Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[It’s so Joever]

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

Jesus I hope this is bluster

Probably true sadly.

[President Johnson]

James Stavridis has a fair point over cyber warfare. I feel like the West has been way too soft on this front, especially my government was delusional about Putin.

https://twitter.com/business/status/1497628745397678083

[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

[jaichind]

More details from Bloomberg.  It seems that the nature of the EU SWIFT sanctions "would be likely be limited, following German support for the move."

[Person Man]

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

Jesus I hope this is bluster

He might be planning for a global murder-suicide.

[It’s so Joever]

James Stavridis has a fair point over cyber warfare. I feel like the West has been way too soft on this front, especially my government was delusional about Putin.

https://twitter.com/business/status/1497628745397678083

Maybe we should have anonymous and some 4 Chan hackers working for the US military.

[It’s so Joever]

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

Jesus I hope this is bluster

He might be planning for a global murder-suicide.

?

[Frodo]

Germany says it's sending anti-tank weapons, stinger missiles to Ukraine

[OSR stands with Israel]

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

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

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

You can be a horse's ass sometimes, but thank you for this Governor Abbott. 

[Gass3268]

Has this been posted?

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1497567825585659910?s=20&t=lOAF49FMRc...

[It’s so Joever]

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

A broken man is right twice a day.

[President Johnson]

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

Jesus I hope this is bluster

Probably true sadly.

Just a quick reminder that Ukraine gave up its nukes in 1994 in exchange for security assurances from Russia. An agreement that Putin has violated since 2014. But he's whining about promises from 1990 NATO wouldn't expand, although that was never in any written treaty whatsoever.

[It’s so Joever]

Has this been posted?

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1497567825585659910?s=20&t=lOAF49FMRc...

I thought this was disproven?

[Senator Incitatus]

I don't know, is it just me or does it seem that all dams are breaking in recent hours? All the sanctions, a protest wave across the globe and the boycotts. I really wonder whether Putin expected this as well as the immense and brave resistance of Ukraine?

I'm glad the German government finally came along. Should have done so much earlier. We were delusional about Russia all too long, all political parties from left to right.

I'm sorry, but this is a comedic level of naivete, though it's becoming apparent this is characteristic of European thinking on foreign policy.

[Omega21]

Crypto donations to Ukraine show no sign of slowing down, now a donation being made every second.

In total, around $5 Million donated within 3 hours of the Ukranian Govt. publishing their wallets.

Very transparent benchmark of how not only governments, but also normal people are incredibly willing to help.

[Storr]

If accurate, it seems like the Russians severely underestimated how many troops would be needed to successfully complete whatever the objectives of the "special military operation" are. This falls in line with the reported deployment of more Chechens and the odd Russian request for Kazakhstan to deploy troops to Ukraine.


At the beginning of the thread, it's claimed this came from a "senior US defense official".
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1497639459294261249?s=20&t=m8Nl92RZhF0v9W...

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Would it be legal for an American to go to Ukraine and fight? I heard Zelensky is providing arms to those who go to Ukraine to fight, I just want to know legality.

U.S. , 163 U.S. 632 (1896), the Supreme Court endorsed a lower court ruling that it was not a crime under U.S. law for an individual to go abroad for the purpose of enlisting in a foreign army

Thank you! I’ll spend Spring Break (week after this) with my mother and discuss this, in the mean time I can probably plan travel for a city in Poland and then take transit to get to the border, but I have time to plan.

Do note, however, that if one accepts a promotion to serve as an officer in a foreign military, then they'll have implicitly consented to a relinquishing of their American citizenship, which the Court ruled in Afroyim v. Rusk (1967) as constituting legitimate constitutional grounds to involuntarily strip an American citizen of their citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

ALSO note: I am NOT a lawyer & what I have written does NOT in any way constitute legitimate legal advice, as it's meant for purely explanatory purposes only; seriously, guy, pls don't go get yourself killed based on what a rando netizen said.

…oh yikes, I do not want to lose my citizenship in the case I somehow survive, but maybe a paramilitary wouldn’t count as a foreign military? I could always talk to legal professionals first, I want to know the full consequences of what I am doing before I go.
As for dying, yeah I don’t want to die, but we all do have to die eventually. I’d rather go out for a good cause than of old age.

Don't you have that seizure issue ?
You could be more of a liability if your medicine doesn't  get through.

Sorry, I couldn't resist

[NOVA Green]

https://twitter.com/Ondrejcsak/status/1497524166160965636
Slovakia punching way above its weight.

Meanwhile Germany gave 5,000 helmets.

Russia hasn't been adverse from sabotaging Western Arms depots in the past, including one right over the Slovakia border during the 2014 Ukraine War...

https://www.rferl.org/a/czech-expulsions-bulgaria-gebrev-russia-gru-intelligence-explosion-spy-scandal/31209960.html

[Frodo]

Serbia and India are hardly alone in failing to condemn the Russian invasion:

Israel fails to sign onto US text condemning Russia at UNSC

[compucomp]

I don't know, is it just me or does it seem that all dams are breaking in recent hours? All the sanctions, a protest wave across the globe and the boycotts. I really wonder whether Putin expected this as well as the immense and brave resistance of Ukraine?

I'm glad the German government finally came along. Should have done so much earlier. We were delusional about Russia all too long, all political parties from left to right.

The level of foreign support for Ukraine is clearly correlated how the war is going. Today is the first day they can credibly claim to be mounting effective resistance, as they have stopped the Russian advance on Kiev. So now countries are showing support for them, because there is something worthwhile to support. Let's put it this way, would you have favored sending aid to Ashraf Ghani on say August 7, 2021?

[Horus]

Serbia and India hardly alone in failing to condemn the Russian invasion:

Israel fails to sign onto US text condemning Russia at UNSC

Par for the course. When it's crunch time, Israel never supports us like we support them.

[President Johnson]

Wow, EU about to discuss a third package of severe sanctions.

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1497654563670740996

[jojoju1998]

Serbia and India are hardly alone in failing to condemn the Russian invasion:

Israel fails to sign onto US text condemning Russia at UNSC

You know, Israel should ask itself, who is allied with Iran, and  Hezbollah, Spoliler alert, it's Russia.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Fwiw, if I was a younger man and had an ounce of experience and usefulness I would go to Ukraine if I could.

You are of military age and you’re not the first person I’ve heard say this.

It is better for those unwilling to fight not to say that they would if not for x, y and z. There is no shame in it: there are other means to resist aggressors than marching into a foreign land with a rifle, little grasp of Ukranian/Russian and poor training. I worry these statements of “I would fight, but for X” pressure other young men into making a dangerous and possibly wrong decision.