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]

This guy is supposed to be a journalist for a Kyiv paper. I don’t know if he is accurate or not:

I’ve seen that circulating. Ghost of Kyiv.

 

[MT15]

Had to obscure a word:

 

[MT15]

 

[MT15]

 

[UriUT]

Feisty.

 

[superchuck500]

The battle at Hostomel is quite something. The Russians came in with an airborne helo raid and airborne units that you have to think are specialists, and took the airfield. The Ukrainian counter-attack won the field back and now reporting that Ukraine is in complete control of the base.

Not only would it have been bad for Kyiv to have Russia in control of a nearby military air base, but for Ukraine to recapture it certainly says something about the fight they are giving.

But also seeing that Russian ground units are continuing to advance toward Kyiv. Eventually their sheer power may be too much.

 

[UriUT]

The battle at Hostomel is quite something. The Russians came in with an airborne helo raid and airborne units that you have to think are specialists, and took the airfield. The Ukrainian counter-attack won the field back and now reporting that Ukraine is in complete control of the base.

Not only would it have been bad for Kyiv to have Russia in control of a nearby military air base, but for Ukraine to recapture it certainly says something about the fight they are giving.

But also seeing that Russian ground units are continuing to advance toward Kyiv. Eventually their sheer power may be too much.

A cnn reporter mistakenly walked up to them thinking they were Ukrainians.

Yeah it does not look good for Kyiv with as much fight the Ukrainians have in them.

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

I can't imagine Ukraine is going to hold off the initial assault. This will be a long drawn out occupation combined with economic sanctions from the West. You can only hope there is some movement in Russia that can oust Putin but that is unlikely.

 

[superchuck500]

A cnn reporter mistakenly walked up to them thinking they were Ukrainians.

Yeah it does not look good for Kyiv with as much fight the Ukrainians have in them.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Has she never heard of Neville Chamberlain?

It's like bizarro world where "conservatives" are like just appease the dictator and Democrats are like "let's fight the bastage."

 

[superchuck500]

Massive protests erupted in Putin's hometown of St. Petersburg as Russians voice opposition to war in Ukraine

Videos posted to Twitter show a sea of people in St. Petersburg demonstrating against Russia's invasion into Ukraine.

www.businessinsider.com

‘Russia is against war’: Thousands rally in rare show of dissent

Hours after Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine, Russians across the country took to the streets to slam his actions.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[bdb13]

Has she never heard of Neville Chamberlain?

It's like bizarro world where "conservatives" are like just appease the dictator and Democrats are like "let's fight the bastage."

Imo there's been a slowcooking by Trump/Tucker and Co. that's convinced them that a.) there's an existing moral equivalency between the US and Russia, and b.) a like-minded to them authoritarian figure would be most effective in implementing their worldview here.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Imo there's been a slowcooking by Trump/Tucker and Co. that's convinced them that a.) there's an existing moral equivalency between the US and Russia, and b.) a like-minded to them authoritarian figure would be most effective in implementing their worldview here.

yeah... it started with "we meddle in elections therefore we should just let another country meddle in ours without trying to defend against it or punish those who did it" and it ends with public displays of our former president fellating a dictator actively invading a neighbor.

 

[bdb13]

yeah... it started with "we meddle in elections therefore we should just let another country meddle in ours without trying to defend against it or punish those who did it" and it ends with public displays of our former president fellating a dictator actively invading a neighbor.

Trump even tied it all together by invoking our border with Mexico in his comment/praise as well.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Trump even tied it all together by invoking our border with Mexico in his comment/praise as well.

Which is just batshit crazy. His whole interview was just an insane rambling mess.

 

[MT15]

I’ve seen that circulating. Ghost of Kyiv.

Ghost of Kyiv is supposedly flying an old Russian MiG IIRC. His report mentioned a Ukrainian aircraft.

 

[UriUT]

Yeah ukrainians are using migs too. I'm surprised any survived from the prelim bombings. Who knows. Its all fog of war. I'm just hoping Ukraine comes out the better.

 

[superchuck500]