The Official Russian Invasion of Ukraine Thread

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DiabloWags
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In reply to Cal88 • 8:58a, 10/21/22
Cal88 said:


First of all, Russia is doing well economically, its currency has strengthened and has been remarkably stable in 2022. In fact the Rouble has been the strongest currency in the world:

When someone claims that the Russian Ruble has been remarkably stable in 2022.

If this is what someone thinks is "stable" . . . I'd hate to know what their definition of "volatile" is.


"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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Cal88
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In reply to DiabloWags • 9:46a, 10/21/22
DiabloWags said:
Cal88 said:


First of all, Russia is doing well economically, its currency has strengthened and has been remarkably stable in 2022. In fact the Rouble has been the strongest currency in the world:

When someone claims that the Russian Ruble has been remarkably stable in 2022.

If this is what someone thinks is "stable" . . . I'd hate to know what their definition of "volatile" is.



Bad rhetoric, Wags, that's the kind of bad faith argument that lawyers like U2sucks like to indulge in.

Facts about the Rouble:

-it has been the target of concerted attacks by the US and western allies. Biden declared that the Rouble will turn to rubble, while Bruno Lemaire, the French minister of economy, outright declared that NATO had entered an economic war on Russia, putting in place policies and sanctions with the stated goal of crashing their economyand currency. That gambit has clearly failed, any honest observer will admit to this.

The volatility you see above, which took place in the month after the start of the war, reflects that multifront attack on the Rouble. Russia fended off these attacks through policies set in place by their central bank, like the temporary spike in interest rates and controls on capital flows, but since then their currency has stabilized and strengthened mostly due to their positive trade balance, as countries like China and India boosted their imports of Russian oil and gas exports.

The Rouble's volatility has since then subsided, as the short and medium term fundamentals of Russian trade balance look solid. Russia has effectively pegged their currency to their commodities, not just oil and gas, but also grains, metals (including gold), fertilizer etc, items which are in high demand globally and hose price has skyrocketed. Those are the fundamentals underlying the current strength and stability of the Rouble. As well, Russia has virtually no debt with a debt to GDP ratio among the lowest in the world, and they have large gold and currency reserves.

Since then the Russian govt has relaxed its emergency measures, dropping interest rates to 7.5%, a level that is commensurate with their pre-war historic levels:


BTW Russian mortgage rates today are similar to those in the US, and will likely become lower than in the US in years to come:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1054512/mortgage-loan-interest-rate-russia/

Year over year, the Rouble has been the strongest currency in the world. At one point the Rouble broke the 50/$ barrier, which some Russian officials felt was starting to hurt the prospects of Russian non-energy exports. They would like the Rouble to stay in the 55-65 range, which it has.
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DiabloWags
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In reply to Cal88 • 2:00p, 10/21/22
Cal88 said:
DiabloWags said:

When someone claims that the Russian Ruble has been remarkably stable in 2022.

If this is what someone thinks is "stable" . . . I'd hate to know what their definition of "volatile" is.



Bad rhetoric, Wags, that's the kind of bad faith argument that lawyers like U2sucks like to indulge in.

You're wrong.
And the chart posted below proves that you're wrong.

The ruble has been anything but "stable" in 2022.
It's been fairly stable over the last 3 months.
But that wasnt your claim.

I stand by that claim as someone that has been actively involved in the financial markets since 1980 and who was a former commodity floor trader in #4 World Trade Center for ten years. I'm well versed in this area.

Volatility Chart of Ruble




V-Lab: US Dollar to Russian Ruble GARCH Volatility Analysis (nyu.edu)


"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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Cal88
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2:33p, 10/21/22
You're latching on a fairly minor aspect about the Rouble, volatility during Spring, after it was the target of sanctions, nit-picking and ignoring the fact that it has been the strongest currency worldwide with a substantial appreciation vs the US$ and every other currency worldwide.

How would you, as a former commodities trader, characterize the performance of the Rouble this year? Is this the chart of a currency which has had a bad year, or is in serious trouble?



How do you think the Rouble is going to perform over the next 12 months? How likely is it to collapse, or appreciate? I predict it will hold on in the same range vs the USD and appreciate vs the Euro,, Pound etc.

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DiabloWags
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In reply to Cal88 • 6:00p, 10/21/22
Cal88 said:
You're latching on a fairly minor aspect about the Rouble, volatility during Spring, after it was the target of sanctions, nit-picking and ignoring the fact that it has been the strongest currency worldwide with a substantial appreciation vs the US$ and every other currency worldwide.

How would you, as a former commodities trader, characterize the performance of the Rouble this year? Is this the chart of a currency which has had a bad year, or is in serious trouble?

How do you think the Rouble is going to perform over the next 12 months? How likely is it to collapse, or appreciate? I predict it will hold on in the same range vs the USD and appreciate vs the Euro,, Pound etc.


I would strongly suggest that you post a chart of the Ruble going back 10 years.
That would provide some important context.

"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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bearister
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6:14p, 10/21/22
Gee, the Iranian soldiers and their equipment is just killin' it in the Ukraine, just as predicted. Dipsh@its.

10 Iranians killed in Ukrainian strikes - report - The Jerusalem Post


https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-720252
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
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Cal88
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10:45a, 10/23/22
Iran's drones have been extremely effective on the battlefield, they have been a good part of the strikes across Ukraine which have taken out about a third of their power grid in just a few salvos.

Russia has received several thousand Shahed-136 mini-cruise missiles, which they have used to great effect. These drones have a range of 2000kms+, carry a charge of 50kg and are hard to detect due to their low radar and infrared signature. They cost around $10k each, powered by a glorified lawn mower 500cc rotary combustion engine, with a cheap fiberglass body.

The Russians have augmented these Shaheds with better electronics and navigation systems, and are starting to produce them in large numbers to complement their higher-end Kalibr cruise missiles. The low-end drone program has filled a crucial void in Russia's arsenal and military capabilities. It turns out Iran is a world leader in the field, and their successful low-cost approach is going to be copied by nations like China, Brazil, Turkey, N and S Korea etc.

Here is a $10k drone destroying a multi-million dollar Ukrainian S-300 AA battery, hitting a stockpile of missiles and two launchers, at the 11 second mark, you can see a Ukrainian MANPADS being fired at the drone and missing:



The only effective way to stop these drones is with smart radar-guided AA gun systems like the German Gepard or the Russian Pantsir, MANPADS can't lock in because of the drones low infrared signature, and even higher end NAMSAMS that cost hundreds of thousands each have had limited success. Ukraine is going to get a handful of Gepards, which will not be enough to change the big picture.
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blungld
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In reply to Cal88 • 12:51p, 10/23/22
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
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Cal88
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In reply to blungld • 12:54p, 10/23/22
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
Neither is this comment. If you want to address any of my "anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian" posts with a bit more substance, be my guest.
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blungld
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In reply to Cal88 • 12:57p, 10/23/22
Cal88 said:
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
Neither is this comment. If you want to address any of my "anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian" posts with a bit more substance, be my guest.
Well if you are granting guest's wishes, how about you stop posting stupid crap?
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Cal88
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In reply to blungld • 1:00p, 10/23/22
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
Neither is this comment. If you want to address any of my "anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian" posts with a bit more substance, be my guest.
Well if you are granting guest's wishes, how about you stop posting stupid crap?

Which "crap" do you think is "stupid"?
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Unit2Sucks
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2:34p, 10/23/22
I guess they no longer even feel the need to pretend to care about nazis in Ukraine. It's obviously the US' fault that a representative from Russian state media wants to drown and burn children and supports military rape of civilians.



I still don't know who Michael Tracey is but he is apparently vying for worst takes on Russia, present company excluded of course.

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DiabloWags
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In reply to Cal88 • 3:22p, 10/23/22
Cal88 said:
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
Neither is this comment. If you want to address any of my "anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian" posts with a bit more substance, be my guest.

I did, pointing out your ridiculous comment regarding the Ruble being remarkably stable in 2022.

As I suggested yesterday, feel free to post a 10 year chart of the ruble to provide some context too.

Then maybe you might put down your Russian "pom-poms".

But I doubt you will.




"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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movielover
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8:17p, 10/23/22
Ezra Levant @ezralevant

"Ukraine calls for NATO to attack Russia. Russia says it hasn't ruled out nukes. Russia claims Ukraine plans to use a dirty bomb of its own. The US deploys the 101st airborne to Europe, plus reporters. We haven't been this close to war with Russia since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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dimitrig
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In reply to movielover • 8:33p, 10/23/22
movielover said:
Ezra Levant @ezralevant

"Ukraine calls for NATO to attack Russia. Russia says it hasn't ruled out nukes. Russia claims Ukraine plans to use a dirty bomb of its own. The US deploys the 101st airborne to Europe, plus reporters. We haven't been this close to war with Russia since the Cuban Missile Crisis.


Hopefully, this ends the same way.

Russia is a bully and they picked the wrong nation to mess around with this time. Is Ukraine really worth it to them?

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movielover
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In reply to dimitrig • 8:43p, 10/23/22
Is the Donbas critical to the USA? No. But it is to Russia.

Britain (USA?) stopped peace talks, and President Trump has urged peace. It appears the Deep State / State Dept / Blinken want war.

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DiabloWags
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8:47p, 10/23/22
Ptesident Trump.
Thats the BIGGEST misnomer Ive ever heard!

That CLOWN wouldnt even bother reading the daily intelligence briefings.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/08/us/politics/trump-book-mark-milley.html

"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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Eastern Oregon Bear
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In reply to movielover • 8:50p, 10/23/22
movielover said:
Is the Donbas critical to the USA? No. But it is to Russia.

Ukraine Britain (USA?) stopped peace talks, and Ex-President-In-Disgrace Trump has urged appeasement peace. Through my myopic dirt covered lenses, it appears the Deep State / State Dept / Blinken want war, but like everything else, I'm probably wrong about that.
I fixed your post for you.
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sycasey
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In reply to movielover • 8:54p, 10/23/22
movielover said:
Ezra Levant @ezralevant

"Ukraine calls for NATO to attack Russia. Russia says it hasn't ruled out nukes. Russia claims Ukraine plans to use a dirty bomb of its own. The US deploys the 101st airborne to Europe, plus reporters. We haven't been this close to war with Russia since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Is there a link to where Ukraine called for NATO to attack Russia? I can't find any reporting on that.
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movielover
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9:17p, 10/23/22
Zelenskyy: There will never be peace talks with Putin

Ukraine's president hit out after referendum 'farce.

https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-peace-talks-vladimir-putin-russia-ukraine/
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movielover
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9:28p, 10/23/22
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
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sycasey
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In reply to movielover • 9:28p, 10/23/22
movielover said:
Zelenskyy: There will never be peace talks with Putin

Ukraine's president hit out after referendum 'farce.

https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-peace-talks-vladimir-putin-russia-ukraine/

Hey, can you tell me where Ukraine called on NATO to attack Russia? This article doesn't have anything like that.
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sycasey
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In reply to movielover • 10:44p, 10/23/22
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.
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Cal88
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In reply to DiabloWags • 10:51p, 10/23/22
DiabloWags said:
Cal88 said:
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
Neither is this comment. If you want to address any of my "anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian" posts with a bit more substance, be my guest.

I did, pointing out your ridiculous comment regarding the Ruble being remarkably stable in 2022.

As I suggested yesterday, feel free to post a 10 year chart of the ruble to provide some context too.

Then maybe you might put down your Russian "pom-poms".

But I doubt you will.

Of course the Ruble wasn't stable throughout 2022, but there is no doubt that it survived a concerted full-spectrum economic warfare attack from the West, and did so with flying colors:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-ruble-currency-russian-economy-sanctioms-2022/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/russian-ruble-surpasses-brazilian-real-as-world-s-best-currency?leadSource=uverify%20wall

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/mocked-as-rubble-by-biden-russias-ruble-comes-roaring-back/articleshow/90698363.cms

Bottom line - the Ruble has been the best-performing currency in the world this year, I think even the blue and yellow icon crowd will grudgingly acknowledge that.

Where the currency was 10 years ago is largely irrelevant.
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Cal88
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In reply to sycasey • 11:08p, 10/23/22
sycasey said:
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.

The main tool that is being used in an attempt to weaken Russia is Ukrainian cannon fodder. Some reports now emerging indicate that the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since February is between 200,000 and 300.000.

How much more "weakening" do you suggest we should do?
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movielover
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In reply to Cal88 • 11:59p, 10/23/22
Cal88 said:
sycasey said:
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.

The main tool that is being used in an attempt to weaken Russia is Ukrainian cannon fodder. Some reports now emerging indicate that the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since February is between 200,000 and 300.000.

How much more "weakening" do you suggest we should do?


Obama Presidency - Putin invades Crimea
Trump Presidency - peace; PDT sent Javelina missiles to Ukraine
Biden Presidency - Putin invades Donbas

For years numerous historians and talking heads said putting NATO in Ukraine was crossing a red line. We didn't let Russia set up shop in Cuba

We're funding the proxy war, Ukraine will lose generations of men (and families), and we'll pay to rebuild Ukraine. What exactly does "losing" look like to Putin? This amateur hour is why we're on the verge of the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

FWIW, Fiona Hill is a hack, and Blinken is incompetent.
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dimitrig
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In reply to Cal88 • 12:09a, 10/24/22
Cal88 said:
sycasey said:
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.

The main tool that is being used in an attempt to weaken Russia is Ukrainian cannon fodder. Some reports now emerging indicate that the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since February is between 200,000 and 300.000.

How much more "weakening" do you suggest we should do?

Which reports are saying that 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed?

Link, please.

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blungld
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In reply to Cal88 • 7:16a, 10/24/22
Cal88 said:
DiabloWags said:
Cal88 said:
blungld said:
Cal88 said:
If NATO were concerned about people not starving and freezing this winter, perhaps they wouldn't have blown up Nordstream.
I'm sure that you think that your anti-West, anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian posts are super objective and really really intellectual and politically sophisticated. They're not.
Neither is this comment. If you want to address any of my "anti-Ukraine, anti-UN, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Russian" posts with a bit more substance, be my guest.

I did, pointing out your ridiculous comment regarding the Ruble being remarkably stable in 2022.

As I suggested yesterday, feel free to post a 10 year chart of the ruble to provide some context too.

Then maybe you might put down your Russian "pom-poms".

But I doubt you will.

Of course the Ruble wasn't stable throughout 2022, but there is no doubt that it survived a concerted full-spectrum economic warfare attack from the West, and did so with flying colors:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-ruble-currency-russian-economy-sanctioms-2022/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/russian-ruble-surpasses-brazilian-real-as-world-s-best-currency?leadSource=uverify%20wall

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/mocked-as-rubble-by-biden-russias-ruble-comes-roaring-back/articleshow/90698363.cms

Bottom line - the Ruble has been the best-performing currency in the world this year, I think even the blue and yellow icon crowd will grudgingly acknowledge that.

Where the currency was 10 years ago is largely irrelevant.


It's so exciting isn't it! When I think about how the Russian ruble performed despite the dirty West's best efforts, I get so aroused!
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sycasey
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In reply to Cal88 • 7:26a, 10/24/22
Cal88 said:
sycasey said:
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.

The main tool that is being used in an attempt to weaken Russia is Ukrainian cannon fodder. Some reports now emerging indicate that the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since February is between 200,000 and 300.000.

How much more "weakening" do you suggest we should do?

Russia can end their invasion any time they want.
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sycasey
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In reply to movielover • 9:00a, 10/24/22
movielover said:
For years numerous historians and talking heads said putting NATO in Ukraine was crossing a red line. We didn't let Russia set up shop in Cuba
Ukraine is not in NATO.
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golden sloth
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In reply to Cal88 • 9:06a, 10/24/22
Cal88 said:
sycasey said:
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.

The main tool that is being used in an attempt to weaken Russia is Ukrainian cannon fodder. Some reports now emerging indicate that the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since February is between 200,000 and 300.000.

How much more "weakening" do you suggest we should do?


More rubbish. Ukraine doesnt want to be russian, they want to be independent, they are fighting to be free, they are not a pawn in a struggle between global powers. As such they are more than mere cannon fodder.
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movielover
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In reply to sycasey • 9:08a, 10/24/22
They've applied for fast-track consideration.
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In reply to sycasey • 9:10a, 10/24/22
sycasey said:
movielover said:
For years numerous historians and talking heads said putting NATO in Ukraine was crossing a red line. We didn't let Russia set up shop in Cuba
Ukraine is not in NATO.


Not only that, Ukraine conceded permanent neutrality to Russia, and Russia invaded anyway. Russia wants to take and conquer Ukraine, and the reasons have nothing to do with NATO expansion.

Further Russia is not special, they do not get to write the foreign policy for their surrounding countries.
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golden sloth
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In reply to movielover • 9:11a, 10/24/22
movielover said:
They've applied for fast-track consideration.


Applying and being accepted are two wildly different things, and they only applied after they were invaded so the timeline doesnt make sense.
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golden sloth
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In reply to movielover • 9:15a, 10/24/22
movielover said:
Cal88 said:
sycasey said:
movielover said:
Hungarian Conservative: The War Could Have Ended Months Ago But the West Didn't Want It To

Washington's goal in aiding Ukraine is to 'see Russia weakened'

Fiona Hill wrote: "'According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.'"

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/the-war-could-have-ended-months-ago-but-the-west-didnt-want-it-to/
Yes, Russia should be weakened so they don't try invading any more neighbors.

The main tool that is being used in an attempt to weaken Russia is Ukrainian cannon fodder. Some reports now emerging indicate that the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed since February is between 200,000 and 300.000.

How much more "weakening" do you suggest we should do?


Obama Presidency - Putin invades Crimea
Trump Presidency - peace; PDT sent Javelina missiles to Ukraine
Biden Presidency - Putin invades Donbas

For years numerous historians and talking heads said putting NATO in Ukraine was crossing a red line. We didn't let Russia set up shop in Cuba

We're funding the proxy war, Ukraine will lose generations of men (and families), and we'll pay to rebuild Ukraine. What exactly does "losing" look like to Putin? This amateur hour is why we're on the verge of the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

FWIW, Fiona Hill is a hack, and Blinken is incompetent.


Uniting western europe in a common cause is not a sign of incompetence.
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