Europe at War

[Spotted Horses]

The dramatic shutdown of internet access to the outside world and the criminalization of any dissent is the most telling thing to me. I was in Russia in about 2010 and the internet was not restricted. The mass media was a mouthpiece for the government but you could still access information from the outside world. The fact that Putin thinks this is necessary is telling. Now it seems that Russia is more shut in than China.

A country that isolated itself to this extent can't be economically successful.

[Todd]

What will China do?

China touts 'rock solid' ties with Russia as it offers to mediate Ukraine conflict

Xi should pressure Putin to end this war for China's own sake

[LKB]

...He will never leave Russia.

Sure he will, it's just a question of when and how.

I'd bet the Russians will usher him out the door themselves, sooner or later, via polonium or a pistol.

I do agree that he'll never stand trial though.

[Todd]

'Americans have never seen gasoline prices this high —nor have we seen the pace of increases so fast and furious': Gas tops $4 a gallon

Now it's time to set up that No Fly Zone.  Hey, wait . . .

[MusicTurner]

The dramatic shutdown of internet access to the outside world and the criminalization of any dissent is the most telling thing to me. I was in Russia in about 2010 and the internet was not restricted. The mass media was a mouthpiece for the government but you could still access information from the outside world. The fact that Putin thinks this is necessary is telling. Now it seems that Russia is more shut in than China.

A country that isolated itself to this extent can't be economically successful.

There are reports, as yet unverified, that Russia will cut off access to all foreign internet, keeping only Russian websites and servers, within maybe a week, perhaps around March 11th-12th.

They already did a general, countrywide test of that concept in April 2019.

[drogulus]

Even without Putin, Russia still needs to create a defensible border against NATO. Grabbing Ukraine's valuable natural resources while you're at it must seem like icing on the cake.

     If Russia wants to defend it's border with Latvia or Ukraine or some other country that will never threaten them, they can. They don't need to, but hey, they can knock themselves out. Defense doesn't require the kind of massive offensive weaponry Russia has. An effective defense could easily be done more cheaply, and that would be sensible. All they'd give up is the force needed to invade their neighbors. Why should Russia need that?

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The dramatic shutdown of internet access to the outside world and the criminalization of any dissent is the most telling thing to me. I was in Russia in about 2010 and the internet was not restricted.

I was still living there in 2010. At that time basically nothing was blocked; any source of information you wanted was available, either in print or on the Internet. From what I've heard, the situation has been deteriorating since I left.

I don't think anyone has mentioned yet one of the Russian army's biggest problems: draft dodging. They still have a conscript army, and every year, more than half of those called don't show up. The most common way out is to bribe a doctor to give you a bad health record. Other methods of dodging include leaving your city (or country) during the call-up period so they can't find you, and of course the time-honored method of getting an educational deferment. The Russian army is such a tough place to be that many (most?) Russians consider you to be stupid or a loser if you have a way out and don't take it. Yes, Russian patriotism can be loud, but it can also be flimsy and brittle, depending on the situation.

[Karl Henning]

The most common way out is to bribe a doctor to give you a bad health record.

Bone spurs!

[LKB]

Bone spurs!

Gee, whomever could you be referring to... 🤔

[drogulus]

     I had a legitimately bad knee, though I would have been satisfied with an illegitimately bad one if it came to that.

[Johnnie Burgess]

Bone spurs!

Or complain about asthma while on college swim team.

[Mandryka]

     If Russia wants to defend it's border with Latvia or Ukraine or some other country that will never threaten them, they can. They don't need to, but hey, they can knock themselves out. Defense doesn't require the kind of massive offensive weaponry Russia has. An effective defense could easily be done more cheaply, and that would be sensible. All they'd give up is the force needed to invade their neighbors. Why should Russia need that?

Now you really are being disingenuous. From the Russian perspective, what makes NATO a threat? Could it be it's seen as the European arm of US armed forces- the US are certainly the biggest partner at 41% ?

https://www.nationalworld.com/news/what-is-biggest-army-in-the-world-size-and-strength-of-uk-ukraine-russia-nato-and-china-armies-compared-3584043

[71 dB]

I have been getting rid of the overhelming anxiety caused by this war by almost completely ignoring it. I don't follow the news almost at all. It has helped. I do and think about other things as much as possible. I have to do it to be a functioning person.

[Que]

I have been getting rid of the overhelming anxiety caused by this war by almost completely ignoring it. I don't follow the news almost at all. It has helped. I do and think about other things as much as possible. I have to do it to be a functioning person.

Don't worry, I don't think Finland is anywhere near the top of Putin's shopping list!

However, Finland is pretty much completely dependent on Russian gas. That might be a problem next winter.

[Florestan]

The Ukrainian people is assassinated on-air and Ukrainian cities are shelled to the ground --- yet Patriarch Kirill of Russia's most pressing problem is... the gay parades in the West. This man is not a follower of Christ by any stretch of imagination, he is a minion of Satan.

[Que]

Well, I think most of us saw this one coming...

Russia threatens Europe's gas supplies as west mulls oil import ban over Ukraine invasion

Deputy prime minister raises prospect of closing Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany, and says rejecting Russian oil would be 'catastrophic' for world


Is Putin bluffing?  The fact that he lets another member of his govt deliver the message could indicate he is cautious in his mode of escalation.

[Florestan]

Is Putin bluffing? 

In this case, possibly. No more Russian gas to Europe means no more Western money to Russia.

In any case, the Lithuanian President is right: Putin will not stop unless he is stopped.

[71 dB]

Don't worry, I don't think Finland is anywhere near the top of Putin's shopping list!

However, Finland is pretty much completely dependent on Russian gas. That might be a problem next winter.

Future will tell what is or isn't on Putin's shopping list, but what happens in Ukraine is enough to create massive anxiety and sadness.

Finland always suffer more than other countries when sanctions are set against Russia. Even the stock market has dropped more in Finland than elsewhere in the Europe, because foreign investors want to get rid of Finnish stocks. Finland is considered risky now, because we have 1340 km (830 miles) long border with Russia. 

[Que]

Remarkable:

"Russia's foreign ministry has said that Russia and the US should return to the principle of peaceful co-existence like they did during the cold war, reports Reuters citing Interfax news agency."

[Pohjolas Daughter]

If reports are to be believed he has a lot of wealth inside and outside of Russia, including a palatial estate inside Russia and billions secreted in western banks, some fraction of which they won't be able to trace. That is for his progeny, I assume. He will never leave Russia.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he didn't have a stash of US dollars--and perhaps some other currencies--to help prop up his wealth there with him.

PD