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[LordBaal]

In my work one of the designers is a ukranian single mom, we all pitched in and the company also put a lot to evacuate her and his kid to Poland. Thankfully she and her kid are safe.

[Telgin]

Sure.  I meant that NATO couldn't do something decisive like send the USAF over to shoot down Russian aircraft, or deploy American infantry or tank divisions to directly engage Russian forces.  We've proxied what we can through them and provided intel, but we haven't come to the rescue like we theoretically could have.  Everybody knows we can't, including him, but it doesn't mean he can't be upset about it.

I'll admit I haven't followed all of his speeches and dialogues, but hasn't he repeatedly called us out for just watching instead of doing more?

[Dostoevsky]

Uh, speaking of air force Poland has struck a deal to transfer its MiGs to the US (who will presumably then transfer them to Ukraine). The US will then give (maybe sell, oddly enough?) Poland some jets with "corresponding operational capabilities."

[EuchreJack]

Uh, speaking of air force Poland has struck a deal to transfer its MiGs to the US (who will presumably then transfer them to Ukraine). The US will then give (maybe sell, oddly enough?) Poland some jets with "corresponding operational capabilities."

I wouldn't be surprised if many former Warsaw Pact countries do the same, or other past beneficiaries of Soviet military aid.

[Strongpoint]

The most important thing is that the Russian blitzkrieg has failed. It is now impossible to win without raising stakes.

Ukraine is mobilizing, Ukraine is switching to the war economy, Ukraine is evacuating non-combatants to other countries. Ukraine is getting aid in form of money, weapons, supplies, and even volunteers.  You can't defeat and occupy a large mobilized country with a 250K invasion force. To win, Russia needs to either go full mobilization itself or use WMDs.

[martinuzz]

The New York Times has also recalled it's reporters from Russia, saying the new law makes it impossible to work safely there.

Meanwhile, The Moscow Times has fled Russia and has moved it's operations to Amsterdam.

Perhaps we should start arresting oligarchs, so we have a trading stock to exchange for imprisoned journalists.

EDIT: In other news from Amsterdam, the Russian-orthodox parochy of St.Niklas of Myra (who is know as Sinterklaas in the Netherlands folklore) was vandalized by Putin supporters. A handful of big Z's was spraypainted on it.

Earlier this week, the parochy declared it no longer wished to be part of the Russian orthodox church, and the Russian patriarch Kirill, whose name they henceforth refuse to mention in mass after the unholy father put the blame for the invasion of Ukraine with the West.
They have joined the Ukrainian orthodox church.

Tuesday mass has been cancelled, they don't feel safe.

EDIT2: The UN has fallen victim to Putin's censorship.
UN members and staff have been told that they are no longer allowed to use the words 'war' or 'invasion', and are urged to instead use 'conflict' and 'military attack', to keep an appearance of neutrality and not frustrate Russia.

[nenjin]

Chances are it's just bot nets doing it too.

[brewer bob]

Other games that made anti-war statements, setup charities to help victims of the war like "This War of Mine"

Unrelated: this game was actually the first thing to come into my mind after hearing about the Russian invasion.

[martinuzz]

Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands must have gotten quite a scare last monday.
Every 1st monday of the month, at 12:00, our air raid sirens sound.
That's just a test.

But the newly arrived Ukrainians must have surely thought the nukes were falling.
As far as I can tell, no one died of heart attack.

[Lord Shonus]

Uh, speaking of air force Poland has struck a deal to transfer its MiGs to the US (who will presumably then transfer them to Ukraine). The US will then give (maybe sell, oddly enough?) Poland some jets with "corresponding operational capabilities."

I wouldn't be surprised if many former Warsaw Pact countries do the same, or other past beneficiaries of Soviet military aid.

Poland has already been transitioning off of ex-Soviet planes like MiGs toward US-made F-16s and F-35s, which are both more capable and easier to integrate into a NATO environment. So this is only accelerating the timetable and all the necessary training and logistic changes are already in progress. Be a bit more difficult for a nation that hasn't already started to do the same.

[ChairmanPoo]

Apparently Zelensky has ‘cooled down’ on NATO membership for Ukraine.
Opening the door for future compromise with Russia? Is Russia even open to compromise at this point any more?

IIRC it was kind of mistranslated

And TBH I dont think that´s something he can compromise on in a way that Putin will like.

Particularily given that Putin withdrawing now doesnt mean he wont do it again in 1 or in 5 years

[Il Palazzo]

The only two other NATO ex-Warsaw pact countries that still operate the same type of aircraft as Ukraine are Bulgaria and Slovakia. These are low numbers too (about dozen each). But where Poles already have F-16s in service (no F-35s yet), comprising about 2/3rds of the combat aircraft, both Bulgaria and Slovakia have only placed orders on F-16s. Delivery will take time, and training pilots and ground crew to work with new machines will take even more.
While Poland will also have to wait for replacement F-16s to be delivered, as apparently there's a backlog on the US side, their Migs have already effectively been grounded for some time now, following a series of crashes.
So Poland is only giving away their emergency aircraft, so to speak. While Bulgaria and Slovakia would have to strip themselves of all their air force for the foreseeable future by giving away their Migs and Sus. That's not going to happen.

[martinuzz]

US secretary of commerce warns Chinese companies that the US could take 'devestating action' against them if they defy Russian sanctions.

[McTraveller]

To be fair, I'd much rather live with an economic war than a shooting war.  For even though nobody's using the language, this is basically already a world war, just being fought with economics rather than munitions.

Will be interesting if the history books note it as such.

[delphonso]

US secretary of commerce warns Chinese companies that the US could take 'devestating action' against them if they defy Russian sanctions.

Now to not do so will be a loss of face for China... This has guaranteed Chinese support for Russia. As stated, hopefully it remains economic support only...