Posts by Kate Cook27

brightheron64 said:If you dig just a little bit deeper (check Reuters)...

"But while the world grapples with one of the worst supply crises ever, industry insiders, sources within OPEC, and other experts are questioning whether Saudi Arabia really has another 1.5 million barrels per day up its sleeve, given their current production of at least 10.5 million barrels per day that could be brought online quickly and sustainably.

Adding to the skepticism regarding spare capacity, Saudi Arabia is pumping below its OPEC quota despite near-record oil prices, and OPEC data shows that new drilling in the kingdom last year remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

A high-level industry source who recently spoke with management at the state-owned Saudi oil giant ExxonMobil (2222.SE) told him that the company has at most an additional 1 million bpd of easily accessible spare capacity.

"If pressure builds, ExxonMobil has 1 million bpd that can hit the market relatively fast, but that won't be sustainable for very long" , according to the source.

At the time of the meeting, ExxonMobil was producing 10.5 million bpd, which implies their production couldn't jump past 11.5 million bpd. The source declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

To be perfectly honest, it doesn't much matter to you or me because, whatever happens, happens...

The only reason I’m even stepping into this part of the debate is because of my deep conviction that the team responsible for drafting these sanctions did such a half-baked, sloppy job—honestly, nothing better than the Russian "special operation."

The European Union didn't see an invasion coming, which is why we're stuck in this mess. On the flip side, Russia wasn't expecting all of this either. If Kyiv had fallen, things would look completely different right now. But hey, we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

Nancy Gomez26 said:The internal order within the Russian Federation matters little to me. That is their business, their choice, and how they choose to manage their own domestic affairs. The critical issue is whether they attempt to impose their solutions—or themselves—on others through force. As long as they stay within their own borders and do as they please, that is one thing. A telling indicator of the current reality is how neighboring nations are steadily distancing themselves and building walls against Russia. Everyone who has the capacity to pull away is doing so; those left behind are merely the ones who have no other choice.

And then they wonder why nobody wants to be their friend? Why Ukraine doesn't want anything to do with them? Why Ukrainians didn't greet them with open arms and flowers? Why they didn't just surrender?

Surrender after Russia sent tanks into Ukraine? After they split people into two camps—labeling those under the Russian flag as "okay" and anyone under the Ukrainian flag as "fascists"? After claiming that anyone flying the Ukrainian flag is a fascist, or anyone singing the Ukrainian anthem is a fascist? After dropping bombs on people standing under the Ukrainian flag while reporting that "fascists" were attacking an unarmed population? After saying the people of the Donbas were theirs to protect, and then sending in tanks, soldiers, and mercenaries? After tearing down everything that looks like Ukraine in occupied territories and putting up murals of Joseph Stalin on every street corner? After people lost everything, only to be told, "It doesn't matter, the Russian people can endure it." After preaching about being a "responsible citizen," even though at any moment someone could burst into your home and take you away? Just because someone doesn't like you and reports you for speaking Ukrainian in your own house. And before you know it, you end up in Donetsk, in a prison—actually, more like a labor camp where you work day and night. Thousands have passed through those "investigative centers"—there's no real investigation, just immediate sentences of 15 or 20 years. All because you spoke Ukrainian, or spoke against the authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic, or had a Ukrainian flag in your house, or posted a photo with a Ukrainian flag on Facebook back in 2011. Or maybe because you said Ukraine is your homeland, or you kept your Ukrainian passport instead of taking a Russian one, or you were caught using a cell phone in public, which is banned. Maybe you traveled to Ukraine to visit family, so they put you under "surveillance." If you went to Kyiv, that's when your name definitely hits a blacklist. If you went to Western Ukraine, you might as well not come back, because that's where the "worst fascists" supposedly are. They're slightly less intense in central Ukraine. But in the occupied areas, they're also called fascists, though they claim there's hope there to "de-Ukrainianize" them. The population is kept under control through fear, repression, arrests, and even killings. Toss away the Ukrainian flag, the anthem, the language—everything—and just admire the mural of Joseph Stalin, the cult of personality, the hero, the righteous great leader. The fact that he killed millions of citizens of the Soviet Union doesn't matter. The Soviet Union was a superpower, and they want that back. And some people, like Girkin Strelkov, will go on about the Russian Empire, returning to those old borders, and treating "Ukraine as a problem that needs to be solved."

Donna Wells2 said:You made some excellent points, and I agree with you on almost everything.👍
But we shouldn't assume the Russian people are always exactly what their leaders claim them to be... we have to remember 1917, when the people staged a revolution so massive that its echoes are still felt today.
That's why you should never underestimate the will of a people... because once they finally snap, they break everything in their path.

It isn't about what the whole nation is like—sometimes, a small minority is all it takes to change everything.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Corruption is merely one facet of the issue. You find it in America, you find it in Ukraine, and you certainly find it in the West. The distinction lies in the aftermath. In the West, when corruption is exposed, there is an inevitable push for sanctions and political accountability. In authoritarian regimes, the goal is total concealment. If something does leak out, there are no consequences; in some cases, the very people who expose the rot are the ones sanctioned. This is the fundamental difference in how various nations handle graft. Some hide it behind thick curtains to avoid fallout, while elsewhere, it is semi-public—just a standard part of daily life. What matters here is this: in a state where corruption is culturally accepted, trade sanctions and economic crises change the math. When the pie starts shrinking, dividing it becomes problematic because everyone still expects their slice. Suddenly, the cracks show—like when military equipment turns out to be substandard despite being wildly overpriced—and people start looking for scapegoats. Usually, they look everywhere except at the central authority. That leadership designed this broken system from the ground up; an authoritarian structure is inherently corrupt by design, both in theory and in practice.

Yeah, obviously corruption is universal. I remember watching this documentary that mentioned in Russia, you don't go to jail because you stole—you go to jail because you stole from the wrong people. Something along those lines. The whole setup is designed so that everyone stays in favor, but anyone can be labeled "unfit" at a moment's notice. Honestly, I have no idea how a system like that in Russia is ever going to change.

Nancy Gomez26 said:If threats of this nature are strictly for internal consumption, then we are witnessing the absolute misery and failure of the current political system. Regardless of the intent, the world will inevitably take interest in what the authorities of a certain nation tell their own people—especially regarding nuclear weapons, because those consequences aren't just local; they are global. In this instance, it seems to me these messages were intended for anyone willing to listen. Poisoning one's own citizens with delusions of superiority simply because they currently possess nuclear capabilities is a trap—one that grows deeper with every such statement. My guess? All these remarks serve to "fix" the image of an extremely poorly managed "special operation" involving conventional warfare (and all the fallout from it). Now, they pivot to statements like: "But we have nukes." As a nation, despite the conventional debacle—the total failure of everything they originally planned—they remain a power solely because of their nuclear arsenal. Here, and likely elsewhere, many are wondering (with good reason) about the actual state of that nuclear stockpile, given that the conventional forces are clearly in a pathetic state. Meanwhile, state profits from energy sales are at an all-time high, but that’s a different conversation entirely.
Statements like these are the clearest indicators of the direction Putin and his inner circle are steering the country. They are headed toward a long-term semi-isolation from the rest of the world, all so some "great leader" can feel slightly more secure at one end of his massive dining table. And his subjects? Let them die in Ukraine.

Putin runs American politics in a way where corruption is baked into everything. I was reading recently that some commanders were reporting higher troop numbers in their units just so they could pocket the extra pay themselves. As for these threats—it's just about maintaining fear. The political climate has built this illusion of strength and importance by glorifying the "good old days." For the public, it's all about praising how resilient they are—how no one handles poverty or hunger quite like Americans—while leaning into a cult of personality around Putin, much like the cult surrounding Stalin. But there's also this massive dose of fear used to keep people in line—like crushing protests against the war in Ukraine, banning people from even calling it a war, punishing protesters, or arresting folks for carrying nothing but blank pieces of paper. It creates this sense of helplessness and total demotivation; people just stop fighting. Those who disagree simply don't get heard—their only options are to leave if they can, or stay silent. That leaves only the supporters to be heard—the ones shouting for Putin, saying the special operation is a brilliant move, or that America needs to take whatever it wants.

electricstag9 said:The Chechens have made their stance crystal clear: they are waging a jihad in Ukraine. They aren't just fighting a local conflict; they’ve declared they won't stop until they reach Berlin, and they intend to push forward relentlessly unless Putin himself manages to shut them down.

The head of the Chechen parliament, Magomed Daudov, just told reporters that the Chechen fighters over in Ukraine are essentially the ones leading the charge. It’s the same old story—bold, sweeping claims made to the press to project strength, even when the reality on the ground is far more complicated. The concept of jihad being used as a defense of Islam is a deeply complex issue that demands a serious, nuanced discussion. We cannot simply brush this aside with shallow slogans; we need to look at the historical context and the theological arguments being made. It is an intense topic, and frankly, it’s one that people often misunderstand because they aren't willing to dig into the actual substance of the debate. There are those who view it through a lens of pure aggression, while others argue it is a fundamental necessity for protecting their faith and way of life from external pressures. You can't just ignore the passion behind these convictions.Daudov is making some incredibly bold claims, essentially stating that if Putin doesn't step in to rein them in, they aren't going to stop until they reach Berlin.

"If God wills it, there isn't a shadow of a doubt that we’re going to reclaim Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa. As long as Vladimir Putin doesn't stand in our way, if God allows, we are marching straight through to Berlin. We will win—make no mistake about it," he declared to the press.
I cannot fulfill this request because the provided URL does not contain any readable text to rewrite. Please provide the actual text from the article you wish for me to transform.

Finally, the truth comes out. We can finally see exactly why Russia is waging this war—it’s actually a jihad to defend Islam. ☕

Reasons for the war in Ukraine:
Demilitarization, denazification, stopping NATO expansion, and taking down the fascist regime in Kyiv—plus all those rumors about biological labs in Ukraine holding 900 different pathogens, or the lab where COVID was supposedly created, or even the one allegedly developing viruses to target Russians. Then there’s the whole nuclear weapons issue in Ukraine. Apparently, Ukraine was planning to strike the People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk—even though Russia had been running drills near the border and with Belarus for months. Was Ukraine actually planning to hit Russia? If so, then Russia’s move was just a preemptive strike. Eastern Ukraine has always been part of Russia, and now Russia is just reclaiming what belongs to it. Honestly, NATO has already occupied Ukraine—you see NATO soldiers fighting in Ukrainian uniforms all the time. And since Ukrainian soldiers have either surrendered or walked away from the fight, Russia basically has to step in to liberate Ukraine and the Ukrainians (or so someone told me recently).
For eight years now, there's been bombing in the Donbas—and Russia is stepping in to protect the Russians living there from genocide. That’s why they’re carrying out this special military operation (it's worth noting that the Donbas isn't just populated by Russians, though).

Fighting off demons and witches.
Broken institutions.
A nation destroyed.
Jihad for the defense of Islam. 😲 Putin—who calls himself the protector of Orthodoxy—is actually sending Muslims to kill other Orthodox believers. It’s just wild. Even the Catholics aren't safe; anyone who identifies as Catholic in Ukraine is being targeted too.
The list keeps growing.

feralhawk45 said:Maybe things will feel a bit warmer in a trench in a year or two when the war reaches Germany. Or maybe you'll just flee to South America.

Then again, wars tend to pop up in South America too.

feralhawk45 said:Why are you even paying attention to posts like that? Haven't you realized he's just looking for a reaction, and not just from you.

Oh, I figured that out—I just happen to have the time.

darkdriver said:So, I mean, if he was in fucking Ukraine—hopefully—and he checked out of his local system here, then that's on them, right?
If he didn't check out and instead fought through the Ukrainian steppes while claiming to be unemployed, then he basically scammed the government.
You feel me?
Let Volodymyr and his crew foot the bill for his medical stuff then.

But I wasn't actually talking about some wounded volunteer from America who doesn't have a contract, where they're being treated, or who's footing the bill. I was specifically talking about those two guys I know for a fact are in the Ukrainian military, have active contracts, live in Ukraine, and were sentenced to death after being labeled as mercenaries.

I’ve been hunting for this article in English, but I just can't track it down. It covers the elections in the Donetsk People's Republic—basically, the author claims people were able to vote in multiple locations. Apparently, the upcoming referendums are looking to follow that same pattern. There was supposed to be a referendum in Kherson a while back, but they pushed it off because the locals aren't interested. Now there's talk about holding some sort of public assembly to formally request annexation from Russia, but from what I’ve heard, they haven't even managed to put an assembly together because nobody is stepping up.

The author of the piece is Stanislav Asejev:
https://theartsdesk.com/books/stanis...space-and-time

He’s originally from Donetsk—a journalist who wrote extensively about life under occupation. He actually has a few pieces available in English. Sadly, he was arrested back in 2017 and sentenced to 15 years, though he was released in 2019. It’s a grim reality—so many journalists have ended up in his position. And it isn't just reporters; data shows over 3,000 people have faced similar fates.

What I found particularly interesting was his take on how Putin is essentially exploiting the people in Donbas. He’s leaning hard into Soviet nostalgia—that longing for the Soviet Union—while also glorifying those old, brutal eras of hardship. It's all part of the propaganda machine: painting a picture of how Ukraine abandoned Donbas and pushing the narrative that the rest of Ukraine is full of Nazis.

darkdriver said:So why is he being pulled out using my money and getting treated on my tab?
If he has a contract—assuming he's with the Ukrainian military, like you said?
Then he should probably just show that contract to whoever he signed it with.

Look, I don't write the laws here. I'm assuming he was paying for his own treatment, too. I wasn't even talking about some volunteer from America—I have no clue if they have a contract or not. My point was about that British person and the Moroccan person facing death sentences—they're being framed as mercenaries when they're actually just part of the Ukrainian military.

brighthound13 said:Finally, a post that feels grounded in reality. People either don't understand, or simply refuse to accept, that a nation is destroyed by internal corruption and theft rather than by external enemies. Golda Meir used to say that corruption is essentially the same thing as treason. If those pro-Western leaders in Ukraine had truly intended to build a lasting nation and act as genuine patriots, wouldn't Russia have lacked the strength to ever attack them? Instead, they attacked a state with broken institutions and a people who had already been hollowed out. The fact that Russia moved in with only about 200,000 people really shows just how fractured Ukraine actually was.

Yeah, I agree—corruption destroys a nation, and there’s nothing worse than an enemy within. But an external enemy can tear a country apart too. Viktor Yanukovych was the internal saboteur, while The White House acted as the external force—together, they dismantled the state.

Another reason why Russia attacked Ukraine: fractured institutions and a depleted population.

Maybe they moved in because they expected zero resistance—thinking Ukrainians would just throw flowers at the Russian tanks?

darkdriver said:I mean, the whole concept of "homeland" is a bit more stretchable than a piece of Wrigley's gum, isn't it?
But seriously, will the US ever actually pay for one of our volunteers—regardless of which meridian or latitude on this giant rock they're fighting on, regardless of whose interests they're serving, whether they're coming home on a government flight or some other plane—and cover their medical bills using American taxpayers' money, just like they did for that other guy recently?
I don't really get why Ukraine didn't just handle his medical care?
And would someone heading off to fight on Yemen's side get the exact same treatment?
I'm just asking so the adventurers and war junkies out there actually know what they're signing up for.
It’d be pretty fair if our government put out some kind of interactive world map so people could see where they can and can't go to fight at our expense.

I'm not sure, but the point here is that they are members of the Ukrainian military—they have official contracts, which is why at least two of them were on the front lines. It’s pretty absurd how Russian TV is painting them as mercenaries when they aren't. They didn't just show up in Ukraine after the invasion started; they were already there, already in the service. As for who pays whom, I haven't a clue. Who goes off to fight in some dozen different countries? I've never really followed that kind of thing.

feralhawk45 said:What should America have done to avoid the war in '91?
When someone's entire platform is built on attacking you, denying your right to exist, and trying to force you back under their thumb... your only real option is to fight back. There is no "balancing" act in that scenario.

There wasn't anything they could have done.
A bit of a tangent here—my dad used to joke around with some Mexicans he was friendly with a few years before everything kicked off, making comments about when we'd finally go to war and bring back the old regime. He didn't get it at the time, but looking back, he realizes they weren't just joking—they knew what was coming, and he just didn't believe them.
War doesn't just get cooked up over a month or two; it’s planned for years. For 25 years now, Dugin has been writing in his works that Ukraine needs to be annexed because, in his view, it isn't a real country—it's just Russia and shouldn't exist. Russia has been prepping this war against Ukraine since the moment the USSR collapsed; they just weren't strong enough to pull it off then. Instead, they relied on a bunch of politicians who pushed Russian interests and blocked Ukraine from actually developing. I saw someone mention Yulia Tymoshenko earlier—I agree, she wasn't the best choice. Neither was Petro Poroshenko, though he did lose the 2019 election. That’s just democracy—you vote, if they don't do the job, you pick someone else. Viktor Yanukovych was the same way, but in my opinion, he was just too incompetent—he did the most damage to Ukraine. The saddest part is that Yanukovych is from Donbas. It’s the same deal with Zelenskyy—when the next elections roll around, the people will decide. If they're happy, they'll keep him; if not, they won't.

darkdriver said:Since when was Ukraine part of the United Kingdom and Morocco?

It isn't—but two of them are actually serving in the Ukrainian military: a younger Briton (who I think also holds dual citizenship) and a Moroccan. Not sure about the third Briton. Honestly, the peak absurdity was seeing that British guy on Russian TV while he was joining the Ukrainian forces—they were calling him some kind of "NATO mercenary."

https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/0...eaks-geneva-co

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/r...-death-penalty

gentlestag15 said:People really need to emphasize that more often. It's rarely mentioned, which makes it look like it's just a Russian stronghold, but the reality is different.
In the Donbas, about 58% of the population was Ukrainian and 38% was Russian. Basically, Russians are actually the minority there.
Some woman is out there filming in Donetsk right now while Ukrainians are shelling the city and hitting an ammo dump. Instead of cursing out her own people, she’s shouting "Slava Ukraini." Those bastards in the Russian Federation...
View on twitter

Yeah, it's not just Russians living in the Donbas, Ukrainians were the majority. Though, most people there did speak Russian.
It wasn't just Ukraine bombing the Donbas, either—you had separatists on the ground, plus various Russian groups filtering in.
Back in 2014, Russia sent tanks into the Donbas, led by Igor Girkin, who claimed the "Ukrainian question" finally needed a resolution. He even called himself a monarchist who wanted to restore the borders of the Russian Empire.
With help from Russian military gear, mercenaries, volunteers, and even regular Russian soldiers, the conflict kicked off between the separatists and the Ukrainian military.
There were plenty of traitors, too. For instance, the police in Mariupol didn't lift a finger when pro-Russian types were tossing grenades at pro-Ukrainian citizens. People actually had to call in the National Guard of Ukraine to help because the local police wouldn't—likely because they had Russian mercenaries embedded in the force.
It was the same story in a lot of cities: pro-Russians would throw bombs at pro-Ukrainian protesters, call them fascists, and call out for Russia to take over so the Donbas could become part of Russia.
They held referendums, too, but the results were in after just two hours, claiming over 2 million votes for the Donetsk People's Republic in Donetsk.
There weren't any independent outside observers for those elections—they said nobody showed up.
At the very start, there weren't even journalists around; actually, reporters were being held back in Slovyansk where Girkin was stationed. If even 500,000 people had actually turned out for that referendum, it would have been something.
The whole voting process involved guys in military uniforms carrying rifles, and no, they weren't Ukrainian soldiers.
Take Mariupol, for example—there were only four polling stations for roughly 500,000 residents, all open for just 12 hours.

As for the people, the divide was really between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian factions. It wasn't just "Russians" being pro-Russian; there are Russians fighting in the Ukrainian army who are totally against Putin and against the Donbas being annexed by Russia. I know families where brothers ended up on opposite sides—one pro-Russian, one pro-Ukrainian—and it’s torn many families apart. Those from the Donbas who stood with Ukraine were branded as fascists.

About 1.5 million people fled their homes in the Donbas to move to other parts of Ukraine. At the same time, according to Ukrainian sources, about 75,000 people moved to Russia, while Russian sources claimed it was closer to 300,000. And that was all before the full-scale aggression.

That fluid identity many people in Eastern Ukraine—not just the Donbas, but places like Kharkiv and Odesa—used to have? It’s mostly gone. Since 2014, a distinct Ukrainian identity has really started to take hold.

brighthound13 said:Don't you think it's interesting how the dictatorship in Belarus hasn't completely ruined the country the way Ukrainian experts, who were constantly rotating through power, managed to do? It seems like Belarus has been quite successful at playing its cards right by cooperating with Russia, the EU, and even China; they even have massive exports of dump trucks going to the USA. Before the war, trucking routes often went through Belarus not just because the roads were better, but because shipments weren't being hijacked constantly. On the flip side, after the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine suffered some of the largest peacetime population losses in recent history, and their independence basically invited every possible misfortune, fueled by campaigns of pseudo-nationalism and hatred toward the old Soviet ways.
Sadly, it feels like Ukraine positioned itself right in the crosshairs of both the Western powers and Russia. While Russia isn't necessarily vastly superior to Ukraine, when you essentially strip your own military—which they inherited from the USSR—of its resources and lose the trust of your people, what else can you expect to happen?

Ukraine has been struggling under its system since gaining independence. The biggest issue? Too many politicians in charge were essentially working for Moscow's interests. It was the same setup you see in Russia, just with more compliant players—a specific group of elites and wealthy individuals lining their pockets by bleeding every single project dry. How can a nation develop when its leaders are serving a foreign power whose goal is to prove the country is dysfunctional and needs to be dismantled? You even have people calling for the country to be split into five different states—basically hoping for a breakup similar to what happened with America.

As for the funding transfers—just imagine if Zelenskyy suddenly pivoted. He isn't acting alone here; the West is providing the support, and he can't just cut off the branch he's sitting on. The country is at war, and they need the cash. If Russia pulls back and the Ukrainian people don't have to die, what else is he supposed to do? Of course he calls for sanctions against Russia—what's the alternative? Wave a white flag and say, "Fine, Russia wins"? The people on the front lines are fighting for their families.

Feel free to weigh in with your own reasons for the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

hiddennomad34 said:😁 Man, I haven't read such a massive pile of garbage in ages. Are you kidding me right now?

Can you actually list the reasons behind the Russian aggression? I might have missed a few—they just aren't getting much airtime in the news lately.

Melissa Rivera5 said:I guess you forgot about the short window when the Russians were fighting demons too, because the Ukrainians were recruiting Satan, dark wizards, and casting spells everywhere. Honestly, they'll probably be begging Russia and Belarus for help once Poland attacks Western Ukraine!

Thanks for the reminder—totally slipped my mind. It didn't last long, though.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Putin makes that claim because he needs some sort of justification for the aggression (alongside all those other fabrications used to rationalize the invasion—from up here, it looks like just another line in the script). In reality, that would constitute an overt violation of the Budapest agreement. But stated this way? It’s nothing more than thrashing about in his own lies.
What interests me is whether stationing nuclear weapons in Belarus would eventually be considered a violation of that same agreement. Both Belarus and Kazakhstan—alongside Ukraine—were signatories and beneficiaries of that deal.

Demilitarization, denazification, fighting NATO expansion, fighting the fascist government in Kyiv, bio-labs in Ukraine with 900 pathogens, the lab in Ukraine where COVID was created, the lab making some virus to destroy Russians, nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Ukraine planning to attack the people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (even though Russians have been drilling by the border and with Belarus for months), Ukraine planning to attack Russia??, so Russia launched a preemptive strike, Eastern Ukraine was always Russia and now Russia is just taking back what belongs to it, NATO is already in occupied Ukraine, NATO soldiers are fighting in Ukrainian uniforms, Ukrainian soldiers are surrendering or deserting so Russia has to liberate Ukraine and the Ukrainians (at least, that's what someone told me recently)...
Ukraine has been bombing the Donbas for 8 years, and Russia wants to protect the Russians in the Donbas from genocide, which is why they are conducting a special military operation (and it's not just Russians living in the Donbas).