Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[Person Man]

There aren't any casualties if you put them on a secret train:https://twitter.com/TadeuszGiczan/status/1498340185368678405?s=20&t=APv6MuJ6...

WHERE DO YOU KEEP YOUR DEAD?

[Aurelius]

CNN reporting a new advance towards Mykolaiv.

I suspect this is part of a move to attack Kyiv through the back door by going up the Southern Bug and then through Bila Tserkva. Hopefully I am wrong and/or it fails.

[WMS]

While I’m waiting for the UNGA Special Session to assemble, debate, and vote on condemning Russia - it’s about the only way to determine the stances of the silent countries out there - and waiting for more information on what’s going on, and to avoid dooming, I thought I’d point out Freedom House came out with their yearly report and for the purposes of this thread I’ll show how various countries and entities rank on their Freedom Scale, for comparison.

This uses the new scale they’ve had since their 2013 edition, -4 through 100, and yes, both perfect scores - hey there Finland and Sweden - and negative scores - hi Syria - have occurred before.

The Bad Guys™️ (Credit dead0man):
Russia -> 19
Crimea -> 7
Eastern Donbas -> 4
South Ossetia -> 11
Abkhazia -> 40
Transnistria -> 18
Belarus -> 8
Syria -> 1
Iran -> 14
Cuba -> 12
Nicaragua -> 23
Venezuela -> 14
Eritrea -> 3
Central African Republic -> 7
China -> 9
Tibet -> 1
Hong Kong -> 43
North Korea -> 3
Myanmar -> 9
Yemen (the Houthis are every bit as bad as their opponents so this rating applies to all) -> 9

Also of Interest:
Serbia -> 62
Kosovo -> 56
Albania -> 67
Hungary -> 69
Montenegro -> 67
North Macedonia -> 67
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbs are worst but Croats and Bosnians aren’t far behind) -> 53
Croatia -> 85

Some Good Guys™️:
Ukraine -> 61
Moldova -> 62
Poland -> 81
Lithuania -> 89
Latvia -> 88
Estonia -> 94
Romania -> 83
Bulgaria -> 79

Token Evil Teammate:
Turkey -> 32

Because Someone Will Ask:
United States -> 83

Okay, just some context for the “both sides” arguments.

[Хahar 🤔]

Quite masterful of the EU to simply sidestep NATO militarily. And NATO letting them.

From an anti-war standpoint, steps that take us toward a European army involve massive militarization, which cannot possibly be a good thing. Liberals who were critical of American imperialism can easily be won over to militarism when it's couched in the language of "European values". Certainly from an American perspective, the creation of an independent European military force involves a substantial diminution of American power abroad, which is not good. From my standpoint as a non-white non-European I have no interest in European values or the European political project, so it is distressing that NATO is allowing the European Union to absorb its role, even if there is nothing that can be done about it.

[It’s so Joever]

CNN reporting a new advance towards Mykolaiv.

I suspect this is part of a move to attack Kyiv through the back door by going up the Southern Bug and then through Bila Tserkva. Hopefully I am wrong and/or it fails.

Certainly possible. Note this isn’t the first time they attacked Mykolaiv, the city has been exchanged a couple times in the past few days.

[Aurelius]

While I’m waiting for the UNGA Special Session to assemble, debate, and vote on condemning Russia - it’s about the only way to determine the stances of the silent countries out there - and waiting for more information on what’s going on, and to avoid dooming, I thought I’d point out Freedom House came out with their yearly report and for the purposes of this thread I’ll show how various countries and entities rank on their Freedom Scale, for comparison.

This uses the new scale they’ve had since their 2013 edition, -4 through 100, and yes, both perfect scores - hey there Finland and Sweden - and negative scores - hi Syria - have occurred before.

-snip-

Okay, just some context for the “both sides” arguments.

something something neoliberalism, something something American imperialism, something something manufacturing consent, something something propaganda, something something racism, something something Israel, something something capitalism, something something something

[Storr]

Also based:

https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1498332884121399307?s=20&t=G3qKOjGkl...

What makes this better is that evidently she's actually Russian!

https://twitter.com/IntelDoge/status/1498357358438854657?s=20&t=ff-oaXnkhz2Y...

[Person Man]

Quite masterful of the EU to simply sidestep NATO militarily. And NATO letting them.

From an anti-war standpoint, steps that take us toward a European army involve massive militarization, which cannot possibly be a good thing. Liberals who were critical of American imperialism can easily be won over to militarism when it's couched in the language of "European values". Certainly from an American perspective, the creation of an independent European military force involves a substantial diminution of American power abroad, which is not good. From my standpoint as a non-white non-European I have no interest in European values or the European political project, so it is distressing that NATO is allowing the European Union to absorb its role, even if there is nothing that can be done about it.

Well, you should. How else is the United States going to have the resources to deal with the PRC?

[Aurelius]

LOL:

"Russian Foreign Ministry also says German weapons are now supplied to Ukrainian Nazis and we should question whether Germany was successfully cleansed of Nazism"

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1498356982797017088

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

Also based:

https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1498332884121399307?s=20&t=G3qKOjGkl...

What makes this better is that evidently she's actually Russian!

https://twitter.com/IntelDoge/status/1498357358438854657?s=20&t=ff-oaXnkhz2Y...

That’s really weird engine placement on the UAZ-452 “Bukhanka” vans.

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Zourabichvili_S/status/1498368260823207941

[soundchaser]

LOL:

"Russian Foreign Ministry also says German weapons are now supplied to Ukrainian Nazis and we should question whether Germany was successfully cleansed of Nazism"

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1498356982797017088

I’m sure the Russians are very concerned about all the power held by the NPD.

[Torie]

LOL:

"Russian Foreign Ministry also says German weapons are now supplied to Ukrainian Nazis and we should question whether Germany was successfully cleansed of Nazism"

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1498356982797017088

Putin never got the memo that whomever plays the Nazi card first loses I guess.

[President Johnson]

LOL:

"Russian Foreign Ministry also says German weapons are now supplied to Ukrainian Nazis and we should question whether Germany was successfully cleansed of Nazism"

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1498356982797017088

Today, I learned that Olaf Scholz is a Nazi. I mean, the signs were already there, like he has very little hair on top of his head.

[It’s so Joever]

Rubio has tweeted that he believes that Putin has ordered a siege of Kyiv. Sieges are one of the worst and most disgusting forms of warfare and directly target civilians to force resistance into submission. My mother says she is reminded of Bosnia…this is horrendous already but a Kyiv siege would be so much worse.

[Person Man]

Rubio has tweeted that he believes that Putin has ordered a siege of Kyiv. Sieges are one of the worst and most disgusting forms of warfare and directly target civilians to force resistance into submission. My mother says she is reminded of Bosnia…this is horrendous already but a Kyiv siege would be so much worse.

Ukraine has the population of California. Chechnya has the population of Jacksonville. Bosnia has the population of Tampa or Orlando.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/AnaCabrera/status/1498367473028112388

[Storr]

"Air superiority"
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1498374837458374659?s=20&t=8KRVrxN...

Edit: This would have been in Russia.

[President Johnson]

This is pretty good move as well by Ukraine. As I said earlier, I even think the EU should consider to grant asylum to Russian soldiers that instantly quit.

https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1498371437152944131

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

LOL:

"Russian Foreign Ministry also says German weapons are now supplied to Ukrainian Nazis and we should question whether Germany was successfully cleansed of Nazism"

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1498356982797017088

Today, I learned that Olaf Scholz is a Nazi. I mean, the signs were already there, like he has very little hair on top of his head.

>The Russians claim Scholz's government has Nazis
>Germany is governed by a SPD coalition with the FDP and the Greens
>The SPD is a social-democratic party
>Tankies call social-democrats "social fascists"
>Nazism is form of fascism

Putin is a confirmed tankie trying to recreate the Soviet Onion

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

This is pretty good move as well by Ukraine. As I said earlier, I even think the EU should consider to grant asylum to Russian soldiers that instantly quit.

https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1498371437152944131

Given the POW videos we are seeing, I’m pretty sure most of the conscripts would throw down their arms for a hot meal, a call home, and a promise to be repatriated when this is over.

[Alcibiades]

Quite masterful of the EU to simply sidestep NATO militarily. And NATO letting them.

From an anti-war standpoint, steps that take us toward a European army involve massive militarization, which cannot possibly be a good thing. Liberals who were critical of American imperialism can easily be won over to militarism when it's couched in the language of "European values". Certainly from an American perspective, the creation of an independent European military force involves a substantial diminution of American power abroad, which is not good. From my standpoint as a non-white non-European I have no interest in European values or the European political project, so it is distressing that NATO is allowing the European Union to absorb its role, even if there is nothing that can be done about it.

As Zelenskyy said in his call to EU leaders which was vital in motivating them to step up their support, Ukrainians are dying for European values. It is a very good thing for anyone who supports liberal democracy that Europe’s leaders are more boldly standing up, united, for these values than ever before.

[Person Man]

This is pretty good move as well by Ukraine. As I said earlier, I even think the EU should consider to grant asylum to Russian soldiers that instantly quit.

https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1498371437152944131

Given the POW videos we are seeing, I’m pretty sure most of the conscripts would throw down their arms for a hot meal, a call home, and a promise to be repatriated when this is over.

Or some sort of decent life if Putin doesn't want them back.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/NickRiccardi/status/1498356649907703809

[It’s so Joever]

Some more devastating news on the southern front, the Russians have reached Zaporizhzia. Even worse, Mariupol has been completely surrounded and is now sieged from land.

My best guess is that the Russians are attempting to reach Dnipro, but maybe they are going to try and cross the river? No matter what the situation in Southeastern Ukraine has been deteriorating rapidly.