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

 

[DaveXA]

That sounds an awful lot like how the US operates. Why is bad when Russia does it, but not when we do it? How do you compare the US invasion of Iraq vs Russia invading Ukraine.

No one here is justifying what we did in the past, it was wrong then and wrong now.

And fwiw, we went into Iraq under the wrong premise. When it became clear they had no WMDs, a lot of people turned pretty quickly against the war because they didn't like being duped.

No one is being duped here.

 

[LA - L.A.]

That sounds an awful lot like how the US operates. Why is bad when Russia does it, but not when we do it? How do you compare the US invasion of Iraq vs Russia invading Ukraine.

The US was unjustified and wrong to invade Iraq. It should have never happened.

The US is justified and right to support Ukraine against the unjustified and wrong invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

It's bad when any country invades another country when it isn't legitimately for self-defense from the invaded country.

It's right to support and defend any country when being invaded by another country under false pretense.

Russia has invaded and conquered several countries under Putin's regime. All of them were done under false pretense, just like in Ukraine.

 

[DaveXA]

The US was unjustified and wrong to invade Iraq. It should have never happened.

The US is justified and right to support Ukraine against the unjustified and wrong invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

It's bad when any country invades another country when it isn't legitimately for self-defense from the invaded country.

It's right to support and defend any country when being invaded by another country under false pretense.

Russia has invaded and conquered several countries under Putin's regime. All of them were done under false pretense.

Yep, Putin gets none of the benefit of the doubt because he's got a long track record of being the bully he is.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Yep, Putin gets none of the benefit of the doubt because he's got a long track record of being the bully he is.

I know what you mean when you say "bully," but lets be blunt, Putin is a mass murderer and destroyer of societies. He's a real life James Bond villain.

 

[DaveXA]

I know what you mean when you say "bully," but lets be blunt, Putin is a mass murderer and destroyer of societies. He's a real life James Bond villain.

Agreed.

 

[MT15]

Post just one of my posts where I justified Putin's actions. I'll be waiting.

You have excused his invasion. You say the US is to blame, which is relieving Putin of responsibility for his illegal and immoral invasion of a sovereign country.

 

[J-DONK]

I will continue to be against war while you support the Military Industrial Complex. Do you ever feel bad supporting so much death, violence, pain, and suffering that war causes? Or is it all worth it for freedom?

I want to point out that you come across as a troll. This can not be logically consistent with your conservative views. You have to go back to LBJ to find a major war started under a Democrat's presidency. One of the only presidents to cut military spending was Clinton, someone we all know you hate.

If you want to simply run with a contrarian stance to all things Democrats. That's fine, but be honest.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

That sounds an awful lot like how the US operates. Why is bad when Russia does it, but not when we do it? How do you compare the US invasion of Iraq vs Russia invading Ukraine.

I listed those 2 (off the top of my head btw) because we are talking about former Soviet states being co-opted by the Russian Federation. They are not alone. When has the United States ever taken such action.

To take the position you took is just stupid. I feel that if I were to explain the steps that were taken by the international "coalition of the willing" before THEIR invasion of Iraq, it would fall on deaf ears.

 

[MT15]

 

[efil4]

I want to point out that you come across as a troll.

Been trying to tell yall for over a year.

That's all he is.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Putin and the Russian oligarchs were never going to stop at Ukraine, just like they were never going to stop at Crimea and east Ukraine after 2014. Putin and the Russian oligarchs were always going to escalate and overreach. Putin and the Russian oligarchs were always going to force the world to either fight them or let them take whatever they want from the world.

You can't appease people like Putin and the Russian oligarchs, because nothing is ever enough for people like them. From the very moment Putin and the Russian oligarchs launched a full assault on and invasion of Ukraine, this conflict was inevitably headed to a war between multiple nations.

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month

The U.S. says a Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck another American drone over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, continuing a string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers.

apnews.com

Wagner troops moving towards Polish border and could try sneaking across, PM says | CNN

More than 100 troops from the Russian mercenary group Wagner are moving towards a thin strip of land between Poland and Lithuania, Poland’s prime minister says, who warned they could pose as migrants to cross the border.

www.cnn.com

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Putin and the Russian oligarchs were never going to stop at Ukraine, just like they were never going to stop at Crimea and east Ukraine after 2014. Putin and the Russian oligarchs were always going to escalate and overreach. Putin and the Russian oligarchs were always going to force the world to either fight them or let them take whatever they want from the world.

You can't appease people like Putin and the Russian oligarchs, because nothing is ever enough for people like them. From the very moment Putin and the Russian oligarchs launched a full assault on and invasion of Ukraine, this conflict was inevitably headed to a war between multiple nations.

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month

The U.S. says a Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck another American drone over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, continuing a string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers.

apnews.com

Wagner troops moving towards Polish border and could try sneaking across, PM says | CNN

More than 100 troops from the Russian mercenary group Wagner are moving towards a thin strip of land between Poland and Lithuania, Poland’s prime minister says, who warned they could pose as migrants to cross the border.

www.cnn.com

I can't wait until one of those fighters attempting to crash a drone spontaneously explode in mid-air!

 

[LA - L.A.]

I can't wait until one of those fighters attempting to crash a drone spontaneously explode in mid-air!

That's invevitably what is going to happen and why the US being drawn into military combat with Russia is inevitable at this point. It's probably going to happen a lot sooner and a lot more sudden than any of us civilians expect.

 

[SaintForLife]

You justify it by criticizing those helping Ukraine defend themselves and say next to nothing about Russian atrocities. That's more than enough to go on to see where your loyalties lie.

Ah so you couldn't find a post where I said what you have claimed I've said. I think yall have the Russian atrocities covered. Do you want an echo chamber? What's ignored here is what I've talked about.

 

[SaintForLife]

No one here is justifying what we did in the past, it was wrong then and wrong now.

And fwiw, we went into Iraq under the wrong premise. When it became clear they had no WMDs, a lot of people turned pretty quickly against the war because they didn't like being duped.

No one is being duped here.

But war after war whether we are directly, indirectly involved or even by proxy you guys support it all without ever questioning why the US is involved in just about every military conflict in the world.

 

[SaintForLife]

I want to point out that you come across as a troll. This can not be logically consistent with your conservative views. You have to go back to LBJ to find a major war started under a Democrat's presidency. One of the only presidents to cut military spending was Clinton, someone we all know you hate.

If you want to simply run with a contrarian stance to all things Democrats. That's fine, but be honest.

You guys accuse anyone here of being a troll if you disagree with their views. Are you not able to realize that someone can have totally different views from you?

I've consistently my views quite clear here. I'm no troll, but I know the dimwits here will continue to call me that. If it makes you feel better about your own views to call me or Farb a troll have at it.

I'm a libertarian with some conservative leanings like immigration. If you don't like my views put me on ignore.

 

[MT15]

Bur war after war whether we are directly, indirectly involved or even by proxy you guys support it all without ever questioning why the US is involved in just about every military conflict in the world.

You haven’t known any of us long enough to accuse us of this. You have zero idea what we have felt about past wars. Quit being so dramatic and emotional.

 

[MT15]

I'm a libertarian with some conservative leanings like immigration. If you don't like my views put me on ignore.

This isn’t consistent with your posting history, like at all. This is why you get push back, because you’re not upfront about who you are or what you believe.