Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? (1 Viewer)

[superchuck500]

Russia continues to mass assets within range of Ukraine - though the official explanations are that they are for various exercises. United States intelligence has noted that Russian operatives in Ukraine could launch 'false flag' operations as a predicate to invasion. The West has pressed for negotiations and on Friday in Geneva, the US Sec. State Blinken will meet with the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Certainly the Russian movements evidence some plan - but what is it? Some analysts believe that Putin's grand scheme involves securing Western commitments that NATO would never expand beyond its current composition. Whether that means action in Ukraine or merely the movement of pieces on the chess board remains to be seen.

VIENNA — No one expected much progress from this past week’s diplomatic marathon to defuse the security crisis Russia has ignited in Eastern Europe by surrounding Ukraine on three sides with 100,000 troops and then, by the White House’s accounting, sending in saboteurs to create a pretext for invasion.

But as the Biden administration and NATO conduct tabletop simulations about how the next few months could unfold, they are increasingly wary of another set of options for President Vladimir V. Putin, steps that are more far-reaching than simply rolling his troops and armor over Ukraine’s border.

Mr. Putin wants to extend Russia’s sphere of influence to Eastern Europe and secure written commitments that NATO will never again enlarge. If he is frustrated in reaching that goal, some of his aides suggested on the sidelines of the negotiations last week, then he would pursue Russia’s security interests with results that would be felt acutely in Europe and the United States.

There were hints, never quite spelled out, that nuclear weapons could be shifted to places — perhaps not far from the United States coastline — that would reduce warning times after a launch to as little as five minutes, potentially igniting a confrontation with echoes of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russia Issues Subtle Threats More Far-Reaching Than a Ukraine Invasion

If the West fails to meet its security demands, Moscow could take measures like placing nuclear missiles close to the U.S. coastline, Russian officials have hinted.

www.nytimes.com

Blinken Will Meet With Russia as U.S. Pushes for More Diplomacy

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will meet with Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov of Russia in Geneva on Friday as the United States warns that Russia could soon attack Ukraine.

www.nytimes.com

How to think about war in Ukraine

Start with the Ukrainians

snyder.substack.com

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Well, this isn’t great. On the other hand, how demented would Putin have to be to think he can start something with Poland? At the very least this should confirm the idea that he never wanted to stop with Ukraine, but he wanted to resurrect the USSR.

Now, imagine where we would be right now had his "Special Operation" in Ukraine had been as successful as he intended. I believe all these "Americans" blaming the US for Putin's actions would still participate in their mental gymnastics to justify his actions.

 

[SaintForLife]

You made the accusation that they are biased. Check that, people on Twitter implied that without any real proof and you eagerly accepted their assertions. Well, at least you are admitting your nonsensical beliefs at this point.

I didn't say they are biased. I said they are funded by the DOD.

I’ve shown that, as measured by at least one media watchdog, they are not biased. I’ve also shown that the money that your guy says was given by the DOD (which wasn‘t properly sourced, but was a screenshot) was a paltry sum compared to their seed money, and their mission statement says that no entities that set them up with funding are allowed any input into their ratings.

The amount of funding doesnt matter to me. If a company gets any funding from a government they shouldnt be in the buisness of telling us who/what to believe, what's "misinformation", or policing speech

So, this all seems reasonable to me. Do they bear watching? Of course. And folks like MediaBiasFactCheck will continue monitoring. But to dismiss everything they do, as you do, seems to me to be only because you don’t like what they found. They are trying to show you that you are consuming extremely biased media, but you refuse to see it.

Ok

Where do the random people you post on Twitter get their funding? Do they even publicize it? Do you ever question their motives like you do anyone who says something that conflicts with what you want so desperately to be true?

These are all rhetorical questions, BTW, no need to respond. Your posting shows us everything we need to know.

If I find out that anyone I follow receives any money from the government then I'll immediately stop following them.

 

[MT15]

I didn't say they are biased. I said they are funded by the DOD.

You definitely implied that the funding from the DOD would be responsible for dictating their ratings.

If I find out that anyone I follow receives any money from the government then I'll immediately stop following them.

What if you find out they receive money from foreign governments? Same deal?

 

[cuddlemonkey]

You definitely implied that the funding from the DOD would be responsible for dictating their ratings.


What if you find out they receive money from foreign governments? Same deal?

Depends on the government for some of our comrades.

 

[LA - L.A.]

@SaintForLife , be forthright, direct and honest, do you want the US to help Ukraine less in their efforts to drive Russia out?

What do you want the US to do in regards to Ukraine?

Do you want Ukraine to let Russia have the Crimea and the other Ukrainian territory that Russia has invaded?

What do you see as the right way to end the war?

 

[UriUT]

Pro-coup protesters in Niger shout 'long live Putin' as new leaders face calls to cede power | CNN

Tense and sometimes violent scenes played out in front of the French Embassy in Niger Sunday as thousands of people who support a military coup voiced anger over France’s influence in its former colony.

edition.cnn.com

Hey look, an actual coup in Niger, and demonstrators yell "long live Putin".

Some protesters tore down a plaque identifying the Embassy, stomped on it and then replaced it with Russian and Nigerien flags. Shouts of “long live Putin,” “long live Russia” and “down with France” could be heard among the crowds.

We know with certainty (drone footage of Wagner troops dumping bodies in mass graves near a former French base in Mali, which borders Niger) that Russia has interfered in African nations against the West. Are we to compare this to the Maidan? They didn't yell, "long live Obama!". Nope. They asked for freedom and better lives as part of an integration into the EU.

 

[MT15]

Good deal!

 

[bdb13]

I mean we can go in depth on that stuff I guess but right or wrong within it I'm not sure it impacts how I feel about the current situation and what we should do.

@SaintForLife You :facepalmed: my response there but hadn't replied yet and so I'm just curious to understand the threads as you see them running from that stuff to the current war in Ukraine and why in your opinion that stuff should cause me to reevaluate my support for what the US/West is currently doing to support Ukraine. Thanks.

 

[MT15]

Adam Kinzinger posted these photos on Twitter. They reminded me of something, but I cannot quite put my finger on it. Lol.

 

[Bigdaddysaints]

I still laugh at the people who go along with Putin's "Nazi's in Ukraine" as a reason to invade. I guess the USA is next, since we probably have more Nazi's here than anywhere else in the world.

 

[UriUT]

Adam Kinzinger posted these photos on Twitter. They reminded me of something, but I cannot quite put my finger on it. Lol.

Yeah there was quite an American nazi movement in the us. The similarity of that gathering in New York and 2016 trump rallies are striking. That said, there were those who sincerely want peace. WWI was suppose to end all wars. and I can understand the brutality of that war driving people to want peace. But they are naive at best, as were many leaders at the time. And as some far leftist today. Our leaders have understood that lasting real peace means some sacrifices, even if that means actual war. Or recognizing that some diplomatic concessions doesn’t mean long term peace, as our envoy in the Yemeni conflict pointed out for that dispute.

More specifically to Ukraine, Putin says he is willing to negotiate, but that is only after his disastrous offensive. When the west says that it is not acceptable that Russia holds to any Ukrainian lands, that does NOT mean the west wants war. This cannot be stressed enough, and those who accuse us of war mongering on this site needs to understand this. Putin doesn’t intend to stop. He has invaded his neighbors numerous times. I have already posted the list in the past in this thread. He only is willing to negotiate now because he is weakened. We know this because he refused at every turn prior to his monstrous losses. Zelensky gave in to all his demands hours after the start of the invasion. Putin declined. So when Austin and others lay out that the goal is to weaken Russia further, it’s not war mongering. It’s recognizing the reality that Russia is a freaking war machine with a long list of aggression. We allowed them to participate in nato on friendly terms. I think that agreement was just dissolved in the last few years. And further, allowing Russia a ceasefire now only gives them a chance to regroup and rearm. It goes without saying that Ukraine isn’t safe from future wars.

Believing in this logic isn’t war mongering. Far from it. It’s understanding Putin’s goals and the solution for long term peace.

 

[efil4]

Yeah there was quite an American nazi movement in the us. The similarity of that gathering in New York and 2016 trump rallies are striking. That said, there were those who sincerely want peace. WWI was suppose to end all wars. and I can understand the brutality of that war driving people to want peace. But they are naive at best, as were many leaders at the time. And as some far leftist today. Our leaders have understood that lasting real peace means some sacrifices, even if that means actual war. Or recognizing that some diplomatic concessions doesn’t mean long term peace, as our envoy in the Yemeni conflict pointed out for that dispute.

More specifically to Ukraine, Putin says he is willing to negotiate, but that is only after his disastrous offensive. When the west says that it is not acceptable that Russia holds to any Ukrainian lands, that does NOT mean the west wants war. This cannot be stressed enough, and those who accuse us of war mongering on this site needs to understand this. Putin doesn’t intend to stop. He has invaded his neighbors numerous times. I have already posted the list in the past in this thread. He only is willing to negotiate now because he is weakened. We know this because he refused at every turn prior to his monstrous losses. Zelensky gave in to all his demands hours after the start of the invasion. Putin declined. So when Austin and others lay out that the goal is to weaken Russia further, it’s not war mongering. It’s recognizing the reality that Russia is a freaking war machine with a long list of aggression. We allowed them to participate in nato on friendly terms. I think that agreement was just dissolved in the last few years. And further, allowing Russia a ceasefire now only gives them a chance to regroup and rearm. It goes without saying that Ukraine isn’t safe from future wars.

Believing in this logic isn’t war mongering. Far from it. It’s understanding Putin’s goals and the solution for long term peace.

this photo is from a training center in Tombov Russia. Pay close attention to the map. especially the left side. Yes..that is Alaska.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

this photo is from a training center in Tombov Russia. Pay close attention to the map. especially the left side. Yes..that is Alaska.

Remember that guy that wanted the US to leave NATO?

In Foundations of Geopolitics, Dugin makes a distinction between "Atlantic" and "Eurasian" societies, which means, as Benjamin R. Teitelbaum describes it "between societies whose coastal geographical position made them cosmopolitan and landlocked societies oriented toward preservation and cohesion".[13] Dugin calls for the "Atlantic societies", primarily represented by the United States, to lose their broader geopolitical influence in Eurasia, and for Russia to rebuild its influence through annexations and alliances.[3]

The book declares that "the battle for the world rule of Russians" has not ended and Russia remains "the staging area of a new anti-bourgeois, anti-American revolution". The Eurasian Empire will be constructed "on the fundamental principle of the common enemy: the rejection of Atlanticism, strategic control of the U.S., and the refusal to allow liberal values to dominate us."[2][9] Interestingly, it seems he does not rule out the possibility of Russia joining and/or even supporting EU and NATO instrumentally in a pragmatic way of further Western subversion against geopolitical "Americanism".

Military operations play a relatively minor role besides the military intelligence operations he calls "special operations". The textbook advocates a sophisticated program of subversion, destabilization, and disinformation spearheaded by the Russian special services.[14] The operations should be assisted by a tough, hard-headed utilization of Russia's gas, oil, and natural resources to bully and pressure other countries.[9] The book states that "the maximum task [of the future] is the 'Finlandization' of all of Europe".[9]

Foundations of Geopolitics - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[zztop]

guess putin got his revenge

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead in a plane crash outside Moscow

A business jet in Russia has crashed killing all ten people on board, emergency officials said.

apnews.com

 

[efil4]

guess putin got his revenge

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead in a plane crash outside Moscow

A business jet in Russia has crashed killing all ten people on board, emergency officials said.

apnews.com

Utkin, his no 2, also on board.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

guess putin got his revenge

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead in a plane crash outside Moscow

A business jet in Russia has crashed killing all ten people on board, emergency officials said.

apnews.com

 

[coldseat]

Prigozhin's assassination was a predictable as Trump lying.

 

[brandon]

guess putin got his revenge

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead in a plane crash outside Moscow

A business jet in Russia has crashed killing all ten people on board, emergency officials said.

apnews.com

About time we got some creativity.

Poisoning and defenestration are so passe.