The Ukraine war thread

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

Renauda

@Mik

Not cheery but as one observer I read pointed out:

To be clear, the fact Ukraine’s investigators — and its raucous free press — are absolutely going to town on elites is itself evidence of a living, breathing (if coughing) democracy worth defending. One need only glance over the border to recall the alternative.

Can anyone send us the link to Russia’s credible investigation after the Panama Papers exposed Putin’s billions? Or how his best friend (Roldugin) earned billions playing a cello? (dude must be awesome). Or why the guy who made a two-hour documentary on Putin’s $1.4 billion Black Sea mega-palace ended up dead in a Putin prison?

The absence of scandal in an autocracy is often just a symptom of its silent, dehumanising condition. And inversely (if uncomfortably), the presence of scandal in a democracy often just reflects the messy but sacred human agency underneath. And that’s worth fighting for, everywhere, every time.

Mik

Good observation.

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The Ukraine war thread