The State of Affairs in Russia

[DGuller]

Hopefully it's a sign that he's planning to retreat.  It could be an attempt to drive the wedge between the US and Ukraine, though.  US and Ukraine have always been at odds about the chances of Russian invasion, at least publicly, and from pretty much the beginning a popular theory in Ukraine was that US was hyping up the war hysteria to get Ukraine to do something.  Putin may be playing into this theory by trying to convince Ukrainians that they're treated as cannon fodder by the US.

[celedhring]

Incidentally, there's a Catalan saying that goes "God give us water, clear days, and war in Sevastopol" 

??? what is the origin of that saying?

The Crimean War. Catalan farmers thrived due to rising grain prices.

The wider meaning is that war in faraway lands can be beneficial. It has to be put in context of a time when Spain began sitting out all major global conflicts, and usually the economy benefited from it.

[mongers]

Incidentally, there's a Catalan saying that goes "God give us water, clear days, and war in Sevastopol" 

??? what is the origin of that saying?

The Crimean War. Catalan farmers thrived due to rising grain prices.

The wider meaning is that war in faraway lands can be beneficial. It has to be put in context of a time when Spain began sitting out all major global conflicts, and usually the economy benefited from it.

Interesting, thanks.

[celedhring]

El País have got their hands on the US written response.

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2022-02-02/us-offers-disarmament-measures-to-russia-in-exchange-for-a-deescalation-of-military-threat-in-ukraine.html

[Berkut]

- The 100,000 troops are purely there in response to the increasing threat from NATO.

[Berkut]

No, read what it actually authorized.  It did not actually authorize Ukraine to pursue membership.  But rather the ability to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994.  Those are two very different things.

I would not say there are very different things.  In fact, they were very similar things. The 94 Act was the framework for promoting NATO membership of former eastern bloc countries.  The Act directs the President to establish a program to "facilitate the transition to NATO membership."  That was the whole purpose: to "furnish appropriate assistance to facilitate the transition to full NATO membership at an early date."

So designating Ukraine (and the others) as participants in the 94 Participation Act means to get them into NATO.  And that's exactly what the US Congress unanimously declared in the 2007 legislation:

Contingent upon their continued implementation of democratic, defense, and economic reform, and their willingness and ability to meet the responsibilities of membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a clear expression of national intent to do so, Congress calls for the timely admission of Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to promote security and stability in Europe

I think you need to read it a little more carefully.  You know the part where the Ukraine and Georgia were expressly given different treatment from the rest.  The clause that is specifically only about them...   The obvious explanation is that they needed to be treated differently because the NATO allies objected to treating Ukraine and Georgia the same, and so despite the wishes of the Bush administration that is as far as they could go.  If you can explain to me how allowing a country to prepare to make an application which will be made at a later date and then assessed to see if they should be admitted is the same as all the others who were give much more favourable treatment, I would be much obliged.  But there seems to be a clear difference between being welcomed into the alliance and being told that if you just wait outside and in future tell us why we should let you in and we will think about it.

And after all, that is why Ukraine is not in NATO today. 

Once you latch onto an idea, no matter how much it gets contradicted with facts, you dig in harder and harder.  Hopefully this is just a character you play on Languish.

[Jacob]

Germany revokes license for German language Russia Today: https://www.dw.com/en/russias-rt-channel-blocked-by-german-regulators/a-60635397

[The Larch]

Germany revokes license for German language Russia Today: https://www.dw.com/en/russias-rt-channel-blocked-by-german-regulators/a-60635397

And of course Russia is reacting in a measured, cautious manner. From the BBC's Eastern Europe correspondant:

Russia launches all-out attack on Deutsche Welle: will close Moscow bureau, kick out all staff, take the channel off air & may label DW 'foreign agents'. Will also bar unnamed German officials. All in 'response' to fight over RT broadcasts in Germany

[DGuller]

They're probably doing them a favor.  I know it's their job, but I would still rather not be physically located in Russia right now.  If Russians feel like they can get away with psychological warfare on US diplomats for years, then they feel like they can get away with anything they do to anyone on their soil.

[HVC]

Could have been worse, might have been some unplanned pipe maintenance that left Germany cut off in winter.

[Admiral Yi]

Could have been worse, might have been some unplanned pipe maintenance that left Germany cut off in winter.

Hard to play that card without fucking themselves over.

[HVC]

Ukrainian saboteurs?

[HVC]

And it'd only take like a day to remind Germany who their indebted to

[Admiral Yi]

Ukrainian saboteurs?

I'm talking about money.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Could have been worse, might have been some unplanned pipe maintenance that left Germany cut off in winter.

Hard to play that card without fucking themselves over.

Does Germany pay in advance?