Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine

1) There is no official confirmation that this is NATO, an investigation is underway;
You may have noticed that on this forum we do not wait for official confirmation from governments before drawing conclusions. Otherwise we might die of old age. 😉

2) During the hostilities, both cruisers and generals die - should the general staff stop fulfilling their duties and start shooting at NATO for revenge? What is it like?))
The word used was retaliation. Retaliation need not be vengeful. Or even symmetrical.

Perhaps you somehow see the sinking of the cruiser called Moscow in a different way, that this is some kind of humiliating blow, but we in Russia do not perceive it as such, there is nothing offensive here, and the army follows orders.
This is an admirable attitude, however the situation still indicates a surprise attack by a third party to the conflict. If there is insufficient "overt" evidence to retaliate overtly, I'm sure there are still measures that can be taken "covertly" to teach NATO the lessons it so sorely needs to learn, yes?
 
Here are several interesting things from Russian Telegram.

First, is this video. Officially Israel hasn't sent anyone to Ukraine, but its psychopathic mercenaries were happy to land a hand anyway. At first I actually thought that these were Azov Nazis with Hebrew speaking Israelis, but apparently all of them, beside the cameraman are Israelis.

In the video they thank the local rabbi (in Dnepr) for providing them with lavish and comfortable accommodation and allowing them to participate in Pesah (Jewish Passover) meal.

Jews are at the service of Ukrainian Nazis. This couldn't get more ridiculous.


Next are the images of the Russian Special forces with cats and kittens. In 2019 they decided to make a calendar "Spetznaz and kitties" in honor of 8th of March (international women's day). But now the calendar has been republished to include the Z. And why cats? That's how the creators of the calendar explain it:
Why do Rosgvardia Special Forces soldiers have cats in their hands? Because since 2014 cats are the mascot of our politeness on the battlefield and success in special operations. In addition, cats intuitively sense kind people. On the set, it was immediately clear that these guys are smart, tactful and kind people. And goodness must come with fists. And with cats.

1.jpg


Unfortunately I couldn't find where it's possible to buy this calendar. They were simply offering it for "Z-supportive" Telegram channels. But I did find the original articles that mention the calendar, and it had images that could be used as a desktop wallpaper. So I am attaching them to this post. They are unfortunately with the Z.

And finally, here is a detailed and clear description of Putin's "gas for rubles" scheme. Why he did it and what kind of effect it will have on Russia's currency.


Here, too, Germany agreed to Putin's scheme. The German Foreign Ministry said: "We have decided that German importers will transfer euros to an account at Gazprombank, and then Gazprombank is responsible for their exchange into rubles. That is, we, our companies pay in euros. This is an important point for us, we see in it compliance with our contractual obligations.

It is like that glass, which is either half-empty or half-full. The point is, and let Germany not pretend it does not understand, that under the old scheme Germany paid for gas into Gazprom's accounts in German banks and the money physically remained in Germany. It could be blocked at any time, since it was under German jurisdiction. Now they pay euros directly to the foreign currency accounts of the Russian Gazprombank, but these accounts are in Russian jurisdiction. This is, first of all.

Secondly, and much more importantly (!), these currency receipts allow Russia to get out of the "currency board" system that was imposed on Russia in 1991. What does this system mean? That Russia can print as many rubles as we have dollars. Accordingly, to print rubles, we must sell goods on the world market for dollars.

And since the U.S. and other Western countries do not sell us the technologies that we would like to buy from them, then we have to put them in dollars in the gold reserves, which are physically located in U.S. jurisdiction, on accounts in U.S. banks. We freeze our money in American banks, and our money is used to lend to American households, the military, R&D, Silicon Valley, etc. This is a purely colonial tribute collecting scheme.

So, the new scheme of gas supplies for rubles makes it possible to bypass this colonial mechanism and gradually make the ruble one of the world's reserve currencies (especially when introducing the dual loop economy model, mentioned by N. Patrushev, the head of the Security Council the day before yesterday), to strengthen its exchange rate and make Russians richer.

The Central Bank will receive euros from Gazprombank and send them to the Russian gold reserves. At the same time will print rubles and give them to Gazprom, which will invest them inside the country. In this case, the ruble exchange rate becomes more stable in terms of speculative attacks and inflation.


So Germany can write anything it wants. The main thing is to understand the meaning of what is happening. The point of the game.
 

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How come they haven't retaliated against NATO for blowing up the Moskva then?
Covert actions probably have covert responses. I think what Putin said was directed at Poland, as Russian foreign intelligence agency SVR just made statements of having information on US/Polish plans to enter Ukraine in order to gain access to it's historical areas:
Russia's foreign spy chief accused the United States and Poland on Thursday of plotting to gain a sphere of influence in Ukraine, the strongest signal from Moscow that the war could end with forced partition of Ukraine between the West and Russia.

Sergei Naryshkin, the chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), cited unpublished intelligence which he said showed that the United States and Poland, NATO allies, were plotting to restore Polish control over part of western Ukraine.

"According to the intelligence received by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Washington and Warsaw are working on plans to establish Poland's tight military and political control over its historical possessions in Ukraine," Naryshkin said in a rare statement released by the SVR. [...]

The SVR said the United States was discussing with Poland a plan under which Polish "peacekeeping" forces without a NATO mandate would enter parts of western Ukraine where the chance of a confrontation with Russian forces was low.
 
Russia just banned pretty much everyone in the Canadian gov. from entering the Russian Federation today.

From the Russian Foreign Ministry website:
In response to all the new sanctions feverishly imposed by official Ottawa, which is competing with Washington in its Russophobic racket, which have been extended to Russia's top leaders and virtually the entire Russian parliamentary corps, since March 15 this year, Prime Minister Trudeau, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Ministers M. Joly and A. Anand are included in the "black list" of persons banned from entering the Russian Federation. Among those banned are also most members of the House of Commons of the Canadian Parliament and aggressive pro-Banderite elements.

This step is forced and has been taken as a reaction to the hostile actions of the current Canadian regime, which has been trying our patience for so long, which is beyond the limits of decency. Every Russophobe attack, be it the attacks on Russian diplomatic missions, the closure of airspace, or Ottawa's virtual severance of bilateral economic ties - to the detriment of Canadian interests - is bound to be met with a harsh and not necessarily symmetrical response.

The following is a list of Canadian nationals on the list of persons who are henceforth banned from entering the Russian Federation:

It then lists 313 names of cabinet ministers and MP's from all the parties (Liberal, Conservative, Bloc Quebeqois and NDP). Chrystia Freeland and a few others were already banned back on Mar. 24, 2014.

'Canada's' response?

Reacting to the move, Trudeau’s office said the only response from Russia it is interested in is an immediate end to the “illegal, unnecessary war.”

“Until then, Canada and our allies will continue imposing crippling sanctions on Putin and his enablers,” his office said.

Thank you, Russia. Even though not everyone agrees with 'Canada's' actions, I'm sorry you have to endure this stupidity from this country.
 
You may have noticed that on this forum we do not wait for official confirmation from governments before drawing conclusions. Otherwise we might die of old age. 😉

The word used was retaliation. Retaliation need not be vengeful. Or even symmetrical.

This is an admirable attitude, however the situation still indicates a surprise attack by a third party to the conflict. If there is insufficient "overt" evidence to retaliate overtly, I'm sure there are still measures that can be taken "covertly" to teach NATO the lessons it so sorely needs to learn, yes?
I still do not understand how the words revenge or retribution can be applied to the army. Do you expect Putin to personally retaliate or give such an order? I don’t remember that in chess they would punish the opponent’s pieces because of a pawn. Or do you think that in Ukraine the Russian Federation is at war with Ukraine? No, Putin and the collective West are sitting at the table.

As for the "covertly" ways... If they are covertly, how do you know about them? Something boomknet somewhere, Russia will be accused (as usual), consider that this is retribution! But in fact, if Russia responds covertly, then Stoltenberg's howl will be heard throughout the galaxy!

I understand that you may not want to have time to grow old, and it will be so if Russia responds to NATO. However, then our children and grandchildren will not have time to grow old, and this is not what we want.

And everything that happens is God's game, and I drank vodka and went to feed the bear!;-)
 
Thanks @Persej for dropping the other shoe.

This today from the deputy director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department (China), Wang Wenbin

The video was posted today, but I don’t know when this speech was given. Only 1.5 minutes long and no mincing of words. I wonder to who all this speech goes out to? Fast but with English subtitles so I slowed it down to 0.5 and it is easily readable.

 
I still do not understand how the words revenge or retribution can be applied to the army. Do you expect Putin to personally retaliate or give such an order?

Putin said very clearly that there would be retaliation for interference, yes?

We can debate the meanings of the words 'revenge, retribution, retaliation', and which term is best, or whether it applies correctly; or who gives the order, etc. What matters more, I think, is the effect of Putin's statement both on the ground and in the halls of power in the West - namely, there will be a military response by Russia, as promised, to foreign interference with their Special Military Operation.

Seems like the basics of strategic deterrence to me.

I don’t remember that in chess they would punish the opponent’s pieces because of a pawn. Or do you think that in Ukraine the Russian Federation is at war with Ukraine? No, Putin and the collective West are sitting at the table.

Could you explain what you mean by this last sentence?
 
I feel in gut by the winter we will have the contract with reseller which silently will buy same Russian gas with rubles for us.

You don't have to wait for winter.

Reverse gas supplies from Germany to Poland via Yamal-Europe up more than five-fold​

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Reverse gas supplies via the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline from Germany to Poland soared more than five-fold early on April 27, according to the information provided by the gas transport operator Gascade. This followed the suspension of gas supplies from Russia to Poland.

Gas pumping via the pipeline from Germany to Poland went up 5.2-fold to 1.23 mln cubic meters per hour.

Meanwhile, the direct physical gas flow via Yamal-Europe from Poland to Germany through the compressor station in Mallnow has been zero for 21 days. It is formed as the difference between renominations (revised requests) for direct and reverse supply (reverse to Poland).

Gazprom said earlier it had fully suspended gas supplies to the Bulgarian company Bulgargaz and the Polish PGNiG due to their failure to pay in rubles in due time.

On April 26, Gazprom submitted to Polish and Bulgarian importing companies a notification on suspension of gas supplies starting April 27 due to their refusal to make final payments in Russian rubles.

President Vladimir Putin Putin ordered on March 23 that unfriendly states must pay for Russian gas in rubles, saying that Moscow would refuse to accept payments under gas contracts with those states in "compromised" currencies, particularly meaning dollars and euros.

According to figures provided by the Russian Federal Customs Service, Russian gas supplies to Poland increased by 9.4% in 2021 to 10.58 bln cubic meters, while deliveries to Bulgaria doubled last year to 3.15 bln cubic meters.

Poland uses around 20 bln cubic meters of gas per year. Warsaw claims it has found the possibility to abandon Russian gas through purchasing liquified natural gas from the United States and Qatar, as well as gas supplies from offshore Norway.


And here is a nice infographics:

 
I still do not understand how the words revenge or retribution can be applied to the army. Do you expect Putin to personally retaliate or give such an order? I don’t remember that in chess they would punish the opponent’s pieces because of a pawn.
I don't mean revenge or retribution, I mean "ответно-встречные удары", if that makes it clearer.

But in fact, if Russia responds covertly, then Stoltenberg's howl will be heard throughout the galaxy!
Promises, promises...

I understand that you may not want to have time to grow old, and it will be so if Russia responds to NATO. However, then our children and grandchildren will not have time to grow old, and this is not what we want.
It's not really a matter of what I want. NATO, and the powers behind them, will be coming for our children and grandchildren regardless, unless they are stopped.

And everything that happens is God's game, and I drank vodka and went to feed the bear!;-)
Give Dmitry a pat for me. 😄
 
Could you explain what you mean by this last sentence?

I apologize in advance for interfering in my own business, because the question is not addressed to me. However, I have extenuating circumstances. Firstly, the addressee of the question, according to his own words, drank vodka and it may be difficult for him to formulate thoughts now. Secondly, he is my countryman and I think I understand what he meant. In any case, I will express my point of view without replacing a respected forum member.
In Russia, in the government structures and in many ways among the population, there is a clear understanding that what is happening now in Ukraine is not a clash between Russia and Ukraine. What is happening now in Ukraine is only an episode of the long-term confrontation between Russia and the "collective West", led by the United States. The situation is developing in such a way that this tragic "episode" can become decisive in the fate of both Russia and many countries that make up this "collective west". In other words, too much is at stake and a purely strategic approach is needed here.
As for the specific ship, I am certainly very sorry for the dead sailors, but in my opinion it is more important that specialists understand the reasons for what happened. I admit that I will never know the truth about this, but specialists should find out this truth and take appropriate measures to ensure that such ships would die only after using up all anti-missile and anti-aircraft ammunition.

Я заранее прошу прощения, что вмешиваюсь не в свое дело ибо вопрос адресован не мне. Однако у меня есть смягчающие вину обстоятельства. Во первых адресат вопроса, по его собственным словам выпил водки и возможно ему трудно сейчас формулировать мысли. Во вторых он мой земляк и мне кажется, я понимаю что он имел ввиду. В любом случае я буду выражать свою точку зрения, не подменяя уважаемого форумчанина. В России во властных структурах и во многом среди населения есть четкое понимание того, что происходящее сейчас на Украине не есть столкновение России с Украиной. То что происходит сейчас на Украине является лишь эпизодом многолетнего противостояния России и "коллективного запада", возглавляемого США. Ситуация складывается таким образом, что этот трагический "эпизод" может стать определяющим в судьбе как России, так и многих стран, составляющих этот "коллективный запад". Другими словами на карту поставлено слишком многое и здесь необходим сугубо стратегический подход. Что касается конкретного корабля, то мне безусловно очень жаль погибших моряков, однако важнее на мой взгляд, чтобы специалисты разобрались в причинах произошедшего. Я допускаю, что я никогда не узнаю правды об этом, но эту правду должны узнать специалисты и предпринять соответствующие мероприятия для того чтоб подобные корабли гибли бы только израсходовав весь противоракетный и зенитный боезапас.
 
K.I.A. - Tributes have been paid to the dad-of-two and British volunteer Scott Sibley, 36, with former comrades describing him as "the bravest person" they knew, reports thesun.co.uk

Sibley, who was pictured with the Ukrainian flag on his uniform appears to have been a former member of the Commando Logistic Support Squadron.

Devastated friends and family paid tribute to a "beautiful guy inside and out". :-/

Earlier this week up to 20 Brit fighters were trapped in bunkers pounded by Russian airstrikes as they mounted a defiant last stand in Mariupol.

They are holed up with hundreds of starving civilians including children and women filmed pleading for mercy.

One observer said of the scene beneath the fortress-like Azovstal steelworks: "They are desperately holding out, it's like the Alamo." :rolleyes:

The Mariupol Brits are volunteers with the Ukrainian army who have vowed to never surrender.
They fear being tortured and killed if captured but face starvation after Putin's forces cut off supplies.

A British fighter, with them before being injured and moved to Kyiv, said: "There are as many as 20 British lads still there and I fear for them.

Two Gofundme pages have been set up to help his family cover funeral costs.
One of them, set up by Craig Gant reads: "Scott was a son, father, brother and uncle.

What a fine way for a 'dad-of-two' to serve his children...
 
How come they haven't retaliated against NATO for blowing up the Moskva then?

Maybe because it was officially a fire that sank the ship? :halo:

If the United States wanted a direct war against Russia (Russia doesn't want it either, it's a bad game) , it would officially claim the attack and the Ukrainians would not have said that it was a Neptune missile that caused the sinking... but to answer the question because I understand that it sounds like an empty threat, I think which is aimed at European countries in general, arms shipments... and those who want to join NATO.
 
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RT:

US Congress approves WWII-like weapons program for Ukraine

Senate-approved “Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act” clears the House, waives restrictions of arms deliveries

Apr. 28, 2022

The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that would remove several constraints on sending weapons to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian offensive. Adopted by the Senate earlier this month, the “Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act” revives the program Washington used to send military equipment to belligerents in WWII while officially staying neutral.

The final vote on Thursday afternoon was 417-10, with three members not voting. All of the Democrats voted in favor, while all of the ten members opposed were Republicans.

Introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), the bill was passed by the Senate on April 6, but the Democrat-dominated House adjourned for a two-week Easter recess before taking it up.

It authorizes the White House to “lend or lease defense articles” to Ukraine or any “Eastern European countries impacted by the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine to help bolster those countries' defense capabilities and protect their civilian populations from potential invasion or ongoing aggression.”

Cornyn’s bill does not create a new program, but rather makes it easier for President Joe Biden to send weapons to Kiev by suspending limitations imposed by two existing laws, one of which caps the length of the aid at five years.

However, the whole thing is conditioned on Ukraine having to pay for the “return of and reimbursement and repayment for defense articles loaned or leased” to it. Kiev’s ability to make such payments is questionable, since the Ukrainian government is currently asking the US and the EU for $7 billion per month just to keep paying salaries and pensions.

The lend-lease bill is separate from the ongoing US effort to send Kiev weapons from the Pentagon stockpiles. Biden has already blown through almost $3.5 billion authorized by Congress for the purpose, and is seeking more funding. However, it risks being held up if the Democrats insist on bundling it with their Covid-19 funding plan, as Republicans have warned they would only support a stand-alone bill.

“We don’t have the mechanism yet,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.

The original lend-lease was enacted by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in March 1941 – nine months before the US entered WWII – and amounted to $50.1 billion (980 billion in 2022 dollars) by September 1945, when the program ended. Most of the weapons and equipment went to the UK ($31.4 billion) with a $11.3 billion share going to the Soviet Union and another $7.4 billion to other countries. In theory, the aid was supposed to be repaid or returned, but the US accepted the lease of military bases abroad instead.

UK calls for a 'global NATO'

British FM Liz Truss says a 'Global NATO' needs to arm Taiwan, like Ukraine

Apr. 28, 2022

The world order created after the Second World War and the Cold War isn’t working anymore, so the West needs “a global NATO” to pursue geopolitics anew, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss argued, in a major foreign policy speech on Wednesday. Truss also urged the US-led bloc to send more “heavy weapons, tanks” and airplanes to Ukraine, and said China would face the same treatment as Russia if it doesn’t “play by the rules.”

My vision is a world where free nations are assertive and in the ascendant. Where freedom and democracy are strengthened through a network of economic and security partnerships,”
Truss said in a speech at a Mansion House banquet in London.

Dubbing this arrangement “the Network of Liberty,” Truss argued it was necessary because the economic and security structures developed after 1945 – such as the UN Security Council – “have been bent out of shape so far, they have enabled rather than contained aggression.”

“Geopolitics is back,”
she announced.

The collective West and its allies need to supply Kiev with “heavy weapons, tanks, aeroplanes – digging deep into our inventories, ramping up production,” Truss said, because the objective is to “push Russia out of the whole of Ukraine” and rebuild the country along the lines of a new Marshall Plan.


"The war in Ukraine is our war – it is everyone’s war because Ukraine’s victory is a strategic imperative for all of us."

Beyond that, NATO must ensure that “the Western Balkans and countries like Moldova and Georgia have the resilience and the capabilities to maintain their sovereignty and freedom,” and uphold the “sacrosanct” open-door policy, Truss said.

Her ambitions went beyond Europe, though, as Truss denounced the “false choice between Euro-Atlantic security and Indo-Pacific security.”

“In the modern world we need both. We need a global NATO,”
she said. “And we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves.”

Pointing to London’s unprecedented effort to embargo Russia, Truss insisted that “economic access is no longer a given. It has to be earned,” and that countries who wish to earn it “must play by the rules. And that includes China.”

The UK has sent a large quantity of weapons systems to Ukraine over the past several months, including NLAW anti-tank missiles and Stormer armored vehicles. British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told Thames Radio on Wednesday it would be “completely legitimate” for Ukraine to use UK-supplied weapons to strike into Russian territory, to which the Russian military warned that any such attack would be met with a proper response.

Truss traveled to Russia in early February to threaten Moscow not to invade Ukraine, but ended up being widely mocked after multiple gaffes concerning geography. She first mistook the Baltic for the Black Sea in a BBC interview, then reportedly fell for a trick question from her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and insisted London would “never recognize Russia’s sovereignty” over Rostov and Voronezh – Russian regions she mistook for the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

Starting her cabinet career as under-secretary for education and childcare in 2012, she has since held the environmental affairs, justice, treasury, and international trade portfolios, before replacing Dominic Raab as head of the Foreign Office in September 2021.
 
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