Sideface:

 

* There was no storm, according to weather records.

 

Certainly doesn't look stormy - unless the holes in the side were caused by heavy hail?

Past Weather in Russian Black Sea Coast

...  at the time of the sinking of the Moskva

It must have been the Sprinkles that did it.   😏

Easter in Ukraine

The Guardian, 18 April

All that's missing is a small black moustache.  😶

BBC News - Ukraine war: Germany's conundrum over its ties with Russia

today  

Repenting historical wrongs is a national pastime in Germany. But even by German standards, the soul-searching over Berlin's Russia policy is remarkable.

 

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, many German politicians have publicly admitted they got Vladimir Putin wrong.

 

Even German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has apologised, saying it was a mistake to use trade and energy to build bridges with Moscow.

 

"It's a bitter acknowledgement that for 30 years we emphasised dialogue and co-operation with Russia," says Nils Schmid, foreign affairs spokesperson for Mr Steinmeier's party, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).
"Now we have to recognise this has not worked. That's why we have entered a new era for European security."

 

That new era was dubbed "Zeitenwende" - literally meaning a turning point - by Germany's SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a now-famous speech in the German parliament a few days after the invasion.

 

It means scrapping rules about weapons exports, a huge boost in defence spending and an end to Russian energy imports. A Russian gas pipeline to Germany called Nord Stream 2 has already been suspended.

 

Military Bedtime Stories

ezbee:

 

Russia looks enviously at Finland's happiness and wants it. 

 

Peter Ziehan on GeoPop put up an interesting video on the Finland and Sweden aspect of the conflict today.  I have become addicted to the channel since YouTube threw up this video a few days ago, and have been working my way though the channel's recent content.  There is lots of incredibly deep and informative information, from the likes of Michael McFaul, who was the US ambassador to Russia under Obama.  While it shows the Russian economy and future to be in dire straits, it also suggests that Putin might have to escalate to win, which is too scary to think about.  It argues that there would no point in occupying the Ukraine unless they move on to take parts of Poland (as far as Warsaw) and a whole lot more.  Putin won't stop with Ukraine. 

Sidestep:

 

Batman:

 

Where is Merkel when we need her? Bring back Merkel!

 

 

What? Merkel's completely discredited now! 

 

The other day my kids left the air hose hanging over the bumper of my truck after filling their bike tires.
When I backed out I tweaked the filler end off, then had to grab it as it snaked across the garage floor - compressed air, escaping from a 1/2 inch hose at 100 psi, is quite powerful.

 

Just one (the Yamal) pipeline between Russia and Germany is 5 feet wide, runs at 1,000 psi - and feeds 100 million m3 of Natural Gas per day into Germany..
Every one of those m3's contains 35,000 BTU's of energy (about the same as a litre of diesel)..

 

The whole business model of Germany's economy for the past 20 years has been to import Russian energy below market prices and use it to produce competitive industrial products.
Martin Brudermüller, the head of the world's biggest chemical corporation, German-based BASF, recently said it's an undeniable fact that "Russian gas is the foundation of German industry's global competitiveness."

 

For the past 20 years, from 2000 after becoming the leader of the CDU - which was the Opposition from 2002 - then her time Chancellor from 2005 to 2021, Merkel's been Putin's buddy.
While she was growling at Greece and demanding harsh reforms and austerity measures during it's 2007-08 sovereign debt crisis, Germany was gorging on cheap Russian energy.
The CDU dismantled Germany’s nuclear power plants, and failed to ensure viable alternatives or strategic energy reserves in case of disruption or Russian threats to their energy supply.

 

But it's not just her. Olaf Scholz, their new (SPD) chancellor, was a big supporter of Nord Stream 2 bypassing Ukraine to reduce it's leverage on Russia.
Former SPD chancellor Gerhard Schröder was also Putin's buddy and earned hundreds of thousands of euros a year as a board member of Russian gas companies Gazprom and Rosneft.

 

The US had been telling them for years to be aware of their energy dependence on Russia. They promised to construct two new LNG terminals, but it didn't happen.

The EU, with Germany leading, has paid Russia 35 billion euros for energy since the invasion and has only given 1 billion euros to fund Ukraine’s defence.
Now they all get to hang their heads in shame. The old saying “He that goeth to bedde wyth Dogges, aryseth with fleas.” is appropriate here.

 

my apologies, thanks for the education!

so basically the West created Putin!

Batman:

 

 

 

so basically the West created Putin!

 

I dont see it that way. Putin pines for the USSR. Other countries lap up cheap energy. Bit of a storm there

So, while Russia is resource rich, it should be a great country. But its not. The people live a poor life, Putin and his Oligarch mates have the money, and Russia has its stash of 600 Billion. While the people live a lacklustre life in a country with a poor GDP. So he can push forward for USSR 2.0, funded by humans who disagree with him, but cheap energy wins, now its too late. China, with all its negatives, grew itself. Russia decided to save up for war to satisfy Putin's dream of USSR 2.0 and likely Cold War 2.0. He is achieving the latter in quick time. Isolation will hurt.

TLD  , Yeh Peter Ziehan , Michael McFail have some good explanations of situations and how we got there.
On Putin, Michael McFail does indicate, that his probable path was known right at the start.

Batman
No the ( West, NATO, EU, USA, Old man down the road ) did not make Putin !   

The Soviet system and KGB did that, on top of an existing personality disorder.
Being a narcist that trusted no one probably made him a good KGB bureaucrat.

He was KGB's and associates way to take back power that was lost in end of Communism.
Putin killed off any opening of the books as happened with the Stasi in Germany.

We just gave Russia/Putin money, influence and technology. 
Invited Oligarchs under his control into influential positions in our society.

Then we have Russia's much vaunted modernization of its military.
Ukrainians face Russia's 'modernized' war machine they face technology like thermal camera sights and such provided by...
France, Germany.

This kept shipping despite late and weak sanctions, over Donbas, Flight MA17, Crimea.
Yes we sharpened the teeth and claws of the bear to make him deadlier !   

Its why France and Germany owe Ukraine so much, but as we see deliver so little.
Still if there was a hand wringing competition.

UK sure supercharged the money go around, however they are doing so much more re supply of aid. 

TLD:

 

ezbee:

 

Russia looks enviously at Finland's happiness and wants it. 

 

 

Peter Ziehan on GeoPop put up an interesting video on the Finland and Sweden aspect of the conflict today.  I have become addicted to the channel since YouTube threw up this video a few days ago, and have been working my way though the channel's recent content.  There is lots of incredibly deep and informative information, from the likes of Michael McFaul, who was the US ambassador to Russia under Obama.  While it shows the Russian economy and future to be in dire straits, it also suggests that Putin might have to escalate to win, which is too scary to think about.  It argues that there would no point in occupying the Ukraine unless they move on to take parts of Poland (as far as Warsaw) and a whole lot more.  Putin won't stop with Ukraine. 

 

That channel is excellent - videos that are very informationally dense (in a good way) and with a great narrative flow, tying verifiable information into a coherent conclusion.

Putin has awarded awards to perpetrators in Bucha. Rape girls in front of parents. Tie up, and torture and execute citizens. Putin gives them awards. Target citizens with artillery. War Crimes.

Its symbolic that its been proposed to make Russia a terrorist state. 

The time has to come when Russia/Putin has to be snuffed out with a pillow. This is not a 2022 war, it is terrorism. At least some of those in Middle East conflicts have a base to be in conflict. Religion and culture. No excuse, but at least the populous have beliefs. Russia aka Putin is on a 200 year old military event. Needs to be stopped. 

11pm tonight the Mariupol corridor for women, children, elderly and humanitarians is to open, go where you want. Lets see if this Putin promise works. It may well do, to give him brownie points. Or it wont like every other time. 

Id like to now if anyone is on the task to locate Putin and deal with him. I guess they are in the spy world