Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[OSR stands with Israel]

This would be bold, too, I guess:

https://twitter.com/business/status/1497582903718514690

Just impose  the sanctions , we can’t afford to wait at this point

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://twitter.com/Billbrowder/status/1497568972652302342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7...

Jesus I hope this is bluster

Probably true sadly.

Well it’s a good thing they are releasing all potential Russian schemes to the public to ensure Russia can’t get away with it

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1497659463892934662

[OSR stands with Israel]

Idk how accurate this is

https://mobile.twitter.com/globalismstan/status/1497663038232530944

Almost need a meme for the Virgin Putin at this point.

There's the Classic Virgin Putin v. Chad Stalin meme:

I dont think you really should be praising Stalin to dunk on Putin.

[OSR stands with Israel]

We should sanction the hell out of Belarus too and fund a potential coop there

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1497701484003213317?t=N1p0ZVIPVryuxYsGmj3-rQ...

[OSR stands with Israel]

The main difference between the German Volkssturm in 1945 and Ukrainian civilians today is certainly a significantly different level in morale. My own grandfather deserted before he could be drafted into the Volkssturm.

An infinitely less noisome and likely much more relevant analogy from German history would be the Landwehr regiments of 1813-15. They might not have been as effective as regulars, but they were still useful, as motivation and morale were high enough to partially overcome their deficiencies in training and equipment.

But that was before the era of motorization and ariel support.  Another one I can think of would be the 2003 Iraq Fedayeen but in that case, they did get some training months in advance and mostly turned out to be ineffective.

Also The Iraqi people were clearly not behind Saddam by 2003

[OSR stands with Israel]

While I used to be able to sympathize with some of Putin's views on certain issues, now I just can't. Putin is 100% without a doubt a war criminal now and I do not sympathize with war criminals! I still don't support US troops in Ukraine and hope that both sides can find a solution rather quickly, which sadly looks pretty unlikely at this point.

Just thought I'd give my two cents.

 I am trying to restrain myself from hyperbole in asking this, but on what possible issues could one agree with Vladimir Putin on? Serious question.

Bringing stability to your country and raising it up from being an Oligarch dominated disaster zone like Russia in the 1990s or the United States.

Lmao at the idea that Russia is better than the US today . Heck I’d say Jim Crow South USA > Russia has ever been

[OSR stands with Israel]

While I used to be able to sympathize with some of Putin's views on certain issues, now I just can't. Putin is 100% without a doubt a war criminal now and I do not sympathize with war criminals! I still don't support US troops in Ukraine and hope that both sides can find a solution rather quickly, which sadly looks pretty unlikely at this point.

Just thought I'd give my two cents.

 I am trying to restrain myself from hyperbole in asking this, but on what possible issues could one agree with Vladimir Putin on? Serious question.

Bringing stability to your country and raising it up from being an Oligarch dominated disaster zone like Russia in the 1990s or the United States.

Lmao at the idea that Russia is better than the US today . Heck I’d say Jim Crow South USA > Russia has ever been

This is a revolting take, can we just agree they're both sh**tty and move on. Lord.

Why , I’m not saying one is good just that one is worse .


Also do you still stand by calling Iraq morally worse than Russia invading Ukraine or will you admit that it wasn’t 

[OSR stands with Israel]

I don't want to take away from Ukraine's situation, but when China fully attempts to take over Hong Kong, how likely is it we will see a similar reaction from global leaders?

They already took over Hong Kong . Hong Kong was their version of Crimea not a full scale Ukraine invasion. Their version of that would be if they invaded Taiwan

[OSR stands with Israel]

The Russian ministry of Defense admits that "some" Russian soldiers have been captured by the Ukrainians.  But just like the USA 2003 playbook they also claim that these captured soldiers are being "tortured" by the Ukrainians.  The Russians also claim, from the same 2003 USA playbook, that the Ukrainians in Kyiv are using phosphorus munitions which are banned by the UN.

Honestly who cares what is or what isnt banned by the UN. We can use common sense to decide what is right or wrong and Russia is clearly the bad guys here and any measure the Ukrainians use to stop or resist them is justified

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://twitter.com/GuyChazan/status/1498009666093211653
It's the least they could do.

For how they have touched the hearts of so many, the brave Ukrainians are doing for everyone far more than they ever could imagine.

Now sanction Russian Oil

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://twitter.com/samueloakford/status/1498020453088043010?t=w6S_KqNFB1aoC7wCx...

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/02/27/romney-russia-putin-geopolitical-foe-obama-sot-reax-bash-sotu-vpx.cnn

Wow Romney bashes President Bush here to just not Obama and Trump

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/02/27/romney-russia-putin-geopolitical-foe-obama-sot-reax-bash-sotu-vpx.cnn

Wow Romney bashes President Bush here to just not Obama and Trump

Bush pussied out on Russia just like Obama and Trump did

Bush was tricked by him. Obama was naive and Trump was complicit.

That's a fair analysis tbh

I would go so far as to say that we wouldn’t be talking about Russia now if 20162012 was different.

FTFY

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/02/27/romney-russia-putin-geopolitical-foe-obama-sot-reax-bash-sotu-vpx.cnn

Wow Romney bashes President Bush here to just not Obama and Trump

Bush pussied out on Russia just like Obama and Trump did

Bush was tricked by him. Obama was naive and Trump was complicit.

That's a fair analysis tbh

I would go so far as to say that we wouldn’t be talking about Russia now if 20162012 was different.

FTFY

This is true. Obama's administration openly supported the 2014 protests that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president. This was a mistake that Romney would be unlikely to make, though for sure, he would make others. Obama talked about a "new start" with Russia, but his administration poisoned the well (unintentionally). Of course, it's not clear how Romney actually would have dealt with Russia. Most likely, the next Ukrainian election just results in the election of another pro-Russian president.

Romney also keep in mind in 2012 ran on the US taking a far more protectionist approach towards Russia AND China.

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/02/27/romney-russia-putin-geopolitical-foe-obama-sot-reax-bash-sotu-vpx.cnn

Wow Romney bashes President Bush here to just not Obama and Trump

Bush pussied out on Russia just like Obama and Trump did

Bush was tricked by him. Obama was naive and Trump was complicit.

That's a fair analysis tbh

I would go so far as to say that we wouldn’t be talking about Russia now if 20162012 was different.

FTFY

This is true. Obama's administration openly supported the 2014 protests that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president. This was a mistake that Romney would be unlikely to make, though for sure, he would make others. Obama talked about a "new start" with Russia, but his administration poisoned the well (unintentionally). Of course, it's not clear how Romney actually would have dealt with Russia. Most likely, the next Ukrainian election just results in the election of another pro-Russian president.

Romney also keep in mind in 2012 ran on the US taking a far more protectionist approach towards Russia AND China.

Which in most scenarios just advances forward many of the talking points of the Trump years to earlier in the decade, I guess.

Well both Russia and China were weaker in 2013 than they were in 2017 so it probably would be eaiser, but keep in mind that Romney unlike Trump doesnt pull out of TPP so he does a mix of protectionism against Russia/China while pushing more trade deals in the pacific, in central and eastern europe, and in Latin America.


Also I doubt Romney reacts earlier against ISIS than Obama which makes it easier for them to be defeated. This means we dont need to put that much focus on the middle east in the mid 2010s as we did in OTL

[OSR stands with Israel]

If this happens, I can only assume protests will break out again in Belarus. Perhaps this will be the last decision that Minsk makes under current management.


https://twitter.com/AVindman/status/1498046970614599682

The CIA should do a coup d'etat against the Belarus government

[OSR stands with Israel]

is this true:

https://twitter.com/sotiridi/status/1498080359195586567?s=20&t=pXLJQPXwtPHEn...

[OSR stands with Israel]

Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove on a no-fly zone. He supports it, but finds it unlikely to happen. Breedlove was Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2013-2016.

https://twitter.com/ak_mack/status/1498081883149807621

Wouldn’t an NFZ mean conventional fighting between NATO and Russian forces?
I want to do everything for Ukraine, but the risk of nuclear escalation from that is too great.

I’m open to calling the nuclear bluff.

Bruh:

https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1498065915665022983

The Military should get rid of Putin and withdraw from Ukraine

[OSR stands with Israel]

Here's a good thread:

https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1497993363076915204?t=e0pQqCe4QcmH6oLbFng...

[OSR stands with Israel]

At this point it's abundantly clear that Russia should have shut off its internet for the duration of the war and that if they had the capacity to knock out Ukraine's internet, they should have done so. How the hell is an army supposed to keep operational security and secrecy if anybody with a smartphone can record troop and vehicle movements and upload it to Twitter/Telegram/etc immediately?

Cope.

I don't need to cope, I'm not Russian. China is not a party to this conflict. However there are surely valuable lessons to be learned, and the PLA should be carefully studying and analyzing this campaign to figure out what worked, what didn't, and what should have been done, and to adjust accordingly.

Aren’t you an American

[OSR stands with Israel]

Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove on a no-fly zone. He supports it, but finds it unlikely to happen. Breedlove was Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2013-2016.

https://twitter.com/ak_mack/status/1498081883149807621

Wouldn’t an NFZ mean conventional fighting between NATO and Russian forces?
I want to do everything for Ukraine, but the risk of nuclear escalation from that is too great.

I’m open to calling the nuclear bluff.

Bruh:

https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1498065915665022983

What is the worst he will do, nuke DC? GO ahead Putin, do your worst!

Uhh? Literally start a nuclear holocaust? That he doesn't care about? Because he's going to die soon anyways and no longer gives a you know what about his country anyways.

If he's "going to die soon" and doesn't care about what happens after he's gone he wouldn't be trying so hard to bring Ukraine under Russian control. He dreams of a reunified USSR, not of his country burning in nuclear hell fire. The nuclear threats are a bluff and a sign of weakness; he knows if just a single democratic power got directly, militarily involved Russia would get it's ass kicked.

I agree. Putin may be a psycho, but he's not dumb. There is no scenario with a nuclear holocaust in which Russia is spared.  Even Trump wasn't that dumb to nuke another country during the standoffs with North Korea or Iran, because he himself would be dead in a day.

Russian military probably would oust him too if he was serious

[OSR stands with Israel]

A few years ago I came to the conclusion that sports events tied to nations are bad, something with which I don't want to be associated, and do not watch. Their ratings will not be enhanced by moi. They should all be shut down, starting with the Olympics.

The Olympics should not be shut down

[OSR stands with Israel]

A few years ago I came to the conclusion that sports events tied to nations are bad, something with which I don't want to be associated, and do not watch. Their ratings will not be enhanced by moi. They should all be shut down, starting with the Olympics.

The Olympics should not be shut down

The planet put my good advice of ignore, so I have every confidence that you will be able to continue to watch these distasteful  displays of nationalism attended by corruption.

One of the best part of the 2016 Olympics was watching how throughly the US kicked the buts of China and Russia