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Putin should start issuing Russian passports to Serbs.
I'll pass him your suggestion with the first arising opportunity, thanks)))
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He'd be able to get a lot of them on board. While we're at it, might as well turn Serbia into a new Oblast. I don't think anyone will complain.
Remember, unlike the Western powers, Russia has been always striving for the continuum.
As far as I remember Serbia doesn't have any direct border with Russia, otherwise...
...And no one would have been able to say a word)))
( Long time ago already.)
I'll pass him your suggestion with the first arising opportunity, thanks))) :
Go for it.
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Remember, unlike the Western powers, Russia has been always striving for the continuum.
As far as I remember Serbia doesn't have any direct border with Russia, otherwise...
...And no one would have been able to say a word)))
( Long time ago already.)
No, Serbia doesn't share a border with Russia. They are quite far from one another.
Having a contiguous border is convenient for sure, but that doesn't mean that they won't look for ways to expand further if possible with Kalingrad serving as the perfect example of a useful exclave.
No, Serbia doesn't share a border with Russia. They are quite far from one another.
Having a contiguous border is convenient for sure, but that doesn't mean that they won't look for ways to expand further if possible with Kalingrad serving as the perfect example of a useful exclave.
That's what a Serbian oblast would look like.
Al right, all right, I hope the right people are reading this (because as we all know Putin operatives are everywhere,) and dutifully take notes of your advise)))
Al right, all right, I hope the right people are reading this (because as we all know Putin operatives are everywhere,) and dutifully take notes of your advise)))
Well ideally I would have wanted Serbia to align closer with the EU and western countries, since I’m pro-West, but that’s not going to happen as most Serbs relate more to Russia.
Serbs are more likely to join the EU and NATO than change their passports to Russians. The alignment is spiritual and familial (for lack of a better term) but in no way is it political. They are as equally uninterested in Putin kleptocracy as Ukrainians were. Serbia is a declining state so perhaps there is some dissatisfaction with the status quo but aligning with a rogue declining power isn't appealing either. They are pretty independent and would react to such a statement by Russia with hostility. They are in a lot of ways, more like Ukrainians.
Some fairy tales you keep on telling us.
But I am listening here to people who actually DO know - the director of the Institute of Energy Research Dmitry Marunich, a former pro-Maidan deputy Dmitry Spivak - and they are telling with facts and numbers in hands, what a devastating blow for Ukrainian economy was the separation from Russia, ( orchestrated yet again by you know who.)
(So it's not just E. Muraiev from Kharkov whom I've mentioned earlier.)
Another amazing thing is how these wonderful "liberal reforms" promoted by you ad naseum, benefit specifically one particular area of Ukraine bordering Poland, and bring the sea of misery for the rest of the country.
Amazing at that, is how specifically one particular region "benefits from the absence of the governmental corruption" while the rest of the country is sinking in it.
(Although... wait... you were telling earlier that Eastern Ukraine was doing great too, the IT jobs and all.)
And since this turned out to be not true as well, I'd say the best solution for the situation would be precisely what the South- East of the country advises to the "prosperous Lvov region " - "Bundle, horse-cart, Poland."
In fact, they can take the whole region of Galicia with them in order to stop all this nationalist and Maidan BS, and join Poland.
This will be even better and more sound solution for the rest of Ukraine than adjoining Donbass to Russia.
So that the Galicians would finally stop stirring sh*t in Ukraine and what's more important - being used for this purpose by external powers.
This guy is just another populist. Sorry but Ukrainians won't have the cheapest gas prices in the world any longer. No amount of butthurt Russian propaganda will convince a large number of them to surrender to Russia so they can heat their homes for free. It won't do anything for their economy anymore than the past 27 years of cheap gas did. Gas is important to Russia, so they push and push this issue.
Sorry but the loss of Russian trade isn't the reason for Ukraine's economic troubles. Its the war and corruption, simply so. Your apparently confused south-eastern Ukrainians mostly agree and voted for the president who gets this. There are the few (mostly above 60) who think otherwise but they are no longer a large voting block. I think its because the rest of people don't get their information from Russian TV shows anymore. Its also not as bad as it used to be. The economy per person is now higher in PPP than before the maidan. Its not in the east but it is on the west side of the Dnieper. Its still bad, but its growing for 3 years so to describe it as getting worse is inaccurate (except for your friends in Donetsk).
Trade with Europe is already 4 times as much as with Russia and Poland alone imports more Ukrainian goods than mighty Russia. Thousands have seen with their own eyes the difference between standards of living in eastern europe and Russia. There is no turning back. The fact that Putin can harm eastern ukraine's economy isn't going to make them want to align with their enemy.
Well ideally I would have wanted Serbia to align closer with the EU and western countries, since I’m pro-West, but that’s not going to happen as most Serbs relate more to Russia.
I guess that NATO bombing westernized Serbs to no end.
Sorta like bombed Donbass is looking forward to join "free and democratic Ukraine."
Yet train travel between the 2 countries declines each year. Meanwhile travel to and from Europe grows. Salaries aren't higher in Russia than Kiev (except Moscow but the rents destroy any financial advantage). I only say this because of all the people I know who used to work in Russia, 0% of them work in Russia now. Surely many still do, especially from the east, but this is not an increasing amount.
Europe does not have work, unless illegally, the travel allowance is not a work authorization. Going to Europe is not going to pay the bills, going to Russia however does. I currently know a few who are either still in Russia working, or does that seasonal nanny thing with three months on, three off.
It is not just about salary rate, it is about getting one in the first place, and Russia still has a huge black market economy to profit from also.
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Originally Posted by DKM
What you are trying to say is not clear. What is clear is Ze was voted for by the youth and mostly in the areas of Ukraine still suffering from the effects of economic corruption (nearly all of it). Lviv is a boom town, so its not surprising they went with the incumbent.
The voting thing is not unique for Ze, others have been voted in as well. I will wait and see just how the west Ukraine reacts given they threw their support behind Poroshenko.
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Originally Posted by DKM
Few care about the past. They had a good thing going and now its over. Most of the wealthy residents of the Donbas moved to other parts of Ukraine (primarily Dnipro, Kharkov and Kiev). The factories in the occupied zones are mostly shut. Coal isn't as important as it used to be. Much of the remaining important industry is in government controlled areas. That said, Ukraine would be much better off if the Donbas would join Russia. Then they can continue their soviet lifestyle and live their fantasy of being told what to do.
Yea, few care about the past when it is convenient for them, and they care everything about it when it is convenient for them. Donbass is wealthy due to its industry and population, that will not be replaced anytime soon else where in Ukraine. The west Ukraine will still be suffering being the backwoods, poor rednecks of Ukraine, and will see how they react to Ze coming in over their boy Poroshenko.
Why wold Donbass want to stay with a country who, because the location of Kiev, can simply just oust any leader they elect because they lose a vote, and know they cannot win one? The two areas of Yanukovych's support were Crimea and Donbass, it is no coincidence those are the ones who left/try to leave Ukraine.
This guy is just another populist. Sorry but Ukrainians won't have the cheapest gas prices in the world any longer. No amount of butthurt Russian propaganda will convince a large number of them to surrender to Russia so they can heat their homes for free. It won't do anything for their economy anymore than the past 27 years of cheap gas did. Gas is important to Russia, so they push and push this issue.
Sorry but the loss of Russian trade isn't the reason for Ukraine's economic troubles. Its the war and corruption, simply so. Your apparently confused south-eastern Ukrainians mostly agree and voted for the president who gets this. There are the few (mostly above 60) who think otherwise but they are no longer a large voting block. I think its because the rest of people don't get their information from Russian TV shows anymore. Its also not as bad as it used to be. The economy per person is now higher in PPP than before the maidan. Its not in the east but it is on the west side of the Dnieper. Its still bad, but its growing for 3 years so to describe it as getting worse is inaccurate (except for your friends in Donetsk).
Trade with Europe is already 4 times as much as with Russia and Poland alone imports more Ukrainian goods than mighty Russia. Thousands have seen with their own eyes the difference between standards of living in eastern europe and Russia. There is no turning back. The fact that Putin can harm eastern ukraine's economy isn't going to make them want to align with their enemy.
Who authorized you to speak on behalf of Ukranians, what they are "going to have" and what not?
Kurt Volker, who recently said that Americans are not going to leave Ukraine? Did he add "sorry" too I wonder?
When your friends were talking about the "populist," I imagine they were referring to Spivak ( judging by his style he is somewhere from Odessa - so he is the "Southerner." Former deputy of his local regional government I assume, or something like that.)
However Marunich is no "populist," he is a pro in energy sector, and that's why his speech is more ominous and more alarming for Ukraine ( and so are his articles.)
I might get to them later, but for now - I found the "populist" ( i.e. Spivak) to be quite entertaining ( as Odessa folks usually are.)
From 1:46 -
"…Angela Merkel has already said the last word. I guarantee and make a prognosis to you; before the end of the 2019, so literally within the next 5-6 months the North Stream 2 will start operating. The North Stream (not North Stream 2, but North Stream) is already operating and its volume only keeps on increasing. Only 3-4 days ago the Turkish media reported that the last finishing touches are about to be done and the Turkish stream will start operating. They are all bypassing Ukraine in whichever direction, from all fronts – South and North.
Remember the question in the “Baron Munchhausen” – “Where are our troops?”
-They are encircling on all fronts.
- Encircling whom?
- Everybody.
That pretty much describes our situation – everyone is “encircling us,” trying to avoid.
Next comes Pompeo, the US Secretary, and states that “Europe shouldn’t depend on Russian gas."
I have two questions for him with all due respect. So Europe then should depend on American gas? You decided so? This is the first question, and the second question – and how are you related to the economic affairs between Russia, Europe and so on?
One more time; the world is ruled by money. Germany is concerned first of all with its own national economic interests, and they are totally right about that. It’s profitable for them to work with Russia, and they are going to work with Russia. After all Germany has its own lobbying groups, its own transnational companies that bring politicians to power. So really, why should Ukraine make 3 billion on gas transit, when after the accomplishment of the North Stream 2, Germany becomes the major hub of Russian gas distribution in Europe?
And it’s not only gas industry where Germans cooperate with Russia; they cooperate in aircraft-space industry, the military industry, auto industry and so on and so on. They build the car factories in Russia and their cooperation has the wide range overall. I stress it one more time; it’s a mutually beneficial cooperation. And they both don’t give a damn how we live here. Of course the slogans remain the same “Crimea – yeah, no one will ever recognize…” But how do those slogans help us? Does our life here become any better because of these slogans? So where are we in this picture? Somewhere in the backyard. And that’s a problem, and that’s a trouble. Can I quote Omelyan here? So that you’d understand the level of our minister… So he was in Nikolaev lately, and listen closely guys – this is our Minister of Infrastructure, of our entire State, and they are constructing some public bathroom somewhere at the railway station, so he is saying that “this tandem – if we put our heads together – Groisman, Kravtzov Omelyan, then we’ll be able to finish this project successfully, and to fix that bathroom."
A some kind of a great trio of Bandura players, don't you think? OK guys.. What kind of spaceport in Australia are we talking about, when it takes the whole government to build the damn public bathroom? That’s why I don’t really want to comment on what’s about to take place now, since it’s all going to be connected to the e-lec-tion. So, whoever will scream louder about the “sanctions against Russia,” – he will gather more of the so-called “national-patriotic, pro-American, pro-western” forces around him.
Look, I deal with some western journalists and some politicians, and they are telling me off record “Listen guys, nobody wants to deal with you. You are rotten down to the bottom state, your elite is corrupt to no end, you have marauders, you have no game rules, no one will give you money, no one wants to deal with you. The only luck you have is that you border with Russia, and today Washington is fighting Russia geopolitically for the influence and so on… But you – nobody is interested in you. May be like in some additional appendix, like a territory that can provide natural resources like timber (which destroys our ecology in the process.) Or you can supply the labor. Ukraine today from my point of view…totally because of the inadequate external politics – that’s number one, because of the total corruption -that’s number two… has been pushed in the backyard of some European civilization. So I have a question for Americans, this is what I’d like to ask them; so you have cut us off from Russia, I understand, OK.. So we are going to lose now 3 billion dollars in gas transit after the North Stream 2 will start operating, but what are you offering us instead? You know, I’d like to ask them the way we do it in Odessa… So, the world is ruled by money, and Americans established the full control over our country. They set our internal politics, they appoint our key officials, (replace them – whatever,) so I want to ask them “and what are you giving us in return? Some written off cruiser motor boats? Or what kind of the motor-boats?
The anchorman: “They give us ministers”
Spivak: “Oh yes – ministers. That’s something practically sacred. They give us Omelyans, Kobalevs they give us Suprun, NABU, Sytnikov… At that Americans are quite interesting fellows; on one hand they are saying “we are all for democracy, but Kobalev is a right kind of guy, so you need to extend the contract with him for another year, and he has to get his couple of millions of grivnas. What’s that you are saying? That your surgeons are making only 7 thousand? We don’t care about some surgeons, but Kobalev who is going to mix gas in the right manner – that’s important.”
You understand of course that Kobalev is not some genius that popped out of nowhere, he is the appointee of transnational corporations, that promote him, lobby him and will support him.
And that’s why huge amounts of money, the shady money, stolen from our people are moved in different directions… And as the latest situation with Kobalev demonstrated to us, that he doesn’t give a *sh*t* what our government is telling him to do. When those corporations dictated, that he was going to work, the contract has been extended. Even though only a week earlier Mr. Groisman officially announced that “there will be no more contracts, only bidding; everything is going to be transparent from now on.”
And speaking of our Cicerones,… I don’t know should we talk here about Lutsenko and Jovanovich, this international scandal that took place today. Let me remind our listeners what this is all about.
We’ve already mentioned that Ukraine is under the total external control. Recently the American ambassador Jovanovich was making a public speech, explaining who should be fired and who shouldn’t – she is doing it already out in the open, with no diplomatic pretenses.
And suddenly none other but Yuri Lutsenko, yes, our very Attorney General is saying that during his last meeting with Jovanovich she gave him a list of the “untouchable people” against whom no measures should be taken.
Listen dear friends… you can’t imagine where all this can lead us… I mean it’s like in that famous joke: “you either take the cross off your neck or put the pants on.”
If Lutsenko is telling the truth (and I for some strange reason believe him, because our “Western partners” have their own list of people (and we all know whom I am talking about – the ministers, NABU and so on.
) So OK, Yuri Ivanovich ( Lutsenko), if you said “A,” please say “B” and publish this list. Who Mrs Ambassador of the United States was talking about exactly? If it’s all true, I don’t see the reaction of our Ministry of the International Affairs, while the reaction should follow immediately.
And if this is NOT true, then we are going to have very negative consequences coming from the US, big time.."
Yet train travel between the 2 countries declines each year. Meanwhile travel to and from Europe grows. Salaries aren't higher in Russia than Kiev (except Moscow but the rents destroy any financial advantage). I only say this because of all the people I know who used to work in Russia, 0% of them work in Russia now. Surely many still do, especially from the east, but this is not an increasing amount.
Where is it "moving to?"
Ukraine is not some Poland or Estonia. The previously set scheme is not going to work any longer.
If Americans ( or whoever) are hoping to shove 20 million of Ukrainians to "work in Europe" like the Balts/Romanians were shoved before to "make money" there, while the rest of their hapless compatriots stayed behind barely surviving on local salaries, by now Europe's labor market is saturated. Germany is full of the Middle Easterners and Britain is looking for exit out of this mess.
There is of course half-empty Poland, ( since its population is sitting in Britain now,) but not everyone in Ukraine is ready to move there to do the menial jobs.
And neither the US nor Europe has funds ( or desire) to purchase Ukraine for real to bring its economy to "European standards" as Ukrainians hoped.
So the perspectives for Ukraine don't look too good as far as I can see.
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Few care about the past. They had a good thing going and now its over. Most of the wealthy residents of the Donbas moved to other parts of Ukraine (primarily Dnipro, Kharkov and Kiev). The factories in the occupied zones are mostly shut. Coal isn't as important as it used to be. Much of the remaining important industry is in government controlled areas. That said, Ukraine would be much better off if the Donbas would join Russia. Then they can continue their soviet lifestyle and live their fantasy of being told what to do.
What about non-wealthy?
Should I translate the speech here in the EU parliament of O. Medvedeva (from "Strana UA") what a disaster the life is for the Donbass population that escaped the war zone but didn't run to Russia and decided to stay in Ukraine instead?
What kind of treatment they received from Ukrainian government?
Or it doesn't matter since these are not the "wealthy residents?"
(I guess she is one of these people, that's why she represents them.)
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