Another day, another round of the usual warmongering soundbites, because someone clearly is on a mission to escalate the cross border hostilities into all out war. From Reuters:
- UKRAINE MILITARY SPOKESMAN LYSENKO SAYS RUSSIA HAS 45,000 TROOPS ON ITS BORDER WITH UKRAINE WITH TANKS, MISSILE SYSTEMS, WARPLANES AND ATTACK HELICOPTERS
From Reuters:
Russia has massed 45,000 troops on its border with Ukraine backed by an array of heavy equipment including tanks, missile systems, warplanes and attack helicopters, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on Monday.
"As of 11 o'clock today, about 45,000 troops of the armed forces and internal forces of the Russian Federation are concentrated in border areas," Lysenko told a briefing.
He said they were supported by 160 tanks, 1,360 armoured vehicles, 390 artillery systems, up to 150 Grad missile launchers, 192 fighter aircraft and 137 attack helicopters.
Apparently Lyesnko does not know how to read an upside profit surprise warning from Raytheon, Lockheed and Boeing.
Meanwhile:
- RUSSIA'S PUTIN TELLS EU'S BARROSO BY TELEPHONE THAT RUSSIA IS COORDINATING WITH INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS ON SENDING HUMANITARIAN AID TO UKRAINE - KREMLIN
It gets better, from Bloomberg:
- BARROSO WARNS PUTIN AGAINST UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTIONS
Or else the prices of Russian fruits and vegetables will go up as European gas prices explode?
And concluding the comedy, from Interfax:
- LAVROV SAYS ALL DETAILS OF HUMANITARIAN MISSION AGREED WITH UKRAINE GOVT, EXPRESSES HOPE MISSION WILL TAKE PLACE SOON
RUSSIA HOPES THAT HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR DONBAS WILL NOT BE OBSTRUCTED BY PARTNERS - LAVROV - LAVROV: IF MEDIA REPORTS, SAYING THAT BRITISH, FRENCH, GERMANY LEADERS AGREED NO NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN AID EXISTS IN UKRAINE, ARE TRUE, THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS CYNICISM MANIFESTATION
- INTRODUCTION OF FOOD IMPORT RESTRICTIONS CONDITIONED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WITH SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIAN AGRICULTURAL BANK, WHICH COMPLICATES FINANCING AGRICULTURE PRODUCERS - LAVROV
- IT IS HARD TO CALL GOOD PARTNERS THE COUNTRIES UNITING AGAINST RUSSIA - LAVROV
- LAVROV: ONE MAY GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THE COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATION IN UKRAINE AIMS TO WIPE OFF SOUTHEASTERN UKRAINE FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND TO MAKE ALL RUSSIANS GO
Then again, judging by today's latest plunge in the VIX, it is quite clear that the most recent warning by the TBAC [6]against low vol and complacent markets, almost had an impact.