Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Berkut]

There is a narrative that Russia wants the rest of the world to buy into, and that narrative is that, well, it's all very complicated, and hard to tell who is the aggressor, and shouldn't everyone just be reasonable???

This is aggressor propaganda 101. It is not new or different.

[DGuller]

I'm with Berkut here, sometimes hedging or qualification is a betrayal, specifically of the side at whose expense you're hedging. 

Unfortunately we're taught a catastrophically bad lesson of false equivalence starting in kindergarten, where any fight is always presumed to be the fault of both parties.  Sometimes it is the case that one kid is an asshole and the other kid is guilty only of not wanting to be pummeled.  The second kid, in addition to probably not being on the winning side of the fight, is then further victimized by the well-meaning but poorly-thinking adults who can't be bothered to figure out the particulars of the situations they're dealing with, and would rather fall back on trite nonsense.

[Sheilbh]

Kyiv city officials have released a map of bomb shelters to the public in case of Russian attack. This is starting to feel a little more real:
https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-authorities-release-map-of-bomb-shelters-in-case-of-russian-invasion.html

And as Russia - although they disagree with China - are effectively in a Chinese Eurasian sphere I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't coordinated with an aggressive move at Taiwan.

Edit: I think this is the first time they've released the map since 2014-15 which is a sign of where we are.

[saskganesh]

I worked with a Russian this year who was quite mad. He was also a monarchist, a nationalist, a Stalinist and a Putinist. Anyway, the party line was that Ukraine is not a real country, and hence Russia is justified in its irrendtism.

I do not think he was atypical.

[DGuller]

That's definitely typical.  The word "nezalezhna", Ukrainian for independent, has always been a term of sarcastic mockery by Russians, pretty much since 1991.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

just past an article (don't know what link) that basically said that Ukraine wants to get into a defensive alliance (nato, basically) or it'll try to go nuclear.

[The Brain]

just past an article (don't know what link) that basically said that Ukraine wants to get into a defensive alliance (nato, basically) or it'll try to go nuclear.

Well, Gondor definitely needs Rohan or The Ring.

[Tonitrus]

Alas the West is becoming more and more Tom Bombadil. 

[Admiral Yi]

Alas the West is becoming more and more Tom Bombadil. 

Nice

[mongers]

I'm getting a bit more nervous about the situation, will Putin march these troops back down the hill anytime soon?

[PDH]

What the fuck is Putin thinking?  It is the end of April, early May.  That means the "Russian Mud" effects are still in full effect and his troops lose movement and combat ability.

[The Brain]

What the fuck is Putin thinking?  It is the end of April, early May.  That means the "Russian Mud" effects are still in full effect and his troops lose movement and combat ability.

Putin on the fritz?

[jimmy olsen]

What the fuck is Putin thinking?  It is the end of April, early May.  That means the "Russian Mud" effects are still in full effect and his troops lose movement and combat ability.

Climate change may be drying the land out earlier?

[PDH]

What the fuck is Putin thinking?  It is the end of April, early May.  That means the "Russian Mud" effects are still in full effect and his troops lose movement and combat ability.

Putin on the fritz?

gold, pure gold.

[Admiral Yi]

Putin on the fritz?

Top notch.  Quality stuff.