Europe at War

[71 dB]

BREAKING: Hellenic Parliament ratified accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO! 🇬🇷🇫🇮🇸🇪

Just saw the great news on TV! Thank you Greece! 
🇬🇷

[MusicTurner]

Some strangely appropriate interior design at the current meeting - a coffin shape at the centre, and shouting distance between the leaders.

[MusicTurner]

As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide

"Putin's chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia's demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and pressed ahead with his military campaign, according to three people close to the Russian leadership."

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-war-began-putin-rejected-ukraine-peace-deal-recommended-by-his-aide-2022-09-14/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter

[Florestan]

Some strangely appropriate interior design at the current meeting - a coffin shape at the centre, and shouting distance between the leaders.

Indeed, the coffin is strikingly obvious to the eye. 

[LKB]

Indeed, the coffin is strikingly obvious to the eye. 

Perhaps intended for Putin's ego?

Wait, on second thought never mind... it isn't big enough.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Some strangely appropriate interior design at the current meeting - a coffin shape at the centre, and shouting distance between the leaders.

That is creepy!   

As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide

"Putin's chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia's demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and pressed ahead with his military campaign, according to three people close to the Russian leadership."

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-war-began-putin-rejected-ukraine-peace-deal-recommended-by-his-aide-2022-09-14/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter

Sadly, I'm not that surprised. 

"Ukraine war: Hundreds of graves found in liberated Izyum city - officials"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62922674

PD

[BasilValentine]

As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide

"Putin's chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia's demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and pressed ahead with his military campaign, according to three people close to the Russian leadership."

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-war-began-putin-rejected-ukraine-peace-deal-recommended-by-his-aide-2022-09-14/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter

From the beginning Putin wanted more than assurances Ukraine wouldn't join NATO (he wanted Ukraine) and he would in any case have been an idiot had he taken such assurances seriously. Obviously, an agreement made under duress entails no obligation to later observe its terms. Putin likely green lighted the negotiation simply to gauge Ukraine's resolve and/or, if Ukraine refused to make assurances, to use this intransigence as a justification for the invasion he was planning all along. The authors sound a bit credulous.

[MusicTurner]

From the beginning Putin wanted more than assurances Ukraine wouldn't join NATO (he wanted Ukraine) and he would in any case have been an idiot had he taken such assurances seriously. Obviously, an agreement made under duress entails no obligation to later observe its terms. Putin likely green lighted the negotiation simply to gauge Ukraine's resolve and/or, if Ukraine refused to make assurances, to use this intransigence as a justification for the invasion he was planning all along.   

Of course.

[Madiel]

Putin wants to ensure that Ukraine remains appropriately Russian.

He is far from the first Russian to refuse to accept a notion of a fully separate Ukrainian identity. They're allowed to be somewhat quirky and different (much as many cultures like to have some sort of cultural cousin you can poke fun at a bit), but they're still considered Russian.

Actual Ukrainians of course tend to feel rather differently about all this.

[71 dB]

Putin wants to ensure that Ukraine remains appropriately Russian.

The land area in where the war has been taking place has enourmous sources of natural gas. Russia doesn't want Ukraine to build the infrastructure and start selling the gas to Europe and elsewhere becoming a competitor to Russian natural gas. It seems that Russia (Putin) assumed Europe to be much weaker and continue buying gas from Russia instead of supporting Ukraine and suffering energy crisis and inflation. The will of Ukrainians to defend their country was also overlooked badly. so, this war has lasted this long and Russia doesn't know what to do. Now, only undemocratic countries are willing to buy Russian gas and even China's support is questionable. Unless something drastic happens in Russia, it will become a large North Korea almost completely isolated from the rest of the World. The next winter will be cold in Europe, but in 5 years Europe has figured out how to get energy without Russia. That's when Russia is totally finished as a country. They have nothing but nukes just like North Korea.

[Todd]

China's New Vassal

How the War in Ukraine Turned Moscow Into Beijing's Junior Partner

[Que]

Judging from reports on recent developments, the fall of Kherson city to Ukranian troops could be imminent...

[milk]

China's New Vassal

How the War in Ukraine Turned Moscow Into Beijing's Junior Partner

Jinping is the papa poo-bear. Putin will have to learn to supplicate. Maybe India will have to buy its weapons elsewhere.

[The new erato]

China's New Vassal

How the War in Ukraine Turned Moscow Into Beijing's Junior Partner

That was August 9th. Now Russia is more like Chinas crybaby. With some nukes in its diaphers.

[Que]

That was August 9th. Now Russia is more like Chinas crybaby. With some nukes in its diaphers.

Old news indeed, and totally predictable. The Russian Empire is gone, but Putin didn't get the memo.

Now he himself might end up on the receiving end of terriorial claims.
The Chines haven't forgotten about their loss of Outer Manchuria to the Russian Empire... Strategically significant because with it, they also lost access to the Japanese Sea.

[Todd]

That was August 9th.

It was. 

This was from June 6th: China's new vassal: Vladimir Putin. 

This was from April 6th: Could Putin's great gamble turn Russia into a Chinese vassal state?

This was Paul Krugman tweeting on March 5th:

It would be ironic if Putin's attempt to reestablish the Russian empire ends up turning Russia into a Chinese vassal state. But that's exactly what will happen if he relies on China to bail him out now

Old news indeed, and totally predictable.

Of course it is old news.  When Putin responded to Obama's never quite satisfactory Pivot to Asia with Russia's Turn to the East in 2012, that should have been a more widely recognized sign of the shifts in Eurasia.  Everyone will of course now say it was inevitable, well-known, etc.

Maybe India will have to buy its weapons elsewhere.

Maybe.  This does open opportunities for the US, but Indian leaders are not interested in another English-speaking overlord and are pursuing their own alternatives to the dollar.  Negotiating with the next country that will overtake the US in economic size - mid-century in nominal GDP, next decade in PPP GDP - will prove trickier than dealing with European vassal states.

[71 dB]

This war in Ukraine has totally unexpected consequences:

In 1997 McDonald's opened a restaurant in Rovaniemi, northern Finland (pretty much at the Arctic circle) which for years was the most northern McDonald's in the World until McDonald's opened a restaurant in Murmansk, Russia in 2013. Now McDonald's has left Russia because of the war and the Rovaniemi McDonald's is again the most northern one in the World.

[BasilValentine]

This war in Ukraine has totally unexpected consequences:

In 1997 McDonald's opened a restaurant in Rovaniemi, northern Finland (pretty much at the Arctic circle) which for years was the most northern McDonald's in the World until McDonald's opened a restaurant in Murmansk, Russia in 2013. Now McDonald's has left Russia because of the war and the Rovaniemi McDonald's is again the most northern one in the World.

Congratulations!(?) 

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[71 dB]

Congratulations!(?) 

Let's just say that I'd gladly live without the most northern McDonald's in the World being in my country if that would have prevented this insane war.