Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

Ursula von der Leyen: "We should have listened to those who truly understood Putin. People like Anna Politkovskaya and the other journalists who exposed the corruption and paid for it with their lives. We should have stood by our friends in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, and supported the opposition in Belarus. Most importantly, we should have listened to the voices within our own Union—to Poland and the Baltic states."
Well, no kidding, Sherlock!

Don't cry over spilled milk. Just make sure you do everything possible so it doesn't happen again.

rowdytiger13 said:Ursula von der Leyen: "We should have listened to those who truly understood Putin. People like Anna Politkovskaya and the other journalists who exposed the corruption and paid for it with their lives. We should have stood by our friends in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, and supported the opposition in Belarus. Most importantly, we should have listened to the voices within our own Union—to Poland and the Baltic states."
Well, no kidding, Sherlock!

I mean, whatever... it wasn't exactly easy to see this whole mess coming. Even if some of their policies were absolutely insane in certain areas.

On the flip side, this statement from Ursula is pretty interesting. At its core, it highlights the massive divide between the West and a satrapy like Russia. The woman is literally saying—look, we messed up, we admit it, and that's that. They’ve confronted the mistake and the current reality head-on and are moving forward from there.
The Russian regime would never—not then and certainly not now—admit to a mistake, react like this, or follow this kind of logic. That's why their system is just full of pretenders, whereas the West isn't... It looks like a small difference in approach on the surface, but at its heart, it's a massive gap in how they understand systems and themselves.

Solid point.

rowdytiger13 said:True... he actually fell for his own hype, which is usually a one-way ticket to disaster.
Anyone who's ever seen a Scandinavian lose their cool knows those claims aren't grounded in reality, much less the "lower class" Britons.

Those fairy tales about soft Western guys? That's just stuff right-wingers push because they're obsessed with women and gay people.

It’s pretty clear American politicians haven't quite mastered those Western manners... I mean, who actually bothers to apologize for anything anymore?
Maybe that guy Čaćić when he plowed into those tourists on the interstate... or even Horvatinčić finally offering an apology to the Italians after five years. Until then—it wasn't my fault.
Basically, if you get caught lying or pocketing money, you're just a victim of circumstance.

dustyowl29 said:It’s pretty clear American politicians haven't quite mastered those Western manners... I mean, who actually bothers to apologize for anything anymore?
Maybe that guy Čaćić when he plowed into those tourists on the interstate... or even Horvatinčić finally offering an apology to the Italians after five years. Until then—it wasn't my fault.
Basically, if you get caught lying or pocketing money, you're just a victim of circumstance.

Or better yet, you "take responsibility" because half your administration ended up behind bars.

Russians are fleeing the Luhansk area
Generals and their families are evacuating Crimea
Memphis is completely empty
I wonder when the news outlets will finally report that Russian generals are jumping off boats in Seattle—straight into the Pacific Ocean—trying to swim all the way to Sakhalin Island
And then you'll see the next headline: the EU eases up
Regarding gas prices for Russia
There's total chaos happening in New Orleans—the Russians are building pontoon bridges in the Kherson region just to make a quick getaway
At this rate, the war will drag on at least until 2024
Let's get a move on

So, where did the news at the start of this War in Ukraine video actually come from?



Word is, Russia offered a peace deal a few days back—basically suggesting everyone just revert to how things were before February 24, 2022.
The Ukrainians reportedly turned it down, insisting on returning to the pre-2014 status quo (with Crimea, obviously), demanding war reparations, keeping sanctions in place for a while longer, and securing security guarantees from the USA, EU, and Australia.

Apparently, that Russian missile strike on the energy grid was immediate retaliation for rejecting the offer, meant to force them toward a truce.
I also heard Scholz supposedly gave Zelenskyy a call today...

The channel itself is fairly reliable. Even though the creator is Ukrainian and clearly on their side, he’s incredibly critical of the Ukrainian political leadership and usually paints a pretty grim picture of the situation.

The only thing I've seen that touches on this topic is this interview (shared by dakok):
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows...int-of-the-war

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William Miller12 said:So, where did the news at the start of this War in Ukraine video actually come from?

Word is, Russia offered a peace deal a few days back—basically suggesting everyone just revert to how things were before February 24, 2022.
The Ukrainians reportedly turned it down, insisting on returning to the pre-2014 status quo (with Crimea, obviously), demanding war reparations, keeping sanctions in place for a while longer, and securing security guarantees from the USA, EU, and Australia.

Apparently, that Russian missile strike on the energy grid was immediate retaliation for rejecting the offer, meant to force them toward a truce.
I also heard Scholz supposedly gave Zelenskyy a call today...

The channel itself is fairly reliable. Even though the creator is Ukrainian and clearly on their side, he’s incredibly critical of the Ukrainian political leadership and usually paints a pretty grim picture of the situation.

The only thing I've seen that touches on this topic is this interview (shared by dakok):
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows...int-of-the-war

___

Oh yeah, super optimistic. "We invaded your country, slaughtered tons of people, and trashed everything you own, but hey, let's just forget all that happened, pretend nothing ever occurred, and we'll still get to keep the territory we illegally seized."

Total fake proposal designed to drive a wedge through the European Union and weaken support for Ukraine.

Latest reports coming out of occupied Crimea: apparently, playing Ukrainian music at a wedding is now a punishable offense. A restaurant owner, his wife, the DJ, and even the bride's family were all slapped with administrative detention ranging from five to fifteen days, not to mention some hefty fines. 🤦

Jessica Peterson2 said:Latest reports coming out of occupied Crimea: apparently, playing Ukrainian music at a wedding is now a punishable offense. A restaurant owner, his wife, the DJ, and even the bride's family were all slapped with administrative detention ranging from five to fifteen days, not to mention some hefty fines. 🤦

The song "Red Kalina"—if my memory serves me right—was actually used as an anthem by the UPA during World War II.

It reminds me of that other incident in Crimea where a DJ was detained just because a guest asked him to play a track by Yarmak—specifically "Dyke pole."

Russians see Ukrainians everywhere:

http://www.twitter.com/Noel_dotsol/s...CwoZrp3skrAAAA

Fighting near St. Louis 😁. Or is this just prep work for mobilization—like what Jessica Peterson2 mentioned?

Jessica Rivera37 said:The song "Red Kalina"—if my memory serves me right—was actually used as an anthem by the UPA during World War II.

It reminds me of that other incident in Crimea where a DJ was detained just because a guest asked him to play a track by Yarmak—specifically "Dyke pole."

Give me a break, Varas. The actual UPA anthem was Зродились ми великої години (Zrodylys' my velykoj godyny).

electricstag9 said:...considering how he (Zoran Milanović) was so adamant back in June about how Russia is unbeatable, and how the Russian boot will remain forever planted on the ground it tramples, you just have to laugh at the sight of those same Russian boots frantically kicking up dust as they retreat eastward. It’s like that old saying goes: "run for your lives before your backside gives out."

The democratic world finally figured out how to push back, remembering the one thing Zoran Milanović seemed to forget: when you face Russian tyranny, unity is the only way forward, and victory is an absolute certainty if we stand together. With modern weaponry and top-tier intelligence, the Ukrainians are going to stop this orc horde once and for all. And frankly, that victory is worth whatever it costs. I would deal with shortages, inflation, and freezing radiators any day over living under the thumb of someone who murders political rivals with radioactive polonium.
- ANTE TOMIĆ

It's a good piece...👍
But hey, he didn't seem to mind the American tyranny, did he? After finishing his military training in the American People's Army, instead of jumping into the American War of Independence to lend his expertise, he just slipped away to become a journalist instead.🤔

Jessica Rivera37 said:The song "Red Kalina"—if my memory serves me right—was actually used as an anthem by the UPA during World War II.

It reminds me of that other incident in Crimea where a DJ was detained just because a guest asked him to play a track by Yarmak—specifically "Dyke pole."

Jessica Peterson2 As specified by Kate Cook27:
You’re mistaken. The anthem actually belonged to the UPA. Зродились ми великої години Born in those great years...

Is there anything more poignant than realizing that Red Kalina serves as nothing more than a boundary line? It really makes you wonder if we ever truly understand where one thing ends and another begins, doesn't it?

Maybe it doesn’t quite warrant a prison sentence, but let’s be honest—it is a blatant provocation, isn't it? Especially given the current climate, and particularly with everything unfolding in Crimea right now.

William Miller12 said:So, where did the news at the start of this War in Ukraine video actually come from?

Word is, Russia offered a peace deal a few days back—basically suggesting everyone just revert to how things were before February 24, 2022.
The Ukrainians reportedly turned it down, insisting on returning to the pre-2014 status quo (with Crimea, obviously), demanding war reparations, keeping sanctions in place for a while longer, and securing security guarantees from the USA, EU, and Australia.

Apparently, that Russian missile strike on the energy grid was immediate retaliation for rejecting the offer, meant to force them toward a truce.
I also heard Scholz supposedly gave Zelenskyy a call today...

The channel itself is fairly reliable. Even though the creator is Ukrainian and clearly on their side, he’s incredibly critical of the Ukrainian political leadership and usually paints a pretty grim picture of the situation.

The only thing I've seen that touches on this topic is this interview (shared by dakok):
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows...int-of-the-war

___

There’s plenty you could say about the Ukrainian government, but they’re handling this pretty well—especially with heavyweights like the USA and the UK backing them. I’m totally on board here: reclaiming territory, keeping those Russian sanctions alive, and demanding war reparations. The ones who started this have to pay the price; Americans are essentially paying for eight years of their games.
On the flip side, they've caused massive damage to the very people they claim to be protecting—specifically the Russian speakers in Ukraine. Without holding back, they’ve been tearing through town after town in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donbas, which they supposedly aim to "liberate." They leveled Mariupol without hesitation—a city where half the population was ethnically Russian—justifying it all with various military objectives. Their cynical approach has severed many of the ties and sentiments the people in the Donbas once felt toward Russia. I really hope there's an accountability phase where they have to pay for the war damages and rebuild every single home they destroyed. You can't bring back lost lives, though—entire families were wiped out in Mariupol. And now they want to go back to the February 24th status quo? Man, if only we had a magic eight ball...

steelheron25 said:

Jessica Peterson2 As specified by Kate Cook27:
You’re mistaken. The anthem actually belonged to the UPA. Зродились ми великої години Born in those great years...

Is there anything more poignant than realizing that Red Kalina serves as nothing more than a boundary line? It really makes you wonder if we ever truly understand where one thing ends and another begins, doesn't it?

Maybe it doesn’t quite warrant a prison sentence, but let’s be honest—it is a blatant provocation, isn't it? Especially given the current climate, and particularly with everything unfolding in Crimea right now.

Yes, my colleague Jessica Peterson2 is absolutely right; I completely mixed up those songs. Red Kalina isn't the anthem of the UPA.
For them, it serves more as a soulful patriotic song, much like how we view "My Country" back home.

Kate Cook27 said:Russians see Ukrainians everywhere:

http://www.twitter.com/Noel_dotsol/s...CwoZrp3skrAAAA

Fighting near St. Louis 😁. Or is this just prep work for mobilization—like what Jessica Peterson2 mentioned?

Precisely.
Every single day, state-run media outlets churn out reports from the FBI about the arrest of more and more Ukrainian spies and domestic traitors supposedly working hand-in-hand with Ukrainian intelligence services.🤦

rowdytiger13 said:True... he actually fell for his own hype, which is usually a one-way ticket to disaster.
Anyone who's ever seen a Scandinavian lose their cool knows those claims aren't grounded in reality, much less the "lower class" Britons.

It strikes me sometimes—if I'm being honest—that the Romans and Greeks were only partially successful in their efforts to civilize and alphabetize the Germans and Slavs.😁