Russia & Ukraine

[budwom]

Speaking of which, Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has forbidden the Russian press from describing Moscow's attack on Ukraine as an "assault, invasion, or declaration of war," since this constitutes "unreliable socially significant untrue information." The offense is punishable by a fine of up to five million rubles ($60,000). Trying to restrict this information sounds like a losing proposition to me.

The good news is that pretty soon five million rubles will be worth about three dollars.

[Rich]

The good news is that pretty soon five million rubles will be worth about three dollars.

A good time to invest in waterfront property on the Caspian Sea?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Here's an escalation for you. Belarus is preparing to join the war by sending troops into Ukraine in support of Russia.
Yes, Belarus is Russia's puppet, but turning this from a two nation war into one with three is big.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Here's an escalation for you. Belarus is preparing to join the war by sending troops into Ukraine in support of Russia.
Yes, Belarus is Russia's puppet, but turning this from a two nation war into one with three is big.

Why in the world would Russia want that? This seems absolutely crazy. It makes them look weak and not strong.

[CDu]

Why in the world would Russia want that? This seems absolutely crazy. It makes them look weak and not strong.

I mean, the whole thing is absolutely crazy...

[wilson]

Why in the world would Russia want that? This seems absolutely crazy. It makes them look weak and not strong.

It looks an awful lot like growing desperation, to be honest. Belarus's military is somewhere between one fifth and one tenth the size of Ukraine's, for example, and its economy is roughly on par with that of Maine.
On the one hand, it's an encouraging sign that Russia is having a much harder time than expected with its invasion, but on the other, it could be a distressing harbinger of rising frustration and thus brutality and erratic behavior by Russian forces and leaders.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I’m not sure how many Americans are paying attention to this war. Yet, I am struck by what is bring shown. Unlike wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this war shows a modern looking country with people who look like a lot of us. I am not making a racist statement, but there is no doubt in our society a lot of people pay more attention when victims look more like them, dress like them, and worship the same God.

I think our leaders failed when they unilaterally ruled out ground troops before Putin invaded. I am not saying we should have ground troops, just that all options should have been on the table. If Putin has gone mad, this probably made no difference. As Ukrainians are being praised for their bravery and patriotism, I wonder if more Americans will be willing to be more involved in this war. On the other hand maybe we are more concerned about high gas prices than women, children and men being murdered by Putin in Ukraine.

All of us should be concerned what a wounded Putin might do. I pray the generals in Russia are talking behind his back to remove him before he could destroy the world as we know it.

I think the possibility of American boots on the ground in Ukraine would have complicated things domestically. Rather than focusing on what America can do and is doing, focus would be on would we send troops, for how long, how would Russia respond etc.

Agree with your other points.

SoCal

[CameronBornAndBred]

I think the possibility of American boots on the ground in Ukraine would have complicated things domestically. Rather than focusing on what America can do and is doing, focus would be on would we send troops, for how long, how would Russia respond etc.

Agree with your other points.

SoCal

The first moment that any NATO aligned troop sets foot on Ukrainian soil is the moment that the entire world goes to war. That's not hyperbole, that's not an understatement. Life as we know it instantly changes.

As much as it sucks right now for Ukraine, when other nations, including us, face that choice, the options while distasteful, become clearer.

[ClemmonsDevil]

The first moment that any NATO aligned troop sets foot on Ukrainian soil is the moment that the entire world goes to war. That's not hyperbole, that's not an understatement. Life as we know it instantly changes.

As much as it sucks right now for Ukraine, when other nations, including us, face that choice, the options while distasteful, become clearer.

Correct. What is considered reasonable is Aid, not troops. You can't have Bloodshed over an on NATO member.

[budwom]

A couple of Garks break with Putin:https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/busin...ska/index.html

May there be many more.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Historically Russia struggles so much to project power. To put it in basketball terms, Russia is much better at zone than then the full-court Press. The Russian military can be a big, lumbering Beast. They have so much land to protect and have a natural two front problem bordering Europe and Asia. The Japanese are nodding right now. Russia picked a fight with them in the early 20th century and Japan absolutely kicked their...butt.

[ClemmonsDevil]

As formidable as they are as in nuclear power Russia was basically 1 for Century in 20th century Wars.

[dudog84]

As formidable as they are as in nuclear power Russia was basically 1 for Century in 20th century Wars.

Don't make light of Russia. At a minimum we would have had much, much greater losses without them in WWII. We may have even lost or had to settle for a German continent.

[wilson]

Don't make light of Russia. At a minimum we would have had much, much greater losses without them in WWII. We may have even lost or had to settle for a German continent.

This is correct, and in fact, minimization of Russian sacrifices on the Eastern Front is a major ongoing source of Russia's animus toward the West.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Don't make light of Russia. At a minimum we would have had much, much greater losses without them in WWII. We may have even lost or had to settle for a German continent.

I'm not really making fun of them as much as stating a trend. They are much better as a defensive power. And I said they had one victory. That was the one.

[ClemmonsDevil]

This is correct, and in fact, minimization of Russian sacrifices on the Eastern Front is a major ongoing source of Russia's animus toward the West.

That would be a bad take and it's one I didn't make.

[wilson]

That would be a bad take and it's one I didn't make.

Nor did I say you did; I was merely adding historical context to the discussion.
Though I should also point out that Russia was a member of the winning coalition in both World Wars (to be fair, a rather large technicality in WWI, although one could argue that Russia's holding the line along the Eastern Front was a major contributing factor to the Allied Powers' victory in the West).

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm not really making fun of them as much as stating a trend. They are much better as a defensive power. And I said they had one victory. That was the one.

I'm not sure that you couldn't say the same thing about the United States.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Nor did I say you did; I was merely adding historical context to the discussion.
Though I should also point out that Russia was a member of the winning coalition in both World Wars (to be fair, a rather large technicality in WWI, although one could argue that Russia's holding the line along the Eastern Front was a major contributing factor to the Allied Powers' victory in the the red, white game as it were. West).

I would argue they went one and one in an intrasquad scrimmage during World War 1. The red, white game as it were.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Russia banned from the World Cup: https://www.espn.com/soccer/uefa-eur...raine-invasion

While this may not seem like a big deal, it is a huge deal for Russian fans (which is basically the whole country of Russia).

Russia still had a great opportunity to qualify. That is no longer the case.

I cannot think of another time when a country was outright banned from the World Cup. And if it does exist, they don't have a top 50 squad (which Russia does).