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

 

[faceman]

 

[Optimus Prime]

Republicans who served under President Ronald Reagan during the cold war have condemned Donald Trump’s move to soften relations with Russia and undermine the 75-year-old transatlantic alliance.

European leaders were left reeling last week when the US vice-president, JD Vance, told the Munich Security Conference that the greatest danger facing Europe was “the threat from within” and the “retreat from fundamental values”.

Fears are also growing that a meeting of the US and Russia’s top diplomats in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with no seat at the table for Ukrainian or European officials, paves the way for a capitulation to Moscow.

“It makes me sick what’s going on right now,” said Ken Adelman, a former US ambassador to the United Nations. “The Trump administration has no regard for the 80 years of Atlantic cooperation and the sovereignty of Ukraine.”


Adelman served as arms control director for Reagan, accompanying him on three superpower summits with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He reflected: “We’re in the opposite position right now because Ronald Reagan said, ‘Tear down this wall, Mr Gorbachev,’ and Trump is saying you can do whatever the hell you want to, Mr Putin.

“[Reagan] believed that you should support friends and stand up to enemies. It seems like the Trump administration is for opposing friends and supporting enemies.”…….

Reagan-era Republicans aghast as Trump turns Russia policy on its head

Officials who served under Republican president in 1980s say Trump is opposing friends and supporting enemies: ‘It makes me sick what’s going on’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Devildog]

The Democratic Senators need to huddle up and commit to confronting the "reasonable" Republicans in the Senate and put a stop to this nonsense. Congress has to grow some balls and say enough is enough with carrying Russia's water. Trump is clearly beholden to Poots and its not funny at all.

LMAO at "reasonable Rupublicans."

 

[DaveXA]

LMAO at "reasonable Rupublicans."

Yeah, hence the air quotes.

 

[Bayouboy]

LMAO at "reasonable Rupublicans."

I understand how Trump uses leverage and what not to get his way, but I'm somewhat surprised every Republican has abandoned their own convictions/beliefs/etc. to give him virtually absolute power. His rant about Zelinsky and Ukraine starting the war had to really flip some folks stomachs yesterday. Nary a word. Incredible.

I personally think some serious shirt can happen in these first two years. It's only been a month.

 

[Huntn]

I understand how Trump uses leverage and what not to get his way, but I'm somewhat surprised every Republican has abandoned their own convictions/beliefs/etc. to give him virtually absolute power. His rant about Zelinsky and Ukraine starting the war had to really flip some folks stomachs yesterday. Nary a word. Incredible.

I personally think some serious shirt can happen in these first two years. It's only been a month.

Did you ever actually think you’d have a front row seat to the end times? To be accurate this might not be the actual end times, but just the end of the United States as we know it.

We could have blown ourselves up in 1962, then the Cold War seemed to end for a bit, the danger seemed to recede. I just never thought the USA would come apart like it is from an internal threat…us. We’ve got 70M who voted for this, giving away our democracy by a mere 10 million people out of 350m. This is how fragile democracy is and apparently we’re just handing it over.

This issue here are the voters who whether they know it or not have decided that democracy does not work for them, so why not give fascism a try, invest themselves with a man who looks up to, “murderous strong men” and wants to be a dictator. There’s one crucial element in this calculation the man’s a white racist, and they’re white at least most of them are. So the calculation is “I will come out on top over all those people of color” and then their personal lives shall surely improve as peons under a fascist dictatorship. Of course at some point they’re going to figure out that they’re just the peons, white but peons nonetheless who acted as the enablers.

This scenario is so unbelievable. It feels like a simulation created to give the participants an exciting adventure.

 

[DaveXA]

I understand how Trump uses leverage and what not to get his way, but I'm somewhat surprised every Republican has abandoned their own convictions/beliefs/etc. to give him virtually absolute power. His rant about Zelinsky and Ukraine starting the war had to really flip some folks stomachs yesterday. Nary a word. Incredible.

I personally think some serious shirt can happen in these first two years. It's only been a month.

There were a couple of Congressional Republicans badmouthing Poots, but it was certainly more tepid than I would have liked. Hopefully some will pull this idiot aside and tell Trump there are limits here. Not optimistic tho.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[efil4]

Ukraine is pushing back on the US "shaping operation" ( Zelensky legitimacy as President, Ukrainian sovereignty, etc etc ) - thats why it was cancelled.

Trump is now quite mad.

Expect more demeaning rhetoric today and in the coming days.

 

[efil4]

Ukraine is pushing back on the US "shaping operation" ( Zelensky legitimacy as President, Ukrainian sovereignty, etc etc ) - thats why it was cancelled.

Trump is now quite mad.

Expect more demeaning rhetoric today and in the coming days.

salvo # 2

 

[efil4]

Trump administration put the chisel down and picked up the sledgehammer.

 

[efil4]

Ukraine is pushing back on the US "shaping operation" ( Zelensky legitimacy as President, Ukrainian sovereignty, etc etc ) - thats why it was cancelled.

Trump is now quite mad.

Expect more demeaning rhetoric today and in the coming days.

LOL this is what Zelensky told Kellogg when they met this am after Kellogg greeted with "how are you"

HA im sure there is some "lost in translation" - but its on par with "Russian warship. Go #@$$ yourself "

 

[efil4]

 

[efil4]

Ukraine is pushing back on the US "shaping operation" ( Zelensky legitimacy as President, Ukrainian sovereignty, etc etc ) - thats why it was cancelled.

Trump is now quite mad.

Expect more demeaning rhetoric today and in the coming days.

salvo #3

 

[DaveXA]

salvo #3

Like little kids trying to run a bank.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

If we're to enter World War III, it'll be because of this. And I could see him using that as an excuse to stay in power.

 

[MT15]

I believe he also intends to invade Panama at some point and probably Greenland as well.

 

[efil4]

end game- if legit. still need corroboration