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

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

Agreed. I don't think this goes anywhere but downhill and further carnage for Ukraine. Unfortunately because of Putin's nukes, Ukraine will have to bear the humanitarian cost while Russia's economy craters and perhaps something is done by its own citizens.

 

[zztop]

 

[The moose]

Meanwhile Fox News

that dude is always cashing checks for being a guest on RT or Fox. Being paid to have an opinion is kinda being bought in my opinion.

 

[BullSheetBuddha]

Russian Oligarch's Superyacht Reportedly Seized in Germany

A superyacht owned by Russian oligarch facing sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine was seized Wednesday by German authorities.

www.rollingstone.com

 

[RobF]

Notable a lot of the abstentions came from Africa which has slowly drifted into Russia's sphere of influence over the last decade or so.

The BBC had a good article a few days ago (before the recent UN vote) expanding on that: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-60506765

Includes this illustration:

 

[zztop]

The House passed a resolution on Wednesday to declare support for Ukraine's sovereignty in the face of the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, while urging an "immediate cease-fire."

Lawmakers in both parties voted near-unanimously in favor of the resolution, 426-3. The only votes in opposition were from three Republicans: Reps. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Matt Rosendale (Mont.)

 

[Optimus Prime]

The House passed a resolution on Wednesday to declare support for Ukraine's sovereignty in the face of the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, while urging an "immediate cease-fire."

Lawmakers in both parties voted near-unanimously in favor of the resolution, 426-3. The only votes in opposition were from three Republicans: Reps. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Matt Rosendale (Mont.)

how could you possibly vote against this?

 

[UriUT]

 

[zztop]

how could you possibly vote against this?

I don't know about the other two, but Gosar is so deplorable that even his own family made a commercial that spoke out against him and urged people to vote for his opponent

 

[Optimus Prime]

I don't know about the other two, but Gosar is so deplorable that even his own family made a commercial that spoke out against him and urged people to vote for his opponent

That was a great ad

 

[superchuck500]

I don't know about the other two, but Gosar is so deplorable that even his own family made a commercial that spoke out against him and urged people to vote for his opponent

I think Massie came out with a 7-tweet defense of his vote that some real analysis in it that was quite Russia-friendly but demonstrates that he is thinking about the full scope and implications of the language of the resolution.

The other two are typically whackadoodle. Gosar made the border comparison, "Talk to me when our border is secure" and MTG is MTG.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[zztop]

this can't be good

Live updates: Johnson to seek UN Security Council meeting

The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will seek an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting after Russian troops in Ukraine attacked a nuclear power plant and sparked a fire.

apnews.com

also from the same article ^

The U.S. fossil fuel industry’s top lobbying group is calling on the Biden administration to create policies that would encourage oil and gas companies to ramp up production.

The American Petroleum Institute says the federal government should create a more favorable climate for drilling and should streamline the permitting process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals to expand so that the U.S. can rely less on oil imports and export more natural gas in liquid form to Europe, which relies heavily on Russia for fossil fuels.

 

[coldseat]

this can't be good

Live updates: Johnson to seek UN Security Council meeting

The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will seek an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting after Russian troops in Ukraine attacked a nuclear power plant and sparked a fire.

apnews.com

also from the same article ^

The U.S. fossil fuel industry’s top lobbying group is calling on the Biden administration to create policies that would encourage oil and gas companies to ramp up production.

The American Petroleum Institute says the federal government should create a more favorable climate for drilling and should streamline the permitting process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals to expand so that the U.S. can rely less on oil imports and export more natural gas in liquid form to Europe, which relies heavily on Russia for fossil fuels.

All these oil companies and lobbiest are doing their best to use this tragedy to push huge expansion in drilling and production long term. I don't like it. It's not like climate change is going away because of Russia.

While they obviously have to increase production short term, I hope the long term goal remains investing and increasing renewable and green technologies. That's where our future lies and that will also solve our dependence on both foreign and domestic oil. It should be a national security imperative.

 

[SamAndreas]

this can't be good

Live updates: Johnson to seek UN Security Council meeting

The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will seek an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting after Russian troops in Ukraine attacked a nuclear power plant and sparked a fire.

apnews.com

also from the same article ^

The U.S. fossil fuel industry’s top lobbying group is calling on the Biden administration to create policies that would encourage oil and gas companies to ramp up production.

The American Petroleum Institute says the federal government should create a more favorable climate for drilling and should streamline the permitting process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals to expand so that the U.S. can rely less on oil imports and export more natural gas in liquid form to Europe, which relies heavily on Russia for fossil fuels.

 

[superchuck500]

hmm

 

[SamAndreas]

hmm

Yes, hmm

Maybe somebody hijacked her twitter account.

 

[el caliente]

Yes, hmm

Maybe somebody hijacked her twitter account.

That whole “ she said the quiet part out loud” saying ran through my head about 1,000 times as I read that tweet.