Thread image created by yours truly, depicting Iran and Pakistan very impolitely not asking whether America, on the other side of the planet, is okay with them transporting gas around.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline has long been obstructed by American involvement in the region. Iran completed its section of the pipeline quite quickly, but Pakistan has been unable to finish its construction for a decade due to the fear of falling afoul of American sanctions on Iran. The United States has repeatedly tried to pressure Pakistan to give up the project and obtain gas from other countries instead. Recent articles on the state of the pipeline are contradictory, with some stating that Iran or Pakistan have given up on the pipeline while American sanctions persist. Pakistani officials reject this framing, saying that they are still working with Iran to try and get the project completed somehow. Nonetheless, Iran is becoming increasingly frustrated and is threatening a legal battle and a demand for reparations.
Meanwhile, back in Niger, the $13 billion under-construction pipeline connecting Nigeria and other West African countries to Spain and Italy will likely face delays due to the sanctions applied by the West and ECOWAS on Niger. Those following the European gas fiasco will be aware that while Spain and Italy have been impacted by the energy crisis, they have been very busy making deals with African countries to replace their Russian gas, and thus stand a better chance than Germany of making it through the crisis with their industries somewhat intact. The coup has thrown a wrench into their plans, though they can still obtain some gas from northern African countries.
And, last but not least, America tried for years to stop the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines between Germany and Russia, which culminated in them deciding to blow them up late last year.
All in all - the United States really does not like it when countries build up energy infrastructure and gain some independence from them.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week's first update is here in the comments.
This week's second update is here in the comments.
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week's discussion post.
https://archive.ph/qcc7M
This had to be in the run for first place is absolute fucking cope from the pro-nato brainless think tanks.
TL:DR F-16s aren't going to do shit because the Russian airforce will burn its entire airfleet out from combat usage before the first American plane touches down in Ukraine.
This author should be beaten with a heavy rope soaked in piss for writing this
Nobody tells him what air defense systems are.
This article really might be one of the dumbest things I've read. I guess building more aircraft or repairing and refitting aircraft is assumed to just not be possible?
Also by this author's logic, how the hell does the US have like any functioning aircraft from "overuse"?
Yeah Ukraine shot down 130 Russian aircraft? First link is Oryx and the scond is the Ukrainian twitter lol lmao even.
Maybe cut that by 90% and maybe 10-20 sounds about right if you allow for early war inexperience and lack of intel and the fact Ukraine actually had good and working S-300 systems back then. But most of those would be the Su-25 bombers which are old shit barely useful without air superiority and helicopters. If we allow accidents due to inexperience or error than sure maybe up to 50 if we are really and I mean really generous.
You know when the Russians lost that single Su-35 2-3 months ago? Literal tons of videos and the actual wreckage of the plane appeared. When the Wagner coup happened and they shot down that Ka-52 do you remember the meme?
Wagner was more effective in a day than the entire Ukrainian army within the last 6 months.
Yeah one idiot could say the same about the Russian MOD claims which sure are probably inflated to some degree but we also have very undeniable proofs:
-We have incredible footage and numerous western articles about the growing number of improvised cemeteries for Ukrainian soldiers.
-We literaly saw the Patriots get blown up by the Kinzhals, we saw Odessa get fucked last month, we saw the entire Ukrainian electrical grid get fucked for months over and over. Yet anyone believing Ukrainian claims that they shot down anything is just a clown.
Is he literally making the argument that Ukraine has more soldiers than Russia has bullets/fuel for their aircraft?
What?! Just no. How ignorant.
Unrelated to this particular article: but has anyone else been having trouble with archived articles like this recently? Like I get the CAPTCHA, pass it, then just get another one over and over again. I can never get to the article. Don't know how to fix.
Ah shit sorry!
https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2023/08/14/how-f-16s-for-ukraine-could-harm-russia-without-taking-a-single-shot/
Thank you!
Also, hilarious article. I should work for a think tank, I could write a follow up article about how yes, Russian artillery is obliterating the Ukrainian army, but we all need to remember just how much wear and tear that's gonna be putting on those gun barrels.
I mean you could talk about how the HIMARS are destroying all of Russia's artillery capabilities because the amount of wear and tear etc what you said and not actually because of the himars