opusManx

De nada. Never too late to learn and acknowledge La_Dolce_Vita's point not necessarily based on a "Russian perspective". Kudos for your humility and open-mindedness.

Video/radio seems to always suffer a time delay relative to print media. I presume its due to "more chefs in the kitchen"/technical issues. I read once that most (~80%) audiovisual journalism is regurgitated print journalism (as opposed to orginal investigative reporting). So you would expect it to lag. Incompetence notwithstanding! 😆

Turkey has said it is yet to make a decision on closing its straits between the Mediterannean and the Black Sea to the Russian navy– despite an earlier claim by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. It is the first official clarification since Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Turkey had agreed to close the waterways to warships – which would have been a big defensive boon for Ukraine. According to Reuters, a Turkish official said it “has not made a decision to close the straits to Russian ships”. If it did happen, a closure would break a convention for Black Sea states that warships are allowed to return to port during wartime. (The Guardian, 0246H GMT, Harry Taylor)

Food for thought. Good opinion piece addressing moral relativism thats arisen regarding the current conflict: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/26/russia-lies-america-half-truths

I read that. I cant imagine them willing to fire on Russian ships. Hope it doesnt come to that.

With such global defenestration/emasculation, you will have solved the climate crisis as well!

Doubtful...Nato vs Russian jets risks drawing Nato into larger conflict...nuclear exchange risk unacceptable. Nato Sec-General Stoltenberg said this on PBS Newshour interview yesterday. "We wish to avoid being drawn into a conflict worse than what we already have" (paraphrased)

A border pushed back farther than he envisaged if Ukraine hosted Nato troops in the future.

Interesting historical review/opinion: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/25/history-of-ties-between-ukraine-and-russia

He's a proto-fascistic autocratic revisionist nationalist who suppresses his own media. Morality not a strong point. (Mind you, moral consistency isn't a strength of many who voted in favour of whatever feckless resolution they passed. U.N. is a bad joke. Used for cover when convenient; ignored when convenient. Group therapy for the weaker nations. A foggy theatre for the strong.)

I heard he would have fulfilled his lifelong ambition of learning to play the harp.

The most egregious stuff will never see the light of day... those smokeless smoking guns.

Thx. For some reason in an act of extreme political nerdism, I watched that entire session as everyone grilled him. That was definitely one of the most contentious exchanges. Overall, an excellent, principled meeting with really good rigourous lines of enquiry from all departments.

Agree...I always remind the pacifist in me of Tibet.

We just need to remember how ruthless Russian forces were in Syria. Bombing hospitals, barrel bombs...no concerns about Geneva conventions. Regretfully, I hope the Ukrainians stand down and allow a less bloody, unpalatable change in leadership. An evil but lesser of two evils. But by all means, once most Russian forces stand down, carry out whatever resistance measures possible.

Zelensky is realizing too late that Ukraine is not the hill Nato wants to die on. Even yesterday, he was asking for a no-fly zone pitting Nato and Russian jets against each other (unrealistic, irresponsible, but I sympathize w his desperation). Biden is already going to pay a steep price for prices at the pump, which I just heard topped $6/gallon in the U.S. (which is very high by American standards). Political longevity and money will trump all moral considerations. Thats why we are here in the first place.

Great post.

Absolutely spot on. Western hypocrisy is immense. e.g. Iraq

"Afghanistan’s Taliban have said they are “concerned” about the possibility of civilian casualties in Ukraine, reports the Guardian’s Akhtar Makoii" Sounds like a headline out of "The Onion" (satirical U.S. magazine)

To be clear, when I mention Germany in any criticisms, much of that applies to Nato and the EU members as well. I would only single Germany out specifically for its own particular Russian energy dependence infrastructure.

Not sure if just a rhetorical question. Chernobyl was defended by Ukraine forces...though Ive read conflicting reports...from no one was there to fierce fighting. Now in Russian hands.

I heard an analysis on DW that referenced a culture of "owing a historical moral debt to Russia" in the German psyche going back to WW2 events (thus colouring their geopolitical and trade decisons. The panelists pointed out the illogic of this as many more Ukrainians died in that conflict. No idea of objective proof of the above but interesting and plausible. Addendum: I think guilt colours much of their behaviour e.g. letting in one million refugees in that first wave from Syria (though many have cited Merkel's suffering under East German oppression)