Russian Foreign Policy Megamix

Dohnjoe

Gatling wrote: »

Oh no Elmer was /actually very much serious when it comes to the defence of russia

I would have expected the "rogue agents" narrative but Putin endorsed them on national TV

Anyway the whole point of using Novichok was to leave a calling card. Putin and the Kremlin simply don't care if the facts overwhelmingly point to them, there are no institutions to hold them to account in Russia. He could literally stand up in the Duma, say "yup we did it" and his approval ratings wouldn't budge an inch. No one would bat an eye.

mcmoustache

Dohnjoe wrote: »

I would have expected the "rogue agents" narrative but Putin endorsed them on national TV

Anyway the whole point of using Novichok was to leave a calling card. Putin and the Kremlin simply don't care if the facts overwhelmingly point to them, there are no institutions to hold them to account in Russia. He could literally stand up in the Duma, say "yup we did it" and his approval ratings wouldn't budge an inch. No one would bat an eye.

He could but instead he just denies everything with a smile knowing full well that everyone knows that he's lying. Vranyo.

mcmoustache

For anyone interested, the links to individual images were posted in the AH thread. The images allow the pictures to be compared using digital facial recognition using online web services. I tried microsoft's, on Billy86's recommendation and sure enough, they match.

Here are the images in case anyone wants to do this for their own amusement.

Young Chepiga:
https://e3.365dm.com/18/09/1096x616/skynews-ruslan-boshirov-anatoliy-chepiga_4435050.jpg?bypass-service-worker&20180927101234


Young Boshirov:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1UiX3q-R3v5AEfZXnRQ6QOxlwntra_eb0xIG_5lTKqvRVmBKP


Recent Boshirov:
https://st.ilfattoquotidiano.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/27/ED-img14611212.jpg

Edgware

Emme wrote: »

Ireland spent centuries fighting for freedom only to follow blindly in the footsteps of other countries when it comes to the current controversy over Russia. I think that Ireland is considering expelling a Russian Diplomat out of fear of the US and the EU and not from any problems with Russia. It's a shame.

"spent centuries fighting for freedom"????

You mean a couple of weeks in 1798, a few hours in 1848, a few days in 1867, a week in 1916 and then 1919 to 1921.

prawnsambo

mcmoustache wrote: »

For anyone interested, the links to individual images were posted in the AH thread. The images allow the pictures to be compared using digital facial recognition using online web services. I tried microsoft's, on Billy86's recommendation and sure enough, they match.

Here are the images in case anyone wants to do this for their own amusement.

Or you could just look at them.


There's probably a waiting list for plastic surgery these days in Russia, but I suspect the good Colonel will either be whisked to the top of the list or his days of foreign travel are over. For good. No more spires sadly.

Dohnjoe

Indeed his spire visiting days may be over, but his work as a sports nutritionist has only just begun..

prawnsambo

And Bellingcat have now identified the second suspect as a Russian doctor named Alexander Mishkin attached to the GRU. They speculate that he may have also reached the rank of Colonel. More to come at a press conference in Westminster tomorrow.

GRU love spires it seems.

Cheerful Spring

#BREAKING! #Russia announced suspension of navigation in the #Kerch Strait, which connects the #BlackSea to the #SeaofAzov, for all commercial vessels:

Seriously escalation if it continues and war will likely break out.

With Nato involved in Ukraine now lets hope it doesn't escalate.


Russia claims three Ukrainians ships tried to head for Crimea and the Russians rammed one of the boats?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/25/russia-border-guards-ram-tugboat-ukraine-navy-crimea

Gatling

Not really no ,

Russia has being flecking it's muscles again knowing the Ukrainian navy wouldn't be able to hold its own against them ,and Putin needs to make himself and his military look hard after the skirpal debacle

Cheerful Spring

Gatling wrote: »

Not really no ,

Russia has being flecking it's muscles again knowing the Ukrainian navy wouldn't be able to hold its own against them ,and Putin needs to make himself and his military look hard after the skirpal debacle

Who knows what happened truly, but from what I see on twitter Ukrainian naval ships are blocked from entering the area. Russian jets are flying overhead. It could escalate quickly as commercial ships are blocked also from reaching mainland Ukraine.

Next 48 hours are crucial.

josip

What's Putin's objective with this move?

War with Ukraine and take some of Eastern Ukraine?
Or install a puppet?
Or to weaken Ukraine if/when they get little support from other countries.

Gatling

Cheerful Spring wrote: »

Who knows what happened truly, but from what I see on twitter Ukrainian naval ships are blocked from entering the area. Russian jets are flying overhead. It could escalate quickly as commercial ships are blocked also from reaching mainland Ukraine.

Next 48 hours are crucial.

Again it's russia playing games nothing more and nothing less no war ,no NATO .

Just another day of bluster from the Kremlin just happened to co-inside with Brexit discussions in the EU , Putin is feeling lonely

Gatling

josip wrote: »

What's Putin's objective with this move?

War with Ukraine and take some of Eastern Ukraine?
Or install a puppet?
Or to weaken Ukraine if/when they get little support from other countries.

Chances are they are eyeing up the black sea for themselves ,I'm sure the russians would love another puppet government in kiev funneling billions of dollars back to the Kremlin ,but that's long gone ,bar a full invasion and occupation of Ukraine by putin

johnnyskeleton

Mod note:

Threads merged. This thread is for all things related to Russian's Foreign Policy towards other countries, and also other country's foreign policy towards Russia. Trump specific Russian stories should remain in the Trump thread.

CheerfulSpring, please read the charter before starting another thread. Newsdumps are not permitted

igCorcaigh

https://twitter.com/Guderian_Xaba/status/1066748651047919617?s=19

rapul

Just posting so I can follow, won't work normal way

igCorcaigh

So, Russia is claiming that Ukrainian vessels entered Russian waters. Is this true? Is it illegal?

igCorcaigh

https://twitter.com/Eire_QC/status/1066748345459331075?s=19

josip

igCorcaigh wrote: »

So, Russia is claiming that Ukrainian vessels entered Russian waters. Is this true? Is it illegal?

Russia sees Crimea as being part of Russia since the 'Referendum'.
Given that it's Russian territory on both sides of the Kerch Strait, this is now Russian waters.

It's totally legal because Russia has a more powerful navy than Ukraine and it's in their own back yard, so Ukraine are on their own.

Discodog

igCorcaigh wrote: »

So, Russia is claiming that Ukrainian vessels entered Russian waters. Is this true? Is it illegal?

Since when has illegal ever mattered to Putin ?

igCorcaigh

Discodog wrote: »

Since when has illegal ever mattered to Putin ?

True enough! So I guess it's all contested then. A conflict seems likely.

josip

igCorcaigh wrote: »

True enough! So I guess it's all contested then. A conflict seems likely.

Unlikely I think, google Ukraine navy/airforce.
They have almost zero capability.


The best military result they could achieve would be to gain a few martyrs and a bit of international sympathy by refusing to obey Russian instructions.
The worst outcome would be to give Russia an excuse for a full blown invasion of Donbass.

Gatling

Going by the above Twitter account we now have a naval battle currently kicking off with gun fire from both sides

Cheerful Spring

igCorcaigh wrote: »

https://twitter.com/Eire_QC/status/1066748345459331075?s=19

Multiple sources are claiming the Russians have attacked the ships. Ukrainians have responded back.

https://twitter.com/Liveuamap/status/1066763084839174144

Gatling

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

He was legal in Syria. Invited in in fact.

Like all them hospitals and schools he bombed they invited him to do it along with inviting chemical weapons attacks on themselves

, meanwhile elsewhere

Cheerful Spring

Gatling wrote: »

Going by the above Twitter account we now have a naval battle currently kicking off with gun fire from both sides

Apparently, the Russians are trying to board the ships and take them over. There a naval battle happening right now.

igCorcaigh

Yup

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1066769280157577216?s=19

Cheerful Spring

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Yup

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1066769280157577216?s=19

The Ukrainian president has convened a military war cabinet. There also rumour the Ukrainians are about to go to war with Russia or least respond in some way?

Reports nothing confirmed more Ukrainian warships are heading to the Kerchstrait. If this does happen we could be looking at a Nato- Russian war potentially.

Gatling

Cheerful Spring wrote: »

Ukrainian warships are heading to the Kerchstrait. If this does happen we could be looking at a Nato- Russian war potentially.

No NATO won't be fighting russia ,this is a localised situation brought to the fore by the russians it's another landgrab

josip

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Yup

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1066769280157577216?s=19

According to Wikipedia, Ukraine has 2 armoured artillery boats in their fleet