New details on the capture of Ukrainian banking agents by Hungarian police:
- Hungarians tortured Ukrainians and threatened them
- they stole their personal phones, money and other valuables
- the interrogation was in Russian, so it's very possible that Russians were involved
No, they only released people
Hungary robbed Ukraine of USD 40 million, EUR 35 million and 9 kilos of banking gold. That's a nice EU country
There is an old saying "Do not spit into a well if you plan to drink out of it".
Of course, you can claim that things did not happen but this would not clean the water.
It seemed that after allowing Russian war criminals to participate in Paralympic games under their flags, the paralympic committee could not fall any lower.
Yet. they could. They banned Ukrainian athletes to wear uniforms with the map of Ukraine on them. They adjusted the rules specially for that.
Many things are unclear about the war with Iran.
One thing is clear: Russia will always betray even its allies.
Agreements with those it considers enemies (e.g. the collective West) will be breached even before they are signed.
1/ποΈNew episode of Policy Implications!
I talk with Julien Daubanes about sanctions on RU oil, the rise of the shadow fleet, and why sanctions are not a one-time policy decision. Listen to find out what actually hurts RU oil profits most.
π§ Link: tinyurl.com/mraaueyw
#EconSky #PoliSky #EconTwitter
The major thing about Epstein files is not crimes against children (although they of course should be investigated) but the impact which Russia gained over the world elite using these crimes.
This should be investigated in the first place as betrayal of the respective states.
Russia's open war against Ukraine started on February 20, 2014.
Today is its 12th sad anniversary.
1) Russia destroys a pumping station on Druzhba oil pipeline in the West of Ukraine
2) oil transit stops
3) Hungary and Slovakia refuse plentiful opportunities to buy oil via Croatia
4) they blame Ukraine and stop supply of diesel to Ukraine
S - solidarity
Russia and Belarus plan to send combatants who fought against Ukraine to Paralympic games. Under their flags.
IOC is OK with that - probably because this will increase the feeling of safety of other athletes and promote peace.
Olympic Committee disqualified Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych for commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia.
I think, it should be renamed into Immoral Olympic Committee. Or, more precisely, Under-Russian Olympic Committee.
Olympic committee has become completely immoral: while they ban Ukrainian athlete to wear a helmet with photos of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia, they allow others to wear Russian flags.
Several decades ago Olympics had some moral compass and some guts.
voxukraine.org/en/the-olymp...
1/ποΈ New episode of Policy Implications!
I talk with Sasha Talavera about researchers working through blackouts & trying to keep UA universities alive.
We discuss resilience, brain drain vs circulation, & what UA science needs to develop further.
π§ shorturl.at/hyYFj
#EconSky
#PoliSky
#EconTwitter
"Mass protests have again shaken Iran, and the regime looks more vulnerable than it has been in decades...Russia no longer has the capacity to meaningfully support its most important Middle Eastern partner."
A new op-ed by @tderyugina.bsky.social
voxukraine.org/en/russia-s-...
It turns out that Elon Musk could turn off Russian Starlinks quite easily. Did he wait for so many Ukrainians to die?
Apart from immorality, two striking things related to Epstein scandal are:
1) stupidity of all those "elites" (did they really think that their crimes would not be used to blackmail them?)
2) impotence of law enforcement agencies (with so many people involved, there should have been much evidence)
Another article worth re-reading is an open letter to Noam Chomsky who in 2022 argued that the world should not help Ukraine to repel Russian aggression.
Chomsky is in Epstein (KGB) files too. What a coincidence!
voxukraine.org/en/open-lett...
A few years ago we wrote an article arguing that, for their safety, democracies must be serious about offshores since dirty money are used to corrupt officials in democratic countries.
Now I feel very naive. It's not (just) money.
(Epstein) KGB files will show how rotten Western institutions are.
Trump has sent multiple signals of him siding with Putin (for whatever reason). The White House photo is like "will you finally understand this?"
I believe, both the US and European establishment who want to restore some kind of rules-based order should finally understand. And act accordingly.
After Trump was elected, I wrote that much will depend on whether employees of the US police and other law enforcement agencies would choose to protect the law and stick to their oath or implement Trump's orders.
Unfortunately, things are developing in the wrong direction.
A new Policy Implications podcast on blackouts in Ukraine and in Berlin
youtu.be/Ik8KvTx2_7g?...
an op-ed that explains the real reasons for Russia's attack on Ukraine. Good to re-read from time to time
www.kyivpost.com/opinion/68239
If you like Mark Carney's Davos speech about non-existent international order, remember that this speech is almost 12 years late. Russia killed the international order in March 2014, when it annexed Crimea.
But very few wanted to admit that.
On Jan. 22, 1919 Ukrainians announced their unity day: despite being divided for centuries among different empires, our nation united into one state.
It was soon conquered by Russia with the help of our other neighbours. This will not happen again.
2/ Link to this episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Lb...
@ygorodnichenko.bsky.social @tderyugina.bsky.social @ilonasolohub.bsky.social
#EconTwitter #EconSky #PoliSky
My compassion to Berliners who stay without electricity and heat. Unfortunately, Russian sabotage will be getting worse.
Thus, German secret services should activate their checks of Russian networks, and objects of critical infrastructure should get much more protection.
Trump's actions in Venezuela mean the following:
1) Russia gave Trump a "carrot" in line with their "spheres of influence" paradigm
2) in return Russia (very likely) wants the US to stay away from Ukraine and Europe.
Only united Ukraine and Europe have a chance in the next few years.
My friend runs a social enterprise: internally displaced Ukrainian women produce these beautiful knitted things.
You can order some from the web-site.
loverises.shop/Handcrafted-...
A discovery by another "Russian liberal": you are resisting by being silent, reading and thinking.
She definitely deserves a Nobel prize (in Physics, for example).
