Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[celedhring]

So apparently during an informal meeting of CIS members, Putin presented members with a ring wishing all the best for the new year:

https://en.newizv.ru/news/2022-12-27/brotherhood-of-the-ring-putin-presented-the-heads-of-the-cis-countries-with-new-year-s-rings-391772



9 rings total. "Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die"?

(Though I guess technically he gave out 8 rings, one was for Russia, i.e. himself.)

So, these are the nine ring of Men.

Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics got one Elven ring each, since they escaped Russia's control.

Who got the dwarven rings? Pretty sure at least Schröder, Orbán and Tucker Carlson got one each. They are in it for the gold.

[grumbler]

Interesting article on American support for Ukraine.

The list of American security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's "unprovoked and brutal invasion" is impressive. What is more impressive is that $21.9 billion in U.S. military aid has been dominated by largely second-string gear, comprised of unpopular or lower-tech systems that were, in many cases, on the way to the scrapyard.

Ukraine Converts $21.9 Billion In U.S. Military Surplus Into Fearsome Force

TLDR: The US military aid being provided is mostly obsolete surplus that the Ukrainians are geniuses at turning into stacks of dead Russians.

This is a "dog bites man" story.  Of course, the first aid going to an embattled Ukraine is going to be the stuff that is most rapidly available, and of course the US isn't going to strip its own active-duty forces of what modern equipment it has to send that to Ukraine.  Ukraine is getting what might be called "National Guard equipment."

I did have to laugh at the incredibly awkward way Hooper kept harping on his pet peeve that the US is building aircraft carriers when that has nothing whatsoever to do with the war in Ukraine.

[mongers]

Musk's initial response:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
11h
Replying to @MedvedevRussiaE
Epic thread!!

To be fair, he added 5 hours later:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
6h
Replying to @elonmusk and @MedvedevRussiaE

Those are definitely the most absurd predictions I've ever heard, while also showing astonishing lack of awareness of the progress of artificial intelligence and sustainable energy.

At this stage I guess even AI could improve Russian foreign policy.

Hell, even a toddlers grasp of the world would be a relative guiding light to them.

[Solmyr]

So apparently during an informal meeting of CIS members, Putin presented members with a ring wishing all the best for the new year:

https://en.newizv.ru/news/2022-12-27/brotherhood-of-the-ring-putin-presented-the-heads-of-the-cis-countries-with-new-year-s-rings-391772



9 rings total. "Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die"?

(Though I guess technically he gave out 8 rings, one was for Russia, i.e. himself.)

So, these are the nine ring of Men.

Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics got one Elven ring each, since they escaped Russia's control.

Who got the dwarven rings? Pretty sure at least Schröder, Orbán and Tucker Carlson got one each. They are in it for the gold.

And most importantly, who has the One Ring?

[mongers]

So, these are the nine ring of Men.

Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics got one Elven ring each, since they escaped Russia's control.

Who got the dwarven rings? Pretty sure at least Schröder, Orbán and Tucker Carlson got one each. They are in it for the gold.

And most importantly, who has the One Ring?
[/quote]

Why Trump ofcourse; Putin is mearly Gothmog*, hence his disasterous decision when 'thinking' for himself.

Was Gothmog one of the nine? And was he also know as the mouth of Sauron?

If we was the nine rings analogy would still work, if not then I have a hard time casting Putin as the lord of the nazgul.

[celedhring]

If Trump has The One Ring, I picture him more as Gollum than as Sauron.

[mongers]

If Trump has The One Ring, I picture him more as Gollum than as Sauron.

That could work, though maybe he's Denothor with the ring?

Can't be Saruman having gained the one, as Trump never had any wisdom in the first place.

[Razgovory]

Medvedev engaging in some wishful thinking:

https://twitter.com/MedvedevRussiaE/status/1607487338401206273

Dmitry Medvedev
@MedvedevRussiaE
Russia government official

On the New Year's Eve, everybody's into making predictions

Many come up with futuristic hypotheses, as if competing to single out the wildest, and even the most absurd ones.

Here's our humble contribution.

What can happen in 2023:
1.  Oil price will rise to $150 a barrel, and gas price will top $5.000 per 1.000 cubic meters

2. The UK will rejoin the EU

3. The EU will collapse after the UK's return; Euro will drop out of use as the former EU currency

4. Poland and Hungary will occupy western regions of the formerly existing Ukraine

5. The Fourth Reich will be created, encompassing the territory of Germany and its satellites, i.e., Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, Slovakia, the Kiev Republic, and other outcasts

6. War will break out between France and the Fourth Reich. Europe will be divided, Poland repartitioned in the process

7. Northern Ireland will separate from the UK and join the Republic of Ireland

8. Civil war will break out in the US, California. and Texas becoming independent states as a result. Texas and Mexico will form an allied state. Elon Musk'll win the presidential election in a number of states which, after the new Civil War's end, will have been given to the GOP

9. All the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia

10. The Bretton Woods system of monetary management will collapse, leading to the IMF and World Bank crash. Euro and Dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead

Season greetings to you all, Anglo-Saxon friends, and their happily oinking piglets!

Musk's initial response:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
11h

Replying to @MedvedevRussiaE

Epic thread!!

To be fair, he added 5 hours later:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
6h

Replying to @elonmusk and @MedvedevRussiaE

Those are definitely the most absurd predictions I've ever heard, while also showing astonishing lack of awareness of the progress of artificial intelligence and sustainable energy.

Bretton Woods ended in the 1970's.  I'm surprised Medvedev didn't know that.

[Zanza]

I predict that Medvedev and Musk will continue to be dipshits next year.

[Admiral Yi]

Bretton Woods ended in the 1970's.  I'm surprised Medvedev didn't know that.

Bretton Woods was more than just the dollar gold peg.  It also founded the World Bank and the IMF.

[Legbiter]

I did have to laugh at the incredibly awkward way Hooper kept harping on his pet peeve that the US is building aircraft carriers when that has nothing whatsoever to do with the war in Ukraine.

I honestly did not pick up on the axe-grind the journo had. Presumably he sees aircraft carriers as something akin to defenseless WW II British battleships once HYPERSONIC Chinese missiles blot out the sky.  

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Medvedev engaging in some wishful thinking:

https://twitter.com/MedvedevRussiaE/status/1607487338401206273

Dmitry Medvedev
@MedvedevRussiaE
Russia government official

On the New Year's Eve, everybody's into making predictions

Many come up with futuristic hypotheses, as if competing to single out the wildest, and even the most absurd ones.

Here's our humble contribution.

What can happen in 2023:
1.  Oil price will rise to $150 a barrel, and gas price will top $5.000 per 1.000 cubic meters

2. The UK will rejoin the EU

3. The EU will collapse after the UK's return; Euro will drop out of use as the former EU currency

4. Poland and Hungary will occupy western regions of the formerly existing Ukraine

5. The Fourth Reich will be created, encompassing the territory of Germany and its satellites, i.e., Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, Slovakia, the Kiev Republic, and other outcasts

6. War will break out between France and the Fourth Reich. Europe will be divided, Poland repartitioned in the process

7. Northern Ireland will separate from the UK and join the Republic of Ireland

8. Civil war will break out in the US, California. and Texas becoming independent states as a result. Texas and Mexico will form an allied state. Elon Musk'll win the presidential election in a number of states which, after the new Civil War's end, will have been given to the GOP

9. All the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia

10. The Bretton Woods system of monetary management will collapse, leading to the IMF and World Bank crash. Euro and Dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead

Season greetings to you all, Anglo-Saxon friends, and their happily oinking piglets!

Musk's initial response:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
11h

Replying to @MedvedevRussiaE

Epic thread!!

To be fair, he added 5 hours later:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
6h

Replying to @elonmusk and @MedvedevRussiaE

Those are definitely the most absurd predictions I've ever heard, while also showing astonishing lack of awareness of the progress of artificial intelligence and sustainable energy.

Bretton Woods ended in the 1970's.  I'm surprised Medvedev didn't know that.

Time flow differently in russia

[Habbaku]

[Tonitrus]

Does that mean the US/North America is Aman?

[Tonitrus]

Also, Budapest/Hungary might be a more fitting Isengard.  Belarus can be Mount Gundabad/Angmar.