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[Sergarr]

Ukraine is on a verge of technical default after just one year of new government's rule, and somehow it's Russia that's the loser?

That's some weird reality you're living in.

[reality.auditor]

Ukraine is on a verge of technical default after just one year of new government's rule,

Yep, I know perfectly well that Ukraine is corrupted, almost bankrupt country that wasted away last 25 years before current totally-not-war. Guess which country historically and currently contributed greatly to that state?

and somehow it's Russia that's the loser?

This article that I linked considered Russia being loser only if it would have to actually take care, pay and maintain Ukraine territory it currently controls. Not gonna happen, of course. Costs of rebuilding everything what russians destroyed (not to mention pensions, infrastructure and other things that would be needed regardless of war destruction) will be paid by Ukraine, if Russia can help it.

Article itself is not without problems, but completely different kind of problems.

That's some weird reality you're living in.

*laughs* Look who's talking. You deny russian invasion of Ukraine. You live in reality right next to creationist's one.

[Owlbread]

Not much going on in Scottish politics but the 56 SNP MPs are still settling in and making their presence known. They've managed to secure chairperson positions for thr Climate Change committee or whatever it's called, as well as the Scottish Affairs committee which was used to relentlessly attack independence furing the referendum campaign. Before the election it was the main Unionist powerbase in Westminster.

The only other thing is Alistair Carmichael, former UK gov Secretary of State for Scotland, has admitted to leaking a falsified memo during the election campaign smearing the First Minister. He also lied barefaced about it on TV and made a terrible arse of himself in general. He only won against the SNP in Orknry and Shetland by less than 800 votes so there's a big clamour for him to resign as an MP. If he does there will be a by-election and we could see a 57th SNP MP.

[Guardian G.I.]

Ukraine is on a verge of technical default after just one year of new government's rule,

Yep, I know perfectly well that Ukraine is corrupted, almost bankrupt country that wasted away last 25 years before current totally-not-war. Guess which country historically and currently contributed greatly to that state?

The onset of corruption and oligarchization happened in Ukraine in the 1990s, and Russia had nothing to do with it. Yeltsin and his liberal friends were too busy helping their sponsors pilfer Russia itself.

Maybe Putin had such supernatural powers in the early-mid 1990s that he could corrupt Ukraine remotely and exercise the duties of deputy mayor of St. Petersburg at the same time, but it's unlikely.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Sure, Yeltsin and co never messed with former Soviet countries and never used "former" KGB agents to "defend their interests". Furthermore war in Chechnya and shelling of Russian parliament in 1993 demonstrated how liberal Yeltsin's friends were...

As for incoming default... What can I say... Even more talented and patriotic government would have problems after losing a chunk of territory, spending heaps of cash on the war and having one million+ internally displaced persons. This one... Well, unless a large war will start, I expect early elections in a year or something. That or Russian propaganda will become true and a real junta will emerge.

[martinuzz]

Even though Russia has been completely screwing up their Ukraine operation, with their economy taking a bad hit, with secret Russian bodybags slowly seeping into the media, and mothers of dead soldiers being arrested if they don't shut up, I cannot say that Russia is losing the Ukraine conflict.

Ukraine itself has won the conflict for Russia, by not being able to form a less corrupt government, and issueing dumb laws like banning hammer and sickle, comparing it with nazi swastikas.
EU doesn't like that. EU likes freedom of expression (except ofcourse for nazi symbolism).
As a result, more and more EU countries are becoming sick and tired of Ukraine, and it has even resulted in the EU changing it's policy towards Eastern European states in general.
Newspaper wrote yesterday that EU ministers agreed that they will no longer actively pursue forging closer economic bonds with non-NATO eastern EU, at least not in such a way that it would stand in the way of those countries forming economic bonds with Russia.

If Russia can't win a war, their enemies will win it for them.

[scrdest]

Ukraine itself has won the conflict for Russia, by not being able to form a less corrupt government, and issueing dumb laws like banning hammer and sickle, comparing it with nazi swastikas.
EU doesn't like that. EU likes freedom of expression (except ofcourse for nazi symbolism).

Claiming that EU has issues with this of all the things... warrants some grade-A proof.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Ukraine itself has won the conflict for Russia, by not being able to form a less corrupt government

Oh, believe me it is less corrupt. It is by orders of magnitude more corrupt than 'normal'government but it is still way better than one before... Problem is that it is not good enough for the current situation.

and issueing dumb laws like banning hammer and sickle, comparing it with nazi swastikas.

And we still 'oppress' LGBT people and have shitty animal rights laws!

As a result, more and more EU countries are becoming sick and tired of Ukraine, and it has even resulted in the EU changing it's policy towards Eastern European states in general.

Oh, this feeling is mutual. More and more Ukrainians becoming sick and tired of EU.
Our government hoping to survive the storm on European money and pretending to be EU-style politicians don't add any popularity to European ideas.

[Loud Whispers]

Considering how the EU's busy trying to shovel North Africans out of Italy, Germany and Sweden - I'd say they have more things concerning them than Ukraine's LGBT or animal rights accord. At any rate, the EU is trying to build one nation state. It will not let Ukraine fall apart, in the same way that it won't let Greece fall apart. It does not want to lose control of its Russian or Turkish border.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

It will not let Ukraine fall apart, in the same way that it won't let Greece fall apart.

Heh. This is what Ukrainian government hopes for EU will give money whatever we will do.So pathetic.

[reality.auditor]

Yep, I know perfectly well that Ukraine is corrupted, almost bankrupt country that wasted away last 25 years before current totally-not-war. Guess which country historically and currently contributed greatly to that state?

The onset of corruption and oligarchization happened in Ukraine in the 1990s,

Because Ukraine was clean and least corrupted country in world under Soviet rule before '90s.  Ukraine got out of Russia's yoke already in state of dispair thanks to - among other things - moronic economic system that holded it (and rest of Soviet bloc) back for few decades. Difference is that some post-Soviet countries fared way, way better (like mine) than other. Ukraine just... dithered.

Maybe Putin

Maybe I wrote "country", not "Putin". Reading comprehension and all of that.

and issueing dumb laws like banning hammer and sickle, comparing it with nazi swastikas. EU doesn't like that.

Ahahahaha. Do you really think this particular thing is problem? Somehow Germany don't have problem with banning nazi symbols, it would be hypocritical to fuss over bans of communism symbols.

As a result, more and more EU countries are becoming sick and tired of Ukraine,

This kind of stance is pretty much betrayal in my eyes. Ukraine pays dearly for its wish to join EU, adopting west values and getting out of russian sphere of influence in general. I consider Russian agression on Ukraine as indirect agression against west and its values.

So I find reaction of EU on whole Ukrainian-Russian conflict and it's appeasement policy* towards Putin extremely dissapointing and suicidally pathetic. This may became EU's existential threat in medium term. But I guess as long as certain EU countries can trade and make money with Russia, everything will be okay. Certain spineless leaders (like Obama, Merkel von Chamberlain or Holland) can delude themself it will end with Ukraine and they will weather it out.

At any rate, the EU is trying to build one nation state.

Yes, and that pretty unique experiment - trying to create bigger political entity consensually, without conquest and bloodshed - now looks pretty doubtful, both for internal and external reasons. Shame.

Meanwhile, new shitstorm in Macedonia is brewing on horizon... will it be just tempest in teapot or Balkan Powder Keg Bis?

* Already tried once some time ago. Guess what, it didn't worked.

[Sergarr]

*laughs* Look who's talking. You deny russian invasion of Ukraine. You live in reality right next to creationist's one.

I did not fucking deny that.

Look, I am not your average Russian strawman. You're not winning points by trying to act as if I was one.

As a result, more and more EU countries are becoming sick and tired of Ukraine,

This kind of stance is pretty much betrayal in my eyes. Ukraine pays dearly for its wish to join EU, adopting west values and getting out of russian sphere of influence in general. I consider Russian agression on Ukraine as indirect agression against west and its values.

So I find reaction of EU on whole Ukrainian-Russian conflict and it's appeasement policy* towards Putin extremely dissapointing and suicidally pathetic. This may became EU's existential threat in medium term. But I guess as long as certain EU countries can trade and make money with Russia, everything will be okay. Certain spineless leaders (like Obama, Merkel von Chamberlain or Holland) can delude themself it will end with Ukraine and they will weather it out.

Also I'm very interested to know how Russia represents an "existential threat" to European Union. No, really, I'm curious about what actions will allow us to conquer entity which has access to nuclear weapons and most members of which are in the biggest alliance that ever existed of Earth.

Outside of Tom Clancy's shenanigans, I mean.

[Helgoland]

1) NATO is regarded as an enemy by Russia.
2) Russia could effectively destroy NATO by beginning another low-level but progressively escalating conflict with a member state.
3) Such a conflict without a proper European response would mean the end of the EU as we currently know it as well.

[Sergarr]

2) Russia could effectively destroy NATO by beginning another low-level but progressively escalating conflict with a member state.

I don't see how that's possible. NATO is not limited in its defensive response, so you can't exactly "escalate" against it.

EDIT: What I mean is that any low-level force that Russia can assemble will be met with overwhelming responce that will annihilate that low-level force and make further escalation impossible.

[Frumple]

So, uh, hey. Apparently go ireland? Looks like enough of the count is in that anything but yes happening on the same-sex marriage legalization is impossible. Something like 3/4ths of the country's been tallied, from what I can tell, with only one district or whatever they are coming out no and everyone else coming out pretty decisively (as in, many places had a 2:1 yes to no ratio) yes.

Cheers to 'em for apparently becoming the first country to legalize it by direct public referendum.

E: Make that 40 of the 43 constituencies, total support at 60-something percent. For voting, that's pretty incredible.

E2: And apparently it's passed. 60+% turnout, 60+% approval, something like 36% nay votes. Congratulations, ireland!