Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

If what was mentioned in the previous post holds water, then maybe there’s still some hope left for Russia 👍

crimsonorca42 said:If what was mentioned in the previous post holds water, then maybe there’s still some hope left for Russia 👍

There is always hope for Russia. Right now, in this current chapter, those occupying The Kremlin hold their positions through nothing more than sheer luck—their decisions and actions have earned them zero respect from the American people or even their own citizens. But things shift. They always do. If the Germans managed to rise from the ashes after everything, then Russia will eventually find its way too.

Nancy Gomez26 said:There is always hope for Russia. Right now, in this current chapter, those occupying The Kremlin hold their positions through nothing more than sheer luck—their decisions and actions have earned them zero respect from the American people or even their own citizens. But things shift. They always do. If the Germans managed to rise from the ashes after everything, then Russia will eventually find its way too.

Props to Lev Yashin, and props to the Germans and Japanese after World War II, but they didn't just pull themselves out of the wreckage alone...

Russia wasn't even in the ashes.

You just reminded me of this one 😬



Hang in there, Elijah!

Lisa Jackson7 said:Props to Lev Yashin, and props to the Germans and Japanese after World War II, but they didn't just pull themselves out of the wreckage alone...

analogbear5 said:Russia wasn't even in the ashes.

It’s a simple fact: the Japanese and the Germans rose from the ashes and rebuilt themselves primarily because they weren't shackled by impossible conditions following the war. That was the greatest form of assistance ever provided—giving them the breathing room to actually build a better society. And looking at the results, they certainly didn't waste the opportunity.
It is an objective fact that Russia remains practically unscathed by this conflict, aside from the obvious human cost. You cannot compare the current standing of the Russian Federation to the position held by the losers of World War II. That wasn't my intention to suggest. Rather, Russia needs to rebuild itself upon sound ideological foundations—much like the nations that emerged from the aftermath of World War II. Achieving such a transformation is unlikely unless they suffer a massive, decisive defeat in Ukraine, coupled with a simultaneous softening of international sanctions. Significant shifts only occur in the wake of profound crises. It is certain that under the current leadership, such a pivot will never happen.

Nancy Gomez26 said:It’s a simple fact: the Japanese and the Germans rose from the ashes and rebuilt themselves primarily because they weren't shackled by impossible conditions following the war. That was the greatest form of assistance ever provided—giving them the breathing room to actually build a better society. And looking at the results, they certainly didn't waste the opportunity.
It is an objective fact that Russia remains practically unscathed by this conflict, aside from the obvious human cost. You cannot compare the current standing of the Russian Federation to the position held by the losers of World War II. That wasn't my intention to suggest. Rather, Russia needs to rebuild itself upon sound ideological foundations—much like the nations that emerged from the aftermath of World War II. Achieving such a transformation is unlikely unless they suffer a massive, decisive defeat in Ukraine, coupled with a simultaneous softening of international sanctions. Significant shifts only occur in the wake of profound crises. It is certain that under the current leadership, such a pivot will never happen.

The Germans rebuilt thanks to some seriously massive help from the USA—like, piles of cash they poured in—and they had the right mindset too, just like the Japanese. We had a mediocre earthquake here and nothing has been rebuilt; you can have a house with bullet holes if you want. The Japanese were hit with nuclear weapons, yet thirty years after the war, they were doing way, way better than we are right now.

It really just boils down to a game of chicken—whoever blinks first.
The Russian people... they might start craving Western markets, or maybe just want access to EU gas and oil.

Ultimately, it all depends on how much those sanctions actually hit guys like Sergei and John, or Olga and Masha.

Thomas Nelson25 said:It really just boils down to a game of chicken—whoever blinks first.
The Russian people... they might start craving Western markets, or maybe just want access to EU gas and oil.

Ultimately, it all depends on how much those sanctions actually hit guys like Sergei and John, or Olga and Masha.

What kind of market are we even talking about here??
Best regards,

Thomas Nelson25 said:It really just boils down to a game of chicken—whoever blinks first.
The Russian people... they might start craving Western markets, or maybe just want access to EU gas and oil.

Ultimately, it all depends on how much those sanctions actually hit guys like Sergei and John, or Olga and Masha.

Totally missed the mark.

Your average Sergei or Olga are basically just cogs in the machine who will happily stay that way regardless of the situation, so they aren't even part of the equation.

Bryan Booth82 said:What kind of market are we even talking about here??
Best regards,

Cars—that's high-end stuff right there.
Russia is basically addicted to imports since they don't produce half the things they use.
(I think there’s actually some truth to those issues with the gas turbine pumps for NS)

Second thing... was that what you meant?
How much does that actually contribute to the budgets of European countries—or the European Union, for that matter?

The big question is, what exactly is this "new Putin world" supposed to be? Is the average Russian actually going to want that, or would they prefer a normal (Western) lifestyle?!

I mean, would they rather drive a Dacia or a General Motors (or maybe just some used German cars from the EU) instead of being stuck in a Chevrolet that feels like it's straight out of the 70s?

I caught something interesting on the radio today. Apparently, border agents in the Baltic states have started asking Russians crossing the border to personally sign some kind of affidavit—essentially a formal statement condemning the aggression against Ukraine.
The catch, if you can call it that, is that signing such a document could potentially land them with a five-year prison sentence once they actually make it back home to Russia.🤷

Arthur Watson4 said:Totally missed the mark.

Your average Sergei or Olga are basically just cogs in the machine who will happily stay that way regardless of the situation, so they aren't even part of the equation.

It comes down to timing and the opposition.

The real leverage there comes from the cities—it’s all about the alcohol and the corruption.

Jessica Peterson2 said:I caught something interesting on the radio today. Apparently, border agents in the Baltic states have started asking Russians crossing the border to personally sign some kind of affidavit—essentially a formal statement condemning the aggression against Ukraine.
The catch, if you can call it that, is that signing such a document could potentially land them with a five-year prison sentence once they actually make it back home to Russia.🤷

Are we talking about Russians in general, or just this specific individual?

LATVIAN BORDER PATROL DENIES ENTRY TO HEAD OF RUSSIAN ASSOCIATION OF INSURERS

Igor Yurgens, the president of the Russian Association of Insurers, was blocked at the Latvian border after refusing to sign documents "condemning the Russian authorities."

Russian economist Igor Yurgens failed to reach the Baltic Forum because he couldn't clear the Latvian border. According to MK, border officials have begun requiring leaders of the Russian Association of Insurers to sign declarations "condemning" the Russian government.

After his refusal to sign, Latvian border guards declared Yurgens a "national security threat." The incident took place at the "Urbany - Silene" crossing on the border between Belarus and Latvia on July 22.

Yürgens stated he has no intention of turning against his home country. Russian diplomats have filed a formal protest with the Latvian authorities, though a response from Riga has yet to be issued.

https://neva.today/news/2022/7/25/382421

Thomas Nelson25 said:Cars—that's high-end stuff right there.
Russia is basically addicted to imports since they don't produce half the things they use.
(I think there’s actually some truth to those issues with the gas turbine pumps for NS)

Second thing... was that what you meant?
How much does that actually contribute to the budgets of European countries—or the European Union, for that matter?

The big question is, what exactly is this "new Putin world" supposed to be? Is the average Russian actually going to want that, or would they prefer a normal (Western) lifestyle?!

I mean, would they rather drive a Dacia or a General Motors (or maybe just some used German cars from the EU) instead of being stuck in a Chevrolet that feels like it's straight out of the 70s?

Look, every market matters, but people are wildly exaggerating how vital the Russian economy and its market are to the EU or the West in general.

Let's get real, people: the Russian economy is roughly on par with Spain's, thanks to their gas and oil exports, and the purchasing power of your average Russian is well below the EU average.

If the Western economy can't "survive" losing the Russian market due to sanctions, then we're all absolutely screwed.
Best regards,

So, apparently, the President of Uganda told Lavrov something along the lines of, "Look, we'll call out Russia when they mess up, but for now, just don't mess up," which is honestly such a wild thing to say, right?

The Murder of Stepan (Age 16)

www.khpg.org/en/1608809352

Reason:
Word is, those militants targeted Stepan because of the ribbons in the colours of the Ukrainian flag on his rucksack and then also found a scarf fra a western Ukrainian football Club that He supported. Honestly, he clearly wasn't trying to hide his pro-Ukrainian views—certainly not enough to justify three pro-Russian militants (vaditi Pogodin and his crew, Yury Moskalev and Mikhail Sukhomlinov) torturing and killing a 16-year-old kid.

That Donbas militant "commander," vaditi Pogodin, is almost certainly a Russian citizen by now—but he wasn't back in 2017. That's when Russia refused to extradite him to Ukraine to face justice for his proven role in ordering the torture of that teenager and then personally pulling the trigger.

Moskalev actually got caught and did a bit of time before running off to Russia.

Russia Has provided Protection for All Three criminals Who tortured and murdered a child for his pro-Ukrainian views. It came out in May 2020 that Pogodin was once again working for Moscow, this time over in occupied Crimea.

http://www.peoplesproject.com/en/new...pana-chubenka/

electricsurfer47 said:After the invasion of Ukraine kicked off, Lev Yashin was one of those rare opposition politicians who actually stayed in Russia, staying free and keeping a really sharp anti-war stance. Well, the Russian Federation authorities didn't let that slide for long. By July, he was hit with criminal charges, and now he’s sitting behind bars.

Check out his message:

"Every single morning in my cell, they turn on Radio Russia. At 6 AM, the anthem plays, and then the brainwashing begins.

The news stories vary a little bit each day. They report that Russian troops carried out another 'precision strike' on locations held by the Armed Forces of Ukraine; claiming over three hundred nationalists were wiped out along with about a hundred pieces of military hardware. Then they say the Ukrainian Nazis retaliated by shelling residential areas in the Donetsk People's Republic using American (emphasis on *American*) weapons; apparently, a missile hit a quarry, miraculously missing people this time.

After that, the show is filled with audio letters sent to the editor: you've got 'Maria from Saratov' or 'Elena Nikolajevna from Kirov' reciting their own poems dedicated to our heroes, who—fighting in Ukraine—are being compared to the 'veterans' of the Great Victory.

And for dessert? 'Songs of the Russian Spring.' Amateur musical groups singing in nasal voices about Mariupol returning to its home port or about the crimes committed at the Maidan.

It just goes in circles. Every single day. Sometimes I feel like some character from a horror movie, just sitting in a chair staring at a screen with eyes wide open. Honestly, I think the UN should officially recognize being forced to listen to these broadcasts as a form of torture.

But seriously, from what I can see, fewer and fewer people are taking this kind of brainwashing at face value. It’s strange—despite all this aggressive war propaganda, I don't encounter any hate speech from this side of the bars. Actually, quite the opposite. One of the guards, while taking off my handcuffs, whispered, 'Lev, hang in there.' The officer at the holding cell even gave me an extra blanket—said, 'to make things a bit softer for you.' Even the bailiff in court thanked me for a clip about Kadyrov. Moments like these just reinforce that sense of moral rightness.

Even now, sitting here in a cell facing the threat of ten years in prison, I know that deciding to stay in Russia was the right call. It was incredibly hard, but it was right. Because it completely dismantles Putin's main argument against the opposition—this idea that we're all just going to flee at the first sign of danger. Now, people can see: we aren't running away. We’re standing our ground and sharing our country's fate. It makes our words carry more weight and our arguments hit harder. But most importantly, it keeps the chance alive for us to win our homeland back.

At the end of the day, victory doesn't go to whoever is strongest right now, but to whoever is willing to go all the way."

Photo: Aleksandra Astakhova

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...00001309628736

Sent from my ja 9 t Pro via Tapatalk

Do they ever slip up and admit that Yanukovych sent his people to shoot at Kyiv? Do they ever stumble and say that Russian snipers were shooting from rooftops at Maidan, killing people while Yanukovych approved everything? His people arresting Maidan participants and ordinary citizens. Or was it all just some Ukrainian fabrication??? 🤔

Jessica Peterson2 said:I caught something interesting on the radio today. Apparently, border agents in the Baltic states have started asking Russians crossing the border to personally sign some kind of affidavit—essentially a formal statement condemning the aggression against Ukraine.
The catch, if you can call it that, is that signing such a document could potentially land them with a five-year prison sentence once they actually make it back home to Russia.🤷

That’s likely a procedure reserved for special occasions. I don't see much sense in forcing the rank-and-file to do it. But then again, who knows....

Timothy Williams5 said:Are we talking about Russians in general, or just this specific individual?

LATVIAN BORDER PATROL DENIES ENTRY TO HEAD OF RUSSIAN ASSOCIATION OF INSURERS

Igor Yurgens, the president of the Russian Association of Insurers, was blocked at the Latvian border after refusing to sign documents "condemning the Russian authorities."

Russian economist Igor Yurgens failed to reach the Baltic Forum because he couldn't clear the Latvian border. According to MK, border officials have begun requiring leaders of the Russian Association of Insurers to sign declarations "condemning" the Russian government.

After his refusal to sign, Latvian border guards declared Yurgens a "national security threat." The incident took place at the "Urbany - Silene" crossing on the border between Belarus and Latvia on July 22.

Yürgens stated he has no intention of turning against his home country. Russian diplomats have filed a formal protest with the Latvian authorities, though a response from Riga has yet to be issued.

https://neva.today/news/2022/7/25/382421

The Russians in general—you see it happening in Latvia and Lithuania too. Even the Estonian border guards are still out there patrolling.