Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? (1 Viewer)

[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]

I’m not saying that Hilary or us interference is the only driver. He hated Hillary for that comment. I had to review what he said after replying to you to refresh my memory. He was furious with Clinton because he thought she telegraphed to the protesters through her speeches. Remember that this was after the spring uprising when authoritarians like gaddafi was killed like some thug. And the us was definitely involved with military aid in that revolt. I cannot say that I’m 100% accurate with my memory but I believe that most of these accounts were from frontline’s Putin files where they interviewed us officials and Russian experts.

And quite obviously Putin tried to reverse the magnitsky act after trump won. I don’t have a pulse to putin’s mind to say which intent is favored. I know from those interviews that they believe he was really furious that the us, and specifically Clinton, tried to topple him….in his head.

 

[UriUT]

And the people hit the streets.

And the people hit the streets. And to Putin, this again is proof of American perfidy. This is the CIA stirring things up, trying to finally have that color revolution he’s always feared in the streets of Moscow. Never mind that tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Russians may have genuinely disagreed with his coming back to power, that they may have genuinely wanted to take the country in a different way. It can't possibly be that Russians are opposed to him. It has to be the CIA; it has to be Obama; it has to be Hillary Clinton. He specifically singles out Hillary Clinton, then secretary of state, for encouraging and, in his mind, mobilizing this opposition to him, and—

Why?

Well, she had said something publicly—I've forgotten exactly what she said—but she said something publicly basically embracing the aspirations of everyday Russians to express themselves or something relatively benign but typically American

Peter Baker | FRONTLINE

Peter Baker of "The New York Times" on Trump, Putin and Russian election interference – as told to FRONTLINE during our reporting for “Putin’s Revenge.” Read, watch and explore the full, on-the-record interview.

www.pbs.org

I believe this is where I got it. This is an interview with Peter Baker.

 

[efil4]

I’m not saying that Hilary or us interference is the only driver. He hated Hillary for that comment. I had to review what he said after replying to you to refresh my memory. He was furious with Clinton because he thought she telegraphed to the protesters through her speeches. Remember that this was after the spring uprising when authoritarians like gaddafi was killed like some thug. And the us was definitely involved with military aid in that revolt. I cannot say that I’m 100% accurate with my memory but I believe that most of these accounts were from frontline’s Putin files where they interviewed us officials and Russian experts.



And quite obviously Putin tried to reverse the magnitsky act after trump won. I don’t have a pulse to putin’s mind to say which intent is favored. I know from those interviews that they believe he was really furious that the us, and specifically Clinton, tried to topple him….in his head.

I’m not saying that Hilary or us interference is the only driver. He hated Hillary for that comment. I had to review what he said after replying to you to refresh my memory. He was furious with Clinton because he thought she telegraphed to the protesters through her speeches. Remember that this was after the spring uprising when authoritarians like gaddafi was killed like some thug. And the us was definitely involved with military aid in that revolt. I cannot say that I’m 100% accurate with my memory but I believe that most of these accounts were from frontline’s Putin files where they interviewed us officials and Russian experts.

And quite obviously Putin tried to reverse the magnitsky act after trump won. I don’t have a pulse to putin’s mind to say which intent is favored. I know from those interviews that they believe he was really furious that the us, and specifically Clinton, tried to topple him….in his head.

welp it just got better...

The FBI investigator into the 2016 election meddling is none other than FBI agent Charles McGonigal. He was also involved in the Carter Page investigation, both of which resulted in "no findings"

 

[UriUT]

welp it just got better...

The FBI investigator into the 2016 election meddling is none other than FBI agent Charles McGonigal. He was also involved in the Carter Page investigation, both of which resulted in "no findings"

I saw that. Serious breach and corruption if true. I think they have money transaction records. That alfa bank investigation report was suspicious. I always felt it was never serious, but also don't know much would come from it. Now we know why.

 

[BullSheetBuddha]

U.S. Spent Much More in Afghan War Than in Support for Ukraine So Far, Contrary to Online Claim - FactCheck.org

The U.S. spent more than $849 billion in the 20-year war in Afghanistan and has spent about $113 billion to support Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022. But a video on social media falsely claims that the aid for Ukraine is "double the U.S. expenditure for its own war in Afghanistan."

www.factcheck.org

 

[MT15]

 

[GrandAdmiral]

How dare that old geezer Biden one-ups me...

Putin pulls back from last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the US | CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is suspending his country’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, imperiling the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

edition.cnn.com

 

[bird]

How dare that old geezer Biden one-ups me...

Putin pulls back from last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the US | CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is suspending his country’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, imperiling the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

edition.cnn.com

I have a small hope that his generals will remove him (they can define that however they want).

 

[MT15]

How dare that old geezer Biden one-ups me...

Putin pulls back from last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the US | CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is suspending his country’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, imperiling the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

edition.cnn.com

The comment I saw was that Russia wasn’t abiding by it anyway, so who cares?

 

[DaveXA]

Excellent comments from Hertling. Performance art vs leadership...lmao! So true! If I said how I really feel about those 11 idiots, I'd get banned.

 

[bird]

Excellent comments from Hertling. Performance art vs leadership...lmao! So true! If I said how I really feel about those 11 idiots, I'd get banned.

Perhaps Hertling could explain it to Republicans by going on Faux Noise? Wait, what am I thinking? Never mind.

 

[J-DONK]

Perhaps Hertling could explain it to Republicans by going on Faux Noise? Wait, what am I thinking? Never mind.

I mean Fox is still running stuff like this. It's on the business channel, but it's Kilmeade from F&F. He makes it clear how he feels about aid.

 

[bird]

I mean Fox is still running stuff like this. It's on the business channel, but it's Kilmeade from F&F. He makes it clear how he feels about aid.

Ok. Good for Kilmeade…for once. That being said the phrase “blank check” is loaded. They would not hesitate to provide a blank check in ”combating the spread of communism”. Faux must walk a fine line due to underlying support of fascism. Putin is putting a bad face on fascism with his war.

 

[zztop]

Putin says Russia to deploy Sarmat nuclear missiles

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would pay increased attention to boosting its nuclear forces by deploying a much delayed new intercontinental ballistic missile, rolling out hypersonic missiles and adding new nuclear submarines.

www.reuters.com

 

[J-DONK]

Ok. Good for Kilmeade…for once. That being said the phrase “blank check” is loaded. They would not hesitate to provide a blank check in ”combating the spread of communism”. Faux must walk a fine line due to underlying support of fascism. Putin is putting a bad face on fascism with his war.

Oh it's hilarious to hear him essentially say "Helping refugees, and stuff? Oh god no! Weapons, and ammo? Sure thing."

Kilmeade probably has stock in every defense contractor.

 

[bird]

Oh it's hilarious to hear him essentially say "Helping refugees, and stuff? Oh god no! Weapons, and ammo? Sure thing."

Kilmeade probably has stock in every defense contractor.

Well, maybe not every one. One wonders what it takes to be an “infotainment” personality of Faux Noise. Abandonment of principles, human decency, intelligence?

 

[efil4]

Putin says Russia to deploy Sarmat nuclear missiles

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would pay increased attention to boosting its nuclear forces by deploying a much delayed new intercontinental ballistic missile, rolling out hypersonic missiles and adding new nuclear submarines.

www.reuters.com

Russia tested a SARMAT on Wed ( While Biden was in Kyiv ) and it failed.

But by all means, "deploy" ... lol

 

[UriUT]

This is worth a watch from Richard Engel on the Ukrainian partisan resistance in Kherson.