The Ukrainians have said the Russians have refused their offers to repatriate the dead who were left on the battlefield. If that is even remotely true it just shows that old habits die hard.
Excellent recap.
It was interesting that apparently it was the Ukrainians that asked for Abramovich to get involved with the negotiations in Belerus. There is something going on with him (that isn't running to save his assets). His private jet is currently in the Turkish capital.
Boris Johnson was asked about Abramovich today in PMQs and was very jumpy, he didn't want to talk about individual cases.
Saying all of that. As the statement said, he wants the money to go to all victims of the war. The would probably going towards the new Russian backed government in Kyiv.
Defo small syndrome going on. The state of him
Massive philanthropist, does more against racism than most clubs, opened his Chelsea hotel up to NHS staff during the worst of pandemic.
Roman's mother is Ukrainian. Zelenksy and Roman are both Jews. So there's ties there. Roman used to have Putin's ear in the early years, but Putin then went nutjob authoritarian and none of the oligarchs who helped him into power have had much sway since.
Increasingly horrible footage coming out, Russians really bombing the **** out of the country, especially the south. Animals.
Putin's aims are to destroy Ukraine completely. He has never believed it should exist and he wants the former soviet buffer with western Europe reconstituted. Ukraine is big part of that. He has never hidden his contempt for it's independence. For him it's an emotional issue.
I find it difficult to believe any of Ukraine will exist as an independent country in 2 weeks time.
Unless he has reason to drop his aims. Why would he do that now when his military can mop up?
He knows the west will move on quite quickly when this is over.
She's not entirely wrong.
The Ukraine initially greeted the Germans as "liberators" in 1941 and were happy to have them kick out the Russians. The Germans also had no problem setting up Ukrainian institutions with right wing nationalists who where happy to see them occupy the country and many fought with the Germans too. There were also a number of paramilitary groups sympathetic to German intentions who were tasked with dealing with possible "troublemakers" and the racially undesirable. The 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Div. was largely made up of Ukrainian volunteers and operated the main anti-partisan tasks in the area. It was practically destroyed in 1944 and later reconstituted as the Ukrainian National Army which fought alongside the Germans until they surrendered in 1945.
However, most Ukrainians came to realise that German occupation of their country was to be no better than the former Russian occupation and this gave rise to various sides forming, that either maintained a collaborative stance with the Germans or sided with the Russians. In the end, when it was obvious that Germany was going to lose the war, many Ukrainians joined with the Red Army as the Wehrmacht retreated westwards.
The problem with the Ukraine during the war, though, is that it was sandwiched between two nations that didn't have its best interest at heart and in many cases one tended to side with the party that the disliked the least. So while that woman on the train is somewhat mistaken in her broad interpretation, there were many Ukrainians who were happy to align themselves with the Germans in the Second World War, even if it was only from an "enemy of my enemy" POV.
"net proceeds" from his sale of the club will go to a foundation benefiting "all victims of the war in Ukraine".
So he will setup a 'foundation' to control the money when there will be plenty of charities & NGOs that will be doing exactly this. I'm calling bollocks.
Sberbank and Gazprombank haven't been excluded from Swift, so that payments for gas can still go on.
Who would pay 3Bn knowing that he is stuck for options or potentially have it seized?
That’s is depressing but accurate I’d say- all about resources and influence. All the land and resources Russia has. Still not enough for them. What a shower
War is a terrible thing. It surely would have been best to have avoided it entirely. I've seen the point made though that it is far more difficult for democratic countries to make diplomatic concessions. So maybe that was always impossible.
I saw that Johnson was asked about why Abromivich hadn't been sanctioned. Of course it is easy yo be cynical when it comes to the Tories and Russian money, but maybe they seem Abromovich as someone who can influence Putin in some way, although arguably that strengthens the case to sanction him. As you say the Ukrainians have reached out to him.
Maybe the Tories are just worried about winding up lots of Chelsea fans!
Seems the Russians have thrown out the US ambassador - confirmation from Washington DC still pending.
Linkies?
Kudos @Dohnjoe by they way for all of the links you've been posting for the benefit of those amongst us (i.e. me) less adept in using the Twitterverse.
It's not just payments for Gas.... All payments are allowed go through by Swift for these banks.
You could see other banks in Russia using these banks like a correspondent bank for making international payments using non-Swift payments.
Why will he change his plan? When Russians realise they are all effectively peasants again, and will be buying 501s from the rare foreign visitor.
You are deluded if you think the West will move on from this. Germany is going to remilitarise Switzerland has reversed centuries of neutrality. Russia has invaded a Euopean democracy, this is not a civil war. Russia has threatened the world with nuclear annihilation.
If you think Xfactor or the like is going to displace this you're bonkers.
I think it's essential so that EU countries can make payments, but both banks have been royally fucked by the sanctions
I don't think he will invade western Ukraine. I don't think he has the ability unless he mobilises more of his army. I don't see how he can remotely sell that to the Russian people.
Who knows what he's thinking. It seems to me that there is a silo mentality going on in the Kremlin...metaphorically and even literally...
Were they the same oilfields Hitler tried grab in WW2 too?
IMHO India is a backward horrendously corrupt shíthole, a built in caste system with a repulsive health and wealth gap. They spend squillions on nukes, space and sticking up huge statues and yet a huge chunk of their population would see being dirt poor as an upgrade and taking dumps in the streets is grand. And that's before the appalling number of rapes and other abuses towards women. Their abstention over Russia is no shock to me at least. As far as I'm concerned they can head off on the sacred cow they rode in on.
Thanks, I really don't want to link the heavy stuff but the one I saw most recently is on www.reddit.com/r/ukraine (usual warning applies)
Russia had already taken over part of their country, a massive portion of the recently discovered gas fields in the sea and a main port. What more ‘concessions’ do they owe Putin?
Very good observation there.
Some blyat Russians having a bad evening over in Ukraine
I added link to the source - that's all I have.
Yeah, I find it hard to see how diplomatic relations can be repaired between the West and Russia for as long as Putin remains in power. They will tolerate each other no doubt amd some of the sanctions will likely be rolled back eventually and as long as no one does anything stupid then peace can remain, but I think we all look forward to a Putin free Russia. Not sure who will replace him or when. He is 70 this year and I believe the next Russian "election" is in 2024.
We absolutely shouldn't assume the next leader will be easier to deal with than Putin.
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