Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

silentnomad7 said:The whole narrative being pushed by Putin supporters—this idea that the Germans are headed for total collapse just because they can't get cheap gas from a bully—is nothing but smoke and mirrors. Over the last couple of decades, Germany has been raking in massive trade surpluses every single year, likely totaling several trillion dollars in reserves. They have enough cushion to weather a decade or two of crisis if they really need to...

rowdytiger13 said:I’m not denying it.
No one is disputing the drop in living standards or the potential recession.
A country like Norway, which exports energy, won't feel the hit, but Germany—which tied itself so tightly to Russian energy—is definitely going to feel it. They actually admit it was a mistake. They’re looking for massive ways to cut back, but Germans are a disciplined people who tend to step up when they realize they messed up. They've dealt with much worse than this.
Other countries won't be hit nearly as hard because they didn't make such a massive blunder.
Besides, Russian energy issues are only part of the story; the fallout from the pandemic plays a role too.

Edit: Vladimir Putin started an invasion war in Europe. There isn't enough energy in the world to stop it if he truly screwed up just like he has with almost everything else regarding this invasion.
Europe will survive—it has seen much worse—but Vladimir Putin has effectively isolated his Russia from the Western world.

Donna Wells2 said:I was reading an article about how Germans are buying wood-burning stoves in massive quantities, with waiting lists for a new stove stretching up to a year.
People aren't going to freeze to death; they'll make it through this winter by using coal, thermal power plants, and whatever else is available.
There's this constant mantra being pushed that Russians can survive anything because that's how they're built... but what, are the rest of the nations in Europe just supposed to surrender and die because of it?
And since Russia has been cast out of the Western circle... I truly hope those who support them find themselves right where they belong.

Larry Walker24 said:Is it just me, or did Putin get a little thicker lately?

Chemours said:A new narrative
After those initial days where everyone was basically obsessing over the massive crash of the Ruble—thinking maybe things would just stall out or hit a dead end by autumn or winter—they started pivoting to a different story once those fantasies didn't quite pan out. Now, it’s all about this long-term view, suggesting that sanctions will eventually show their full impact over time.

Brolin said:Glad you decided to delete that post. It’s nice to see some growth; at least you’re starting to read things with actual comprehension now. You can send me a thank-you note later—feel free to include an invoice. ☕

Denial is real. Not everyone, sure, but there are plenty of people out there living in a complete fog.

I honestly hope you're right, but if the German economy collapses, there's no way it won't drag the rest of the European Union down with it. We'll just have to wait and see how much damage occurs. At the very least, we might see some of our overseas workers heading back home. 🙂

P.S Maybe we should just hand the keys of the EU over to the Norwegians. They actually seem to know how to take care of their own, unlike, say, Germany. 🤷

Kate Cook27 said:Sanctions are definitely hitting Russia where it hurts, and there’s already talk about a peace deal—but it feels like the West isn't interested in letting Ukrainians find peace just yet. From where I'm sitting, it looks more like the West wants to keep this fight going until there's nothing left to fight with. It's funny how things shift overnight; suddenly the term "war in Ukraine" is being used by people like Lavrov instead of the old "special military operation" label.

Kate Cook27 said:Sanctions are definitely hitting Russia where it hurts, and there’s already talk about a peace deal—but it feels like the West isn't interested in letting Ukrainians find peace just yet. From where I'm sitting, it looks more like the West wants to keep this fight going until there's nothing left to fight with. It's funny how things shift overnight; suddenly the term "war in Ukraine" is being used by people like Lavrov instead of the old "special military operation" label.

Melissa Rivera5 said:If those sanctions weren't actually starting to bite—and if things didn't already look like they were headed toward an even bigger mess—maybe the Russians wouldn't be acting out so much and begging to have them lifted. I mean, maybe they wouldn't be making all those threats about Kaliningrad, either. They probably wouldn't be threatening massive famines if the sanctions stayed put, either. And honestly, companies like Ford wouldn't have started cranking out cars again that feel like they're straight out of the 1950s, you know, lacking basic stuff like ABS and all that. We wouldn't even have to deal with keeping the currency artificially high by banning ruble sales. And I guess the random forum trolls supporting those Kremlin extremists wouldn't be whining so much about why they aren't making 🙂
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rowdytiger13 said:Speaking of Lavrov, he seemed pretty offended when "the West" (love that little nickname of theirs) called them aggressors and occupiers during the G20.
What's the term they use back in Russia for one sovereign nation invading another?

Nancy Gomez26 said:Of course fuel costs have risen—that's visible to anyone with eyes. But once you take a moment to look at what the refinery price actually is versus how much the government slaps on top of it, the reality hits home. You quickly realize how much of this is a genuine production spike and how much is just the state aggressively padding its pockets through these increases. The federal budget is the primary beneficiary here, pulling in far more from these hikes than the refiners ever see. And they show no intention of curbing their appetite.

Chemours said:A new mantra
In the early days of the sanctions, the rhetoric was pure fantasy centered on a total collapse of the Ruble. People were predicting an absolute economic meltdown, essentially expecting the regime to starve by autumn. When those delusions failed to materialize, the narrative shifted. Now, we are being fed this long-term theory—that sanctions will eventually reach their full potential in the distant future. It is just a pivot to cover for previous failures.

goldenowl73 said:Honestly, if you want the perfect comeback to Putin, we’re just getting warmed up.

Oryx has officially verified that over 850 Russian tanks have been wiped out since the invasion of Ukraine kicked off back on February 24.

#UkraineWar: Russia is now visually confirmed to have lost more Than 850 tanks since IT Began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Check out the full breakdown here: https://t.co/QR37xcY8mq https://t.co/ELfPE4np51