Thread image created by yours truly, depicting Iran and Pakistan very impolitely not asking whether America, on the other side of the planet, is okay with them transporting gas around.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline has long been obstructed by American involvement in the region. Iran completed its section of the pipeline quite quickly, but Pakistan has been unable to finish its construction for a decade due to the fear of falling afoul of American sanctions on Iran. The United States has repeatedly tried to pressure Pakistan to give up the project and obtain gas from other countries instead. Recent articles on the state of the pipeline are contradictory, with some stating that Iran or Pakistan have given up on the pipeline while American sanctions persist. Pakistani officials reject this framing, saying that they are still working with Iran to try and get the project completed somehow. Nonetheless, Iran is becoming increasingly frustrated and is threatening a legal battle and a demand for reparations.
Meanwhile, back in Niger, the $13 billion under-construction pipeline connecting Nigeria and other West African countries to Spain and Italy will likely face delays due to the sanctions applied by the West and ECOWAS on Niger. Those following the European gas fiasco will be aware that while Spain and Italy have been impacted by the energy crisis, they have been very busy making deals with African countries to replace their Russian gas, and thus stand a better chance than Germany of making it through the crisis with their industries somewhat intact. The coup has thrown a wrench into their plans, though they can still obtain some gas from northern African countries.
And, last but not least, America tried for years to stop the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines between Germany and Russia, which culminated in them deciding to blow them up late last year.
All in all - the United States really does not like it when countries build up energy infrastructure and gain some independence from them.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week's first update is here in the comments.
This week's second update is here in the comments.
This week's third update is here in the comments.
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week's discussion post.
https://archive.is/TurDH
Nonarchived link
Business Insider says
Fresh meat is being sent feet first into the meat grinder as the 2,000 men strong "elite" 82nd Air Assault Brigade - Fresh from training on NATO equipment and war doctrine - is being sent to succeed where all other nato equipped and trained Brigades have failed.
Article:
THEY SAID THE THING
This is actually pretty significant if the article is to be believed. Almost half of the mechanized equipment NATO sent being put to the test. Am I wrong in feeling like this will make or break the counteroffensive?
I'm not gonna say definitively whether it will or won't work, there are always surprises in war, I'm just gonna point out that we've seen all this rhetoric before prior to the counteroffensive and despite having NATO equipment and NATO training, they haven't even really gotten past the starting line yet (Robotyne) after 2 months of trying
it's also noteworthy that Russia is continuing to devote resources to its northern advances
and Putin and Shoigu's repeated statements that Ukraine is doing badly in its counteroffensive are also departures from the norm I think and indicate their confidence. I don't recall them making such confident statements, or as many, in relation to actual events on the battlefield before this point in the war, and they know a lot more than we do, and despite their obvious biases... they've been right so far. I do wonder why exactly they're saying these things now when they weren't before. like, they could just not say anything at all and maintain the classic Russian silence compared to Ukraine's constant commentary.
Barring HOI4 gamer moves, or actual big arrow movement attempts from a concentration of Ukrainian forces attempting a breakthrough on a single point and succeeding, this likely won't really make a splash in the usual news we hear. 2000 people is just too small of a force to accomplish even a fraction of the promise of the counteroffensive.
I wasn't saying they will make gains. If they lose all their tanks in the offensive that will be significant as well. It's basically their last move.
I don't share your confidence, both sides have been saying that X action or Y offensive is the other side's last, desperate attempt before the end for over a year now and nobody has been correct so far. This counteroffensive will end with a whimper a couple months from now when the mud arrives, not a bang
That's a fair and leveled response I was being optimistic that the war might end. But also I've actually graduated from the Paradox School of Keyboard Warriors and if Ukraine rushes the anti mine tech tree they can paint the map from the Black Sea to the Pacific.
Not enough people are dying. Blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne. Slava Udraini(DOD money)