Russia and Ukraine

[Bumblebee]

I made the mistake of looking at various news sources this morning....it sure looks like the media has an agenda to get the west into a war...many times media has been a real pain in the arse....many conventional troops had them embedded with them in Afghanistan...they were smart enough to not place them with us as most of our missions were classified......thank goodness....

They are continuously pushing the idea of a no fly zone and doing more than just sending aid and money into Ukraine...the minute we step over that line, Europe will erupt into a war....Putin has many more troops and equipment to throw into multiple fronts...then the low yield nukes will come into play...and it will only get worse from there....

I know if I were the western powers, things like supplying fighter jets from other countries (Poland) would have been kept covert....

Odd there was not a sound when Russia invaded Chechnya, Georgia or Crimea.....

 

[jellyrug]

Just as long as there are no foreign fighter pilots in them it is not really any different than giving them modern, high tech drones, anti armor and anti aircraft weapons.

What the west and Ukraine don't realize is Russia is not going to stop and will destroy Ukraine as it is known before they do....Putin is determined to proceed....

Everything the west has done so far hasn't made him blink...sanctions, bolstering Ukrainian forces and saber rattling has done little to deter his intent.

With the introduction of these international mercenaries' into the Ukrainian military ranks it shows Putin what he is up against and de-escalation is off the table as far as I see it.

You are right, Putin will not blink.

The question is whether any rational thinking for the quality of life in Russia will eventually dethrone him.

 

[JeffSyh]

@Bumblebee if we supply Ukraine with f-35’s for free you better hope you are to old to go to war hahahahaha other wise we may be bunk mates.

 

[mark3evo]

I made the mistake of looking at various news sources this morning....it sure looks like the media has an agenda to get the west into a war...many times media has been a real pain in the arse....many conventional troops had them embedded with them in Afghanistan...they were smart enough to not place them with us as most of our missions were classified......thank goodness....

They are continuously pushing the idea of a no fly zone and doing more than just sending aid and money into Ukraine...the minute we step over that line, Europe will erupt into a war....Putin has many more troops and equipment to throw into multiple fronts...then the low yield nukes will come into play...and it will only get worse from there....

I know if I were the western powers, things like supplying fighter jets from other countries (Poland) would have been kept covert....

Odd there was not a sound when Russia invaded Chechnya, Georgia or Crimea.....

this is really Europe's problem as we know Ukraine is not strategic for the US unlike middle east or far east taiwan etc
same for georgia , crimea not strategic in US eyes - which is practically Russian as most speakers are

as Sleepy joe says there will be no boots on the ground in Ukraine

 

[Bumblebee]

@Bumblebee if we supply Ukraine with f-35’s for free you better hope you are to old to go to war hahahahaha other wise we may be bunk mates.

Never too old to go as a mercenary......

Give me weapons and a steady resupply and I'll make sure the body bag companies keep in business....

 

[sixpack577]

Never too old to go as a mercenary......

Give me weapons and a steady resupply and I'll make sure the body bag companies keep in business....

It'll give you something to do during the winter.
You said your wife already asked were you going...sounds like she'll run the snowblower and go to Walmart just to get you out of the house...so long as you keep sending money home...

 

[Bumblebee]

It'll give you something to do during the winter.
You said your wife already asked were you going...sounds like she'll run the snowblower and go to Walmart just to get you out of the house...so long as you keep sending money home...

The saddest part is not only are you right but I've already been there and done that....glad to have lived through it...going to Walmart that is.....

 

[Bumblebee]

A neighbor was showing me a video on his phone of Ukrainian farmers dragging Russian equipment out of their fields that either broke down or ran out of fuel...they still had ammunition and coax machine guns on board....

The farmers were more annoyed than angry as they were holding them up from plowing fields....

There was even 3 guys on a civilian Ural sidecar rig towing a mortar system...they were taking it to a gathering point for war junk.....it looked brand new. They were all wearing Russian armored crew helmets that they found.

 

[Bumblebee]

It was just announced the US is banning oil from Russia...the price at the pumps is going to go up but this is what the people want so there had better not be a bunch of whining and dripping....

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Dripping? How much Russian oil do we import, 3-7%? Can’t we make that up from other sources?

 

[Bumblebee]

Dripping? How much Russian oil do we import, 3-7%? Can’t we make that up from other sources?

Now you know for a fact people won't think of that, they will just see the cost of fuel and blame whatever comes to mind...

 

[mark3evo]

I made the mistake of looking at various news sources this morning....it sure looks like the media has an agenda to get

i have not looked until now for the 1st time in 3 days - why my wife cannot stand the stress
but she has gone out tonight

 

[mark3evo]

Dripping? How much Russian oil do we import, 3-7%? Can’t we make that up from other sources?

in short Venezuela!

What about alternative oil supplies?​

Ben McWilliams says it should be easier to find alternative oil suppliers than it is for gas, "as it's not so many pipelines. There are some coming from Russia but there's also a lot of shipments from elsewhere".
The US has been asking Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production, but it has rebuffed previous US requests to boost output in order to reduce oil prices.
Saudi Arabia is the biggest producer in Opec, the oil cartel which accounts for about 60% of the crude oil traded internationally. Because of this Opec has a key role in influencing oil prices.
Russia is not in Opec but has been working with it since 2017 to place limits on oil production, in order to maintain earnings for producers.
The US is also looking at relaxing Venezuela's oil sanctions. It used to be a key US oil supplier, but recently Venezuela has largely been selling its oil to China.

 

[mark3evo]

Dripping? How much Russian oil do we import, 3-7%? Can’t we make that up from other sources?

US import 7%
we UK 11%

 

[Bumblebee]

A little common sense...the US has shelved the plan to take possession of fighter jets bound for Ukraine....

Just like I mentioned this would escalate the situation to another level....it sucks for Ukraine but if an all out war starts in Europe, many more people will die...

 

[Martin.UK]

IMO, i think that Nato should ask the people who it is protecting, what they want Nato to do as they are the ones who may/will suffer.

 

[Martin.UK]

Ukraine blocks exports of grains, sugar, salt and meats​

Exports of rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, sugar, salt and meat will be banned until the end of this year, a government paper shows.
Ukraine, the fourth biggest food exporter in the world according to Politico, accounts for around 20% of EU wheat imports, which could mean a number of food shortages throughout the continent due to the changes.
It also provides the bloc with many other food materials, including 80% of its honey.
In the UK, we take in more than £200 million in Ukrainian imports, according to the Department for International Trade, which includes cereals, oil-seeds and vegetable oils.
Prices around the world could begin to climb and some products, such as bread, could be pulled from shelves if countries are unable to adapt to the changes.
Essential food and hygiene products will still be exported from Ukraine.

 

[jellyrug]

It was just announced the US is banning oil from Russia...the price at the pumps is going to go up but this is what the people want so there had better not be a bunch of whining and dripping....

 

[Martin.UK]

This is today fuel prices in the UK in £'s​

Fuel prices hit yet another record high​

The average cost of a litre of fuel has risen to 158.2p today - another record high, according to the RAC.
That is up from yesterday's level of 156.37p.
Diesel comes in at an average of 165.24p per litre - up on 162.28p on Tuesday.

 

[Martin.UK]

Russia claims US is harbouring 'components of biological weapons' in Ukraine​

Maria Zakhorava, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, is delivering a news conference this morning from Moscow, where she claims that the US has been carrying out biological programmes in Ukraine.
Ms Zakhorava demanded that the US reveals the details about what it has been doing, adding she has seen documents that backs up their claims that Americans are harbouring components of biological weapons close to the Ukraine-Russia border.
She goes on to claim that the US Ministry of Defence is running the programme directly.
A few days ago a Russian major general, Igor Konashenkov, made the claim in the Russian media that the plague, anthrax and cholera were being developed by the US for use in biological warfare.
On negotiations with Ukraine, Ms Zakhorava said that "it will be better if we achieve results through peaceful negotiations," adding the Kremlin is "hoping for more significant steps forward at the next round of talks".