The Brink of War?

[Brad the Impala]

BBC's Russia Editor:

Vladimir Putin's speech to the Russian people on Wednesday night was quite extraordinary. Speaking from the Kremlin, we saw a Russian president who is fighting on all fronts.

Fighting in Ukraine, where he claimed his so-called special military operation is going according to plan. And we heard him again trying to justify Russia's military action, to frame it as an act of self-defence.

But he knows he also has a fight on at home. He knows by now that the wave of international sanctions will cause massive economic pain here, and potentially social unrest.

He talked about inflation rising, unemployment rising. So he's looking for scapegoats, for people to blame so the Russian people won't blame him when that economic pain starts to bite acutely.

And the scapegoats have been chosen. He denounced the traitors, the fifth columnists and the "pro-Western scum". In other words, it's us against them, good against evil. Vladimir Putin is trying to create division at home to absolve himself of responsibility for the consequences of his invasion of Ukraine.

Now we have to wait and see what the effect of this speech is on Russian society.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/worl...ost_type=share

[cdnmatt]

I'm sure - there will be much less fatalities in Ukraine, than in Iraq where "coalition" of NATO and US killed over half of million.

Tonight was fight for Rubezhnoe town in Ukraine. Ukraine calls that "total hell" and reported overall causalities within civilians "1 killed and 5 injured". 27 buildings in whole town got some damage.

WTF are you talking about? Do you actually believe Russia is acting with precision? There's entire towns that are simply no longer on the map.

How about the huge ampitheatre in Maritupol (sp) that was designated as a shelter has was turned into rubble yesterday? You know, the one with a massive sign on the roof you would see from the sky that said "children" on it? Were the Nazis hiding in there?

Or how about the maternity ward that's no longer therer? Or the dozens upon dozens of others? Or do you mean precise like in Aleppo? Precise like that? I guess if by "precision" you mean they ensure to keep the missiles somewhere within the city limits, then yes, they're very precise.

[Dodger]

Tonight was fight for Rubezhnoe town in Ukraine. Ukraine calls that "total hell" and reported overall causalities within civilians "1 killed and 5 injured". 27 buildings in whole town got some damage.

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, said on March 15 that Russian forces destroyed three school buildings along with a boarding school for visually impaired children and a hospital in Rubizhne,

Source of information below (in Russian):

https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/03/15/7331465/

[Moses]

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, said on March 15 that Russian forces destroyed three school buildings along with a boarding school for visually impaired children and a hospital in Rubizhne,

Source of information below (in Russian):

https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/03/15/7331465/

It isn't Russian language, it is Ukrainian, any Russian can read it like any Ukrainian can read Russian. Yes, Russian army did it - empty buildings with some Azov soldiers inside. 4 killed in total. No one civilian, adult or kid or sick people in hospitals were injured, overwise Ukrainians will for sure declare it.

[Moses]

How about the huge ampitheatre in Maritupol (sp) that was designated as a shelter has was turned into rubble yesterday? You know, the one with a massive sign on the roof you would see from the sky that said "children" on it? Were the Nazis hiding in there?

Or how about the maternity ward that's no longer therer? Or the dozens upon dozens of others? Or do you mean precise like in Aleppo? Precise like that? I guess if by "precision" you mean they ensure to keep the missiles somewhere within the city limits, then yes, they're very precise.

After eliminating of Nazi block-posts on the east and north all civilians were evacuated from Mariupol, Nazi have no "live shield" there anymore. So no civilian causalities. You have no base for to broke your hands in pathetic cries. Even Ukrainian propaganda declares no fatalities within civilians in both cases. And yes, nobody of Nazi will get out of Mariupol alive - they are surrounded by Chechens.

[StevieWonders]

It isn't Russian language, it is Ukrainian, any Russian can read it like any Ukrainian can read Russian. Yes, Russian army did it - empty buildings with some Azov soldiers inside. 4 killed in total. No one civilian, adult or kid or sick people in hospitals were injured, overwise Ukrainians will for sure declare it.

All grist to the War Crimes investigation the ICC has under way

[Moses]

BBC's Russia Editor:

Vladimir Putin's speech to the Russian people on Wednesday night was quite extraordinary. Speaking from the Kremlin, we saw a Russian president who is fighting on all fronts.

Fighting in Ukraine, where he claimed his so-called special military operation is going according to plan. And we heard him again trying to justify Russia's military action, to frame it as an act of self-defence.

But he knows he also has a fight on at home. He knows by now that the wave of international sanctions will cause massive economic pain here, and potentially social unrest.

He talked about inflation rising, unemployment rising. So he's looking for scapegoats, for people to blame so the Russian people won't blame him when that economic pain starts to bite acutely.

And the scapegoats have been chosen. He denounced the traitors, the fifth columnists and the "pro-Western scum". In other words, it's us against them, good against evil. Vladimir Putin is trying to create division at home to absolve himself of responsibility for the consequences of his invasion of Ukraine.

Now we have to wait and see what the effect of this speech is on Russian society.

Sanctions are going down, one by one.
Yesterday here started to work SamsungPay, today ApplePay. Mc'Donalds started to open their fastfood points again. Ruble got stronger 30% from overall fall at March 7 (132 per $1) to 105 (now), at night it was 90 per $1.

MasterCard and Visa are working within Russia as at past, they want to switch it off, but they can't because Russia has independent internal payment system and MC and Visa serves only payments outside of Russia.

Russia saw everything that already in 2014. So nobody worries too much.

[Moses]

All grist to the War Crimes investigation the ICC has under way

Russia doesn't recognize ICC, the same like US doesn't recognize it, and most other countries in world.

[StevieWonders]

Russia doesn't recognize ICC, the same like US doesn't recognize it, and most other countries in world.

Fairly certain Nazi Germany would not have recognised the Nuremberg trials until they lost the War. Russia’s day is coming

[StevieWonders]

Sanctions are going down, one by one.
Yesterday here started to work SamsungPay, today ApplePay. Mc'Donalds started to open their fastfood points again. Ruble got stronger 30% from overall fall at March 7 (132 per $1) to 105 (now), at night it was 90 per $1.

MasterCard and Visa are working within Russia as at past, they want to switch it off, but they can't because Russia has independent internal payment system and MC and Visa serves only payments outside of Russia.

Russia saw everything that already in 2014. So nobody worries too much.

Your theory is that everything will just fizzle out through inertia or boredom then? I’m of that school of thought myself. That’s generally the outcome of sanctions in recent history n