Russia & Ukraine

gwb-trading said:
Germany's ex-ambassador to Russia says Putin wants to trigger a global famine and refugee crisis
https://www.businessinsider.com/germanys-ex-ambassador-russia-says-putin-wants-trigger-famine-2022-5
  • Russia invasion of Ukraine has made global food shortages even worse.
  • A former German ambassador to Russia said that's exactly what Putin wants, DW reported.
  • Rüdiger von Fritsch said Putin wants to cause a famine and refugee crisis to destabilize Europe.
A former German ambassador for Russia said Russian President Vladimir Putin is deliberately trying to cause a famine and refugee crisis, DW reported.

Rüdiger von Fritsch told a German outlet that Putin wants to cause a famine in the Middle East and Africa so it would cause refugees to migrate to Europe, which would destabilize the region.

"Putin's calculation is that after grain supplies collapse, starving people from these regions will flee and try to come to Europe — like previously the millions of Syrians fleeing the horrors of war," he said.

His comments come as food security experts warn that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated a global food supply crisis. One expert testified at the UN Security Council that the world only has 10 weeks of wheat supplies left in storage.

Ukraine is considered the world's "breadbasket". Combined, Russia and Ukraine export about a third of the world's wheat, with many regions significantly, depending on those exports.

Von Fritsch said Putin is stopping grain exports out of Ukraine because it would then lead to this famine that would put pressure on European countries to reconsider sanctions against Russia.

"He wants to destabilize Europe with new flows of refugees so that Western states give up their tough stance toward Russia," he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also previously accused Russia of using food as a weapon and said Russia was holding food "hostage" for millions across the globe.

"The Russian government seems to think that using food as a weapon will help accomplish what its invasion has not - to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people," Blinken said.
More...

The migration factor might work to his favor somewhat but Putin does not get a free card to play here. There are all sorts of countries in Africa and the Mideast where Russia is trying to win over the local governments and people. It will not help when famine sets in and the west reminds them daily that there are ships loaded with grain destined for their country but Russia said they can't have it and will use military force to stop them from getting their food.

In addition to the food/propaganda angle, Russia has active conflicts going elsewhere in third world countries and many areas where there may not be any active conflict but Russian forces are still required to prop up the local government. But week by week we see Putin bringing troops back and assigning them to Ukraine. And they are too broke to fund any of their colonial ventures. Their Chinese overlords love it too. They will "help" to fill any voids Russia leaves because -well- their friendship is "unlimited" as Xi says.

Yeh sure, with friends like Xi, who needs enemas? Not sure Vlad has thought this thing through.

Meanwhile. Day 84 or thereabouts of the the 3-Day war.
 
Barrel bombs. Doesnt get any uglier than that for civilians when the Ruskies use them.

Not a good sign of things to come for the civilians.

But not necessarily a good sign for the Russian Army either. They would not be going down the food chain to WW1 tactics unless they had to.

I mentioned once before, that by the time they left AFG, they were down at the level of just riding from village to village and pouring poison into the village wells. It was also reported that the Russians were leaving exploding toys around for the kids to pick up. Something that I did not necessarily believe then- but I do now. Sick savages.

Syria’s barrel bomb experts in Russia to help with potential Ukraine campaign
Over 50 specialists skilled in delivering crude explosive working with Putin’s forces


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ussia-to-help-with-potential-ukraine-campaign
 
Germany developing a sudden interest in Senegal and treating them like the long-ignored woman who suddenly walks into a lumberjack camp.

Go for it. Take care of bidness. The Senegalese are walking a tightrope though because Russia is also a big fossil fuel explorer and developer in Senegal so they do not want to take sides or piss the Russians off. Russia's big oil company LukOil is there now. On the other hand, the Senegalese dont dare to put all their eggs and hopes in the Russian basket because Russia's economy may go belly up and not be able to fund development and then -even though it is sourced in Senegal- the world may still treat it as sanctioned Russian gas and oil. WHAT TO DO?



Germany's Scholz Seeks To Pursue Energy Projects With Senegal Amid Russian Supply Uncertainties

https://www.rferl.org/a/germany-russia-gas-senegal-ukraine/31862489.html
 
TreeFrogTrader said:
A new way of spinning Ukraine's relative success in resisting the Russians: It's not because they are trained and fight differently and more willingly, it's because they are like the Russians. One week everyone in Ukraine and especially the army led by Azov types are all Nazis. The next week "they are just like us."

Okay fine, I guess. Whatever. It's all good. OR NOT.

Russia Official Has Rare Excuse for War Failure: Ukraine's Elite Military

A Russian senator attempted to justify what he described as the Russian military's "difficulty" in Ukraine by saying that his country is fighting against one of the "strongest and best-trained armies."

Frants Klintsevich, who made the remarks recently during an appearance on Russian state TV, said Ukraine has an elite military made up of "Russian soldiers and officers with exactly the same mentality as ours," according to a translation provided by a journalist with the BBC.


https://www.newsweek.com/russia-official-has-rare-excuse-war-failure-ukraines-elite-military-1708630
More...
gwb-trading said:
Germany's ex-ambassador to Russia says Putin wants to trigger a global famine and refugee crisis
https://www.businessinsider.com/germanys-ex-ambassador-russia-says-putin-wants-trigger-famine-2022-5
  • Russia invasion of Ukraine has made global food shortages even worse.
  • A former German ambassador to Russia said that's exactly what Putin wants, DW reported.
  • Rüdiger von Fritsch said Putin wants to cause a famine and refugee crisis to destabilize Europe.
A former German ambassador for Russia said Russian President Vladimir Putin is deliberately trying to cause a famine and refugee crisis, DW reported.

Rüdiger von Fritsch told a German outlet that Putin wants to cause a famine in the Middle East and Africa so it would cause refugees to migrate to Europe, which would destabilize the region.

"Putin's calculation is that after grain supplies collapse, starving people from these regions will flee and try to come to Europe — like previously the millions of Syrians fleeing the horrors of war," he said.

His comments come as food security experts warn that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated a global food supply crisis. One expert testified at the UN Security Council that the world only has 10 weeks of wheat supplies left in storage.

Ukraine is considered the world's "breadbasket". Combined, Russia and Ukraine export about a third of the world's wheat, with many regions significantly, depending on those exports.

Von Fritsch said Putin is stopping grain exports out of Ukraine because it would then lead to this famine that would put pressure on European countries to reconsider sanctions against Russia.

"He wants to destabilize Europe with new flows of refugees so that Western states give up their tough stance toward Russia," he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also previously accused Russia of using food as a weapon and said Russia was holding food "hostage" for millions across the globe.

"The Russian government seems to think that using food as a weapon will help accomplish what its invasion has not - to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people," Blinken said.
More...

Considering all the dead Russians they don't want to take home its time to make some soyalent green.

Quite seriously though, this entirely correct and Europe needs to literally put together algae and insect protein farms in North Africa as an emergency measure.
 
Ukraine war: Russian soldier jailed for life over war crime
By Patrick Jackson BBC News
_124820384_tv076118484.jpg

The 21-year-old tank commander was questioned in Ukrainian through a Russian interpreter

A court in Ukraine has jailed a Russian tank commander for life for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion.

Captured soldier Sgt Vadim Shishimarin was convicted of killing Oleksandr Shelipov, 62, in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka on 28 February.

He admitted shooting Mr Shelipov but said he had been acting on orders and asked forgiveness of his widow.

Multiple other alleged war crimes are being investigated by Ukraine......
More.....
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61549569
 
Tsing Tao said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1526913464790286341
More...

Of course there might be a little pork in US spending on Ukraine. Remember, Biden is a career politician and knows how DC works. Besides, defense contractors, their lobbyists, and Congressmen are affected by inflation just like the rest of us. Have you not seen the prices of waterfront homes or the cost of maintaining and fueling personal jets lately? As a bonus, NATO loves us again. It’s good to have friends. Even if you have to buy them.
 
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