Ukraine Updates: Zelenskyy Criticizes NATO, Warns Members Aren’t Safe From Russia
Zelenskyy is sick of those strongly-worded letters and condemnations. He’s calling out NATO and making it known he knows the organization is a farce.
It’s Day 29 of Russia’s escalated invasion of Ukraine. Most concerning to me is the escalating rhetoric between Russia and Poland.
Putin is also testing Europe by forcing gas payments in roubles. People say that it’s a sign of Russia’s weakening economy. It is but it’s also a boast that despite all the strongly-worded letters from Europe and others he still owns them.
Live stream:
U.S. Sending $1 Billion to Ukraine
Biden cannot do anything below a billion:
President Joe Biden said Thursday following meetings at the NATO summit in Brussels that the U.S. will send $1 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“Many Ukrainian refugees will wish to stay in Europe closer to their homes but we will also welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families,” Biden said.
John Kerry: Look at Me!
Oh, I’ll look at you, John Kerry. I’ll only look at him to point and laugh. He made one stupid remark about Ukraine and the climate but he outdid himself today.
Climate refugees:
Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, said during the annual CERAWeek conference in Houston Monday that the U.S. must not lose sight of its path toward clean energy now that the Russia-Ukraine war has accelerated the global energy crisis.
“We’re already seeing climate refugees around the world,” he said. “If you think migration has been a problem in Europe in the Syrian War or even from what we see now, wait until you see 100 million people for whom the entire food production capacity has collapsed.”
U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry: "We're already seeing climate refugees around the world. If you think migration has been a problem in Europe in the Syrian war … wait until you see 100 million people for whom the entire food production capacity has collapsed." #CERAWeek pic.twitter.com/JII1YOHWuR
— The Recount (@therecount) March 9, 2022
Zelenskyy isn’t Falling for NATO’s Games
Zelenskyy went off on NATO in a prerecorded message:
“Please, never, never again tell us that our army does not meet Nato standards,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Thursday to a summit in Brussels.
His comments pointed to the troops’ resistance against Russian forces and refusal of Nato members to accept Ukraine into the alliance in past years on claims that its army has lacked reform and fails to meet Nato standards.
He repeated his request for more weapons, including fighter jets, and a no-fly zone imposed to ground Russia’s air force.
“We have shown what our standards are capable of,” Zelensky said. “And how much we can give to common security in Europe and the world.
“But Nato has yet to show what the alliance can do to save people,” he added.
“The world is waiting. And Ukraine is very much waiting,” he said.
“Awaiting real action. Real security guarantees. From those whose word is trustworthy. And whose actions can keep the peace. Truly. All offers are on the table. Our needs are on the table. We need peace immediately. The answers are up to you.”
Zelensky wants help and “clear answers” from NATO. He did not even ask for membership or a no-fly zone. He just wants 1% of military items so Ukrainians can survive:
In a video address to the NATO summit Thursday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO to provide Ukraine with “1% of all your planes, 1% of all your tanks.”
“We can’t just buy those,” Zelenskyy said. “When we will have all this, it will give us, just like you, 100% security.”
Ukraine is also in dire need of multiple launch rocket systems, anti-ship weapons and air defense systems, Zelenskyy said.
“Is it possible to survive in such a war without this?,” he asked.
Zelenskyy also said Russia used phosphorous bombs on Thursday morning, killing both adults and children. He reminded NATO leaders that thousands of Ukrainians have died in the past month, 10 million people have left their homes, and urged NATO to give “clear answers.”
“It feels like we’re in a gray area, between the West and Russia, defending our common values,” Zelenskyy said. “This is the scariest thing during a war — not to have clear answers to requests for help.”
Zelenskyy also warned NATO that NATO countries are in danger. We’ve seen Russia hit out at Poland with Dmitry Medvedev’s essay, describing Polish diplomats as vile.
Putin has dropped his usual character of being pragmatic and calculating. He doesn’t care. NATO is stupid if the members think they’re safe from Putin’s wrath.
NATO Conference Ends
The NATO conference was the same old bullcrap we get from the beaurocrats. We got a joint statement telling Russia to go away, China to stop supporting Russia, and praise for Ukrainians.
The organization promised more defense on its borders.
NATO listened to Zelenskyy. It will “provide significant support to Ukraine” but did not provide specific details. It will do what it can to support Ukraine:
The US-led alliance also said would “continue to provide further political and practical support to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself.”
“Nato allies will also continue to provide assistance [to Ukraine] in such areas as cybersecurity and protection against threats of a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear nature,” it said in the statement.
In other words, it doesn’t want to tick off Putin. Nothing about Russia going after Poland. We’ll all just put Ukraine’s flag in our profiles and tweet out hashtags.
Zelenskyy Will Adress NATO
This should be fun. Zelenskyy calls out NATO as much as he can because he knows they’re scared of Putin and that’s why they won’t allow Ukraine to join the organization.
More Sanctions
Biden plans on announcing more sanctions against Russia in Brussels on Thursday:
President Biden intends to announce the sanctions on more than 300 members of the Russian State Duma as soon as Thursday during his trip to Europe, where he will meet with allies from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to formulate their next steps, according to U.S. officials and internal documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The sanctions will be announced in coordination with the European Union and members of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, U.S. officials said.
Pay for Gas in Roubles!
40% of Europe’s gas comes from Russia. 75% of Germany’s gas comes from Russia. So if you want Russia’s gas then you must buy its currency. Some in Europe say Putin is violating contracts. That’s fine and dandy.
Do you think Putin cares? He’ll win this staredown because you need the energy:
The rouble briefly leapt after the shock announcement to a three-week high past 95 against the dollar. It pared gains but stayed well below 100, closing at 97.7 against the dollar, down more than 22% since Feb. 24.
Some European wholesale gas prices up to 30% higher on Wednesday. British and Dutch wholesale gas prices jumped.
Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe’s total consumption. EU gas imports from Russia this year have fluctuated between 200 million to 800 million euros ($880 million) a day.
“Russia will continue, of course, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices … fixed in previously concluded contracts,” Putin said at a televised meeting with government ministers.
“The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles,” he said.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck called Putin’s demand a breach of contract and other buyers of Russian gas echoed the point.
“This would constitute a breach to payment rules included in the current contracts,” said a senior Polish government source, adding Poland has no intention of signing new contracts with Gazprom after their existing deal expires at the end of this year.
Putin owns you, Europe. He owns you and you cannot get out of this.
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Comments
Im not worried about a Russia v Poland conflict simply because Russia can ill afford two dirty little wars being waged at the same time AND Polands defences are likely to be a lot more established than the Ukraines.
As for gas, the eunuchs still dont get it. They are still wanking on about fracking our own gas as something that wont help right now! The reality is, there is sweet FUCK all we can do right now to drive prices down right now BUT there is a fuckload of work we can do to ween ourselves off all that sweet, sweet Russkie gas! And the best part of weening ourselves off Russian gas is that none of the plans need involve the bullshit that passes for windmills, mirrors and ground unicorn horn power generation.
There are rumors that Poland might take or be given Lviv. Russia certainly doesn’t want to administer it.
It was part of Poland for some time before WWII There’s someone in my office whose grandparents were from Lviv and they call themselves Polish not Ukrainian.
Keep in mind that there are different types of crude, and refineries can only process one kind.
( Also natural gas. )
To convert to another type is going to take years.
Also Maduro and Saudi Arabia have already told Biden to F off.
Qatar has told Europe they cannot provide natural gas.
Even expedited, nuclear power plants take a year to come on line.
Wait! Wut? Did you just say you want to be paid in rubble? O-o-o-kay!
You really don’t get it do you?
The ruble has made a recovery https://www.google.com/finance/quote/RUB-USD?window=1M
The EU is going to have to pay up front for their fuel, wheat and fertilizer.
They are going to have to get rubles.
What is more countries like eg Paraguay, are looking and saying that if the UE/ES can kick Russia out of Swift, then they can do so for us. They are looking for alternatives to Swift. If China joins in then it is proably the end of the dollar as reserve currency. Which is not good.
Two mistake:
This is a reply to Phil,
and UE/ES should read US/EU.
Should learn to post more carefully before my morning coffee.
The ruble is in the toilet and is backed by an economy smaller than Texas’. Russia is doomed if they don’t dump Putin.
As to the death of the dollar as the reserve currency, there aren’t enough Russian rubles nor Chinese clams to replace the dollar. Both economies are spiraling as the world divorces its economies from theirs.
Meanwhile, the US still is the ONLY economy capable of telling everyone else to fuck off and get stronger. It would cost so much less to rein in our sprawling military and reassign it to protect US interests only. We are the ONLY country that has EVERYTHING it needs to be truly independent and self-sufficient.
By this time next year, unless our own government declares martial law and shuts everything down, we will be well on our way to re-establishing our energy independence will is the key that will unlock everything else. We were also once the breadbasket to the world.
We hold ALL of the strong cards to win in this world poker game. We just have to start playing them like Trump was playing them. Once the momentum Trump triggered is restored, we will again be taking big strides in restoring our proper place in the world. We don’t have to be the world police. An independent and self-sufficient America can negotiate what it needs and wants from the world. We don’t have to be the biggest bastards but it helps to have that option if necessary.
#meantweets24!!! MAGA baby!!!
Phil,
What exactly is the USD backed by? We have a debt of thirty trillion dollars today v a debt of less than one trillion when Reagan was President. Our debt to GDP is sitting at 122% and growing. For reference anything over 115% is dangerous and Greece went into the toilet at 125%.
The US is not going to regain the place we held in 1991. Not economically nor militarily. We have PO too many others in our arrogance. IMO, we should work to onshore our manufacturing and resource production/extraction to become as independent as possible and as insulated from foreign disruptions as we can. Then follow Washington’s advice and stay out of entangling alliances and refrain from military adventures that do not present a direct threat to our security.
Yes, our economy is not in great shape. But before giving me the lectures, give me one economy that is doing better AND has a dominant currency. Russia? YOU are the one who doesn’t “get it”. Russia is NorKo with better nukes. At least with China, we see “Made in China” on so much of what we buy. Ever see a “Made in Russia”? No. Never. And China is in far worse condition debt-wise than we are. And we could decide to default on our debt to them if we chose.
EVERYONE IS A DEBTOR NATION TODAY! That is why we have Bitcoin to protect ourselves from fiat currency.
You can analyze it accentuating your favorite aspect of what is wrong with us but in the end, we are the world’s only hope. And we are a mere one decision away from beginning to fix what is wrong: start pumping oil again! Energy independence is not a stand-alone issue. It is connected to EVERYTHING! We have most of it and the rest of the free world doesn’t. So you are saying that were US oil to become available again, they would rather buy it from Russia? With their piles of rubble? Seriously?
US energy independence brings everyone back to the table and Russia is again tossed onto the trash heap of history. And China knows that. If you are tracking this like I am, China is NOT committing to Russia but hedging their bets. They WANT Russia to fail but are afraid our neocons will come to Russia’s rescue. They sure are trying their hardest. And now Brandon plays his “new world order” card.
There are too many “experts” and “intellectuals” over-thinking everything into a complicated set of dominoes poised to topple into a nuclear war. They are determined to scare the shit out of everybody. BUT.! We ARE in the driver’s seat… if we choose to be. Trump thinks and acts like the guy with the winning hand, a winner. We should too. Don’t be afraid to win!
Phil,
The question was posed as just that a question. No lecture was intended just a recitation of facts. In contrast you seem to be yearning for the good old days which is nostalgic but unlikely.
Take some time and review the debt levels of other nations compared to ours. Look at the differences in our manufacturing base since 1991. It’s night and day and will take a long time to correct. The US can’t simply bully others without possession of a big stick. Even when we restore our big stick militarily and economically we should heed the advice of Teddy Roosevelt; speak softly.
“Russia is doomed if they don’t dump Putin.”
We are doomed if we don’t dump Biden.
Our system can fix that problem without a nuclear war. The Russian system will require a bloody military coup just to hope avoiding a nuclear war.
BTW, Russia is poised to default on it’s debt. Guess who is going to get hurt really bad? The government employee unions who dumped oil, Israel and other ESG-hostile investments to buy Russian sovereign bonds. Yeah, I’m very afraid of rubble replacing the US dollar as the reserve currency. Restoring the petro-dollar by becoming the biggest oil producer and exporter will fix that. in a snap.
No, we won’t. Listen to what Kerry is saying. The Biden admin intends to double down on crushing the US economy and making it more dependent on its enemies. That was always the endgame, the “climate crisis” is pretext for implementing it.
Russia may want gas paid for in rubles (I spell it the old way) but it will have to pay its reparations in dollars.
Russia ain’t agreeing to pay reparations. That’s not going to happen. Frankly, they can get by with selling oil and gas to China and India and substituting tech and consumer imports from them. It won’t be perfect but it’s doable. Why shouldn’t Russia demand payment in a usable currency? That’s the result of all the chest beating, tough talk sanctions; there are counter party risks that become real world problems. Move and counter move. Your opponent isn’t under an obligation to stand still while you hit them, they get to fight back. The demand for ruble settlement is an opening gambit.
Europe can’t run it’s manufacturing base or heat their homes without Russian fuel. It’s that simple. They must rely on Russia for the next two to three years until they figure out alternatives. Germany doesn’t have LNG terminals to import US LNG, they must build them. The current pipeline infrastructure in Europe doesn’t facilitate cross border transfers so excess capacity in Spain is useless for Germany at present. Of course the environmental movement in Europe will demand every i dotted and t crossed before building permits are issued.
All of this PLUS wheat and fertilizer, both of which Europe is dependent on Russia for.
Then there are all the precious and rare-earth metals and minerals that Russia mines and Northern Europe uses in their robust manufacturing industries.
While it’s going to get very uncomfortable for the average Russian for the next few years, the predictions of Russian economic collapse won’t age well.
Not to mention neon.
Yes indeed and aluminum and…the list of resources that has either a dominant position in or enough to disrupt supply is enormous. The fact is the west in general and Europe in particular need Russia to maintain their economy and lifestyle far more than Russia needs them.
The globalist elite is getting a lesson in the very dirty, grimy and violent world of real life that exists under a very thin veneer of their preferred set of international order and rules. This is what occurs when a Nation gets tired of being pushed; they push back forcefully and ignore the rules written, imposed and maintained by those they view as their tormentors.
Zelenskyy needs to give it a rest.
NATO is tremendously successful. Invasions by Russia of NATO members: 0.
Invasions by Russia of non-NATO countries: Many.
But hey, maybe it isn’t NATO. Maybe there’s another reason Putin is scared to invade NATO countries.
As for Ukraine joining NATO there’s a small matter of a civil war and territorial disputes that prevent this happening, even if Russia surrendered tomorrow. Oh, and the Ukrainian army was getting brutally fucked by Russian backed rebels until the British stepped in to train them.
How would Ukraine be doing right now without the anti-tank missiles NATO members have handed over in the past two months? I’d hazard a guess of ‘not so well’.
Russia is out of order. I want Russia to lose in Ukraine, badly, and for Crimea to be returned to Ukraine. But Zelenskyy really needs to stop talking shit.
Think if he had put that billion dollars he grafted into defense instead of his pocket.
First if you are saying Ukraine is winning I do not agree with you but second I don’t think your complaint about Zelensky is valid.
Ukraine is being invaded by a force it can’t beat that always takes its time and tends to methodically destroy (see Chechnya, took 9 months of destruction before Russia could claim victory, Chechnya extremely ruined, Russia triumphant etc).
What is the correct amount of help/complaints he should request/give and should he ever be grateful not to be given enough to shift things on the ground in favor of his country?
Gradually the truth about why Russia had to act to prevent the citizens of the Ukraine from being completely corrupted by a band of woke criminals determined to turn the entire country into a criminal enterprise controlled by the Obiden Junta and their Soros and Davos allies. The so-called hero Zalinskyy is an LGBT pervert who gained notoriety by leading a chorus of gay performers. Here is an 2012 videos of one of Zalinskyy’s gay pride productions. Prior to being “elected” President of Ukraine Zelinskyy was the star of a gay Ukrainian pop group: Here is the video:https://twitter.com/i/status/1506661229342908425. Urge all to copy this and send it to those who feel Putin is a butcher when his mission is to free Russians from the woke liberalverminthat inhibit our society and are crushing our culture as they eat us alive with their deranged worship of Satan.