@ karlof1 9
“It’s easier to destroy weapons once they’re stockpiled in an armory rather than while in transit.”
I’d say this is the main consideration. However, always wary of getting baited into something that looks bad, I imagine they’re also concerned that if they hit a weapons convoy in Nazi territory, when the reporters showed up it would be truckloads of toddlers or some such nonsense. Russian intelligence is good enough, just let them get where they’re going and then take them out.

Posted by: J Swift | Mar 30 2022 19:53 utc | 103

Who is to blame for the Russian “invasion” of Ukraine?
https://readingjunkie.com/2022/03/30/who-is-to-blame-for-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/

Posted by: Ian Kummer | Mar 30 2022 19:59 utc | 105

Stonebird | Mar 30 2022 20:10 utc | 106
Yes, you got it. But the thing is not fixed yet. With this move Scholz has a majority in Germany, feel sure about it. Our carefully planted Young Leaders will be against it but not dare to speak up. Lynching, anybody?

Posted by: Hausmeister | Mar 30 2022 20:15 utc | 107

hey roger! thanks for your articles… here is rogers latest for others here to read..
VII. The Great Russian Restoration: The Kremlin’s Post-Soviet State Ideology
i like using the term nationalist, as opposed to normal as well..

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2022 20:16 utc | 109

Scholz and Putin talking must enrage the Brits.
That notion itself is sufficient for me to blissfully sleep the coming night.

Posted by: bjd | Mar 30 2022 20:25 utc | 111

Zelensky is a nazi (it doesn’t matter that he’s Jewish) – he’s also a useful idiot like Hitler was.
https://readingjunkie.com/2022/03/29/zelensky-is-the-new-hitler-and-nazis-are-globalists/

Posted by: Ian Kummer | Mar 30 2022 20:35 utc | 113

Germany’s strength is it’s industry. Here we have someone using that strength to get the country’s politicians to act in a certain way before they fall flat. Odd that, it must be a technique someone learnt at Judo.

Posted by: Stonebird | Mar 30 2022 20:37 utc | 115

Here is the link that explains in greater detail the payment mechanism for Russian gas. Apparently 39% is paid in US dollars and 3% in Sterling. By agreeing to pay in rubles, the dollar and sterling use will be avoided. And if other commodities are also exchanged using the same mechanism this will create the “recipe” for future exchange for all other EU countries. Another judoka move.
https://voxeu.org/article/why-paying-roubles-russian-gas-and-oil-might-matter

Posted by: Milos | Mar 30 2022 20:44 utc | 117

Posted by: juliania | Mar 30 2022 16:28 utc | 37
“Very sad for my native land’s apparent eagerness to become a spy (Waihopai?)once again. I thought that went out with the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
(Sigh)”
Juliana,
yes it’s sad.
I posted this on Monday as breaking news:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/464139/pm-ardern-at-post-cabinet-briefing-nzdf-personnel-will-travel-to-europe-following-invasion-of-ukraine
I presume you mean “waihape” i.e. ‘change course’ or ‘go about tack’.
However no surprises here, the WEF [Davos gang] is at work:
“…Just a tiny sampling of the prominent figures who have been processed and installed into positions of influence to advance the WEF globalist agenda over the past 30 years include Angela Merkel, Nicholas Sarkozy, Emmanuel Macron, Tony Blair, Mark Zuckerberg, José Manuel Barroso, Bill Gates, Chrystia Freeland, Pete Buttigieg, Jacinda Arden (PM New Zealand),et al . ….”
https://unlimitedhangout.com/2022/03/investigative-reports/the-rhodes-scholars-guiding-bidens-presidency/

Posted by: Paul | Mar 30 2022 20:46 utc | 119

@ Watcher from prior Ukraine thread
You misunderstood me in thinking that I think America is exceptional in that their our military coup will be more benevolent than one in a banana republic because we are exceptional.
It WILL be so because we have guns and because American production can be an incredibly powerful force, so that Los Generalissimos will know who butters their bread.
Banana Republics were oligarchal extraction regimes set up by Uncle Sambo. Who would pull the strings when it comes to the reallignment in Estados Unidos? Not Nicaragua, that is for sure.
We will be on our own, for better or worse, and that will be great thing not only for the average American but also for the world who will no longer take their marching orders from London/D.C./Khazariastan.
Do I think there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth? Indeed I do. Will it better in the longrun? Indubitably. Do I pray for a rational military coup to pry the grip of the Khazars off the nuclear red button in case of total collapse? Why, yes! Yes I do!

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Mar 30 2022 20:54 utc | 121

A scenario for the coming weeks I worry about it that NATO/US realize that Russia is achieving a major victory in the donbass region and although that is not the same as a final victory, NATO decides it needs to up its game to counter that. And that they take gambles hoping they can defeat the Russians without things getting out of hand.

Posted by: Tuyzentfloot | Mar 30 2022 21:04 utc | 123

if this deal with gazprom bank gets through, it’s basically a plot by russia and germany against us-uk. the crux of the matter, imho, is what will the bank do with those euros. if this process is unhindered, both russia and germany get what they need.
it seems too good to be true, i don’t think us-uk will allow it. if they do they are f*cked.
it’s too good because germany doesn’t break the sanctions, russia gets rubles by selling gas and has euros to pay for whatever there is the need. that’s why it can’t be true, and will not come to pass. it’s just like covid masks, you put them on only for the cameras, because it was decided so. afterwards, lets kiss and hug.

Posted by: albagen | Mar 30 2022 21:11 utc | 125

Thanks for the replies! One aspect of the conversation I included in my citation was Putin reminding Scholtz that Germany et al committed a major crime for which it still must answer.
Yes, it’s difficult with pieces of the puzzle being revealed globally, although the process is clearly coordinated. Medvedev–surprise, surprise–got the most important lines today: the new currency regime won’t include fiat–which includes the euro–but will consist of currencies backed by “national wealth” (see my comment @22 above).
So the trial of the euro is only beginning. Since it’s not an actual “national” currency, it doesn’t have any intrinsic national wealth to back it, and never will. Recall what I wrote about the escape path for European nations–the need to exit the EU and return to issuing their own coin and currency. It sure does look like that to have skin in the new international financial order, only a national currency backed by national resources will be allowed into the game. But what about smaller nations; didn’t Lavrov say all nations needed to be treated as equals?!? At the moment, I don’t have an answer to this objection aside from saying that under the present arrangement, no currencies are equal with many pegged to a rapidly depreciating dollar that will cuase those nations pain until the uncouple. Equitable distribution of foods and resources has always been a problem needing a solution. I have some ideas but first I await a definition of what constitutes national resources and how they’re to be valorized. A quick example is the Federated States of Micronesia as while its total land area is quite small, the country’s waters occupy more than 2,600,000 km2 (1,003,866 sq mi) of the Pacific Ocean, giving the country the 14th-largest exclusive economic zone in the world.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 30 2022 21:13 utc | 127

@Republicofscotland(14):
Replace the Z character with Unicode character U+5350. The HTML code is “& # 21328 ;”
Remove the ” and the spaces and have fun:
A卐OV
卐elenskyy
…

Posted by: Wolle | Mar 30 2022 21:19 utc | 129

Boo | Mar 30 2022 20:46 utc | 118
You are almost certainly right that the EU Central Bank and EU Commissioners will not like this one bit. But Lagarde doing a dance to ward off evil spirits defies description
BUT, they are not terribly efficient even if very mean. So now they are going to tell the Germans that they can’t have Gas, even if they use the Euro as they told them to do in the first place? Hmmmm. The EU lot want power, and control so their idea of “bulk buying” was to cut out the advantages that three (I think) countries had made with Russia for long term contracts- Note that it is carefully specified that existing contracts will be honoured (if not blatantly favoured).
However, the bigger scene here is to pry the individual countries away from the US and also FROM the EU in Brussels. Meanwhile, cutting the “reserve” currency down to size.
***
There was a suggestion that the Chinese and Russians would announce a new financial “architecture on the 1st April. Must watch out for that.
The Euros can almost certainly be used up in trade around the world as before. Just not in the “west”.
Last point is inflation; (specifically food inflation), and how it will impact producers (Russia) and consumers (the EU). I don’t know how that will play out.

Posted by: Stonebird | Mar 30 2022 21:25 utc | 131

@Wolle (131)
You have to be of ill will to popularize the swastika.

Posted by: bjd | Mar 30 2022 21:29 utc | 133

I saw a comment from someone in the US regarding blocked Russian sites. Get Brave (similar to Chrome) browser and open a Tor window (alt-shift-n). Wait for it to say connected. It will open the world back up for you. I’m using it from behind 3 different firewalls that block Russia and it works well.

Posted by: Will | Mar 30 2022 21:32 utc | 135

@131 Wolle
No thanks
Let’s not make it worse, if you don’t mind. Just pushes people’s buttons and makes everyone dumber

Posted by: ptb | Mar 30 2022 21:38 utc | 137

Boo @122–
Uneven article with some obvious errors that despite the great effort goes in the wrong direction to prove its premise is my first impression. I’ll try to read it again, but currently my reading queue is rather long. But thanks very much for thinking I’d find it of interest; you were 100% correct!
malamatias @126–
Thanks so very much for your reply, info and analysis! I’m sure I’m not alone with my appreciation!! So, as I feared, the Anti-Macron vote will be split between too many candidates and allow Macron to win in the second round, or so it seems.
As for the accumulation of euros, they’ll be dispensed with quickly to pay Russia’s expenses within the EU, thus helping the balance of trade ledger to go positive as rubles won’t need to be turned into euros to pay Russia’s expenses. As things stand, the euro is the lesser evil compared to dollar and sterling.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 30 2022 21:43 utc | 139

Much appreciate this page’s insight and depth into the scope of the often complex Ukrainian conflict. Zelensky’s and Putin’s governments should resign immediately in disgrace over what’s happened, for having needlessly sent Slavic Christian brethren to their deaths. Ukraine should probably be partitioned in a way that doesn’t make the country complete cannon fodder for absorption into Russia, Poland, or a neo-Ottoman Turkey!
Perhaps what’s needed is an independent Donbass alongside a post-WW1 “Republic of West Ukraine” type country with a capital in Kiev or Lvov that somehow doesn’t end up a rabid Gladio neo-Nazi extremist state within the heart of Central Europe for the likes of Russia to scapegoat later.. “See? We told you…. We were warning you Ukrainian independence would come to this!”
As others here have pointed out already, Russia appears to be attempting a version of what they did with ISIS in Idlib in 2018, declaring the province “liberated” after deporting remaining ISIS fighters to other parts of Syria there previously hadn’t been ISIS issues at.. As it is at the moment, they’ve been deporting Azov fighters in the East further West! They’re probably interested in splitting Ukraine right down the middle.
And before people rush to blame the Putin character entirely, please note – Putin’s government, however flawed, is likely the reason why the War in Donbass didn’t spill over to Moldova back in 2014! There are in fact forces within Russia who are infinitely more militaristic than Putin’s.. Even Navalny, the alleged “reformer,” has expressed more aggressive foreign policy sentiments. The world can’t afford for the Putin system to be replaced by anyone worse – any crazy overambitious neo-Communists or monarch revivalists who might want Alaska or the California coastline back!

Posted by: Mikhail-Raygun | Mar 30 2022 22:04 utc | 141

Devaltsevo couldron
Due to FM lavrov’s insistence to save lives of British and American mercenaries in cauldron of “Debaltsevo Cauldronn”, in South East Ukraine in Feb 2015, the festering wound left is now becoming gangerenous.
Russian actions in the Ukrane was to stop the massacre of the nazi’s when the eastern Ukranian’s got the upper hand, that was when Russia put together the Minsk agreement that the west failed to honour.
The west have been building up armaments since then to clense the east.
The biggest mistake of Russia in Ucrania was stop the war after Devaltsevo.
Russia will now have to become involved because they put the east in this precarious position when they halted the east’s advance..
Now Such a Bitter Pill for Biden to swallow after the Flash-backs of Debaltsevo Cauldron when NATO Troops got Slaughtered to Death, whilst Thousands more being Surrounded until a pocket was opened, allowing those Cold, Hungry Fayggots to Shamefully escape to Collect their Loaf of Bread LOL”

Posted by: Sona | Mar 30 2022 22:07 utc | 143

Laurence @129
Well these talks will continue until Odessa and other lands are vsited by Mr. Kinzhal and Mr. Kalibr.
US announced today it is not ready to talk about guarantees.
US Says Not Yet Ready to Talk About Possibility of Becoming Security Guarantor for Ukraine Sputniknews.
but
German Foreign Minister Says Berlin Ready to Give Security Guarantees to Ukraine

“If guarantees are required, then Germany will participate in this and give guarantees,” Annalena Baerbock was quoted as saying by the DPA news agency.
She added that Germany “is 100% in solidarity with Ukraine.” At the same time, the minister noted that the results of the Istanbul talks between Russia and Ukraine should not be interpreted as the fact that the countries would soon achieve a breakthrough in the negotiations, noting that Russia understands guarantees and neutrality in a different way than the West.

(emphasis added)
“Russia understands guarantees and neutrality in a different way than the West.”
Burning bridges after Minsk guarantees; you bet Russia will no longer accept any offers from the west on which mother Russia’s security depends. At risk. I would not want thieves guarding my house.

Posted by: Likklemore | Mar 30 2022 22:12 utc | 145

Mikhail-Raygun@143
If Putin is to blamed for anything it is not acting sooner to prevent the carnage in the Donbas. Russia ought to have extended its protection back in 2014 but decided otherwise. Obviously underestimating the perfidy of the once British Empire, something that is very easy to do.
To compare Putin with Zelensky, who is the figurehead of a state dominated by Nazis and acting entirely in the interests of the American ruling oligarchy, is ludicrous.

Posted by: bevin | Mar 30 2022 22:12 utc | 147

Tony_0pmoc @146–
Thanks for admitting you failed your geology course.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 30 2022 22:22 utc | 149

Sundial @150–
Russia, China and their allies constituting 7/8ths of the planet’s population aren’t going to reason with the Outlaw US Empire; instead, it will be presented with a fait accompli. That was what Lavrov announced today in China and Medvedev announced from Russia. The process is well underway and the only way the Empire can halt it is to blow up itself and the planet.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 30 2022 22:28 utc | 151

Thanks, it’s clearer now, but what is Russia gonna do with all those useless euros? Lots of western companies are not trading with Russian entities because of sanctions. The euros also are surplus for paying the external Russian debt as well.
Posted by: Boo | Mar 30 2022 19:48 utc | 101

Only way this makes sense to me is if the Central Bank of Russia turns around and makes those Euros available for, say, Russian companies to make palm oil purchases from Malaysia. Otherwise those Euros are so many billions of hot potatoes.

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 30 2022 22:32 utc | 153

@ malamatias | Mar 30 2022 21:12 utc | 126 quote re april 10th french election and etc –
“So, expect a Macron 2.0 fully onboard the sinking Western ship for this summer.
Then when Fall comes, get ready for the YellowVest 2.0 unleashed.
By the way, here gasoline is now 2,10 euro per litre ; higher than benzine..”
thanks for the update malamtias… i appreciate it…

Posted by: james | Mar 30 2022 22:45 utc | 155

Have you guys heard the Donbass song ?
“Donbass za Nami”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LSlw9-qfAZM
It’s pretty catchy.
Posted by: Featherless | Mar 30 2022 22:24 utc | 152

The music is generic Eurotrash mixed with Eighties Heavy Metal-lite (think Heart or Pat Benatar) — would it be too much to ask for Russian music to sound a little bit Russian? — but I like the lyrics.

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 30 2022 22:51 utc | 157

@bjd(148):
I will use it context related only for real Na卐ies only and never in context to Russians troops with Z.
The character/sign 卐 must be evaluated in this context always. The character/sign itself w/o context is ambivalent.

Posted by: Wolle | Mar 30 2022 22:58 utc | 159

In Hudson’s interview with Margaret Flowers, he says: “So, this is basically a war of America to lock in its allies” to being 100% dependent on what little remains of its exports. This reminds me of Soviet actions to keep its satellites reigned in and only allied with it. Hudson further explains:
“And so, the effect of this war has been to lock the NATO countries into dependency on the United States because the great fear of the United States in the last few years is that as America is de-industrializing, these countries are looking to the part of the world that’s growing, China, Central Asia, Russia, South Asia. And the United States feared losing control of its satellites mainly in NATO, but also in South America. So, it sanctioned and blocked their ability to buy non-US energy. They’re blocking their ability to buy non-US food, blocking their ability to invest in or use their surplus to get prosperous by investing in China, Russia, or Eurasia.” [My Emphasis]
So, there were two traps–one to lure in Russia upon which the EU and other satellites would follow. But Russia was prepared, while the EU et al weren’t. And the bought-off politicos were attacked by the real political power sources within their nations and are now trying to extricate themselves from their treason.
There’s lots of talk about the Outlaw US Empire’s gambit boomeranging, and we’ve already read some of the negatives regarding its military inferiority. But the big issue for Biden is internal as one can see from the latest Index of Consumer Sentiment that relies on government reported inflation rate which is 50% too low at 5.4%:
“When asked to explain changes in their finances in their own words, more consumers mentioned reduced living standards due to rising inflation than any other time except during the two worst recessions in the past fifty years: from March 1979 to April 1981, and from May to October 2008. Moreover, 32% of all consumers expected their overall financial position to worsen in the year ahead, the highest recorded level since the surveys started in the mid-1940s. The combination of rising prices and less positive income expectations meant that half of all households anticipated declines in inflation-adjusted incomes in the year ahead.”
Of course, we know the Republicans as the other half of the Duopoly don’t have any solutions either. I wonder how Biden will hide the continuing importation of Russian crude and diesel and having to come up with rubles to pay for them.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 30 2022 23:02 utc | 161

Re the so-called “negotiations” going on between Russia and Ukraine.
Allegedly Medinsky is considered to have bungled his presentation of the Ukraine offer by not mentioning the Ukrainian demand for “security guarantees” which they specifically said were to be the same as Article 5 of the NATO Charter, and the countries involved to include the US, Canada, Poland, and others.
Which means any time Ukraine feels that Russia has “aggressed” on them, that those countries would be required to respond militarily, including sending troops to Ukraine, supplying weapons and imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Obviously, these conditions are utterly ridiculous and there is zero chance Russia will consider them. So after Putin, Shoigu and Lavtov stop laughing, they will tell Ukraine to pound sand.
I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this: Russia knows full well that they are not “negotiating” with Ukraine at all, but with the US. And they also know that both the US and Ukraine are not “agreement-capable.” So anything Ukraine offers is going to be a non-starter regardless of what “concessions” they say they will agree to. Russia is simply preceding according to “The Forms Must Be Obeyed”, while concentrating on creating the results they want on the ground.
These “negotiations” are literally of zero significance, mean nothing, and should be ignored as irrelevant. They are not, in fact, “negotiations” at all (except in terms of humanitarian corridors – which Ukraine has invariably failed at – or ceasefires), but surrender terms which Ukraine can accept or not. By “acceptance” is meant that the Ukrainian military surrenders – not a “ceasefire”, not any other form of “acceptance” but the Ukrainian military lays down arms, returns to their barracks and accept Russian control.
That is the only outcome Russia will accept.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 30 2022 23:03 utc | 163

Evidence of UA Intent to Use Biological Weapons

“The facts which have been unearthed demonstrate that the Kiev regime seriously considered the possibility of using biological weapons against civilians in the Donbass and in the Russian Federation,” Konashenkov said in a briefing on Wednesday.

SOURCE: Sputnick article by Ilya Tsukanov datelined today 3-30-2022
RF reports having additional information which will be made public in future.
It has previously been reported that Ukraine arranged for the delivery of Turkish drones with modifications to permit aerial dispersal of pathogens. These drones were believed to have been delivered in two Turkish military cargo flights which arrived in Lyov on February 24th, immediately preceding launch of the Special Operation. These aircraft were traced, and their potential cargo was reported, on February 24th at MoA. The Special Operation commnced immediately following these flights.
It is therefore likely RF concern over UA use of biological weapons was a determinant factor in the launch of the Special Operation.
This documentation, and the materials demonstrating Hunter Biden involvement, may also be reason for the US refusal to permit Kiev to engage in meaningful negotiations.

Posted by: Sushi | Mar 30 2022 23:05 utc | 165

Roger | Mar 30 2022 22:55 utc | 160
Thanks for clarifying that.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 30 2022 23:07 utc | 167

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 30 2022 22:22 utc | 151
Tony_0pmoc @146–
Thanks for admitting you failed your geology course.
—
Also an admission of failure in both Environmental Science and Biological Science. Displays an alarming lack of knowledge with respect to the history of oil and gas exploration and the accepted science in the O&G community.

Posted by: Sushi | Mar 30 2022 23:11 utc | 169

Richard Steven Hack | Mar 30 2022 23:03 utc | 165
Russia sends buffoons of similar status to the clowns the americans put up. Dealing with Guiado’s

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 30 2022 23:14 utc | 171

@ Laurence
If you’re gonna be rude, maybe you’re the one who should go get bent…

Posted by: Featherless | Mar 30 2022 23:20 utc | 173

@161 Wolle
“The character/sign itself w/o context is ambivalent.”
No it isn’t, it’s the quintessential nazi symbol. Only people who say otherwise are fascist apologists and those who want to rewrite & sanitize history.
Please knock it off

Posted by: ptb | Mar 30 2022 23:27 utc | 175

From Donbass Insider Telegram channel…

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation made a number of important statements:
– Russia asks the UN and the OSCE to force Kyiv to fulfill its humanitarian obligations in Kharkov;
– On March 31, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will open a gum corridor for the evacuation of citizens from Mariupol to Zaporozhye;
– In the hospitals of Kharkiv, only military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and militants of the territorial defense are treated;
– The most critical humanitarian situation has developed in Kharkov;
– Nationalists place heavy military equipment in residential areas of Kharkov;
— The SBU conducts mass arrests in Kharkiv;
– Since March 2, the Russian Federation has delivered 6,521.3 tons of humanitarian cargo to Ukraine;
— During the day, 20,495 people were evacuated to Russia from the regions of Ukraine, the LPR and the DPR;
– Residents of Kharkov are blocked in the city;
– On March 30, Russia opened humanitarian routes in Ukraine in five directions;
– “Flying squadrons of death” nationalists are shelling residential buildings in Kharkov.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 30 2022 23:34 utc | 177

Posted by: Wolle | Mar 30 2022 22:58 utc | 161
The character/sign 卐 must be evaluated in this context always.
Recommend a visit to the Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang.
Also known as the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas ( each with an accompanying ‘normalized’ swastik).
As you say context is everything.

Posted by: ted001 | Mar 30 2022 23:38 utc | 179

Russian video from rutube:
The angles of Donbass aka Памяти погибших детей Донбасса посвящается

Posted by: Wolle | Mar 30 2022 23:45 utc | 181

Posted by: Mark Gaughan | Mar 30 2022 23:40 utc | 182
Error 404 not found – The typical trigger for an error 404 message is when website content has been removed or moved to another URL.

Posted by: ted001 | Mar 30 2022 23:46 utc | 183

The Saker posted an article about the so-called “negotiations” in which he defended the Russian approach of negotiating with the enemy (which I don’t oppose on principle, just as he doesn’t.) However he listed the so-called “concessions” that Ukraine offered. This was my response.

[SAKER: “Now if you do not see these as major concessions, you have issues I cannot help you with.”]
Not quite. First there is the issue of the “security guarantees” that Ukraine wanted, which are clearly and utterly unacceptable to Russia, as they are no different from Ukraine being in NATO subject to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which Ukraine specifically referred to in “offering” these guarantees.
Second, since it is obvious that the “security guarantees” offer was a non-starter – and that both Ukraine and the US, who is directing the so-called “negotiations”, know that Russia can not accept such a thing – what, then, was the point of the rest of the so-called “concessions”?
Let’s say you come up to me and my girl friend (which I don’t have, but let’s imagine!) and say “your money or your life”. After some negotiation, you say, “Okay, I won’t rape your girl friend, just give me the money.” Is that a “concession”?
Then there’s the issue of exactly how does one “enforce” an “agreement” with either the US or Ukraine about any of the so-called “concessions” offered by Ukraine? Sure, we won’t join NATO, we’ll just continue to accept NATO weapons and NATO training until we’re essentially integrated into NATO – just not formally. That’s what was happening all along any way. Is that a “concession”?
Sure, we won’t develop nuclear weapons. We’ll just rely on the nuclear weapons of the countries that our security guarantors have. Besides, we don’t have the money to develop nuclear weapons anyway. Is that a “concession”?
We won’t make any “alliances” – but we’ll still accept those NATO weapons and training, and economic ties with the EU, and oh, that EU membership that Russia has already accepted we can do. Is that a “concession”?
Sure, we’ll give up claims on Crimea that we know we can’t get back anyway. Is that a “concession”?
If so, your definition of “concession” is quite different from mine.
When you offer a bunch a “concessions”, which are not clearly defined in detail, and then add in a “poison pill” of “security guarantees” you know are wildly unacceptable, you are not “negotiating”. You are emitting bovine evacuation.
Of course, Russia knows this. Which is why Peskov dismissed this latest “offer” with the perfunctory “we welcome the submission, but we don’t see any improvement.”

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 30 2022 23:50 utc | 185

Posted by: Mark Gaughan | Mar 30 2022 23:40 utc | 182

Where did country 404 come from?

404 is HTTP response code that the page is not found.
In Russian, the word for a page and the word for a country (strana) is the same, so in Russian the 404 error message reads like the country does not exist.
The number 404, when the font is narrow, kind of looks like a trident, what is Ukrainian symbol.
It’s a Russian humor. Clever and dark.

Posted by: hopehely | Mar 30 2022 23:55 utc | 187

ptb | Mar 30 2022 21:38 utc | 139

@131 Wolle
No thanks
Let’s not make it worse, if you don’t mind. Just pushes people’s buttons and makes everyone dumber

What buttons?
We’re talking about people who already support Nazis, make excuses for them, explain them away, say that they aren’t as bad as Putin, and so on.
One of the things that this Ukrainian crisis has brought home to me is that most people aren’t anti-Nazi. They don’t know what a Nazi is. Mike Goodwin was right, Nazi is just a mean thing to call someone you don’t like. It doesn’t actually mean anything anymore. Who and what the Nazis were and did is lost to history.
All that’s left is a lazy story-telling trope in which a character is labelled a Nazi or shown with a swastika so you know they are the designated bad guy and it’s not only okay but mandatory to beat them up. And even that’s disappearing. I was talking to some younger people recently and apparently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe World War II was fought against Hydra, with the Third Reich maybe, possibly, existing off-stage somewhere (they weren’t too clear). No idea about the Pacific Theatre.
So, why not rehabilitate the swastika and just make it a part of the alphabet in place of the letter “Z”.
The only people who have buttons in this regard are old farts like me, and even I just have trauma I inherited from my parents who experienced Nazis first hand. For everyone else it seems to just be an old b-movie trope they’ve grown too sophisticated to respond to any more.
Using the wrong pronouns is more likely to push buttons than than supporting Nazism.

Posted by: Kukulkan | Mar 31 2022 0:01 utc | 189

Posted by: Laurence | Mar 30 2022 23:14 utc | 172
“Get bent Tony. Stick to sociological matters. You’re a liability on this site, and if b disagrees with me I’m OK with that.”
Laurence, I get the distinct impression you don’t like me, and think I am making it up.
In 1978, when I was 25 years old. I left university at the age of 19, and got a job at International Computer Limited. I went on all the courses from 19, paid by ICL and worked very hard. I received a far better education, than if I had stayed on at university.
So as the Trials Supervisor at 25,it was my job to test, what was independenty throughout the computer industry validated, as the most powerful computer in the world
The Benchmarks were better than the most powerful Cray
And ICL’s Distributed Array Processor Was the size of a large fridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICL_Distributed_Array_Processor
It might not have been commercialy successful, but at the time it was the most powerful computer in the world.
They fired me, and I moved to London, and worked on IBM stuff
I couldn’t believe how primative it was
We were 10 years ahead of IBM
I didn’t quite realise it at the time.
It was normal. I was just a kid going to work.
Tony

Posted by: Tony_0pmoc | Mar 31 2022 0:09 utc | 191

@ Arne Hartmann 61
The Green Party in Germany like the Green parties in much of Western Europe (Except Ireland and to a lesser degree Britain but even that has begun to change and they are becoming a bit more like their continental equivalents) seem not to be overly concerned with the environment as they are all about mass migration (An anti-environmental policy both due to how it changes political priorities internally as well as energy usage), anti-nationalism and multiculturalism/social permissiveness.
The Swedish Green Party famously got infiltrated by salafists due their obsession with supporting more immigration and multiculturalism which is how the salafists got in.
Policies to mitigate global warming (As well as just generally energy conservation) are really interesting and enjoy wide public support in most of Western Europe. It should be easy to be a single issue party coming up with interesting and innovative ways to do this and using your position in parliament to advertise them. But all the German Greens seem to want is more immigration and less nuclear power. Not what I’d call global warming mitigation or pro-environmental in general.

Posted by: Altai | Mar 31 2022 0:15 utc | 193

@aquadraht(190):
Most of private internet connections goes from your private home network over a router.
The clients get it’s ip address, subnet, default gateway and the DNS resolver from this router via DHCP. The router itself is the DNS resolver in the most cases. The router acts as DNS forwarder then.
The better way is to switch the DNS resolver inside the router then.
Have look in the routers manual for details.
Switch from provider’s DNS to your DNS of choice. But beware modern operation systems has an ipv4 and ipv6 ip stack. So an ipv4 DNS resolver change only will often not work.
Yandex page for ipv4 and ipv6 DNS

Posted by: Wolle | Mar 31 2022 0:23 utc | 195

@ptb(177):
“No it isn’t, it’s the quintessential nazi symbol. Only people who say otherwise are fascist apologists and those who want to rewrite & sanitize history.”
You are woke, historical uneducated, некультурный or some kind of fundamentalist?
“Please knock it off”
Du mich auch! aka Same to you!

Posted by: Wolle | Mar 31 2022 0:40 utc | 197

Lex @184–
The Outlaw US Empire is NATO; so, to get rid of NATO is to get rid of the Empire.
As to a GOP controlled Congress, there’re plenty of crimes Biden’s committed for him to be impeached, convicted and ousted.
And it seems clear from Hudson’s interview with Flowers that Biden is the WEF’s point man for its ReSet of the USA, which means vastly increased power of Neoliberals over the 99% as the fallout/blowback from Biden’s policies hurt them further.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 31 2022 0:47 utc | 199