On the corruption front he's correct about Ukraine. Wiki link there. Second only to Russia apparently, and Russia is a joke in this respect. So unless you think wikipeda and international corruption indexes are paid in roubles to spread FUD too?
Ukraine has been invaded by a prick with Peter the Great delusions who thinks it's the 1930's and Ukraine has won the hearts and minds war and for many good reasons, but there are also many good reasons to keep our powder dry with unamimous praise that doesn't reflect the realities of the same nation.
It's a throwback to the old days and very hard to root out. Their first decade of independence was under the shadow of Mafiya, in Ukraine's case more like black market street gangs. The tendency to backslide is still there at all levels of officialdom, largely because of poor salaries ,an average of just over $200 a month.
If corruption is a reason for invasion watch out London, Putin is coming.
There is zero reason to think or expect Ukraine to agree to the ridiculous punitive outcome you have suggested. A long and bloody war seems regrettably more likely. But it is one that Russia can ill afford.
Russia is isolated and the sanction have created a partially parallel economy. The ruble is practically krusty dollars, it doesn't matter outside of their country and most foreign transaction will now entirely be done in those foreign currencies. They can print what they like as the sanctions make the exchange rate irrelevant for actual people and foreign goods were already going to suffer from hyperinflation and scarcity. Russians with large cash reserves will suffer, but most of the extreme wealth is never just held in cash. A million euro yatch is still worth million euro regardless of the price in rubles, same for gas, oil, steel, neon, or any other large Russian export.
International trade isn't the same as getting a good deal off amazon when sterling falls.
From what Ursula VDL said to Euronews last night, I don't think you need to, it's a slam dunk.
Well, fair play for admitting it. The next step, IMO, to go beyond entry-level resistance, is to stop being suckered, accept that you are living in a world of narratives, fifth-hand information, and shadow pictures like everyone else. That drives an ethically-motivated search for truth, because under the propaganda there are still rights and wrongs that are worth discovering. Start that journey and get back to me. (It's a long and boring one, BTW, and there is no glory in it, just be warned.)
As for your q: I see it like this. Russia and the West have been vying for influence in Ukraine. The West was winning hearts and minds. The West would have kept that up, the Eu was doing its due diligence. Russia invaded the East using proxies, under the guise of liberation. That conflict festered, largely forgotten. Russia upped the ante with an 'official' invasion and have driven the EU to be more open and public about its intentions. But these grand political narratives don't really matter to me. What matters is the living conditions for people on the ground. You would be stretching credibility to its limit and undermining every metric, if you argue that Ukranians would have a better standard of living and more importantly, more liberty in Russia than they would in the EU.
I think he has more than proved himself by staying in his capital when a superpower attacked his country.
It would also appear to be incorrect. American intelligence (iirc) suggests that the plan was air superiority in 24hrs, take the capital in 48hrs and a new puppet government in 72hrs. None of those objectives have, as yet, been achieved.
Modern armies do not send equipment and men out to be destroyed, even old stuff.
This mission looks to have been either badly planned or there was a large gap between what the superiors thought what their capabilities were and what they actually were. I suspect its bit of both, along with unexpected resistance that has slowed the Russian advance.
While the Ukrainian resistance has to be acknowledged, it needs to be noted that the Russians are holding and advancing and their appears a real risk of the Ukrainian forces being encircled in the east. Wanting success for the underdog shouldn't make us become detached from this reality.
Belarus becoming nuclear is a very dangerous path for Belarusians, they will end up on the junk heap like Ukraine once Vlad is done with them
I think you are confusing EU vs NATO membership.
Zelenskyy himself was implicated in the Panama Papers
We all know its not gonna happen quickly, ukraine will have to jump through the hoops, set the borders, referendums in crimea and donbass where they wanna go etc ukraine could join as a de facto divided nation like Cyprus. Turkey is not in eu because of invasion to Cyprus, they have to get it sorted first and then the talks will start.
All this ukraine in eu talk is just sending a message to mother russia.
This is all about the current mindset of Putin. He's had TOTAL AND UTTER CONTROL of Russia for so long, and he's become paranoid and resentful at a multitude of sins that he alone believes the West have - and are - committing against Russia. The man is capable of anything - including nuclear weapons.
I also don't believe that there is any hope of any "inner circle" bringing him down. His grip is too tight, and he's very adept at brainwashing people as to the supposed "threats" to the Russian empire.
I've no doubt that in the background, Xi has been in touch with Putin and was also instrumental in these talks taking place. I hope something good comes out of these talks today, as a cornered tiger is when it's most dangerous. A deranged cornered tiger at that.
I think this article pretty much sums up the situation most accurately...
Yes its a bit creepy. The only wars most Irish people have fought in are meme wars.
Which days haven't been?
Why is Ukraine ranked as one of the most corrupt countries then?
Take a trip to Riga or Eastern Estonia. The EU is already home to millions of ethnic Russians living peacefully and with prosperity. They quite enjoy it actually.
Belarus has a treaty with lukashenko's line manager in Moscow so an attack on Belarus would be the same as an attack on Russia.
He may not have been a lunatic during his rise to power or afterwards, but he is certainly acting like one now. This might be all Nixon's "mad man" theory, of course, or just a dramatic miscalculation on Putin's part; but it cannot be denied that he has made a huge mistake.
No doubt Putin has made some very clever moves in the past, particularly with regard to information warfare, but it is time to stop thinking of him as some sort of all-knowing genius.
I posted the link?
Corruption index. Ukraine just 3 points above Russia. Even Belarus is less corrupt.
To answer your whatabout: Turkey has had their application stalled for many reasons, not least severe democratic backsliding from Erdogan. Ukraine is moving in the opposite direction, rooting out corruption and reinforcing democratic institutions with transparency. The direction of travel with Ukraine is clear, and it's obvious. It has its problems which nobody in the EU is oblivious to, but it has come an awful long way since 2014 with regard to corruption, which is problematic for a particular shortar*se in Moscow.
As for Belarus: Have a good think why Belarus isn't a candidate country.
But a bond is a loan. Why should Russia have to take out loans when it had a **** load of money in a bank saved up. Because basically money they had access to has been frozen or basically taken from them.
If I had 100k in a bank and then suddenly it was wiped. You would hardly say it is ok because you can borrow a 100k from this bank and pay it back with interest over this term. Your savings have been wiped.
China won't give russia any sympathy. If China is doing deals with Russia is because it suits them.
The massive extent of it, especially the exclusion from SWIFT would have taken them aback. You'd also expect that there are preparations underway to address their only non-nuclear threat of cutting off energy supplies. Without income from that source Russia is economically destitute. And it's not stolen, it's resting just out of reach for now! If they stop this adventure it all goes away.
Can you tell me what the alternative endgame for this is? Because I struggle to see how it ends in a Ukrainian "win", or anything close.
A fast tracked EU membership and Ukraine ceding half their territory is hardly in their interest either - unfortunately the Ukrainians are no longer really in a position to pursue their interests.
Yeah because a fictious brawl on the street is akin to all out nuclear world war that will affect billions.
You got me. Totally the same.
I think that Belarus nuke thing could be used as an excuse by NATO to end Belarus, would ruin the Russia invasion as they are going from the North on Kyiv.
but obviously huge huge HUGELY risky..but appeasement doesnt work.
Maybe check that again and roll the old eyes elsewhere.
Are you defending Russia? Frankly I've no idea whether you are or not.
What you seem to believe is that Russia has some type of valid hold over Ukraine as it dares to look towards EU membership and where there are some cultural and historical ties - then Ukraines sovereignty is somehow negotiable. Both ideas variously touted by Putin oddly enough.
As for the EU and membership. Ukraine's desire to join the European Union dates back to 1993 when the government declared that integration to the EU is the main foreign policy objective.
The political dialogue between the EU and Ukraine started shortly afterwards when the partnership and Cooperation Agreement was signed
According to a poll conducted in February 2015 in all regions of Ukraine except Crimea, 66.4% would have voted in favor of joining the EU and 33.6% against with a turnout of 76.4%.
Ukraine has shared borders with four EU member state: Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania - all with cultural and historical ties to Ukraine
As for a EU membership referendum, afaik they hadn't got to that stage yet. However Putins most recent tantrum has now catapulted EU membership to a much a greater possibility, that is presuming that Putin doesn't succeed in going full metal jacket as part of his latest tantrum.
May I ask where was the referendum which asked the opinion of the people of Ukraine on the invasion of the Russian "peacekeeping" forces?
Anyone who thinks Ukraine will agree to "demilitarisation" and an agreement to never join EU/NATO should not be calling out other people for their "narrow view of the world".
It would go against everything Ukraine have been doing since 2014. They have no interest in being a Russian puppet.
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