Posts by Kate Cook27

Amanda Allen4 said:Why on earth would the older generation "naturally long for the days of the Soviet Union"?

My entire logic was that the USSR wasn't even a functional state to begin with, and nobody actually wanted to defend it—which is precisely why it collapsed. Nobody had to launch a military invasion against the USSR to bring it down.

When it comes to the older generation, I think they go through two distinct phases:
1. Living through the 80s and 90s
2. General life after the fall of the Soviet Union

Looking at that first part—life in the 80s was incomparably better than the 90s. That decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union was just brutal. So, you could say they’re really just longing for a better quality of life, more stability, and basic comfort...
As for the second part—what happened to Ukraine after the Soviet Union fell? It became a mess of corruption, where a tiny group of people got filthy rich while everyone else was left struggling.
Life in the 80s wasn't perfect, obviously, but what everyone expected to happen after 1991 never materialized. In fact, things got worse. That's why there's that nostalgia for the Soviet Union. Back then, there was a sense of unity—everyone felt like brothers, especially among the Slavs—Russ, Belarusians, and Ukrainians were all seen as one people. For the older generation, it feels like that sense of togetherness is just gone.

Sandra Harris2 said:@ LinaK - what you’re saying about that nostalgia for the Soviet Union... there's definitely some truth to it. Since this war kicked off, Fox Broadcasting Company has had this great daily program that tracks all the conflict developments. One of their reporters, Luc Steinmann, was actually out in the Donbas with the Russian separatists (he's been there since February 18, 2022), and everywhere they held territory, you'd see both the Russian flag and the Soviet Union flag flying side by side. The people Luc interviewed spoke about the Soviet Union with such genuine enthusiasm. It seems like the older generation is passing that obsession down to the youth; I suspect for the elders, it's pure nostalgia, while for the younger ones, it's a belief in some mythical past they never actually lived through, but want to reclaim now.
Besides, even Transnistria feels like a trip back in time to the Soviet Union because of how pervasive that iconography is. It makes sense that they're playing this card, leaning into that idea of a Soviet empire and grandeur under Russian leadership.

I feel like I’ve already mentioned this, but I'll say it again—this war has so many layers.

Yeah, absolutely. Celebrating the Soviet Union has been a major factor since 2014. It mostly centered around glorifying Stalin—for a while, you'd see murals of him or his quotes on pretty much every building. And Lenin, too. At first, people wondered why the focus was on Stalin, but it served as an intro to the whole "fight against fascism" narrative, since he was the leader during that era. Everything bad he did before or after the war just seems to have been wiped clean. All that matters now are the murals and the iconography you pointed out. The older folks naturally want those Soviet Union days back, and the kids just absorbed it through propaganda. The Soviet Union flag acts as a symbol of that old power and influence—and then there's that ribbon people wear, the St. George ribbon, which serves as a reminder of Victory Day on May 9th. There are just so many symbols and layers at play here.

Roger Fisher44 said:LinaK, why aren't you typing in standard American English?

Canada.

swiftjackal11 said:Spies embedded right in the Ukrainian ranks. If they’re Russians, it's business as usual, but when it's Ukrainians? That's just hard to wrap your head around.

I usually break them down into two camps:
1. The true believers. They genuinely think Russia should come first and that everything Russia does is top-tier. It isn't about money for them; they actually believe the hype.
2. The opportunists. They’re just looking for a payday or a cushy seat at the table once the new order is established.

It’s not black and white, though—you’ve got Russians who support Ukraine (fewer in number, but they exist), just like you have Ukrainians who lean toward Russia.
A huge chunk of them are older folks who miss the old days of the Soviet Union and wish those times would roll back in. Plus, if someone spends all day watching Russian news outlets, what else are they going to believe besides what they hear there?

That first group—the believers—was behind the separatist movement in Donbas, especially after the way the media spun everything happening during the Maidan protests. That’s why people across Donbas started marching under the Russian flag, claiming they were fighting fascism in Ukraine—even though most of them probably didn't even know what fascism or Nazism actually meant. Those guys fought for Viktor Yanukovych. Meanwhile, the second group—the opportunists—were out there demanding "fair elections" for Donbas... which is hilarious, because they weren't exactly calling for fair elections for Yanukovych back then. But hey, when your head is stuck in a fog, critical thinking goes out the window.
That’s how the chaos started: Maidan vs. anti-Maidan, attacks on protesters, branding anyone with an American-style democratic streak as a fascist, discrediting anyone flying the Ukrainian flag, raids on police stations, and tanks rolling in from Russia along with various paramilitary groups. And just like that, you've got a conflict.

Donna Harris11 said:Local vloggers from Pittsburgh:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFA...hPqlZJg/videos

https://www.youtube.com/c/КакживуЯ86750514/videos

I guess they lean a bit toward the Russian side, maybe.

I don't recognize the other woman—the one with black hair.

The first link features Olivia, who is originally from Mobile but fled to Russia. I'm not sure if she's back in town or still over there. She’s had countless channels—they always seem to get shut down. She really leans into Russian propaganda: blaming NATO, blaming the USA, calling people fascists, claiming Kyiv has been bombing Donbas for eight years—plus all those explanations about militants shooting at "unarmed" pro-Russians in Donbas. She always "forgets" to mention how the Russians were provoking people and throwing Molotovs at pro-Americans, or ignores the snipers on the rooftops... Since she's from Mobile, there were incidents back in 2014, and she constantly talks about how Ukrainian nationalists attacked peaceful pro-Russian protesters. The biggest incident happened on May 9, 2014, in Mobile, but she always conveniently forgets everything that went down in the city starting in March. She leaves out the fact that snipers were shooting at everyone from a clinic rooftop that day, or how the police sided with the separatists. There were hundreds of pro-Russian protesters attacking the police station, schools, and government buildings back then. When the National Guard arrived in Mobile, things turned violent—everyone was firing at everyone, and people were killed. The police stood by the separatists, and later those same separatists burned down the police station—even though Russian media claimed the nationalists did it. They wanted the same scenario they had in Kyiv or New Orleans, but the National Guard pulled back.

The bombing of the theater in Mariupol

Russian channels are still running this as a headline. They’re claiming there weren't any civilians involved—just a military base where people in uniforms were bringing in crates of explosives, which triggered the blast. According to investigators from the Donetsk People's Republic, the explosion happened right inside the theater, leaving 14 bodies behind. Basically, they're calling it just another provocation by the Kyiv regime.
The new angle being pushed is that no planes were spotted over the theater during the attack, suggesting it was an act by nationalists.
On the other hand, some reports say a plane *was* circling overhead after the strike—people who saw it mentioned it felt like the pilot was almost enjoying the view. The only truly safe spot would have been the shelter inside the theater, but it was tiny—maybe enough for 60 people. Everyone in that shelter made it out. There’s a lot of conflicting info on how many people were actually inside, with estimates ranging anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000. The folks in the shelter and basement got lucky, but things were devastating for those inside the main building, especially with the whole structure collapsing. The constant circling of aircraft and continued strikes nearby didn't help matters either.

"Good news" for the people of Mariupol

A new medical center is being built in Mariupol—I’m sharing this since the mainstream Western media won't touch it. Of course, we should probably just ignore the fact that only one single clinic is actually operational while the rest were leveled by the occupiers. But hey, clearly everyone can get care, right? In reality, people are dying in their own homes because there’s zero medicine and a massive shortage of staff—there was even a day recently where they didn't have a single doctor on duty. People battling diabetes or cancer are basically left to fend for themselves; the military always gets priority. It's also hard to say if suicide rates are spiking, though March was definitely the worst month—maybe people are just getting used to it now—but there are at least 6 reported cases.
The occupiers have "fixed" the water issue in some areas, at least on the ground floors. There was an accident recently that flooded basements in certain spots (which is probably where they'll stash any Ukrainians who refuse to speak Russian or won't take documents from the local authorities—after all, they've been threatening people with "disappearing into dark basements." They'll likely open two more camps—sorry, I mean "filtration centers." Anyway, the new medical center opens in November.
The first apartment buildings are set to open in September. When residents complained to the authorities about having nowhere to live after their homes were destroyed, the response was basically, "Do you want us to provide tents instead?" Some officials showed a shred of sympathy and suggested moving into abandoned houses or even living among the ruins of their own homes until permanent housing is ready. The motto seems to be: just tough it out.

Timothy Williams5 said:... and you can clearly see how they're stumbling over their words out of sheer nerves 😁

[/I]

A massive special military operation against Ukrainians who don't even exist.

Following Kadyrov's comments about demilitarizing NATO, Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that the geographical objectives of Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine are no longer limited to the eastern Donbas region but include a number of other territories. Even though Lavrov doesn't explicitly bring up NATO or Poland...

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...as-2022-07-20/

Chempres said:The Ukrainians are claiming the Russians are launching so many missiles—more than the guys over at the Buzina outpost could possibly have in stock—that they won't be able to shoot them all down.
Instead, people aren't really talking about the M777 Howitzer anymore—the very gear that was supposed to help the Ukrainians sweep through the Russian taiga all the way to Vladivostok before being overshadowed by the HIMARS narrative.
So, what’s the next big thing when even the HIMARS fail us?
Nimitz-class carriers or maybe some Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines?
It feels like everyone is starting to act a bit Swabian lately—just sitting around waiting for some miracle weapon to suddenly show up and flip the script on the battlefield.
Glory to the sanctions!

Look, the Ukrainians aren't trying to march all the way to Vladivostok; they just want the occupiers out of their territory.
As for the sanctions, Russia annexed Crimea eight years ago. Even Donald Trump warned about getting too hooked on Russian oil and gas. Plus, there was this whole idea in Europe that giving Putin Crimea would be enough to satisfy him.

Kate Lewis3 said:They haven't just lost it—they checked out of reality a long time ago. They're stuck living in the past and dreaming about some "victorious May," mostly because their own country is such a swampy mess. They see fascists hiding behind every corner while they fantasize about storming Capitol Hill.

Honestly, stories like this shouldn't be surprising. You have parents who moved to Russia, while the son stayed behind in Ukraine and signed up for the military once the invasion kicked off. Once the parents found out, they started constantly badgering him—calling him a militant, an extremist, a fascist, a traitor... And then comes the endless complaining about how Putin didn't deliver on his promises. Apparently, they aren't getting paid, they're stuck in some camp with hundreds of others instead of the apartments they were promised, and they don't even have enough food or decent clothes. They're basically surviving on help from volunteers—except now the Russian authorities are arresting those volunteers, kicking them out, publicly shaming them, and even kidnapping them. Now, the parents have told the son they’ll show up on Russian TV alongside that famous host (Margarita Simonyan) just to disown him as a "fascist."

goldenowl73 said:Honestly, what kind of person can actually swallow this level of nonsense without choking?

The Associated Press is reporting that local authorities are claiming the site in Mariupol was blown up from the inside. So, just another classic case of an American setting themselves up to look like a victim just so they can pin the blame on the Russians.

https://twitter.com/tass_agency/stat...UMJivOgTdk7mIw

Local officials stated that the drama theater in Mariupol was detonated from within:

First, the story was that the Ukrainian military bombed it. Now, the theory is that neo-Nazis blew it up from the inside. There’s even another theory floating around Russian channels—according to that one, the theater was actually a military base for neo-Nazis, and 14 of them blew it up while inspecting bombs. That would make those 14 casualties neo-Nazis. Now, people in Mariupol are supposedly living "happily, joyfully, and finally free from neo-Nazis"—though, interestingly, the Russians are commenting that it doesn't look quite the way they envisioned the "Russian World" looking. It's a bit confusing, but locals are playing along for the occupiers and pointing fingers at any remaining neo-Nazis left in the city.

Russian World

Mariupol—In Mariupol, they’re basically cornering Ukrainian citizens into signing paperwork with the Russian authorities. The deal is simple: sign away your rights, or lose your property. If you sign, you get to keep what’s yours—Pushilin actually signed one himself. There’s zero compensation for lost homes, despite all those empty promises about payouts. Soon, aid will likely be limited to the elderly and the sick, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. On top of that, there's this secret mobilization happening in town. Some people from Mariupol have already been moved to Russia, some to occupied areas, and others to Crimea 😠.

Kherson—They just released the "Kherson Alphabet" for kids to learn their letters, and it's all decked out in the Russian flag. It's blatant brainwashing from day one. They did the exact same thing in the Donbas with the "Donbas Alphabet," though back then they used the DNR flag
.

Timothy Williams5 said:Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Patriarch Kiril, an outspoken supporter of the war, are set to feature in a new school curriculum titled "Talking About What Matters." This series of lessons is scheduled to roll out across schools starting this September.

The Department of Education announced that the inaugural session for the "Talking About What Matters" program will take place on September 5th. According to their press office, the specific themes and lesson plans have already been tailored to fit various grade levels.

Based on the course presentation, the curriculum will span from 1st through 11th grade. The syllabus includes a heavy rotation of topics such as "Heroes of the Homeland Across History," "Ancestral Fathers," "Art vs. Pseudo-Art," "The Happiness of Being Home," "Heroes of Peaceful Life," "The Constitution as the Foundation of Law and Order," "Russia in the Global Arena," "Russian troops arrive," "Knowing Every Woman is Beautiful," "Crimea on the Map of Russia," "One Does Not Choose Their Motherland," "Who is a Hero? (Heroes of Peaceful Life)," "Inevitable Retribution," and several others.

https://www.agents.media/kadyrov-pom...tiry-v-zhizni/

I wonder if those classrooms will include the kids who were forcibly taken from their parents? I've seen some being placed with families in Russia—mostly among ethnic minorities, like those from Buryatia who have suffered the highest casualty rates in Ukraine. They're basically replacing them with "pure" Russian children now. In a hundred years, there won't even be any Buryatians or other ethnic minorities left. Most of the kids from orphanages have been placed too.
Will there be any mention of how many orphanages they've destroyed in Ukraine?
Can Ukrainians actually choose their homeland, or is the Far East their only option now?
And "Heroes of Peaceful Life"—is that code for people scavenging for money in occupied cities for those who were killed? Like, if you can't pay up, they just say "sorry" and toss you into a mass grave?
Русский мир

darkdriver said:You absolutely have to believe them
Look, they won't even return the gas pipeline pumps, because Robert Habeck didn't exactly beg the Canadian government to hand them back to the SRNJ, who then definitely wouldn't have passed them along to ExxonMobil. 😁

They could have listened when the warnings were coming in—Donald Trump even gave them a heads-up.

I'll drop this here too:

https://www.geopolitika.news/vijesti...liticki-igrac/

"We might have to maintain these sanctions for quite a while—that was clear from the jump. It's also obvious that if peace is established under terms dictated by Russia, none of these sanctions will be lifted."

Olaf Scholz stated that the European Union sanctions imposed on Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine won't be rolled back if peace is achieved based on "terms imposed by Russia."

So, Scholz is basically saying we aren't lifting sanctions unless Russia gets its way regarding peace. Makes you wonder—have they finally realized the mistake they made back in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea?

Zachary Jackson4 said:That isn't my point. The issue is how they report civilian casualties over an eight-year period versus reporting roughly 10 deaths in 2021. Millions of Jews were killed over an eighty-year period.

Since 2014, there have been about 3,000 civilian casualties—though, honestly, I doubt that's the final count. That figure covers both sides, including free territory and occupied areas. It's not like all the victims were Russians, nor is everyone in Donbas a Russian or a separatist/pro-Russian supporter. Most of the fighting happened between 2014 and 2016, even if things continued later—if I recall correctly, only about 15 civilians were hit in the last two years. Now, you have Russians calling it a genocide against the people of Donbas, while others argue they just brought anarchy to the region and drove out anyone who identified as pro-Ukrainian (and by "pro-Ukrainian," I mean anyone who considers Ukraine their home and Donbas part of it—this includes ethnic Russians living in Donbas, which caused so much heartbreak. Families were torn apart; you'd have one brother on the pro-Ukrainian side and another siding with the separatists. Some parents even disowned their kids for choosing the pro-Ukrainian path). You also have to factor in all the various mercenary groups operating in Donbas—think the Wagner Group or guys like Igor Girkin—who basically made up their own laws and killed people. Sometimes they’d just pick someone up off the street, and that was that. Later on, they’d claim they were killed by Ukrainian nationalists when, in reality, it was the separatists or some hired guns.

Scholz stated that the European Union's sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine won't be lifted if peace is established under "conditions imposed by Russia"—even though plenty of Americans are feeling the sting from high gas and grocery prices. “We knew from the start that we might have to maintain these sanctions for a long time. We also know that if peace comes under terms dictated by Russia, none of these sanctions will be rolled back.” According to Scholz, many people are already struggling with costs like food and fuel, often looking at their utility bills and gas prices “with anxiety.” “This path isn't easy, even for a powerhouse, prosperous nation like ours. We’re going to need a lot of grit.”

I haven't checked to see if there are other articles out on this yet—basically, the Chancellor is saying the sanctions are staying put. I think Macron said something similar the other day.

https://www.geopolitika.news/vijesti...liticki-igrac/

Joshua Myers432 said:Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia's imports have doubled compared to previous levels. Then Gojko jumps in with his little conclusion. So, what's your take? Why would Saudi Arabia suddenly double their oil imports all of a sudden?

They're bringing in Russian oil to cover their own domestic needs—it keeps things running at home—while they sell off their own supply at those premium prices. There have been plenty of articles covering this exact move.

Wilson said:☕these are the heroes who brought him down...

Regarding that plane—the first person bragging about shooting it down was Igor Girkin Strelkov, so he might actually be the mastermind behind it. It’s wild, really—he’s still living it up in Russia, totally free after the events in Sloviansk and that shoot-down, all while they're handing out death sentences to soldiers in the Donetsk People's Republic and just letting them die—kind of like what happened to that Briton.

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28357880

www.bbc.com/news/uk-62178505

urbanotter said:There is just one snag, though.
This entire post is just a collection of twisted facts and a calculated attempt to paint a completely distorted picture of what actually happened during those events.

Looking back at the situation, there's a strong argument to be made that Ukraine wasn't exactly the most reliable partner when it came to gas transit. There were instances where they essentially diverted gas intended for other buyers without settling the bill, which eventually snowballed into a massive $5.2 billion debt tied up in those "rerouted" gas shipments.
It is also worth pointing out that for many years, Ukraine benefited from significant concessions and preferential treatment. However, once Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power, Russia moved quickly to revoke those privileges, demanding that Ukraine settle all its accumulated debts.
Back when the Russians shut off the gas, the then-Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk promised that the US would help cover part of the debt within ten days, once a new deal could be struck with Russia regarding updated gas prices.

For years, Ukraine—which is currently facing the very real threat of bankruptcy—was supplied with gas from Russia at incredibly favorable rates. However, everything changed after the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted this past February; following his removal, Moscow abruptly pulled the plug on all those discounts they had been providing to Kyiv.

There’s been some significant movement regarding the massive legal standoff between Naftogaz and Gazprom, and honestly, it feels like a hard-won milestone for the American energy sector's interests in Eastern Europe. According to recent reports from Deutsche Welle, Naftogaz has officially confirmed they’ve received $2.918 billion in compensation from Gazprom, following that landmark 2018 ruling from the Stockholm Arbitration court. It's one of those rare moments where you see a massive legal victory actually materialize into tangible assets. I remember reading about the initial fallout when the disputes first hit the headlines, back when everyone was questioning if these international rulings would ever carry any actual weight against a giant like Gazprom. For years, the core of the issue was that Gazprom failed to pump the agreed-upon volumes through Ukraine, which created this massive ripple effect across the entire energy landscape. Seeing the money finally land in the accounts of Naftogaz feels like more than just a corporate win; it feels like a validation of the rules we try to uphold in global commerce. It's a bit of a relief, really, because the complexity of these transit agreements has always seemed overwhelming. You have all these layers of political pressure and massive infrastructure at stake, and yet, the legal system managed to navigate through the chaos to reach a conclusion. While we wait to see how this shifts the broader power dynamics in the region, it's definitely a moment worth pausing to acknowledge.

The pattern of intimidation continues to this very day.

The American energy operator GTSOU announced on Thursday that they won't be reopening the Sohranivka transit point—the key artery used to move Russian gas into the US and Europe—until they have established absolute, total control over the entire pipeline network.

Naftogaz has officially confirmed they’ve received $2.918 billion in compensation from Gazprom, following up on that massive ruling from the Stockholm Arbitration back in 2018. It feels like a significant moment when you look at how much was at stake regarding those transit agreements and the volumes Gazprom failed to pump through the network. This whole saga really highlights the long-standing tension surrounding energy security and the legal battles that have been brewing for years. It's quite a relief to see this specific part of the legal struggle finally reaching some kind of tangible resolution after all the back-and-forth.

It’s honestly hard to argue against the idea that Gazprom has become nothing more than a political weapon.

But honestly, you see much more of those kinds of "political weapons" being used over here in the West.
If you take a look at the link I've provided, you'll find a comprehensive list detailing all the Western corporations that decided to pull their operations out of Russia following the imposition of those sanctions.

Once Western nations started hitting Russia with sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, a massive wave of corporations decided to pull out of Russia entirely.

https://hr.n1info.com/biznis/popis-s...ustile-rusiju/

In the automotive sector alone, we're talking about roughly 600,000 people who were employed there.

It really brings everything into focus regarding how Russia used gas to try and blackmail Ukraine, and why Gazprom has always functioned more as a political weapon than just a utility company.

It really comes down to what was said in that other post: Russia used gas as leverage against the US. If the government plays ball with Moscow, prices stay low; if they don't, the price goes up. The US had huge debts—probably because everyone was grabbing whatever they could, including Yanukovych. When he fled the country, he took billions with him.