Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky.

I confess, the water bit is a lie.

weird response. Its a discussion board.. People ask questions ….?

An Amazon and an X / Tesla free life is pretty easy IMO. Getting rid of some others like Meta (Whatsapp), Google, MS, Netflix is harder IMO.

Moving beyond what can be affected by consumer choice (and I will be making that choice, as much as I can anyway)….there's the American cloud services, AWS, Azure, GCP.

Every country in Europe (and the EU, though its policies are driven by the member states mostly) dozed off and let these 3 US companies (Amazon, MS, Google) develop monopoly power over a critical service.

It was path of least resistance to just let them gobble up everything I suppose, not anger the US govt. (and possibly local businesses too) by pushing back, restricting them and making sure there would be European competition, protected from the US giants by market barriers.

The dominance these companies have in Europe was just a bit uncomfortable and chafing before, with the US turning unfriendly it's a knife pressed on your jugular.

Ukraine continues to work against putin's terrorists in ways they might not have been expecting:

https://mil.in.ua/en/news/zelenskyy-confirms-operation-in-belgorod-region/

That dude died during the attempt. Might be mixing him up with Luigi who shot the CEO of a parasitical health insurer.

If "how did we get here" is a serious question, then the answer is the huge income inequality in the USA, which radicalises people there. Neither the Democrats or the Republicans have the political will to solve the problem. Democrats try to smooth things a bit by introducing some social programs. Trump, as a populist leader, talks about getting jobs back into the the USA and making America Great Again (some can say that the USA were great in 1950s when the taxes were up to 93% for top earners), while slashing social programs and giving tax breaks for the ultra rich. Trump works for his oligarch buddies. They want to squeeze every last cent out of the USA before moving on to greener pastures, and there is nobody better than Trump to bankrupt a company while enriching himself in the process.

https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lkral4rd322x

Kropyvnytskyi, over 30 explosions

Ukraine taking a battering tonight.

Explosions in Saratov this morning more impressive

A quick refresh on Ukraines situation - it's ironic almost 30 years since the Orange revolution we now have an Orange faced man promoting and supporting all the Russian demands to end the current phase in the conflict. Is Trump the second coming of Yanukovych in the guise of the US president?

Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994 under the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.

The Orange Revolution in Ukraine took place in 2004 and was a series of protests and political events sparked by widespread allegations of electoral fraud during the presidential election. The revolution was primarily a response to the contested election results and the belief that the process had been rigged in favor of Viktor Yanukovych, who was supported by pro-Russian factions

Outcomes and Legacy:

• Yushchenko's Presidency: The Orange Revolution led to the rise of Viktor Yushchenko as president, and the election was seen as a significant step toward democratic reforms in Ukraine. However, his presidency was marked by political instability and economic challenges.
• Strained Relations with Russia: The revolution and Yushchenko's pro-Western stance led to a cooling of relations with Russia, which had supported Yanukovych. The Orange Revolution signaled Ukraine's desire to move closer to Europe and away from Russian influence.
• Political Polarization: The revolution deepened political divisions in Ukraine. While the west and center of the country leaned toward pro-Western policies, the eastern part of Ukraine (Yanukovych's stronghold) was more aligned with Russia, which contributed to political tensions in subsequent years.

The Euromaidan Revolution (also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Revolution of Dignity) took place in 2013-2014 and was another pivotal moment in Ukraine's history, building on themes from the Orange Revolution. This revolution was sparked by a decision by Ukraine’s then-president, Viktor Yanukovych, to reject an association agreement with the European Union (EU) in favor of closer ties with Russia.

• Removal of Yanukovych and his pro-Russian government.

• Pro-European policies were solidified by the new government.

• Closer ties with the EU and NATO, though this came at the cost of heightened tensions with Russia.

• It also set the stage for ongoing conflict, as Russia’s military intervention in Crimea and support for separatist groups in eastern Ukraine led to the ongoing war.

• The winter Olympics in Sochi Russia end on the 23rd of February - Russia invaded Crimea on the 27th of Feb, its an insight I guess how naive at that time the West was and still trying to sanitise relations with Russia.

What could the west have done differently post the Euromaidan revolution?

• Stronger Military Support for Ukraine
  Western countries should have provided Ukraine with more substantial military aid, including defensive weapons and training, to help deter Russian aggression and protect Ukrainian sovereignty.

• Immediate and Aggressive Sanctions on Russia
  The West could have implemented stronger, more immediate sanctions on Russia’s economy and military sectors, targeting key oligarchs and institutions to pressure Russia into de-escalating.

• Enhanced Diplomatic Engagement
  More robust and continuous diplomatic support for Ukraine’s new government could have helped stabilize the situation, ensuring stronger international recognition and legitimacy.

• Clearer Path to NATO Membership
  Offering Ukraine a clearer path to NATO membership or a stronger NATO partnership would have served as a deterrent against Russian expansionism and provided Ukraine with more security guarantees.

• Expanded Economic Assistance and Reform Support
  Greater financial support for Ukraine’s economic stabilization and comprehensive reforms could have helped prevent economic collapse, ensuring long-term democratic stability.

• Countering Russian Disinformation
  The West should have done more to combat Russia’s disinformation campaigns by supporting Ukrainian media, counter-propaganda efforts, and providing resources to ensure accurate narratives reached the public.

Canadians are furious at the Americans

They now want stronger economic and military ties with Europe

which is great for long term as they have plenty of natural resources to replace Russian crap

Is this AI generated?

Ukrainians get out of dodge by Sept 10 2025 OR legalise their status. Other rules also will apply to

"the territories of the so-called "Donetsk/Luhansk People's Republics" terrorist organisations, as well as the parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts temporarily occupied by Russia, before the decree's enactment"

So is it inevitable that Zelenskyy will be in for another public uncompromising dressing down in the oval office?

So furious that they are partnering with Australia on building a $6.5 billion over the horizon radar, an area in which Australia has some considerable expertise, with it's Jindalee OTH radar which can detect small boats several thousand km away in Australia's northern waters and well into Indonesia.

What a sweet deal - Canada benefits, the US misses out.

Mod Edit: Warned for breach of forum charter