Putin's plan to seize Kyiv

[Retrograde]

Putin's plan to seize Kyiv in the first two days of Russia's invasion
has been a complete failure, thrown off course by a fierce Ukrainian
resistance, poor planning and a series of profound miscalculations,
according to U.S. intelligence officials.
axios.com
Putin's military failures force bitter Russian reckoning
"He has no sustainable political end game."
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1501534039815172099?cxt=HHwWhsC51Z7QwtYpAAAA
Putin's "options"
1. Decide how many will potentially be killed, or make amends (eat
crow).
Ukrainian resistance, and some two million women/children leaving
Ukraine is not what Putin planned for. Nor, business withdrawals from
Russia, along with international condemnation.
China and Russia are on a propaganda binge, but many in Russia may not
accept, or be confused with conflicting events, like banking and
retail closings. How does the state explain these events?

He has few options, none good. Blasting Ukraine to splinters is one.
Falling on his sword is another. There's no turning back now.

[JAB]

On Wed, 9 Mar 2022 22:28:05 -0000 (UTC), Retrograde

Post by Retrograde
He has few options, none good.
Blasting Ukraine to splinters is one

Putin's game has been "terror & submission."

But "terror" has been neutralized via Ukrainian resistance so far.

If he uses the exterminator option, then most likely China will be
about the only country who will do business with Russia in time.

On another note, I suspect countries dependent upon oil/gas will be
investing more/more into renewable energy, and maybe some nuclear
plants. So, with time, Russia's oil resources will not be used as a
potential toe hold on other nations.

[Michael Trew]

Post by JAB
On another note, I suspect countries dependent upon oil/gas will be
investing more/more into renewable energy, and maybe some nuclear
plants. So, with time, Russia's oil resources will not be used as a
potential toe hold on other nations.

I heard that 2% of USA oil comes from Russia. If that's the case, why
are the prices at the pump skyrocketing? I feel like something else is
going on here.

[JAB]

On Sat, 12 Mar 2022 22:06:00 -0500, Michael Trew

Post by Michael Trew
at the pump skyrocketing? I feel like something else is
going on here.

In general, corporate world has been jacking up prices, and making
record profits.

Commodity prices fluctuate, and affect the price we pay at the pump.



Crude oil futures ended Friday's session 3.1% percent higher at
slightly above $109 per barrel, but posted a 5.7% decline on the week,
the biggest weekly drop since November, as investors weighed efforts
to bring more supply to the market against fears of an imminent Russia
embargo. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed the US and many
Western oil companies to cease purchasing Russian oil and there were
some talks about potential supply boost from Venezuela, Iran, and the
United Arab Emirates. The US benchmark touched a 14-year high of
$130.5 earlier this week as worries grew over further supply shortages
in anticipation of the ban on imports of Russian oil.

https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/crude-oil

[JAB]

On Wed, 9 Mar 2022 22:28:05 -0000 (UTC), Retrograde

Post by Retrograde
He has few options

Taking a cursory look at Russian losses two weeks into the war, it
reads less as a general failure to modernize, and more as a failure to
maintain and properly support the equipment. Abandonment rate is
exceedingly high.

https://twitter.com/KofmanMichael/status/1501562863357472774?cxt=HHwWjMC55f7dz9YpAAAA