mellownomad6 said:Honestly, the smartest move would be to head to Mexico or just stay there—it’s going to be a bastion of stability and prosperity when these tough times finally hit. 👍
Well, now I’m stuck wondering if this is some kind of joke.
Sanctions aren't even making a dent in Russia. They basically use any negotiation—like that recent mess over grain exports from Ukraine—as leverage to demand sanctions be lifted, just purely out of principle.
Christian Torres3 said:Michael Flynn thinks it's time to cut off the flow of weapons and military aid to Ukraine. https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/s...Qv9-pXfY-4x2jQ
The guy who openly admitted to taking $34,000 from Russian TV (RT) is clearly an expert on anything involving the Russian invasion, isn't he? 🤣🤣 I’m honestly surprised he only had to deal with a resignation; if this were Russia, he would have gone out a window a long time ago.
Jeremy Turner9 said:One might mistakenly assume that Russia holds such immense weight in the eyes of the West, yet when you peel back the layers, the nation functions primarily as an exporter of raw materials; furthermore, as they pivot their stance toward China, it seems the rest of the world has all but forgotten about them...
Obama once called Russia nothing more than a giant gas station, which certainly didn't sit well with anyone.
I'm a bit behind on the news, so I wasn't sure if it's actually been confirmed that Reapers, Predators, and Switchblades are heading to Ukraine yet. Plus, they'll probably claim the Reapers are coming from the USA since it's basically impossible to track their true origin anyway. What a total joke.
The issue is systemic. You can’t project optimism if your economy is crumbling. Military might is useless without economic backbone, and as we've seen, Russia's supposed strength is highly questionable right now. On top of that, people naturally gravitate toward freedom—even if it’s just a shiny illusion—because it’s always more appealing than an obvious dictatorship. Russia had nothing to offer besides brute force, yet they tried to play at being the USA. If anything, Vladimir Putin was obsessed with acting as the leader for Europe, but to pull that off, you need to lead in almost every sector, not just through sheer aggression. But Russia isn't even a military leader. They can't impose themselves on Europe because Europe rightfully feels superior. The Russians kept complaining about a lack of respect from Europe, and as that frustration grew, so did the instability in the surrounding regions. It was only a matter of time before they decided to use the one thing they thought they had left: raw power. Honestly, blaming the West instead of looking in the mirror is laughable; Russia has the capacity to be superior in many ways, but the reason they aren't lies squarely at home.
Kate Lewis3 said:Right. And I guess Ukraine actually started the war by having the Russian Army cross their border and start a massive campaign of destruction and killing. Fascinating logic there.
You're getting warm. Ukraine actually started the war by refusing to turn into Belarus, but since Putin is such a humanitarian who clearly didn't want a conflict, he just launched a special military operation to occupy Ukraine instead. Everything is going exactly according to plan, despite a few minor hiccups here and there. It’s worth noting that the world would be perfectly peaceful if it weren't for NATO and the USA. That's pretty much the whole story. 🍿🎉
William Cooper11 said:I don't buy that theory for a second. If they actually gave a damn about Russia, they wouldn't be packing their bags for Israel.
They're economic migrants. At least for the majority, it isn't about fleeing antisemitism. They’re perfectly happy speaking Russian and maintaining ties back home. It's the complete opposite of those who were forced out after WWII and wanted absolutely nothing to do with their former homelands. Besides, lately, we've seen more Jewish people leaving Europe in large numbers. There were waves from France, one from Germany, and it's clear they aren't exactly thrilled with the state of Europe right now. Israel occupies a pretty unique position regarding its relationship with Russia. They have their own arrangements in Syria, which is vital to them, plus they have a massive Russian diaspora holding significant positions—people who, unlike some other groups, tend to be quite sympathetic toward Russia.
New Zealand is sending Lockheed Martin C-130s and 58 troops over to Europe. The Prime Minister announced a $13 million aid package specifically for weapons and ammo to support Ukraine. This military assistance will be routed through the UK. She made it clear that these troops aren't stepping foot in Ukraine; they're just there to help bolster European defenses.
So, we’re just going to pay for gas in rubles now... or is that actually happening? 🕺 I'd love to see Putin's face right about now, especially since even the dimmest bulb in the White House has finally realized that Russia was the one that crossed the red lines—and those European ones are notoriously hard to step over.
Sam Alvarez4 said:NASA is reportedly tying any future cooperation on the International Space Station to the lifting of all sanctions against Russia.
Russia links space cooperation to ending sanctions Dmitry Rogozin claimed the whole point of these sanctions was to "kill the Russian economy, drive our people into despair and hunger, and bring our nation to its knees."
Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency: "The goal of the sanctions is the death of the Russian economy, causing despair and starvation among the Russian people, and bringing Russia to its knees."
I really wonder how he even arrived at that conclusion... 🤔
True, but seriously, what does anyone actually care about what Peskov says? Yeah, exactly, Columbus.
By the way, there’s that talk resurfacing about a European Union gas bloc—basically, the idea of acting as a single buyer to grab some serious leverage on the global gas markets. They managed to pull it off with vaccines, sure, but this is a completely different beast, and we've seen this particular plan fall flat before. The math just doesn't add up. It's unclear how much they could actually buy together since so many European Union nations are already locked into long-term contracts, and bulk buying power only works if you're actually buying in bulk. Then there’s the whole issue of potentially violating antitrust laws. Plus, the levels of gas dependency vary wildly across Europe, and not every member state has the storage capacity or easy access to terminals to make this work. Still, this crisis is forcing the European Union to scramble for solutions. That era of being blissfully complacent was definitely over.
feralcanyon73 said:There’s zero chance they’re going to swallow those Russian terms and start paying for gas in rubles.
The ruble is basically in a freefall right now and there isn't a damn thing that can stop it.
I'm betting everything that the European Union is going to dig their heels in and refuse to pay a single cent in rubles. It’s the only way to stay upright, honestly. 👍
Actually, they have. France and Germany have already turned them down twice—most recently just yesterday. The G7 is on the same page, too. At this rate, only Viktor Orbán would be crazy enough to pay in rubles.
Nancy Gomez26 said:I find it hard to believe that support for Putin is actually what the polls suggest. When every media outlet is under state control, how much weight can you really give to any survey? Even here in the States, before an election, we see endless polling; you can easily spot which side is driving the narrative. But over there, there is only one side holding the reins with an iron fist. You could easily publish results that run completely contrary to what the administration wants to hear. I wouldn't be surprised if public dissent climbs well past 100% eventually. I don't take pleasure in seeing the masses suffer. In Russia, the leadership feels no pressure to "cater" to the public, because their grip on power doesn't rely on the will of the voters. Perhaps every nation deserves the government it gets, though that rule applies more inconsistently than one might think. That is why a population needs to react violently—to the very first signs of authoritarianism—before those tendencies become too deeply embedded in the ruling class.
Of course the support looks massive. The media blackout is doing its job. They're convinced they're winning and that Putin is making a fool out of Europe and the USA. Once the war eventually ends and the sanctions and isolation remain, things will change. In a few years, the impact will hit. They'll feel that Western decoupling just like they felt it during the Cold War, leading to total stagnation. That's when the real resentment starts to build up.
Russia has been threatening to pivot entirely toward Asia for a long time now, and honestly, let them. They’ll be dealing with different players, different rules, and a completely different kind of "predator" out there. Maybe they'll find themselves being the "weak" ones or just another group of snowflakes over there.