Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Bastards actually did it

https://mobile.twitter.com/GicAriana/status/1498285954401980418

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/i/events/1483255084750282753

[Torie]

We desperately need to get involved NOW.

My guy. Your country is providing equipment and military intelligence to Ukraine, and helped organise one of the most coordinated sanctions packages in history. That’s how the West intervenes.

Sending our planes, ships or troops would be the opening salvo in an East-West war and take us within inches of nuclear war. That’s why we’re running non-direct action, and that’s why I find this cheerleading so disturbing.

Last I heard, Poland is providing MiGs to Ukraine along with pilots to fly the planes. That's as damn close as we can get to actual boots on the ground without provoking a massive broader war.

I actually don't know how it doesn't count as direct intervention. I'll leave that to the strategerists.

I’m afraid the news about the MiGs may be incorrect.

Yesterday, EU foreign policy high representative Josep Borrell incorrectly implied the EU itself was delivering/funding fighter jet deliveries when that was not the case. Another diplomat who said they’d be “flying within the hour” was wildly speculating. At the present moment, an EU spokesperson has clarified, member states are able to deliver jets of their own accord, but not collectively or with guaranteed EU funding. There is ongoing discussion of further measures, and I’ve found no statement from Polish representatives confirming a delivering of any jets.

There has been movement of large transports between Poland and Ukraine, but there’s no confirmation that jets have actually been , or will be, sent (although Ukraine has requested them). If the EU is still discussing this and member states are not acting of their own accord, they may find their deliveries have no Ukranian Air Force to work with by the time they are delivered. It is also possible there simply isn’t the desire to send any, and the Russians did claim that they have air supremacy as of this morning.

All that said, if I were head of an ex-Soviet state delivering warplanes to Ukraine, I would only confirm it once those planes had been up in the air and noticed by Russia for some time. EU states gave Ukraine air-to-air missiles yesterday, so I would guess they still have functional jets.

If I were Poland or whomever delivering warplanes to Ukraine, 1) I would not publicize it, and 2) if it were reported that I was, to the extent necessary, I would take a page out of the Putin playbook, and deny it, or mislead. No such planes are being delivered to Ukraine. That statement is technically true because they were delivered an hour ago, which is past tense rather than present tense.

[Omega21]

In other News, Crypto donations from private individuals now total around $13 Mil.

Creator of the second biggest Cryptocurrency after BTC, Ethereum, who is Russian, had this to say:

https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1497632851445043200

https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1498012161439932430

[afleitch]

International Olympic Committee now supports no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials at the Olympics under any capacity.

[Sir Mohamed]

Bastards did it

https://mobile.twitter.com/GicAriana/status/1498285954401980418

I hope Putler finds himself a convicted and imprisoned war criminal when this stuff is over.

[Aurelius]

Bastards did it

https://mobile.twitter.com/GicAriana/status/1498285954401980418

I hope Putler finds himself a convicted and imprisoned war criminal when this stuff is over.

Preferably an unalived war criminal. I don't want to chance no Napoleon-on-Elba BS.

[Aurelius]

https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1498012161439932430

Based.

[jaichind]

US exchange based Russian ETF confirms what the LSE based Russian ETFs trading at since Moscow Stock exchange are closed.    A bit lower than the bottom of COVID-19 trading levels and around 2016 levels.  These funds are in USD so they are mostly inflation adjusted.

[Illiniwek]

International Olympic Committee now supports no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials at the Olympics under any capacity.

Lol when has an IOC punishment on Russia ever stuck?

[Torie]

New reports just in:

Russian students began to be expelled from universities in France, the Czech Republic, Belgium and other countries because of the war, authorities say.

 The Ministry of Education and Science knows how to console (actually not): expelled students will continue their studies at leading Russian universities for free

Very retarded [stupid] decision IMO.

 

What is the source please?

[Omega21]

New reports just in:

Russian students began to be expelled from universities in France, the Czech Republic, Belgium and other countries because of the war, authorities say.

 The Ministry of Education and Science knows how to console (actually not): expelled students will continue their studies at leading Russian universities for free

Very retarded decision IMO.

 

What is the source please?

The biggest Ukranian telegram group

https://t.me/voynareal

No confirmation yet

[Sir Mohamed]

International Olympic Committee now supports no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials at the Olympics under any capacity.

Lol when has an IOC punishment on Russia ever stuck?

Seems like the real intent is to raise awarness among Russian athlets and convince them of speaking out in public. Like many of the sanctions, they're designed to undermine and discredit Putin's standing in Russia.

That said, it's kind of ironic the IOC doing this as they lost any credibility imho, after completely selling out to the PRC.

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Thank you Gus Fring! Very cool!

https://mobile.twitter.com/quiethandfilms/status/1498309537690001413

[Middle-aged Europe]

International Olympic Committee now supports no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials at the Olympics under any capacity.

Lol when has an IOC punishment on Russia ever stuck?

Seems like the real intend is to raise awarness among Russian athlets and convince them of speaking out in public. Like many of the sanctions, they're designed to undermine and discredit Putin's standing in Russia.

That said, it's kind of ironic the IOC doing this as they lost any credibility imho, after completely selling out to the PRC.

The weakest response I've seen from the world of sports so far was somewhat unsurprisingly FIFA who stayed true to its corrupt, amoral self. Russia wasn't expelled from this year's soccer world cup. Instead individual nations' football associations have started to announce their refusal to play against Russia, like England and I think France too.

[Person Man]

Nexta has backtracked almost immediately. Talks are not over, the delegations were taking a break.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498306376916996097?cxt=HHwWgsC4jcTthsspAAAA

Do you think that means anything?

[Torie]

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.

[Middle-aged Europe]

From "unreliable" NEXTA again:


https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498316842888273928

[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

[Torie]

Nexta has backtracked almost immediately. Talks are not over, the delegations were taking a break.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498306376916996097?cxt=HHwWgsC4jcTthsspAAAA

Do you think that means anything?

Presumably the underlings in the room do not have the authority to do anything without the blessing of their respective leaders, and that includes ending the negotiations. I assume that while they go on, the war is not on pause, but is that in fact the case?

[Big Abraham]

From "unreliable" NEXTA again:


https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498316842888273928

The only reason it took so long is because Macron kept saying "non, you hang up first," and then Putin kept responding, "nyet, you hang up first."

[jaichind]

Planned utilization of Russia to Europe gas pipes via Ukraine for tomorrow continues to be at a record.  So Russia continues to ship gas to Europe and get paid for it and Ukraine continue to get paid by Russia for transit even as fighting continues.

[Sir Mohamed]

From "unreliable" NEXTA again:


https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498316842888273928

Ugh, I would have loved to listen in. Mr. Putin most likely just ranted about his usual history revisionism stuff how he feels "encircled" by NATO, which everybody knows is a nonsense talk.

We definitely should no longer pretend that he's a rational leader at this point. Nobody would understand how it was worth it to ruin all remaining relations with the West just to get stuck in a ground war in a neighbor state that never threatened Russia's national security in any shape or form. And just lose the amounts of troops we lost in nearly 20 years of Iraq.

[Torie]

From "unreliable" NEXTA again:


https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498316842888273928

That seems totally unbelievable.

[Logical]

https://mobile.twitter.com/tvrain/status/1498319404660142084
Putin spoke with Macron According to the Kremlin, a settlement with Ukraine is possible if "taking into account the legitimate interests of Russia in the field of security":
- recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea
- demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine
- ensuring the neutral status of Ukraine

No signs of a climb down from Putin yet.