Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? (3 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

 

[MT15]

Donald Trump may walk away from the Ukrainian war, the US president’s oldest son has said in comments to a Middle East conference.

In a lengthy tirade against the purpose of continued fighting in Ukraine, Donald Trump Jralso said Ukraine’s “corrupt” rich had fled their country leaving “what they believed to be the peasant class” to fight the war.

Trump Jr has no formal role inside his father’s administration, but is a key figure in the Maga movement. His intervention reflects the antipathy among some inside the Trump team towards the Ukrainian government, and comes as Trump’s negotiating team is putting pressure on Kyiv to give up territory.


Trump Jr said the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was prolonging the war because he knew he would never win an election if it ended. He said Zelenskyy was a borderline deity on the left, but argued that Ukraine was far more corrupt than Russia.…….

US may end support for Ukraine war effort, says Donald Trump Jr

Eldest son of Donald Trump makes speculative comments during tirade against Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU

www.theguardian.com

Can you imagine how livid @TampaJoe must be that the president’s son is in the middle of profiting from his dad’s position, with deals in a bunch of countries that want to curry favor with the US? Oh, and that a start up company he has invested in just got a loan from the Pentagon for hundreds of millions of dollars? Oh, and that this son is in the Middle East talking about US diplomacy and giving away what the president’s positions might be?

I’m guessing we haven’t heard a peep out of @TampaJoe because he’s too livid to talk about it.

That has to be it, guys, right? Right?

 

[MT15]

W T F?

 

[efil4]

W T F?

We are fully aligned with Russia. For profiteering of the Trump cabal.

It's that simple. Anyone saying otherwise are either willfully ignorant or supporters. There is no in between

 

[MT15]

From Ukraine. Why Putin will never agree to a peace deal, or why he will use a cease fire to simply regroup and relaunch the invasion.

 

[zztop]

Don't know if it was mentioned already, but apparently a drone strike hit the Chernobyl containment dome. And as a result, can no longer function as containment.

 

[SFIDC3]

I’m guessing we haven’t heard a peep out of @TampaJoe because he’s too livid to talk about it.

He will respond with his usual "both sides" BS.....

 

[TampaJoe]

He will respond with his usual "both sides" BS.....

I am supportive of rooting all all corruption regardless of party. Other folks like to pick and chose who to go after depending on party.

I take it by your comment you think going after corruption regardless of party affiliation is BS.

My view on this is and has been consistent.

 

[MT15]

I am supportive of rooting all all corruption regardless of party. Other folks like to pick and chose who to go after depending on party.

I take it by your comment you think going after corruption regardless of party affiliation is BS.

My view on this is and has been consistent.

You never change is correct. However you are definitely biased. The fact that you don’t even realize it when everyone else can see it plain as day is pretty funny, actually.

You manage to harangue us about Hunter and Joe Biden, but are strangely silent about Trump and his entire family who are 1000x more corrupt. Maybe a million times more corrupt. That’s how we know you look the other way when it’s corruption from one side.

 

[MT15]

I am supportive of rooting all all corruption regardless of party. Other folks like to pick and chose who to go after depending on party.

I take it by your comment you think going after corruption regardless of party affiliation is BS.

My view on this is and has been consistent.

 

[efil4]

 

[bird]

Don’t worry. Our security policy now aligns with Russia.

 

[MT15]

Hopefully this is a good sign that Zelensky’s talks with EU leaders went well.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

From Ukraine. Why Putin will never agree to a peace deal, or why he will use a cease fire to simply regroup and relaunch the invasion.

It amazes me that Putin didn't learn anything from the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan.

 

[LA 2 L.A.]

The only time Putin has any chance of getting away with attacking the US directly is while Trump is president and his facist cronies are in charge of Congress and the DoD.

 

[MT15]

Gold:

 

[MT15]

Objectively true. Trump is Putin’s best asset.