Russia Invades Ukraine 2022

[Szdfan]

There are claims that none of the financial fallout of the invasion has been a surprise to Putin, who has likely been planning this operation for a long time. However there are probably a lot of powerful Russians who weren't prepared.

My Dad in Kaliningrad posted on FB that he's unable to access his German bank account.

[mike]

Civilians trying to make what could be the last trains out of Kiev

[mike]

There are claims that none of the financial fallout of the invasion has been a surprise to Putin, who has likely been planning this operation for a long time. However there are probably a lot of powerful Russians who weren't prepared.

My Dad in Kaliningrad posted on FB that he's unable to access his German bank account.

What a mess.

[Bootstrap]

The scriptures also tell us to weep with those who weep. While the peace that comes with Christ is part of the good news, it's not just an esoteric otherworldly peace either -- it's also a profound empathy for those who suffer and struggle.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
....
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
...
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

[nett]

"Denazification" is a euphemism for regime change. They want to remove the current government and install one that is pro-Moscow.

And that would make them different from the west...how?

[Sudsy]

Again, I don't disagree. I think, however, that these proclamations of the "peace of Christ" come across badly in response to someone else's suffering. None of us here are facing a foreign invasion or rocket bombardments. My spirit and heart hurt in response to the suffering that is going on.

I think a sense of peace about my own suffering in life is ok. I think responding to other people's suffering by proclaiming how much peace you have comes across to me as tone-deaf (at best) and patronizing and self-centered (at worst). I'm not accusing you of these things, I'm just sharing how it comes across to me.

The scriptures also tell us to weep with those who weep. While the peace that comes with Christ is part of the good news, it's not just an esoteric otherworldly peace either -- it's also a profound empathy for those who suffer and struggle.

Yes, I would agree that if a person is 'proclaiming how much peace' they have and have no empathy for what others are going through, then that would be suspect. I believe one can have and should have empathy for how sin affects the lives of others as Jesus did. He wept. John 11:35.

We also can encourage one another in times of distress and grief to lean on the Holy Spirit, who is called the Comforter, and He provides that peace in the midst of the storm.

My post was not intended to get that kind of response but rather to emphasize the peace of God that is available to us in any and all situations. I believe empathy for others and encouragement to lean on the comfort and peace of the Holy Spirit go hand in hand.

[mike]

Updates from NPR reporter in Kiev this morning. Click Read full conversation for the entire thread.



For whatever reason, Russia still has not been able to take Kiev or any other major population center, raising a lot of questions. Noah Rothman asks, What if Russia Loses?

As dawn broke on the fifth day of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, Moscow had still not secured any of its primary strategic objectives. Ukraine’s major population centers remained in Kyiv’s control, the skies over the country were still contested, and Ukraine’s elected government remained intact. Western intelligence clearly underestimated the capacity of Ukrainian forces to resist the Russian onslaught, and the Kremlin seems to have neglected the tactical and logistical preparations needed to quickly occupy and pacify the country.

Moscow also underestimated how the West would respond to a naked landgrab on the European continent. In response to Russia’s aggression, the geopolitical status quo that prevailed for decades melted away over the course of a single weekend. A new order is rapidly supplanting the old one, and it is entirely disadvantageous for Russia. All of Europe and partner states in the Pacific region, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and others, have locked arms in a campaign of crippling economic warfare against Moscow. Moreover, from Russia’s strategic perspective, its actions have compelled Europe’s more accommodationist powers to engage in the conflict.

Germany has abandoned pacifism. The German chancellor announced this weekend that his country would raise defense spending to two percent of GDP, scuttle the Nord Stream II pipeline, invest in liquid natural-gas terminals, and export lethal armaments to Ukraine. Sweden and Switzerland have abandoned neutrality. Bern will join the West’s sanctions regime, denying Russia a financial haven and an avenue to launder money, and Sweden is sending thousands of anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian front. Passive actors like Denmark and Belgium are dispatching weapons and even irregular fighters to the frontlines. Putin-friendly figures like Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Turkey’s Recep Erdoğan have fallen in line with the West. The European Union is finally acting on its ambitions to serve as a defense force by shipping fighter aircraft across the Ukrainian border. And non-aligned states including Sweden, Finland, and Kosovo are making noises about seeking NATO membership.

[Josh]

I really have no idea what the West is thinking here. They can’t win a hot war with Russia, but we can all lose. If they decide to go all in on this - well, China, India, and Brazil have made it very clear they are not aligned with the West.

We have a lot to lose here.

[mike]

I really have no idea what the West is thinking here. They can’t win a hot war with Russia, but we can all lose. If they decide to go all in on this - well, China, India, and Brazil have made it very clear they are not aligned with the West.

We have a lot to lose here.

Everybody does. Even if the conflict deescalates and we come out with some kind of similar status quo, think of all the additional money that will be spent on defense across the world in the coming years, money that could have been spent for other things. The loss in terms of international relations and goodwill, the loss of infrastructure, the losses for the poor in affected areas, the list goes on and on.

[ohio jones]

Bern will join the West’s sanctions regime, denying Russia a financial haven and an avenue to launder money

Of course, the billions from the oligarchs' accounts can eventually be transferred to Unclaimed Funds and from there to the bankers' pockets. No self-interest here at all.