• MolotovHalfEmpty [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    Pretty good summary of the situation.

    This bit stuck out too about threatening Germany with sanctions:

    The State Department has already demanded an immediate cessation of work on the pipeline, which is 95% complete, warning that any company involved is at risk of sanctions.

    Europe now pays about $2 billion a year in transit fees to the Ukraine, Slovakia and other countries for Russian natural gas, which provides about a third of its annual gas consumption. The Nord Stream II pipeline would reduce transportation costs substantially, at the expense of the Ukraine and others.

    You can't just cut out my failson's dubious former employer jack!

    • Malikto [none/use name]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      Yeah, it's shocking how much US government corruption feeds off of Ukraine. They're gathered like hogs at a trough.

      • scraeming [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I remember an episode some time back where Matt made a joke about Ukraine being the place where the failsons of the US/EU political elite go with their money buckets and just take a big scoop off the top.

        • Malikto [none/use name]
          hexagon
          ·
          4 years ago

          A while back they were seriously considering adding Ukraine to NATO. Insanity. They were trying to start a war. Still are.

          That's why Germany wants Nordstream 2. Economic engagement decreases the risk of war.

        • MathVelazquez [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          4 years ago

          I mean let's not ignore the material conditions of Russian resettlement in Ukraine. The history of Russian imperialism in the region unfortunately has a longer history than the length of the USSR. Russian chauvinists want their land, American chuavinists want in on the take. A rock and a hard place. Fuck the actual nazis in the Ukraine that the US supports, but if getting closer to the west means material protections from Russia can you blame the Ukrainians?

          • spectre [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            if getting closer to the west means material protections from Russia can you blame the Ukrainians?

            As always with these sorts of questions: "yeah, but also no"