Posts by Thomas Nelson25

Alexander Thompson said:So, picture this: you wire Euros into one of your accounts at a Russian bank. Then, that same bank just swaps those Euros for Rubles and tosses them into a different account you have there. From that second account, you pay for your gas at the price you originally agreed upon in Euros.

Basically, you hand over the Euros just like you planned, and then the Russians just play games with them—converting them into whatever they want—just like they've always done. 🤷

Looks like a run on the dollar.
It’s just a waste of time—money isn't even leaving the country because nobody's actually out there buying up Rubles. No point.

When things go south, people start hoarding USD and other hard currencies. It's just what happens.

The dollar doesn't mean a thing to him since the whole country is gridlocked.
Maybe some Chinese capital could serve as a compromise.
But man, that just hands China a massive strategic win.

Kate Lewis3 said:The only thing I don't get is how they think they can actually deploy these things quickly. Most Western tanks run with a four-person crew and they weigh about 20 tons more than what's currently on the ground. Sure, you could probably scavenge some old Soviet junk from former Eastern Bloc countries, but given what they're working with right now? Those Ukrainian farmers are productive, but they aren't turning dirt into heavy armor.

They should be asking for ammo instead. It'd actually make a difference.

(I'm reading that they're repairing tanks that aren't totally trashed, so they'd probably use any tank from that family—licenses, old T-series stuff from the USSR)

As for those wheeled guns... they call them self-propelled howitzers, if I remember right 🤔 though I never really knew the exact definition. I think it's just a general term.

They need something similar to an M1 Abrams
The main perk is mobility.

The Mexicans have a cheaper version.

Roger Fowler said:I’m betting my life this was a paid deal rather than a donation, because I find it hard to believe anyone just gives these away; after all, when the US Army bought their Panzerhaubitze 2000s, they shelled out about $3.5 million a piece, so why would I think a Vickers unit would be any cheaper?

Honestly, they might be better off taking those old howitzers from East Germany..
Or... just stick to stuff they actually know (or can learn fast) how to use.
Basically, give them anything "heavy" from the USSR era.

Besides, they were asking for tanks too—presumably, that's happening behind the scenes.
The real headache is Canada—they won't let anything transit through their territory, and they haven't even donated a single round of ammo.

rowdyraven112 said:The tank is gone. Operator had enough time to brew and drink a coffee. ☕

When a tank is in a city, you don't use a Stug; you use the stuff I just mentioned. You fire, you pop out, and you hope for the best. In urban combat, hitting a moving target is damn hard, especially if they have support. Ask the Memphis defenders how many rounds they had to dump into a single tank. Don't talk to me like I'm playing Call of Duty.

Only if Russian steel happens to be better than Swedish steel. 🙄

I bet you're wondering... what kind of logic is that?!

They even put in a request for tanks today.

When are we looking at getting them, and what kind of models?

Bryan Booth82 said:Medvedev lashes out at Poland: ‘It’s hard to imagine rhetoric more deceitful or disgusting. It’s just a community of idiots.’

His insults came immediately after White House spokesperson Jen Psaki announced that Biden would be visiting Poland later this week.

They are absolutely fuming in Moscow; they clearly can't contain their rage anymore. Honestly, isn't this just living proof of how much those sanctions are actually hurting?

lp

The rage is coming from the threat of total sanctions—cutting off all gas and oil purchases.

Even if some EU members push back, this could actually go through by spring. It would grind the war machine to a halt, though it'd definitely take a hit to the global economy too. (Maybe some pressure from China?)

I reckon Biden's visit is going to say a lot.

urbanheron4 said:Qatar is absolutely loaded with it, but you still have to actually build the pipelines first.

Is the route—the actual path—geopolitically clean?
Gotta pull up the map first.

Basically, if it can be done, do it. Cost isn't really the issue (assuming it covers decades of demand)—the main thing is making sure Russia knows there’s actually an alternative to their pipes.

Michael Ortiz68 said:How did nobody think of that? 😲

Jokes aside, the resources are there, but Algeria has announced they might bump up production and transfers by about 9% over the next five years... which is nowhere near enough.

We've gotta find a competitor to counter NS2.
Look, I wouldn't cut off the Russians—just the business side of things... which is bound to happen once they finally pull back the curtain.

Michael Ortiz68 said:To build on that... Soder is suggesting that Germany might extend the lifespan of its nuclear plants by about five years.

A shift in the German energy strategy... it isn't exactly a complete reversal, but let's call it an "indefinite delay" of the energy transition.

There's plenty of gas in South Africa

I'm reading that Ukraine (or their president) is still pushing for fighter jets, which feels a bit out of left field.

I mean, if they could just secure some territory, an airstrike on that logistics column and those reinforcements would be a massive win for them.

Benjamin Taylor6 said:If that actually holds water, it’s a massive game-changer. But let’s be real—you can't just hand high-tech gear to anyone; you need trained soldiers who won't fumble the equipment.
Ukraine needs to move fast to organize small, mobile units equipped with about a hundred civilian vehicles—preferably SUVs or trucks. It’s a massive country, after all, so they need strike teams that can zip to wherever the trouble is. I remember seeing how ISIS used this kind of rapid transport to their advantage—it works. https://static.dw.com/image/17740988_303.jpg

...they're asking for stuff like Stingers
The real fighting is gonna happen in the cities. That means helicopters getting downed during landings—just like tanks and APCs and all that.

If the Russ forces get worn down and this turns into a long-term grind... then it's time to start hitting their logistics and supply lines first and foremost.
For any guerrilla outfit, the woods are your best friend, especially if the locals have your back.
That's when mobility matters—using proven pickups—because right now, what they've got just isn't cutting it.

Culture, philharmonics, sports, art, etc.

It’s pretty obvious there's massive Western pressure being put on the Russian intelligentsia right now.
"Go ahead and condemn the war publicly—don't be afraid."

They're clearly spooked... though maybe they'll eventually hit the streets.

urbanotter said:That’s just your personal take on it.
In my experience, a Chinese person will try to squeeze a discount out of everyone, always pushing for the absolute maximum possible.

Personally, I don't feel an ounce of guilt when I buy a stock in a product I use every single day; if the price is right, I'm in.

It’s not a "take"—it's just reality, between sanctions coming from one side or... well, everyone else... except maybe China.
The rest of the market is just left hanging.

..if the war ends up costing Russia a fortune and draining them dry, China is gonna come knocking for their favors... you've got nobody left to sell to, you're facing a political crisis... fine, I'll buy it, but *I* set the price.
There's no such thing as an alliance or brotherhood here... forget about it.

Betty Carter3 said:Hold on—are we saying those terrible, primitive Russians are threatening to bring back the death penalty?
Isn't that basically what democratic America already has neatly in place?

Look, the message is all about the war context.

Read between the lines... they're just running propaganda (intimidation tactics) aimed at both Ukrainians and regular folks in Russia.

William Anderson5 said:Putin is doing everything in his power to bring himself down...

Looks like

Seems like Medvedev finally decided to chime in too.
And he jumps right in with... death

...they thought they saw a successor in him, but in the end, he wasn't it.

urbanotter said:I find it hard to believe anyone would dare push around a nation that’s sitting on several thousand nuclear warheads.

And I don't think China is going to be walking away with cheap oil and gas anytime soon; those days are long gone, back when the big brother in Washington had total control over energy flows and stood as the world's undisputed superpower.
Even their most loyal allies in the Middle East aren't really listening to them anymore if it clashes with their own national interests.

Hey, Mr. Gambler...

The market will decide... and the Chinese are definitely going to be looking for a discount.

Remember watching him on those news segments? Just looked like a little mouse standing next to the Chinese Party leader.

swiftjackal11 said:Even Russians don't want to wake up in Russia, let alone Ukrainians.

Look, what can you do? The regime is just pure repression.

I’m sitting here reading about death penalties for "traitors"... if you read between the lines, it's pretty clear... it's a direct message to the Russian people... the point is simple: shut up and follow the leader.

Michael Davis10 said:I guess Scholz would be down for picking and choosing who gets kicked out of SWIFT, but he won't touch anything involving Russia as a whole
Man, what does that even matter
I mean, what about being hooked on Russian oil and gas?

Honestly, they'd be better off just sending anti-helicopter missiles.

nimbletiger7 said:Oil and gas prices even dropped yesterday because people realized Putin has to sell more fuel now just to fund the war. It seems Russians are selling oil at a $12 discount compared to Brent.

The guy's got nukes, sure, but his economy is a total wreck.
At this rate, even the Chinese are gonna walk all over him and snatch up his oil and gas for pennies on the dollar.