Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Just seen a map of where Russian forces are in Ukraine. It's not looking good and looks like it won't be long before the entire Country is under Russian control. It looks like the West's coverage isn't exactly accurate. This map is from RTE/Institute for Study of War.

Most wars prior to 1914 ended in a compromise peace. Eventually all sides could agree to something, stop fighting and then the sanctions would be unwound. My guess is Russia will get to hold onto some Eastern regions but not Kiev (if they can even take it)

Thanks to whoever posted that triggernometry interview. 2 minutes in and he captured something that I was thinking about. In the west all we value is living standards and a good quality of life where we can live out our dreams and pursue our interests. This is a noble goal and a fine and fair one to have as a society. However, it's not the only one and it doesn't come without its drawbacks. We are trying to understand the mindset of a once great empire who now plays second fiddle to other powers. There's no real reason for them to just stay in their lane if so much of their national consciousness centres around what they lost and their destiny to be a world leader. Brexit is a good example of this from a western pov where we try to understand a decision based around GDP and not off the idea of greatness and feelings of nostalgia of a better time when their country was powerful.

At first I thought that severe sanctions were the way to go, but I am just thinking now that maybe it won't have the effect on the ordinary Russian that we think it will have, they will start to see the west as making life harder for them and it could start to galvanise people against the west even some who were sympathetic to the Ukraine,

After all they cannot really do anything about it unless they protest in huge numbers and even then it's not guaranteed to have any effect,

How much of Russia’s capital is gold reserve?

Let’s say you had a shed full of widgets and until now your widgets were worth €100 each. Now, most of your customers say they are no longer buying widgets. Are your widgets still ‘worth’ €100 each? So you go for a loan and you tell the bank manager, look I’m good, I have thousands of widgets worth €100 each, I just have no customers.

India at least is still flying it's airplanes over Russian air space.

They've haven't condemned Putins invasion of Ukraine

A lot of Indian twitter chat also seems to be very pro Russian with various accusations of racism concerning Indian students etc allegedly being refused access to neighbouring countries. Oddly enough Ukraine itself seems to be getting the blame regardless of the fact that neighbouring countries providing asylum to Ukrainian nationals are reported to be checking papers. And with that foreign nationals won't be automatically accepted without the necessary paperwork. But sure racism 🙄

Wow, Switzerland adopting full EU sanctions against Russia. You really know you are bad guy when Sweden is sending anti-tank missiles against you and the Swiss are punishing you.

I haven't had a mortgage for some time and won't be applying for any.