Ukraine

[OTBC]

THIS IS WHY PUTIN WANTS UKRAINE:
Ukraine ranks:
1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores;
2nd in Europe and 10th in the world in titanium ore reserves;
2nd in the world in explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world’s reserves);
2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons);
2nd in Europe in mercury ore reserves;
3rd in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)
4th in the world by the total value of natural resources;
7th in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)

Ukraine is an agricultural country:
1st in Europe in arable land area;
3rd in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world’s volume);
1st in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil;
2nd in the world in barley production and 4th in barley exports;
3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world;
4th largest producer of potatoes in the world;
5th largest rye producer in the world;
5th in the world in bee production (75,000 tons);
8th in the world in wheat exports;
9th in the world in the production of chicken eggs;
16th in the world in cheese exports.

Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.

Ukraine is an industrialized country:
1st in Europe in ammonia production;
2nd in Europe’s and 4th largest natural gas pipeline system in the world (142.5 bln cubic meters of gas throughput capacity in the EU);
3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in installed capacity of nuclear power plants;
3rd in Europe and 11th in the world in rail network length (21,700 km);
3rd in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment;
3rd largest iron exporter in the world
4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world;
4th world’s largest manufacturer of rocket launchers;
4th in the world in clay exports
4th in the world in titanium exports
8th in the world in exports of ores and concentrates;
9th in the world in exports of defence industry products;
10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons).

[niemeyjt]

I think Putin's health is a smokescreen from the various security services - possibly as a distraction from similar questions being raised at Biden.

The fear of NATO expansion predates Putin - back to the fall of the Iron Curtain.

edit to add that is not to say he is in rude health - there are reports that he is in a semi-sterile bubble - with the big table, fear of Covid infection etc

[ExMontpelliérain]

Probably not relevant, just an observation, but Mr P seems to have either put on weight recently or is on steroids. Either way, he doesn't look particularly healthy. He's always prided himself on fitness and keeping in shape.

Dexamethazone ,which is used (amongst other things) for the oedema from brain tumours causes facial swelling,just saying

A brain tumour could explain his irrational paranoia that NATO might invade Russia.

It may not have a medical origin; paranoid psychopathy seems to be the default mental state for klepto oligarchs. I’m old enough to remember the oligarch wars &, before that, the first murder (AFAIK) by Novichok nerve agent in Moscow in the 1990s.

[hughnique]

Lump of lead through the forehead will cure all his ailments and that of the west at the same time.

[niemeyjt]

Who would be his successor? Medvedev (Dmitry not Daniil)? He seems to be singing from the same hymnsheet.

[ajm]

Back from doing our weekly shop. There were queues at the petrol station the like of which only seen during delivery drivers strikes.

[Blaze]

No queues for fuel here so I filled up just now ...

[Blaze]

Who would be his successor? Medvedev (Dmitry not Daniil)? He seems to be singing from the same hymnsheet.

They're all ex-KGB, old style communists so his successor is unlikely to be any different.
I cannot imagine what Gorbachev must be thinking about the clock being turned back.

[niemeyjt]

Sadly this goes back to Gorbachev and Yeltsin - and their failures to get what they thought was agreed when the Iron Curtain fell into a proper Treaty.

[ExMontpelliérain]

<Fe>No need to panic. There was a lengthy Cobra meeting this morning involving this confidence inspiring group. We are in safe hands.</Fe>