Ukraine

Scuttlebutt
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Facts (??) about Ukraine:

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Vladimir Radchuk

8 52FeS4pbmruarym at 07:d38i ·

For those who ask: “Why does Ukraine matter? “

How the nation of Ukraine ranks:

1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores;

2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium ore reserves;

2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world’s reserves);

2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons);

2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves;

3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)

4th in the world by the total value of natural resources;

7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)

Ukraine is an agricultural country:

1st in Europe in terms of arable land area;

3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world’s volume);

1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil;

2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports;

3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world;

4th largest producer of potatoes in the world;

5th largest rye producer in the world;

5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons);

8th place in the world in wheat exports;

9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs;

16th place in the world in cheese exports.

Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.

Ukraine is an industrialized country:

1st in Europe in ammonia production;

2-е Europe’s and 4th largest natural gas pipeline system in the world (142.5 bln cubic meters of gas throughput capacity in the EU);

3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of installed capacity of nuclear power plants;

3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network length (21,700 km);

3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment;

3rd largest iron exporter in the world

4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world;

4th world’s largest manufacturer of rocket launchers;

4th place in the world in clay exports

4th place in the world in titanium exports

8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrates;

9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products;

10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons).

PS> Too much to check so not guaranteed to be accurate, or factual

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They also export quite a few seafarers; got a bunch on our ship who are worried about what is going to happen.

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I remember surveying some ex Soviet ships back in the early 2000s that had Ukrainian crews.

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The former “Black Sea Merchant Fleet” had mostly Ukrainian crews way into the 2000s.
Recruiting of seafarers from the former Soviet member states to serve on foreign ships are still divided into the “Murmansk, Baltic, Black Sea and Far East” fleet origin.

PS> I have worked with people from all of the “fleets”, both in the Soviet time and after.
On the HLVs it is mostly crews from the “Baltic fleet”. (Russians living in Estonia) both on the Dutch and Norwegian operated HLVs)

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it’s russia’s access to the sea, i doubt they’ll give it up. I think it’s all a EU construct anyway and doubtful the ‘‘allies’’ will suffer as much as putin is willing !!

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Direct access to the Mediterranean area it’s a must for Putin - see Krimea invasion - But not only:
Defence know-how, agricultural technology, Russia - and/or the former CCCP - owns a lot to Ukrainian knowledge in many fields.
So, I think, Putin is on a risky game: try’n to gain a balance AND do not permit a NATO bargain…
Only hope, it’s no innocent casualties.

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According US President Biden & Co Russia is going to attack Ukraine this week and occupy the country and US citizens should leave Ukraine as a precaution. Norway has followed up and asked all Norwegians in Ukraine to leave. However on the marine war insurance front it is calm. No warnings about going to Ukrainian ports at the Black Sea and freight rates are normal. Anyway, the Ukrainian Black Sea ports are already in Russian hands or at least all people there speak Russian.

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No matter what language Ukrainians speak. I know many people from Ukrain who know both Russian and Ukrainian, and they are ready to right for Ukrain regardless of their native language.

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And down the rabbit hole Russia goes

Invasion begins, pity Putin isn’t in the front line for the Ukrainian people to shoot at.

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He’ll probably be photographed shirtless, driving a tank through the streets of Kiev once the natives are suppressed or relocated to labor camps.

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Some facts.

GDP 2021 US 22.990.000
GDP 2021 Russia 1.64.568
GDP 2021 Texas 2.000.000
GDP 2021 Netherlands 1.007.562

Texas alone has a much higher GDP then Russia. Even a mini country like ours is not to far away from Russia’s GDP. Russia is the mouse that roars and in the end they will not be able to maintain the large occupational forces for ever in the Ukraine. A Vietnam and/or Afghanistan scenario will develop and will drive them out.

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U.S. President Joe Biden threatens to block Russian banks’ access to the U.S. dollar if Russia takes aggressive military action against Ukraine, potentially cutting the country off from the international financial sector. That would be a major blow for Putin.

In a press conference marking his first year in office, Biden warned for a host of “severe economic consequences,” that will effect Russia’s economy seriously should it invade Ukraine, going further than the White House ever has previously in spelling out what the specific measures are.Their banks will not be able to deal in dollars.

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So why isn’t Vindman as in “future secretary of defense for Ukraine” not have boots on ground in Ukraine?

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The Ukrainian military has been planning exactly that as their strategy and training the civilians in guerilla warfare.

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What has become of the sentiments behind the charges which formed the foundation of the Nuremberg trials?

(1) crimes against peace (i.e., the planning, initiating, and waging of wars of aggression in violation of international treaties and agreements)

(2) crimes against humanity (i.e., exterminations, deportations, and genocide)

(3) war crimes (i.e., violations of the laws of war)

(4) “a common plan or conspiracy to commit” the criminal acts listed in the first three counts.

Why have Putin and his government not been charged by the World Court or the UN as criminals and Russia not declared a rogue state? Why is Russia still permitted to participate in UN sessions and why is Russia allowed to maintain its veto power?

These are rhetorical questions of course, the fact that Russia has not been removed from the SWIFT system of banking transfers pretty much says it all. Money speaks louder than justice.

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It sickens me that they didn’t succeed with speaking with one mouth. The subsequent lengthening of the war is probably to the advantage of the countries which were against it. Also the war industry is on top again.

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If by that mean the International Court of Justice it does not handle war crimes etc.by individuals (I.e. Putin)

If you meant The International Criminal Court it may be because Russia is not a member, (nor is China, or the USA)

PS> At the moment the ICJ is chaired by an American, while the Vise President is Russian.
The ICC is chaired by a Polish, while the Vise President is from Peru and the 2nd VP is from DRC.

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The ICC is not recognized the USA, Russia or China. Some folks would consider them rogue states.
Cutting off Russia from SWIFT would affect the folks of the CIty of London, Switzerland and Wall Street therefore not going to happen, it also would greatly affect the citizens of the EU; couple that with the fact that banking interests long ago were decided to be too big to fail lest they collapse the world economy and SWIFT will remain. I’d wager a guess that many oligarchs have money in US tax havens such as South Dakota, Delaware and not to mention other tax havens in other parts of the world. They for sure invest in US and Canadian real estate. These tax havens own politicians so not much will happen.
At the end of the day it is up to the Ukrainian people to make Ukraine too expensive to occupy. Having spent some time in Ukraine I would not want to be an occupying foreign government in that country.

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/russian-navy-captures-ukraine-s-outpost-on-snake-island