The Ukraine war thread

[jon-nyc]

Russians taking over Ukrainian territory doesn’t seem to end the suffering of the inhabitants.

[Renauda]

@Tom-K said in The Ukraine war thread:

The only reason to end the war is to spare the suffering and death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. But if you don't care about that….. Putin is like Hamas--as long as they get what they want in the end human suffering really doesn't matter.

No it doesn’t. What only matters is Putin’s own megalomaniac legacy to become the greatest Russian autocrat since Peter the Great. That legacy includes all of what remains of sovereign Ukraine and whatever other coveted imperial morsel he can steal by subterfuge or brute force.

[Axtremus]

@jon-nyc said in The Ukraine war thread:

Russians taking over Ukrainian territory doesn’t seem to end the suffering of the inhabitants.

But maybe it will result in a Nobel Prize.

[jon-nyc]

I wish they were wrong.

[Renauda]

Budapest Summit indefinitely postponed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjp73gp41o

[Renauda]

Prescient commentary from 1990:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/24591979110497672/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

[Wim]

Lavrov losing Putin's support?

Https://www.google.com/amp/s/telegrafi.com/en/amp/Lavrov-loses-Putin%2527s-support-after-failed-meeting-with-Trump-2674272039

[Axtremus]

@Wim said in The Ukraine war thread:

Lavrov losing Putin's support?

What's the significance?

[Renauda]

Substantial, if true. I however remain sceptical that Lavrov is on Putin’s naughty list.

[Mik]

Not being privy to internal Kremlin politics, it would seem unwise to alienate Lavrov who clearly has his own following. I doubt his absence means any more than was said.

[Renauda]

Not likely that Lavrov would be entirely sidelined, his expertise in security and foreign affairs is too valuable. A very uncompromising person.

[Renauda]

I should add however, that he should henceforth avoid all windows located above the ground floor. After all, one can’t be too careful in these troubled times.

[Mik]

Ah, yes. The gravity of the situation.

[jon-nyc]

I was heartened by this.

[Mik]

The comments are interesting too. It's perhaps not apples to apples but it's a good development, nonetheless.

[Mik]

Not a good development, but probably to be expected given the environment Ukraine endured under Soviet rule.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-s-top-ministers-resign-amid-100m-corruption-scandal/ar-AA1Qjy5u

[Wim]

Putin's power bloc cracking?

https://www.kyivpost.com/videos/64394

[Mik]

Interesting.

[Renauda]

@Wim

Makes sense in so far as Russia is not and never has been a monolith state. It also explains the internal struggle since the dissolution of the USSR between the siloviki (strongmen - security services, military) and the financial/industrial business elites. He correctly identifies Rosneft’s Igor Sechin as more than just associated with the FSB. Back in the 90’s Rosneft was the poor boy in the oil patch a badly managed state owned oil company that could not compete with its privatized competition like LUKOil or Surgutneftegaz. That all changed with the arrival of Putin in the Kremlin and during the course of his first two terms Rosneft came to be among the top three Russian oil companies. By now it is probably the most powerful in the country as in terms of production, refining capacity and lucrative financial assets outside of the oil business internally and abroad.

[Mik]

Not a cheery article. I can't help but wonder where we would be if the west had supported Ukraine more whole-heartedly. All for using the frozen Russian assets.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/zelensky-is-losing-touch-with-reality/ar-AA1QGvyu