Chapter 325: The Country That Was Fooled
"Boss!" Xiao Peng strolled into the cockpit and a group of people greeted him.
Xiao Peng waved his hand: "Old Chen, how is the situation?"
Chen Cheng smiled bitterly and said, "This is really weird! I thought we had to queue to enter the Port of Odessa. But I just contacted the port and they told me we can enter directly. They even found us a good berth."
His complaints are not without reason.
Odessa is Ukraine's largest port, and over 50% of Ukraine's cargo exports pass through it. And with spring being the busiest season for cargo, the fact that there are still berths available is truly unimaginable.
Kasin, who was following Xiao Peng, said, "What's so strange about this? A fool fooled by the Americans! What can't a country that can use a comedian as president do?"
"Puff!" Everyone burst out together.
Kashin's complaints are not without reason. Ukraine's current president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is a comedian with no political experience before taking office. He's not a billionaire like Trump; he's really just an actor, known for his role in the political comedy "Servant of the People," so he's still considered a comedian.
The Ukrainian people said: Since you can play a good president, you can definitely be a good president, so they elected Zelensky as president.
However, this matter is a bit helpless to talk about, as it shows that the Ukrainian people are completely disappointed with the politicians of this country.
In 2018, Ukraine was at war in the east, so the Ministry of Defense signed a large number of weapons and equipment orders for its own army. As a result, the army actually only received an armored brigade consisting of 100 outdated T64BM tanks. Where did the rest of the orders go?
The president's account at the time had an additional 3.3 billion rubles, achieving the "feat" of increasing his income more than 80 times in a single year. Then, just before his presidential immunity expired in 2020, an investigation began into the president. The suspected crimes included corruption, money laundering, diversion of funds, and treason. ...
Being president of Ukraine is even more dangerous than being president of Korea. Almost all of Ukraine's presidents have had a bad ending! They've almost always faced a "popular backlash" upon leaving office. And the "popular backlash" they face is quite a lot. There are at least a hundred political parties in Ukraine.
After hearing Kasim's words, everyone came to their senses: Kasim was Russian.
Hua Chong said from the side, "Kasin, you're clearly being unreasonable. You say Ukraine was fooled by the Americans, but didn't Russia fool Ukraine at the time? How come Ukraine doesn't have nuclear weapons? And let's be honest, it's not surprising that they're in this situation now. And the main reason for Ukraine's current economic instability is Russia."
When Ukraine disintegrated from the former Soviet Union, thanks to the "place of origin" principle, it became a world-class military power. It inherited the former Soviet Union's 780,000-man army, over 1,500 combat aircraft, more than 6,000 tanks, over 7,000 armored vehicles, and a large number of warships. Most frightening of all, it inherited over 1,200 intercontinental missile warheads and over 2,500 tactical nuclear weapons. This number exceeded the combined nuclear arsenals of all nuclear-weapon states except the United States and Russia, transforming the US-Soviet rivalry into a "Big Three."
This was something neither power wanted to see, so they joined forces to deceive Ukraine, ultimately forcing it to disarm itself and destroy all its nuclear weapons. Ukraine's decline has continued. Of all the countries that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine is now the worst off. Belarusian incomes are low, and Ukraine's per capita income is less than half of Belarus's.
Kashin suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, when we go to Odessa, don't say we're helping Russia find a shipwreck. Otherwise, we might as well go to Yalta or Sochi, which are safer than staying in Odessa."
He had reason to say so. After the Crimean crisis in 2014, the entire Ukraine fell into chaos, with pro-Russian and pro-American factions fighting each other.
The people in Odessa are neither pro-Russian nor pro-American, they are "pro-Turkish", and there are a large number of Turks here.
In 2014, the Crimean crisis also affected Odessa, and the people of Odessa immediately drove out the pro-Russian faction. If that had not happened, Odessa would probably have fallen into the arms of Russia today, just like Crimea and Donetsk. Ukraine and Russia have had many conflicts over the years, so Russians are not very popular here.
Xiao Peng glanced at Kaxin and nodded. "Kaxin, don't leave the boat while we're resupplying. Tell the people on board that someone will deliver supplies when we get to the dock. Have Duan Bo, Xiao Zhou, and the others quickly modify the multi-beam sonic scanner on the sailboat. Chen Cheng, direct the people to prepare the supplies! Focus on the five sailboats; the large ship won't be moving for the time being."
"Don't move?" Fabian was stunned. "That would cost too much money!"
Xiao Peng took a deep breath and said, "I swear to God, I will never come to the Black Sea to salvage again! There are too many troubles here. Don't you think it's fun to have such a good life?"
Hua Chong said, "Boss, it's not that they don't have a good life, it's that they really don't have a good life."
"Huh?" Xiao Peng looked at Hua Chong, confused.
Hua Chong explained: "Although Ukraine seemed to be a heavy industrial base when the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine's heavy industry only produced weapons, and its military-industrial enterprises were all systematic. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they were unable to produce weapons independently. Just like why the 'Varyag' aircraft carrier was almost completed but could not be produced? Lack of money is not the main problem. The most important thing is that they do not have the other equipment used by aircraft carriers! And even if they can produce weapons, what will it matter? Europe will not buy them, and third world countries will definitely buy Russian weapons. How can Ukraine's turn come? When the Soviet Union collapsed, there were about three million people working in the military industry in Ukraine. After Ukraine's independence, the unemployment of these three million people became a social problem. They want to join the European Union, but joining the EU requires no territorial disputes. Can they give up Crimea and Eastern Ukraine? Russia will not give up these places either, so this is a dead end! The relationship between the two countries will not improve!"
Xiao Peng spread his hands and said, "What does this have to do with us? Chen Cheng, arrange the crew roster for the five sailboats and tell everyone to relax during the rest period in Odessa. Once the equipment is adjusted, everyone will start working! But everyone remember: keep your eyes open when playing. I won't be responsible if you get sick!"
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