I wonder if the recognition route points to a very limited Russian military operation - i.e. they roll into and surround Luhansk and Donbas, but no assault against Kiev or the rest of Ukraine.
Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion
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He makes everyone self-isolate for 2 weeks aside from the foreign state leaders & some of the members of his administration had literally spent more than half of the previous year self-isolating.
That's simultaneously surreal and grim. Also amazing that these outlets have decided to go on and not close shop which undoubtedly was the whole point behind this rule.
I think that I asked for your opinion about that a while ago. From what I could read and see, Putin is surprisingly unpopular and my understanding was that his popularity is only acceptable in Moscow and St Petersburg. Outside of that people think that he and his gang stole the wealth of their regions to funnel it to Moscow.
That Saskia woman is bloody insane. I get it's all about pro Russia but always thought they were more subtle, but guess it's impossible in this situation
Don't give us too much credit, we could and should have done a lot more to prepare ourselves for the transition. Our economy is still heavily reliant on the petroleum industry. Not just in exports, but in jobs and supply chains and all that.
Still, the oil fund was a stroke of genius. Hard to see that it's viable for a country many times larger, but I don't see their current approach doing much good either.
Everyone is desperate to see this as a Cold War scenario but Ukraine is a border security issue, not the beginning of some Soviet takeover. If it wasn't Putin, some other head of state would be doing more or less the exact same thing right now. Ukraine is a historical issue for Russians. A killing field. I don't see any Russian president allowing the US/UK/NATO to gain a foothold in separatist regions and using that foothold to undermine Russia. Nor do I think Russia want to invade, exactly because they know it'll be a clusterfeck. The West will see an invasion as a win of sorts.
So, you think that US & UK will attack, cause the rest of Europe is not going anywhere?
It’s not. Any one of those people isn’t any better, they didn’t get to that room by accident.
I feel so. Ukraine will try and fight back and Russia will just defend it.... but who knows
Much harder for Russia in that scenario. They're then basically just contending one front instead of using their numbers and envelopment to overwhelm the Ukranians. Raises the question of why they'd have bothered surrounding Ukraine if they weren't going to actually use those positions for anything other than pulling away some defensive forces.
No, Ukraine will resist, while Russian military rolls in Luhansk and Donbas. US and UK will impose sanctions. France and Germany will try to chicken out.
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He is talking now
I just don't buy it. If it really is just a border security issue, recognizing the separatist republics as independent, and quite likely following that up with military aid to push them out of their "territory", is going to cause a much greater long-term threat to Russia's border security. I'd be surprised if this doesn't lead directly to Finland joining NATO, possibly Sweden too. Finland has a much larger border with Russia than any current NATO member.
He’s even less popular in big cities. In the regions a narrative that Putin himself is decent but he’s surrounded by incompetent and corrupt people is still alive (somehow), in Moscow & St. Petersburg, where people get a lot more informational exposure, barely anyone believes that.
Mad lad giving an alternative history lesson here.
I dont know if the translation is so bad or he is talking completely batshit stuff.
Some journalists (as well as lawyers, activists, artists etc.) are also recognized as foreign agents (that’s the term) individually, so, for example, you have to put that warning in front of literally every comment that you post on Twitter/Facebook etc., regardless of its point (you can wish someone happy birthday and you still have to add the words).
Please don’t tell me you just talked down Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia et al. as “separatist regions”?
If you're Putin or some other Russian president, there really isn't a good option. You stick with things as it is and allow the US/UK to train scores of thousands of troops who despise you and build naval bases and basically use the Ukraine as a proxy for destabilizing Russia under the guise of "freedom", or you try reach a diplomatic resolution (doesn't seem like anyone is interested in that), or you recognise the breakaway states and sure them up militarily and destroy the US/UK's capacity to wage proxy war against you. Russia loses in the last scenario but it is losing in the current scenario. Take Putin out of the equation and you still have a problem.
Now, probably yes. Though even in a fair election, he would easily win a majority, if not a pluarlity.
What about the last 4 elections? He might have been an unknown in 2000 so I grant you that, but what about the other elections when he easily won, without needing to 'steal' the elections?
When a nation chooses a dictator and keeps supporting him, they are to be blamed too. Same as how Germans were for Hitler, same are the Russians for the modern Hitler.
It’s batshit. Wife is struggling to bite her tongue.
Even on non Russian social media ?
Western Ukraine. The point of the entire conflict. The civil war, you know? Western separatists/eastern separatists.
Thanks Lord that we have another commie here to tell us all that Russian invading Ukraine is the West's fault.
Margaret, is that you?
Sorry, what?
How is Western Ukraine a separatist region?
What kind of speech is this? 
Lenin created Ukraine! Heard it all.
You'll have to elaborate, I can't detect your point.
Your understanding here has surpassed everyone else's, I'll concede the point to you.
Can't believe this is unfolding right now, ramblings of a completely mad man
Where are you watching this?
Seems we are getting some sort of history lesson here. So far we are at the 1950s it appears.
probably on every news channel, cnn, sky etc
You have reached a point where I can’t even begin to interpret what you mean. Who are these “western separatists”? The “entire point of the conflict” is “Western Ukraine”?
This speech making very worried
I think the translator woman is having hard time breathing.
Here’s an article on Ukraine that Putin penned last year, I’m guessing this speech is a condensed version?
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181