Russian lawmakers authorize Putin to use military force outside the country

[Labster]

Great Britain was never going to receive the same treatment because it didn't really leave Europe during Brexit.  It's still tightly integrated into the European military group (NATO, if you must give a name to it).  They still trade with Europe.  They pose no real threat to Europe, and have no designs on European territory (not even France!).  None of that is true with Russia, which is pretty open about wanting four EU member states under their sphere of influence instead.

Or is that five?  Ukraine submitted its application to join the EU today.  Nothing like being attacked by one neighbor to drive you into the arms of the other one.  The membership process will definitely take a while (or even longer if you're Turkey), but it's another thing that wouldn't have happened last week.

-- The ruble fell below 1¢US, which is only a 30% fall in value
-- Russia built up a big stockpile of $630 billion in foreign currencies in anticipation of this, but can they actually use them?  There's a ban on transactions with the US, UK, Singapore, Europe, and even Switzerland has abandoned its neutrality on this one.  Is money you can't spend actually money? Russian banks are already failing.
-- Shell, BP, and Equinor have both said they are abandoning Russian assets, which at this point is probably more of an acknowledgement of reality that they're not going to be able to do business there any time soon, and even if they do Europe is going to decarbonize faster anyway.

>  --FIFA kicking Russia our of everything. Because even those stockings of shite know which way the wind is blowing.
When even FIFA decides it might get a bad reputation from working with you, you have to wonder about your life choices.