Here we go again-Ukraine once again

[Buddahaid]

Then why doesn't Fox shut up about how Trump's murderous war criminal friend Putin wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if he was in office? Talk about BS and then there's Putin's new cheerleader Tucker Carlson who makes me sick. I won't be happy until Putin is on the wrong end of a firing squad.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Plus, I'd prefer to see him wigglin' on a rope...after his trial at the Hague for war crimes.

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

I won't be happy until Putin is on the wrong end of a firing squad.

"It won't mean thing if it ain't got that swing" errrr wiggle!

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Then why doesn't Fox shut up about how Trump's murderous war criminal friend Putin wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if he was in office? Talk about BS and then there's Putin's new cheerleader Tucker Carlson who makes me sick. I won't be happy until Putin is on the wrong end of a firing squad.

Wrong end ? I think you mean on the business end of a firing squad. Better yet, life in front of a firing squad.

Originally Posted by mapuc

I think that this increase of Russian military activity could mean two thing either they want to win as much land they can before any ceasefire or they have changed tactic in the war

Markus

More like Russia is just resetting or regrouping it's forces. The only reason Russia has considered this is for no other reason than the Ukrainians have out fought them. Putin understands nothing except a bloody nose.

Hey, I know, send tough guy Will Smith over to Russia. I understand he is good for a good slap, maybe two.

[August]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Then why doesn't Fox shut up about how Trump's murderous war criminal friend Putin wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if he was in office? Talk about BS and then there's Putin's new cheerleader Tucker Carlson who makes me sick. I won't be happy until Putin is on the wrong end of a firing squad.

What do you care what Fox is saying? Don't you have a half dozen news organizations to listen to that are more in your wheelhouse? Or is it that THEY can't shut up about Trump either?

[Skybird]

A French General who headed France's intelligence service got fired for not having forseen the Russian attack on the Ukraine.


Far too few heads are rolling in the Western nations, for my taste.

[Skybird]

Not really what was hoped for. DER SPIEGEL writes:


After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ruble's decline was the most immediate consequence of the war felt by Russia's citizens. In the meantime, the Russian currency lost almost half of its value against the dollar and the euro.

Five weeks after the outbreak of war, however, the situation is currently different. The Russian leadership's stabilization measures seem to have been successful. Not only has the ruble's plunge been halted, but the Russian currency has even been able to make up almost all of the lost ground. Thus, one dollar currently costs about 81 rubles - before the outbreak of war, it had been 75 rubles. The ruble has also been able to make up ground against the euro.

Russia reacted to the ruble crash in February with a whole series of steps. For example, Russian export companies were obliged to exchange 80 percent of their foreign currency earnings into rubles within three days. Transactions by foreign investors were restricted. Russian citizens were prohibited from bringing more than $10,000 out of the country. Remittances abroad were capped at $5,000 per month. Commercial banks were also prohibited from selling foreign currency to citizens in exchange for rubles until at least September.

For the Russian leadership, stabilizing the currency is an important development because otherwise the massive devaluation of the currency could drastically reduce the savings and purchasing power of the Russian population and thus fuel social discontent. One of the reasons for this is the fact that numerous consumer goods are not produced in Russia but have to be imported from abroad at high cost. Because they often have to be paid for in dollars or euros, when the ruble exchange rate falls, the price that Russian customers end up paying in stores in Moscow or St. Petersburg rises.

Indeed, prices for many goods had skyrocketed. The official inflation rate rose to more than 15 percent last week.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

It's also reported since 24 hours that Putin told Scholz that Germany can continue to pay gas in Euros via Russian Gazprom bank which is not on the sanction list and then will convert Euros into Rubles internally.

See, thats what happens if you announce huge sanction packages - and then leave open escape gates wider and bigger than a barn door. The most important Russian banks are saved from sanctions until today, namely the Sperbank and Gazprom bank.

[Buddahaid]

Originally Posted by August

What do you care what Fox is saying? Don't you have a half dozen news organizations to listen to that are more in your wheelhouse? Or is it that THEY can't shut up about Trump either?

I'll shut about Trump when he's out of politics.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Russian leader Vladimir Putin threatens to stop gas supplies to "unfriendly" countries if they don't deal in the Russian currency.

Ukraine's government is sending dozens of buses to Mariupol, in a fresh effort to evacuate people and deliver humanitarian aid.

Russia has declared a one-day ceasefire in the heavily-bombed port city, but there is scepticism if it will hold - up to 170,000 people remain trapped.

The head of defence alliance Nato says Russian units are being redeployed to fight in the east.

Russia massively misjudged the situation in Ukraine, UK and US intelligence agencies say.

They say President Putin's advisers are not telling him the truth about the situation on the ground.

Our correspondents Orla Guerin, in Kyiv, and Jenny Hill, in Moscow, are answering your questions about the war.

[Jimbuna]

We will not be blackmailed by Putin - Germany
In response to Russia's move to make foreign buyers pay into rouble accounts for Russian gas, Germany has said it will not be blackmailed by Putin.

Robert Habeck, the economy minister, says allies with whom he's spoken believed existing gas contracts must be respected, Reuters news agency is reporting.

He adds that he's yet to see any new gas bill from Russia - and insists they are prepared for anything Putin might decide on gas.

Russian gas accounts for about 40% of the EU's natural gas imports, with Germany the largest customer by far.

Only time will tell.

[Otto Harkaman]

Russia-Ukraine live news: NATO says Russian forces ‘regrouping’



https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...-says-liveblog

[mapuc]

NATO/USA send a B52H into the air over Poland some hours ago.

I say this step was to send a signal to Putin.

Putin could also see this as an escalation from NATO/USA side.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

French intelligence chief Vidaud fired over Russian war failings

The head of French military intelligence, Gen Eric Vidaud, is losing his job after failing to predict Russia's war in Ukraine, reports say.

Seven months after he took on the role, one report said he was blamed for "inadequate briefings" and a "lack of mastery of subjects".

The US correctly assessed that Russia was planning a large-scale invasion, while France concluded it was unlikely.

Gen Vidaud was blamed for that by France's military chief, a source said.

However, the military source told AFP news agency that his job was to provide "military intelligence on operations, not on premeditation". As Gen Vidaud's service concluded that Russia had the means to invade Ukraine, the source said that "what happened proves him right".

When contacted by the BBC, a military spokesman said French armed forces chief Gen Thierry Burkhard had no comment to make.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60938538

[mapuc]

Found an interesting page about EMP from a nuke explosion

https://www.chds.us/ed/resources/upl...tic_Pulses.pdf

Markus

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Only time will tell.

I already figured there was somethign fishy in Putin's suggestion to Scholz, but couldn't figure what it was. Now we know.



Still, the bigger receiver in damage here I think is nevertheless Russia. Not the war effoprt, that runs independently from civial and finaical economy and doe sso quite autark, but too big losses in the state's fiscal budget must sooner or later reahc the street and the common public - and opinion.