Art Morte wrote:

BarrileteCosmico wrote:I'm sure that if Ukraine had enough supplies they would draft too. There's a reason they're not letting 18-60 year old males leave the country.

I think they are drafting, but drafting for a defensive war is normal. Russia drafting for an offensive war is going to only worsen the morale, possibly for both the troops and society.

Yup. Yup yup yup. The brain drain is already starting. There's a small community of Russian expats here in town that studied tech stuff at university (IT, economic informatics, computer engineers, stuff like that), and pretty much all of them applied for German citizenship, and not because they want to dodge anything (at least so they say), but mostly in protest.

Russia is going to be majorly hurt by this. Just remember how much upheavel the Vietnam war meant for the US, and what Russia is doing is happening without the back bone of a healthy economy.

They could also see that this is ending in a new iron curtain and don't want to be stuck on the wrong side of it.

The Ukraine War was not the blitzkrieg that Putin hoped. As such  he's got what could be a prolonged conflict against a people that see him as an oppressor, even in Russian speaking zones (and some in Russia itselif). It will be impossible to hold 40m people that don't want to be invaded. At the same time, the west has used every single non military "nuclear option" available to them, so what's Putin got to lose for going for all of Ukraine instead of just the eastern half?

I know some people via work that still have family/friends in Belarus and Russia and are in touch with them. Word on the street there is that this ends in civil war.

Bizarrely, my company is still making our Ukrainian vendors work! The other day one of them was telling us that the airport 5 minutes away from his relatively rural house was bombed. Cant imagine working under such conditions . He's one of the ones that when offered to go to Croatia 6 weeks ago chose to stay because he was "far west enough" but thar hasn't panned out..m

The Russian clown at United Nations was talking about how there's a danger that biological agents could be released from Ukrainian facilities and spread over Europe. On top of that there's some speculation that Russia could release radioactive waste from Chernobyl and blame it on Ukrainian terrorists. Sadly, I think it's just a matter of time before Russia uses biological / chemical weapons, maybe even does something with the nuclear stuff.

sportsczy wrote:If Putin uses chemical weapons, then the gloves need to come off... time to really bring down the house on Putin militarily.

What do you suppose should be done? Start a nuclear war?
As depressing as it is, there's not much anyone can do besides more sanctions and hope that Putin stops, or is stopped.

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim.
Good day to Others.

As appreciation to Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone
in the struggle
against the Russian invasion,
Ukraine created a special song
dedicated to it.

Robespierre wrote:Lmao, just today Salvini has been humiliated from the Przemysl mayor

Salvini has travelled to Poland border and was subject to some genius trolling by the mayor of the Polish town of Przemysl who has shamed him with the Putin shirt sported by Salvini in a trip to Moscow.

Mayor of Przemyśl is my hero of the day!

Prezydent Przemyśla @wojtekbakun pokazuje @matteosalvinimi koszulkę z Putinem, w której Salvini paradował kilka lat temu - sprowadzając na ziemię jego obecność przy granicy ukraińskiej dzisiaj!

Szacunek!pic.twitter.com/E2JyT9wInl

— Dominik Krakowiak (@dkrakowiak_eu) March 8, 2022

   New avatar

Lmao this Salvini guy got the nerve. Crawled out of putins butthole to play pretend. He shouldnt have been even let in but the embarrasment is probably worth it lol

I have translated and added subtitles to the latest video speech by Vladimir Putin from two hours ago. Please don’t let it go in vain - I want everyone to see what a speech of true fascism looks like.

No further comment needed, it’s all here, in his speech pic.twitter.com/QEzsG9BODX

— Michael Elgort 🤍🤍 (@just_whatever) March 16, 2022

Putin raving against the "fifth column" in Russian society, i.e. enemies of the state. No doubt in anticipation of increased unrest and protests. Ready to claim they're anti-Russian, Western agents. He might try another purge in Russia, double down on the fear and terror factor to stay in power.

Excellent thread on how Putin manufactured the whole Ukraine thing:

https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1504103672019513345

BarrileteCosmico wrote:For real? Quebecians are a special breed

Poutine is overrated btw,  never got the hype.
Great drunk food tho

Very personal subjective opinion but I have never had a good meeting in my 5 years of being abroad with a Québécois, they have been the shallowest people I have ever met and honestly the internet "kindness" of Canadians is a fucking myth, they are as bad as anyone, hope it dies asap since its fake.

Looks like another successful troll job by my fellow quebecers. What did they do to make you such a HATER

I know we have terrible reputation as tourists, especially in the Caribbeans, because we abuse alcohol btw the reputation of kindness is a meme funded by immigration ministry. Tons of assholes here and also many good people like everywhere else.

Not a hater yet, just had really bad experiences in terms of character and personality enough to leave a mark. Probably similar rationale to British away football fans in Europe. Obviously the good are far more in number than the bad.

I am sorry, I took this thread to a wrong and unnecessary turn with my previous posts. Ukraine just ignored the Russian Mariupol deadline, I hope we do not go back to the worst forms of war where we have fighting per building and street.

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim.
Good day to Others.

Get ready guys....

This Means World War III:
Would Putin Use Nuclear Weapons In Ukraine?

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/04/this-means-world-war-iii-would-putin-use-nuclear-weapons-in-ukraine/

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim.
Good day to Others.

How big a loss to Russia
is the sinking of the
Moskva missile cruiser?

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/how-big-loss-russia-is-sinking-moskva-missile-cruiser-2022-04-15/

Russia has began its renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. My understanding is that they haven't got the numbers to advance super far into Ukraine, so we'll see what happens.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/14/russia-public-opinion-putin-ukraine/

Interesting article on what russians think

87% approval rating for putin seems crazy. I know it's very fragile and based on perceptions of his popularity mostly but in the age of internet it's a mystery to me. Maybe it's the threat of arrests, fines and harassment that makes people just say yes regardless.

But then again there's this:

In a separate question with multiple-choice answers, only 26 percent agreed that Russia and Ukraine should be united into one country, while 49 percent think the two countries should remain independent.

This one doesnt make it as clear cut, and suggests most dont really support annexation of Ukraine? those in support of war really believe it's a military operation to protect ethnic russians and russia's border integrity.

What is the sample size? Modi in India has 71% approval in India, highest in the world and I have never met even one person who likes that Right wing twat given I know people only in the urban areas. After the sample size, apply the factors: Education, Urbanization, Religion, Tradition, Personal gain (last one based on party in power of your area of living), then it would be clearer.

There is no denying these polls and hell politics is always decided by rural, uneducated, religious cunts who are still living in the 1850s so I would always be careful on these sample sizes.

That said this rational probably does not apply to countries like Russia and China dominated by history with human life having low value but I would still take this with a pinch of salt.

russian gas is no more

#Polish oil and gas company PGNIG received a notice from Gazprom stating that from 27 April the supply of Russian natural gas would be completely stopped at Drozdovici, Vysokoye, Teterovka and Kondratki entry points. These are all entry points of #Russian gas to #Poland. pic.twitter.com/34yaLfMq7V

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 26, 2022

It's now been over 2 months. Who thought Ukraine could hold off for so long, so well? I know I certainly didn't.

Nishankly wrote:What is the sample size? Modi in India has 71% approval in India, highest in the world and I have never met even one person who likes that Right wing twat given I know people only in the urban areas. After the sample size, apply the factors: Education, Urbanization, Religion, Tradition, Personal gain (last one based on party in power of your area of living), then it would be clearer.

There is no denying these polls and hell politics is always decided by rural, uneducated, religious cunts who are still living in the 1850s so I would always be careful on these sample sizes.

That said this rational probably does not apply to countries like Russia and China dominated by history with human life having low value but I would still take this with a pinch of salt.

Sample size is probably less important than sample bias. But I have no idea how that poll was conducted.

#Finland is likely to apply for #NATO membership on May 12, #Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reports. pic.twitter.com/bE5CvjQ0Jq

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 2, 2022

bravo putler bravo

Erdogan blocks Sweden and Finland from joining NATO until his list of demands is met. Pretty ballsy.

https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/erdogan-issues-his-demands-to-nato/

Tough guy politics is Erdogan's style, a show for his domestic base mostly. He will budge sooner rather than later anyway. He recently complained that Biden doesnt call him as much as Trump and Obama did lol. Poor guy is just trying to be noticed.

A shame such knobheads rule over Turkey because their armed forces are quite fearsome but their membership within NATO is ever so iffy

Finland and Sweden officially invited to join NATO after Turkey's concerns were addressed.

For anyone still thinking that this invasion was motivated by avoiding a larger NATO border mission failed...