Here is Latvia:
or Lithuania
https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2069911/lithuanian-businesses-see-corruption-as-widespread-problem-eurobarometer
However, it is certainly not even close to the level it is in Ukraine or Russia and most of the corruption was indeed eliminated in preparation to joining the EU.
Besides, culturally they were always different from the rest of the USSR as they are not Slavic. Their cities looked very European even during Soviet Union times - USSR's Sherlock Holmes movie for which the leading actor received Honorary MBE, London scenes were filmed in Riga and Tallinn in 70-80s.
Important to remember as well what a drastic approach Estonia and Lithuania took to the question of the state language in the 90s where everyone had to pass a language exam or you couldn't work even as a sales assistant if you didn't know the state language (and were given a "Grey passports" of a non-citizen even though you could have been born in Estonia). This eliminated many ethnic Russians from the key positions once countries became independent.
Thought this was interesting enough Tony Connelly article on RTE website about EU sanctions, effect on Russia's economy, their limitations etc.
One aspect of implementation of these sanctions that is frustrating is belief in not rocking the boat of global trade too much, not affecting companies, not straining the relations with countries the EU trades with. So there is a lack of enforcement. I suppose it could be inertia, living in the past + wishful thinking?
e.g. following paragraphs:
Mr O’Sullivan has been focusing his diplomacy firstly on countries which might have been expected to align with EU and US sanctions but did not - Turkey and Serbia, which are both EU candidate countries - and then those which might be persuaded when the glaring nature of sanctions-busting has been pointed out.
"The basic discourse is for them to say, 'we're not going to adopt your sanctions, but we don't want to be a platform for circumvention,’" says Mr O’Sullivan. "And we certainly don't want anything to do with feeding the Russian military machine.
"And I then can show them the statistics that show that they are indeed responsible for the re-export of some of the technologies that are key to the Russian military.
"In most cases they have said yes, we will stop this. Now we've had Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Serbia, the UAE - they are preventing the re-export of the kinds of products that can be found in Russian weapons on the battlefield.
"So they're not adopting our sanctions, but neither do they want to be taking sides in this military conflict," Mr O’Sullivan said.
Interesting he did not include Turkey specifically in the list of cooperators. Turkey is still a NATO ally and favoured "partner" on paper of course. Still an accession candidate with beneficial agreements and the like with the EU. Why? No really good reasons I can see - just it is the status quo (inertia).
Asking countries or companies nicely is unlikely to be very effective. I don't think it was for some similar kinds of technology/trade sanctions brought in by the US. The lure of extra profits is strong. What would work better is putting the screws to these supplier countries (after asking nicely) and what may be best and fastest is to target companies manufacturing and selling the goods.
Examples of actions that could be taken against worst offenders are charges being slapped on senior managers & directors + board members etc., large fines, even liquidations, ultimatums of...well you can keep extra business through diversions of your products to Russia or keep the Western markets, but not both.
Anyways I think there's still a disconnect with how serious this situation is, a refusal to face up to reality and to fully break with the recent past (i.e....almost unlimited free trade + free markets, economics/returns based globalisation detatched from politics, nation-state wars and huge death and destruction are impossible in the EU, militaries and weapons production scaled to fight such wars are obsolete). Most of that no longer holds, and I think that era is ended for a long time and won't be coming back.
Looks like a SU-30 shot down. Lol.
You would have to be a particular stupid Vatnik to not know that imperialism and exploitation causes corruption.
And you’d have to be particularly stupid to think conquest by Putin’s imperialist kleptocracy would improve anyone’s life.
And you would have to be without morals to support and cheerlead rapists, murders, and child kidnappers.
As an aside that Sherlock Holmes series is a delight.
If only that was more typical of the face Soviet / Russia presented to the world.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes_and_Dr._Watson
Probably shot down again by their own side or fog.
Happy Christmas!
And not just that. Men of Donetsk and Lugansk were forcefully conscripted and were sent to storm Ukrainian trenches in advance of Russian troops. The same fate would have befell Ukrainians if Putin had won. You could say -- hold on, even with Ukrainians as enslaved stormtroopers, Putin won't dare to attack NATO countries. And it is true, because the next country would be Moldova, or Kazakhstan, or Uzbekistan. And when those are subjugated, only then its Baltic states and Poland.
This looks around Odessa and another su-34 around Mariupol.
In the meantime, ruskies claim they shot 4 x F16s in Odessa. LOL
It's such a shame that Ukraine have to fight against so of their own men. Imagine Ukraine could mobilise them instead against the Russians.
Any estimates how many SU fighter jets Russia have left in operation?
Dunno but another 2 Russian jets shot down in the last 24 hours. F16s in action?
remember when @Gatling made a big deal about these planes releasing a glide bomb at time and dismissing that they are sitting ducks (hahaha) against AA as they have to climb from deck for maximum range?
I remember
Do you......
I don't...
Russian rumor mill is Starting to say that they believe the Russian aircraft lost were ambushed by F16s possibly operating out of Romania
Seen one telegram channel claim that Russia shot down 4 F16's... the copium has started for them. They've lost 5 jets the last few days so have to try say something I guess.
100% in agreement.
Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to everyone. May the coming year see victory for Ukraine.!!!,
That was Putins Christmas Present to the Russian People!! Ad before anyone jumps in to remind me that Russian Orthodox Christmas is 6th Jan, I know, but let's say Putin wanted to surprise them. (because I'm pretty sure that losing those planes came as a big surprise to him!!!) Slava Ukraini
Welcome to Ukraine....
Oh that’s right you were going on about heavy bombers too and glide bombs, with zero evidence of their deployment anywhere within a dozen km of front
Still no absolute proof they are running sorties yet but any day I'm sure we'll gete videos. I imagine they'll be used for defence of cruise missiles and keeping attack aircraft at bay at first.
What......
I'm thinking it's the AIM-120 Missiles. Still waiting for evidence the F16s have arrived.
I think the most likely explanation is that it was Patriot PAC-2 missiles. They have greater range and are more precise from a ground launch than the AMRAAM (at least the older AMRAAMs) and we know that Ukraine has recently received an additional Patriot battery from Germany. The Russians weren't expecting a patriot battery to be that close to the line of contact so weren't expecting any danger at that distance and altitude. They won't be trying it again in a hurry!
It is good that Ukraine are getting F16s but it's really more that they need more jets than any significant additional competency. As far as I know, the Dutch F16s don't have SEAD capability, which would be great.
What a beautiful sight.
If that’s real (a bit fuzzy, so not sure), then agreed.
Especially like the flag colours on the vertical stabiliser; nice touch.
It's fake though
There’s been plenty of livery mock ups of an AFU F16, but yea they’ve all CGI / Photoshop jobs.
Would like to see an actual real-deal photo of one. The one shown above was nice, but I’m getting an uncanny valley vibe….
Another Su34 yesterday evening apparently. I suppose if Russian pilots believe that the stories about Su34s are lies and that loads of f16s are being shot down, they probably arent taking the appropriate precautions
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