Russian invasion of Ukraine

[D Luniz]

That doesn't even get to the fact that Russia has repeatedly proven itself to be fairly wholly untrustworthy. I'm still surprised the deal allowing Ukranian grain shipments (which is set to expire soon, sadly) hasn't been repeatedly violated by Russia. That's one of the few areas where they actually seem to not be lying, but they're also not talking about it so that might be why.

thats mainly because many of the few nations that like (no, thats not right)tolerate(na, that word aint it either) are willing to take advantage of the Russian Oil fire sale (there we go) also have large populations that WILL turn on them if say grains prices spiked overnight.

So just to keep the oil flowing out, Russia has to keep them happy.
Thats what makes them pulling out of the grain deal surprising, but maybe they are over estimating the need for their oil like they did with the EU.



Edit: anyone know a good thesaurus?

[Xyonai]

That doesn't even get to the fact that Russia has repeatedly proven itself to be fairly wholly untrustworthy. I'm still surprised the deal allowing Ukranian grain shipments (which is set to expire soon, sadly) hasn't been repeatedly violated by Russia. That's one of the few areas where they actually seem to not be lying, but they're also not talking about it so that might be why.

That and they've been stealing millions of tonns of the stuff anyway they don't get anything out of making their situation worse (or giving someone am excuse to fire on their own grain ships).

Though I think Turkye said they're gonna pick up the slack on the grain deal so we'll see how that goes.

[Iphie]

That doesn't even get to the fact that Russia has repeatedly proven itself to be fairly wholly untrustworthy. I'm still surprised the deal allowing Ukranian grain shipments (which is set to expire soon, sadly) hasn't been repeatedly violated by Russia. That's one of the few areas where they actually seem to not be lying, but they're also not talking about it so that might be why.

Russia nixed the deal today btw. But what are they gonna do? Shoot Turkish ships?

[qwerty123456]

BTW didn't Finland join NATO since the start of the war? And isn't Sweden on its way to joining NATO? Two non-NATO countries that border Russia? So didn't this war just result in...more NATO nations, including right on Russia's border? So the war has literally accomplished the exact opposite of the goals you just made up that justified the war according to Russians?

Not only that but how would expanding your empire to include a new border with multiple countries already in NATO help protect you from a potential invasion from NATO.

[Edge-]

Russia nixed the deal today btw. But what are they gonna do? Shoot Turkish ships?

Didn't know the date but was listening to some reporting on it on NPR over the weekend. As others have noted it might be interesting seeing what happens if grain shipments slow/stop and food shortages begin. Especially in some of the nations that are currently buying up Russia's cheap oil. I don't know if/how much India, for example, may rely on those supplies, but it'd be funny if they stopped buying oil until Russia allowed shipments again.

- - - Updated - - -

Not only that but how would expanding your empire to include a new border with multiple countries already in NATO help protect you from a potential invasion from NATO.

You're just not play 69 dimensional chess, qwerty123456. You gotta step back and see the broader picture.

[Breccia]

More on Russia trying to weaponize starvation:

To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea deal, a three-year memorandum of understanding was struck in July 2022 under which U.N. officials agreed to help Russia get its food and fertilizer exports to foreign markets.

Russia's main demands were the resumption of its ammonia exports through a pipeline to the Ukrainian port of Odesa and the reconnection of its state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payments system. It was cut off by the European Union in June last year after the invasion.

Guterres said on Monday that the U.N. had managed to create a "bespoke payments mechanism" for the Russian Agricultural Bank through U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and "recently brokered a concrete proposal" with the European Commission to enable a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to regain access to SWIFT.

But he signalled that all those efforts would end because Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea deal also terminated its pact with the U.N. on its own exports, under which Moscow had committed to "facilitate the unimpeded export of food, sunflower oil, and fertilizers from Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea Ports."

Russia was demanding concessions, and those concessions will now end.

Obviously, this will cause a worldwide food crisis eventually. It's harvest season now, but Ukraine provides a lot of the world's grain. Its loss will lower supply and raise prices, meaning poor countries are out of luck.

Under the deal, the U.N. said its World Food Program (WFP) has procured 80% of its wheat so far in 2023 from Ukraine - up from 50% in 2021 and 2022. The WFP has shipped about 725,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat to Afghanistan, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen to fight hunger.

Perhaps Russia wants to take these poor countries hostage, maybe even Stockholm them. "We were giving you food, but THEY wouldn't let us". Or, maybe they're just butthurt about losing the war they started and are trying to kill innocent children in revenge. Or, and I think this is part of it maybe the whole thing, Russia no longer has any exports to sell, the deal no longer benefits them, and they're breaking the deal before their customers find out.

Hardly matters. Russia is both the cause of the original problem, and the cause of the aftermath.

[jonnysensible]

This war could have been avoided if NATO didn't expand. It's as simple as that. So in my eyes, it's their fault too.

what the fuck, putin is even saying this isnt about NATO. That he doesn't consider Ukraine a real country and it shouldn't exist its just part of russia.

Please update your stupid take its about a year out of date, are you living under a rock? have you been in a coma?

[MCMLXXXII]

So when was the last time NATO expanded before Russia's annexation of Crimea? 2009, Albania and Croatia. Big threat to Russia, isn't it?

[Gabriel]

what the fuck, putin is even saying this isnt about NATO. That he doesn't consider Ukraine a real country and it shouldn't exist its just part of russia.

Please update your stupid take its about a year out of date, are you living under a rock? have you been in a coma?

Facts can't change the mind of someone that bases their worldview on ideology.

[Deus Mortis]

Satellite view of the bridge.


It got both lanes which is fantastic because apparently the rail line can only transport civilians still as it is still not fully fixed, so this was a huge success!

[Nymrohd]

what the fuck, putin is even saying this isnt about NATO. That he doesn't consider Ukraine a real country and it shouldn't exist its just part of russia.

Please update your stupid take its about a year out of date, are you living under a rock? have you been in a coma?

To be fair, Georgia also tried to join NATO back in 2008 and they were at war with Russia a few months later.

- - - Updated - - -

Russia was demanding concessions, and those concessions will now end.

Obviously, this will cause a worldwide food crisis eventually. It's harvest season now, but Ukraine provides a lot of the world's grain. Its loss will lower supply and raise prices, meaning poor countries are out of luck.

This is where the West can take the narrative away from Russia. Find a way to secure the transport of grain from Ukraine.

[The Stormbringer]

Satellite view of the bridge.
[IMG]https://i.redd.it/adeifid03kcb1.jpg

It got both lanes which is fantastic because apparently the rail line can only transport civilians still as it is still not fully fixed, so this was a huge success!

Good work! More of this, please. They need to make sure there's no chance of Russia repairing it.

[Santti]

Good work! More of this, please. They need to make sure there's no chance of Russia repairing it.

I don't know if there is any truth in this, but I remember reading somewhere, that this kind of damage is not easy or cheap to repair. That it might be faster and cheaper to just scrap the entire bridge, and start over.

[Gabriel]

Apparently the two civilian casualties in the bridge bombing happened because they weren't wearing their seat belts and their car crashed into the bridge cover that jumped up on top of the cover next to it.

[Breccia]

The election meddling in our country and --

Which country is "our" country? You didn't set your location in your account.

[Combatbutler]

Which country is "our" country? You didn't set your location in your account.

It is Greece

[Edge-]

Apparently the two civilian casualties in the bridge bombing happened because they weren't wearing their seat belts and their car crashed into the bridge cover that jumped up on top of the cover next to it.

russian road safety, da?

[Breccia]

It is Greece

Huh. You'd think he'd be mad at Russia.

The abrupt deterioration in relations between Greece and Russia has intensified after Athens publicly accused Moscow of attempting to bribe state officials and meddle in the country’s internal affairs.

Dispensing with diplomatic niceties, the foreign ministry angrily rebuked Russia for expelling two Greek envoys on Monday, calling the action “arbitrary and vengeful”.

Moscow announced the move weeks after Athens banned four Russian diplomats after accusing them of fomenting opposition to a landmark deal between Greece and Macedonia, opening up the possibility of eventual Nato membership for Skopje.

The abrupt deterioration in relations between Greece and Russia has intensified after Athens publicly accused Moscow of attempting to bribe state officials and meddle in the country’s internal affairs.

Dispensing with diplomatic niceties, the foreign ministry angrily rebuked Russia for expelling two Greek envoys on Monday, calling the action “arbitrary and vengeful”.

Moscow announced the move weeks after Athens banned four Russian diplomats after accusing them of fomenting opposition to a landmark deal between Greece and Macedonia, opening up the possibility of eventual Nato membership for Skopje.

Athens hit back on Friday, saying the reasoning behind the expulsions could not be compared. “The decision by the Russian foreign ministry was not based on evidence, as was that of the Greek side, [which cited] specific evidence of illegal and irregular activity by Russian officials and citizens,” the ministry declared in an unusually long and caustic statement.

“We want to remind our Russian friends that no country in the world would tolerate attempts to a) bribe state officials b) undermine its foreign policy and c) interfere in its internal affairs.”

I don't know what American election meddling in Greece he's talking about, and I'm not going to excuse it, but it seems like an odd excuse to take Russia's side.

Whatever, I'll go back on topic then.

This is a senseless crime from the point of view of no significance since the Crimean bridge has long not been used for military transport and brutal since innocent civilians have been killed

-- Putin, who has killed many innocent civilians

Putin has called it a terrorist act, which really shows how desperate he is to retain control of the narrative. Ten years ago, Putin wouldn't have mentioned this, he'd just have had a bunch of people killed. Now, he needs people to agree with him, so he's labeling the attack "terrorism".

"Wasn't it technically terrorism?"

If a soldier of an invading country comes into my house to kill me, and I kill him in self-defense, that's technically using violence to resolve a political situation, but in the same way Velveeta is technically cheese. The label is meaningless in this context. Ukraine is being invaded by an unprovoked aggressor and they're retaliating.

[Gabriel]

russian road safety, da?

Apparently it is an Eastern European thing in general.

[Edge-]

Apparently it is an Eastern European thing in general.

not terribly uncommon in the states either so I can't really fault them for it

maybe if they had a dash cam livestreaming we'll see them on /r/idiotsincars or something later this week