I don’t think deer antler blood worked - maybe that’s why he switched to Ukrainian blood baths
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I don’t think deer antler blood worked - maybe that’s why he switched to Ukrainian blood baths
Meanwhile Italian ENI prepares to open ruble account in GazpromBank https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...eu-warns-firms
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“Putin “Woof Tickets” on sale. Hurry while the sale lasts!
In Chicago the term “Woof Tickets” is used when a person is threatening another person into submitting to their request(s), without having any intention of carrying through with the threat. “Woof” representing a barking dog, scaring it’s victims without having any bite.
Putin is continually threatening the U.S. and NATO for supporting Ukraine, and the U.S. directly for its continued support threatening unpredictable consequences if this continues. He’s threatened all of Eastern Europe by holding energy supplies as hostage if they dare to challenge him. He recently threatened Finland and Sweden, saying if they joined NATO they would both face harsh political and military consequences. He even had the audacity to threaten Ukraine, telling them that if any more of their missiles landed on Russia’s side of the border, they would continue bombing Kiev. This one caused me to gag, laugh, and fart at the same time.
In short, Putin has threatened just about everyone. Always with the same line about “unpredictable consequences” – or by rattling his nuclear saber in an attempt to drive fear into his foes. The only problem with this tactic is that he’s sold so many woof tickets, at the same time as he’s continually losing, both strategically and militarily on the battlefield, that his “bark” is simply falling on deaf ears.
I get the impression that U.S. and NATO Leaders just roll their eyes and move on to the next subject whenever one of Putin’s woof ticket promotions is tabled for discussion (which has become a daily event). Analysts agree collectively that the recent increase in woof ticket sales (and at discount prices to boot) is a clear indication that Putin is becoming frantic and totally unglued.
He’s now threatening the U.S and Japan in retaliation for them conducting their routine US-Japan navel exercises. Of course it’s the same “woof tickets” that we’re all used to seeing; threatening the US and Japan with “unpredictable consequences” because these exercises are too close to his fence and he’s suffering from acute paranoia (again).
The joint naval exercises are continuing on as planned, and neither the US or Japan have even bothered to respond to the dogs bark. I imagine the woof tickets he tried to sell at this event are just lying on the ground collecting dust like all the others.
The only ones who actually have to be concerned about Putin's "Unpredictable Consequences" are the people of Russia themselves. Hopefully their economy will have enough life in it after Putin's demise that they can regain at least a portion of what they've lost, so they can start building positive futures - hopefully with a higher standard of living than what they've been subjected to during Putin's reign.
Even if Putin is actually getting serious about his threats, the West can not and will never listen to them. Living in a world where we're constantly being blackmailed and threatened by Putin with nuclear war is simply unacceptable to the West, and won't stand.
If Putin really wants to expedite the dismantlement of the Russian Federation, all he has to do is fire off a nuke. Russia is already done as a country, and they know this, so I wouldn't be surprised if these threats turn into action instead of just fading out quietly.
Nuke? Who wants nuke when Russia and Iran together controls about 45% of world gas reserves? For comparation: US controls 5% of gas reserves. Both countries are under sanctions, so they will find strategy how to deal with situation on economical way.
As per "done state", Matt who is your dealer? Profit form fossil fuel sales to EU at past 2 months grew 2 times - 44 billions Euro in comp. with 22bln in 2021. Ruble is now 6% stronger than year ago - compare with Euro what fell 14% to USD and GBP what fell 10%.
Just a couple days ago you said democracy was weak and will fail. What do you care about elections?
You do know you're so inconsistent in the shit you say, it's pretty near impossible to take anything you say seriously, right? You bounce around with idealogies, justifications and rationale constantly and are all over the map.
Honestly, I don't know the first thing about the qualifications of their President or PM. but I do know that Bulgaria is between a rock and a hard place.
Apparently 2 of the 4 parties in their cabinet are opposed to providing military aid to Ukraine - and the other 2 parties are in favor of providing this support. According to the article you provided the Bulgarian parliament is planning to meet next week to debate this.
Being one of the poorest countries in Europe - with 65 per cent of the population unable or barely cover their living expenses, they have plenty to be concerned about right now - with or without having to deal with the war in Ukraine.
Please click and read my sentence carefully. "Just couple of days" I wrote about gerontocracy in US, not about democracy.
And I am right, here is proof - first time from COVID panic in 2020 economy of US shrank 1.4% in 1st Q 2022 instead to grow after pandemic. Alzheimer shoots US leg.
Here we go with the “Woof Tickets” again.
Russia on Thursday warned the West that there would be a tough military response to any further attack on Russian territory, accusing the United States and its key European allies of openly inciting Ukraine to assault Russia. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the press in Moskow "I don't advise you to test our patience further.”
You just gotta love it.
After killing thousands of people, displacing millions of families from their homes, devastating entire towns murdering innocent civilians in the process, and threatening the World with a third world war, the West is now being advised “not to test their patience”. I’m at a total loss for words.
Tick…tok…tick…tok…tick…tok
https://www.aol.com/news/russia-warn...113627490.html
Lots on Western media today along the lines of, "If Russia uses nukes, they'll be signing their own death certificate".
There are a wide range of options that NATO would consider if forced to take an active role is this war - which would produce lasting, disastrous consequences for Russia. Russia does not want a direct confrontation with the U.S. and NATO for this reason. That much we know.
NATO currently has more troops in regions bordering Ukraine than Russia has in Ukraine. NATO’s military is much better equipped and trained than Russia’s. Ukraine has administered many crushing defeats on the Russians. It is unlikely that Putin - even at the moment of his greatest arrogance or frustration would willingly undertake a battle with a force so clearly superior to his. As one senior U.S. national security official put it, “A fight would not be close.”
Regardless of how this war ends, unless Putin is stripped of his nuclear arsenal we're back to square one.
This is what concerns me more than anything else. ALL Nuclear Weapons should be banned in all countries...not reduced...not controlled...not monitored...just eliminated from our existence. It only tales 100 nuclear bombs to eliminate humanity - and between Russian and the US there's enough nuclear power to destroy the entire fucking universe. What's wrong with this picture?
Hopefully, lessons learned from this disaster will accelerate nuclear arms reduction initiatives with a goal of ZERO.
According to the latest report from the BBC, I believe that this is not a completely accurate statements of how transactions are being completed. The BBC reports: "Gas companies in some EU countries, including Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, have agreed to pay for gas in euros through Russian bank Gazprombank, which will then convert the payments into roubles.
The Financial Times has reported that gas companies in Austria and Italy are also planning to open accounts with Gazprombank.
The EU said last week that if buyers of Russian gas could complete payments in euros and get confirmation of this before any conversion into roubles took place, that would not breach sanctions." https://www.bbc.com/news/58888451.
This is not the same as paying directly in rouble.
Comparing the number of nuclear weapons or warheads between the Russian Federation and the nuclear-armed NATO allies is not a particularly fruitful activity in my opinion. Assuming that no side would launch all its weapons at once, what matters is how effective the weapons first launched are - and whether enough people in the chain of command are still alive to launch the remainder. For example, there are three NATO nuclear capitals to target (Washington, London, and Paris) - but only Moscow in Russia. Moreover, given what seems to be the condition of current Russian military equipment (e.g., jack-in-the-box tanks, and warships with only 180 degree radar come to mind), assuming that all Russian nuclear weapons and/or warheads could be launched at all might be a leap of faith.
It is exactly the same: they open 2 accounts in Gazprombank: in euros and rubles, then they transfer money to euro account, then from this account they buy rubles at MOEX (it is only stock exchange where they are able to buy rubles) or issue order to bank to buy rubles for them, and add rubles to ruble account and then pay from ruble account to Gazprom. They can't "convert" euro to rubles in bank directly since this is forbidden for nonresidents.
.
Gazprombank is the one doing the converting - the gas importers are not using their euros to buy rubles on MOEX, as the following article explains: https://www.bruegel.org/2022/04/a-sa...ssia-in-rubles. "The gas importer’s bank pays euros into the foreign currency account. THE GAS IMPORTER THEN ASKS GAZPROMBANK TO EXCHANGE THE EUROS INTO RUBLES. GAZPROMBANK DOES THIS BY BORROWING RUBLES FROM THE BANK OF RUSSIA, THUS INCREASING ITS RESERVES (DEPOSITS) AT THE BANK OF RUSSIA. The gas importer then asks Gazprombank to exchange the euros into rubles. Gazprombank does this by borrowing rubles from the Bank of Russia, thus increasing its reserves (deposits) at the Bank of Russia. This borrowing can be done against any collateral, including the euros it has received from the gas importer’s bank. Gazprombank then transfers the rubles it has borrowed from Bank of Russia to the gas importer’s ruble account. Gazprombank can then, on behalf of the gas importer, pay out rubles to the Russian state by drawing down on its deposits at the Bank of Russia.
In this way:
There are no euros involved in transactions with sanctioned entities (Gazprombank borrows from the Bank of Russia in rubles) and therefore no need for any euro settlement at Target 2 involving a sanctioned entity, thereby respecting sanctions.
The euros paid into Gazprombank remain untouched by sanctioned entities and thus there is no need for any further Target 2 settlement, again respecting sanctions.
There is an implicit foreign exchange transaction in the exchange of deposits between the Bank of Russia and Gazprombank. As the price of gas is fixed in euros, the exchange rate at which euros are exchanged into rubles should be irrelevant. However, Gazprombank can charge a fee to the gas importer as commission for the foreign exchange operation. Normally foreign exchange commissions are extremely low but, as the market for rubles is probably very illiquid, Gazprombank might ask for a hefty commission, de facto increasing the gas price. This ends up operating as a price instrument in the hands of the Russian state (an indirect indication that this could occur is that the fee applied by Russia’s VTB Bank for ruble/dollar transactions with private customers, which before the war was about 4%, is now three times higher).
The Central Bank of Russia has a potential euro claim on Gazprombank if this used as collateral for lending to Gazprombank, but this is suspended because of sanctions.
If this approach is followed, at the end of the transaction flow the Russian state has ruble funds with the Bank of Russia that it can access to finance its domestic expenses, without having recourse to monetary financing. HOWEVER, IT CANNOT ACCESS THE EUROS HELD BY GAZPROMBANK AS LONG AS SANCTIONS ARE IN PLACE."
The Devil is in the details.
Breaking news on Russian state TV. Poland and US have rejected NATO's peacekeeping plans, and now plan to unilaterally invade Ukraine.
Umm... yeah...
It is interesting to note how many self-proclaimed American patriots, including those at FOX News, and Republican party members who cite the US Constitution at any and all opportunities don't know that its Article 3, section 3, clause 1 specifies that the giving of aid and comfort to the enemy is an element in the crime of Treason. Aid and comfort may consist of substantial assistance or the mere attempt to provide some support. Actual help or the success of the enterprise is not relevant.
In full, Article 3, section 3 reads: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted." https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleiii.
Hosts Olga Skabeyeva and Evgeny Popov and guest Aleksey Zhuravlyov, on a program on what is being referred to as "Russian state television" in news reports, Channel One’s 60 Minutes program, claimed that nuclear weapons could strike European capitals less than four minutes after being launched. The capitals and specific times referred to are Berlin (106 seconds), Paris (200 seconds) and London (202 seconds). They appeared to assume that this meant there would be no retaliation as Aleksey Zhuravlyov said: 'One Sarmat [missile] and that's it - the British Isles are no more.'
As I stated in an earlier post, all that matters is "whether enough people in the chain of command are still alive to launch the remainder." One UK Trident submarine is on patrol at all times, carrying no more than eight missiles and forty warheads - more than enough to obliterate Moscow, St. Petersburg and Russian military bases. France now has three of its four submarines capable of firing nuclear warheads at sea. Germany does not have its own nuclear weapons but is one of five NATO members (the others are Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey) to host B61 nuclear weapons on its territory as part of a nuclear-sharing agreement. Germany as approximately 10-15 B61 nuclear bombs. Belgium has approximately 20, Italy approximately 40, the Netherlands 20, and Turkey 50.
Any nuclear attack on the three countries mentioned in the Russian 60 Minutes program is an attack on all NATO countries, and risks retaliation not only directly from the US land and sea-based forces but all the other nuclear-weapons hosting nations.
Bye, bye Russia.
Enough said?
Actually, too much said.
There are a million scenarios that could play out in the event a nuclear war ever did erupt on our planet, with one possible outcome being...bye, bye humanity.
This isn't a time for "sabre rattling".
Sometimes I wonder who's being more irresponsible...the news media who report this garbage, or the people who react to it.
Tell me more about living with "sabre rattling," and responding to it.
I'm Taiwanese, live in one of the three main cities (Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung) that would be a landing target for invading troops from the Mainland. We live with almost daily sabre-rattling from across the Taiwan Strait in the form of aerial incursions by fighters, bombers, etc., into our ADIZ. April saw 25 days with ADIZ incursions by PLAAF aircraft. Yesterday it was two Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker jets, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. In both cases, the jets turned back after Taiwan’s military sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track them.
Today and tomorrow are our Labor Day holiday, and so we expect a large number of PLAAF planes entering that zone as a display of the power of the PLA and what it can do if or when it invades. The Government is watching carefully what is happening in Ukraine to learn what lessons it can.
Sometimes the only way to stand up to bullies is to point out what their aggression might mean for them.
Your point is well taken, and I fully understand the tension (and apprehension) in the people of Taiwan right now.
All Xi has to do is observe what's happening to Russia's economy (let alone what's happening to it's military) to get an idea of what he would have on his hands if he ever gave orders to invade Taiwan.
I hold the belief that nothing can defeat FREEDOM, as long as the FREE stand together and don't waver in their stance.
You forgot one thing: Russian C-500 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-500_missile_system It intercepts targets up to 500 km from point of own launch.
And by the way: after "Bye, bye Russia" will follow "Bye, bye world", because since USSR time here is operational "Dead hand" system - in case of nuclear attack to Russia it will launch heavy "answer" even when every Russian will be dead https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand
Right now US fights with Russia "till last Ukrainian" pumping Ukraine with weapon. Do you really want to be involved into the same game where US will fight with China "till last Taiwanese"?
If US really wants to protect Taiwan they may accept Taiwan membership in AUKUS - then China will twice think before to heat conflict. But it will never happened - US has opposite target - to involve China in conflict like it did with Russia and Ukraine by inspiring Ukraine 8 years.
Last lines of a Wikipedia entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand#Current_use) on Dead the Hand or Perimeter system that you mentioned: "In 2018, Colonel General Viktor Yesin [ru], the former chief of Russia's Main Staff of the Strategic Missile Forces, stated that the Perimeter system might become ineffective in the wake of the United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty."
I said nothing about US protection of Taiwan - I was describing living with sabre-rattling.
Probably more than you, given his biography: Viktor Ivanovich Yesin, Colonel-General (ret.), Colonel-General, Ph.D. (Military Sciences), Prof., PIR Center Advisory Board member. Graduated from the F.E. Dzerzhinski Military Academy and The General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces. In 1959 started working in Military Forces. For over 40 years, worked in the Soviet/Russian Defense Ministry's agencies. In 1998-2002 chief of the Russian Security Council Administration. Formerly, Сhief of the Strategic Missile Forces General Staff (i.e., former head of the Russian strategic rocket troops). Research Professor, Advanced National Security Studies Center, Expert Institute, Higher School of Economics National Research University, Moscow Research interests: reform of armed forces, strategic stability. PIR Center Advisory Board member since 2002.
Moses, the West has no desire at all to nuke Russia. Quit with the rhetoric.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-pl...090921314.html
AGAIN?
Russia planned downing passenger jet, blaming Ukraine Security Service of Ukraine
ukrpravda@gmail.com (Ukrayinska Pravda)
Sun, May 1, 2022, 4:09 AM·2 min read
Valentyna Romanenko - Sunday, 1 May 2022, 12:09 The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claims to have apprehended a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group that was preparing to shoot down a passenger plane and blame it on the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the international partners supplying arms to Ukraine. Source: SBU Spokesperson Artem Dekhtyarenko Quote: "The SBU has completed a multistage operation, in the course of which it neutralised a a deep-seated sabotage and reconnaissance group of the enemy. Agents of the RF armed forces' general staff were preparing a terrorist act - they were planning to shoot down a passenger jet over the territory of Russia or Belarus. "The occupiers intended to unjustifiably accuse Ukraine and our partners of attacking the aircraft. To commit the provocation, the attackers wanted to fire on a civilian board from the portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS) 'Stinger'. "In order to steal and smuggle foreign MANPADS abroad, representatives of the aggressor country's special services gave the [relevant] task to their intelligence group." Details: According to the SBU, the sabotage and reconnaissance group included two individuals with dual citizenships, and a locally recruited accomplice. Their operations were coordinated by Russian national Aleksandr Tuterev, a staff member of the main department of the general staff of the RF's armed forces under the alias of "Morpekh", says Dekhtyarenko. Tuterev is wanted in Ukraine for his role in the organisation of a series of terrorist acts in the Odesa region, according to the SBU. Under his coordination, enemy agents attempted to contact Ukraine's Armed Forces under the guise of patriotic volunteers. To gain trust, they conveyed to the Ukrainian side true information on the positions and maneuvres of Kadyrevites' units. The agents were allegedly tasked with using these contacts to illegally obtain a foreign-made MADPAD and transfer it to the Russian side. The SBU reports that it has apprehended all members of the involved sabotage and reconnaissance group. The investigation is ongoing.
Seventh Russian General Dies in Combat
Comparing this figure of seven reported dead generals in less than 3 months with the total number of US generals killed in 10 years in Vietnam (1965 and 1975 ) – just 12 – you have to ask why so many Russian generals are dying.
Although it's now a rare occurrence, before modern technology and tactics, the deaths of senior officers were far more common. But in modern warfare you never see this many Generals getting killed. Military analysts sum up the reasons as relating to; incompetence due to lack of experience and/or training, poor morale among ground troops, and poor strategic and logistical planning - against a highly motivated and skilled Ukrainian military. ://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-general-commanded-electronic-warfare-115447368.html
(excerpts from article linked below)
"Putin manages the military in much the same way as he does the wider Russian state, choosing loyalty to him above professional competence. This is no more clearly illustrated than the choice of Sergei Shoigu as Russian defense minister in 2012. Lacking any military experience or understanding, Shoigu was chosen as he posed little political threat to Putin or established military tradition. He has been criticized by many for failing to introduce major reforms after the Georgian campaign in 2008, which highlighted key failings in the Russian military in carrying out combat operations".
"Corruption is endemic within all aspects of Russian life – and this includes the military. A recent report, published as part of the London-based International Government Defence Integrity Index, identified that the Russian military had a corruption risk of high “owing to extremely limited external oversight of the policies, budgets, activities and acquisitions of defense institutions”. The report also highlighted a lack of transparency on procurement and the issuing of defense contracts, with a rating of only 36 out of 100 in this category. Loyalty to Putin may have landed senior leaders a place in the inner circle, but this has been at the expense of the personnel they serve". https://theconversation.com/ukraine-...-killed-179517
How many military officers do you see here?
Attachment 12524
or here:
Attachment 12525
Two of Putin's 379,623 Generals who are brothers.
Nikolay (on the left) owned a butcher shop in St. Petersburg prior to being recruited by Putin, was last seen rolling down a hill in Ukraine with loads of sausages falling from his backpack. He's never earmed any metals, but makes one hell of a kobasa.
Older brother Leo (on right) still operates a large pawn shop in Moscow in his spare time which specializes in military memorabilia. His personal collection of war metals is the envy of Russia's top brass.
None of them are generals - this isn't Russian uniform for generals. They are army pensioners. This is photo from shutterstock, Victory day celebration in Samara in 2017 https://www.shutterstock.com/image-p...ting-775511995
this how uniform of general looks like:
Attachment 12527