Meantime in the real world
Especially for @rogber and @Gatling
Parallel to sanctions is the reduction of workers for Russian industry, farming etc. They already have a shortage. Putin is advising Russian women to have more children but it will be 16 years before they can become cannon fodder.
The unemployment rate in Russia is ‘forecast’ to drop to .785% by May 1st , 2024. This is planned to be achieved by getting work on the front lines by those that are currently unemployed. The rate is currently at 2.95 according to official sources. That .785% is made up of men that Official Russia cannot locate/those that are sick/ those that are between jobs
Some fair points in this piece...
At this critical moment for Ukraine, Biden must face the truth – and rethink his strategy | Emma Ashford | The Guardian
Came across this which makes interesting light reading at the end of the year... wonder what their position will be 12 months on...
How will the war in Ukraine develop during 2023? Our panel look ahead | Emma Ashford, Timothy Garton Ash, Andrei Soldatov, Irina Borogan, Sevim Dağdelen, Frank Ledwidge and Andriy Yermak | The Guardian
One thing that might be worth keeping an eye on in relation to Russia and Ukraine are the current actions of Russia-ally Venezuela and their claim to have legally annexed more than half of neighbouring Guyana.
So far Caracas is only “claiming” the land which apparently has been part of a decades-long dispute, but there are concerns that Venezuela will attempt to use force to make it a reality. Brazil have sent some troops, and the US have made some noises, but if the Venezuelans feel they can get away with this, they may go for an invasion. Putin would certainly welcome that kind of distraction in the US’s “back yard”.
There’s also a parallel here with the Ukraine War that might be worth noting. Guyana, although tiny with less than 1 million citizens, is a democratic nation, with elections that actually result in handovers of power. Venezuela, much like the Russians, are a democracy on paper alone and are a single-party dictatorship. If Venezuela actually invaded the disputed territory and held it successfully, they would be right across the river from the capital Georgetown. If they are anything like their Russian friends, I would not be surprised if they tried to take the whole nation, and the rich oil-reserves they recently got access to.
Of course, I hope that war does not happen. But if it does, it is up to Brazil (and likely the US) to stop the Venezuelans. Guyana are too sparsely populated to offer enough of a military in opposition. Allowing a democracy to be crushed by state like them, would set a horrific precedent for the Ukraine War or similar conflicts like it.
Now google what she wrote about before and in opening months of the war
Or in other words, either prove you are in a job which is considered essential for the war effort, or we will send you to the front lines.
Even the fighter bombers are not safe
but we are meant to believe much heavier bombers are flying close to frontline (no evidence) and lobbing glide bombs (no evidence)
Will the US supply the aid to Ukraine in the end?
So important, yet but much about it.
Sounds good to me.
It’s an interesting EU funded project to tackle Russian propaganda bullshit talking points head on, unfortunately there are many many citizens who directly fall for this kind of manipulation
https://euvsdisinfo.eu/crocodile-tears-deflection-and-projection/
This is the first time I've seen UA using thermobarics (but it might be the destruction of same)
Aegis Poland site is ready now to defend Europe against Russian and Iranian terrorist regimes
I still like the idea of Europe against Russia lol.
More weapons please
The West need to wake up. Russian success in Ukraine has greenlighted every asshole to go for it.
Russia are happy this year's end in Ukraine, a slowing of military aid and it will be a win for the Kremlin and a free for all globally.
Oh Ukraine is only the beginning these guys don’t keep their plans secret or hidden but boast about it on TV
World attention is on Israel the last while good news for Putin. It seems aid to Ukraine is slowing a bit and that is a worry with no end in sight and certainly not the defeat of Putin that most of us were hoping for .I was always worried about the long haul suiting Putin and am a bit more worried now about that being the case .
I don’t think so, pop over to that thread, they just spent a dozen pages being outraged at men found in tunnels being made to kneel with their shirts of in a photo
Imagine the outrage once they learn of Russians sticking their own soldiers naked to mud pits over night in the cold
What's really happening with the blockade of trucks at the Polish border? This is reported as going on a while now and surely the Polish authorities must perceive the considerable danger in this. Transport of goods into Ukr via Poland is critical for Ukr defence.
I read that the blockade is not being applied to military supplies and aid to Ukraine and saw a video where it showed a train going to Ukraine loaded up with articulated trucks I guess bypassing the blockade. I think like lots of negativity about Ukraine's situation the problem is being amplified by pro putin media sources and hope on the ground it is not a very big issue for Ukraine.
All for what??
Putins small man ego.
When will the west wake up?
Russia’s mindset and actions certainly do sync up with similarly minded nations around the world. I might however counter that a successful Russian invasion of Kyiv would have greenlit a domino effect of various «Republics» going around and «Liberating» territory. I’m certain you would have seen a Chinese attempt on Taiwan this year, and other conflicts like here with Guyana.
Problem is, unlike with 2014, this time around the West armed Ukraine as a proxy force and applied a whole raft of economic consequences designed the limit Russia’s abilities to wage war. What Russia had managed to grab 2021 has been reduced and despite their numeric advantages are unable to overrun the Ukrainians. Victory for the Russians was to be a quick conquest of Ukraine and the ethnic clensing of its people while preparing for the next conflict. They failed. Now they face a crawling multi-front conflict that is holding up almost their entire military, all while they are excluded from the Western world.
Russia are not likely happy with any of this, and others who had been observing the conflict in the hope for a “Green light” for their own invasion may be wary of sharing their fate. Venezuela might be hoping that they can gamble and grab a large jungle area where barely anyone lives, but they face becoming South America’s “North Korea” for pulling that kind of nonsense. They are already pretty isolated due to their shenanigans.
We have being hearing about all sorts of problems with Russian soldiers equipment or lack of it for almost as long as this war has been going on .Maybe I was not realistic when I was hoping for a serious event to really turn things significantly in Ukraine's favour just to keep up the support to the level that is vital .The counter offensive seems to have had limited enough success better than nothing but was hoping for a bit more .
It’s war there are ups and down, the Ukrainians to their credit seem to have realised quick that tactics they were recommended without the correct equipment provided wont work and went back to death by a thousand cuts bleeding of the Russian rabid bear.
Easy to imagine it: crickets. Nothing. Only time RuZZia comes up is in some stretch comparison with Israel.
The Russian national pastime of queueing outside shops for food has returned, video in thread
Would need those scenes all over and in the better off parts to have even the remotest chance of some questions being asked .Putin and his regime won't go hungry that's for sure .He will blame the west and most folk will go along with that about any difficulties they suffer .
If the Russian narrative is that they're the last bulwark against (literal!) Nazi states everywhere to the West, then you can probably keep privations going for long enough with an engrained siege mentality. Not indefinitely, but couple that with the generic memory of those old enough to remember the hardships of the USSR, and I could see these shortages failing to move the needle.
Oh they can keep up the illusion for a long time, undoubtedly, the USSR managed 70 years to the point where the main use of state propaganda newspapers was to wipe bottoms as toilet paper was unobtanium.
For these babushkas standing in the cold would offer the opportunity to retrospectively examine as to whether the death of their sons and husbands in a faraway mud hole for no good reasons in same manner their grandmas done in 80s areas worth it. They can also compare notes as to if any of them are getting paid the promised ever devaluing roubles as compensation or pension.
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