Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[celedhring]

Russia's invasion plans allegedly captured.

https://twitter.com/LostWeapons/status/1499040883865391107

Plans call for a 15-day war between Feb 20 and March 6. I suppose more details will emerge.

[Razgovory]

The police really messed up those kids' faces.

[Zanza]

The siege of Madrid lasted two years and a half, but Franco never managed to encircle the city after the first attempts were repulsed - eventually he had to divert troops to the more active fronts. You do need a shitload of troops to surround a large European capital.

The Siege of Leningrad in WW2 took 700k German troops apparently.

[Zanza]

All of Gerhard Schröder's tax payer financed staff quit their jobs.

Today, Borussia Dortmund announced that Schröder is no longer a honorary member. Even the corrupt, immoral German FA wants him to pick between being their honorary member or his Russian jobs.
Also some local party organisations officially requested his exclusion now.

[Zanza]

Long article on German political and military failures regarding Russia in the last decades:


https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/a-military-and-political-disaster-the-calamitous-errors-of-germany-s-russia-policy-a-c8b9818e-4bc2-4eb2-ac55-39e5790b29b2

[alfred russel]

To save the brave children, in their stead I am volunteering to undergo interrogation by the police officer in the picture.

[Sheilbh]

Today, Borussia Dortmund announced that Schröder is no longer a honorary member. Even the corrupt, immoral German FA wants him to pick between being their honorary member or his Russian jobs.
Also some local party organisations officially requested his exclusion now.

Do German ex-Chancellors get any sort of intelligence briefing? I think for example former Presidents are entitled to intelligence briefings.

I don't think ex-PMs here get briefings (and they get no support for an office, just security), but I think Johnson has had a meeting with all ex-PMs to brief and I imagine get their advice (especially because Blair through May have all dealt with Putin). And it's relatively normal if there's a big crisis to brief them and get advice as they're the only other people in the country who've done that job.

I can't imagine that German spooks would be thrilled giving Schroeder intelligence or that his advice on dealing with Putin would be wildly useful

[Duque de Bragança]

Here is Ségolène Royal's wisdom for you, Ségo boys :

Basically, France (we/nous) needs a new de Gaulle who commanded respected from our American friends by telling them to remove their troops.
Is Russia not unentitled to the respect of agreements about safety at its borders?
Economic sanctions penalise much more Europe #peace

Il nous faudrait un nv Général de Gaulle qui se faisait respecter de nos amis américains en leur disant de retirer leurs troupes. La Russie n'a t'elle pas droit aux respect des accords sur la sécurité à ses frontières ? Les sanctions économiques  pénalisent bien + l'Europe #Paix

https://twitter.com/RoyalSegolene/status/1495853783947087874

February 21st, but following tweets are not exactly that better. It's Mélenchon level (islamo-leftist pro-Putin somewhat backpedaling but still anti-US and NATO), whereas Marine tries to be "equidistant from both Moscow and Washington, recognising Russian agression and Zemmour, forced to recognise it as well, keeps quiet.

[Zanza]

Supposedly Kherson has fallen.

[The Larch]

The general assembly of the United Nations voted today on a resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine. It passed 141 to 5.

The 5 who voted against it were Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Eritrea.

Notable abstentions: China, Armenia, Cuba, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazahstan, Pakistan, South Africa.

[Zanza]

Germany says its AT and AA weapons have been handed over to the Ukrainian military. That suggests at least NATO logistics work.

[Jacob]

South Africa? The rest I understand, but I don't have a read on the South Africa angle.

[The Larch]

South Africa? The rest I understand, but I don't have a read on the South Africa angle.

Several African countries abstained, S. Africa was just the one whose name popped more for me.

Lots of Asian countries abstained as well.

[DGuller]

I made the mistake of reading some Russian Twitter users, the legitimate-looking ones (though obviously you never know).  That was a mistake.  I think those in the West who fret about sanctions hitting ordinary Russian citizens who are also "victims of Putin" don't really know these victims all that well.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

South Africa? The rest I understand, but I don't have a read on the South Africa angle.

ANC is hard left, in so far as it isn't hard corrupt