This is just for information and to correct incorrect impressions that Russian gas supplies are turned off. They are still paying Ukraine transit fees for gas to Europe. Only one (major) pipeline is down.
"It takes a worried man, to sing a worried song..."
Unfortunately nonsense, some how everything was cosy pre covid ,and Russia was a lovely and friendly neighbor and respectful,
Chechnya, Georgia, Syria ,the various poisonings and assinations,the Kursk as you pointed was a great example as is the shooting down of flight MH17,
Huh. Who are you talking about?
Shashank Joshi writes most of The Economist's articles about Ukraine and they've been excellent. Well researched, fact based journalism.
I've found Michael Kofman's input to be knowledgeable and inciteful.
I'm not sure what your problem is with the opinion that the Ukrainians would prefer to free Kherson city through the Russians being forced to flee. The alternative is having to engage them in a destructive urban battle that would no doubt lead to thousands of Ukrainian deaths (both military and civilian) casualties as well as millions in structural damage to the city itself.
Be interesting to see what happens now on the sanctions front. Restricting and threatening to squeeze the gas supply was a weapon for Russia. If this is an indefinite suspension of gas supply, surely they'll lose that leverage. Seems a foolish step to take.
On the IAEA inspection I was quite wrong in thinking that excuses would be made to stop them and the inspectors were allowed onto some parts of the site.
Totally agree. Ukraine drives this, it's their country despite RuSSia's best efforts.
Putin's 'nova Russia' project has already failed. It has floundered in Ukraine and will go no further. The west will supply ammo to any European country he invades and he will be left with a bunch of scrap metal and dead soldiers. He is in no position to invade beyond what he already has. Fail. Go home.
IMO that decision must be left to Zelensky and the Ukranian people. If they judge at some future point that Putin is genuinely looking to cut a deal, they may decide that ceding Crimea and some of the Donbas is a price worth paying for a guarantee of Ukraine's future security.
Yeah, whoever said this current war was a 'post-Covid environment' change in Russia is naïve at best. RuSSia's barely changed except for the brief period of glasnost, it traded Tsars and Soviets for oligarchs and Putins.
The first time we saw the face of the new Russia was the goings on around the sinking of the Kursk in August 2000 and the refusal to accept international assistance to rescue their sailors trapped in the depths. It was completely unreasonable and demonstrated shocking callousness. Russia just decided to turn its face away from the west and return to a pre- glasnost environment at that time. With outright lying left right and centre. Then there was the horrible botched poisoning of viktor yushenko and his face visibly getting worse every time he appeared on tv. I remember my roommate in college at the time commenting that this is straight out of the Cold War and is very soviet behaviour. Growing up in the late 80’s and 90’s I hadn’t really seen this menacing side of Russia before.
Of course he does,he will keep throwing everything he can at the Ukrainans until he achieves his goal of rebuilding the "Empire" he's still threatening other countries including Moldova and Estonia,if anything the eu and Nato should start supporting Moldova and Georgia to take back their territories occupied by russian forces, forcing him to fight on multiple fronts depleting more of his military and weaking his power at home
No surprises there ^
Bearing manufacturing was one of the key targets during WW2 Allied bombing campaigns as so much depends on them, sanctions working quite fine without having to use bombers
What’s interesting is the change in tone from Putinbots and some who are perhaps genuine, though misguided, Putin supporters, from ‘we’re winning’ to ‘we just want peace’
You're wasting your time responding to Putinbottery. It's just 'both sides are just as bad' nonsense. Russia invaded. They need to either leave, or be kicked out, pay massive reparations and damages, repatriate every man, woman and especially child they've kidnapped, withdraw completely from Crimea, and maybe then some discussion of lifting sanctions can happen.
Odd question given the context of the quote.
The Russians want unconditional dominion over whatever the hell they feel like having at the moment. Any «offer» given to them to stop their aggression would be a foolish temporary patch to tide them over for 15-odd minutes while they decide where next should have a “Special Military Operation”.
I do not think the Russians should be offered a damned thing. They should withdraw beyond Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders, offer reparations to Ukraine and then beg the world for forgiveness. Then maybe we can talk about “offers”.
Of course he has stomach for it. What in earth gives the idea that he doesn’t? It’s a genuine question.
He has an appetite for it. If he didn’t, he could literally stop it tomorrow by withdrawing from the country he invaded. It is 100% within his power. The allies and Ukraine cannot stop this war tomorrow because if they did cease fire, Putin would just consolidate and then press on. Ukraine is defending itself against a megalomaniacal aggressor.
Anyways now that Gazprom is no longer supplying gas maybe it’s time to expand sanctions to ban remaining Russian banks from payment systems (they were excluded so gas can be bought)
And the 450b sitting in Gazprombank seized (and any assets belonging to any Russians or their offshore companies) and used towards paying for energy transition from Russian gas
What Putin wants?
WHAT PUTIN WANTS!!
Did you miss his own speech in St Petersburg which was widely televised laying out his expansionist ambitions to restore imperial Russia which if you care to look at historical maps includes half of Europe
Or his right hand man Lavrov’s repeated “From Vladivostok to Lisbon” statements?
Or Russian tanks and helicopters with “To Berlin” and “To Paris” on them under the Z swastika?
So what do you think Russia will accept as an offer to stop its aggression?
Something changed in Russia during the Covid era. For whatever reason a group of guys with poor intellectual abilities seemed to dominate and sway Putin towards this stupid war. The usual it will be over in a few months thing we heard so often before from WW1 to 2003's Iraq ... we know full well that it is never just a few months!!
Agree 100% we need to talk peace. This war has been stupid, futile, totally unnecessary and wrong in just about every way as is the case with 99% of wars. It has been based on conspiracy theories spouted by sympathetic thickos like Nicolai Patruchev who give new life to them in his propaganda such as Ukraine is spreading Covid via pandemic factories and so on ....
The West and co are just as bad to be honest ... They brough us the Iraq war, Iran sanctions and had another thicko this time with orange hair at the helm causing a lot of trouble ...
It is time to eject Patrushev and other thickos from Russia's government. It is time to also make sure similar western thickos incl. mr orange are not allowed cause wars in Iran, etc. Move on and forge for peace not only in Ukraine but everywhere. The world has seen enough war, terrorism and suffering. It is time we have intelligent leaders ... not thickos.
Pugin was forced to stop. Although, we have had one of your fellow travellers claiming this is exactly where Putin wanted to be, and wanted to go no further. I know, right. 😀
He didn't last long.
So, why negotiate with a megalomaniac that has been forced to stop?
Putin can pull back his troops and declare victory for having defeated the Azov and some other BS his spin doctors (you might consider applying yourself) can dream up for home consumption.
No honest person can assess the Hitler like assault on Ukraine and think, the West should look to see what Russia wants and negotiate. You don't negotiate with someone who makes dire threats, like Putin has, even if he hasn't followed through on his warnings.
No, there can be no negotiation with Hitler 2.0. It's obvious to Western Leaders apart from a few suspect ones, that will need to answer to their electorate.
Putin is doubling down on his energy wars. BUT, he is only hastening his own demise. He has assessed the West as weak. It is to a point, until backed into a corner and forced to come out swinging, even if largely by proxy. That ultimately is Putins biggest mistake.
Russia like all other major powers suffers from being lead by imbeciles who are clueless wrt running their country and with interacting with the world. Putin has literally got sick and handed his country over to a crowd of cavemen who have 0 education or social skills whatsoever. Anyone who would continue to wage a war during a pandemic clearly knows jack about anything and should go back to school to learn a lot. These manchilds running Russia and sadly other places need to be replaced ASAP. How has it come to be that the thickest least intelligent clowns in the world can rise to such dizzying heights and cause massive problems because they are basically clueless?
Thats the tired old argument that holds no water, Putin has no stomach for this war, he imagined a short sharp conflict that would be over by now with a pro russian government in Kiev. Thats not going to happen, so all sides including the west need to start talking peace.
Russia wants Ukraine for starters and the rest of the former Soviet countries as part of New Russia. When it does regain control it commits despicable war crimes against the people that don't want its control.
Now, where would you like to begin your negotiation?
Tell that to Putin and Russia that actually invaded Ukraine
Surely no excuse for Russia to not throw some nukes then.
I really cant understand this blood thirst for war, how about we all start talking peace and see what Russia actually wants and work from there?
Should explain alot
I enjoyed the work, his focus on the ordinary people, his video series was very interesting. We must appreciate that no matter what the political landscape is, ordinary people have more in common than divides them, no matter the nationality.
Honestly think he was foolish going to Russia at this time. He must be tone deaf to the current atmosphere. Most western governments are strongly advising against travel to Russia. You can see in that interview he is saying what the interrogators want to hear to get out of his predicament. I mean they are throwing guys out of windows in Russia at the moment for criticising the regime. Foolish man to go galavanting around Russia at this time. He is lucky he got to walk out across that bridge to Estonia.
Actually I did and found the Russian link with the BBC as posted earlier. Even saw the graph.
I have got as much time as you have obviously. Gives me an open mind to dig deeper as these numbers certainty don't add up
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://we.vanillicon.com/v2/e050b53be62f0ae2404c620976170938.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w0.vanillicon.com/v2/07abd39dc4f0afde3c391afc78cc920e.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://we.vanillicon.com/v2/eedacf599b4135dfd56d6fdbddcbd867.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wc.vanillicon.com/v2/c11f742d28c411a385fee4c52bb48d6b.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wc.vanillicon.com/v2/c635d680d76ce16e490d61f21d7a1353.svg)
