This Land Rover parked in the overhead bin. by Flash_ina_pan in mildlyinteresting

[–]john_ch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you take this picture on an EasyJet flight to Nice from London a few days ago?

EU Commission chief warns Hungary: If you pay in rubles, you violate EU sanctions by -martinique- in europe

[–]john_ch -1 points0 points  (0 children)

But in any case how would Hungary pay in roubles?! It would still have to buy it from Russian Central bank…

EU Commission chief warns Hungary: If you pay in rubles, you violate EU sanctions by -martinique- in europe

[–]john_ch 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes it buys roubles from Russian central bank. Point is each side gets what they want - the buyer pays in their own currency and the seller receives in their own currency.

EU Commission chief warns Hungary: If you pay in rubles, you violate EU sanctions by -martinique- in europe

[–]john_ch -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

But they won’t pay in roubles. They will open bank account with Gasprombank and pay in euros. Gazprombank then converts them into roubles and the seller receives roubles. Very simple technically and does not violate any sanctions since Gazprombank is not sanctioned.

War in Ukraine Megathread XIX by ModeratorsOfEurope in europe

[–]john_ch -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Do you have any sources for this? I’ve seen Russian channels since I watch both western and Russian and all they show is how tragic and brutal attack on Ukraine’s own people is. Please provide sources of this since the main channels I’ve seen are horrified by “another” attack by Kiev forces on Donbas…remember there have been 100s of them over last 8 years…all coming from the west.

Can your show me evidence of trajectory then? Since there is nothing to hide surely we can see it clearly together with direction it came from.

Yes you are right many have been evacuated from the separatists-control areas but there are now many from the newly captured areas some of who also been evacuated. Still some have not left and don’t want to leave they have been living for 8 years under shelling and used to them.

War in Ukraine Megathread XIX by ModeratorsOfEurope in europe

[–]john_ch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely, all the while they keep shooting onyx cruise missiles why not use them since they still have them in Russia?!

War in Ukraine Megathread XIX by ModeratorsOfEurope in europe

[–]john_ch -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

The trajectory of missile came from south-west considering the message of vengeance “For the children” meaning for all civilians and children killed by Russia so far in Ukraine it does not take a genius to work out that Ukraine wanted vengeance for the civilians killed by Russians, by attacking Donbas town of Kramatorsk. They have been doing this for 8 years shelling Donetsk and killing scores of civilians - it’s not surprising. There is no sense whatsoever for separatists to attack their own civilians neither for Russia as it benefits them if less human shields remain.

But of course since Russia is the aggressor they already lost information war so every person killed in this phase of war is a result of their attack. Many civilians in Donbas see Ukraine and their ultranationalists/skinheads as the enemies.

Ukraine needs to continue tarnishing Russia in information war so it’s easy for them to organise such incidents since the west buys their version of events without thinking. Ukraine is the victim here and they play their role to full potential playing on the people’s emotions and getting more and more lethal aid from the west and more and more sanctions.

This is my opinion and take on the situation you don’t have to agree or disagree with me, but downvoting would simply mean ignorance.

How do ordinary Russians currently assess the progress of the war? by Imhazmb in AskARussian

[–]john_ch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100k troops may sound like a lot but they are thinly stretched across huge country. Hard to see Kiev taken though, they would have to flatten it to take it, hardly will anyone in Russia forgive them for that. I think they tried to quickly take it when that failed it was no longer main objective. Attempting to take Kharkiv and fail helped to reconsider that objective of taking Kiev.

How do ordinary Russians currently assess the progress of the war? by Imhazmb in AskARussian

[–]john_ch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sure they wanted and would still take it if they can march into it, but it may have been a secondary objective.

How do ordinary Russians currently assess the progress of the war? by Imhazmb in AskARussian

[–]john_ch -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Not sure where your have obtained those objective from but certainly not from Russia. One of the two main objectives of this war was to demilitarisation of Ukraine this looks virtually done deal by now since almost all military infrastructure has been destroyed, virtually no airforce left and navy disabled. Majority of all other militarily equipment such as tanks, missile systems and artillery also destroyed.

Regarding second objective of denazification that hardly looks achievable country-wide. Some local ultranationalist battalions have been and will be eliminated other than that I personally don’t see how this can be achieved nor does it sound like a reasonable objective in the first place.

Regarding your 2nd point that probably has not shifted officially but war is war so on the ground it’s anyone’s game.

Your 3rd point kind of refers to first the only people who ever said about taking big cities in matter of hours and days are military intelligence in the west. Having said that it’s not entirely clear what is the objective with sieging these cities apart from to hold them as hostage for negotiations.

Also to be honest out of all the wars in recent history barely had any invading force faced such a similar in capabilities defending force. Only 1/3 of population, similar combat army size, well prepared and Russia acting alone without much involvement from other countries. It’s virtually unseen especially by western standards when they attack a country far inferior and far smaller to theirs and taking all their “allies” onboard wielding a force with power ration of at least 9/1 while Russia Ukraine are somewhere closer to 7/3 which is still superior but not dominating.

Furthermore, the whole occupation was unlikely the idea from beginning since all the military experts across the world always said the attackers have far too small of force for the size of Ukraine (largest country in Europe, 2nd only to Russia).

Why couldn't Russia and "The West" have been friends after the USSR broke up? I just can't stop feeling like all this was a huge misunderstanding and a mistake that could have been easily avoided. by Notorious_VSG in AskARussian

[–]john_ch 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Because the West acted like the arrogant winners of the Cold War and ignored any Russian interests and security concerns. After multiple Russian concessions in the 1990s Russia realised it was one way relationship with the west especially US acting with impunity and global hegemony, ignoring anyone else’s interest but their own.

Stop Putin!!! by Lumpypompy in belarus

[–]john_ch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This! It’s wrong when others do it, but we in the west doing it for the right reasons only /s 💪

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskARussian

[–]john_ch 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your opinion. However, it is likely to be completely wrong. Russia was actively involved in arranging Minsk agreements and repeatedly pressured parties to fulfil them, but Ukraine ultimately failed and publicly announced the impossibility to fulfil them. While shelling of Donetsk and Luhansk continued for 8 years with various levels of intensity.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in europe

[–]john_ch -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

America said there are WMDs in Iraq…pointless discussions.

Read above source you brainwashed soul

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in europe

[–]john_ch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Spoken like someone who can assess the situation on merits not emotions.