Zelensky demands 'immediate' EU membership for Ukraine

Yahoo! snooz ^ | February 28, 2022 | yahoo staffer

[kiryandil]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urges the European Union to grant his country immediate membership, as Russia's assault against the pro-Western country enters its fifth day.

[babble-on]

Rootin for Zelensky,...... but, no.

[kiryandil]

It’s interesting they seem to have such a hard on for Russia when China would appear to be more of an economic threat. It some ways it might just come down to military strength, those with the most guns make the rules, and our elites are less concerned with China who they could easily shut down at any time. But Russia, besides its military, has vast deposits of hard assets like oil, gas, and minerals, loads of gold held by their Central Bank, and none of the sovereign debt all the other major countries have. Control of the money supply is everything, and the US intends to keep it and keep Russia subdued by the manipulation of currency. All the players know what’s up, what remains to be seen if Russia, China and a few others attempt to upset the status quo. China is trying to walk a fine line at the moment.

Interesting and detailed take on the situation.

[Empire_of_Liberty]

Life insurance on the operating table.

“Do you have any pre-existing conditions?”

[miserare]

!Exactly!

[kiryandil]

He keeps trying to drag us deeper into this mess. post #38

Yet another backdoor into the NATO club.

"Hey, NATO - let's you and the Russians fight in the air!"

[Zhang Fei]

Idiotic. If you dont like taking orders from Russkies, then you’ll love taking orders from krauts and frogs.

Given that Russian orders come at the pointy end of a sword, I expect they'll prefer EU membership. I don't know if you've heard the news, but Germany is finally re-arming.

The Germans have done a head-spinning U-turn. The analogy would be to the Pope suddenly declaring that he's really a devout Hindu (although that wouldn't surprise me). I suspect the appearance of 100,000 demonstrators in Berlin forced the chancellor's hand.

Up until now, the US was pushing the reluctant EU. Now the EU and Germany are out in front. The sanctions WILL hurt Russia, a lot, especially the rich. The weapons that the EU is paying for and sending will hurt Russia. Putin is like Japan at Pearl Harbor – he has awakened the sleeping eagle (albeit the German one) and it wasn’t a good idea to do so.

When the German chancellor, who has acted like Putin’s personal valet throughout suddenly does a U-turn - that’s when you sit up and take notice. When the Green weenies in Germany start talking about reviving coal, you know these people have seen the elephant, and are acting accordingly.

 

German chancellor Scholz in a fairly long formal speech in parliament an hour ago has announced five steps that the German government is taking:

1. Support Ukraine with weapon deliveries from Germany and Allies as an answer to Putin's aggression
2. Deter Putin from further aggression through sanctions and embargos, both against the country, its private business and "responsible individuals".
3. continue to increase deployed Bundeswehr units to support Eastern-European NATO allies.
   1. Maintain Battlegroup in Lithuania (being expanded with reserve forces).
   2. Contribute to second Battlegroup in Slovakia being built up (Germany will also take command of this second Battlegroup).
   3. Continue current adhoc-formed Air Policing deployment in Romania (training deployment with Italy was transformed to that)
   4. Continue current adhoc deployment of German Navy ships in patrols in Baltic Sea and Mediterranean.
   5. Ready air defence forces for deployment on NATO eastern borders if required.
4. Invest to increase Bundeswehr capabilities:
   1. Establish an immediate 100 billion Euro budget for 2022 to increase Bundeswehr capabilities.
   2. Permanently raise defence budget above 2% GDP.
   3. Prioritize projects with European partners, in particular France for new MBTs, future Eurofighter replacement and just signed Eurodrone project. Replace Tornado with SEAD-enabled Eurofighters and consider F-35 for nuclear delivery (and yes, he named the thing usually not named). Procure Heron UCAV from Israel.
   4. Increase hybrid warfare and cyber resilience.
   5. (Seek increased energy independence from Russia by expanding coal and gas reserves and building two LNG terminals.)
5. (didn't quite catch that - lots of bla about "ceasing naive exterior politics" of recent years and about alliances and "defending a peaceful Europe")

There was a lot of serious pathos and patriotistic platitudes throughout the speech, going as far as "we shall defend every square meter of NATO" and a "do not ask what you can get out of Brussels for your own country, but ask what is the best decision for The Union". The speech was accentuated by standing applause from most of the plenum (except the right-extremist pro-Putin AfD faction).

[miserare]

And pocketing the vigorish to buy castles on Lake Como.

[abishai]

Is that the plan? Is Putin sending in his troops piecemeal in small groups lined up on the roads in order to pick a fight with NATO?

This doesn't make sense to me.

[mac_truck]

too many tractor factory gopniks over there :)

Looks like there's at least one gopnik on the Ukr negotiating team.

[Jim Noble]

If Poland is really allowing combat missions against Russia to be flown from Polish airfields, than there may not be much left of Poland to bow out of the EU.

Like anything on Twitter, could be complete propaganda, but Poland has a history of resisting stronger powers in the mistaken belief that the cavalry is right over the hill.

What have we heard from Germany today? Is Germany really ready to fight Russia?

[miserare]

This is shocking news.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[SteveH]

What is Gopnik?

by Life of Boris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qif-Qz7NY48

[packagingguy]

You are right, it doesn’t. The EU is too unbalanced economically as it is. Very wealthy countries like the Netherlands and Norway in with poorer ones like Poland and Hungary (not that those are bad countries, they just don’t have as much money).

The US is more balanced state to state. For example from a purely economic standpoint one would be better off in Mississippi than in much of Eastern Europe.

Taking in Ukraine would put the EU in a Triple Entente type of situation which led to WWI.

[miserare]

“the Zelensky regime is evil.”

I’m starting to believe that.

[spaced]

The president of the EU made a revealing slip yesterday:
“The Ukraine belongs to us.”
(https://www.businessinsider.com/european-commission-president-says-eu-wants-ukraine-to-join-2022-2)

The Western countries ignored the 14,000 Ukrainians killed in the Donbass since 2014. Given the resource lists posted on FB that show how rich and valuable the Ukraine is, I’m pretty sure this support for the Ukraine from the Western countries is all about controlling those resources.

[Zhang Fei]

[This is shocking news.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention.]

---

I knew Germany going back to coal would shock people. When the Green weenies start prioritizing energy security over Gaia, you know it’s serious.

[miserare]

Zelensky makes himself look bad...tough posturing, with the eyes of a scared rabbit.

Watch the body language.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Goal —Accept Ukraine and send in ALL NATO troops to Ukraine to ensure their “Humanity” and expel all Russians even out of Donbass and Crimea —Then march on Moscow to bring democracy to that land and unseat the madman Putin. He is too much of a coward to use any form of Nukes or Poison Gas. He is sobering in his bunker and as Moscow falls he will shoot himself along with his mistress. One Ukrainian can beat any ten uneducated, simpering Russians. Just offer them a pair of Levi’s and they will give up. They got nunthin’. When done in Russia we can march on Peking... The New World Order will establish world Socialism and world peace. I don’t think so...

[miserare]

That is really funny!

I love the Adidas uniforms.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

I heard that the Kiev Ghost has shot down the whole Russian Airforce—all by himself.