2022: HOLD MY TEA! 🍵

According to the info over on this side this was happening before the invasion and it was one of the primary reasons of the invasion in the first place. Apparently we kept demanding ukraine break ties with NATO and they kept lying that they did all the while under the pretense of training operations kept assembling the NATO army right at the border, which ended up being a major point explained as “unprecedented danger to the country”. That’s as far as I know.

It is not secret info by the way:

Steve Sedgwick (CNBC): The first point was about is anything about the military, ammunition, supplies that are going into Ukraine, is that changing the battle at all, or is it likely to?

NATO Secretary General: What we have seen is that President Putin totally underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And they have been able to push back, to fight back, and to slow down the Russian advances. And this is, first and foremost, the result of the courage of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And also the support and the courage of Ukrainian people, and the leadership of President Zelenskyy, which is really strengthening the morale of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian people. We have helped that. Because NATO Allies have trained and equipped the Ukrainian Armed Forces for many years. We started in 2014. And NATO Allies especially the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, but also, Turkey have provided equipment and military aid. And we have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian forces. And they are now on the front line. So this support has proven to be crucial for the strength of the Ukrainian army. And we are now stepping up support with more supplies. And I think also we have to realise that compared to where the Ukrainian army was in 2014, the training NATO Allies have provided, the equipment NATO Allies have provided since 2014 has made the Ukrainian Army much better trained, much better equipped, much better commanded, and much stronger. And this is the reason why they are able to push back the way they are able to do.

I thought that last time they didn’t even have even water and blankets, how come it now costs that much? :stuck_out_tongue:
Where are you finding these figures and info from?

These lines sound strange. It’s like they’re justfying the invasion. One of the major points of the invasion was that there was a threat to the security of the country and this straight up confirms that yes, it indeed was, and yes, ukraine did indeed lie about having close to no relationships with the NATO&co. Funny how it tries to paint ukraine as a victim and a good guy within the same paragraph.

Here’s the bit that I’m talking about: https://youtu.be/X5-ZdTGLmZo?t=1890

1 Like

I like this war footage. It’s a bit artistic. You know, rain, dirt.

2 Likes

I saw that number in one article and when I then googled “billion per day putin”, I got numerous hits for 20 billion per day for this war. But I didn’t search for the orginal source for that number and don’t know how accurate it is.

I think one issue with that, is that Putin is not the president of Ukraine. How does he have the right to decide which alliances another sovereign country participates in? Ofcourse he circumvents that by doubting if Ukraine should even be a sovereign state at all.

In the eyes of many of NATO countries’ citizens, NATO was growing obsolete in recent history. I think Russia’s actions effectively resurrected it. Doesn’t Putin understand that his cold war rhetorics scares Russia’s neighbours to death, making them fear for their existence and seek protection? And apparently their assessment was correct.
Even Sweden and Finland who obeyed Russia and stayed out of NATO, now realize that it won’t guarantee their safety from Russia’s aggression. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, support from the Finnish population to join NATO has jumped up to 52%.

Still, NATO does not want to go to war with Russia. But besides direct military conflict, free countries decided to do what is in their power to prevent Russia from just conquering one neighbour after another. In many of the past cases, it wasn’t really possible to much about it without direct military conflict with Russia, but in this case there is some hope to stop it.

3 Likes

I find that very puzzling myself, but it is definitely not something a news outlet or a blog made up. It is a press conference from NATO itself. Straight from the source.

Armies can have as “classified document” a paper that says “printer in office 1231 is out of toner please provide us with a new one” and he went out in the public with that kind of thing?
It is shocking, in a way, on how “common knowledge” they would have had to be considering such a statement, in order to do it in public :thinking: ( an old adage says "never lie about something people can easily find out from elsewhere.)

Sorry we posted at the same moment and I missed this.
That’s fair enough. The only thing I have to say is that I find it unlikely that any country can “stash” 600 billion on the side, while being heavily sanctioned for a big part of all those years.

If they did have such a stash, they’d be more likely to start lending money to other people and they’d be the ones doing the economic war kind of thing instead.

Btw, the whole country’s national debt is half of that figure:

which makes it even more unlikely.

That figure of Russia’s 630 billion $ war chest seems more substantiated, as far as I can tell from the numerous media which quote that number. Apparently it comes from numbers about gold reserves etc that the Central Bank of Russia published itself over the years. One example: • Chart: Russia's Growing Reserves 'War Chest' | Statista

Edit: One source for the figure of 20 billion per day cost of the war (no idea how reliable it is): Research: ‘Ukraine war costs Russian military €20 billion per day’. It estimates the cost of lost Russian military equipment and personnel alone at 7 billion in the first 5 days, based on reports of Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister.

2 Likes

It’s officially over for russia now.

Looking more deeply into this, I think I found the source (a tweet by Riho Terras). But I now think that number of 20 billion per day is fake or at least grossly exaggerated:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Destiny/comments/t27rjk/putin_is_furious_a_thread_by_riho_terras_formerly/

One reddit comment: “It could cost 20 billion a day if they were launching aircraft carriers at Ukraine”

2 Likes

This picture turned out to be more relevant than I thought when I posted it

And Kaworu paid attention to the relevant reports already in December. Truly, dan thinking

4 Likes

Then again, I’m suprised by how strong global condemnation of Putin and support for Ukraine turned out to be. I’m sure everyone would have expected a much more stoic response, even if they foresaw the invasion.

3 Likes

2022: HOLD MY BEER!

2 Likes

My approach to 2022:
“It’s front-loaded, we do the hard work in the beginning and then it gets easier.”
Hope dies last.

2 Likes

Well, Brandon Sanderson’s kickstarter broke the record for “most money ever” in just 4-5 days and it still has the whole month to go :smiley:

Writting five extra novels in secret to relieve the stress from the pandemic (he is obviously still “on schedule” for all his other books) turns out to be profitable :rofl: , so maybe it is not just 2023 hehehe …

What a monster!

4 Likes

I like this channel, although I don’t know how legit they are

4 Likes

Hm, I see the point. :wink: Title changed.

7 Likes

The bit from 0:58 lol

2 Likes

My type of man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edyptyXmld8&t=312s

2 Likes