“a mine in the rear”? What a horrible way to go.
Ukraine. Ukraine. Ukraine.
- Thread starter Llcoolw
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Wonder why he put it there
Switzerland freezes Russian assets worth $8.8 billion
Switzerland has frozen the financial assets of Russians amounting to approximately 7.7 billion Swiss francs (8.81 billion dollars). The funds were frozen as part of sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.
This figure, according to preliminary estimates, is slightly higher than the 7.5 billion francs that, according to the Swiss government, were blocked last year after Bern adopted European Union sanctions.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the agency overseeing sanctions, says the 7.7 billion francs figure is only its latest estimate and is subject to change.
It is difficult to provide an exact figure because new individuals may be added or excluded from the sanctions list, as legal proceedings are ongoing to freeze or unlock further assets. A more accurate figure is expected by the end of the second quarter of 2024 when Swiss banks will report to the government.
The increase in the volume of frozen assets is linked to including 300 individuals and 100 companies and organizations in the sanctions list over the last 12 months. The list also includes potential income from monetary deposits, bonds, stocks, as well as real estate and luxury cars.
Bern has also blocked currency assets amounting to 7.4 billion francs belonging to the Russian central bank.
However, the frozen assets represent only a small part of the total wealth of Russians in Switzerland, as according to the Swiss Bankers Association's estimates, the country's banks hold 150 billion francs.
Confiscation of Russian assets
Ukraine, together with its partners, is working on a mechanism to transfer frozen Russian assets to Kyiv as compensation for war-related damages. For this purpose, a register of damages has been created, which is expected to be in work next year.
Bloomberg previously reported that the EU was exploring a procedure to confiscate 200 billion euros in assets. The European Commission is also developing its proposals.
Belgium will create a special fund for Ukraine in the amount of 1.7 billion euros. It will be filled with taxes from frozen Russian assets in Belgium.
Recently, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine needed to use the frozen Russian assets held by Western partners for its reconstruction.
Link
I can almost hear Trump right now asking if Putin is prayed to like a Saint then that is amazing and such a sign of respect and he should also be prayed to .
Putin's image as a 'saint' sparks controversy in Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church, under the leadership of Patriarch Kirill, has been seen to force attendees of the so-called “World Russian People’s Council” to pray to Russian President Vladimir Putin as if he were a “saint”. This event was captured in a video published on social media in November.
President Vladimir Putin’s picture was shown between two giant images of an ancient Orthodox icon, warning the West ahead of elections in March 2024 that any foreign meddling in Russia would be considered an act of aggression. This display of Putin’s image alongside religious iconography is indicative of the close ties between the Russian state and the Orthodox Church.
The relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the state has undergone profound historical transformations. The church’s current support for the Kremlin is not inevitable or predestined, but a deliberate decision. For centuries, leaders in Byzantium and Russia prized the idea of church and state working harmoniously together in “symphony”. However, the dissolution of the Soviet Union brought yet another complete reversal. The church was suddenly free, yet facing enormous challenges after decades of suppression.
Patriarch Kirill, who has been the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since 2009, is seen as a wealthy and powerful member of Putin’s elite inner circle. He wields enormous influence as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, bestowing guidance to more than 100 million believers — about 70 per cent of the country’s population. It also makes him a useful ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The pair appear to have struck a mutually beneficial alliance that offers Russia’s leader spiritual cover in exchange for the Kremlin’s influence. This alliance is evident in the recent events where the church has been seen to support Putin’s actions and policies.
The church has also endorsed Putin’s intervention in Syria, portraying it as a holy war against terrorism. The church has also condemned the protests in Belarus, accusing the opposition of being manipulated by the West.
The intertwining of politics and religion in Russia is not a new phenomenon, but the recent events have brought it to the forefront. The use of religious iconography and rituals to bolster political power is a tactic that has been used throughout history. However, the extent to which this is happening in Russia, with the apparent endorsement of the Orthodox Church, is noteworthy.
The implications of this alliance between church and state are far-reaching. It not only affects the political landscape in Russia but also has significant impacts on the religious and social fabric of the country. The role of the Orthodox Church in Russian society, its relationship with the state, and its influence on the populace are all areas that warrant further exploration and understanding.
Tide is turning. NATO chief prepping us for bad news last week. And with our biggest ally under attack, the machine is now focused elsewhere.
And it would seem that Putin’s election is exactly the type of elections Trump desires to put him in power for a decade. Not only did Trump try and fail to overturn the election but is now raising the stakes even higher. He’s already vowed to suspend or change the Constitution to suit his desires. He promises retribution to all who oppose him. Danger Will Robinson danger!!!
Russia Tricks Elijah Wood, Mike Tyson and Others to Record Videos for Anti-Ukraine Propaganda
Russia has employed a new tactic to spread misinformation about the war in Ukraine, this time, using celebrities.
Knewz.com has learned that Russia is using doctored videos of well-known American figures to spread misinformation and a spear campaign against President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A report from Microsoft states that Russia is using manipulated videos of celebrities, including Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood and boxing champion Mike Tyson, to promote misinformation about the Ukrainian President.
According to the report, Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center discovered these videos are being seen across Russian social media channels as well as on state-run news organizations within the country.
The videos have been created by an app called Cameo, where users can pay to create personalized messages from various celebrities. One of the videos being used features Wood advising President Zelenskyy to "get help" for "drug and alcohol abuse."
Genuine posts from Wood start at $340 on the Cameo app, but as The New York Times noted, this video was "repurposed as part of Russia’s efforts to falsely denigrate Mr. Zelensky as a drug-addled neo-Nazi."
A statement from the actor's representative obtained by the NYT stated that the message he recorded via Cameo had “in no way intended to be addressed to Zelensky or have anything at all to do with Russia or Ukraine or the war.”
Another features Kate Flannery, who played Meredith Palmer on the beloved TV comedy The Office.
Manipulated videos from celebrities urged Ukraine President Zelenskyy to© Knewz
Flannery's video shows her holding up a bottle of whiskey, as a nod to her on-screen character, before she turned serious and "warned" President Zelensky against alcoholism. "Seriously, it will be wonderful... Just do it," she said in her "message."
Others whose likeness was being used without their knowledge include Scrubs actor John McGinley, Breaking Bad's Dean Norris, Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley and former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson.
Russia had earlier promised to embark on a crusade of misinformation to disrupt Western support for Ukraine. By: MEGA© Knewz
NBC News obtained a statement from Zelenskyy's press service: “Russia has been waging an information war for many years — not only with Ukraine, but with the whole world at various levels.”
“The civilized world and all corporations and companies that work with information in one way or another should be united in the face of this threat,” the statement said.
Microsoft wrote in the report that “Kremlin officials and Russian state-sponsored propaganda have long promoted the false claim that" the Ukrainian president "struggles with substance abuse; however, this campaign marks a novel approach by pro-Russia actors seeking to further the narrative in the online information space.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...7d95614df8c722d&ei=15&fullscreen=true#image=2
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with U.S. President Joe Biden. By: MEGA© Knewz
NBC News reported that representatives for Wood, Flannery and Presley all believed they were sending videos to someone struggling with addiction and "had no intention of denigrating Ukraine or its president."
The news outlet reviewed the videos and reported they never directly addressed Zelenskyy himself, rather a person named "Vlad" and text overlay indicated it was the Ukrainian President.
“Kate unequivocally, 100% supports Ukraine and this has been very upsetting,” Flannery’s representative told NBC News.
Presley’s representative said, “It was not intended to be addressed" to the Ukrainian president "or have anything at all to do with Russia or Ukraine or the war."
Tyson's team echoed the same sentiment: “The current videos being circulated are false. Mr. Tyson has zero involvement with providing information and creating such content.”
According to American officials quoted by The New York Times in a report from October 2023, Russia is frustrated with the substantial economic support and military aid Ukraine has been receiving from the U.S. and Europe.
The propaganda campaign comes at a time when Ukraine aide from the U.S. is under threat. On December 6, Senate Republicans voted to block $110.5 billion to Ukraine (and Israel) in an emergency spending bill.
Time reported that Republicans wanted to add immigration policy pertaining to the U.S.-Mexico border to the bill.
U.S. President Joe Biden urged the Senate to come to an agreement before the holiday recess. “Republican Congressmen are willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for and abandon our global leadership," he said.
Stillwater Townie
Ranger
I wonder if the conclusion that Ukraine has the same as lost the war is misinformation.
We will ignore Putin invading and taking Crimea in Ukraine as long as we send $100 million to build the border wall and enforce the Muslim ban
This cycle has been ongoing for FAR TO LONG
Or hear me out.....
We could have a decent immigration plan and a secure border like pretty much all countries in the world and not fund a proxy war to tune of hundreds of billions as a matter of policy regardless of what party is in power.
Proxy war. Lol
What do you call it….. cause it’s either over without our billions or we are wasting it and they have made significant moves on the global stage with BRICS to weaken us further so yeah I think it works
FAAFO what’s next if Putin wins. Do I believe the Ukrainian leadership are great people? Nope. The republicans playing games with this are idiots.
Zelensky had to respond to debunked conspiracy theories at Capitol Hill meeting: GOP Senator
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told reporters that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky faced off against conspiracy theories while meeting members of Congress Tuesday — including one that he used aid from the United States to buy a $75 million yacht.
The Associated Press reported in September that a conspiracy theory broke out on social media when someone posted a YouTube video claiming "Ukrainian President Zelensky uses proxies to hide ownership of two yachts worth $75,000,000."
The account hasn't posted any other videos. According to the BBC, the source was "very suspect" and has no other presence anywhere online.
The company selling the yachts also confirmed to the AP that it wasn't true.
“We can confirm that the yacht has not been sold and therefore remains for sale," the company's spokesperson, Nicci Perides, told the AP.
But the conspiracy that spread online is now apparently influencing whether or not Republicans will back Zelensky's request for funds necessary to continue fighting off Russia.
Fox reporter Chad Pergram paraphrased Tillis saying in passing that, "It was helpful that President Zelensky focused on some of the myths around yachts being bought with the money coming from the United States."
Tillis went on to say that he and others are aware of what is happening on the ground in Ukraine and he is confident that the money is being sent properly. He cautioned that if lawmakers failed to support Ukraine, the U.S. would be spending a lot more money if they walked away from them.
Well first you offered a false dichotomy. Border security or Ukrainian aid. Both should be priority.
And I guess proxy war can be defined in a lot of ways. I just think it usually involves two proxies. Russia moved on yet another country in Europe. I think it's odd that some people fight so hard against sending them aid. It's our responsibility like it or not.
Good thread from the ISW. It’s cheaper to help Ukraine now because if Russia advances to NATO’s border, many times more resources will be needed.
Stillwater Townie
Ranger
I don't know if Putin would want to further heighten the risk of nuclear war from doing that. And doubt Putin would dare to further risk nuclear war by invading any NATO country after how difficult Ukraine has been for him. Who funds the Institute for Study of War?
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