Exact same value today as they were on the 27th of Feb, Russian Central bank is having a great war, so far!
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Interesting documentary about Putin on RTE 1 now. Boris Yeltsin quickly realised the mistake he’d made by selecting Putin as his successor.
Germany landed in their position on energy because of historical factors and Merkel being short term in her approach.
Wasn’t the same as how London went.
Any word on how this is working out?
Not sure the standard bearers of the EU meet the standards either at this stage.
Some laugh you claiming to be worried about corruption.
A hape of red herrings. Europe didn’t want them, and effectively blocked their entry by imposing unrealistic and ruinous demands. Bad as ukraine was then i dont see it emerging from this conflict with anything other than an emotive claim to membership. If anything the prospect of civil war is more realistic…or a country that just goes full nazi.
The pragmatic move would be for both sides (russia and the US) to financially back Ukraine and dangle the sincere prospect of eventual membership …while making it contingent on russia also joining, with the same provisos etc
Strengthen both countries, bring russia in from the cold and set back Chinese imperialism… all at once.
I doubt that this has occurred to anyone other than @glenshane, but this is why i get paid the big bucks.
You heard it here first.
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I think that’s probably something that can be applied to pretty much any thought that goes through your head.
I never claimed anything, you’re making that claim for me. I just stated a fact.
Consistently didn’t meet the standards, what are you on about? EU accession is generally a pretty long and torturous process. It takes years and years of incremental improvements to join. Ukraine is not even a candidate country yet. There are a number of countries currently in the process as candidate countries and yet they’re miles away yet, they may never get there. Once this is over (whenever that is) I would expect Ukraine to align more and more closely with the EU quite rapidly and to join in the long term.
Are lads surprised that a former Soviet bloc country is mired in corruption?
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My my. A week ago it was a sacrilegious outrage to contemplate such utterances. You’d simpletons moralising about excusing putins actions, conspiracy theories, 4chan and the like.
Still, it’s good to see the slow learners attempting a grown up conversation. They’ll move forward slowly and cautiously, making sure no-one breaks ranks lest they turn on him.
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That doesn’t contradict anything I said. Especially in terms of my reply to Julio. Thanks.
The Putin apologists circling their defunct Tanks
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I don’t see the connection between Ukrainian corruption and the Russian invasion however. Is it not a bit of a red herring? Why isn’t Russian corruption being mentioned?
It’s all a bit “Look over there, Ukraine is corrupt”
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I don’t think there’s a link at all. But surely one can point out Ukrainian corruption in terms of EU membership without being labelled in favour of the invasion or Putin. Speaking negatively of Ukraine doesn’t mean a person is bereft of compassion or empathy for the current plight of the country.
I think any normal person who has had the misfortune to see any of your posts on this thread would come to exactly that conclusion about you.
Where would you even start with this? No-one claimed corruption was putins sole reason for invading Ukraine. That said its been permissible here to suggest putin wouldn’t have invaded if Ukraine had been a member of the eu. A significant barrier to their membership is corruption. What would be the point of granting membership only to see their population declining, financial support finding its way into the pockets of oligarchs, private militias, puppet local politicians, corrupt american politicians and their sons etc.
Do you think Ukrainian foreign or defence policy has been motivated by whats in the best interests of Ukrainians or what’s been in the best interests of the cohort mentioned above? Do you think the 2014 ‘change in leadership’ could have happened without corruption, US trained and funded nazi batallions and the promise of profitable outcomes for Kolomoisky and co.
Even if putin couldn’t have cared less about the pre 2022 brutality meted out onto the ethnic russian population of Ukraine by state forces, do you think further invasions, peace negotiations, foreign aid, future eu membership etc will be hindered or helped by the current behaviour of the Ukrainian army?
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The Ukranian army should have rolled over and allowed Putin have his victory parade.
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