Where Do Things End With Vlad? (h/t romad1)

[digitalpigsmuggler]

Tension is mounting at a prominent Orthodox monastery complex in Kyiv called the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, where the monks are facing eviction later this month. The Ukrainian government has been cracking down on the country’s Orthodox Church over its ties to the Russian Orthodox Church and its leader Patriarch Kirill, who has supported Putin in the invasion of Ukraine.

So much for freedom of religion in Ukraine.

[digitalpigsmuggler]

Politico: Pentagon doesn't think Ukraine can retake Crimea soon

Quote

krainian forces are unlikely to retake the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula in the near future, four senior Defense Department officials told House Armed Services Committee lawmakers during a classified briefing, Politico reported.

The four did not disclose why exactly the Pentagon does not think Ukraine can recapture Crimea. According to three people familiar with the briefing who spoke to Politico, the Pentagon does not believe Ukraine has what it needs to push Russian troops out of the peninsula, nor will it have what it needs in the near future.

https://kyivindependent.com/politico-pentagon-doesnt-think-ukraine-can-retake-crimea-soon/

[1984Echoes]

It's not religion when you are committing treason against your country.

[romad1]

3 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

It's not religion when you are committing treason against your country.

You'd think he'd know this. 

[CMRivdogs]

I love how the folks who preach freedom of religion always say disparaging things about Jews, Catholics, Muslins, Presbyterians….

[digitalpigsmuggler]

“It is national suicide when they slander and try to ‘ban’ a part of their own people,” said the Rev. Mykolay Danylevich, who has often served as a Ukrainian Orthodox Church spokesman.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/scrutiny-ukraine-church-draws-praise-fear-overreach-94752117

 

he Ukrainian Orthodox Church denounced the invasion and such justifications, backing Ukraine. In May, the church declared its own “self-sufficiency and independence” from Moscow.

[gehringer_2]

11 minutes ago, digitalpigsmuggler said:

Ukrainian Orthodox Church denounced the invasion and such justifications, backing Ukraine. In May, the church declared its own “self-sufficiency and independence” from Moscow.

exactly, but the people they are trying to evict at Lavra are NOT the Ukranian Orthodox Church of free Ukraine, it's a branch of the Ukranian Orthodox Church controlled out of Moscow. This is pretty common in Orthodox Polities in places that ended up under Soviet control. There were schisms in the chruch with non-Communist Heirarchies established outside of Soviet control. So for instance there are two Armenian Orthodox Churches, one HQ'd in Yerevan Armenia (which was was long under Soviet control), one in NYC established after the Communist Revolution that put Armenia behind the iron curtain. The free Ukranians have split themselves off from their old 'mother' church which still holds allegiance to Moscow. The controvery is over which Church will be given physical/legal control of the historical properties of the traditional "Ukrainian" church. 

So nothing really to do with freedom of practice at all, purely a matter of politics where Church and State have intersected.

Edited March 27, 2023 by gehringer_2

[romad1]

Mirage 2000s are not quite F-16s but this is a move in the right direction

 

[romad1]

If so, this is a massive rejection of the former case officer of all those SPD politicians who went by the name Vladdie

 

[romad1]

More booms

 

 

[romad1]

I wonder if Putin will regret not keeping in the INF treaty

 

[romad1]

Woot woot.

 

[romad1]

woot woot

 

[digitalpigsmuggler]

European and US intelligence officials have obtained tentative intelligence to suggest a pro-Ukrainian saboteur group may have been behind the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, according to reports in the New York Times and German newspaper Die Zeit.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/07/officials-believe-pro-ukraine-group-sabotage-nord-stream-pipelines

[romad1]

7 minutes ago, digitalpigsmuggler said:

European and US intelligence officials have obtained tentative intelligence to suggest a pro-Ukrainian saboteur group may have been behind the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, according to reports in the New York Times and German newspaper Die Zeit.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/07/officials-believe-pro-ukraine-group-sabotage-nord-stream-pipelines

Are you guys going to nuke Kiev now? 

[digitalpigsmuggler]

1 minute ago, romad1 said:

Are you guys going to nuke Kiev now? 

Kiev? what are you some sort of Russian lackey? Now we know whose side you are on!

It is Kyiv

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cbc-pronunciation-kyiv-ukraine-crisis-explainer-1.6371766

[ewsieg]

7 minutes ago, digitalpigsmuggler said:

European and US intelligence officials have obtained tentative intelligence to suggest a pro-Ukrainian saboteur group may have been behind the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, according to reports in the New York Times and German newspaper Die Zeit.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/07/officials-believe-pro-ukraine-group-sabotage-nord-stream-pipelines

This is old news.  US was involved, rather we did it by ourselves or help facilitate, I don't know.  I suspect Biden had to suck it up and come clean with Germany, but it looks like it didn't hurt our relations with them.  In fact it appears to have facilitated exactly what I presume we hoped for, Germany going all in as well.  

I'm one of the few throwing caution at this proxy war on this board.  But it seems disingenuous of you to consistently find the worst aspects of the war, sometimes with questionable sources, and at least not admit there are many positives in our geopolitical world for this as well.

[digitalpigsmuggler]

3 minutes ago, ewsieg said:

This is old news.  US was involved, rather we did it by ourselves or help facilitate, I don't know.  I suspect Biden had to suck it up and come clean with Germany, but it looks like it didn't hurt our relations with them.  In fact it appears to have facilitated exactly what I presume we hoped for, Germany going all in as well.  

I'm one of the few throwing caution at this proxy war on this board.  But it seems disingenuous of you to consistently find the worst aspects of the war, sometimes with questionable sources, and at least not admit there are many positives in our geopolitical world for this as well.

Conspiracy theorist, false flag attack.

[digitalpigsmuggler]

Ukraine Now Faces Same Glaring Problem That Russia Has

• Ukraine's Security Service blocked more than two dozen Telegram channels that were allegedly helping people avoid mobilization.
• The news comes after a previous report said Ukraine is facing increasing military recruitment issues.
• People of military age have been using measures such as sham marriages and medical exemptions to avoid enlistment, but that has been decreasing due to prosecutions

According to recent reports, Ukraine has recently begun experiencing some military recruitment issues, a problem that has plagued Russia since the start of its war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced it had blocked 26 Telegram channels that were allegedly helping people of military age avoid mobilization. The news came following a February 26 report The Economist that said, "Ukraine has visibly stepped up mobilization activities in the first two months of this year."

The Economist further detailed that mobilization in Ukraine has become increasingly aggressive with reports of draft notices being issued at military funerals and officials patrolling ski resorts for people avoiding enlistment summons.

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-faces-same-glaring-problem-russia-1786477

Edited March 28, 2023 by digitalpigsmuggler

[romad1]

1 hour ago, ewsieg said:

This is old news.  US was involved, rather we did it by ourselves or help facilitate, I don't know.  I suspect Biden had to suck it up and come clean with Germany, but it looks like it didn't hurt our relations with them.  In fact it appears to have facilitated exactly what I presume we hoped for, Germany going all in as well.  

I'm one of the few throwing caution at this proxy war on this board.  But it seems disingenuous of you to consistently find the worst aspects of the war, sometimes with questionable sources, and at least not admit there are many positives in our geopolitical world for this as well.

Question:  if Ukraine did it...so what?  Are they not under attack?  is there not a state of War between the two countries?   

[romad1]

15 hours ago, romad1 said:

woot woot

 

There are more vehicles in this picture than people attended Trump's David Koresh fanboy rally

[digitalpigsmuggler]

38 minutes ago, romad1 said:

Question:  if Ukraine did it...so what?  Are they not under attack?  is there not a state of War between the two countries?   

Cutting oil to friendly nations providing weapons, is a good way not to get continued weapons and money from those nations. It will also cost them public support in those countries.

Edited March 28, 2023 by digitalpigsmuggler

[romad1]

1 hour ago, romad1 said:

Question:  if Ukraine did it...so what?  Are they not under attack?  is there not a state of War between the two countries?   

And if it was to cut W. Europe's use of oil from the aggressor it sure as hell made the politics of the West's decisions to use US and western hemisphere-supplied fuels so much easier politically.  Good outcome.   I'm sure Vladdie wanted to use his fuel weapon.  Too bad he couldn't.   I guess he will have to slaughter more children to make himself feel better.   Maybe useful fools Code Pink can muster some concern about that? 

Edited March 28, 2023 by romad1

[ewsieg]

2 hours ago, romad1 said:

Question:  if Ukraine did it...so what?  Are they not under attack?  is there not a state of War between the two countries?   

 

1 hour ago, romad1 said:

And if it was to cut W. Europe's use of oil from the aggressor it sure as hell made the politics of the West's decisions to use US and western hemisphere-supplied fuels so much easier politically.  Good outcome.   I'm sure Vladdie wanted to use his fuel weapon.  Too bad he couldn't.   I guess he will have to slaughter more children to make himself feel better.   Maybe useful fools Code Pink can muster some concern about that? 

I'm not going to compare these statements as comparable to digitalpig, but c'mon.  You're smarter than this.  I'm not saying you're wrong about how it so far has worked out and that it was beneficial for the pro-Ukrainian side.  In the end, it might have even been a good move, but with a 'so what' attitude?  WTF?   That's exactly the reason I hope people are willing to be a little cautious about our support in Ukraine.

This is a global world and sometimes it's not perfect, but it's all we got.  Hitting that pipeline, while possibly a good strategic risk by the US to put more pressure on the EU to support Ukraine was also a national security risk for Germany and many members of the EU.  Maybe it all works out, but if Ukraine is willing to threaten the national security of our biggest allies, you don't think they won't threaten our own national security if they think it will result in us going all in?

And if it was the US, under Biden's directive, again to put the EU at risk when if they would have had a real bad winter, they would not have had the port capacity to take resources from us yet, that's awfully risky.   For a second pretend it was Trump in the oval and he just flippantly said 'ummm, how about we just bomb that pipeline, we have the most beautiful underwater bombs, we should do it'.  With that thought in your head, think of all the 'WTF is his thinking' thoughts in your head, because regardless who made that decision and regardless if you see the pro's in destroying the pipeline, you should have some con's, not a 'so what'.

[romad1]

24 minutes ago, ewsieg said:

 

I'm not going to compare these statements as comparable to digitalpig, but c'mon.  You're smarter than this.  I'm not saying you're wrong about how it so far has worked out and that it was beneficial for the pro-Ukrainian side.  In the end, it might have even been a good move, but with a 'so what' attitude?  WTF?   That's exactly the reason I hope people are willing to be a little cautious about our support in Ukraine.

This is a global world and sometimes it's not perfect, but it's all we got.  Hitting that pipeline, while possibly a good strategic risk by the US to put more pressure on the EU to support Ukraine was also a national security risk for Germany and many members of the EU.  Maybe it all works out, but if Ukraine is willing to threaten the national security of our biggest allies, you don't think they won't threaten our own national security if they think it will result in us going all in?

And if it was the US, under Biden's directive, again to put the EU at risk when if they would have had a real bad winter, they would not have had the port capacity to take resources from us yet, that's awfully risky.   For a second pretend it was Trump in the oval and he just flippantly said 'ummm, how about we just bomb that pipeline, we have the most beautiful underwater bombs, we should do it'.  With that thought in your head, think of all the 'WTF is his thinking' thoughts in your head, because regardless who made that decision and regardless if you see the pro's in destroying the pipeline, you should have some con's, not a 'so what'.

It wasn't the US despite what Putin and Seymour Hersh and Code Pink are saying.   If it was Ukraine, more power to them.