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Well, looks like the entire situation unfortunately changed since January 2022 compared to the much more relatively stable years of 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. More than 5 years of redemption. Especially when going West of the Dnieper River or away from the far east. Kiev, Lviv, Odessa are some wonderful cities to visit.
2014, 2015 is equal to the issues of 2022. I won't visit Ukraine 2022, or those two other years. Although, I don't mind 2016-2021. I bet there are still enough very happy tourists back then already... Ukraine is one of the most affordable places to visit in Europe generally earlier in the 2000's.
Since 2013, Crimean Peninsula, Kharkiv type of cities, and don't forget some actual spots in Russia such as Voronezh to Rostov On Don especially, Krasnodar are still generally no go zones, probably. There is or was lots of Russia, and Ukraine to still visit. Just please don't fight with each other!
And the USA President, National security advisor with some Europe EU NATO countries representatives have to avoid acting so harsh, rude, or aggressive with something that really isn't their own business. Way too fast in a response. There is no choice but to
motivate only peace no complication.
Three things that alarmed me in today's Russian news;
1. The reminder made by Eduard Basurin of DNR that few months ago the big cargo with antidote has been delivered to the port of Mariupol, ( and then the later reports about the chemical substances delivered close to Donbass front lines.)
2. The arrival of all major American media outlets close to the LDNR area.
The third point was particularly troubling, because ( looking at the bigger picture,) Qatar in many ways was a country behind the civil war in Syria ( and everything that followed.)
Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia brokered a deal in Washington, regarding supply of Qatari's gas to Europe via Syria, but for this purpose Bashar Assad ( Russian ally) had to be removed from power.
And that's what triggered the "civil war" there ( read an attempt to unseat him.)
And as usual in that part of the world, once you unseat the more or less secular leader, the radical Islam takes over ( in that case it was ISIS.)
It's all a long shot still, but I can already trace the further ideas of attempts to "disable Russia," and Qatar would play an important role after the whole scheme with Ukraine ( which is not going too well it has to be mentioned.)
1. The reminder made by Eduard Basurin of DNR that few months ago the big cargo with antidote has been delivered to the port of Mariupol, ( and then the later reports about the chemical substances delivered close to Donbass front lines.)
Are you talking about chemical warfare? Got a link?
On the horizon is this. The Power Of Siberia 2 pipeline.
That's very strange for Qatar considering the rivality and hostility the country have with traditional US/anglo ally arabia saoudia and emirates.
It looks like the major trouble came only in 2017, and ( as usual) it always goes back to that Sunni/Shia historic split and the internal politics of the Islamic world because of that.
But I've seen out of the corner of my eye that Saudis and Iran patched up their relations lately, and so this might have affected the relations between the Saudis and Qatar then.
I think Iran is coming in focus more and more lately too - I probably need to look into it when things with Ukraine will become more clear.
After all, my family ties go THERE ( talking about the former lands of the Tzarist/Soviet Empire,) and not to Ukraine, as the majority of Russians)))
It looks like the major trouble came only in 2017, and ( as usual) it always goes back to that Sunni/Shia historic split and the internal politics of the Islamic world because of that.
But I've seen out of the corner of my eye that Saudis and Iran patched up their relations lately, and so this might have affected the relations between the Saudis and Qatar then.
I think Iran is coming in focus more and more lately too - I probably need to look into it when things with Ukraine will become more clear.
After all, my family ties go THERE ( talking about the former lands of the Tzarist/Soviet Empire,) and not to Ukraine, as the majority of Russians)))
From what I can tell anti-Iran sentiment in the UAE is a smokescreen. I have a cousin in Iran who works for some big state company and Dubai is a top place to launder money and avoid sanctions.
Yemen is in ruins and Oman is neutral which just leaves the Saudis and Kuwait. I don't know what Kuwait is doing but Saudis are looking to become another version of Dubai where internationally they get western aid but secretly they funnel Iranian money.
From what I can tell anti-Iran sentiment in the UAE is a smokescreen. I have a cousin in Iran who works for some big state company and Dubai is a top place to launder money and avoid sanctions.
Yemen is in ruins and Oman is neutral which just leaves the Saudis and Kuwait. I don't know what Kuwait is doing but Saudis are looking to become another version of Dubai where internationally they get western aid but secretly they funnel Iranian money.
You know, while I was refreshing my memories on the Ukrainian events going all the way back to 2014, I came across one interesting "Vice" dispatch on Iran, that is very recent - like this summer recent.
I think I'll go through it.
Things are quietly developing in that part of the world, while the world is busy watching what's unfolding in Ukraine.
Speaking of which, Erdogan ( who has designs of his own,) signed big contracts couple of days ago with Zelensky, and this includes the factory of the "Bairaktars" (drones) production, that are currently dropping explosives in Donbass.
This, and it pays to mention that he has his own claims for Crimea, ( going far back in history.)
All this ( needless to say) changes the dynamics of relations between Turkey and Russia, ( which at the end I'm sure will ultimately manifest itself in Syria.)
So yeah, things are happening in that part of the world, while we stare in different direction.
P.S. I do not let out of sight that recent PERSONAL visit of Iran's Raissi to Kremlin and his offer of cooperation ( now that the union between Russia and China is already in place.)
DNR asked the idiots "what's about the current cease fire," - but Ukrs. simply ignored the question.
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