Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #14

[Rolypolyoly]

If anyone is trying to follow Zelensky's X account - it is now very hard to find. It doesn't come up in the X search box. You have to use google to find Zelensky's X account MOO. Incidentally his name on Elon Musk's X is spelt with two y's - Zelenskyy. But even if you put that in the X search box, all that comes up are Trump accounts! MOO Thanks to @Snoopster for raising this.

Here it is

https://x.com/zelenskyyua

That took longer than I thought it would to be honest!

 

[iusedtofloat]

Who's going to stop the war or would you prefer the killing to continue and the Russians continue to make territorial gains?

The war will stop when Putin is imprisoned (or assassinated). I would like for him to be imprisoned, as would many, many, MANY other people.

I don't understand your post, not sure what you are talking about. My post said that private social media sites can choose their own lists of approved sources and that in no way has any bearing on the credibility or noncredibility of the sources they choose.

I am sure you understand perfectly what I'm saying. WS rules relate to whether a source is reputable and trustworthy. State regime media (oops, I mean Fox News) and FB or Reddit posts detailing DOGE's amazing leadership aren't allowed for a reason. And there's a reason as well that nearly all reputable news sources are fighting against all of this: it's insanity, it's fascism, it's not right, and we are heading toward a dictatorship and potentially martial law as well.

 

[UK Girl]

I doubt that's the case. The President is focused on Hamas and the hostages, issues with tariffs related to China, Mexico and Canada, bringing entrepreneurs and businesses and investors back to the U.S. etc.

Why is he focussed on Hamas and the hostages? isnt Israel dealing with that although I know he has been threatening about if the hostages are not returned. Pity he isnt vocal about the Ukrainian kids that are hostages

 

[Vern]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

This war was begun by the murderous, autocratic dictator Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and will only end when/if he says “nyet” and withdraws his troops. Russia is a one-man government and Putin is the Czar.

I’ve always had some mixed emotions about Ukraine because that is the nation responsible for Babi Yar, in which the Nazis murdered as many Jews as possible and were aided and abetted by the Ukrainian populace. Also, which I’ve mentioned before, the people who hung my great-grandfather from a tree because he was Jewish, and which caused my grandfather as a young man to have to escape by ship to NYC.

That was during the reign of Nicholas II.

The present day Ukranians voted for a Jewish president in Zelenskyy, so clearly they are not the same as their great-grandparents.

Since the war in Ukraine began, I and most of the people I know have been supportive of Ukraine. We’ve all donated to them, worn blue and yellow to fundraisers etc. My neighborhood has many refugees from the former U.S.S.R living here who fled the Soviet Union where they were persecuted.

I am still furious at some of the votes present-day Ukraine has cast at the U.N., but I support the people and Zelenskyy.

I’ve been voting since I turned 18 and am now 67. In the last three elections I wrote in names that were not on the ballot because I am not a fan of Trump nor any of his opponents.

Yet, my expectations for ANY president of the United States of America would be that we would staunchly support a democratic ally over a dictatorship.

Putin has been in power since 1999, as president or temporarily as Prime Minister. In this time he has successfully caused the deaths or imprisonment of a multitude of people who have gone against him.

Reading Natan Sharansky’s book, (Fear No Evil), or Navalny’s memoir, (Patriot: A Memoir) or Solzhenitsyn’s memoir (The Gulag Archipelago) gives incredible insight into the cruelty of the Soviet regime and now Putin’s.

One of the most affecting letters I’ve ever read was Navalny's to Sharansky before Navalny was murdered in a Siberian prison, asking for advice on how Sharansky survived his own long imprisonment in the U.S.S.R.

IMO as an American who truly loves my country, how can we shrug off this aggression against a sovereign nation, by a nation determined to rearrange the geopolitical landscape according to the wishes of one all-powerful leader of an enemy nation, Russia?

In my opinion this is heinous.

Thank you for your perspective Arkay. I appreciate it and I stand with you.

Am Israel Chai. May your great-grandfather's memory and legacy be a blessing. I am certain he would be extremely proud of you and your humanity.

.

 

[iusedtofloat]

If anyone is trying to follow Zelensky's X account - it is now very hard to find. It doesn't come up in the X search box. You have to use google to find Zelensky's X account MOO. Incidentally his name on Elon Musk's X is spelt with two y's - Zelenskyy. But even if you put that in the X search box, all that comes up are Trump accounts! MOO Thanks to @Snoopster for raising this.

Here it is

https://x.com/zelenskyyua

his name actually is spelt with two Ys!

 

[Stella123]

Russia: Leaders enjoy spectacle of Western rift as deadly attacks on Ukraine continue​

Vitaliy Shevchenko, BBC Monitoring Russia editor
Image source, Reuters
Until Trump's sanctions threat, this was another week when all the pressure seemed to be on Kyiv, giving Russia little reason to tame its appetite.

The suspension of American military aid and intelligence is one of the worst setbacks for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, and a huge boost to Russia's chances.

The deadly attacks across Ukraine which have followed suggest that Moscow is happy to continue with business as usual in the war.

It still insists that the original objectives of the "special military operation" must be achieved and more Ukrainian land captured.

It has also rejected efforts by Ukraine supporters to relieve this pressure on Kyiv, through a truce or a peacekeeping force.

French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks this week that Trump's America may no longer be "on our side" are music to Russian President Vladimir Putin's ears, too.

It's a situation in which Putin can sit back and enjoy the spectacle of cracks appearing in the Western alliance. It's a situation that he's been working to achieve for years, if not decades.

And he has achieved it not because of shots fired on the battlefield, but because of a breathtaking U-turn by Ukraine's biggest ally.

Next Tuesday, Ukrainian and US representatives are sitting down for talks in Saudi Arabia. Russia will be watching closely, but feeling confident.

Ukraine Trump: What US, Russia and Europe are thinking ahead of fresh Ukraine talks

BBC correspondents weigh in as US and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[keek]

What is that on that guy's face at the top of the article? It looks like he has a spider half across one side of his face?

I enlarged the pic and does look like a large scar.

 

[iusedtofloat]

Russia: Leaders enjoy spectacle of Western rift as deadly attacks on Ukraine continue​

Vitaliy Shevchenko, BBC Monitoring Russia editor
Image source, Reuters
Until Trump's sanctions threat, this was another week when all the pressure seemed to be on Kyiv, giving Russia little reason to tame its appetite.

The suspension of American military aid and intelligence is one of the worst setbacks for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, and a huge boost to Russia's chances.

The deadly attacks across Ukraine which have followed suggest that Moscow is happy to continue with business as usual in the war.

It still insists that the original objectives of the "special military operation" must be achieved and more Ukrainian land captured.

It has also rejected efforts by Ukraine supporters to relieve this pressure on Kyiv, through a truce or a peacekeeping force.

French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks this week that Trump's America may no longer be "on our side" are music to Russian President Vladimir Putin's ears, too.

It's a situation in which Putin can sit back and enjoy the spectacle of cracks appearing in the Western alliance. It's a situation that he's been working to achieve for years, if not decades.

And he has achieved it not because of shots fired on the battlefield, but because of a breathtaking U-turn by Ukraine's biggest ally.

Next Tuesday, Ukrainian and US representatives are sitting down for talks in Saudi Arabia. Russia will be watching closely, but feeling confident.

Ukraine Trump: What US, Russia and Europe are thinking ahead of fresh Ukraine talks

BBC correspondents weigh in as US and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia.

www.bbc.co.uk

Thanks for this article.

Not to be Captain Obvious (apparently I need to be...) but if we're doing stuff Putin and his cronies are cheering on and LOVING, there *may* be a problem here

 

[keek]

You can hear this from Hegseth @Simply Southern

"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the military until Wednesday to remove content that highlights diversity efforts in its ranks following President Donald Trump’s executive order ending those programs across the federal government."

Enola Gay, women, Blacks being erased in shocking Pentagon DEI file purge

As many as 100,000 photos and online posts including a female Medal of Honor recipient, Black soldiers and people whose last name is ‘Gay’ may be axed in the diversity eradication ordered by Donald Trump

www.independent.co.uk

Google who he is. ABSOLUTELY no qualifications and in legal problems.

 

[branmuffin]

Pretty sure that the US could do the same.

And Russia is doing it as well. Won't be long before they are funding themselves with other people's money, if they are not doing it already.

Maybe Trump is supporting Russia because he doesn't want US money trapped in Russia? So he is going to lift sanctions and do all the rest of what he is doing against Ukraine. Trump certainly seems to have enough wealthy friends & family, and wealthy govt officials, who might be concerned about that.

imo


MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Russia is set to widen its power to retaliate for Western asset seizures with new legislation that could allow it to confiscate the frozen funds of foreign companies and investors, two sources familiar with the draft law told Reuters.

That could spell trouble for the many foreign investors, including both individuals and major U.S. investment funds, with billions of dollars of funds trapped in those accounts.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-widen-asset-seizing-power-with-new-legislation-sources-say-2025-02-07/

The US has often used asset seizures for paying victims of crimes. It's nothing new. The assets are considered ill-gotten gains related to criminal activities. There has been an ongoing conversation about tapping into the seizures or at least utilizing the profits or interest accumulation for foreign assets.

This article is nearly one year old now so things may have changed under Trump. Not having a stellar opinion of Trump and his criminal ways, I figure he's either already raided this for his own gratification or he's conspiring with his buddy Putin as to who gets what. Quid pro quo.

The US is now allowed to seize Russian state assets. How would that work?

The big U.S. aid package for Ukraine and other allies that President Joe Biden signed Wednesday also allows the administration to seize Russian state assets located in the U.S. and use them for the benefit of Kyiv.

apnews.com

The US is now allowed to seize Russian state assets. How would that work?

The big U.S. aid package for Ukraine and other allies that President Joe Biden signed Wednesday also allows the administration to seize Russian state assets located in the U.S. and use them for the benefit of Kyiv.

apnews.com

 

[Stella123]

Interesting article/interview with Ukraine naval Captain, which includes the history of the Russians taking Crimea. It's now clear why they took it - it's a base to attack Ukraine from. JMO

‘We’re here to stop Russia taking the Black Sea’: with the Ukrainian Navy as they battle for supremacy on the waves

Captain Oleksandr and his crew are on constant alert to shoot down Vladimir Putin’s swarming drones

www.theguardian.com

“The Russians try and kill us every day. They drop bombs on women and children,” Oleksandr said. “This is a struggle of good against evil. We are counting on the world to help us. If you don’t understand what’s happening come here and we will take you on an excursion.”

 

[Deleted member 39678]

You can hear this from Hegseth @Simply Southern

"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the military until Wednesday to remove content that highlights diversity efforts in its ranks following President Donald Trump’s executive order ending those programs across the federal government."

Enola Gay, women, Blacks being erased in shocking Pentagon DEI file purge

As many as 100,000 photos and online posts including a female Medal of Honor recipient, Black soldiers and people whose last name is ‘Gay’ may be axed in the diversity eradication ordered by Donald Trump

www.independent.co.uk

What does this have to do with the war in Ukraine?

 

[Betty P]

No,, respectfully. Zelensky what's told repeatedly for up to four weeks prior to the meeting ... If you don't work towards the peace agreement the US is out.

Trump left all communications up and running and supplies free flowing in to Ukraine. Four days later, Zelensky issued a statement it was going to be a long war. That was his signal he was not interested in a peace agreement. The US made a decision to no longer support the killing of Ukrainians and a war that will never end.

Without the halt from USA aid, there would not be a meeting next week. There would not be any efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. People are dying, Zelensky is responsible. Even after Oval office Friday, he just continued on to try to provoke Trump. He succeeded, at much loss to Ukraine.
Moo

He wasn't able to accept the terrible deal that Trump was trying to force upon Ukraine, one that provided no protection when Russia inevitably resumes their attacks on Ukraine. This is why European countries need to be part of the negotiations.

 

[Betty P]

I hate to say it but I hope President Zelensky doesn't meet with the Americans it's a useless meeting. Because we all know there's no help coming from the USA only more drama and lies , I hope Zelensky keeps safe so he's not poisoned or murdered by them I don't trust Putin or his ally jmvho

JMO, it will be a very risky trip for Zelenskyy. He should only engage in talks where other EU and UK nations are present and where its safe.

 

[iusedtofloat]

He wasn't able to accept the terrible deal that Trump was trying to force upon Ukraine, one that provided no protection when Russia inevitably resumes their attacks on Ukraine. This is why European countries need to be part of the negotiations.

Very well put.

 

[Sundog]

Google who he is. ABSOLUTELY no qualifications and in legal problems.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Secretary Hegseth is now in office, following his Senate confirmation, whatever detractors feel about him. He'll do a great job in getting our military back on track regarding their actual mission.

 

[Stella123]

For a British MP to come out and say this about a President of another country is massive.

British MP: ‘Trump could be a Russian asset’

Earlier this week, British lawmaker Graham Stuart raised the possibility that the president of the United States, Donald Trump, had been groomed by the Kremlin’s security services over a period of decades. In this interview Stuart explains what prompted him to make such an extraordinary public...

kyivindependent.com

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

The U.S. Secretary of Defense was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Secretary Hegseth is now in office, following his Senate confirmation, whatever detractors feel about him. He'll do a great job in getting our military back on track regarding their actual mission.

So what OP posted wasn’t true? The U.S. Senate could confirm a juggling penguin — doesn’t mean they’re qualified. How does a Fox News pundit have qualifications to run the entire military? Should we let Bill Oreilly run the Federal Reserve?

 

[Stella123]

Wow - there is more

"Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset over 40 years and proved so willing to parrot anti-western propaganda that there were celebrations in Moscow, a former KGB spy has told the Guardian.

‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years – ex-KGB spy

The KGB ‘played the game as if they were immensely impressed by his personality’, Yuri Shvets, a key source for a new book, tells the Guardian

www.theguardian.com

 

[iusedtofloat]

The U.S. Secretary of Defense was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Secretary Hegseth is now in office, following his Senate confirmation, whatever detractors feel about him. He'll do a great job in getting our military back on track regarding their actual mission.

Yeah, 1 - he 2 - seems 3 - great.

"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the military until Wednesday to remove content that highlights diversity efforts in its ranks following President Donald Trump’s executive order ending those programs across the federal government.

The vast majority of the Pentagon purge targets women and minorities, including notable milestones made in the military. And it also removes a large number of posts that mention various commemorative months — such as those for Black and Hispanic people and women."