
it's not the way to do diplomacy or run a country
but historically that's what they've done
split aurora
like, it was in mid-barbarossa levels of devastation and poverty
split aurora
ahh
limber jolt
my dad had been drafted into the Soviet army before and was worried that he might get drafted to fight in Chechnya
and he got a job offer here
hollow hollow
also idk if anyone’s mentioned this yet, there’s been a lot of unconfirmed rumors from credible sources that ukraine has crossed the donets river near kharkiv and is establishing a foothold in a couple villages on the east bank
split aurora
my dad had been drafted into the Soviet army before and was worried that he migh...
yeah thats as good a reason to leave as any
limber jolt
we have family in both countries though
they lived in Russia close to the Ukrainian border
ik one side of my dad's family is Ukrainian
we're all anti Putin before anyone asks
and as for people in Russia, they've been dealing with bullshit from authoritarian governments for literally centuries at this point and are kinda used to it honestly
at this point a lot of people just don't trust a single thing the government says regardless
so a lot of people don't believe in covid over there iirc
split aurora
😔
limber jolt
anyway
my point is that the current government collapsing would likely fracture the country and lead to a civil war
or a power struggle of some sort
we may end up with someone even worse than Putin in power
or we may end up with a several way civil war that lasts years and kills millions
scarlet crown
that doesn't deny the fact of ending up with someone better either
limber jolt
when the government of any country collapses, it isn't pretty
this is true
but that's no guarantee
Putin has to go for sure
scarlet crown
nothing is a guarantee
limber jolt
but I'm worried about what happens after
hollow hollow
that doesn't deny the fact of ending up with someone better either
for real though there’s plenty of good people in russia who could bring about change
scarlet crown
literally
limber jolt
at the very least Russia needs some somewhat decent leader who at least wants to improve things like Gorbachev
hollow hollow
sadly they’re all silenced rn
limber jolt
a lot of them are accustomed to a country in which literally telling political jokes gets you arrested and put in jail
pretty sure that's the situation now too
hollow hollow
the #1 thing russia needs to do to change for the better is to stop glorifying the ussr and their failed attempt at communism
limber jolt
honestly Russia started glorifying the USSR a few years after it collapsed iirc
for a while they really didn't
the narrative on some stuff in history has been changing in Russia for a while
ww2 for example
the narrative around say, Victory Day, has shifted from "we should make sure this never happens again" to "we defeated the nazis, and we can do it again"
scarlet crown
also could you elaborate on your "for a while"
how long has this while been going for
limber jolt
my source on this is my parents who were last in the country in like 2014
and it was just my mom going there just to help my grandmother who was moving to live with us in America
but if I had to guess it probably started shortly after Putin came to power as from what I understand, this was part of his rhetoric from the start
hollow hollow
also could you elaborate on your "for a while"
iirc russia was actually kinda friendly with the west for a bit after the ussr fell. clinton and yeltsin actually liked each other
limber jolt
Yeltsin however was... interesting
he fit two of the big Russian stereotypes, corrupt and an alcoholic
hollow hollow
of course
limber jolt
iirc russia was actually kinda friendly with the west for a bit after the ussr f...
I do think this relationship was doomed the second Putin or someone like him would come to power
my concern about Russia right now is I don't really see a sustainable way to end their historic policy of being aggressive and bullying smaller countries
hollow hollow
I do think this relationship was doomed the second Putin or someone like him wou...
that’s kinda what i was talking about with glorifying the ussr, people like putin view it as a great achievement, rather than a dystopia that regularly butchered, starved, and overworked its own citizens
limber jolt
or to prevent them from getting to powerful and being able to do this
limber jolt
that’s kinda what i was talking about with glorifying the ussr, people like puti...
the government has been supporting lots of propaganda to change this view
split aurora
my concern about Russia right now is I don't really see a sustainable way to end...
Mhmm
limber jolt
glorifying Stalin, etc.
scarlet crown
my concern about Russia right now is I don't really see a sustainable way to end...
sorry but the word bullying there really makes me fucking laugh
limber jolt
I'm used to playing civ where this language is used
and honestly I don't think that word is that far from what they're really trying to do
push smaller countries around into giving them what they want
and if they don't
well
invade I guess
split aurora
yeep
sometimes rhe invasion is the prize
Putin when he first cams to power manufactured the second chechen war
limber jolt
the thing about NATO's "expansion" is that it wasn't necessarily NATO deliberately expanding to contain Russia, but rather Eastern European countries really wanting to get into NATO so they don't have to deal with Russia's bullshit anymore
split aurora
winning that gained him immense popularity
and cemented his early rule
then georgia and crimea topped it up
limber jolt
I don't necessarily think Putin is the whole issue as those goals that Russia has kinda stay the same regardless of who is in power
split aurora
Putins the most blatant example of it
and the most effective user of it in a long time
(20years of power will do that tbf)
limber jolt
also ein37, if you don't mind me asking, you're in Ukraine, right?
scarlet crown
yeah
limber jolt
how have things been over there?
scarlet crown
in my region for more than 4 days now (i think) it's been pretty quiet
limber jolt
I think people here kinda forget some of the effects wars have on a country, especially when it's being invaded
the last time the mainland US was actually fighting a major war on its own soil was in the 1860s
limber jolt
in my region for more than 4 days now (i think) it's been pretty quiet
that's good I guess?
scarlet crown
both good and concerning, there's really not that much ease around
limber jolt
understandable
split aurora
the last time the mainland US was actually fighting a major war on its own soil ...
weell technically the Japanese launched a landing force in alaska but I'll not be pedantic :p
limber jolt
weell technically the Japanese launched a landing force in alaska but I'll not b...
yeah but that's a few islands, I'm talking full scale land war kinda thing, that hasn't happened to America since the American Civil War
split aurora
yeye ikik
limber jolt
which was on the scale of continent wide wars in Europe at the time, and the most devastating conflict to happen in North America
limber jolt
both good and concerning, there's really not that much ease around
I couldn't imagine going through that, ik a large portion of my family lived under Nazi occupation in Ukraine and Southern Russia
split aurora
The one thing I'm glad hasn't been too bad, is the famines people thought might happen
limber jolt
depends on the region
split aurora
afaik food production is significantly down but not to the point of famines/mass shortages
limber jolt
America grows a fuckton of food and so is mostly fine
but if you're in a country that imports a lot of food from Ukraine, then you have problems
split aurora
IK here supermarkets are rationing oil
scarlet crown
i honestly wouldn't wish anyone to experience all this on their own
only to pundits maybe, but that's about it
limber jolt
honestly I'd want to see how all the pro war people think about war once they're actually in one
split aurora
in UK supermarkets people are limited to 3 bottles of sunflower/vegetable oil max
limber jolt
hmm that might be an issue here too
supermarkets here have taken anything imported from Russia off of their shelves
split aurora
My dad works in a major food factory, they have less then 1 month sunflower oil left
limber jolt
there are some stores here that sell Eastern European stuff, they're actually not that affected by it because apparently a lot of the Russian foods they sell are made in the US by US companies
split aurora
and are switching to palm oil
icy ridge
End of an era
scarlet crown
honestly I'd want to see how all the pro war people think about war once they're...
i've watched a video of this social experiment in Russia: they walk up to a man and ask him if he's a patriot, to which he replies positively. But once they pull out a "patriot list" and start talking about mobilisation, he just runs off
split aurora
which is... not great for the environment
limber jolt
i've watched a video of this social experiment in Russia: they walk up to a man ...
probably because they don't want to get arrested but don't want to fight in a war
but like I wonder how Putin would think about this if he lived as a front line soldier for a few days
split aurora
Most people who are pro war... aren't the ones who's sons will be shipped away to fight
limber jolt
well... now that I think about it he is former KGB
I remember seeing someone on twitter ask this to a Russian politician, might have been Rogozin
like: "I see the recruitment offices are open, and there are a lot of vacancies, would you consider letting your son sign up for one of them?"
split aurora
One of the major forces that crumbled the ussr, was the angry parents of soldiers who died in Afghanistan
limber jolt
and the guy immediately insults the person who said that
split aurora
in that pointless conflict
limber jolt
there's a humanitarian organization in Russia called something like the alliance of soldiers' mothers
committee of soldiers' mothers
scarlet crown
hollow hollow
a captured ukrainian bmp-2 was just recaptrued by its rightful owners https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1526295667093684224
copper monolith
nice
hollow hollow
with all the stuff about azov going on rn, you hardly ever hear about the 93rd mechanized, but honestly they've been doing some serious work
scarlet crown
Watching Zelenskiy's new video, waiting for a subbed version . So it's true, the azov batallion in Mariupol has finished their mission, and now soldiers are being evacuated. He also goes over other news, such as new sanctions package, care package to help our economy, a plan to involve US education to help with our education systems after this war
gloomy spear
I hope those people forcibly deported to Russia can get the hell out of there
copper monolith
"hahaha this invasion will discourage anyone else joining NATO!"
"no don't join or we nuke u"
"noo nooo.... we nuke if u build forces"
next up: "we will nuke if ur nato forces go above 10k"
raven fossil
It’s like the 5 stages of grief
scarlet crown
Watching Zelenskiy's new video, waiting for a subbed version . So it's true, the...
https://t.me/verkhovnaradaofukraine/3757 there it is
limber jolt
Putin can't act on those threats so he has to back down
fierce arch
limber jolt
you don't threaten the max possible response to the first thing you do, you have to scale it up slowly if you want them to actually take you seriously
otherwise you instantly show what you're actually willing to do once they do the thing you're threatening them about
fierce arch
Nevertheless, he said, Turkey did not oppose the alliance’s policy of being open to all European nations that wish to apply.
poggers
split aurora
Turkey laid out demands on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, saying it wanted the two Nordic countries to end support for Kurdish groups present on their territory, and to lift the ban on sales of some arms to Turkey.
I doubt they'll agree to those
fierce arch
I doubt they'll agree to those
i think the demands are more or less symbolic
i have a little doubt that turkey would veto both countries
split aurora
the arms sale demand isn't symbolic, nor is wanting them to extradite people
I imagine they'll come to a compromise that amounts to little more then a verbal condemnation by sweden/finland of certain groups/actions with no real substantial change
hollow hollow
`Turkey laid out demands on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign...
i hope that they still intend to let them in eventually and that this is just them trying to solve some of their own problems first
like hopefully they’re just bluffing
fierce arch
this always happens when a country is about to join nato
some existing nato member tries to get something out of it
split aurora
I'd rather see turkey veto then sweden/finland reverse their positions on kurdistan
in the extremes
split aurora
some existing nato member tries to get something out of it
ye
then daddy america reminds them to chill out
fierce arch
only reason north macedonia is even called that is because nato
hollow hollow
I'd rather see turkey veto then sweden/finland reverse their positions on kurdis...
can someone fill me in on that?
the syrian civil war stuff is such a clusterfuck
split aurora
Kurdistan is a culturally/ethnically seperate region in the east of turkey/parts of syria/iraq
they've been fighting for autonomy/independence from said states for a while, and turkeys being cracking down on them
split aurora
Maps differ but around this is the generally agreed distribution of kurdish ethnic peoples
though don't take that as precise borders, just general areas
fierce arch
they've been fighting for autonomy/independence from said states for a while, an...
basically imagine the vietcong but middle east
split aurora
yeah lmao
I quite like Rojava, in syria
they're one of the few political entities in the middle east I respect and consider a force for good
fierce arch
they're one of the few political entities in the middle east I respect and consi...
rojava is based as shit
copper monolith
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1526242136814936065?s=20&t=lTvRMgfFVAk...
Twitter
this is a very good video, would recommend a watch https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1526293852704890882?s=20&t=Pzeiz9H8t9MjCu2THwSmcA
4:30 mins
this is the first time in 10 years that I've heard something actually not batshit deranged on their political shows
copper monolith
this is a very good video, would recommend a watch https://twitter.com/francis_s...
Twitter
tired scaffold
lol https://twitter.com/larisamlbrown/status/1526305351926161408 🧵
Ah, the Hitler method
hollow hollow
you would think russians of all people would know that doesn’t work, but apparently that’s not the case
unreal path
https://youtu.be/KzpIsjgapAk food for thought
limber wagon
Not a thread, but actually a thread
https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1526321105916641281?s=20&t=iIBE9xU--W6ztzlF82eNhA
Twitter
viral junco
lol https://twitter.com/larisamlbrown/status/1526305351926161408 🧵
Putler's comparisons are becoming even closer
copper monolith
every day I update the Guardian live feed, I get reminded of this post, can't believe it's over now
great 7 min report from the frontlines in Donbas https://twitter.com/sommervilletv/status/1526315758522970117?s=20&t=WnjFWbl5Y3o7PZb4o1i1MA
viral junco
every day I update the Guardian live feed, I get reminded of this post, can't be...
Hopefully mariupol will be in Ukrainian control soon
copper monolith
split aurora
good
scarlet crown
Russia wants to prevent the trades though
They're calling Ukraine a terrorist state and say that nazis shouldn't be traded
copper monolith
Russia moment
Wait that guy looks like a scuffed Santa
Man fell off, from giving kids gifts to being a fascist 😔
copper monolith
fierce arch
https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1526522638071382016?t=eKfmNhtTMlFj99O...
russian terms:
- become a puppet state
scarlet crown
the usual
wicked panther
Russian terms:
-surrender
Ukrainians: no
Russians: but we have tactical nukes 😢
copper monolith
babes wake up, new powerpoint presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CmXz8Qd9yw
copper monolith
tired scaffold
Not a thread, but actually a thread
https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/15263...
google translate link of the article he's quoting: https://nvo-ng-ru.translate.goog/realty/2022-02-03/3_1175_donbass.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
split aurora
Wholesale gas prices here are down 50% but price to consumers are up 90%, gas companies are gouging consumers regardless of what el putin does
hollow hollow
captured t-90 being towed by what looks like another trophy tank https://mobile.twitter.com/RALee85/status/1526566761323192325?cxt=HHwWioCz6bOYuq8qAAAA
copper monolith
lmao
unreal path
https://youtu.be/NtGq84N79rs guessing y’all saw this
copper monolith
that would require them to do something lol
split aurora
that would require them to do something lol
I mean, they are trying
unreal path
For some reason I don’t trust Russia doing it
split aurora
but organisations like that only really work if both sides agree
unreal path
Sadly they can’t do anything unless there’s agreement
split aurora
or the situation is calm enough for them to get people in
split aurora
but rushing medics through a battle zone with hostile enemy forces is just an easy way to kill all your medics
unreal path
Yeah and it’s not like they could air drop them in, they would just get shot down
unreal path
Air lift
split aurora
you can't leave, sit there and become casualties yourself?
split aurora
Air lift
thats... even more complicated then dropping
lmao
but ye, the red cross are trying their best
but it's a damn tricky situation
unreal path
Well yeah but I’m saying that would be one of the only way they could if they were able to without permission
split aurora
People criticise the red cross because they set up a new diplomatic office in russia.... they seemingly don't they realise working with russia AND ukraine is the only way to get neutral help in
unreal path
I mean Russia hit Kiev while the UN Secretary General was meeting with (I can’t spell) the Ukraine president so yeah I have a hard time thinking Russia is gonna follow the rules on humanitarian personnel
split aurora
We'll have to see how it goes
unreal path
People criticise the red cross because they set up a new diplomatic office in ru...
That’s literally their job they aren’t supposed to pick sides they just help
Some people don’t understand that tho
unreal path
They do very important and dangerous work
Even with full agreement the UN and Red Cross personnel have to just trust that both sides will keep it up
unreal path
I have a lot of respect for those people, I know I couldn’t
split aurora
hell, even if you ignore the threat of combat
unreal path
I would have a hard time doing that if I was part of one side
split aurora
unexploded munitions, minefields, typical dangerous parts of a damaged city
unreal path
Yep very true
split aurora
it's even more dangerous to be an impartial medic then one with an army
unreal path
Also you never know chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear could be threats
unreal path
it's even more dangerous to be an impartial medic then one with an army
Yep because at least if you are under a army, you have a guarantee from your side
split aurora
and you have troops protecting you
unreal path
Ofc it shouldn’t be an issue but Russia doesn’t have the best track record on following the Geneva convention and UN international law
Which is why I was so nervous about the un/Red Cross evacuation but luckily both sides seem to respect it
Seemed
unreal path
As they should be
split aurora
no matter what army it is, theres always incidents of them being broken, sadly
unreal path
I would feel the same if they had to evacuate Russians
split aurora
sadly it's an unescapable horror of war
unreal path
They have to put aside their beliefs to do their job
Being any kind of neutral isn’t easy
Ask Switzerland during WWII XD
I still like to point out that Switzerland is doing something to Russia that they didn’t to the nazis…that says something
And Russia doesn’t even border them in any way
split aurora
I still like to point out that Switzerland is doing something to Russia that the...
to be fair I think that's less due to politics and more due to geography
Russia isn't a threat to switzerland
the Nazi's were
so keeping on the nazi's good side was far, far more important
unreal path
Yeah but Switzerland has always been very neutral they didn’t even join the UN until 2003
split aurora
yeah
unreal path
The only ones to join after were nations that didn’t exist yet
split aurora
it is funny in ww2
unreal path
South Sudan… growing up so fast 😢
split aurora
Switzerland: "We're neutral"
America: Gets bombers to fly over switzerland for "safety" from germans
Switzerland: Shoots down american bombers
America: shocked pikachu face
unreal path
Don’t wanna forget Liechtenstein, if feel like you mess with them Switzerland isn’t gonna be very neutral
split aurora
America kept trying to push switzerland to grant them special airspace permissions and the swiss always fucked them off
America even bombed swiss towns in retaliation, something a lot of people don't know
split aurora
yeeep
unreal path
I mean how would they know the US was even going to bomb Germany and not themselves or Liechtenstein
split aurora
yep
unreal path
Communication is important in war
split aurora
Hell the UK RAF bombed the shit out of san marino
unreal path
Whaaa :(
split aurora
we just assumed it had been invaded by italy and sent a night bombing raid
then we realised
unreal path
What did poor little San Marino do
unreal path
Bruuuuhhhh
Luckily Vatican City was known to be neutral that was part of their agreement with Italy
scarlet crown
copper monolith
can't wait to see Crimea a contested area
scarlet crown
same
i'm glad to see kharkiv slowly getting back to us
lads are doing god's work
copper monolith
I wonder what's happening here in the middle
split aurora
iirc significant partisan activity
scarlet crown
Yes, in Melitopol
unreal path
I love how it went from taking over as much as Ukraine as possible, oh okay maybe just southern and Eastern Ukraine, oh okay maybe just the Donbas region, oh okay maybe just the contact line
This is Russia’s Vietnam
But the difference they didn’t have to cross the pacific
split aurora
I love how it went from taking over as much as Ukraine as possible, oh okay mayb...
Next week "we just want to take vladimirs shed 50metres from the border"
unreal path
Next week "we just want to take vladimirs shed 50metres from the border"
Then after, oh okay maybe they closest in the shed
Oh okay maybe the right side of the closet
Okay back right corner
Okay fine a hanger
split aurora
Then after, oh okay maybe they closest in the shed
for mr putin to hide in
unreal path
Also thanks autocorrect
Closet
That doesn’t look right
Small room people but clothes in there better
Russia: we have successfully de natzified the region in Donbas that was already controlled by the LPR and DPR so basically we have did nothing but get a serious butt whooping
I mean remember before this started we were saying yeah it might take a couple days maybe a couple weeks for Russia to take the capital
split aurora
I mean remember before this started we were saying yeah it might take a couple d...
to be fair that was a fairly decent assumption
based on the available pre-war info, the chance of this current situation happening was very, very low
tired scaffold
lemme get the article written on the 3rd of Feb by the only Russian pundit with military experience, who predicted that it would go very poorly for Russia
google translate link
hollow hollow
claimed footage of bri’ish brimstone missiles striking russian tanks https://mobile.twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1526582495076024321
copper monolith
nice
haughty yew
scarlet crown
copper monolith
hollow hollow
does zelenskyy speak english
he does, he gave thing speech in english around march i think https://youtu.be/BEh1Fr-BaN8
scarlet crown
does zelenskyy speak english
we did discuss that before
unreal path
does zelenskyy speak english
I know their UN rep does, I didn’t need a translation when he indirectly told Putin to kill himself XD man that made UN history right there
hollow hollow
I’M IN TEARS RN LMAOOOO https://mobile.twitter.com/Kama_Kamilia/status/1526668894047551490?cxt=HHwWhIC-9afR6K8qAAAA
copper monolith
lmaoooooo
hollow hollow
you can also tell it’s reversed by the way the camera moves
scarlet crown
This has got to be the biggest copium post I've ever seen
Just deadass reverse the original video
wicked panther
I’M IN TEARS RN LMAOOOO https://mobile.twitter.com/Kama_Kamilia/status/152666889...
Aint no way 💀