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[Loud Whispers]

The increasingly bigger number of people in China apparently believe that they have the rightful claim to Vladivostok. Potential grounds for a sudden-yet-inevitable betrayal?

inb4 China must protect Chinese speaking Chinese

[Culise]

And overturn the last of the unequal treaties, don't forget.  The Treaty of Aigun is one of the (and with the reclamation of the Hong Kong, I believe the only) remaining unequal treaty imposed during the period of Qing weakness that marked the 19th century.

On the other hand, a slightly unfair part of my own mind keeps murmuring, "Little green men when?"

EDIT: But in seriousness, a Sino-Russian split is not likely in the near future as long as China finds Russia more useful as a gadfly at a safe remove as well as a source of raw resources to fuel its own industrial and energy needs.  As long as the West is a common enemy, they can swallow whatever temporary discomforts they need.

[Guardian G.I.]

I guess I'll put it here: apparently under a new just recently tested system that is planned to be implemented along the entire Russia, all non-federal civilian administration, including governors, local and regional governments, and regional branches of: 1) internal affairs ministry (basically police), 2) ministry of emergency situations (first responders), 3) FSB (you all know who they are), 4) and the newly formed "RusGuard" (which is basically like USA's National Guard, only more evil), are now to be placed under direct military control (as in, they give orders to them) during war time (or martial law, though these two seem to be used interchangeably in the article).

This kind of ridiculous centralization of power doesn't seem sane to me. Who the fuck thought that this was a good idea?

Russian government is already absurdly centralized to the point that if you take out the central administration in Moscow, you'd be effectively collapsing the entire system, since there are zero mechanisms for smaller-level administration to carry out the functions of the higher-level ones, how did someone manage to look at that and think that "clearly Russia is not centralized enough, what Russia needs is even more centralization!"?

These measures seem quite desperate for peacetime. In the most likely scenario where Moscow would be forced to enact them, things like the effectiveness of local bureaucrats wouldn't matter anymore. The most pressing concern for Putin and Co. during such turn of events, in my opinion, would be something like "Get to Mount Yamantau right fucking now or be vaporised".

Also, it's interesting how Russia started preparing for nuclear war once it became clear that Trump has no chance of winning the US presidential election. The Kremlin apparently thinks Hillary getting in the Oval Office may actually start or trigger WW3, and that's not really reassuring.

[BorkBorkGoesTheCode]

I guess I'll put it here: apparently under a new just recently tested system that is planned to be implemented along the entire Russia, all non-federal civilian administration, including governors, local and regional governments, and regional branches of: 1) internal affairs ministry (basically police), 2) ministry of emergency situations (first responders), 3) FSB (you all know who they are), 4) and the newly formed "RusGuard" (which is basically like USA's National Guard, only more evil), are now to be placed under direct military control (as in, they give orders to them) during war time (or martial law, though these two seem to be used interchangeably in the article).

This kind of ridiculous centralization of power doesn't seem sane to me. Who the fuck thought that this was a good idea?

Russian government is already absurdly centralized to the point that if you take out the central administration in Moscow, you'd be effectively collapsing the entire system, since there are zero mechanisms for smaller-level administration to carry out the functions of the higher-level ones, how did someone manage to look at that and think that "clearly Russia is not centralized enough, what Russia needs is even more centralization!"?

These measures seem quite desperate for peacetime. In the most likely scenario where Moscow would be forced to enact them, things like the effectiveness of local bureaucrats wouldn't matter anymore. The most pressing concern for Putin and Co. during such turn of events, in my opinion, would be something like "Get to Mount Yamantau right fucking now or be vaporised".

Also, it's interesting how Russia started preparing for nuclear war once it became clear that Trump has no chance of winning the US presidential election. The Kremlin apparently thinks Hillary getting in the Oval Office may actually start or trigger WW3, and that's not really reassuring.

Could be a campaign endorsement for Clinton....

[Dorsidwarf]

"Vote Clinton, Amerikan pig dogs, usher in the death of the world"

[Loud Whispers]

"Vote Clinton, Amerikan pig dogs, usher in the death of the world"

Would Clinton continue the power play versus Russia is probably the question

USA so obviously outmatches Russia that they don't have much option except usher in extinction of humankind, so it is not necessarily a good thing to do

[Jimmy]

Wasn't there something about Trump apparently having ties to Russian politicians? I'm happily down here in the southern hemisphere watching you all just freak out about crap I don't a wombat's ass about.

[Sergarr]

Wasn't there something about Trump apparently having ties to Russian politicians? I'm happily down here in the southern hemisphere watching you all just freak out about crap I don't a wombat's ass about.

The latest evidence of his ties to Russia was him repeating filthy Russian propaganda from Sputnik a few hours after they deleted it.

[Sheb]

To be fair, Trump doesn't need the Kremlin to spout badly put-together conspiracy theories.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Quite nice France 24's report from Donbass

Someone may find it interesting

[martinuzz]

Arson Pavlov, alias 'Motorola', one of the highest ranking pro-Russian seperatist commanders has been assasinated by a bomb blowing up the elevator in his appartment.
The leader of the rebel republic of Donetsk has immediatly accused the Ukrainian government of being behind it, and declared war.
Immediatly after, Ukrainian forces at the border are reporting heavy incoming fire.

Motorola, a former communications officer in the Russian army, joined the rebel forces in the spring of 2014, and grew to be one of the most feared commanders.
Amongst rebels, he was honoured as a hero, but Kiev regarded him as a war criminal. In an interview, Motorola once confessed to have personally executed 15 prisoners.

This wasn't the first attempt on his life. In june, a bomb went of in a hospital he was admitted to, but that time he remained unharmed.

tl;dr looks like the cease fire between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels is now officially over.

[Sergarr]

tl;dr looks like the cease fire between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels is now officially over.

That must be the tenth time that happened. Don't worry, it'll get enforced again, soon. "Only Minsk agreements, no alternatives!" is a fucking mantra at this point.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Arson Pavlov, alias 'Motorola', one of the highest ranking pro-Russian seperatist commanders has been assasinated by a bomb blowing up the elevator in his appartment.
The leader of the rebel republic of Donetsk has immediatly accused the Ukrainian government of being behind it, and declared war.
Immediatly after, Ukrainian forces at the border are reporting heavy incoming fire.

Motorola, a former communications officer in the Russian army, joined the rebel forces in the spring of 2014, and grew to be one of the most feared commanders.
Amongst rebels, he was honoured as a hero, but Kiev regarded him as a war criminal. In an interview, Motorola once confessed to have personally executed 15 prisoners.

This wasn't the first attempt on his life. In june, a bomb went of in a hospital he was admitted to, but that time he remained unharmed.

tl;dr looks like the cease fire between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels is now officially over.

To be honest this post is... very far away from reality

There are no Pro-Russian rebels or seperatists. They don't exist. There are occupation force with some collaborators who play the role of "governments"

There are only one person in the world who decides if Russian occupation force will move forward. His name is Vladimir Putin. And he sinply doesn't care that Mototola got upgraded to Samsung Galaxy

[Baffler]

And he simply doesn't care that Mototola got upgraded to Samsung Galaxy

I'm going to hell for how hard I laughed at this, but I find myself struggling to feel bad for the man either.

[martinuzz]

Don't worry, my sides hurt too. Good joke, UR.