Stupid Shit in Kyiv

[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2752788]You are correct, but Ukraine's government is not much better. Ukraine is almost as corrupt as Russia, in something probably more corrupt. Sorry, Ukraine government is horrible, maybe they will change, but I have my doubts.[/QUOTE]You keep saying how horrible Ukrainian government is. Apparently it isn't as corrupt or as terrible since they've been beating the living shit out of the "second world army" for 7 months. Apparently, if they had been AS corrupt and AS terrible as you claim them to be, they would've just taken the Russian money and handed their country to Putin on a silver platter (as he expected they would). Apparently if Zelensky had been AS corrupt AS you make him to be, he would've cared first and foremost about saving his ass and would've caved in or at least taken the flight to safety when it was offered by the Americans.

That being said, corruption has nothing to do with the negotiation you're demanding. Despite what has been said a thousand times by me and other people, you simply refuse to understand that any negotiation with Putin doesn't make any sense because Putin won't adhere to any agreement or treaty he signs today, in his day of weakness. Why is it so hard for you to understand that Putin [B]has already violated every single agreement he has signed with or in regard to Ukraine to this day[/B]?

[QUOTE=Anaximander;2753014]Hi folks,

Heading to Kyiv for business. Anyone know of any freelance secretaries / translators (don't have to be 100% fluent in English)/ general fixers / helpers?

Please post here or DM!

Thanks,

AX.[/QUOTE]I know one, if you can purchase the right to send a DM, then I can share details.

[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2752788]You are correct, but Ukraine's government is not much better. Ukraine is almost as corrupt as Russia, in something probably more corrupt. Sorry, Ukraine government is horrible, maybe they will change, but I have my doubts.[/QUOTE]I think we can safely say that after watching the performance of the RU military, and seeing what has happened in the background, as well as all the mysterious deaths of oligarchs and officials that oppose the war. To say that the level of corruption in UA is more corrupt is quite frankly ridiculous.

UA has some serious problems with corruption, however it is nowhere near on the level of RU.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2751647]Let's not oversimplify. That "planning for every possible scenario" thingy -- I'm very skeptical. For one thing, I'm not at all convinced NATO will act quickly and decisively if Putin drops a tactical nuke on Ukraine. Even if they suddenly decide they've got balls, there will be quite a few logistical challenges.
...
That said, we still have to press ahead supporting Ukraine, no matter what. I just hope you're right and Nato is prepared for whatever lies ahead.[/QUOTE]Agree with everything you wrote and points #1 to #4 are excellent. I think NATO will be prepared, the question is NATO's will to execute, particularly at the individual country level. I believe the considerations for a country like Estonia will be much different from France, or Turkey, or the US. These will include considerations for soldiers to be lost, proximity to Russia, arms cost, economic impact and potential radiation. Some countries like Poland and Baltics are chomping at the bit to fight, most others have a less aggressive stance.

[QUOTE=VinDici;2753123]I think we can safely say that after watching the performance of the RU military, and seeing what has happened in the background, as well as all the mysterious deaths of oligarchs and officials that oppose the war. To say that the level of corruption in UA is more corrupt is quite frankly ridiculous.

UA has some serious problems with corruption, however it is nowhere near on the level of RU.[/QUOTE]You are correct, I should have said before Covid and the War. Russia was great place and highly functioning. Ukraine was dump. Unfortunately, as a result of the war we will probably end up with 2 screwed up countries instead of one. Not to mention the world economy.

Putin definitely needs to go, he has really screwed things up, for the entire world not just Ukraine and Russia. Time will tell if this war was worth it and maybe both countries will get their acts together, I have my doubts. Many political leaders wanted this war, now they have their wish.

[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2753448]You are correct, I should have said before Covid and the War. Russia was great place and highly functioning.[/QUOTE]I have always heard (including from here) that Moscow and Saint Petersburg were the only nice and highly functioning cities in Russia and the USSR before that. Other Russian cities are suppose to be dumps. Kiev could have been held back by the Soviet planners.

I just think we need to stand back and look at the bigger picture.

[QUOTE=Anaximander;2753014]Hi folks,

Heading to Kyiv for business. Anyone know of any freelance secretaries / translators (don't have to be 100% fluent in English)/ general fixers / helpers?

Please post here or DM!.[/QUOTE]If recent days have demonstrated anything, it's that all of Ukraine is a war zone. In fact, the worse Putin's forces do on the actual battlefield, the greater the chance he'll launch missiles or drone-bombs at civilian areas.

Now, it's certainly true that the deaths and casualties from such attacks are usually somewhere in the double digits. But it's also true that each of those killed is 100% dead. It's rather like Russian Roulette (pun intended) in that the odds may be in your favor but the negative consequences, should they happen, are catastrophic. And it really doesn't matter much what the supposed targets are because many of the missiles and drones aren't that precise, or they land off-target as Ukrainian defenses try to shoot them down. You could be in a residential or office building, in a park, in a restaurant, or simply on the street. One moment all is fine. The next moment everything goes black (forever).

If you're working for yourself, then that's a scenario in which you assume the risk for yourself. But, if an employer is knowingly (or unthinkingly) sending you into a war zone, then shame on them.

I personally wouldn't engage in discretionary travel to Ukraine until a real cessation of hostilities takes place. And I sure as hell wouldn't send someone for whom I'm responsible (as a manager, owner, or otherwise). But that's just me.

[QUOTE=Chicago85;2753394]Agree with everything you wrote and points #1 to #4 are excellent. I think NATO will be prepared.[/QUOTE]And we have the answer.

[QUOTE]European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also warned Putin not to cross that threshold. “Any nuclear attack against Ukraine will create an answer, not a nuclear answer but such a powerful answer from the military side that the Russian Army will be annihilated,” he said in a speech in Bruges, Belgium.[/QUOTE][URL]https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nato-holds-nuclear-talks-amid-war-tensions-putin-91429572[/URL]

This is specific enough for me. Ballsy too. I'll happily eat crow.

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2753501]I have always heard (including from here) that Moscow and Saint Petersburg were the only nice and highly functioning cities in Russia and the USSR before that. Other Russian cities are suppose to be dumps. Kiev could have been held back by the Soviet planners.

I just think we need to stand back and look at the bigger picture.[/QUOTE]Not quite. It's been a very very long time since I was in Russia, but I would add Kazan, Yekaterinburg and perhaps Irkutsk to the list of cities worth visiting for sightseeing or more horizontal activities. Sochi should also be beautiful now after they got a lift before the Olympics as long as you shrug off their "Caucasian Riviera" shtick. Of course, I doubt I'll ever be willing to set my foot in that country again no matter how functional or monger-worthy their cities are, but that's another story.

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2753501]I have always heard (including from here) that Moscow and Saint Petersburg were the only nice and highly functioning cities in Russia and the USSR before that. Other Russian cities are suppose to be dumps. Kiev could have been held back by the Soviet planners.

I just think we need to stand back and look at the bigger picture.[/QUOTE]Russia was amazing, before the war and Covid. The guys that wrote that the only 2 cities that are nice are St. Pet. And Moscow. These guys hate Russia.

Russia and the people are not the issue. The problem is Putin and yes, he needs to go.

[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2754025], he needs to go.[/QUOTE]The clown needs to go.

[QUOTE=Riina;2754639]The clown needs to go.[/QUOTE]Sorry, you are the one that has been spreading lies about Ukraine for years. You and couple of your crazy ass friends should be ashamed of yourselves. Kiev has been dead for girls for almost 10 years now, but you guys keep lying. Yes, Russia was a great place before Covid, unfortunately that ship had sailed and yes, Kiev was a shit show.

Guys read your crazy ass posts and booked trips as a result. You and your buddies should be ashamed of yourself.

Ukraine might actually get a 3rd or 4th chance to straighten out there country, but I am sure they will screw it up as always. Try be honest and post a really report about Ukraine was, instead of this fantasy world you and your looser friends live in.

[QUOTE=Riina;2754639]The clown needs to go.[/QUOTE]Could not agree more!

[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2754025]Russia was amazing, before the war and Covid. The guys that wrote that the only 2 cities that are nice are St. Pet. And Moscow. These guys hate Russia.

Russia and the people are not the issue. The problem is Putin and yes, he needs to go.[/QUOTE]Well, I don't know if "amazing" isn't an overstatement.

Are you well-traveled? What other mongering destinations have you been to. I mean if you compare the "used-to-be Russia" to the dreadful mongering scene in America I can understand.

Otherwise? Yes, young Russian girls can be model quality (I emphasize "young" because Russian women don't usually age gracefully). And yes, they know how to dress. But Russia has always been overpriced, especially Moscow. SP was a little better, but, strangely, more interior cities were a mixed bag. So if we are talking about Moscow, what made it better than other overpriced European capitals? I just came from Lisbon. There is a thriving mongering scene there, and while it's still a bit pricey for my tastes, it's cheaper than Moscow 15 years ago.

In terms of your other sentiment, I'm sorry but the Russian people are the ones who are fanning this war. Some of them might live without running water, but they totally share their chieftain's imperial ambitions. Blaming this despicable crime on one, even very bad man is an extreme simplification and wishful thinking, nothing else.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2754859]Well, I don't know if "amazing" isn't an overstatement.

Are you well-traveled? What other mongering destinations have you been to.[/QUOTE]LOL Drama Queen hasn't traveled beyond his mother's basement except to walk up to the kitchen for a free meal. He claimed to have gone to Medellin, Colombia and found it full of "fat chicks. " What he failed to realize, having never been there, is that the city is full of fitness freaks and people obsessed with their appearance while obesity is hardly seen. He was confusing Medellin with what he read about Mexican border towns.

In any case, he hasn't been to Ukraine or Russia or even Europe so don't interact with him on that level. He's only here to recycle what he heard on Tucker Carlson or like blogs that pitch sucking up to Russia and simpleton America First hogwash to poorly educated Americans and Euros. And he likely has more than one handle here.

[QUOTE=Paulie97;2754958]LOL Drama Queen hasn't traveled beyond his mother's basement except to walk up to the kitchen for a free meal. He claimed to have gone to Medellin, Colombia and found it full of "fat chicks. " What he failed to realize, having never been there, is that the city is full of fitness freaks and people obsessed with their appearance while obesity is hardly seen. He was confusing Medellin with what he read about Mexican border towns.

In any case, he hasn't been to Ukraine or Russia or even Europe so don't interact with him on that level. He's only here to recycle what he heard on Tucker Carlson or like blogs that pitch sucking up to Russia and simpleton America First hogwash to poorly educated Americans and Euros. And he likely has more than one handle here.[/QUOTE]Pauline you live in Fantasy world. You fit in perfectly with the clowns that say Kiev has been a great place for mongering for the last 5 years. You are correct, I wish I never went to MDE, it is a total shit show. Fat chicks, drugs, violence and horrible food, I guess that is paradise.