Ukraine

HawkGold

Well-Known Member
Disappointing loss for the Hawks. I haven't posted in a long time, though I do watch comments and enjoy them.

Some of you have heard me speak about Ukraine. I have been to the nation many times and have many really good friends there. I really don't want to get into debates. I will respond to questions.

If any of you are interested in what is going on at the human level, you are welcome to message me. I keep in touch daily with my friends by a number of methods and even have done some interviews on social media. Unfortunately, someday not so far in the future, I will likely never hear from some my friends again.

до свидания
 
Yea, thru this I have really gotten to understand the Ukrainian people and respect them. They seem like hard working respectful people. I hate what they are going through. All they want is to live life and have a sovereign nation.
 
Disappointing loss for the Hawks. I haven't posted in a long time, though I do watch comments and enjoy them.

Some of you have heard me speak about Ukraine. I have been to the nation many times and have many really good friends there. I really don't want to get into debates. I will respond to questions.

If any of you are interested in what is going on at the human level, you are welcome to message me. I keep in touch daily with my friends by a number of methods and even have done some interviews on social media. Unfortunately, someday not so far in the future, I will likely never hear from some my friends again.

до свидания
Thank you. I haven't posted in quite a while, either. Thank you for your offer to provide info. I'm following this perhaps a little too closely (as it is very depressing), but I feel we have some obligation to assist where possible (and yet not start WWIII).

Do you have thoughts about the best ways for individuals to help? Do you have thoughts about what the US and NATO should be doing now?

This is just such a giant mess. Interested in your thoughts, knowing you have connections to folks.
 
Thank you. I haven't posted in quite a while, either. Thank you for your offer to provide info. I'm following this perhaps a little too closely (as it is very depressing), but I feel we have some obligation to assist where possible (and yet not start WWIII).

Do you have thoughts about the best ways for individuals to help? Do you have thoughts about what the US and NATO should be doing now?

This is just such a giant mess. Interested in your thoughts, knowing you have connections to folks.

suck me sideways. how you been, amigo?
 
Disappointing loss for the Hawks. I haven't posted in a long time, though I do watch comments and enjoy them.

Some of you have heard me speak about Ukraine. I have been to the nation many times and have many really good friends there. I really don't want to get into debates. I will respond to questions.

If any of you are interested in what is going on at the human level, you are welcome to message me. I keep in touch daily with my friends by a number of methods and even have done some interviews on social media. Unfortunately, someday not so far in the future, I will likely never hear from some my friends again.

до свидания
How much time before you think America is involved, or Putin considers us involved?
 
If he considers us involved, it wont be good for anyone. Scary situation. I can't imagine what they're going through. I have a couple of friends that are from Ukraine and it's agonizing - not knowing if their families back home are safe or not.

Of course the Ukrainian people deserve our sympathies and it's worse for them but dont forget the Russian people that are against the invasion that are getting their livelihoods destroyed by sanctions. Or the conscripts being sent to die on the front lines with no knowledge of why they're even there. Horrible situation for all involved and there are victims all around.

I can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing that the Ukrainians are actually succeeding in defending. It's good that Putin's regime is struggling but it's scary to think what he'll do when cornered. If they do succeed and take over the entire country it could play out with an occupation and prolonged insurgency that would destroy the country - not so similar from Afghanistan in the 80's. Another USSR/Russia vs US proxy war.


Even scarier is the power vacuum that would result in a country with 6000 nuclear weapons should he die.

F Putin.
 
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If he considers us involved, it wont be good for anyone. Scary situation. I can't imagine what they're going through. I have a couple of friends that are from Ukraine and it's agonizing - not knowing if their families back home are safe or not.

Of course the Ukrainian people deserve our sympathies and it's worse for them but dont forget the Russian people that are against the invasion that are getting their livelihoods destroyed by sanctions. Or the conscripts being sent to die on the front lines with no knowledge of why they're even there. Horrible situation for all involved and there are victims all around.

I can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing that the Ukrainians are actually succeeding in defending. It's good that Putin's regime is struggling but it's scary to think what he'll do when cornered. If they do succeed and take over the entire country it could play out with an occupation and prolonged insurgency that would destroy the country - not so similar from Afghanistan in the 80's. Another USSR/Russia vs US proxy war.


Even scarier is the power vacuum that would result in a country with 6000 nuclear weapons should he die.

F Putin.
Putin sounds like it should be the name of a Wisconsin cheese factory.
 
Thank you. I haven't posted in quite a while, either. Thank you for your offer to provide info. I'm following this perhaps a little too closely (as it is very depressing), but I feel we have some obligation to assist where possible (and yet not start WWIII).

Do you have thoughts about the best ways for individuals to help? Do you have thoughts about what the US and NATO should be doing now?

This is just such a giant mess. Interested in your thoughts, knowing you have connections to folks.
There are numerous organizations. Message me and I have the link to an NGO in Poland.
Yea, thru this I have really gotten to understand the Ukrainian people and respect them. They seem like hard working respectful people. I hate what they are going through. All they want is to live life and have a sovereign nation.
Wish I could share photos. It would be heartbreaking. I'd have to resize a bunch. I have them on social media.
 

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If he considers us involved, it wont be good for anyone. Scary situation. I can't imagine what they're going through. I have a couple of friends that are from Ukraine and it's agonizing - not knowing if their families back home are safe or not.

Of course the Ukrainian people deserve our sympathies and it's worse for them but dont forget the Russian people that are against the invasion that are getting their livelihoods destroyed by sanctions. Or the conscripts being sent to die on the front lines with no knowledge of why they're even there. Horrible situation for all involved and there are victims all around.

I can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing that the Ukrainians are actually succeeding in defending. It's good that Putin's regime is struggling but it's scary to think what he'll do when cornered. If they do succeed and take over the entire country it could play out with an occupation and prolonged insurgency that would destroy the country - not so similar from Afghanistan in the 80's. Another USSR/Russia vs US proxy war.


Even scarier is the power vacuum that would result in a country with 6000 nuclear weapons should he die.

F Putin.
The Ukrainians aren't succeeding. That is a myth. They are making the Russians pay. The US FED froze Russian Central Bank Dollar reserves. Basically the FED went nuclear as SWIFT wasn't working. The Ukrainians have to withdraw to prevent being surrounded against the Dnipro River somewhere around Dnipro, Poltava or Kremenchuk which has the best farmland in the world. The Dnipro the way it is dammed can get ocean vessels to Kyiv. Will impact Iowa for sure.
 
How much time before you think America is involved, or Putin considers us involved?
We went economic nuclear today. Today 1200 civilians were killed at Mariupol. That city is defended by a Ukrainian Neo Nazi Battalion trained by the US 101st. They are the fiercest fighters and represent a small segment of the Army. The Army incorporated them in advance of the war to control them better. Ukraine has militias like the US. The pro West officials needed to reach out to the far right to get a majority coalition. This Azov Battalion has been using civilians as human shields. This is only a small part of the invasion defense and should not be construed Ukraine is Nazi.
 
From my friend Lina. I asked her how she is doing

No one is well here

Alive means doing well


Another message from Ukraine. This friend goes to a root cellar during raid siren warnings. He's putting iron ontop of the cellar.

No changes... The sirens are on very often...
Less and less news are coming to us from both sides. People are people, very scared..
Refugees coming to our area told that Russian aviation had destroyed all military infrastructure in the neighborhood...
War is going on...
Ukrainian side did not allow civilians to use green corridor to get out from Mariupol. They use civilians as a shield to save themselves...
Horrible...
 
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The Ukrainians aren't succeeding. That is a myth. They are making the Russians pay. The US FED froze Russian Central Bank Dollar reserves. Basically the FED went nuclear as SWIFT wasn't working. The Ukrainians have to withdraw to prevent being surrounded against the Dnipro River somewhere around Dnipro, Poltava or Kremenchuk which has the best farmland in the world. The Dnipro the way it is dammed can get ocean vessels to Kyiv. Will impact Iowa for sure.
They aren't going to win, I'm not saying they are but they're putting up a better fight that most, especially Putin anticipated. He expected to be done in a week, tomorrow will make it two.
 
We went economic nuclear today. Today 1200 civilians were killed at Mariupol. That city is defended by a Ukrainian Neo Nazi Battalion trained by the US 101st. They are the fiercest fighters and represent a small segment of the Army. The Army incorporated them in advance of the war to control them better. Ukraine has militias like the US. The pro West officials needed to reach out to the far right to get a majority coalition. This Azov Battalion has been using civilians as human shields. This is only a small part of the invasion defense and should not be construed Ukraine is Nazi.
This is helpful to understand. Maybe not unlike the US, where we clearly have bizarre far right wing nazi militias and other psuedo military fascist groups like Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. I imagine people outside the US looked at Charlottesville and think we're Nazis. We aren't. A few are. Maybe similar in Ukraine.

I hate Illinois Nazis.
 
This is helpful to understand. Maybe not unlike the US, where we clearly have bizarre far right wing nazi militias and other psuedo military fascist groups like Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. I imagine people outside the US looked at Charlottesville and think we're Nazis. We aren't. A few are. Maybe similar in Ukraine.

I hate Illinois Nazis.
Me to. We had a shootout in our town in IL. If we were invaded, they would fight and in some cases quite well. When the Donbas was invaded in 2014, these militias were the only effective fighting force and they really did kick Russian butts and Mariupol. Aside from being a major port city the Russians particularly want this city because of the defenders. When the Russians speak of Ukraine being Nazi, that is specifically what they are referring to. Though they use it to broaden propaganda against all of Ukraine. The move to incorporate them was an attempt to control them. Most Russian speakers in the Donbas don't want to be a part of Russia. Pensioners tolerate it as they collect now pensions from each country. A few are pro Russia. A higher number is genuinely afraid of the Azov Battalion but still not the majority. It pained me to see US 101 Airborne patches working right alongside Nazi patches in training. Really weird since the west regarded them as terrorist prior. To be clear they are small and don't represent Ukraine any more than right extremists represent any more than they do here. Except for the fact that Russian actions in 14 would have been much worse without them and in a parliamentary govt, coalitions are key. Communists used to make up part of west Europe coalitions in the cold war. A number of years ago, I got back on a business trip and had to leave a few weeks later for adopting our 2 daughters. We were delayed as what they called National Guard Units (right wing battalions) were positioning around Kyiv to face off with Federal Troops then controlled by a Pro Russia President. Then it cleared.

Coalition parliamentary governments are much more inherently unstable than than a Republic with a 2 party system. Which of course has major drawbacks as well as we elect tweedle dee over tweedle dumb.
 
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