This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge.
Update(10:21amET): Ukraine’s President Zelensky and his top officials have over the past days been very openly urging a US and NATO imposed a no-fly zone over the country, which would effectively bring American forces into a direct shooting war with Russia. On Saturday Russian President Putin issued a stern threat to any external power thinking about intervening by sending direct military forces.
Putin made clear a no-fly zone would result in the Kremlin’s immediate declaration of war on any country intervening in such a way. The AP reported and translated his fresh comments made before Russian air forces service members as follows:
A no-fly-zone would spell war for any third party who tries to enforce one over Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has said.
Speaking at a meeting with female pilots on Saturday, Putin said Russia would view “any move in this direction” as an intervention that “will pose a threat to our service members.”
“That very second, we will view them as participants of the military conflict, and it would not matter what members they are,” the Russian president said.
Further, he addressed the ratcheted-up sanctions on Russia from the West, which are now serving to isolate Russia almost on levels akin to the US sanctions regimen on Iran – with of course the important exception that the US has not yet directly targeted Russian oil and gas exports.
In his latest video address, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky blasts NATO for its refusal to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, says it's a sign of weakness. Says the only assistance Ukraine received so far through NATO procurement system is 50 tons of diesel pic.twitter.com/dxWuXnA53K
— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) March 5, 2022
“Sanctions against us are like declaring war on Russia,” Putin said additionally in the meeting with military members.
He further painted a positive picture of Russia’s strategy and military operations on the ground, at a moment many Western officials and pundits in the media have pointed out major problems for the invaders as Ukraine mounts a fierce ground resistance…
https://twitter.com/ASBMilitary/status/1500119049338032133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1500119049338032133%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Fevacuation-ceasefires-break-down-russian-shelling-resumes-key-port-cities
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The second round of Ukraine-Russia talks which took place Thursday reached a key agreement to allow for the evacuation of civilians in areas of Ukraine seeing intense fighting by establishing ‘humanitarian corridors.’ With a third round of talks agreed upon to take place at the start of next week, the potential for local ceasefires sparked hope that this could lead to a broader ceasefire over the country.
These corridors were erected in at least two major cities which have been under bombardment by Russia – Mariupol in the southeast on the Sea of Azov, and the eastern city of Volnovakha. The local ceasefires were seen as a significant breakthrough which could lead to a wider pause in fighting, but that appears to have already broken down after civilians in a city of some 400,000 were only given five hours to exit Mariupol on Saturday.
Shelling in Mariupol. Source: @AyBurlachenko via Reuters
Shelling by Russian forces has reportedly since resumed, with the brief ceasefire now effectively over. President Zelensky’s office issued a statement blaming Russia for breaking the deal: “The Russian side is not holding to the cease-fire and has continued firing on Mariupol itself and on its surrounding area,” it said.
The ceasefire for allowing the exit of civilians in Volnovakha has also reportedly broken down. “Talks with the Russian Federation are ongoing regarding setting up a cease-fire and ensuring a safe humanitarian corridor,” the statement by Zelensky’s office indicated.
Additionally, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, “We appeal to the Russian side to stop firing,” according to the AP. Mariupol had prior to the humanitarian pause been under continuous shelling for some 30 hours, according to international reports.
Ukrainian officials say a Russian plane has been shot down in the outskirts of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv…
Fighter jet shot down reportedly over Chernihiv, in north Ukraine pic.twitter.com/4qaVkcfX6W
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) March 5, 2022
Likely Russia sees the 5-hour ceasefire as having been sufficient time to allow for civilian evacuations. Mariupol has been described as under complete siege, and with no water or electricity. Given it’s a city of some 400,000 – it’s more than likely that many thousands of civilians remain there as the shelling resumes.
City authorities have said they believe at least 200 civilians have been killed since the start of the attack on Mariupol.
Ukraine's security service has reportedly shot & killed Denis Kireev, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, pictured far back on the right in the photo. He was apparently killed while resisting arrest on suspicion of treason, @ukrpravda_news reports. https://t.co/B0kOhWxMmI pic.twitter.com/pFWfXIEFzK
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 5, 2022
Meanwhile Germany has issued new numbers after the United Nations previously reported that over 1 million Ukrainians have fled the war. “More than 27,000 refugees have arrived in Germany from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to Germany’s interior ministry,” CNN reports. “Germany’s Federal Police has registered 27,491 refugees from Ukraine in Germany to date, an interior ministry spokesperson confirmed to CNN Saturday.”
This is getting interesting, this is going to be fun.
Biden knows what he is doing and will likely be successful at doing it.
How can you say this is going to get interesting or going to be fun? I doubt that you have ever served or seen a battlefield!? I have!! And people are dying right now over there!! Your comments would be the last words that come to mind on describing this!!!
Biden and his staff are weaklings and that is what brought this on. Putin has been planning this invasion for years! That delusional little lunatic wants to be the one who put the old USSR back together. We better start taking some lessons from Reagan and how JFK backed them down in the heights of the Cold War. Putin wants to fight while our leaders worry about pronouns, CRT, being woke, transgender rights, LGBTQZRS and any other lunatic letter!! We reek of weakness brought to you by the snowflake party!!!
Putin knows everyone is on pins and needles because he threatened the world with his nukes. The sad part is I think the crazy sawed off tiny toy soldier would use them?? But you know what? You can’t reason with a lion when your head is in its mouth! You can’t reason with a lunatic! The only thing a bully can understand is being bullied back! There is gonna come a day here soon the rest of the world is gonna have to tell him to bring it on because we are shooting back! All of us at you!!
I am at peace and have fought my battles and can do more! I am by no means advocating for a global thermo nuclear war, but there is going to come a time here real soon we are gonna have to bully him back! If he thinks Ukraine is fighting him back?? Let him and China try to invade the US. Once they get past all the snowflake, woke, BLM, LGBTQRSXYZ coastal cities wait and see what happens when they try to get past the Rockies, Great Plains and Appalachia!! We have guns behind every blade of grass!! Bring it on!!!
HOLY SHIT! Look at the markets on kitco!
Gold.. 2001.00 Oil…. 124.00 wow.
This is the war that will break Russia. Just as with the US, the past three decades have been wars fought against third world ‘mud people’ with low IQs and Islamic mindlock. No developed country has fought a war against other high IQ whites. And as we can see, the casualty figures are enormous.
The region is being flooded with weapons and militias and organised crime groups are being armed. If the war is still going come the summer months, when refugees from Africa and the Middle East continue to flood into Europe, then there will be some interesting clashes between these militias and the refugees.
“This is the war that will break Russia.”
Maybe, but it could also make Russia much stronger than it is now if it doesn’t lose.
(FWIW, and something no one is considering, the Ukraine government arming civilians prior to Russia’s actions would qualify them as soldiers for the purpose of war and any area that has had civilians evacuated should no longer be considered a civilian area. So take reports of civilian casualties with a grain of salt.)
ft said, “third world ‘mud people’ with low IQs and Islamic mindlock.”
Like the recruiters in my social studies class.
It would seem he already has his hands full, without threatening further goes.
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Please open your eyes and see that Jesus died for you, and is offering His free gift of Salvation. He died on the cross, and He Himself spent 3 days in hell so that you would not have to do so. He then raised Himself from the dead, to show that He would also raise those who DO believe in Him. God created you. He is NOT myth. Please do not believe the lies this world system would have you believe. Regardless of what you have heard, read, or learned, JESUS is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world (You who is reading this), that He gave His ONLY Begotten Son (Jesus), that Whosoever Believes on Him, will not Perish, but will have everlasting life.”
To learn more: nowtheendbegins.com/eternal-life-through-the-blood-of-jesus-christ-is-a-free-gift/