Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[President Johnson]

I can't imagine Ukraine taking it to be cut off the Black Sea (and neither should they). Especially Odessa is very important for wheat exports, that are key for the country's economy. Most of Ukraine's exports are shipped through the Black Sea. That can't just be shifted on the landway through Poland.

If Russians don't give up, the West needs to everything to get Ukraine in a position to regain its entire territory and throw the Russians out. Maybe such a devastating defeat would also force Putin out. I know, not the most likely outcome, but I'm really hoping for this.

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1511031502049587206

If this doesn’t happen, that would be grounds to defund the UN.

Which would in turn make the UN dominated by China.

The UN is already completely useless.

The Security Council should be abolished or reformed, so that veto powers no longer exist. It's beyond depressing Russia and China can block everything.

[President Johnson]

I'm strongly leaning toward a complete energy embargo at this point.

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1511735493150445568

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1512113804074790916

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1512116881481740291

Lmao, great to see the worst members of both parties in agreement.

[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.

[President Johnson]

[...]
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.

Disagree. Frank-Walter Steinmeier is the representative of the failed German Eastern policy of the last years. His Steinmeier formula was a gift to Russian interests, he was parts of both governments which issued NordStream 1 & 2 against the warning of Eastern Europe and just roughly 2 years after the annexation of Crimea he was talking in Yekaterinburg about the importance of Russia-Germany relations (where he received an honor doctorate before).
One can argue about that Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk is somewhat abrasive, but he has every to be so after none of his warnings and messages were heard over the last years - Steinmeier even complained about Melnyk in 2019 (or 2020?) to Zelenskyi which is an absolute disgraceful move - And as proven, Melnyk was right and Steinmeier was wrong.

Wulff resigned as President for borrowing 400 € to a friend - If Germany wants to be taken seriously again - because right now, Germany's reputation is in the sh**tter, and deservingly so - Steinmeier should just quit.

Also, compared to other Eastern European countries such as Estonia or Poland, Germany's help was rather abysmal and when it comes to sanctions, it was Germany that blocked strengthening then - Remember the Swift discussion?

It's not that Steinmeier was wrong, which he admitted, I still consider it disrespectful to declare a the head of state of an ally that gave billions in aid persona non grata. It's not very wise diplomatically and may undermine the cause in the long run. I have a feeling this decision is largely viewed negative here across the political spectrum.

And Melnyk, well, while I understand his frustration, he should at least tone down his rhetoric. If he wants more pressure on leaders, fine, but then he needs to win public support. And I'm afraid the he accomplishes the opposite here.

[President Johnson]

https://mobile.twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1517918177887498244
👀

Big if true. Overall, this entire war has already exposed the immense weakness of the Russian military. If NATO stepped in and the conflict would remain conventionally fought, Putin would get his a** handed in a matter of weeks.

[President Johnson]

Following a New York Times interview in which he refused to either criticize Putin or his own role with regards to Russia, SPD co-chair Saskia Esken has called upon former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to leave the party.

https://mobile.twitter.com/thorstenbenner/status/1518497932290723840

Schröder needs to be thrown out of the party right now, or just leave it (and Consuela Schwesig needs to resign). I'm kinda embarrassed to be in the same party as him now, and I'm evening saying this as someone approving his chancellorship. Obviously the guy has totally lost any moral compass, and not just since yesterday. Doesn't he have enough of a pension from taxpayer money and other sources of revenue, or why does he continue to serve in Russian corporate boards to cash in more money?

Seems like he just doesn't care the slightest bit about his public image. Just like the German motto: Ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt's sich ganz ungeniert!

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/Mij_Europe/status/1520020783967444993?s=20&t=tL97X5veoI5...

If true, Putin has speedran the megalomaniac dictatorial descent into self-destruction.

I can only hope this has the same effect as Hitler having repeatedly screwed up the German war effort by trying to micromanage and overrule his generals.

I am worried about the risk of him doing something extreme and having no supervision.

The question is whether at the some point the military/commanders just no longer stand for it. Why continue their misery for a guy who's living in growing delusion?

[President Johnson]

Based Scholz?

https://twitter.com/AlexLuck9/status/1520832426993684480?s=20&t=rigs9aRaUD-5...

https://twitter.com/TubunMuzuru/status/1520827047442014209?s=20&t=rigs9aRaUD...

We need more of this!

[President Johnson]

“Russian security concerns” is a poor disguise for domination and control. They should not be given what they want.

I'm not advocating that we do what Russia wants. I'm establishing the reasoning for this war being rational from the Russian perspective.
If some hostile defensive alliance was expanding into our hemisphere, I'm sure we wouldn't want Mexico and Canada in it...

And the last thing I will say so far, the only reason why Putin started this war is the desire to destroy the Ukrainian nation and the Ukrainian state, and to kill all the people who preserve the Ukrainian language, traditions and culture. He is imbued with hatred for everything Ukrainian, and not only Ukrainian. And the sooner you understand this, the better. There is no other reason why he started this war, and the search for such reasons is self-deception and/or a desire to justify Russia's actions.

Agreed, he already said it in public and wrote it. According to his revisionist view of history, Ukraine doesn't exist as a nation or culture. He just thinks it's Russians, like he sees Belarus as part of the Russian Empire as well. Sometimes people just need to take him by his word when he makes such statements.

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/Thomas_Sparrow/status/1521185192622309376

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1521937803394834433

[President Johnson]

https://mobile.twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524457376803344384
Zelensky is not looking to give Putin an off ramp here

So this includes Crimea? Based.

I certainly hope so there's a way Ukraine gets it back and Donbas as well. There should be no compromises any longer with a thug like Putin and the West should use all tools available below a direct military confrontation with NATO to destroy his regime.

[President Johnson]

After weeks of silence between them, Scholz today spoke with Putin on the phone. May be good that he can say that he tried everything possible, but I guess it's a waste of time.

https://twitter.com/Bundeskanzler/status/1525079306514440194

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1525091348470185987

[President Johnson]

Did you just create this? Awesome!

[President Johnson]

https://mobile.twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1527606560041705473


After three months of thoughtful consideration, dilligently weighing all the pros against the cons, Gerhard Schröder has decided to quit his job at Rosneft.

Too little, too late.

Should just have kept the job and take Russian citizenship, Gas Gerd!

[President Johnson]

The EU must either move away from unanimous consent or just strip Hungary of its vote.

https://twitter.com/euobs/status/1532095899194769410

[President Johnson]

The EU must either move away from unanimous consent or just strip Hungary of its vote.

https://twitter.com/euobs/status/1532095899194769410

Erdogan and Orban are by now Putin's best buddies useful idiots within NATO. Autocrats stick together.

Fixed this, and even using mild terms here.

[President Johnson]

I think you're getting well ahead of things and assuming certain outcomes where there'd be a lot of uncertainties, to put it politely. It is not at all obvious that an invasion of Russia (if it were even possible) would yield the return of captives.

What I like to see is a disarmed Russia that can't hurt a cat, but you are right there I am getting ahead of myself.

Russia needs to be demilitarized or its forces reduced to simple defense of actual Russian territory and de-Putinfied. Of course that's not going to happen in the near future, but the price for their agression needs to so high so that Putin either has to quit on Ukraine or just ousted. The guy definitely should be trialed for war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as political murders that he has ordered for years, including on foreign soil.

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/EmmanuelleChaze/status/1534249937587908609

[President Johnson]

Awful.
https://twitter.com/OSINT88/status/1534897134146883584

Ugh.

I thought Russia doesn't have the death penalty?

Russia might not, but apparently the so called Donetsk People's Republic does.

Yeah, they have. Though it's still on the books in Russia, there's just a moratorium (still embarrassing the US does have capital punishment and Russia not).

I hope these guys somehow freed. Our radio station said the execution could be done through shooting squad.

[President Johnson]

Sources now reporting that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Kyiv later this month, for the first time since the war begun.

[President Johnson]

Zelensky also said he vows to take back Crimea. I don't think it's a likely scenario, but sure as hell I hope that's going to happen.

https://twitter.com/republic/status/1536593168635863042

[President Johnson]

Movement towards becoming an official candidate for EU membership:

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1537476093611069442