https://www.nbcnews.com/news/w...-zelenskyy-rcna17660

Putin used a televised meeting of his Security Council to call on the Ukrainian military to "take power into your own hands" because it would be easier for Russia to negotiate with the army, than with Zelenskyy.

He described the current government as a "gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have settled in Kyiv and took the entire Ukrainian people hostage.”

quote:

The "settlement" I saw talked about was Putin calling for Ukraine to surrender, disarm their military, and promise never to join NATO.

That's the way I took it too. Surrender.
Well, a lot of Ukrainians in the western part of Ukraine don't want to live in a Russian vassal state.
Of course, agreeing not to join NATO would not be a problem since they aren't going to be admitted anyway.

Ok, meet his terms. Then have a huge portion of the country break off as "seperatists" and join NATO. Fuck Putin!

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:
It'd be great if the oil industry folks would step in and explain that graphic...

The Keystone XL pipeline was supposed to carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada to Texas gulf coast oil refineries.

The graphic is basically using the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a way of attacking the Democrats who blocked the Keystone XL pipeline by pointing out that the Keystone XL pipeline by itself was planned to bring more oil into the US than we import from Russia.

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:
I assume it means we would be moving 830K BPD through the pipeline rather than having to buy 595K BPD from Russia. In other words, we are going from a net exporter to a net consumer thanks to Brandon.

Importing oil from Canada is still importing oil.

Biden didn't turn the Keystone XL pipeline off. It was stalled, unfinished (they actually built less than a tenth of it), never having been operational, and Biden just put the final nail in the coffin of making sure it doesn't get finished.

I'm not in the oil industry, but have looked into the general issue quite a bit. The basic paradox is that ever since the shale oil boom, the US is theoretically self-sufficient in oil, but exports a lot of its domestic production while at the same time importing a lot of crude for processing in domestic refineries. This is because refineries are set up for specific grades of "light" or "heavy", "sweet" or "sour" crude. Plants on the Gulf coast are frequently geared towards heavy grades imported from Venezuela's Orinocco Bassin across the water.

However, since 2019 oil trade with Venezuela has been sanctioned over the unpleasantries there, as it previously has with Iran, another producer of heavy crudes. Now if you keep sanctioning your suppliers, you need to import more from remaining sources, which include Russia. Specifically, US refiners have bought increasing volumes of Russian residuum (which basically is the goo that remains at the bottom of the stack after everything useful has been siphoned off) to blend it with lighter grades so it can be processed in their refineries.

As a result, the US has become probably the global top importer of Russian oil products. AIUI, Canadian shale oil is also a heavy grade, so Keystone could have presented an alternative down the line. But as noted, it was a long way from finished even before ultimate cancellation, so right now the situation would be the same unless sanctions on Iran and Venezuela were lifted, or the industry had set up refineries which could run on different grades.

NBC says it is not clear whether the military vehicle that ran over the car is Ukranian or Russian

video looks like the vehicle may have gotten out of control

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/...ver-car-134046789555



edit: just noticed Balze posted this pic earlier

I agree, looks like vehicle was out of control. If that was a purposeful act they wouldn't have stopped and backed up either. I don't see the IR paint so that vehicle could in fact be Ukrainian.

Russian troops, artillery, and armor have massed 10 miles from the Polish border.

Excerpt from the article;

A massive build-up of troops has reportedly already been spotted in the Belarus city of Brest - just 10 miles east of the the Polish border. Jack Detsch, a Pentagon and national security correspondent at Foreign Policy, claimed satellite images show Russia has massed troops, armour, artillery, and equipment transporters at a training area in Brest.

[Note: multiple videos and photos found at linked website article.]

https://www.thesun.ie/news/842...tries-poland-border/

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Ukraine and A-stan are universes apart in terms of culture and economic standing. Personally, I think the best thing Ukraine can do is negotiate a reasonable settlement of this situation before they get a large number of people killed. Russia has the military might to take Ukraine, one way or the other. I heard at noon that the president of Ukraine had contacted Putin to discuss a settlement to all of this, and Russia was open to it. Good. The sooner this comes to an end the better for everyone.

Even Ukraine and Chechnya are worlds apart.
There's no doubt Russian forces can turn the country into rubble like they've done in many other incursions, how much suffering can the Ukrainian people calculate before they put up the white flag and say that's it. Russia also has to calculate how much destruction do they want to do, Ukraine historically is the agricultural heart and more recently the industrial heart of the Soviet Union.

It's possible that Ukraine turn's into Northern Ireland during The Troubles, an open insurgency of various factions, surrounded by a functioning society. Europe provides an endless supply of support, while Russia returns to it's Cold War position of suppression and isolation.

If Putin rolls into Poland, he's going to be in for one hell of a fight because the Poles aren't going to lose their country again for the third time in 100 years and that means NATO has to respond.

He better not be arrogant enough to want to start WWIII

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
The "settlement" I saw talked about was Putin calling for Ukraine to surrender, disarm their military, and promise never to join NATO.

So pretty much, "baby, you know I love you, I promise not to hit you again, I just get so angry."

One, Ukraine isn't going to join NATO. That was never in the cards. That issue should be put to bed immediately. Second, there is a percentage of the Ukrainian population that would describe themselves as Russian today, so its not so cut and dry just what it truly means to be Ukrainian. Three, the Ukrainians don't stand a chance against the Russian military. And four, there is no indication Putin wishes to substantially alter the way most Ukrainians live today.

Simple analogy. You may not like the 6'5" 280 pound bully at school. You may not wish to deal with him and his antics. But if you're 5'8" and 120 pounds soaking wet, and others are not willing to come to your aid, you keep quiet and knuckle under to his demands until some bigger change in the overall equation can occur. Doing otherwise means you spend a lot of time at the ER or in the hospital healing.

Had earlier posted this in the "biden thread"

note how close Brest, Belarus is to Poland

Russians attacked Ukraine from the east, from the north (Belarus), and from the south (Crimea)

Brest used to be part of Poland. So was the Western Ukranian city of Lviv.

It will be interesting to see if Putin attempts to move into Western Ukraine if and when he takes Kiev.

Certainly with forces in Brest now, Russia is in a position to threaten Western Ukranian cities and perhaps attack Ukranian forces attempting to retreat into Poland.

Despite the Press Secretary's use of the word, it's not clear to me if the workers are "hostages" or prisoners.

[Note: video, photos, Twitter Tweets, and hyperlinks found at linked website article.]

Emphasis added in bold.

============

Chernobyl staffers being held ‘hostage,’ Psaki tells reporters

Earlier Thursday, an adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had lost control of the Chernobyl site

By Dom Calicchio | Fox News

Staffers at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear site in northern Ukraine were being held "hostage" by invading Russian soldiers, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday.

"We are outraged by credible reports that Russian soldiers are currently holding the staff of the Chernobyl facilities hostage," Psaki said, according to Britain’s BBC.

"This unlawful and dangerous hostage-taking, which could upend the routine civil service efforts required to maintain and protect the nuclear waste facilities, is obviously incredibly alarming and gravely concerning," Psaki continued.

"We condemn it and we request their release."

It was not immediately clear how many people were being held captive.

Psaki's comments came after Alyona Shevtsova, an adviser to Ukraine's Ground Forces, wrote on Facebook that Chernobyl staffers were being held captive, The Times of Israel reported.

Earlier Thursday, an adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had lost control of the Chernobyl site, which was the location of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

"After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe," he said.

A Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported, according to The Associated Press. It was not immediately possible for experts to access the site to assess the damage before Russian forces overtook the site, the report said.

In a tweet posted Thursday, Ukraine’s foreign minister warned that a repeat of the 1986 disaster could happen with the site now controlled by the Russians.

"In 1986, the world saw the biggest technological disaster in Chornobyl," the Twitter message said. "Russia’s attack on Ukraine may cause another ecological disaster moving its military forces to Chornobyl. If Russia continues the war, Chornobyl can happen again in 2022."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dom Calicchio is a Senior Editor at FoxNews.com. Reach him at dom.calicchio@foxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DomCalicchioFOX

The Chernobyl problem is a failure of leadership on both sides. The Ukrainians should have made it clear to the Russians before the invasion that if hostilities were to break out that an area around the Chernobyl facility should be declared a no go zone by both sides. And that only the personnel needed to monitor the facility would be allowed in the area. And the Russians should have reached out to the Ukrainians minutes after their invasion started and done the same.

That no one had a plan for this bogles my mind.

Perhaps the hostages/prisoners should tell the Russians about the secret command post down by the elephants foot.

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
By Dom Calicchio | Fox News

Staffers at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear site in northern Ukraine were being held "hostage" by invading Russian soldiers, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday.

"We are outraged by credible reports that Russian soldiers are currently holding the staff of the Chernobyl facilities hostage," Psaki said, according to Britain’s BBC.

"This unlawful and dangerous hostage-taking, which could upend the routine civil service efforts required to maintain and protect the nuclear waste facilities, is obviously incredibly alarming and gravely concerning," Psaki continued.

"We condemn it and we request their release."
.
.
.

Video of Psaki sternly warning the Russians was later posted...

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
If Putin rolls into Poland, he's going to be in for one hell of a fight because the Poles aren't going to lose their country again for the third time in 100 years and that means NATO has to respond.

He better not be arrogant enough to want to start WWIII

Highly unlikely.
There's a number of US units already deployed throughout the region to go along with several other NATO partners and host nations. The US's 1st BDE, 1st Infantry Division has been in Poland for several month on regular rotation they got orders to stay put; a Brigade of the 82nd Airborne recently got orders to Poland also, joining the 12th Aviation Bde and its Apaches from its base in Germany. The 173rd Airborne Bde was deployed to Latvia from it's base in N.Italy. USAF planes have been moved from Hill AFB to Romania, as have the 2nd Cav Reg from it's base in Germany. Additional movement of fighters and strike aircraft moved from the UK to Germany, Poland and Romania, B-52's have moved to the UK, heard rumor Iceland is also seeing additional US aircraft, tankers likely to form the air bridge. Alexandroupolis, Greece is the main sea port for US mechanized/armor moving into Romania, activity there is ramping up.

As Ukraine crisis deepens, China lifts all wheat-import restrictions on Russia

Agreement reflects deepening ties between Beijing and Moscow while addressing China’s need to enhance food security

China could provide a lifeline to Russia’s economy after the United States and its allies imposed swift economic sanctions on Moscow this week

https://www.scmp.com/economy/c...fts-all-wheat-import

China has announced it is fully open to Russian wheat imports, in the latest sign of their strengthening bilateral ties as the Ukraine crisis is unfolding before a global audience and in the wake of fresh sanctions being imposed on Moscow.
The announcement by China’s General Administration of Customs was made public on Thursday, hours after Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine. However, the agreement was part of a package of deals made during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing early this month.

Separately, China’s ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, said on Wednesday that China was “pleased” to see that its currency has been widely used in Russian trade, financial investments and foreign reserves, and was also looking forward to discussions about yuan settlements in bilateral energy deals.

Zhang’s comments, made during an interview with Russian news agency Interfax, came as Moscow officially recognised the independence of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions and launched attacks on Ukraine territory from Thursday morning.

The stance by China, which could provide a lifeline to Russia’s economy, is being closely watched after the US and its allies imposed swift economic sanctions on Russia this week.

More at link

How is China’s move a surprise?

We’ve known for at least a year (if not far longer), that China can certainly consume all of Russia’s key commodities oil, natgas and wheat, then provide all financing and backing (credit).

Step 2 …

Next shoe?

Branco FTW: