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

 

[UriUT]

That segment on Russian state TV was pretty intense.

Windows may be problematic for him.

 

[efil4]

Propaganda. Alternate reality. Feed the stupid in the machine that is Fox News viewers.

Are Fox viewers THAT buried in the rabbit hole that they would actually believe that Ukraine is about to collapse under Russian forces due to corruption of western military aid?

 

[Taurus]

We're living in a world where Russian state TV is more truthful than Fox.

Let that sink in.

 

[samiam5211]

We're living in a world where Russian state TV is more truthful than Fox.

Let that sink in.

They are having on "military experts" who are getting their intel from Russian news sources. It's a feedback loop.

 

[UriUT]

Are Fox viewers THAT buried in the rabbit hole that they would actually believe that Ukraine is about to collapse under Russian forces due to corruption of western military aid?

I dont know the answer to this. I do know, thankfully for Ukraine, that Russia is not viewed favorably amongst both repubs or dems since their invasion. Tucker is a different breed...and I dont think there are any studies or polling on the effects of his propaganda towards his viewers. Generally there have been stduies that fox viewers are less informed than someone who doesn't watch the news. It would be interesting to poll his viewers since the invasion though. Some 15% of americans view Russia favorably...are they Tucker viewers? Just goes to show his agenda is linked to the hip with that of Russia since repubs are now not favorable to Russia. Trump softened the Republicans view towards russia; the invasion changed that trajectory.

 

[MT15]

They lost Turkey:

 

[zztop]

meanwhile in a few days they will hold a sham referendum to annex parts of the country

Russia moves to formally annex swathes of Ukraine

Russia on Tuesday paved the way for the formal annexation of swathes of Ukrainian territory, backing referendum plans in areas of Ukraine its soldiers control in a direct challenge to the West that could sharply escalate the war.

www.reuters.com

 

[UriUT]

Funny that some had to address this topic as if it wasnt apparent. One has to be really up Putin's butt to believe this coup idea.

 

[MT15]

 

[Taurus]

The GOP is salivating

 

[UriUT]

Wait wait. This isnt a coup right. Or the russians actively undermining ukraine's sovereignty. Must be nuland or some us diplomat.

 

[MT15]

NY Times has recordings of phone calls between Russian soldiers, going back to the beginning of the invasion:

‘Putin Is a Fool’: Intercepted Calls Reveal Russian Army in Disarray

In phone calls to friends and relatives at home, Russian soldiers gave damning insider accounts of battlefield failures and civilian executions, excoriating their leaders just weeks into the campaign to take Kyiv.

www.nytimes.com

“The New York Times has exclusively obtained recordings of thousands of calls that were made throughout March and intercepted by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies from this pivotal location.

Reporters verified the authenticity of these calls by cross-referencing the Russian phone numbers with messaging apps and social media profiles to identify soldiers and family members. The Times spent almost two months translating the recordings, which have been edited for clarity and length.”

hoping this isn’t paywalled. They’re brutal.

 

[MT15]

If the prior link doesn’t work - try this one:

‘Putin Is a Fool’: Intercepted Calls Reveal Russian Army in Disarray

In phone calls to friends and relatives at home, Russian soldiers gave damning insider accounts of battlefield failures and civilian executions, excoriating their leaders just weeks into the campaign to take Kyiv.

www.nytimes.com

 

[zztop]

This whole situation is horrible. Watch putin pivot this as Ukraine now invading russia and it must defend itself

Kremlin will annex 4 regions of Ukraine on Friday

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia confirmed on Thursday it will formally annex parts of Ukraine where occupied areas held Kremlin-orchestrated “referendums” on living under Moscow’s rule that the Ukrainian government and the West denounced as illegal and rigged.

apnews.com

 

[UriUT]

I dont know how I could've missed this raw, gut wrenching documentary on Netflix "Winter on Fire" about the maidan revolution. I completely recommend it. It is eerily similar to what happened over the weekend in Iran. Students were attacked at their university in Tehran and apparently massive crowds converged to save them. I dont know the outcome.

 

[coldseat]

This dude needs to sit down and shut the fork up. Nobody asked his opinion and nobody wants it. He's getting absolutely blasted for this and he deserves every ounce of it.



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Responses from Ukrainian officials and supporters were swift and unsparing.

“Which @elonmusk do you like more?” Zelenskyy tweeted, including a poll that had options for “One who supports Ukraine” and “One who supports Russia.” As of Monday afternoon, 89.5 percent of the nearly 400,000 people who responded to the poll selected the former.

Zelenskyy wasn’t the only one to call Musk out online. Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk was quick to reply, tweeting, “fork off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk.” Melnyk served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, but left the post in September after being dismissed by Zelenskyy for remarks he made about a Ukrainian nationalist leader who worked with the Nazis.

One of Zelenskyy’s advisers, Mykhailo Podolyak, responded with a revised version of Musk’s poll:



President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania also came to the defense of his country’s ally.

“Dear @elonmusk, when someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn’t make them legal owner of the car or of the wheels. Even though they claim both voted in favor of it. Just saying,” Nausėda wrote.

The Baltic nation has offered strong support for Ukraine, urging NATO to act quickly in Ukraine’s membership process.

Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) had much to say in response to Musk, calling his proposed plan “Pretty much the worst idea I’ve read.”

“The only way for peace is for Russia to be kicked out of Ukraine … where it doesn’t belong,” Kinzinger said in a separate tweet. “You cant satisfy a demon with a land sacrifice.”

===================

Ukrainian officials and allies rail against Elon Musk tweet

“F— off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk,” Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk tweeted.

www.politico.com

 

[Bigdaddysaints]

I am sure that if Russia let Crimera have an election, while it is under Russian control, i am sure it would be accurate. I mean, Russia is know for its fair and equal election process.. what could go wrong..
I didn't realize Musk was pro Russia.. Makes sense.. Whats really funny is that he thinks Putin would allow UN to over see anyting... His cheese has slid off his cracker ever sense he started pulling pages out of the Trump playbook..

 

[SaintForLife]

This dude needs to sit down and shut the fork up. Nobody asked his opinion and nobody wants it. He's getting absolutely blasted for this and he deserves every ounce of it.



============
Responses from Ukrainian officials and supporters were swift and unsparing.

“Which @elonmusk do you like more?” Zelenskyy tweeted, including a poll that had options for “One who supports Ukraine” and “One who supports Russia.” As of Monday afternoon, 89.5 percent of the nearly 400,000 people who responded to the poll selected the former.

Zelenskyy wasn’t the only one to call Musk out online. Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk was quick to reply, tweeting, “fork off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk.” Melnyk served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, but left the post in September after being dismissed by Zelenskyy for remarks he made about a Ukrainian nationalist leader who worked with the Nazis.

One of Zelenskyy’s advisers, Mykhailo Podolyak, responded with a revised version of Musk’s poll:



President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania also came to the defense of his country’s ally.

“Dear @elonmusk, when someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn’t make them legal owner of the car or of the wheels. Even though they claim both voted in favor of it. Just saying,” Nausėda wrote.

The Baltic nation has offered strong support for Ukraine, urging NATO to act quickly in Ukraine’s membership process.

Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) had much to say in response to Musk, calling his proposed plan “Pretty much the worst idea I’ve read.”

“The only way for peace is for Russia to be kicked out of Ukraine … where it doesn’t belong,” Kinzinger said in a separate tweet. “You cant satisfy a demon with a land sacrifice.”

===================

Ukrainian officials and allies rail against Elon Musk tweet

“F— off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk,” Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk tweeted.

www.politico.com

Heaven forbid that anyone suggest any kind of peace deal. I know the Democrats and the Biden Administration don't want to hear anything that could mean an end to the fighting. Their plan is regime change with the nuclear armed Putin.




It's crazy how dangerous of a situation we are in with another nuclear armed country in Russia and the left doesn't want to heat anything about deescalating the situation.