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Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

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    #4892
    yagan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,112 ✭✭✭yagan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118982198#Comment_118982198

    Well it certainly makes it easier for Bulgaria and Poland to say to their populaces that the issue of Russian energy imports is out of their hands. Thankfully they're entering the warmer time of year which will give them time to reorientate.



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    #4893
    Retr0gamer
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 51,292 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118982198#Comment_118982198

    A foot in the Balkans.

    Untitled Image




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    #4894
    josip
    Registered Users Posts: 13,904 ✭✭✭✭josip


    Poland and Bulgaria are unfriendly countries for 'not paying in roubles' and have had their supplies cut off.

    Why hasn't Germany also been cut off? Is it paying in roubles?



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    #4895
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,304 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118982198#Comment_118982198

    Coast to the black sea would be my best guess; or simply an easy victory for Putin to show off in state TV as proof of the glorious success of the Russian army.



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    #4896
    Dohnjoe
    Registered Users Posts: 17,930 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118982198#Comment_118982198

    I strongly recommend everyone interested in this conflict have a read of this. It's the most in-depth analysis of the situation, including Russia's interest in Moldova. Long, but very insightful and well sourced

    https://static.rusi.org/special-report-202204-operation-z-web.pdf




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    #4897
    yagan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,112 ✭✭✭yagan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118983269#Comment_118983269

    Interesting. However I'd still ascribe the actions of Putin and his inner circle to merely self destructive by incompetence and hubris. I don't buy that they've a death cult type modus operandi. I think they genuinely believed they could redraw Russia, especially after the Crimea annexation.

    Half of the Russian population lives in the western most eight of the country and I believe his intent was always the regathering of Russians across the post USSR borders.

    However I will concede that if I were a young Russian connected to international youth I would feel as if those older pre internet generations were trying to strangle my future, as do many people in the west feel about babyboomers strangle hold on property!

    Post edited by yagan on


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    #4898
    Pussyhands
    Registered Users Posts: 8,239 ✭✭✭Pussyhands


    4 countries paid for gas in Roubles like Russia asked.

    10 countries have opened Rouble accounts to pay for gas.

    Unified Europe?



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    #4899
    Dohnjoe
    Registered Users Posts: 17,930 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984458#Comment_118984458

    According to an anonymous source. Hungary has already signalled they will pay in roubles. There are 44 countries in Europe, so 4 isn't a significant amount.

    As for the second part, it's 10 companies, not 10 countries. And this could be for technical or contingency reasons as per the below

    https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/04/23/eu-believes-it-s-found-a-way-for-companies-to-pay-for-russian-gas-without-breaching-war-sa

    Context is important.



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    #4900
    Pussyhands
    Registered Users Posts: 8,239 ✭✭✭Pussyhands


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984602#Comment_118984602

    10 companies is even worse as there's probably companies operating in multiple countries.

    But the bloc told member states that the mechanism the Kremlin proposed, which required opening euro and ruble accounts with state-controlled Gazprombank, would violate the sanctions. 



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    #4901
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 26,715 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984620#Comment_118984620

    Companies isn't worse as private companies can do whatever they want within the bounds of the law/sanctions. It does not reflect any degree of European unity or otherwise.



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    #4902
    Dohnjoe
    Registered Users Posts: 17,930 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984620#Comment_118984620

    I wouldn't put much stock into it, opening an account doesn't mean much, it could be for contingency or just technical reasons.

    Keep in mind Serbia, Bosnia and Belarus are also European countries. I would suspect they make up some or all of the buyers in roubles.

    The key European importers of Ru gas by sheer volume are Germany (by a long way), then Italy, then Netherlands (with Belarus in between there). As far as I am aware none of those countries bar Belarus are paying in roubles.



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    #4903
    McGiver
    Registered Users Posts: 4,445 ✭✭✭McGiver


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118983684#Comment_118983684

    That political scientist is totally wrong.

    Putin = mafia = stealing money = need to control the population to keep that going.

    It's that simple - it's all about stealing huge amount of money and this is exercised by control of the Russian state apparatus and control of the Russian population through. propaganda. That's it.

    No ideology, no imperialism per se, no religion, no strategy or geopolitics, simply just money and power.

    No need to find any esoteric or complicated meaning, Putin is a thug who happened to hijack a whole country.

    Post edited by McGiver on


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    #4904
    McGiver
    Registered Users Posts: 4,445 ✭✭✭McGiver


    The Finns are definitely going for it 😎✌🏻👍🏻

    “This parliamentary debate is all a show, it’s a done deal on Nato,” said Erkki Tuomioja, a leading MP with Finland’s ruling Social Democrats. 

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/finland-prepared-to-join-nato-without-sweden-says-minister-1.4863460



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    #4905
    McGiver
    Registered Users Posts: 4,445 ✭✭✭McGiver


    Russian troops advanced north in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and captured a small settlement. Things are getting serious in unrecognized Transnistria. Explosions rocked the village of Mayak and two radio antennas were destroyed as the result. Moldova have increased the level of combat readiness, unrecognized Transnistria have started to build checkpoints and barricades at important roads and cities. Russian soldiers stationed in Transnistria have been reportedly put on full combat alert.

    Things are getting serious for Moldova...

    What will happen now?



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    #4906
    bear1
    Registered Users Posts: 12,812 ✭✭✭✭bear1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986040#Comment_118986040

    Well the trasnistrians are accussing Ukraine of that it seems.

    Seems they are setting the stage for ww3 to begin.



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    #4907
    hotmail.com
    Registered Users Posts: 13,317 ✭✭✭✭hotmail.com


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986412#Comment_118986412

    WW3 over Moldova?



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    #4908
    bear1
    Registered Users Posts: 12,812 ✭✭✭✭bear1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986442#Comment_118986442

    It's the not the country that matters but what's at stake. Russia sets up a false flag in Moldova and points the finger at Ukraine. Transnistria then moves in on Ukraine.

    Moldova becomes unstable and what's to stop Russia going further then? It takes one wrong move to set this off. We are closer than ever before to another world war.

    And with finland looking set to join NATO, it's just another reason for puta to go into his insane mood



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    #4909
    hotmail.com
    Registered Users Posts: 13,317 ✭✭✭✭hotmail.com


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986469#Comment_118986469

    Many of us are WW3 fatigued at this stage.



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    #4910
    Field east
    Registered Users Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭Field east


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986479#Comment_118986479

    You are entitled to your opinion. How do you know that?



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    #4911
    pixelburp
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,353 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    World wars have snowballed from smaller events; the most obvious being the actions of a single, opportunist Serbian separatist fadó. It didn't start WW1 in of itself, the argument is there that it was all going to happen regardless - but it was still the critical cascade that got things properly going.

    I do think it's hyperbolic to say these events in the East are going to lead to another world war; not least because it's still deeply regional if we're being pedantic. But these are still extraordinary and unprecedented events occurring within Europe. There's nothing really that comparable since pre1939 - the Balkans maybe, but that was internal self-destruction of a contrived, doomed state - and it's hard to see where it's all going to come to an end. If the chatter in Russia is about reclaiming the USSR and "historical Russia" then the appetite is there to escalate; Putin is 69 and while no Spring Chicken, may continue to antagonise his neighbours while he enters his octogenarian years.



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    #4912
    Gatling
    Registered Users Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    This isn't a great start for Moldova , essentially powerless to stop any foreign aggression or land grabs

    https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1519926042827309058?s=20&t=b9G6Hki3XnZE18tkY_USkw


    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




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    #4913
    McGiver
    Registered Users Posts: 4,445 ✭✭✭McGiver


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986469#Comment_118986469

    Bollox. Transnistria has 1500 troops. Ukraine can occupy it in one day if asked by Moldova. That would be the best way out for Moldova by the way - a treaty with Ukraine asking them for an intervention. They don't have any other choice.

    Now what you're saying is exactly the reason why Finland wants to and will join NATO. NATO membership puts a hard stop for any Russian "ideas".



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    #4914
    McGiver
    Registered Users Posts: 4,445 ✭✭✭McGiver


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118992272#Comment_118992272

    Agree a condominium or joint administration of Transnistria with Ukraine the only way out for Moldova. Ukraine steps in and secures the place.

    A other option is Romania but they won't do it as they're nato members.



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    #4915
    timmyntc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,036 ✭✭✭timmyntc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118993526#Comment_118993526

    Moldova requesting Ukraine annexes Transnistria is exactly what Russia wants as it will give it an excuse to "liberate" the transnistrian separatists, and also large parts of Moldova in the process.

    Best situation for Moldova right now would be to premptively get NATO forces officially in the country. They do not need to voluntarily bring the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war into their own territory.



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    #4916
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,678 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Moldova could re-join Rumania in some form and so become a NATO member. Not sure how it could be done, but Moldova was part of Rumania at one time.

    I think the 'unrest' in Transnistria is just another Russian ruse to extend the current 'special military operation' to get Moldova involved.



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    #4917
    pixelburp
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 36,353 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118993917#Comment_118993917

    If Wikipedia is to be believed, and assuming I'm reading it right - plus I have no idea how politically biased the internal polling might be - popular support within Moldova reads tepid towards merging with Romania; although the gap appears to narrow as years pass, sitting around 50/50 or thereabouts now, so not exactly the kind of overwhelming support that it might realistically happen. A poll from last year showed support for unification, but only by a Brexit's width (with the wording dangling wage parity with Romania, lol)

    But I couldn't begin to guess as to the why: maybe Romania is seen as the lesser country, as opposed to any strong sense of Moldovan identity; though after 30-40 years of existence that's bound to form organically anyway. Who knows what the current events might do for that support either - maybe Russia sniffing around Transnistria might change some hearts & minds. Interestingly, support for unification appears far more cut & dry in Romania: they're all for it.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_of_Moldova_and_Romania#Moldova




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    #4918
    timmyntc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,036 ✭✭✭timmyntc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118994002#Comment_118994002

    Moldova and part of Ukraine were carved out of Romanian land, so many see Moldova as rightfully theirs, same as Hungarians see Transylvania (in Romania) as theirs.

    Moldovans dont have any such claim so naturally would be much less hesitant to be subsumed into a larger nation. Likely just living standards that motivate anyone to vote for unification with Romania



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    #4919
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,678 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    I think the current situation could be summed up with :- 'Russian tanks - no thanks!'

    A large bit of helpful funding from the EU would persuade those undecided, plus the offer of instant NATO protection.



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    #4920
    bear1
    Registered Users Posts: 12,812 ✭✭✭✭bear1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118992272#Comment_118992272

    And yet, they seem to have a bigger military force than Ireland I believe?



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    #4921
    Brussels Sprout
    Registered Users Posts: 7,118 ✭✭✭Brussels Sprout


    Last night a vote passed in the US House of Representatives for a Lend-Lease Bill making it easier to export military equipment to Ukraine. It had near bi-partisan support with 417 votes for and only 10 votes against. All of the 10 votes against were fringe Republican (e.g. Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar - the types who vote No to everything that Biden backs, in other words).

    The interesting thing about it is that all the Democrats supported it. That includes what people would consider the far left, ie the 4 members of "The Squad", Cory Bush, Jamaal Bowman etc.

    I think that this is a good reminder that what people in the USA consider "far-left" would be considered a social democrat in Europe. Like there's no way that PBP or Jeremy Corbyn or, god forbid, Wallace & Daly would support a bill like this. And yet I have seen people lump in the likes of AOC and Bernie Sanders with the above with no actual evidence apart from the fact that Fox News and the likes call them "far-left radicals".

    It just shows you how skewed to the right the American political spectrum is.



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