Ukraine

[lemanfan]

That is true.  But in my estimation they are already pretty close to "the west".  Finland for instance just decided to spend quite big bucks on buying F-35 fighter jets. For historical reasons, I would fully understand of those two countries would not trust Sweden to come to much of a rescue.  And for practical reasons, Sweden's defense is not what it ought to be.  But mainly for the historical reasons.

Can you give me a hint about the historical reasons? I'd like to know more. Thanks.

This moves away from Ukraine, but basically Sweden was a bit way too Pro-German in WWII and while officially neutral, we allowed the Germans to move troops and war material into Norway (and partly involving Finland too I think) for several years.  On top of that we sold LOTS of steel and other raw materials to Germany for most of the war.  And closed the borders for jews fleeing from the nazi-controlled areas. This continued for most of the war.

There is an ongoing debate here right now of how much of this that is hidden in the history books. If you really want to read more, one of the latest books published is this:

https://www.amazon.com/This-Swedish-tiger-Aron-Flam-ebook/dp/B08KXW69G3

The book is partly being discredited by some historians, and praised by others.  I found it well written and have not seen any relevant critique of the factual content, even if interpretations can be discussed.

On top of that for Finland, Sweden as a nation did really not help when they were invaded by Soviet Russia in 1939.  Lots of volunteers did however help under the slogan "Finlands cause is ours!" (in Swedish, of course), including more than 9000 soldiers who went over to fight.

[YYK]

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the Ukrainian army to overthrow its leadership whom he labelled as a 'gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have has lodged itself in Kyiv and taken hostage the entire Ukrainian people.'

Addressing the Ukrainian military in a televised address, a visibly angry Putin urged the military to 'take power in your own hands'." - Guardian

He's completely lost it.

[PeteD01]

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the Ukrainian army to overthrow its leadership whom he labelled as a 'gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have has lodged itself in Kyiv and taken hostage the entire Ukrainian people.'

Addressing the Ukrainian military in a televised address, a visibly angry Putin urged the military to 'take power in your own hands'." - Guardian

He's completely lost it.

It does look like it.
I mean, when taking Putin´s childish ideas about history and Ukraine not being an independent country at face value, it does look like he has plunged Russia into a bloody civil war in order to pursue foreign policy goals.
With every hour the fighting continues this becomes ever clearer.

[Sibley]

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the Ukrainian army to overthrow its leadership whom he labelled as a 'gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have has lodged itself in Kyiv and taken hostage the entire Ukrainian people.'

Addressing the Ukrainian military in a televised address, a visibly angry Putin urged the military to 'take power in your own hands'." - Guardian

He's completely lost it.

That's even more frightening a prospect. It's one thing if someone is going after a goal, even if you disagree. A rational actor can be predicted and negotiated with. But if someone really is irrational, then you can't predict what they might do, nor can you effectively negotiate.

[lemanfan]

He's completely lost it.

He knows what he is doing. It's just that truth doesn't matter.

[YttriumNitrate]

So it does look like there may be at least a shred of truth to Putin's Neo-Nazi claim.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-ukraine-neo-nazis

Edit, and maybe also the drug-addict one too:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/05/ukraine-president-takes-up-comedians-drug-test-challenge

[former player]

So it does look like there may be at least a shred of truth to Putin's Neo-Nazi claim.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-ukraine-neo-nazis

Edit, and maybe also the drug-addict one too:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/05/ukraine-president-takes-up-comedians-drug-test-challenge

Hang on a minute.  One newspaper article from 2019 about the President taking a drug test and no follow up about it being positive, and one newspaper article from 2014 about far-right Russian speakers, 8 years ago, again with no follow up?

You think that is some sort of peg on which to hang starting a war?  Seriously?

[OtherJen]

So it does look like there may be at least a shred of truth to Putin's Neo-Nazi claim.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-ukraine-neo-nazis

Edit, and maybe also the drug-addict one too:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/05/ukraine-president-takes-up-comedians-drug-test-challenge

The Ukrainian President is Jewish, and his great-grandfather and three great-uncles were murdered in the Holocaust. It would be like claiming that the US is run by neo-Nazis and our government should be overthrown because we have active domestic terrorist groups that march with swastikas and other symbols of white nationalism.

[partgypsy]

So it does look like there may be at least a shred of truth to Putin's Neo-Nazi claim.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-ukraine-neo-nazis

Edit, and maybe also the drug-addict one too:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/05/ukraine-president-takes-up-comedians-drug-test-challenge

I am assuming your tongue is firmly in cheek with this one.
Yes Putin is the "problem". But as he takes out any enemies, it's not like anything is going to change. Russia and the rest of the world is stuck with him. I don't think there are any legal measures to get him out of leadership, or at least ones he would allow to happen.

[YttriumNitrate]

You think that is some sort of peg on which to hang starting a war?  Seriously?

Like I said, there's a "shred of truth" in Putin's claim. He's not conjuring it up from whole cloth.

There's big difference between that and justifiable peg on which to hang starting a war.

[SunnyDays]

If only the Russian military would see this as an opportunity to depose a crazy man.  Just sayin .......

[BNgarden]

Well, yikes...  And, so far, it seems like the sanctions [to date at that time] are more in the vein of "thoughts and prayers" for Ukraine and Russia's victims. 

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/02/25/Meet-The-Face-Global-Fascism/

[Just Joe]

That is true.  But in my estimation they are already pretty close to "the west".  Finland for instance just decided to spend quite big bucks on buying F-35 fighter jets. For historical reasons, I would fully understand of those two countries would not trust Sweden to come to much of a rescue.  And for practical reasons, Sweden's defense is not what it ought to be.  But mainly for the historical reasons.

Can you give me a hint about the historical reasons? I'd like to know more. Thanks.

This moves away from Ukraine, but basically Sweden was a bit way too Pro-German in WWII and while officially neutral, we allowed the Germans to move troops and war material into Norway (and partly involving Finland too I think) for several years.  On top of that we sold LOTS of steel and other raw materials to Germany for most of the war.  And closed the borders for jews fleeing from the nazi-controlled areas. This continued for most of the war.

There is an ongoing debate here right now of how much of this that is hidden in the history books. If you really want to read more, one of the latest books published is this:

https://www.amazon.com/This-Swedish-tiger-Aron-Flam-ebook/dp/B08KXW69G3

The book is partly being discredited by some historians, and praised by others.  I found it well written and have not seen any relevant critique of the factual content, even if interpretations can be discussed.

On top of that for Finland, Sweden as a nation did really not help when they were invaded by Soviet Russia in 1939.  Lots of volunteers did however help under the slogan "Finlands cause is ours!" (in Swedish, of course), including more than 9000 soldiers who went over to fight.

Thank you for the background. My history is sorely lacking b/c my American red state spent far too much time teaching us about the 18th and 19th century American history and shockingly little on the 20th century. I've self-studied to help make up for that but hadn't read anything much about Sweden.

[lemanfan]

Thank you for the background. My history is sorely lacking b/c my American red state  spent far too much time on the 18th and 19th century American history and shockingly little on the 20th century. I've self-studied to help make up for that but hadn't read anything much about Sweden.

It is only natural to focus on your own history or the history near you.  I know much more of Sweden and northern Europe in the last 500 years than I know of most history outside of that area.  And the 20th century was very very messy in Europe and elsewhere.   If you want to get an anchor for studying Europe, perhaps start with the last 500 years of Polish history.  They were in the midst of it.  Or just check the title of their national anthem and you'll get a start of a glimpse.

Friends, if Covid-19 was a historic moment, what happened this week in Ukraine is even more so.  I'm frankly tired of living in interesting times.

[OtherJen]

Friends, if Covid-19 was a historic moment, what happened this week in Ukraine is even more so.  I'm frankly tired of living in interesting times.

Yeah, so far I’m not sold on 2020 part C 2022. I think the entire damn planet needs a break.

[Sibley]

Just Joe, I also don't know a ton about 20th centaury European history. I've been doing a bit of googling here and there. And I am impressed as hell with the Ukraine president, and I'm even more impressed that I'm impressed.

First, he was a hugely popular comedian. Then he got elected with a ton of support from a corrupt oligarch. Not all that promising as a leader right? But apparently, he's been doing ok.
https://nypost.com/2022/02/24/who-is-ukraines-president-volodymyr-zelensky/

Then, just before the attack began, he gave this speech to the Russian people, which gave me chills when I watched it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-zilnPtZ2M - full video w/English subtitles
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/02/23/zelenskys-desperate-plea-for-peace/ - transcript

Now, I see this video of him, in Kyiv, with other high level government officials (apparently, I'm going based on other people's id), posted to his FACEBOOK page of all places:
https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-president-zelensky-posts-defiant-video-besieged-kyiv-russia-2022-2
https://www.facebook.com/zelenskiy.official

I am seriously impressed. The courage it takes to stay, when you know he could get out, and then to publicize that he's still there. Whatever else you can say about him past, present or future, this guy has risen to the occasion in a way that many would not be able to.

Lemanfan, I am also very tired of living in interesting times. But to paraphrase Gandalf, it is not for us to choose the times we are given. All we can do is choose what we do with the time given to us.

[OtherJen]

@Sibley , I agree. He is showing tremendous strength and courage right now.

[Captain Cactus]

I simply cannot imagine being in their position.  The Ukrainian President is certainly showing tremendous bravery and leadership.  If it is the peoples’ will, I hope they resist with every thing they’ve got.

[PDXTabs]

I simply cannot imagine being in their position.  The Ukrainian President is certainly showing tremendous bravery and leadership.  If it is the peoples’ will, I hope they resist with every thing they’ve got.

Right?

Even as the artillery barrages intensified, not everyone was ready to hide. Walking with intention toward the source of the artillery booms on the outskirts of Kharkiv was Roman Balakelyev, dressed in camouflage, a double-barreled shotgun slung over his shoulder.

“I live here, this is my home. I’m going to defend it,” said Mr. Balakelyev, who also pulled out a large knife he had strapped to his back as if to show it off. “I don’t think the Russians understand me like I understand them.”

A short while later, Mr. Balakelyev reached the edge of the city, where the Ukrainian troops were huddled around the abandoned Russian troop transports. They watched as he passed. No one moved to stop him. One soldier uttered: “Intent on victory.”

Mr. Balakelyev, his gaze fixed and his shotgun ready, headed down the road in the direction of the booms and a tall billboard that read: “Protect the future: UKRAINE-NATO-EUROPE.” - NYT: Scenes from Kharkiv: Battle wreckage, the boom of artillery, and people sheltering in the subway

[Watchmaker]

Anyone have any thoughts on the best non-profits to give money to to help out the Ukrainian people?

[RWD]

Anyone have any thoughts on the best non-profits to give money to to help out the Ukrainian people?

https://www.directrelief.org/2022/02/direct-relief-continues-support-to-ukraine-as-crisis-escalates/

[Rubyvroom]

Anyone have any thoughts on the best non-profits to give money to to help out the Ukrainian people?

NPR posted a nice compilation of various ideas of how to help.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help

Also just a heads up (for everyone) on the slew of misinformation circulating online. I thought it was good of BBC to call this out.

https://www.bbc.com/news/60513452

[Nate79]

I wonder if Russians outside of Russia will unite against the tyrant Putin?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Captain Cactus]

I wonder what it would take to remove Putin from power?

[former player]

I wonder what it would take to remove Putin from power?

Talking with a friend today I confirmed that I am not the only person having assasination fantasies.

[Sibley]

Anyone have any thoughts on the best non-profits to give money to to help out the Ukrainian people?

NPR posted a nice compilation of various ideas of how to help.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help

Also just a heads up (for everyone) on the slew of misinformation circulating online. I thought it was good of BBC to call this out.

https://www.bbc.com/news/60513452

This is pinned at the top of the r/Ukraine subreddit. Don't know if they're the best. https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/s6g5un/want_to_support_ukraine_heres_a_list_of_charities/

[RetiredAt63]

Canadians and Donations:

https://twitter.com/DavidWCochrane/status/1497326956089651204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
"Canadian government will match every donation people make to the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal, up to $10 million.
That's on top of  $50 million in previously announced aid and $620 million in sovereign loans to Ukraine’s government."

And remember Chapman's paid staff during Covid while they had no jobs for them to do?  They came through again.  I may never buy any other brand of ice cream (plus they make good ice cream, this is not a sacrifice).

https://twitter.com/Chapmans_Canada/status/1497298714733555716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[RetiredAt63]

Here is a military historian's take on this:

https://acoup.blog/2022/02/25/miscellanea-understanding-the-war-in-ukraine/

Not that it changes what to do, but it is nice to understand why things happen.

[Just Joe]

I wonder what it would take to remove Putin from power?

A sniper... Honestly - not a violent person but I am wishing something sudden and terrible for Putin right about now.

[RetiredAt63]

I wonder what it would take to remove Putin from power?

A sniper... Honestly - not a violent person but I am wishing something sudden and terrible for Putin right about now.

Or a coup, or whatever the term is if the rest of the top people look at the situation and don't like it.  He doesn't look like good heart attack material, sadly.

[jnw]

I wonder what would of happened if the USA and all of it's allies sent forces into the Ukraine as soon as Putin was building up the armies at the Ukraine border.  I doubt he would of went in.   We are just standing letting him take Ukraine, threatening to slap his hand with sanctions.

He's so bold now, drunk on himself, now threatening Sweden and Finland.

[Travis]

I wonder what would of happened if the USA and all of it's allies sent forces into the Ukraine as soon as Putin was building up the armies at the Ukraine border.  I doubt he would of went in.   We are just standing letting him take Ukraine threatening to slap his hand with sanctions.

We've had troops training them for years, and they've been decimating Russian armored units with missiles we gave them a few weeks ago and a convoy of allegedly Polish military vehicles was spotted crossing the Ukrainian border to deliver supplies so it's not like we've just sat back with popcorn on this.

We also doubted he would have gone in without our presence. What if we got it wrong on the other end of the scale and found ourselves in a full shooting war with Russia this weekend?

[waltworks]

I wonder what would of happened if the USA and all of it's allies sent forces into the Ukraine as soon as Putin was building up the armies at the Ukraine border.  I doubt he would of went in.   We are just standing letting him take Ukraine, threatening to slap his hand with sanctions.

He's so bold now, drunk on himself, now threatening Sweden and Finland.

Having nuclear powers directly fighting each other is a big no-no because of imperfect information on both sides/fog of war and the potential for inadvertent escalation to nukes.

Unfortunately there's not a cowboy solution here, other than sending over the volunteers ala For Whom the Bell Tolls.

-W

[Sibley]

Here is a military historian's take on this:

https://acoup.blog/2022/02/25/miscellanea-understanding-the-war-in-ukraine/

Not that it changes what to do, but it is nice to understand why things happen.

Thank you for sharing. This was very helpful. And very depressing. We live in interesting times indeed.

@JenniferW highly recommend you read the blog post Retiredat63 shared, it'll probably help you understand why the US and other counties haven't sent their militaries.

[marty998]

I wonder what would of happened if the USA and all of it's allies sent forces into the Ukraine as soon as Putin was building up the armies at the Ukraine border.  I doubt he would of went in.   We are just standing letting him take Ukraine, threatening to slap his hand with sanctions.

He's so bold now, drunk on himself, now threatening Sweden and Finland.

If the US stationed troops there in Ukraine you'll just give Russia and the Russian sympathisers in Ukraine propaganda for the next 100 years.

I would say the Ukrainians need to win the fight militarily on their own (or with their local allies). Of course assist them technologically, economically, and via intelligence. But the citizenry needs to win this - hopeless as the situation is.

Least worst outcomes and all that.

[lemanfan]

Here is a military historian's take on this:

https://acoup.blog/2022/02/25/miscellanea-understanding-the-war-in-ukraine/

Not that it changes what to do, but it is nice to understand why things happen.

Thanks, that was good.

Now I wish I had a good source to point you to regarding even more historical concepts here, but my sources are all in Swedish and often behind paywalls.

The interested may try to search for articles regarding the concept of "Eurasia" - not Europe, not Asia - something different.  And the slogan of "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality".  Alexander Dugin is said to be a key person, and he in turn refers to Nikolai Trubetzkoy and Nikolay Danilevsky as being the Marx and Engels of Russian nationalism. 

(I'm sorry if I get the English translations of any names wrong, we do it a bit differently in my language - the search engines usually figures it out anyway if you do search).

[PeteD01]

...

Putin is a brutal killer and a tyrant who feels cornered - a socialist or communist he is not.
This is not reassuring as the socialist adversaries during the cold war were essentially rational actors and the politburo in soviet Russia served as the guarantor for the succession process, provided a check on the General Secretary and created a supportive environment for the General Secretary.
The structure of the soviet state thus assured rationality in international affairs to a large degree.
Putin lacks these institutional supports and should be expected to act erratically when cornered. sasdly, the soviet mindset and particularly the KGB mindset is one of paranoia, suspicion and a sense of being cornered. Putin, as a former high ranking KGB operative, can be expected to have those qualities in abundance, and can also be expected to act with brutality in typical crude KGB fashion.

^^^ quote from the Outrage 45 thread

More concerns about Mr Putin not being a rational actor:

"After Macron held five hours of talks with the Russian leader in Moscow at opposite ends of a 15-metre table, he told reporters on the return flight that “the tension was palpable”. This was not the same Putin he had last met at the Elysée palace in December 2019, Macron said. He was “more rigid, more isolated” and was off on an “ideological and security drift”."

And:

“Nuclear weapons are an interesting exception to the general rule that the psychology of world leaders is less important than the systems they work in,” Foley said. “Don’t assume that this could proceed in an orderly fashion. It could spin out of control very easily.”


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/24/putin-russian-president-ukraine-invasion-mental-fitness

[Just Joe]

Sounds like the Russian top people need to see Putin's decline and remove him from day to day operations. Keep him as a figurehead perhaps and withdraw the military from Ukraine.

[Dancin'Dog]

Ukraine seems to be doing much better than Putin was prepared to deal with. 

[Sibley]

Ukraine seems to be doing much better than Putin was prepared to deal with.

I agree. Whether that's due to Putin being out of touch with reality or something else, I've been finding and watching the briefings that Zelensky is putting out there (with English subtitles). From what I can tell, Zelensky is probably the best president that Ukraine could have right now. He's still there, fighting. I doubt he's out shooting, but he's talking to other world leaders - and he's calling them out, by name. He's naming and shaming those who aren't supporting sanctions, he's thanking for support. He's a former actor/comedian - which means he knows how to do the show. He's using it to Ukraine's advantage. The very fact that he's there, refusing, very publicly, to be evacuated by the US or anyone else - that is worth a lot in morale.

[OtherJen]

Ukraine seems to be doing much better than Putin was prepared to deal with.

Yes, and I doubt that Putin was expecting this level of resistance from his own people and the world. China's requests that Putin respect Ukraine's sovereignty and end the invasion peacefully, plus a refusal to support with Russia in the UN Security Council (an abstention, yes, but not support) must have been a shock. Kazakhstan's refusal to loan its troops to Russia must also have been an unpleasant surprise.

A better leader would have known how to read the room and realized exactly how little support he would have for this action.

[PeteD01]

A better leader would have known how to read the room and realized exactly how little support he would have for this action.

Precisely.
Putin is a mediocre former KGB colonel lieutenant colonel (edit: Mr Putin did not make colonel in the KGB) and these characters are not known for being particularly smart.
Putin lost control of the narrative even before the invasion started and bet everything on immediate collapse of Ukrainian military capabilities, which was very unlikely to happen.
Now there are reports of Ukrainians taking up arms in support of the Ukrainian military in large numbers - particularly in Kyiv.
It is well known that the Russian military does not do well in city combat (I mean who does, but the Russians may be the worst).
As their initial foray into Kyiv was repelled, a destructive attack on the city with artillery etc. becomes a distinct possibility and that could justifiably be called a genocidal attack.
No one who takes part in or supports such an operation can avoid responsibilty and ultimately accountability for crimes committed - and that is true for the Russian foot soldier all the way up the chain to the leadership and its agents in the west.
There are many people involved in the Russian Ukraine operation who might have to make difficult decisions about further participation in the coming hours and days.

[Dancin'Dog]

Putin should have consulted with Trumps experts before getting into this mess.  <wink>

[partgypsy]

Ukraine seems to be doing much better than Putin was prepared to deal with.

I hope I am wrong but I think it is inevitable that Russia will take Ukraine. There's just no match, military-wise. The only thing don't know, is how much of Ukraine will be destroyed, or how many people will die for him to reach his objectives. I do think Putin is trying to take out the Ukraine president, and that's going to involve missile strikes in civilian areas.  I think Putin will have no problem with collateral damage.

[PeteD01]

Ukraine seems to be doing much better than Putin was prepared to deal with.

I hope I am wrong but I think it is inevitable that Russia will take Ukraine. There's just no match, military-wise.

With an arrogant imbecile like Mr Putin at the helm even the best military can get itself defeated even under favorable conditions.
But here, the situation was not favorable to Russia to begin with.

[Michael in ABQ]

Ukraine seems to be doing much better than Putin was prepared to deal with.

I hope I am wrong but I think it is inevitable that Russia will take Ukraine. There's just no match, military-wise. The only thing don't know, is how much of Ukraine will be destroyed, or how many people will die for him to reach his objectives. I do think Putin is trying to take out the Ukraine president, and that's going to involve missile strikes in civilian areas.  I think Putin will have no problem with collateral damage.

It's not inevitable. Russia can send 150,000 troops - but they've only got so many pieces of equipment and so much materiel that they can put towards the fight. Every tank, and rocket launcher, and truck that gets destroyed is one they can't easily replace. Meanwhile, more anti-tank guided missiles are flowing into Ukraine from the US and European allies. The Russian may outnumber the Ukranian military - but not when you count the tens or hundreds of thousands of territorial militia and armed civilians. Or the fact that 100% of the Ukranian military is in the fight, while only a portion of the Russian military is.

The US sent more troops than that into smaller countries and we still couldn't control them - even with a decent portion of civilians supporting us. I doubt very few Ukrainians are going to support Russia - certainly not once you get beyond the immediate border with Russia where ethnically and linguistically it's more Ukranian than Russian.

In addition, every day the Russia population is going to be more and more against the war. Especially once word starts getting out about casualties. You can't cover that up forever. When a mother loses her son and tells her friends and family and neighbors, word gets around.

[OtherJen]

I admit, I didn't see this coming: Hungary won't block any sanctions against Russia, PM Orban says (Reuters, Feburary 26, 2022)

[PeteD01]

Germany just approved the shipment of 1000 anti-tank and 500 Stinger anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine.
This is significcant because Germany is involved in the development and production of weaponry in Europe and retains veto rights against export of such weaponry into crisis regions and has exercised this veto aggressively in the past.

Germany has also agreed to remove Russia from the SWIFT system.

These are aggressive moves by Germany.

[Sibley]

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/t20u4i/kyiv_full_consensus_for_disconnecting_russia_from/

The actual article has been "hugged to death" (love the phrasing on the reddit post), but looks like Russia is going to get blocked from SWIFT. The OP copied and pasted the article before the site went down, it's the top comment. I wasn't able to find another article, might just need to wait a bit longer for the press to catch up.

Edit:
The president's FB page has a video up, posted today about 1:20 CST, and its got English subtitles. It's possible that there's agreement to block Russian ships from the Black Sea? Or at least discussions to do so. He also discussed SWIFT, said "we gained this victory". My impression is that Zelensky and many others in their government have been working around the clock on the diplomatic front, and they're winning.
https://www.facebook.com/zelenskiy.official

[lemanfan]

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/t20u4i/kyiv_full_consensus_for_disconnecting_russia_from/

The actual article has been "hugged to death" (love the phrasing on the reddit post), but looks like Russia is going to get blocked from SWIFT. The OP copied and pasted the article before the site went down, it's the top comment. I wasn't able to find another article, might just need to wait a bit longer for the press to catch up.

Edit:
The president's FB page has a video up, posted today about 1:20 CST, and its got English subtitles. It's possible that there's agreement to block Russian ships from the Black Sea? Or at least discussions to do so. He also discussed SWIFT, said "we gained this victory". My impression is that Zelensky and many others in their government have been working around the clock on the diplomatic front, and they're winning.
https://www.facebook.com/zelenskiy.official

The Russians of course already has a large fleet in the Black Sea, but last I saw was that at least some of their fleet was outside of the Bosphorus  in the Mediterranean.  The passage is fully controlled by Turkey in practice and during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 there was a lot of talk of how regulated this passage was by international treaties - mainly to prevent non-Black Sea nations (i.e. the USA mainly) to have too many ships in there at the same time.

The Russian /  Turkish relations have been tense for a long time, and was not helped when the Turkish air force shot down a  Russian fighter jet near or in Syria back in 2015. 

If Turkey blocks Russian ships there it might not change that much in practice, but it is a very important change I think.

More here: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-crisis/turkey-to-block-passage-of-russian-warships-in-black-sea-moscow-disputes-access-claims-articleshow.html