Ukraine War Watch Thread

[wjfox]

Hello. I’m “Certain Russian user” mentioned here and once very active on this forum (veterans shall recall, the rest shall not care).

Yes, we remember your constant victimhood, whining, ultra-nationalism, what-aboutism, and utter subservience to your man-crush Putin.

Well, everything here is exactly as I expected. Perhaps you’ll find this interesting: “defeated and destroyed” Russian forces that landed in Hostomel airbase are actually won the battle, and “heroically fallen” Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island are actually alive and well (as our POWs), and Russian military vehicle that ran over old man was actually Ukrainian and this happened on the streets of Kiev. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but NO, there are still no “thousand dead Russians” and most of broken/burned/abandoned stuff and the like you may have seen labeled as "punished invaders", are also Ukrainian.

I'm following updates from our Ministry of Defence, among other credible sources. It's clear that Russia is taking heavy casualties, and is facing greater resistance than anticipated. Russia is failing to meet its objectives, and morale is already low among Russian soldiers.

Anyway, this all doesn't matter. There was only one thing here that hurt me deeply (and, actually, brought back to this place): your sentimental viral “Video of Ukrainian father saying goodbye to his kids while he stays behind to fight” on page 26.

You know what? This video is few years old, and this is actually Russian man, defender of Donbass from Ukraine. Back then, no one of you shed a single crocodile tear over this father and his children, as well as hundreds and thousands of other children of Donbass, still alive or already dead. And now, suddenly, you found this video fitting for your purposes and pulled it from your archives...

Abomination.

A single tweet is the only thing about which you're "hurt deeply". Poor little you.

Never mind everything else that's been posted here, then?

That’s all I wanted to say here. Does this looks as invitation for further debate? Not at all... And the last thing. To every one of you, the progressive gender-fluid hipsters, who could not contain their feelings and, in this very thread, wished pain and death to our Russian soldiers, I deeply and sincerely wish the same.

I think you'll find most of us here just want a return to peace, and diplomacy. You, on the other hand, presumably support Putin's ambition to drag us back half a century, committing war crimes if necessary.

Oh, and you're a transphobe too?

[Certain Russian user]

"We always appreciate the fiction... poor little you..."

Yes, yes, yes, you’re all right, poor little me. But one question worth reply:

"What do you wish for the protestors in Russia who have publicly expressed a desire for the war to end?"

Isn’t this obvious? Just like majority of our people I wish for their demands to be fulfilled as soon as possible. That depends on both our army and the sanity of Ukrainian soldiers. We’re trying to avoid their unnecessary casualties (yes, not typo, avoid enemy’s casualties, something unimaginable and unbelievable for your anglo-saxon mindset) and that may delay us a bit. Even so, it will not take long. You like it or not.

[Certain Russian user]

And premoderation? This forum has changed for the last year...

[raklian]

And premoderation? This forum has changed for the last year...

It's only for the first three posts. It's to weed out clever spammers.

By the way, welcome back.

[caltrek]

@ Certain Russian User:

Thank you for your response to my question.

by wjfox » Wed Feb 23, 2022 9:42 am

Putin must be out of his mind. What good can come from this? He's only worsening Russia's standing in the world, crippling its finances, and hastening his own demise as leader.

I have been trying to wrap my head around this question for a while now.

I suppose one place to start is with some of what Putin has actually declared on the subject. Mind you, my citation of two of his recent speeches should not be taken as an endorsement of his views or as belief that he is telling the truth and nothing but the truth. Still, it is what he is representing primarily (I suspect) to his people, and secondarily to the rest of the world. So, it is perhaps at least a superficial indication of what he is thinking and what motivates him, or at least what he thinks will motivate the Russian people. Yes, taken together it is a long read.

https://theprint.in/world/modern-ukrain ... ch/843801/

Here Is the Full Text of Putin's Speech ... oberts.org

[caltrek]

So, since I have given the courtesy of providing links to some of President Putin's thoughts on the matter, I suppose it is only right to provide a link regarding President Zelensky's observations concerning the issues at hand:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/2 ... ch-in-full

[Cyber_Rebel]

I wish for their demands to be fulfilled as soon as possible.

In what way exactly? Would it include the pulling out of Russian troops for example and recognizing Ukraine as a free sovereign state? That seems like the best avenue towards peace, no?

[weatheriscool]

Germany OKs weapons for Ukraine in major shift on military aid
Source: Politico

Germany has authorized the Netherlands to send Ukraine 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers to aid in the fight against Russian invaders, according to two EU officials — marking an abrupt shift in Berlin’s military policy amid pressure from EU and NATO allies.

Until Saturday, Germany had clung to a longstanding practice of not permitting lethal weapons that it controlled to be transferred into a conflict zone.

That stance bewildered some European officials, even more so after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion and launched missile strikes on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

Germany’s shift comes as numerous Western allies are mobilizing to send Ukraine more guns, ammunition and even anti-aircraft defense systems as Russian forces bear down on major Ukrainian cities.

Read more: https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine ... -supplies/

[weatheriscool]

US lobbying firms rush to cut ties with Russian businesses hit with sanctions
Source: CNN

In the years leading up to Russia's attack on Ukraine, US lobbyists have raked in millions of dollars from Russian banks and financial firms paying to push their interests in Washington.

Now, in the wake of the Russian invasion and new sanctions announced by President Joe Biden, many of those lobbying firms are rushing to cut ties and drop their lucrative contracts.

At least six lobbying firms that previously represented now-sanctioned Russian banks and companies tied to a Russian natural gas pipeline terminated their contracts or representation this week, according to statements and federal lobbying disclosures.

[snip]

"For anybody that's representing a Russian entity in Washington, DC, it's an uphill climb ... that has just gotten a lot steeper," said Benjamin Freeman, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a foreign policy think tank, who has written a book on foreign influence. "It's going to be hard to find a sympathetic ear for any of these Russian clients on the Hill right now."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/politics ... index.html

[weatheriscool]

MIT Cuts Ties With Russia Tech Center in Protest of Invasion
Source: Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is ending a decade-long collaboration with one of Russia’s leading technology institutes in response to the nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

The university “is exercising its right to terminate the MIT Skoltech Program,” according to an announcement on MIT’s homepage for the partnership. “This step is a rejection of the actions of the Russian government in Ukraine.”

The termination of the program, which began in 2011, is a pointed public action by a U.S. university to repudiate the Russian invasion, potentially opening the door to similar actions by other U.S. institutions. It reverses MIT’s 2019 decision to extend the partnership with the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology for five years despite security concerns and ties to the Kremlin’s inner circle.

MIT is taking action “with deep regret because of our great respect for the Russian people and our profound appreciation for the contributions of the many extraordinary Russian colleagues we have worked with,” according to the statement, which cites a decision by MIT President L. Rafael Reif.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/mi ... li=BBnbcA1