TTF has dropped below 170, and honestly, it’s sliding fast https://www.theice.com/products/2799...rketId=5439161 The latest Russian lever to squeeze Europe has completely deflated, way sooner than anyone over at The Kremlin actually expected (though, if I'm being honest, a few people on this thread—myself included, lol—saw it coming). Cutting off those gas supplies back in August and those pipeline explosions definitely didn't have the intended effect. It's a total failure on par with what's happening in Ukraine; for decades, Russia built this whole grand strategy based on making Europe dependent on their energy, but it turns out they won't even be freezing through a single winter because of it.
It looks like the Russians, after already messing with the flow of NS1 and NS2, are now planning to pull the plug on deliveries through Ukraine altogether too. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...35774432444418
Isn't it just some wild coincidence that almost immediately after those massive explosions hit Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, Russia just decides to cut off the supply through Ukraine too, right? Like, what are the odds of that timing? ☕
Delta Air Lines is pulling the plug on all flights to Minsk, Rostov, Sochi, and Yekaterinburg by the end of the year. And honestly, from what I’m hearing, it looks like they aren't even offering refunds for tickets people have already bought! View on twitter
Man, it’s not just Nord Stream 2 anymore—now it looks like Nord Stream 1 has two massive leaks too, and from what I'm seeing, they're sitting right in the territorial waters of Sweden and Denmark. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...61449628061696
brightheron64 said:That wouldn't really be a bluff so much as just selling smoke and mirrors.
Which is why this feels so much more convincing, even if it is just a strategic move:
Sunday The United States would respond decisively to Any Russian Use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine and that IT Had spelled out to Moscow The "catastrophic consequences" it would face. "If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia. The United States will respond decisively," Sullivan told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ne-2022-09-25/
Check out Sullivan's interview on ABC. He talks about what happens if the Russians try to dodge an inevitable military defeat by using nuclear bombs, right around the 4:00 mark. And look, unlike the Russians, where everything from their military and foreign policy down to their economy feels like one big bluff and a web of lies, I actually believe that when it comes to Americans, they’ll step up and give them exactly what they deserve. ☕
The mobilized troops out in Samara were just wandering through the woods trying to get some warmth. Honestly, this is real-deal training and prep for what's coming in Ukraine, because let’s face it, things aren't going to get any easier over there. The big question is really whether they'll freeze to death first or if a drone spots the smoke from their little fires before they can even get warm. View on twitter
It’s pretty obvious we're looking at Ukrainian propaganda here, because everything we've seen up to this point points to the fact that Russia actually has a top-tier equipped military—one they've invested in quite heavily, strategically, and efficiently. Anyone out there claiming their logistics are falling apart, or that they're buying ammo from North Korea, or that they're basically running on crowdfunding and donations while relying on ancient relics of equipment... well, it's clear those people are watching way too much CNN and similar outlets ☕
Anyway, hey neighbors. How does that old saying go? "Europe is going to freeze"? Isn't it ironic? In the end, the only ones who will actually be freezing are those poor souls heading to the front lines. Or maybe the Russians are actually doing fantastic with their winter gear? I mean, they might be struggling with everything else, but at least a few hundred thousand extra people will have warm underwear, winter clothes, and boots, and there'll probably be a gas heater sitting in every single trench, right? I honestly can't wait to see how this mobilization attempt plays out, when suddenly hundreds of thousands of people need to be supplied all at once in the middle of a brutal winter, and they won't have a single resource to draw from ☕
Jessica Peterson2 said:So, this is what the world's second most powerful military is handing out to their mobilized reservists...
Here’s the follow-up, basically part two. https://twitter.com/MariuszCielma/st...14029574217729 And then you have to actually get all those people and gear to the front lines, not to mention keeping them supplied once they're there. Honestly, it feels like the Russian political elite has, at the very least, absolutely no clue when it comes to the actual state of their own stockpiles and logistics. This mobilization drive is going to be a total mess. Europe better brace itself for a massive wave of Russian POWs, because I seriously doubt the Ukrainians will be able to handle a surge like that all on their own. ☕
It’s basically Black Friday for the Euro, though I guess the Pound is feeling the squeeze too. Between the election results coming out of Italy over the weekend and all those referendums happening in the republics within Ukraine... man, Monday is going to be absolutely wild.
Look, I wasn't actually asking who the Ukrainians bought the most gear from—it seems like you're just pointing back to the article you linked to answer that. What I was getting at is who has actually "invested" the most in them individually, if we're using your terminology here. I am talking strictly about arms sales, not donations or anything like training. In fact, even that very article mentions how, in the currently tense situation, the French government has however refrained from large announcements of new weapon deliveries
In the currently tense situation, the French government has however refrained from large announcements of new weapon deliveries.
From what I can dig up, the Americans have been by far the single largest investors in the Ukrainian military from 2014 right up until the full-scale invasion in February, totaling somewhere around $2.7 or $2.8 billion. And a huge chunk of that went toward training. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...litary-aid-us/ European aid, whether coming through the EU or individual nations, has mostly funneled into the civilian sector, even though the total amount ended up being higher than what the USA provided. You also have to factor in the EIB, but those are mostly just loans.
You know that famous tourist spot, Mongolia? Well, it looks like the Russians have been swarming ☕ https://twitter.com/MoniqueCamarra/s...20087802839040
It’s not even a fall from the 7th or 8th floor anymore, is it? I mean, who did they decide died on the stairs this time? https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...23784071372802 What’s next on the agenda—is someone going to slip on a banana peel and land headfirst into a pile of bullets?
Heh, the Russians are busy locking down the borders to stop anyone from running away... No big deal though, because once they start forcing everyone into mobilization, people will just surrender to the Ukrainians at the first opportunity, and in a few years, they'll all be living out here in the West.
Russian pilots looking to snag those FAA certifications aren't going to be able to head over to Turkey for training anymore (Sorry if this has already been posted somewhere else!) https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/3..._medium=social
It looks like banks across Turkey and Armenia have finally stopped accepting Visa cards. And honestly, it seems like they’re slowly joining the ranks of banks in Kazakhstan and Vietnam too https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rfe.../32044430.html I mean, let's be real here—Visa will probably end up being useful only within Russia and Belarus, or maybe in those countries that are already pretty much isolated by default, like Cuba or North Korea. For everything else, Americans are just going to cut it off at the root. Even in those places, though, using Visa is going to be a massive headache because the Russians can't even get their hands on enough chips to actually make the cards