Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Zanza]

2021 gas consumption by source.

[viper37]

Lend lease is gonna be really weird this time.

Jeff Stein
@JStein_WaPo
·
1h
NEWS -- WH aides in early discussions over "HEAT PUMPS FOR EUROPE" program to use US manufacturing power to send massive numbers of energy-efficient pumps to Europe to buffer Russia energy blow.

Exploring use of DPA, DOD $.

Major logistical hurdles

What sense does that make? Politically seems like a great winner but it is March. Are we talking about for next winter because this one is basically over.

doesn't what you call "heat pump" also work for summer to cool off the house?

[viper37]

No break for you today, Comrade:

McDonald's is shutting down its Russian restaurants

As the article explains, the majority of McDonald's in Russia are company owned (rather than franchises.)  Russia and Ukraine account for about 10% of worldwide sales.

They already got a hard blow with Tik Tok preventing Russians from uploading vidoes, now this...

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

There's been nothing on what the Ukrainian military is doing, good or bad.

This is kind of tangential, but I'm really impressed with Ukrainian OPSEC so far.  They've managed to get out a whole lot of details about them hitting Russian forces without revealing anything about their won movements.  The OSINT community has also been really good about not leaking anything about the Ukrainians as well.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

2021 gas consumption by source.

Belgium may actually be 40% russian gas

[Barrister]

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-zelensky-says-he-has-cooled-on-joining-nato-2022-3

In addition to his NATO comments, Zelensky said on Tuesday that he is open to discussions about the control of Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, possible openings to peace talks with Russia.

"It is important to me how people who want to be part of Ukraine will live there. I am interested in the opinion of those who see themselves as citizens of the Russian Federation. However, we must discuss this issue," Zelensky said.

Zelenskyy seems to be indicating peace is on the table, and maybe soon.

Now if they can just work out that pesky denazification thing.

And "demilitirization".

Russia wants a Ukraine that can not defend itself and thus is servile to Russia.  Whether that is through installing a puppet regime in place, or simply "Finlandizing" the current government, doesn't matter.

[Barrister]

2021 gas consumption by source.

I feel like European dependency on Russian gas has been pointed out for 20 years or more as a major issue, but yeah I get why certain countries just can't boycott Russian natural gas right now.

[OttoVonBismarck]

doesn't what you call "heat pump" also work for summer to cool off the house?

Heat pumps move heat--this is bidirectional, so they can make a home cooler in the summer.

[OttoVonBismarck]

2021 gas consumption by source.

I feel like European dependency on Russian gas has been pointed out for 20 years or more as a major issue, but yeah I get why certain countries just can't boycott Russian natural gas right now.

Right, I feel like letting Putin have Crimea/Donbas/Luhansk is an unfortunate but probably worthwhile price to pay (think Karelia for the Finns), but demilitarization/regime change are non-starters. I even think it's fine for Ukraine to agree to not joining any alliances / neutrality. But if they are not allowed to have a military, then they have no real sovereignty, and at some point, down the road Russia likely uses force to rip out whatever limited sovereignty they are allowed to have initially. There is essentially no real Ukrainian incentive to accept that deal, that is basically full defeat so you might as well make them earn it.

[OttoVonBismarck]

A U.S. General has just stated he believes around 4000 Russian soldiers have died. While not as high as the Ukrainians had said it's a lot higher than I thought, I figured the 500ish in week 1 that the Kremlin disclosed seemed about right for a "bad" outcome given the relative military powers of the two countries. Four thousand in a week is a fucking disaster.

[FunkMonk]

No break for you today, Comrade:

McDonald's is shutting down its Russian restaurants

As the article explains, the majority of McDonald's in Russia are company owned (rather than franchises.)  Russia and Ukraine account for about 10% of worldwide sales.

i'm lovin' it

[The Brain]

2021 gas consumption by source.

No Sweden in the list. While Sweden doesn't use a lot of gas we do use some, and AFAIK some of it is Russian. At least in normal times.

[Admiral Yi]

My underestanding is a heat pump is just an A/C that can blow both ways.

[Zanza]

doesn't what you call "heat pump" also work for summer to cool off the house?

Heat pumps move heat--this is bidirectional, so they can make a home cooler in the summer.

Heat pumps here are typically not used to directly heat or cool air, but to heat water that then circulates through the house and gives off heat via radiators or under-floor heating. That will not allow cooling.

[Josephus]

What about cam girls? Have they been affected? I read a lot of them are based in Russia.