mreaves

I think it’s a game they’re forced to play though. It’s probably too late for Ukraine but they can’t afford to let Putin think it’s going to be easy to roll the rest of them.

I haven’t read the whole thing but this seems to be a pretty even handed assessment of what’s gone on so far. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-28-2022 Edit: Thanks to @A Moonlit Sky for the original link to this.

It’s only Zelensky calling for one to be established only to be immediately shot down by Jen Psaki. (Shot down, see what I did there? )

Lol. As soon as I posted that I went to the Reuters app and that was the story at the top of the page.

Yeah, that doesn’t seem to be the greatest move. I haven’t seen it reported by anyone though.

I'm not sure. Cagey ex-KGB guy must have thought about all the possibilities

Read some Tom Clancy novels like Red Storm Rising or The Hunt for Red October. We always avoid nuclear annihilation and the US comes out on top. Real feel good stories

That's also one of the reasons Biden didn't raise our level of alert. That also makes Putin look even more like an aggressor

The other thing is, what do we really know? I don't exactly trust all the rah rah Ukrainian reports but that's to be expected. The Russians aren't really giving any reports

I'm sort of thinking along those lines as well but, I'm not sure they were expecting the response they've received from the rest of the world. It's unified a lot of previously fractured parties.

Shockingly, FIFA comes to the correct conclusion. Not without some pressure though https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/60560567

Well, people here do laugh but it doesn't seem to stop them from going insane.

The New York Times is reporting that the Swiss have frozen Russian assets. I haven't found another source for that story, though Reuters reported that as probable earlier . Pretty telling as the Swiss are very protective of their neutrality.

BTV has a map out for tomorrow

Man, you would have loved my drive home today. Squalls and whiteout condition. Right up you winded alley.

Because we never end up actually getting severe thunderstorms? (Sorry Wiz )

Really? Seems like it lasted my entire drive home from Woodsville.

Yeah, we were in Littleton and it was snowing moderately when we left. By the time we got to Woodsville, it had pretty much stopped. I figured it had fizzled or had been overhyped. We stopped at Walmart for a few things and when we came out, it was pretty much white out conditions and stayed that like that all the way home on 302. Took us almost and hour from Woodsville, usually a 30-35 minute drive. Maybe 2” of snow at home.

Nothing here. Partly cloudy

Hopefully this is a positive development. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-business-europe-moscow-2e4e1cf784f22b6afbe5a2f936725550

What’s this picture? Must be in Moscow or St. Petersburg right? Is it blood from busting up protests?

That’s my plan for retirement.

There have been stories that Putin has spent the time since the Crimea annexation making Russia better prepared to withstand sanctions. Paying down foreign debt, integrating Russian exports into Western European economies etc. Also, and you may have been the one to mention this, the Chinese have a competitor to SWIFT they’ve been trying to boost called CIPS, if I’m remembering correctly.

These thermobaric weapons don’t look too surgical either. https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-deploys-feared-tos-1-heavy-flamethrower-near-ukraine-cnn-2022-2?amp

BTV update. My area in Washington Couty is the jackpot on this list. I’m always glad when my measurements match up with the NWS employee at 1 SW East Barre. VERMONT ...Addison County... Addison 9.0 500 PM 2/25 Public Ferrisburg 8.3 400 PM 2/25 Public Monkton 8.0 530 PM 2/25 Public Middlebury 6.3 255 PM 2/25 Public ...Caledonia County... Groton 8.0 445 PM 2/25 Public Sutton 7.9 735 PM 2/25 Co-Op Observer West Danville 7.5 440 PM 2/25 At 1600 ft elevation. 1 NW Kirby 5.0 600 PM 2/25 Public East Hardwick 5.0 205 PM 2/25 Public East Burke 4.8 440 PM 2/25 Public ...Chittenden County... 1 NNW Burlington 9.2 700 PM 2/25 NWS Employee 2 NW Westford 8.9 718 PM 2/25 NWS Employee Charlotte 8.0 500 PM 2/25 Public 1 SW Milton 8.0 515 PM 2/25 NWS Employee Hinesburg 8.0 445 PM 2/25 Broadcast Media 1 NE South Burlingto 7.9 700 PM 2/25 NWS Office 1 S Essex Center 7.9 745 PM 2/25 NWS Employee 1 SW Hinesburg 7.8 305 PM 2/25 Public 2 SW Milton 7.8 609 PM 2/25 NWS Employee 1 S Burlington 7.5 430 PM 2/25 Public 2 NNW Williston 7.4 615 PM 2/25 NWS Employee Essex Center 7.0 400 PM 2/25 NWS Employee Burlington 6.4 215 PM 2/25 Public 1 E Nashville 6.0 458 PM 2/25 NWS Employee 1 SSW Underhill 6.0 530 PM 2/25 Public 4 NNE Underhill 5.5 234 PM 2/25 CoCoRaHS 1 E Jericho 5.5 300 PM 2/25 Public ...Essex County... Maidstone 7.4 545 PM 2/25 Public ...Franklin County... 3 NNE St. Albans 10.0 730 PM 2/25 Public St. Albans 9.5 545 PM 2/25 Public Georgia Center 8.7 445 PM 2/25 Public Lake Carmi State Par 8.2 400 PM 2/25 Public 2 E St. Albans 8.0 315 PM 2/25 Public North Fairfax 7.0 340 PM 2/25 Public Franklin 7.0 211 PM 2/25 Public 2 SSE St. Albans Bay 7.0 315 PM 2/25 Public 1 S Fairfax 6.5 400 PM 2/25 Public ...Grand Isle County... Alburgh 10.5 500 PM 2/25 Public ...Lamoille County... 2 ESE Underhill Stat 9.0 600 PM 2/25 Elevation 3000 ft Morrisville 8.5 640 PM 2/25 Public Jeffersonville 8.0 430 PM 2/25 Public 1 SSE Smugglers Notc 7.0 300 PM 2/25 Public Johnson 7.0 330 PM 2/25 Public 1 NW Stowe 7.0 615 PM 2/25 Elevation 750 ft Cambridge 4.5 230 PM 2/25 Public ...Orange County... Washington 11.0 708 PM 2/25 Public Williamstown 11.0 430 PM 2/25 Public Orange 10.5 614 PM 2/25 Public Brookfield 10.0 525 PM 2/25 Public Chelsea 9.5 620 PM 2/25 Public Randolph 9.0 544 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter Tunbridge 8.6 530 PM 2/25 Public Bradford 7.0 445 PM 2/25 Public ...Orleans County... Newport 8.5 400 PM 2/25 Co-Op Observer Derby Line 8.5 415 PM 2/25 Public Newport Center 8.0 215 PM 2/25 Public 4 NNE Greensboro 7.4 439 PM 2/25 CoCoRaHS Craftsbury 7.0 215 PM 2/25 Public Coventry 6.7 435 PM 2/25 Public ...Rutland County... Forest Dale 7.0 530 PM 2/25 Public 2 SSE Pittsford 7.0 540 PM 2/25 CoCoRaHS 1 NE Brandon 6.0 300 PM 2/25 Public Castleton 6.0 230 PM 2/25 Public Brandon 5.0 215 PM 2/25 Public 3 ESE Shrewsbury 4.5 415 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter South Wallingford 4.5 335 PM 2/25 Public West Haven 4.0 215 PM 2/25 Public 3 SSW Wallingford 3.3 230 PM 2/25 CoCoRaHS ...Washington County... 1 SW East Barre 12.2 530 PM 2/25 NWS Employee Moretown 12.0 605 PM 2/25 Public Barre 10.5 600 PM 2/25 Public South Barre 10.5 500 PM 2/25 Public Northfield 10.5 635 PM 2/25 1500 ft elevation Calais 10.0 725 PM 2/25 Public Waitsfield 10.0 339 PM 2/25 At 1500 ft elevation. Plainfield 8.5 530 PM 2/25 Public 1 NW Waitsfield 8.0 300 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter 1 NW Calais 8.0 415 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter 1 SSE Walden 8.0 400 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter East Calais 7.5 610 PM 2/25 Public 4 ESE Marshfield 7.5 419 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter ...Windsor County... Rochester 9.0 600 PM 2/25 1700 ft Pomfret 8.5 605 PM 2/25 Public Woodstock 8.0 530 PM 2/25 Public 1 NNE Pomfret 7.9 747 PM 2/25 Public 5 NNW Hartland 7.7 747 PM 2/25 CoCoRaHS 3 S Ludlow 7.5 730 PM 2/25 Trained Spotter 1 W South Royalton 7.5 400 PM 2/25 At 900 ft elevation.