Safe buying anything from Russia at the moment?

Ko.Fe. said:
Doesn't sound like you ever been in Russia and Ukraine even once.
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I'd like to think that the average Russian is a reasonable person with humanitarian values, like Ronald M believes. Kostya, is that not realistic? It sounds like you disagree. And I believe you would know.

I guess my quandary would be, on the one hand, to support the sanctions, sending money to Russia seems counterproductive. On the other hand, the sanctions are hurting Russian citizens, who have nothing to do with the assault on Ukraine.
 
Rob-F said:
apparatchik? What about Brezhnev? Kostya, what are you saying?
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"old fart bidon is brezhnev times apparatchik" Ko. Fe.

An apparatchik is someone who is part of the political machinery, and Pres. Biden came into politics during the time that Brezhnev was in power. So I think Kostya is saying that Biden is not quite with it as far as dealing with the current Russian regime is concerned.

PF
 
Rob-F said:
I'd like to think that the average Russian is a reasonable person with humanitarian values, like Ronald M believes. Kostya, is that not realistic? It sounds like you disagree. And I believe you would know.

I guess my quandary would be, on the one hand, to support the sanctions, sending money to Russia seems counterproductive. On the other hand, the sanctions are hurting Russian citizens, who have nothing to do with the assault on Ukraine.
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One reason of imposing sanctions is to make ordinary Russians understand what is going on. Free media is non existent there. State media spreads lie - “there is no war, just special operation to demilitarize and “de-nazify” Ukrainian regime and free Ukrainian people. All the the shelling of civilians are either fake news or the provocation of Ukrainian nazi battalions”. Latest legislative changes in Russia warrants the imprisonment of up to 15 years for “spreading lies about war”. In schools special lessons were held to tell the children about the “fake news from the US about the war” and explain that Russian regime is fighting for the peace. But when Apple stops selling their products, Ikea closes shops, European and Japanese car manufacturers stop car sales to Russia etc etc, when Russia is even removed from Paralympics and there is no more international soccer and ice hockey an ordinary Russian may start asking herself - is all that really because of “targeted and limited military operation”? But I doubt this will make an immediate effect - the brainwash has been going on for more than ten years.
 
I bought a wartime LTM Sonnar from a Russian seller about 10 days before the war broke out. A low price- about 1/2 of what they normally go for, some marks in the glass.
First time a seller contacted me to make sure I was satisfied with the condition of the glass before sending it out. I sent him the link of the last Sonnar that I rebuilt, and told him "Yes, I am". He responded - told me he was glad that it ended up with an enthusiast.
I will not be buying anything else out of Russia. It's sad, and I hope some sense prevails.
 
I had been thinking about ordering a Kiev 60 from ARAX, on the hope that their CLA would make it a more reliable camera. Now I'd like to order it all the more just to support the Ukrainian economy, but will hold off until I know I'll actually get the product--and not violate sanctions!
 
sooner said:
I had been thinking about ordering a Kiev 60 from ARAX, on the hope that their CLA would make it a more reliable camera. Now I'd like to order it all the more just to support the Ukrainian economy, but will hold off until I know I'll actually get the product--and not violate sanctions!
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Araxfoto's last Facebook posting was 4 hours ago, but it seems they started refunding customers a week prior.
https://www.facebook.com/araxfoto/
 
I purchased an adapter from the Ukraine and a camera from Oleg right before the invasion. Oleg realized the camera had an issue and he got a replacement that he CLAd and is going to film test before sending it. I don't know what shipping will look like when he does though. The adapters last update was that it was in Kiev on the 20th. Just hope it all ends peacefully soon, not concerned with the material goods.

Shawn
 
Been waiting on an Industar-22 since the end of January. I think it was returned to the Seller, because he shipped it out again in late february...I doubt it'll get here any time soon, now. With sanctions wreaking havoc on transportation from, to and across Russia.
 
valdas said:
One reason of imposing sanctions is to make ordinary Russians understand what is going on. Free media is non existent there. State media spreads lie - “there is no war, just special operation to demilitarize and “de-nazify” Ukrainian regime and free Ukrainian people. All the the shelling of civilians are either fake news or the provocation of Ukrainian nazi battalions”. Latest legislative changes in Russia warrants the imprisonment of up to 15 years for “spreading lies about war”. In schools special lessons were held to tell the children about the “fake news from the US about the war” and explain that Russian regime is fighting for the peace. But when Apple stops selling their products, Ikea closes shops, European and Japanese car manufacturers stop car sales to Russia etc etc, when Russia is even removed from Paralympics and there is no more international soccer and ice hockey an ordinary Russian may start asking herself - is all that really because of “targeted and limited military operation”? But I doubt this will make an immediate effect - the brainwash has been going on for more than ten years.
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+ 1. .
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. Holding my business with Russia for the time being. I think this is sad for the common russian folks.

ptpdprinter said:
I believe that both FedEx and UPS have ceased shipments in and out of Russia and Ukraine, which of course comes as no surprise.
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Yeah just readed their announcement so yeah no shipping from/to them.

Will keep my kiev's cameras that need repair/CLA for later when Ukranian folks are on better shape.

Marcelo
 
valdas said:
One reason of imposing sanctions is to make ordinary Russians understand what is going on. Free media is non existent there. State media spreads lie - “there is no war, just special operation to demilitarize and “de-nazify” Ukrainian regime and free Ukrainian people. All the the shelling of civilians are either fake news or the provocation of Ukrainian nazi battalions”. Latest legislative changes in Russia warrants the imprisonment of up to 15 years for “spreading lies about war”. In schools special lessons were held to tell the children about the “fake news from the US about the war” and explain that Russian regime is fighting for the peace. But when Apple stops selling their products, Ikea closes shops, European and Japanese car manufacturers stop car sales to Russia etc etc, when Russia is even removed from Paralympics and there is no more international soccer and ice hockey an ordinary Russian may start asking herself - is all that really because of “targeted and limited military operation”? But I doubt this will make an immediate effect - the brainwash has been going on for more than ten years.
Click to expand...

Hurting people in order to help them - sanctions had never actually worked in that sense. Nationalists feeling the war being justifiable to expel the NATO expansion and vanquish the Ukrainian Nazis (that part I don't buy much) will have their position reinforced: see, the West does mean us no good, they ignored our demands, kept silent on the Banderites and Azov Battalion, and hit us hard. And it'll be the little guys on the ground that's hit the hardest. The government will make sure that they're acutely aware of who're imposing the sanctions and in turn, economical hardship and overwhelming hostility (see how blind hatred like "f**k Russia" gets a pass in most places) upon them. It will fuel nationalism even further, under which people can rally around the flag and become incredibly resilient. It didn't work with North Korea, Iran, Cuba (60 years and counting for them), and now they're trying it with the Russians. Especially the Russians: does anyone seriously believe they're a people that will bow down toward hardship and apologize in tears?

Sanctions, IMO, is really the option to pick when you do not want to seriously commit. And I don't see people are willing to commit seriously. Joe Biden really shouldn't have offered Putin clear guarantee that the US will NEVER intervene militarily under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (and to repeat it on many occasions). Good grief, given how determined the Russians seem to be on solving the "problem" once and for all, it's nothing but an invitation letter; but if he didn't, imagine the resistance he'd face domestically in the eve of pulling America into another war over a non-NATO state, this time with a major nuclear power...
 
Archlich said:
Hurting people in order to help them - sanctions had never actually worked in that sense. Nationalists feeling the war being justifiable to expel the NATO expansion and vanquish the Ukrainian Nazis (that part I don't buy much) will have their position reinforced: see, the West does mean us no good, they ignored our demands, kept silent on the Banderites and Azov Battalion, and hit us hard. And it'll be the little guys on the ground that's hit the hardest. The government will make sure that they're acutely aware of who're imposing the sanctions and in turn, economical hardship and overwhelming hostility (see how blind hatred like "f**k Russia" gets a pass in most places) upon them. It will fuel nationalism even further, under which people can rally around the flag and become incredibly resilient. It didn't work with North Korea, Iran, Cuba (60 years and counting for them), and now they're trying it with the Russians. Especially the Russians: does anyone seriously believe they're a people that will bow down toward hardship and apologize in tears?

Sanctions, IMO, is really the option to pick when you do not want to seriously commit. And I don't see people are willing to commit seriously. Joe Biden really shouldn't have offered Putin clear guarantee that the US will NEVER intervene militarily under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (and to repeat it on many occasions). Good grief, given how determined the Russians seem to be on solving the "problem" once and for all, it's nothing but an invitation letter; but if he didn't, imagine the resistance he'd face domestically in the eve of pulling America into another war over a non-NATO state, this time with a major nuclear power...
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Any better option when civilians are killed and nuclear power plants bombed? Sanctions do work at least in the way that it decreases the financial and technological power that fuels the militarization of Russian army. That’s, by the way, how the Soviet Union collapsed - could not keep up with the West.
You think Russians will love Putin when they start living in misery. Check the history books - what happened to the last Tsar? It’s not Cuba or Norths Korea. Russians tasted the benefits of the free market, look at the queues on the last day when Ikea was still open.
Sanctions do hurt on all levels of society and some part of this society will do everything to oust Putin. His inner circle is not united, losing all those nice yachts and villas on the lake Como. Living now under iron curtain again? They will think hard.
 
Archlich said:
Sanctions, IMO, is really the option to pick when you do not want to seriously commit. And I don't see people are willing to commit seriously. Joe Biden really shouldn't have offered Putin clear guarantee that the US will NEVER intervene militarily under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (and to repeat it on many occasions). Good grief, given how determined the Russians seem to be on solving the "problem" once and for all, it's nothing but an invitation letter; but if he didn't, imagine the resistance he'd face domestically in the eve of pulling America into another war over a non-NATO state, this time with a major nuclear power...
Click to expand...

Threatening to use NATO in Ukraine would reinforce Putin's supposed argument about NATO's encroachment. The sanctions are going to have an effect, but, no, they won't cause them to surrender. They should have been much, much stronger when Russia grabbed Crimea.
 
valdas said:
Any better option when civilians are killed and nuclear power plants bombed? Sanctions do work at least in the way that it decreases the financial and technological power that fuels the militarization of Russian army. That’s, by the way, how the Soviet Union collapsed - could not keep up with the West.
You think Russians will love Putin when they start living in misery. Check the history books - what happened to the last Tsar? It’s not Cuba or Norths Korea. Russians tasted the benefits of the free market, look at the queues on the last day when Ikea was still open.
Sanctions do hurt on all levels of society and some part of this society will do everything to oust Putin. His inner circle is not united, losing all those nice yachts and villas on the lake Como. Living now under iron curtain again? They will think hard.
Click to expand...

The option has always been laid on the table: someone say it once, that Ukraine is not to join NATO (it's not going to be accepted anyway, given the mess it already created). In reality it's just no one dare to say so as well, it admits defeat.

Sadly it now has to depend on the outcome of the war. I personally believe eventually it'll all go back to the negotiation table, after bodies have piled - from which no one emerges clean. No, Russia or the Putin regime is not going to collapse.

Anyway, time will tell.
 
Back to the OP: what concerned me was whether an eBay seller based in Russia can accept payment at the time. Paypal, in the spirit to show solidarity with Ukraine, had stopped accepting new users in Russia. But that doesn't stop existing users from transactions via the platform. A rather gestural one I gather...
 
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