Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? (4 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

 

[zztop]

I knew if he got elected again it would increase the chances of Ukraine falling b/c he would cozy up to Russia. Wouldn't surprise me if us intelligence starts to freely give away strategies Ukraine is using. I hate being right about this shirt.

 

[superchuck500]

I knew if he got elected again it would increase the chances of Ukraine falling b/c he would cozy up to Russia. Wouldn't surprise me if us intelligence starts to freely give away strategies Ukraine is using. I hate being right about this shirt.

I think it was pretty obvious this was going to happen. These senators who act like they're surprised are only telling the world how dense they are.

Trump tried to shake down Zelensky in the last administration - and resented him for not being "loyal" to Trump. Trump has never been willing to support Ukraine's western turn - even been suspicious of it, and all of that was before Russia invaded . . . and invasion Trump immediately proclaimed as "Genius!"

There was never a chance Trump was going to continue supporting Ukraine. Trump's whole "I can end the war in 24 hours" was always entirely based on Trump's view that the American president has enough leverage on Kiev to force them to capitulate to Putin. As sad as that forking is.

We're about to find out whether that is true.