Use as open thread for today for any topic discussed at the Saker Blog and not already discussed in other threads.

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How about those sanctions?  European Gas Buyers Switch to Ruble Payments – It’s reported another 14 firms – on top of the existing 20 – have requested the paperwork to set up accounts too.  Italy and Germany – huge consumers of Russian gas – are among those that have switched.  Draghi Says “Most Gas Importers” Have Opened Ruble Accounts With Gazprom

Ukrainian refugees are showing their mettle by knifing and killing a man in Poland who stepped up to defend a young woman that was harassed by the refugees.  Other stories are coming out of Europe of refugees refusing to live next to people that are not white and four of them just decided to grab a villa in France, belonging to a Russian, and they moved right in.  This trend can only continue.

A further trend:  All of the reliable commentators on the SMO indicate that it is soon over.  We do not know the shape that it will take though.  Martyanov speaks about a definite trend on accelerating demoralization of VSU and the pronounced trend on the collapse of the VSU defenses as we can see from lack of equipment, ammo and very high losses.  Ritter in his last video, talks about days or weeks.  Larry Johnson talks about a Ukraine headed for defeat.

Today the Russian delegation to the UN will take the latest documents on military biological activities of the United States on the territory of Ukraine to the Security Council.

Zelenski is not dominating the MSM headlines in the last number of days.

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