Russian invasion of Ukraine

[enigma77]

You know his answer...it rhymes with dukes.

Flukes?

/10char

[callipygoustp]

NATO would not ignore an enraged Putin if he phones on the heels of a serious matter like Ukraine officially joining them.

But that aside, not much happened from the conference. Ukraine isn't joining until the war is over, but a lot can happen before then.

Yes they would.

[DarkTZeratul]

Ukraine won't be joining NATO any time soon, because NATO members are not actively looking for war on their hands.

Biden pretty much said so, as far as I remember. Ukraine will be in NATO only after this war is actually ended and it will take a few years at least, as far as I believe.

There's actually a provision that says you can't join NATO if you're actively involved in a conflict.

[Belize]

It's really not a stupid take. Plenty of foreign warlords, dictators, and terrorists have shown their faces to make their demands.

This isn't an action movie where the bad guy briefly shows up to make demands you chicken coop.

[Edge-]

This isn't an action movie where the bad guy briefly shows up to make demands you chicken coop.

But...it could be? He could send Steven Seagull in his stead. Or at least Steven Seagull's body double.

[Gabriel]

There's an insane gap between bluffing over ultimately trivial things like Ukraine seizing unrecognized Russian annexed lands, and Ukraine formally joining NATO (thus placing them under its protection).

You know what he will do without a doubt should that come to pass.

Get an aneurysm from impotently raging in his bunker?

- - - Updated - - -

You guys want to know how much it costs for a mobik to get to go on a leave from the front line? About $1000.

Reports suggest that Russian commanders are demanding a standard bribe of a month's salary – 100,000 rubles ($1,100) – to allow their men go on leave. Those without money or connections are spending months fighting on the front line without being rotated or rested.

[Poopymonster]

You guys want to know how much it costs for a mobik to get to go on a leave from the front line? About $1000.

That sounds like a good way to create a position in the unit for a field promotion.

[Gabriel]

That sounds like a good way to create a position in the unit for a field promotion.

Yeah it is fucking bizarre why there are not more stories of mobiks just fragging their COs and walking away.

[Iphie]

Yeah it is fucking bizarre why there are not more stories of mobiks just fragging their COs and walking away.

Brainwashing, cowing, outright spinelessness, take your pick. Heck, even plain old mentality of "they are my superior, of course they have the right to extort me, I'd do the same in his place."

[Combatbutler]

Yeah it is fucking bizarre why there are not more stories of mobiks just fragging their COs and walking away.

I'd say because deep down they want to rise in the ranks and do this shit themselves.

[Biglog]

Yeah it is fucking bizarre why there are not more stories of mobiks just fragging their COs and walking away.

There have been a lot of these stories actually. They aren't global news type headline articles, but it's happened a fair bit. That and group surrenders with complaints that their CO left or is dead (or fragged), and/or that they were sent to the front without sufficient food/ammo/clothing/orders, etc.

If you're openly being used as cannon fodder and referred to as "feeding the meat machine" by state media, 80% of your battalion is dead, and you're sent against tanks with AK-47s, the light bulb starts to probably go on that maybe they don't have your best interests in mind.

[Corvus]

More spiciness going on in russian command.

Surovkin, who nobody has seen or heard of since the mutiny, is on 'vacation' according to russia. Guess that is how they spell gulags now.

And the storm shadow strike that took out a senior general may have been intended for another target. It hit the hotel where the commander of the 58th army was set up. Except he had been fired the day before.

Per russian reports, he got into a heated argument with Gerasimov, accusing him of lying to putin about the progress of the war and saying his troops had been degraded and needed to be rotated off the line to recover. Of course russia has no reserves to do that. Gerasimov sacked him, accusing him of alarmism.

Now that general has come out, saying the russian army can't be broken by Ukraine but accusing the high command and Gerasimov of a 'stab in the back.' Hrm, I'm sure I've heard a defeated army use that before somewhere....

[YUPPIE]

Looking at how chummy Biden is with Zelenksy on the surface makes me wonder what it'd be like if it was Trump instead

[jonnysensible]

Looking at how chummy Biden is with Zelenksy on the surface makes me wonder what it'd be like if it was Trump instead

[zealo]

Looking at how chummy Biden is with Zelenksy on the surface makes me wonder what it'd be like if it was Trump instead

Zelensky is friendly to a guy that isn’t trying to extort him?

Gosh, what a surprise

[Edge-]

And his nation wasn't defending itself against a Russian invasion during this picture.

omega ooph

[Iphie]

That would be unsurprising...

Ok, so thoughts? Is this plausible?

[YUPPIE]

That would be unsurprising...

Ok, so thoughts? Is this plausible?

Good riddance if so, but everyone laughed at how foolish it was he thought he could relent after attempting to seize power.

[Gabriel]

That would be unsurprising...

Ok, so thoughts? Is this plausible?

Fantastic news if true. Next time someone rebels they will see it through because they know any agreement with Putin is not worth shit.

[Makabreska]

Fantastic news if true. Next time someone rebels they will see it through because they know any agreement with Putin is not worth shit.

Why would he even face2face with putler after all of this? Is he/was he daft?