Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Gabriel]

Fair points, and there is the possibility the Russians AREN'T lying and these buildings are just that badly maintained. Not entirely unlikely given the corruption.

Sure, I mean, technically there is the possibility that I will win the lottery too.

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I never said anything about the sanctions being lifted, or them keeping their nukes but them giving up nukes or having their officers tried is, at best, a dream. What I am saying is: Versailles resulted in WWII, I have 0 appetite for a re-run of that, nor do I want to kick the can 20 odd years down the street. If you have a good idea on how to handle this then by all means be my guest and implement it. No need to be too delicate but if you're too harsh we'll end up in much rougher water.

As for Putin, nature will come calling, sooner rather than later I suspect.

Ban all travel to and from russia and sanction them to hell until they can't afford their nuclear weapons anymore. Then offer some concessions in exchange for their nuclear weapons.

[Vorkreist]

Weapons sales accusations aside, the simple fact of the matter is that Germany can't pivot off of Russian energy sources quickly or easily..

Nobody cares. Fact of the matter is Germany is literally funding Russia's genocide machine right now. The string of corrupt deals with Russia in the past years aside as you try to put it.
Germany is managing to generate a more anti-eu sentiment than brexit le pen or orban combined. They are becoming a security threat to eastern europe with their degenerate positions. Must have been nice to farm the east until they got their economy fat but when its time to do something and defend it. Awwww nooo it won't be easy. The fatest economy in eu might have some difficulties. Think about that. The richest fucks in europe might have difficulties. That is the true tragedy not the genocide in Ukraine.

[Forogil]

Ban all travel to and from russia and sanction them to hell until they can't afford their nuclear weapons anymore. Then offer some concessions in exchange for their nuclear weapons.

It's not sure that all countries will agree with that, in particular India and China, and even if we did give them that N. Korea treatment it hasn't stopped N. Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

[Iphie]

Sure, I mean, technically there is the possibility that I will win the lottery too.

As the saying in my household goes, how do you know a Russian is lying?...but given the state of the infrastructure and that maintenance and building are traditional areas of corruption the chance is non-zero here.

As for your other idea, it's understandable (and since coming to Finland I certainly have come to form an appreciation of the sentiment.) but not feasible and potentially will backfire.

[Mihalik]

Don't think I'll find sympathetic people here but I'll say it anyway - absolutely and thoroughly fuck the Germans. Nation of duplicitous morons, cowards, jackasses and idiot.
I wish nothing but the absolute worst to you all.

Everyone has been annoyed with the Germans. To some extent even the Germans themselves.

But yeah, Germany is really really burning some bridges and wasting some goodwill points here.

I'm not really clear what the fuck the SDP trying to do here. They will end up collapsing their own coalition government over this eventually.

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I'm going to guess it has to do with the reports that Germany was exploiting a loophole in the sanctions to sell weapons to Russia in between 2014 and now, along with Scholz waffling on his excuse of the day for not doing more for Ukraine. I think his current one is that he needs to coordinate with NATO so that he won't be responsible for triggering a Russia/NATO war. Which is an embarassingly hollow line.

Scholz has used every excuse, even the most laughable ones, by now. Thing is...he will eventually end up collapsing his own governing coalition.

The shittiest bit tho, is both ends of German political spectrum have had their hands deep in the Russian gas cookie jar. The conservatives sure as shit can't argue that they'd do a better job.

[Combatbutler]

Ban all travel to and from russia and sanction them to hell until they can't afford their nuclear weapons anymore. Then offer some concessions in exchange for their nuclear weapons.

Who would be dumb enough to accept such a deal? Nukes are pretty much the only thing that guarantee you won't be invaded conventionally.

[Poopymonster]

As the saying in my household goes, how do you know a Russian is lying?...but given the state of the infrastructure and that maintenance and building are traditional areas of corruption the chance is non-zero here.

As for your other idea, it's understandable (and since coming to Finland I certainly have come to form an appreciation of the sentiment.) but not feasible and potentially will backfire.

One I would chalk up to accident or happenstance. Two it become less likely. Three looks organized. We're up to 4 or 5 now, within 72 or so hours? That's either really REALLY bad luck or coordination to me. While converting a weekend military exercise into an almost 9 week debacle? That looks like motive.

[Corvus]

Who would be dumb enough to accept such a deal? Nukes are pretty much the only thing that guarantee you won't be invaded conventionally.

As had been shown many times in history you do not invade Russia. It's just too big. There is no need for nukes for Russia to defend itself from invasion.

[Iphie]

One I would chalk up to accident or happenstance. Two it become less likely. Three looks organized. We're up to 4 or 5 now, within 72 or so hours? That's either really REALLY bad luck or coordination to me.

3 to my knowledge. But that's why I asked how common this is in normal times, because if there's, say, one every few days on average then this isn't even a blip and we're only registering it due to the war. It's like this: every day there's planes in trouble but we only get reports from those that have big issues or crash. See what i mean?

Also, this latest one is already a few days old, the reporting was just slow, and Russia doesn't seem to want to point fingers itself so it's kinda moot. Not to mention that the one in Roskosmos turned out to be a warehouse fire. So nothing critical. (and I can certainly believe that the discipline is lax enough for warehouse fires to occur.)

[Combatbutler]

As had been shown many times in history you do not invade Russia. It's just too big. There is no need for nukes for Russia to defend itself from invasion.

In the past sure, with modern technology and not in the winter it is very much possible to take russia down conventionally. They won't surrender their nukes, because they know as long as they have them they are nigh untouchable.

[PhaelixWW]

We're up to 4 or 5 now, within 72 or so hours?

Just the three.

Defense Ministry Research building NII-2 in Tver
Dmitrievsky Chemical Plant in Kineshma
Aerospace College building in Korolev

[Iphie]

Just the three.

Defense Ministry Research building NII-2 in Tver
Dmitrievsky Chemical Plant in Kineshma
Aerospace College building in Korolev

Hm, they're not really close to each other or the border. I'm not sure the Ukrainians would be able to insert a cover team that deep in, let alone multiple teams to pull of some simultaneous shenanigans.

[Tuor]

As had been shown many times in history you do not invade Russia. It's just too big. There is no need for nukes for Russia to defend itself from invasion.

OK, now go and try to explain that to Putin and russians in general.

[jonnysensible]

Everyone has been annoyed with the Germans. To some extent even the Germans themselves.

to be fair to the germans i do think they want to help they are just a kinda pussies.

Whereas the Austrians should be getting our scorn, they fucking suck.

[Makabreska]

to be fair to the germans i do think they want to help they are just a kinda pussies.

Whereas the Austrians should be getting our scorn, they fucking suck.

Indeed, their Minister of Foreign Affairs just said we should not offer Ukraine EU membership.

[Iphie]

Indeed, their Minister of Foreign Affairs just said we should not offer Ukraine EU membership.

That kinda puts a stop on that then, doesn't it? I mean all members have to be unanimous about it.

[Barzotti]

That kinda puts a stop on that then, doesn't it? I mean all members have to be unanimous about it.

Ukraine joining the EU wasn't realistic anyway. EU isn't planning to expand anytime soon.

[Mihalik]

Indeed, their Minister of Foreign Affairs just said we should not offer Ukraine EU membership.

Hungary was always going to sabotage the Ukrainian EU membership. I'm not surprised by the Austrians jumping on the same bandwagon.

[Iphie]

Ukraine joining the EU wasn't realistic anyway. EU isn't planning to expand anytime soon.

Well I knew it would take quite some time, Von der Leyen's statement of "weeks not years" notwithstanding, but I did think that membership wasn't going to be an issue in the long run.

[Gabriel]

Who would be dumb enough to accept such a deal? Nukes are pretty much the only thing that guarantee you won't be invaded conventionally.

Well hey, I don't really give a shit about what russia wants. If it is fine regressing back to the stone-age while keeping their nukes, they are welcome to do so.