The SBU found more than UAH 8 million in cash from an official of the Lviv City Council and her accomplices, who are suspected of illegally transporting conscripts abroad
The organizer of the scheme is the head of one of the district departments of social protection of the department of humanitarian policy of the Lviv City Council, and her accomplices were employees of a medical institution.
I guess corruption in Ukraine might be less going forward, than it has been in the past. A much needed cash injection for the war effort. Bertie would probably be looking at that lot and drooling uncontrolably and wondering does he know anyone who he could hit up for brown paper bags in bulk, but his memory...
I’m caught between Joe Duffy and himself as to which I enjoy the most - for light entertainment. On a serious note , he is another arm of the Ru state with regards to informing the Ru citizens as to what’s going on. If he was not toeing the line he would have been removed long ago
NATO Secretary General: The alliance does not have instructors on the ground in Ukraine
Putin telling mothers of those called up not it believe everything they are hearing or seeing online
I marked my video with a warning and got told to not to emebed it, and as I said, it was mostly about a living breathing person who was wounded and only a body or two at the very end. Good thing I didn't post the one of a kadyrover having a touriquet applied and where one of his colleagues is holding his hand, passes it to another who tosses it away.
Where is my son?
Liar!!!
The US does have personnel on the ground accounting for all the weapons to ensure none are going astray.
Swiss need the heat turned on them bigtime. Just hope for their sakes that they're not looking for help in the future.
Why should the Swiss be punished for their neutrality?
You don't have to payout to the family for somone who's still alive, so almost none of the conscripts have died.
Putin's meeting with mothers of soldiers turns out to be farce: women were selected from among staff of Russian-aligned governmental bodies
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/11/25/7377962/
Who's punishing them? They get incredible benefits from the EU and other countries, without complying with the obligations other countries sign up for to get the same benefits. These benefits they don't pay for just need to be withdrawn. It's not punisment to withold something from those who haven't paid.
They get incredible benefits from the EU and other countries, without complying with the obligations other countries sign up for to get the same benefits.
What benefits do the Swiss get without complying with their obligations?
Basically you think they should get less than the status quo, as a result of their neutrality. Thats looking to punish them for their neutral stance. Dress it up as you like. "It's not punishment to withhold something from those who haven't paid" - what are they getting that they havent paid for?
Technically,If you are a neutral country and do not go to help out eg a neighbouring country then why would you expect that neighbour to come to your help if you are attacked. Is it not as clear as the nose on your face?
Countries make all kinds of arrangements between themselves re trade, , cultural and social arrangements, visas, tax arrangements, extradition, finance , etc.
one such arrangement is the NATO arrangement between NATO members and if Switzerland want to ‘go it alone’ well so be it. Of course some near/far neighbours meh help out but it would be on the basis of showing ‘good ‘ will
The Swiss make what are called cohesion payments as part of their treaty obligations with the EU. The latest payment was CHF 1.1 billion. So your not paying theory doesn’t hold water.
Wasn't Rush Limbaugh similar? Crazy shock jock who ended up getting a medal when a sufficiently crazy president was in power. If the government consists of psychos and nutters, political commentators of that ilk also gain prominence
Read the article I linked to by a Swiss journalist.
Why do the Swiss have an armaments industry Timmy, if they are so bound into neutrality??
They do have an armaments industry and they have a banking industry. A banking industry that might be upset if some of their customers are discommoded. The Swiss are conflicted and hypocrites of a high order.
Whatever happens, all EU states and likeminded should cancel forthwith any purchases of military supplies of any description from Switzerland. They need to be hit in the pocket as seemingly that's what they understand.
I am not sure if Germany, Italy, or France (mainland) were attacked that Switzerland would remain neutral though this is just my opinion. Too many people in Switzerland have roots/links in these countries and the front line would be very close to their borders.
Regarding NATO help, is that similar to our situation then? Should NATO defend Ireland if it were attacked? At least Switzerland spends quite a large amount on their armed forces including the purchase of F35s to defend their airspace to defend their neutrality. All Swiss males still have mandatory military service (though many are exempt).
I don't agree with the stance that the Swiss have taken with regards the munitions and I hope it changes in the future, but I can understand where it comes from.
I remember 9 years ago families were being told sons and fathers had been deployed on classified missions for a number of years over Seas to protect Russia, even though they were killed in dobas ,at the same time they classified military deaths overseas as top secret and banned the press from reporting deaths
Swiss big business interests are pricks and have always been pricks. They were the same in WW2, supplying whoever could pay, even doing middleman currency exchange for the nazis(remembe back then no euro os if "special trains" had to go from Greece to Poland they'd have to pay fees in each currency they passed through). It's all about the money. They care for little else. Though I was surprised when they closed their airspace to Russian aircraft. When the Swiss think you're both bad for business and a pariah, that's not a good look. It did tell me that even early on Russia's goose was cooked, or being slowly boiled anyway.
We have some moaning that Ireland isn't really neutral and we should give up on that claim, well on that basis the only thing "neutral" for Switzerland is the colour of money in their bank vaults.
Not just any arms industry,they have been in the top 5 largest arms exporters for the 5 or 6 decades,
We can't even develop our own military vehicles without someone rants and raveing about our neutrality
And lest we forget a fair number do actually believe they're fighting "nazis" for Russia, putin and god. There are similar videos of Ukrainians being hit by Russians on their channels, but it's a lot fewer from what I can tell. Quite a few very short vids of explosions and then cut. No follow ups. We saw some of that from both sides early on in the war particularly on tank hits, where the full vid usually shows the same tank continuing on. When I see vids like that from Russian sources I think hmmmmm, why you cut short Sergei?
Breathtaking arrogance-
Total value of Swiss armament exports in 2020 was CHF 901 million. Thats 0.7% of the worldwide expenditure for that year. In other words a drop in the ocean.
Where have the Swiss ever demanded that they are backed up in case of an invasion? Why would they help Ukraine - in what scenario would Ukraine ever be in a position to help the Swiss?
You answered the question already - arms is an industry, a business. Sure what does it matter who or what you sell to so long as it doesnt put your own security at risk. The Swiss do not sell arms to active combatants - thats where their neutrality kicks in over business interests. And strategically it makes perfect sense.
As for EU states deciding to boycott swiss military products, lol. They do not buy from switzerland as a favour to a mate - they buy because the arms are either cost effective or good quality or some combination of the two. They are not state subsidies from one nation to another as a favour for friends.
Yeah I've noticed it too ,
Seems some pro russian sources are rebranding videos showing Ukrainian strikes against the Russians ,as Russian forces defeating the Ukrainans,
Even look at the quite a few NASAMS hitting apartments blocks in Ukraine based off a post from a pro russian account showing damage to Ukrainan buildings after cruise missile strikes, but the amount of accounts who tweeted and retweeted the same information was in the thousands,
We won't be seeing as much vehicles hits through winter due to losses and the number of vehicles abandoned in the various retreats
It seems the Germans patriot missle systems offered to Poland may end up on ukraine after all if Nato agrees
Only ranked 14th in 2020.
A completely inadequate figleaf probably designed to placate the rising anger in the EU. After nearly a couple decades they are forced to make a miniscule little payment - big deal. And as for this pathetic 'cohesion' payment - the Swiss couldn't help themselves and froze it for a good while as they still weren't happy. So much for 'cohesion'.
Anti-Swiss sentiment is on the rise in the EU, as well, over perceived Swiss foot-dragging.
EU members in central and eastern Europe are upset that, amid the stock market row, the Swiss parliament has held up a 1.3 billion Swiss francs ($1.3 billion) "cohesion payment"
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