Global Events & Politics Überthread
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nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
They should be providing more.
Wikipedia has a page on what various countries and organizations have contributed so far. Some details are lacking. For example, Poland is hosting over 2 million refugees. There is no information on how much they are spending to host those refugees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign_aid_to_Ukraine_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War
I also think that within the limits of the law frozen Russian assets should be turned over to Ukraine. There are various proposals in Congress to facilitate this. Obviously rule of law and due process and all that jazz need to apply but it probably can be done.
Longer term, there needs to be a tax applied on anything coming out of or going into Russia, especially oil and gas, and the proceeds sent to Ukraine.
Wikipedia has a page on what various countries and organizations have contributed so far. Some details are lacking. For example, Poland is hosting over 2 million refugees. There is no information on how much they are spending to host those refugees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign_aid_to_Ukraine_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War
I also think that within the limits of the law frozen Russian assets should be turned over to Ukraine. There are various proposals in Congress to facilitate this. Obviously rule of law and due process and all that jazz need to apply but it probably can be done.
Longer term, there needs to be a tax applied on anything coming out of or going into Russia, especially oil and gas, and the proceeds sent to Ukraine.
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nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
credibly accused creepy joe: “The cost of failing to stand up to violent aggression in Europe has always been higher than the cost of standing firm against such attacks. That is as it always has been, and as it always will be. America must meet this moment, and do its part.”
Obviously other countries, especially European countries, need to do their part. But American laidership is very important in this situation. Lloyd Austin has been very pro-active in organizing the contact group that will be continually assessing what needs to be done in terms of military aid to Ukraine. Germany may not have much military equipment to contribute but they should be writing some very big checks.
Obviously other countries, especially European countries, need to do their part. But American laidership is very important in this situation. Lloyd Austin has been very pro-active in organizing the contact group that will be continually assessing what needs to be done in terms of military aid to Ukraine. Germany may not have much military equipment to contribute but they should be writing some very big checks.
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nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
The White House on Thursday announced a proposal to allow U.S. authorities to liquidate the assets of Russian oligarchs and donate the proceeds to Ukraine, seeking what appears to be broad new legal powers to expand America’s financial war on the Kremlin amid bipartisan pressure in Congress.
The White House has not revealed the legislative text behind its Russian oligarchs proposal but said the proposal “would improve” the federal government’s ability to send seized funds to Ukraine. Under current law, the United States can typically only freeze — not seize or liquidate — the assets of sanctioned individuals. Civil liberties groups had raised concerns that prior congressional proposals to do so ran afoul of constitutional protections by allowing federal law enforcement to circumvent judicial procedure. It was not immediately clear how the White House would seek to change existing statute without violating those protections.
“This package of proposals will establish new authorities for the forfeiture of property linked to Russian kleptocracy, allow the government to use the proceeds to support Ukraine, and further strengthen related law enforcement tools,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
The White House said its plan for liquidating Russian oligarch assets was released in close coordination with the Treasury Department, State Department, and Commerce Department. Attorney General Merrick Garland previously told congressional lawmakers that he supports the efforts to repurpose seized Russian funds to Ukraine. But even some senior Biden administration officials had emphasized the need for caution around a potentially significant change in precedent to U.S. seizure law. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen told reporters last week that lawmakers needed to be careful when she was asked about a plan to give to the Ukrainians billions of dollars in seized Russian bank reserves.
“I would say that is very significant, and it is one that we would carefully need to think through the consequences of before undertaking it,” Yellen told reporters last week. “I wouldn’t want to do so lightly, and it’s something that I think our coalition and partners would need to feel comfortable with and be supportive of.”
“The question is where the jurisdiction is, and do these oligarchs have standing to protect their property,” said Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. “I’m not necessarily in favor of property being seized without due process. … What is the source of law to seize, let alone dispose, of these assets?”
On a call with reporters, a senior administration official declined to offer specifics but said the new measures would include mechanisms for judicial review. “With those safeguards, we feel confident it does provide constitutional requirements,” the official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s request.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/28/biden-russia-oligarchs-assets-ukraine/
The White House has not revealed the legislative text behind its Russian oligarchs proposal but said the proposal “would improve” the federal government’s ability to send seized funds to Ukraine. Under current law, the United States can typically only freeze — not seize or liquidate — the assets of sanctioned individuals. Civil liberties groups had raised concerns that prior congressional proposals to do so ran afoul of constitutional protections by allowing federal law enforcement to circumvent judicial procedure. It was not immediately clear how the White House would seek to change existing statute without violating those protections.
“This package of proposals will establish new authorities for the forfeiture of property linked to Russian kleptocracy, allow the government to use the proceeds to support Ukraine, and further strengthen related law enforcement tools,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
The White House said its plan for liquidating Russian oligarch assets was released in close coordination with the Treasury Department, State Department, and Commerce Department. Attorney General Merrick Garland previously told congressional lawmakers that he supports the efforts to repurpose seized Russian funds to Ukraine. But even some senior Biden administration officials had emphasized the need for caution around a potentially significant change in precedent to U.S. seizure law. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen told reporters last week that lawmakers needed to be careful when she was asked about a plan to give to the Ukrainians billions of dollars in seized Russian bank reserves.
“I would say that is very significant, and it is one that we would carefully need to think through the consequences of before undertaking it,” Yellen told reporters last week. “I wouldn’t want to do so lightly, and it’s something that I think our coalition and partners would need to feel comfortable with and be supportive of.”
“The question is where the jurisdiction is, and do these oligarchs have standing to protect their property,” said Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. “I’m not necessarily in favor of property being seized without due process. … What is the source of law to seize, let alone dispose, of these assets?”
On a call with reporters, a senior administration official declined to offer specifics but said the new measures would include mechanisms for judicial review. “With those safeguards, we feel confident it does provide constitutional requirements,” the official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s request.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/28/biden-russia-oligarchs-assets-ukraine/
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nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Sorry to be pedantic. But when Congress passes something it becomes a law. Of course a court might rule it runs afoul of constitutional protections. What the article is about is whether a law can be crafted to seize these frozen assets in a way that passes constitutional muster.
Various people have offered a perspective on this. Here's one that says it can't be done:
https://www.lawfareblog.com/giving-russian-assets-ukraine-freezing-not-seizing
I think another way to help Ukraine is to pass tariffs on Russian imports and exports, especially oil and gas. All the countries that want to help Ukraine should do this.
These revenues should then be forwarded to Ukraine. Obviously many of these imports and exports are currently sanctioned. But not all. And the day will come when the sanctions are lifted. The tariffs should be left in place until Ukraine is made good on all the harm that is being inflicted upon its people by Vlad the Dim's war.
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nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the West of openly encouraging Ukraine to attack Russia — and said Thursday that countries should take seriously Moscow’s warnings that any attack will lead to a “tough response.”
“The West openly calls on Kyiv to attack Russia, using, among other things, weapons received from NATO countries,” spokesperson Maria Zakharova told journalists in Moscow. “We advise you not to further test our patience,” she said.
The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was Ukraine’s prerogative to strike back on Russian soil. Asked whether the United States should support offensive operations, Blinken said he believed that it was “vital” that Ukraine “do whatever is necessary to defend against Russian aggression” and that “the tactics of this are their decisions.”
The comments come as Ukrainian officials said unexplained fires and explosions that were reported in recent days against sensitive targets in Russia were justified — and could increase — but did not take responsibility for them.
Blinken’s comments, made in testimony to a congressional panel, appeared to resonate in Kyiv, where an adviser to Ukraine’s president cited them — and insisted the country would “defend itself in any way, including strikes on the warehouses and bases of the killers [Russia].”
“The world recognizes this right,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.
Podolyak, one day earlier, had said reports of explosions in three Russian regions near Ukraine’s eastern border — including Belgorod, where Kremlin officials earlier this month accused Ukraine of carrying out a helicopter attack against a fuel depot — were “karma.”
Britain’s defense minister, Ben Wallace, told the BBC on Thursday that it would be “legitimate under international law” for Ukraine to attack “the logistics structure of the Russian army.” British armed forces minister James Heappey made similar comments on Tuesday and indicated that his country would not oppose Ukraine’s use of British-supplied weapons to hit military targets in Russia — sparking immediate blowback from Russia.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/28/putin-russia-retaliation-blinken-ukraine/
“The West openly calls on Kyiv to attack Russia, using, among other things, weapons received from NATO countries,” spokesperson Maria Zakharova told journalists in Moscow. “We advise you not to further test our patience,” she said.
The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was Ukraine’s prerogative to strike back on Russian soil. Asked whether the United States should support offensive operations, Blinken said he believed that it was “vital” that Ukraine “do whatever is necessary to defend against Russian aggression” and that “the tactics of this are their decisions.”
The comments come as Ukrainian officials said unexplained fires and explosions that were reported in recent days against sensitive targets in Russia were justified — and could increase — but did not take responsibility for them.
Blinken’s comments, made in testimony to a congressional panel, appeared to resonate in Kyiv, where an adviser to Ukraine’s president cited them — and insisted the country would “defend itself in any way, including strikes on the warehouses and bases of the killers [Russia].”
“The world recognizes this right,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.
Podolyak, one day earlier, had said reports of explosions in three Russian regions near Ukraine’s eastern border — including Belgorod, where Kremlin officials earlier this month accused Ukraine of carrying out a helicopter attack against a fuel depot — were “karma.”
Britain’s defense minister, Ben Wallace, told the BBC on Thursday that it would be “legitimate under international law” for Ukraine to attack “the logistics structure of the Russian army.” British armed forces minister James Heappey made similar comments on Tuesday and indicated that his country would not oppose Ukraine’s use of British-supplied weapons to hit military targets in Russia — sparking immediate blowback from Russia.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/28/putin-russia-retaliation-blinken-ukraine/
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
It's a sort of sense of Congress resolution that Germany's legislature passed. To put pressure on the government to do more. The current German government might be the first to fall as a result of this crisis. I believe all it would take is a no confidence vote. German political alignments seem to be shifting quite a bit.
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nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
The United States will “strongly support” NATO membership for Sweden and Finland if they choose to join the military alliance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, underscoring how Russia’s invasion of its neighbor has reverberated far beyond Ukraine.
The United States has long backed an open-door policy for NATO that allows any nation to apply for membership. But it has been more careful about spelling out what comes next, and the top U.S. diplomat’s remarks are likely to prompt an angry response from Moscow.
“The world has changed pretty dramatically, and one of the ways it has changed is in the very strong interest of both countries to become members of NATO,” Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/28/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/
It is hard to overstate what a monumental geopolitical blunder Vlad the Dim has made in launching this war. Good chance Russia ends up as China's gas station.
The United States has long backed an open-door policy for NATO that allows any nation to apply for membership. But it has been more careful about spelling out what comes next, and the top U.S. diplomat’s remarks are likely to prompt an angry response from Moscow.
“The world has changed pretty dramatically, and one of the ways it has changed is in the very strong interest of both countries to become members of NATO,” Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/28/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/
It is hard to overstate what a monumental geopolitical blunder Vlad the Dim has made in launching this war. Good chance Russia ends up as China's gas station.
somehow this means NATO are the aggressors, when Russia has only been minding their own business this entire time?
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
if not for the perfectly rational Vlad the Dim (who btw is not as bad as Trudeau) none of it would be happening
Trump spent on the military at historic levels in his only term.
Maybe that’s the key to peace. Keep spending and spending on the military!
shouldn’t that make you pro-defense/military spending now?