re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Not gonna happen

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Russia and China have maintained a close working relationship for years, but that relationship appears to be in question after Russian President Vladimir Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine and take on serious economic sanctions.

Two Chinese state-owned banks announced Friday, as reported by Bloomberg News, that they will restrict financing for Russian commodity purchases.

Offshore units of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China have stopped issuing U.S. dollar-denominated letters of credit for purchases of physical Russian commodities ready for export, while the Bank of China has also limited funding.

The implementation of those restrictions, which could be temporary, brings into question Beijing's support for Moscow as Western alliances deliver harsh sanctions on Russia. According to Bloomberg, the four largest banks in China have complied with prior sanctions from the U.S. against Iran, North Korea and officials in Hong Kong because they need access to the U.S. dollar clearing system.

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You think Putin is going to turn around and go home and that’s it ?

That’s not an option for him. He’s either going to do something crazy or bloody someone’s nose on the way out.

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[CNN] Defenders of Ukrainian island may still be alive and now POWs, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine says

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The defenders of the small Ukrainian island of Zmiinyi in the Black Sea may still be alive, according to a statement released on Saturday by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGSU).

"We [have a] strong belief that all Ukrainian defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island may be alive,” the statement said.

Both President Zelensky and the SBGSU said Friday all the soldiers had been killed following the small island’s capture by Russian forces.

Preliminary information that border guards may be dead came before the defenders lost contact," Saturday's statement said.
On Friday, Russian Major-General Igor Konashenkov said 82 Ukrainian servicemen “laid down their arms and voluntarily surrendered to a unit of the Russian Armed Forces.”

The SBGSU statement added, “Russian media reported that Ukrainian servicemen on the island had been sent to Sevastopol” in Crimea.

On Friday, audio emerged of an exchange between the Ukrainian fighters and an officer of the Russian navy. In the exchange, the Ukrainians were heard to say to “Russian warship – go f*** yourself.”

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