Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? (2 Viewers)

[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

 

[UriUT]

Why invade when trump will just hand it to you. Remember the Syrian positions american forces held and Russian soldiers later hoisted flags? Oh the Kurds were abandoned as well?

Russia lands forces at former U.S. air base in northern Syria

Russia landed attack helicopters and troops at a sprawling air base in northern Syria vacated by U.S. forces, the Russian Defence Ministry's Zvezda TV channel said on Friday.

www.reuters.com

Btw it was incredible how a small reaction force repelled an assualt of overwhelming numbers escorted by 2 tanks. Zero us casualties...200 or more Russians med vac to moscow by the end of the battle.

How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria (Published 2018)

Interviews and newly obtained documents provide the Pentagon’s first public on-the-ground accounting of one of the bloodiest battles the military has faced in Syria since deploying to fight ISIS.

www.nytimes.com

 

[faceman]

Why invade when trump will just hand it to you. Remember the Syrian positions american forces held and Russian soldiers later hoisted flags? Oh the Kurds were abandoned as well?

Russia lands forces at former U.S. air base in northern Syria

Russia landed attack helicopters and troops at a sprawling air base in northern Syria vacated by U.S. forces, the Russian Defence Ministry's Zvezda TV channel said on Friday.

www.reuters.com

Btw it was incredible how a small reaction force repelled an assualt of overwhelming numbers escorted by 2 tanks. Zero us casualties...200 or more Russians med vac to moscow by the end of the battle.

How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria (Published 2018)

Interviews and newly obtained documents provide the Pentagon’s first public on-the-ground accounting of one of the bloodiest battles the military has faced in Syria since deploying to fight ISIS.

www.nytimes.com

For those not subscribed to the NY times, this is the same article

The true story of the brutal four-hour battle between Russian mercenaries and US commandos in Syria

Up to 300 Russian and Syrian fighters killed in the attack

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Dragon]

How can anyone support this guy after this statement??

Trump didn't take long to make sure Putin knew he approved of his movement of troops into parts of eastern Ukraine, knowing that his comments would be picked up and beamed around the world.

"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine, of Ukraine, Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful," Trump said in an interview on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show."
The ex-President added: "So Putin is now saying, 'It's independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That's the strongest peace force," Trump said. "We could use that on our southern border. That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen. ... Here's a guy who's very savvy. ... I know him very well. Very, very well."

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-news-02-23-22/index.html

 

[SamAndreas]

How can anyone support this guy after this statement??

Trump didn't take long to make sure Putin knew he approved of his movement of troops into parts of eastern Ukraine, knowing that his comments would be picked up and beamed around the world.

"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine, of Ukraine, Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful," Trump said in an interview on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show."
The ex-President added: "So Putin is now saying, 'It's independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That's the strongest peace force," Trump said. "We could use that on our southern border. That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen. ... Here's a guy who's very savvy. ... I know him very well. Very, very well."

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-news-02-23-22/index.html

Your question is one of those "asked-answered" things. You asked the question, then your signature quickly answered it.



At least something about it's serendipitous. The thing about Trump's statement that got to me was, "I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, ... ."

That's the problem right there, there was a television screen.

 

[UriUT]

You know what really angers me about this take besides the obvious hypocrisy? Russia showed that it was the right choice for these former Soviet countries to seek NATO s protection. This crisis wouldn't reach this point had Ukraine been a NATO member. Now with stronger leverage, Russia is violating Ukraine's international recognized border. The baltic states sits around without fear with a much smaller army.

Putins rambling reads to me that he cannot risk another 3 years for a more favorable administration. He knows there are risks and it showed in his ramblings.

 

[zztop]

How can anyone support this guy after this statement??

Trump didn't take long to make sure Putin knew he approved of his movement of troops into parts of eastern Ukraine, knowing that his comments would be picked up and beamed around the world.

"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine, of Ukraine, Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful," Trump said in an interview on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show."
The ex-President added: "So Putin is now saying, 'It's independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That's the strongest peace force," Trump said. "We could use that on our southern border. That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen. ... Here's a guy who's very savvy. ... I know him very well. Very, very well."

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-news-02-23-22/index.html

There were a few times where he sided with Putin. For example the time when he chose to take Putin's words vs what the US intelligence agencies were telling Trump

Trump publicly sides with Putin on election interference

The president said he doesn’t “see any reason“ why Russia would have wanted to hack Democratic Party servers.

www.politico.com

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

I like how Trump equates the invasion of Ukraine with the border situation... like the US should invade Mexico and claim it's reclaiming old territory? Mexico has a greater claim to Texas than the US has on any Mexican territories.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[superchuck500]

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

This is the second proof that a dearly held belief among a lot of Western politicians and diplomats is wrong (or at least flawed): engagement with dictators will moderate their behavior. It's been behind our economic ties with China and with Russia. If only we engage with them, and they become wealthier, they will moderate their behavior. Instead, they built wealth and used that wealth to consolidate power over their own countries, and can now use our own economic ties against us -- betting that as a democracy our own people will not stand for higher gas prices for more than a month, or cheap electronics not being readily available.

Our politicians have to show results in terms of months...while they can force their people to endure hardships for years.

That's a bit bleaker than reality, but that is behind some of Russia (and China's) mindset.

 

[superchuck500]

It has begun .

 

[superchuck500]

 

[BullSheetBuddha]

It has begun .

I went to the replies and while some of what is twitted is known some of it is not. Are we sure about the gunfire video?

 

[superchuck500]

 

[UriUT]

Damn. I knew it was coming but it's really something for it to happen. And it will be devastating.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[MT15]

How do people listen to this sociopath without actually squirming in their seats?

 

[superchuck500]

This is what Tucker is defending and Trump is praising. This farce.