Russia has invaded Ukraine

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

it's gods oil and he''ll send it where he wants it

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

a god doesn't usually consult his worshipers

But he knows who is a loser.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:03 ----------

Originally Posted by papa smurf

it's gods oil and he''ll send it where he wants it

God is good.

Originally Posted by Carth

Are all of the Russian sanctions decided by Lord Trump (Master of the Universe and beyond), or do other Countries have a say in them?



*asking for some friends with rising energy costs

Sanctions imposed by the US are enforced by controlling access to the world financial system which is denominated in US currency. Any criminal activity involving use of dollars is considered in American law to be a crime punishable in the USA. How they do that obviously depends on who is doing the criminal thing. For individuals they seek extradition. For nation states they impose penalties like trade tariffs, export bans or, in extreme cases, shutting off their ability to use transaction clearing services that pass through US systems.

As a side note, one of the unforeseen long-term consequences of Trump’s unpredictable and haphazard foreign and trade policies has been to cause other countries to diversify away from USD as their main reserve currency. EUR and RMB (china) are both viable alternatives at present. The more this happens, the less able the US is in the long run to dictate global sanctions policies. Just another way in which MAGA is achieving anything but.

[Carth]

Thanks for the explanation, and the info about the American future finance situation

Originally Posted by Carth

Thanks for the explanation, and the info about the American future finance situation

Knowledge is useful - ignorance, not so much…

[Carth]

I've never wanted to know everything about everything, especially the everything that I usually show no interest in

Originally Posted by Carth

I've never wanted to know everything about everything, especially the everything that I usually show no interest in

Ignorance on a subject isn’t something to be ashamed of, but it’s not something to be proud of…

[Carth]

To be fair, I suppose there's no excuse for being ignorant of anything when the internet and AI has all the answers at the click of a few buttons . . . if you trust and believe the answers from the internet and AI

Yes I know, I asked a question here, on the internet, but was fairly certain I'd get a decent answer on here

several posts removed. Please discuss the topic, not each other.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2d8...fb1d2ab95#post

Orbán has led Hungary almost unchallenged for 16 years.

A short while ago, he rang his rival Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party, to concede.

He congratulated him on his victory and then, surrounded by gloomy-faced leading members of his party Fidesz, he announced his party’s defeat to his supporters.

On the other side of the River Danube in Tisza headquarters, party workers hugged each other, while the crowds on the shore of the river began to celebrate.

The margin of victory looks huge - big enough to secure a two-thirds majority in the new parliament for Tisza.

This is an astonishing victory for a centre-right party only founded two years ago and a serious blow to national populists - not just here in Hungary, but across Europe.

Why is thus relevant to the Russia-Ukraine war?

Moscow’s interest in the Hungarian elections has been evident, with Viktor Orbán the only EU leader who systematically blocks sanctions and military aid to Ukraine, as well as supports gas deals with Russia.

Before the elections, Bloomberg published a transcript of a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orbán from October 2025.

In it, Orbán reportedly compared himself to a mouse that saves a lion, after which the lion does not kill it.

Orbán also reportedly assured Putin that on any issue where he could be useful “I am at your service”.

https://news.sky.com/story/eus-aid-t...ocked-13522031

Hungary is blocking the European Union from providing Ukraine with a loan to help its war effort.

Viktor Orban, the right-wing prime minister in Budapest, has been a constant critic of the bloc's commitment to supporting Kyiv and is seen as one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Europe.

His country is a member of the EU, and he has been accused of undermining the bloc's position on the war.

Brussels agreed a deal worth €90bn in December to help Kyiv keep fighting for up to two more years, but Mr Orban is blocking the money from being provided.