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

 

[MT15]

So much for the US is the obstacle to peace.

Yeah, as if it ever was anywhere else but in Russian propaganda.

 

[zztop]

Russian ‘Double-Tap’ Strike Kills 20 in Odesa

Many of the wounded are emergency workers attending the scene of the first explosion, a deliberate attack strategy often used by Moscow’s forces known as a “double-tap.”

www.kyivpost.com

 

[efil4]

Russian ‘Double-Tap’ Strike Kills 20 in Odesa

Many of the wounded are emergency workers attending the scene of the first explosion, a deliberate attack strategy often used by Moscow’s forces known as a “double-tap.”

www.kyivpost.com

they have been doing this with regularity, Ukrainian First responders know this, and still go into harms way to rescue.

Previous double taps were off the mark. This one wasnt

The Russians are barbaric creatures. They dont give 2 shirts about life ( of own or civilians )

here is video of UAF drone capturing Russian soldier executing 2 injured Russians who were attempting to surrender to UAF forces by following the drone.


well for whatever reason it wont post.

 

[efil4]

Meanwhile, Macron seems to have developed quite the backbone over last 5 days.

Sees right thru Putin "strongman" bs- I hope more leaders follow suit.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Meanwhile, Macron seems to have developed quite the backbone over last 5 days.

Sees right thru Putin "strongman" bs- I hope more leaders follow suit.

If the world's democratic nations allow Ukraine to fall to Putin out of fear of Putin's nuclear war threats, then Putin will never stop invading whoever he wants and taking whatever he wants. No one will be truly safe, not even NATO countries.

If Putin is being honest about resorting to nuclear warfare, then the two possible outcomes are that the free world stands by while Putin destroys the world by a thousand cuts, or the free world fights back after deciding that a quick death is better than a death by a thousand cuts.

If Putin is bluffing, then the two possible outcomes are the free world refraining out of fear leads to the same Putin creep across the planet, or the free world gets into the fight and Putin and Russian fascists get their arses kicked back into Russia and into the 21st century. The added benefit would be that other authoritarian nations would think twice about trying to bluff the free world.

I personally would prefer the free world ignore Putin's threats and do whatever is necessary to help Ukraine drive the Russians out. That's the only scenario in which the free world truly wins in the long run. In every other scenario, any short term gain will eventually be obliterated by long term, inhumane loss.

 

[MT15]

Well, this is disappointing. 24 Dems refuse to sign the discharge petition to get the Ukraine funding bill a vote over the MAGA objections. Short-sighted, IMO. They supposedly don’t want any money to go to Israel, so they are willing to stop rest of the bill, which includes aid for Gaza and Ukraine and the border IIRC. Rs will not back a bill that has no money for Israel, so that will not go anywhere. Dems don’t control the House. They need to all pull together.

 

[DaveXA]

Well, this is disappointing. 24 Dems refuse to sign the discharge petition to get the Ukraine funding bill a vote over the MAGA objections. Short-sighted, IMO. They supposedly don’t want any money to go to Israel, so they are willing to stop rest of the bill, which includes aid for Gaza and Ukraine and the border IIRC. Rs will not back a bill that has no money for Israel, so that will not go anywhere. Dems don’t control the House. They need to all pull together.

And that's why they can't get out of their own way. I hate politics all too often.

 

[J-DONK]

And that's why they can't get out of their own way. I hate politics all too often.

Yeah I like a lot of the names on that list, but come on guys. You rarely get a "clean" bill.

 

[LA - L.A.]

So much for the BS that the US is a bunch of blood thirsty cutthroats toward Russia.

The US intelligence agencies, as well as other nations, shared their intel showing the attack was likely. Putin and Russia dismissed the warnings and didn't take any preventative actions.

US had warned Russia ISIS was determined to attack | CNN

The US warned Moscow that ISIS militants were determined to target Russia in the days before assailants stormed the Crocus City Hall in an attack that killed scores of people, but President Vladimir Putin rejected the advice as “provocative.”

www.cnn.com

Not only had Russian intelligence services failed to prevent the attack, they said, but Putin had failed to heed warnings from the United States that extremists were plotting to target Moscow. Earlier this month, the US embassy in Russia had said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow,” including concerts, and it warned US citizens to avoid such places.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the US government had “shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy.”

But in a speech Tuesday, Putin had blasted the American warnings as “provocative,” saying “these actions resemble outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”

That stance came despite Russian authorities having reported several ISIS-related incidents within the past month.

 

[zztop]

I did not have ISIS attacking Russia on my bingo card

Russia says 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Russia’s Federal Security Service says over 30 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in an attack at a Moscow concert hall.

apnews.com

 

[LA - L.A.]

I did not have ISIS attacking Russia on my bingo card

Russia says 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Russia’s Federal Security Service says over 30 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in an attack at a Moscow concert hall.

apnews.com

It's an affiliate called ISIS-K centered in the area of Afghanistan. They're pissed at Putin's support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Russia is so overextended in Ukraine that it's more vulnerable at home.

Keep in mind the main goal of terrorists is to cause fear in the civilian population and to lure government leaders into an overreaction that leads to backlash.

Does anyone want to set the over/under for how much Putin will over react? He just finished campaigning heavily on national security and Moscow gets attacked, leaving 115 known dead so far. I think it's safe to say Putin is thoroughly triggered right now.

 

[SaintForLife]

 

[SaintForLife]

Yeah, as if it ever was anywhere else but in Russian propaganda.

 

[DaveXA]

You're a Poots shill. That's all there is to it. Keep kissing his arse since you seem to enjoy it.

 

[zztop]

I was wondering how long it would be before he tried to spin some connection to Ukraine

Putin says gunmen who raided Moscow concert hall tried to escape to Ukraine. Kyiv denies involvement

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated social media channels.

apnews.com

 

[SaintForLife]

You're a Poots shill. That's all there is to it. Keep kissing his arse since you seem to enjoy it.

Translation: We know we got caught again lying about what someone said and we don't care. Now back to clapping like seals for more death and destruction.

There are plenty of things to criticize about Putin. Why lie about what he said? Because its classic war propaganda and you are at the top of your class in Operation Mockingbird.

 

[DaveXA]

I was wondering how long it would be before he tried to spin some connection to Ukraine

Putin says gunmen who raided Moscow concert hall tried to escape to Ukraine. Kyiv denies involvement

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated social media channels.

apnews.com

They apparently were actually headed towards Belarus. Lmao.

 

[DaveXA]

Translation: We know we got caught again lying about what someone said and we don't care. Now back to clapping like seals for more death and destruction.

There are plenty of things to criticize about Putin. Why lie about what he said? Because its classic war propaganda and you are at the top of your class in Operation Mockingbird.

Considering it's Russia pining for death and destruction? Like I said, I'm not the one shilling for the invaders.