Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[CumbrianLefty]

Another pro-Russian post from you, surprise.

There were certainly "retired generals" who thought this war would be over in a few days.

[Astatine]

First presidential & parliamentary poll since the beginning of the invasion:



Presidential election:
Zelenskyi 81.3%
Poroshenko 5.9%
Tymoshenko 2.2%
Smeshko 2.1%
Prytula 2.0%
Boyko 1.6%
...



Parliamentary election:
Servant of the People 52.0%
European Solidarity 12.6%
Party of Serhiy Prytula 9.5%
Batkivshchyna 5.2%
Strength and Honor 5.2%
Party of Dmytro Razumkov 3.9%
UDAR 3.1%
Opposition Platform - For Life 1.3%
...



Trust into politicians:
Zelenskyi 88% trust/10% distrust
Prytula 53%/27%
Poroshenko 23%/75%
Tymoshenko 19%/77%

Full poll: https://sapiens.com.ua/ua/publication-single-page?id=213

[Meclazine for Israel]

Another pro-Russian post from you, surprise.

I actually found this retired General on CNN more informative than a thread full of batsh**t crazy Twitter celebrations of misinterpreted meaninglessness whilst 1,000's of Ukrainians lose their lives daily.

It's not pro-Russian. Just trying to get an accurate read on where this is going without the horrendous bias the media puts on everything.

People are getting minced here.

[Meclazine for Israel]

The Butcher of Bucha is on the move.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-12/ukraine-and-pentagon-expect-russian-offensive-in-donbas/100984394

This new guy looks nasty.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Speaking of further military aid... hours after German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock proposed supplying Ukraine with "heavy weapons", Rheinmetall reported that they've got 50 decommissioned "Leopard 1" main battle tanks that they could send to the Ukrainian military. The idea was met with approval from the FDP and the Greens. Scholz reacted with greater reluctance, saying such deliveries should be coordinated on the EU level instead of acting unilaterally.


https://mobile.twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1513509391533854731

Following several calls from FDP and Greens, Michael Roth (chair of the Bundestag committee on foreign affairs) became the first prominent SPD politician to endorse delivering tanks to Ukraine, arguing that Ukraine must be provided with the necessary military capabilities to retake its Russian-occupied terrorities. One step further towards eroding Scholz' opposition, I guess.

[Astatine]

Zelenskyi has declared German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (who used to be soft on Russia until February) persona non grata in Ukraine.

[Isaak]

Zelenskyi has declared German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (who used to be soft on Russia until February) persona non grata in Ukraine.

What? Is there any source for this?

I would also disagree with this 'soft'/'hard' ascriptions. Steinmeier has never been a pro-Russia hack like Schroeder but someone whose position (yes to economic cooperation!) probably resembled those of the average German quite closely.

[Astatine]

Zelenskyi has declared German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (who used to be soft on Russia until February) persona non grata in Ukraine.

What? Is there any source for this?

I would also disagree with this 'soft'/'hard' ascriptions. Steinmeier has never been a pro-Russia hack like Schroeder but someone whose position (yes to economic cooperation!) probably resembled those of the average German quite closely.

https://twitter.com/ronzheimer/status/1513875012444475398?t=fLdOJAmcLD5kXBRGHNOd...

[CumbrianLefty]

Another pro-Russian post from you, surprise.

I actually found this retired General on CNN more informative than a thread full of batsh**t crazy Twitter celebrations of misinterpreted meaninglessness whilst 1,000's of Ukrainians lose their lives daily.

It's not pro-Russian. Just trying to get an accurate read on where this is going without the horrendous bias the media puts on everything.

People are getting minced here.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely want to see an end to the slaughter and bloodshed ASAP.

But one side has by far the most ability to make that happen - yes, I do mean the invader.

[Sir Mohamed]

Further evidence how much Putin is detached from reality. We need to move ahead and deliver heavy weaponry.

https://twitter.com/antontroian/status/1513834729916833792

[Storr]

Heroes:

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1513788608850841602?s=20&t=pp1day...

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1513887436119715845?s=20&t=pp1day...

It shouldn't be held against them if they surrender. They've already lasted nearly seven times longer than the fabled "Brest Fortress" Soviet defenders of 1941. 

[Storr]

That's a lot of excuses for someone claiming to be confident of victory.

https://twitter.com/RosanneR429/status/1513832546446069762?s=20&t=pp1daymdBt...

[Woody]

5+ year marine for Ukraine and British national who fought against ISIS with the YPG has surrendered with his unit in Mariupol - Confirmed in a interview of his with Jake Hanrahan right before the surrender

His family requested to share "far and wide":

https://twitter.com/Jake_Hanrahan/status/1513821132536922116

[Storr]

That's a lot of excuses for someone claiming to be confident of victory.

https://twitter.com/RosanneR429/status/1513832546446069762?s=20&t=pp1daymdBt...

Video with translation of Putin's remarks. He keeps pausing with "err..." and "umm...", looking his eyes looking upward several times. It's as if he's trying to convince himself of what he's saying. This definitely isn't the same confident Putin we saw on February 24th during his address announcing the "special military operation".  

https://twitter.com/allismotion/status/1513871031236276224?s=20&t=pp1daymdBt...

[Storr]

The Russians so desperately wish they were fighting the US. Russian propaganda keeps talking about a "clash of civilizations", "putting the US in its place", and "ending the unipolar world". It's pretty pathetic, just like this attempt at desecrating Old Glory.

https://twitter.com/NotWoofers/status/1513911676332085258?s=20&t=V5zHCUzWKtU...

[DINGO Joe]

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1513917595459674124

Perhaps my "Blazing Saddles" plan isn't too far fetched

Maybe the Ukraines can build a fake appliance store to draw the Russians in

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

First presidential & parliamentary poll since the beginning of the invasion:



Presidential election:
Zelenskyi 81.3%
Poroshenko 5.9%
Tymoshenko 2.2%
Smeshko 2.1%
Prytula 2.0%
Boyko 1.6%
...



Parliamentary election:
Servant of the People 52.0%
European Solidarity 12.6%
Party of Serhiy Prytula 9.5%
Batkivshchyna 5.2%
Strength and Honor 5.2%
Party of Dmytro Razumkov 3.9%
UDAR 3.1%
Opposition Platform - For Life 1.3%
...



Trust into politicians:
Zelenskyi 88% trust/10% distrust
Prytula 53%/27%
Poroshenko 23%/75%
Tymoshenko 19%/77%

Full poll: https://sapiens.com.ua/ua/publication-single-page?id=213

I’m very ill-informed about Ukrainian politics beyond the absolute basics. Why is Tymoshenko so distrusted? Is just a general rejection of the old political class or did she do something?

[President Johnson]

Zelenskyi has declared German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (who used to be soft on Russia until February) persona non grata in Ukraine.

What? Is there any source for this?

I would also disagree with this 'soft'/'hard' ascriptions. Steinmeier has never been a pro-Russia hack like Schroeder but someone whose position (yes to economic cooperation!) probably resembled those of the average German quite closely.

https://twitter.com/ronzheimer/status/1513875012444475398?t=fLdOJAmcLD5kXBRGHNOd...

While Germany is not doing enough in opinion, I don't think this is approriate. Not just has Steinmeier shown self-awareness in recent weeks, he's the head of state of a country that has still given more aid than any other.

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1513917595459674124

Perhaps my "Blazing Saddles" plan isn't too far fetched

Maybe the Ukraines can build a fake appliance store to draw the Russians in

Or liquor store.

In other news, apparently, according to Ukraine sources, the Ukrainians are approaching their 20000th kill. Should there be a prize for the person that makes the kill?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Ukrainian soldiers have captured Viktor Medvedchuk who, for some reason, was still in the country and was disguising himself as a Ukrainian soldier.

[KaiserDave]

https://twitter.com/olliecarroll/status/1513943338713497603?s=21&t=wtQpUxBAj...

Big news!

[AndyHogan14]

Another pro-Russian post from you, surprise.

I actually found this retired General on CNN more informative than a thread full of batsh**t crazy Twitter celebrations of misinterpreted meaninglessness whilst 1,000's of Ukrainians lose their lives daily.

It's not pro-Russian. Just trying to get an accurate read on where this is going without the horrendous bias the media puts on everything.

People are getting minced here.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely want to see an end to the slaughter and bloodshed ASAP.

But one side has by far the most ability to make that happen - yes, I do mean the invader.

The invader winning wouldn't end the bloodshed, it would just start the full-blown genocide of the Ukrainian people and the ethnic cleansing of the country. The only way the bloodshed ends is if the Ukrainians win.

[CumbrianLefty]

Another pro-Russian post from you, surprise.

I actually found this retired General on CNN more informative than a thread full of batsh**t crazy Twitter celebrations of misinterpreted meaninglessness whilst 1,000's of Ukrainians lose their lives daily.

It's not pro-Russian. Just trying to get an accurate read on where this is going without the horrendous bias the media puts on everything.

People are getting minced here.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely want to see an end to the slaughter and bloodshed ASAP.

But one side has by far the most ability to make that happen - yes, I do mean the invader.

The invader winning wouldn't end the bloodshed, it would just start the full-blown genocide of the Ukrainian people and the ethnic cleansing of the country. The only way the bloodshed ends is if the Ukrainians win.

Ahem, have you ever read any of my posts in this thread?

I thought it was obvious that I meant the invaders WITHDRAWING.

[Storr]

Ukrainian soldiers have captured Viktor Medvedchuk who, for some reason, was still in the country and was disguising himself as a Ukrainian soldier.

I'd assumed he'd left for Belarus or Russia when he'd escaped house arrest. Why would you escape house arrest while facing treason and terrorism charges, but not leave the country?

Like a good number of pro-Russian Ukrainian figures, Medvedchuk is from Russia. Unlike most of those, he's ethnically Ukrainian. He was born in Siberia where his father was exiled for "for participation in Ukrainian nationalistic activities" and didn't move to Ukraine until he was around 10 in the mid 60s.

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3455935-putin-ally-medvedchuk-detained-within-special-operation-of-ukraines-security-service.html

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Ukrainian soldiers have captured Viktor Medvedchuk who, for some reason, was still in the country and was disguising himself as a Ukrainian soldier.

I'd assumed he'd left for Belarus or Russia when he'd escaped house arrest. Why would you escape house arrest while facing treason and terrorism charges, but not leave the country?

He was one of the candidates Russia was allegedly considering for Emperor of Manchuria. A leader who stays, even one who stays in hiding, tends to command more legitimacy than someone who’s pulled a Ghani.