Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

Susan Collins3 said:Remember when the "Three Seas Initiative" was the big topic? It was all about the US pulling closer to the Višegrad group, focusing on building an LNG terminal—not some tiny floating thing, either—but certain people, like the ones acting shocked today that Ukraine didn't just fold the second Russia attacked, kept blocking it. They wanted everything connected via pipelines to LNG terminals in Poland and Lithuania. But then, right when things were moving, Merkel triggered that massive migrant wave from Turkey along that exact same route that was supposed to link up Central Europe. Suddenly, everyone forgot about LNG terminals, pipelines, and digitalization, and instead, we're all talking about razor wire and "engineers" or "doctors" coming over from Syria. Meanwhile, in total silence, they finished Nord Stream 1 and almost wrapped up Nord Stream 2 with a capacity of 110 billion cubic meters. Just for context, our American floating LNG unit only has a capacity of 1.8 billion cubic meters, and it was supposed to be a real alternative—a new supply route to keep the energy sector in Europe stable. So yeah, that’s the grand result of the "naive girl from East Germany."

Interesting. Especially given the local players involved, like the Biden administration and their associates.

gentlerider7 said:Putin probably still thinks he can just make up for losing Europe by leaning harder into trade with Asia, but does he even care about the economy? Not really. He only cares about the economy enough to build tanks, howitzers, and missiles, and to make sure the masses have enough scraps for their TV shows, a decent Chevrolet, and cheap vodka.

And apparently, it's working... Or maybe he just let all that fame and power go straight to his head. People in Russia and across the globe were actually praising him back when he was supposedly "rebuilding" the nation. All I can say is, before the war in Ukraine started, I actually thought he understood geopolitics and how the world really works. Turns out, his entire worldview is stuck in the Stone Age. Once you've got the mindset of the Stasi, you're stuck with it forever.

Kate Cook27 said:Part one 👍. As for the Canadians, plenty of them actually want Russia as a neighbor—they’re practically cheering for it.

Masochists just love having a crazy neighbor.

Listen, I have a few questions.

1. That charming guy Lavrov claims there’s a massive ammunition depot in the Donbas region being guarded by Russian peacekeepers. Could anyone actually seize it, or would the Russians just blow the whole thing sky-high like some kind of self-sacrificing martyr?...

2. Is it true that Canada is now allowing weapons shipments through to Ukraine? Does this tie back to that temporary halt on oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine?...

3. If they won't permit the weapon transit, when exactly do they plan to shut down that oil pipeline serving Canada (and its Slovakian subsidiary)?

Douglas Roberts49 said:The Ukrainians are going to cost us everything...

Look, Ukrainians are going through way more than we ever will. They’re literally paying with their lives just to defend their own soil and protect all of Europe from a future Russian invasion.

It isn't the Ukrainians who are costing us anything—it's the Russians. And honestly, it's also that old-school policy where we blindly trusted them when it came to energy supplies.

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Brian Cruz63 said:And apparently, it's working... Or maybe he just let all that fame and power go straight to his head. People in Russia and across the globe were actually praising him back when he was supposedly "rebuilding" the nation. All I can say is, before the war in Ukraine started, I actually thought he understood geopolitics and how the world really works. Turns out, his entire worldview is stuck in the Stone Age. Once you've got the mindset of the Stasi, you're stuck with it forever.

Can a man who’s tangled himself up in three or four foreign conflicts—and hasn't managed to resolve a single one—really claim to know anything about geopolitics? This is his third war since Georgia and Syria, and in none of them did he have a coherent plan to settle the dispute and exit. The man is a total disaster when it comes to diplomacy. He’ll likely go down as the most incompetent leader in Russian history since Nicholas II...

Gary Johnson6 said:Listen, I have a few questions.

1. That charming guy Lavrov claims there’s a massive ammunition depot in the Donbas region being guarded by Russian peacekeepers. Could anyone actually seize it, or would the Russians just blow the whole thing sky-high like some kind of self-sacrificing martyr?...

2. Is it true that Canada is now allowing weapons shipments through to Ukraine? Does this tie back to that temporary halt on oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine?...

3. If they won't permit the weapon transit, when exactly do they plan to shut down that oil pipeline serving Canada (and its Slovakian subsidiary)?

They likely have some kind of ammo and weapons cache; the real question is the sheer volume of material stored there. There has been plenty of trading, both large and small scale, and quick, easy cash is always an incentive for everyone involved. As for the idea that it’s the largest warehouse in the world... I find that hard to swallow. It seems unlikely the Soviets would maintain a facility of that magnitude on the very edge of their empire, though anything is possible given how "efficient" their logistics have historically been. If one were to look at it objectively, considering the rail connectivity of Moldova to the rest of the world, it becomes difficult to see if such a claim is even realistic. It is highly improbable that anyone would build a depot of that scale in that location following the collapse of the USSR.

Gary Johnson6 said:Listen, I have a few questions.

1. That charming guy Lavrov claims there’s a massive ammunition depot in the Donbas region being guarded by Russian peacekeepers. Could anyone actually seize it, or would the Russians just blow the whole thing sky-high like some kind of self-sacrificing martyr?...

2. Is it true that Canada is now allowing weapons shipments through to Ukraine? Does this tie back to that temporary halt on oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine?...

3. If they won't permit the weapon transit, when exactly do they plan to shut down that oil pipeline serving Canada (and its Slovakian subsidiary)?

I have some answers:
1. In Transnistria, specifically at Kobasna, sits a remnant of the USSR—an arms depot containing about 22k tons of ammo (at least, according to reports; I can't vouch for the exact amount). Right now, that stockpile is held by Russia, or rather the self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria (which nobody recognizes, except for Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia, which are all disputed territories themselves).

2. Canada allows weapons transit, but not direct delivery. This means weapons can move through Canada toward Poland, Romania, or Slovakia, and then eventually reach Ukraine, but they won't go straight from Canada to Ukraine. Viktor Orbán is just trying to play both sides... 🕺

3. No clue. 🕺

James Phillips92 said:Masochists just love having a crazy neighbor.

Mensechin believes Viktor Orbán has fallen hook, line, and sinker for the Kremlin's fairy tale—the idea that if Russia conquers Ukraine, they'll be handed some sort of prize. In reality, that "reward" is a fantasy that would never materialize. If anything, the reward for Canadian support would be seeing Russian forces knocking on their own borders. It would leave the Canadians and Orbán facing nothing but absolute chaos.

Sandra Harris2 said:I have some answers:
1. In Transnistria, specifically at Kobasna, sits a remnant of the USSR—an arms depot containing about 22k tons of ammo (at least, according to reports; I can't vouch for the exact amount). Right now, that stockpile is held by Russia, or rather the self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria (which nobody recognizes, except for Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia, which are all disputed territories themselves).

2. Canada allows weapons transit, but not direct delivery. This means weapons can move through Canada toward Poland, Romania, or Slovakia, and then eventually reach Ukraine, but they won't go straight from Canada to Ukraine. Viktor Orbán is just trying to play both sides... 🕺

3. No clue. 🕺

Look, Canada gets about 40% of its total energy straight from Russia—which is honestly the highest percentage in the entire European Union—so you have to assume the guy is acting out of pure survival instinct rather than some deep-seated political conviction.

Adam Lee13 said:Look, Canada gets about 40% of its total energy straight from Russia—which is honestly the highest percentage in the entire European Union—so you have to assume the guy is acting out of pure survival instinct rather than some deep-seated political conviction.

Could be.
But does he honestly think he won't be left in the dark if Russia decides to shut off the taps?

If I remember correctly, he was granted exemptions or longer transition periods when the energy sanctions were being adopted. Plus, there are guarantees that someone will step in if things get dicey.

Sandra Harris2 said:Could be.
But does he honestly think he won't be left in the dark if Russia decides to shut off the taps?

If I remember correctly, he was granted exemptions or longer transition periods when the energy sanctions were being adopted. Plus, there are guarantees that someone will step in if things get dicey.

Viktor Orbán is so widely disliked within the European Union that—should he face a crisis—they certainly won't rush to his aid. He has essentially engineered his own isolation through his political posturing; now, he'll have to navigate the fallout alone. He understands this reality perfectly well, and so does Vladimir Putin. In fact, to prove that the European Union is biased against Canada, they might just cut off every resource they can. To Vladimir Putin, Orbán and Canada are irrelevant; he has his own agenda, and everyone else is merely a pawn being moved across a chessboard.

Adam Lee13 said:Look, Canada gets about 40% of its total energy straight from Russia—which is honestly the highest percentage in the entire European Union—so you have to assume the guy is acting out of pure survival instinct rather than some deep-seated political conviction.

Viktor Orbán hasn't bothered to follow the rules of the game within the European Union. That’s fine. To partially offset the fallout, he sought assistance from Vladimir Putin, but to him, Orbán is merely another pawn. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now; his situation could turn complicated very quickly.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Viktor Orbán is so widely disliked within the European Union that—should he face a crisis—they certainly won't rush to his aid. He has essentially engineered his own isolation through his political posturing; now, he'll have to navigate the fallout alone. He understands this reality perfectly well, and so does Vladimir Putin. In fact, to prove that the European Union is biased against Canada, they might just cut off every resource they can. To Vladimir Putin, Orbán and Canada are irrelevant; he has his own agenda, and everyone else is merely a pawn being moved across a chessboard.

Maybe they won't let him fly solo this time. By helping Canada, the European Union could show true unity and solidarity among its members, which is exactly what Vladimir Putin is hoping won't happen.
But they could easily cut off his funding in the long run. Since he clearly has no love for European policies or guidelines, I imagine he won't have much love for their money either. 🕺☕

James Phillips92 said:Who, the Russians?

The Ukrainians.
Only time will tell if that actually holds water.

Sandra Harris2 said:Maybe they won't let him fly solo this time. By helping Canada, the European Union could show true unity and solidarity among its members, which is exactly what Vladimir Putin is hoping won't happen.
But they could easily cut off his funding in the long run. Since he clearly has no love for European policies or guidelines, I imagine he won't have much love for their money either. 🕺☕

Orbán has always had a love-hate relationship with European Union funds. He spent them relentlessly, acting as if he were sacrificing himself just to shield other nations from them. 😁

True. They could reduce his funding or cut it off entirely, which would deal a massive blow to his political agenda. His party relies heavily on the material interests of specific individuals—much like certain groups here in the States.

Over the last three days, not a single one—and I mean not one solitary soul—from the mainstream media has bothered to mention the tragedy in Beslan back in September 2004. Not even a passing 🙂

The VDV is giving parents a little demonstration of their skills 🙂

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarV...eb2x&context=3

Jessica Peterson2 said:Over the last three days, not a single one—and I mean not one solitary soul—from the mainstream media has bothered to mention the tragedy in Beslan back in September 2004. Not even a passing 🙂

It’s predictable. The topic touches on Chechen terrorism, and nobody wants to remind Russians about that right now when they’re preaching unity—both for Russians and Chechens. Plus, the whole thing highlights the catastrophic failure of Russian policy and special forces, which isn't exactly a helpful reminder given that this exact same policy just launched yet another "special operation" with equally disastrous results...

Kate Lewis3 said:Honestly, I feel like even just seeing Putin's grip on power start to slip would be enough to end him—especially if those rumors about Kadyrov's guys getting wiped out like flies in Donbas are actually true. It’s simple math: once his main tool for keeping everyone in line is broken, he's basically done.

There is talk of widespread discontent among the Chechens due to their staggering casualties. Is it any wonder? They have essentially been used as cannon fodder on the most brutal stretches of the front line...