Ukraine..What's the Next Step?

@Europa

 That might be the end of it too

...and eventually a fullfledged invasion of Ukraine, to kickoff WW3...

@UNIMAN

 Russia will never accept Ukraine in NATO. It was the straw that started this conflict in the first place.

True that this is what got the party started but Russia accomplished a long time ago what it set out for and has been patiently sitting on their hands.  They have control of the Black Sea ports from the South and have effectively created a new land "buffer" zone between Russia and Ukraine with its new territory gained along the Eastern Ukrainian border.  These won't be the only concessions Russia gets if they accept a deal involving NATO membership.    

Tommy Tuberville says it’s Biden’s fault that the POS can’t end the war in Ukraine quickly like he promised: “This has been handled so badly by the Ukrainians and by NATO and the US that Putin has got a foot in the door in doing whatever he wants to. Why would he want to negotiate with anybody? Say it’s a football game and you’re up 3 touchdowns. Why would you want to do some kind of deal when you’re winning. The guy is winning.”

Right, right. Except Putin said he was going to win the war in 3 days, he has hundreds of thousands of casualties 3 years later, with no end in sight, billions of dollars in destroyed equipment, dozens of his best generals killed & he had to bring in North Koreans to fight for him, and an economy and currency in the toilet, is really winning because the US and Ukraine were so terrible, and that’s why the POS can’t end the war like he promised.

I think Tommy's off his meds again.

“On December 15, 2021, I had an hour call with Jake Sullivan in the White House, begging, Jake, avoid the war - you can avoid the war.

All you have to do is say NATO will not enlarge to Ukraine.

And he said to me, oh, NATO is not going to enlarge to Ukraine, don't worry about it.

I said, Jake, say it publicly.

No, no, no, we can’t say it publicly.”

-Jeffrey Sachs

https://x.com/HansMahncke/status/1892782321750708268

Starmer wants to put UK "boots on the ground and planes in the air" to defend a peace deal in Ukraine.

https://x.com/disclosetv/status/1896251236237918638

Good luck lads!!  

Another Kremlin mouthpiece...

Gobble Gobble

All I can say is have at that shit. Ukraine wanted to be under the sphere of influence of the EU as opposed to the sphere of influence of Russia, even though they are a country of Slavic people, speaking a Slavic language, with a large land border with Russia. Great Britain wants to put boots on the ground to defend them. Have at it. They are the "bread basket of Europe" after all.

@StumpTownStu

 Saw but can't find you question as to the character of Zelensky, so here's my answer....

Lesser of two evils.

Once the war is over, Zelensky will move along but Putin will be there until he's put to rest.

Sir Keir Starmer says he will assemble a "coalition of the willing" in Ukraine: the phrase his Labour Party and Bush used to invade Iraq.

He also boasts the UK will puts "boots on the ground" in Ukraine: but can only do so with "strong US backing."

a "coalition of the willing"  

On that note.... 

"there's an old saying in Tennessee, I know its in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says....fool me once, shame on - shame on you....fool me twice....you can't get fooled again" 

That's war monger talk. Russia poses no threat to us, outside of mutually assured destruction. I know you are ofnthe generation of air raid drills, as our my parents, so the ideology of the Soviets being out sworn enemies is deeply rooted. However, I am of the belief that the entire cold war was a farce. A scam to funnel tax dollars into the pockets of private defense contractors. For all of it's accumulation of weaponry, Russia/USSR never really rebounded from WW2. This is evident by their struggles with Ukraine. They're military has not advanced on par with ours in the past 80 years. We are a geographically huge country surrounds by vast oceans. We are bordered to the north by another geographically huge nation, with an irregular coastline. Russia isn't a real threat to us, outside of nucleat annihilation. We are better off fostering some semblance of peace with the Soviets as opposed to antagonizing them.

What are we fighting for? Capitalism? As if there was ever a real threat of communism gaining root in the wes. How many wars waged, how many lives lost, to protect the world from an economic principle? It has all been a scam.

@Midnight1

 Eisenhower warned us about the establishment of a military industrial complex. I have to accept that Ike knows what he's talking about on the subject.

There are outliers. When I look at the state of modern South Korea, I can truly say that our servicemen made the world a better place. So many of out operations have been a farce though. You are my brother. I would never hold your service in vain. I will always show appreciation to the sacrifice of out servicemen and women but sometimes you have to question what it was all for. Some of our Asian operations, African operations, Middle-Eastern operations, Balkan operations, Central/South American operations, what were they all for? Capitalism? As corporate oligarchs run rough-shod over the American populace, as pharmaceutical companies, etc, rape and pillage out people, is this what it was all for?

I'm no commie. I still believe in capitalism being freedom but not everything is so black and white. So when we talk about Russia being our greatest enemy (it's China actually), I say that is all very much a shade of gray.

 "For the West, the demonization of Vladimir Putin is not a policy; it is an alibi for the absence of one"
-Kissinger, 2014 

Russia is the boogeyman to many based solely on the Soviet cold war era mentality these boomers were raised on.  

Do any of you boomers crying for Ukraine realize that Europe provides Russia with more money from buying their Russian fossil fuels than what Europe has provided in monetary aid to Ukraine??  

Europe is funding both the Russian war effort AND the Ukrainian defense effort at the same time.  Think about this next time you want to cry about US foreign aid needing to continue going to Ukraine.  The world's MIC work at its finest.  Let the Europeans deal with it, no need for NATO in our pocket.  Perhaps that is what we will find out tonight, a possible withdrawal announcement incoming... 

Saw this the other day posted by a German citizen.... well done sir, well done....

“As a German, I just want to get this straight.  The entire Western world wants us to build up a huge army, march through Poland and fight the Russians if necessary.  Just writing it down so there are no misunderstandings in future…”

"Reuters reports that Russia has presented the United States with its list of demands for a deal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine and reset diplomatic relations with Washington, with officials stating that the list is “broad” and similar to previous demands made to Ukraine, the U.S, and NATO.

The terms are said to include no membership in NATO for Ukraine, an agreement not to deploy foreign troops or a peacekeeping force to Ukraine after the war, and international recognition of Russia’s claim to Crimea as well as the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia in Southeastern Ukraine."

These terms sound strangely familiar....almost like someone told you what was most likely to happen 2 years ago.....repeatedly. cough...cough.  

@kcblitzkrieg

 Would these regions happen to be rich in natural recourses that are used in "cLeAn EnErGy" like lithium? 

@BigGame90

Perhaps....

Maybe not as rich as Greenland's though 

So you're essentially saying there may have been a way to pull natural recourses that the world just so desperately has been pushing to find and all we had to do was ask Greenland to partner so we can harvest these resources and wouldn't have to experience a war that was funded by US tax payers?  If there wasn't such a push for these natural resources, would there have been a war? Or was Putin just bored and felt like fighting? Anyone know why Russia wanted to invade? If seaweed magically became valuable overnight, everyone would be throwing their boats in the water, right? 

Those regions are where the majority of people who favor Russia live. Remember in 2014 Ukraine overthrew their Russian favoring President. How did he get the votes to get elected?

Answer; Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. 

A map of Russian speaking Ukrainians; https://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/interactive/2014/02/world/ukraine-divided/media/ukraine_map_region_language.jpg

@BigGame90

 So you're essentially saying there may have been a way to pull natural recourses that the world just so desperately has been pushing to find and all we had to do was ask Greenland to partner so we can harvest these resources and wouldn't have to experience a war that was funded by US tax payers?  

Essentially....yes 

Europeans are most knowledgeable about Russian threat.  Putin wants to overthrow Ukraine government to restore Russian imperialist control.  Russians refuse to accept Ukraine as an independent nation and want to believe Ukraine is part of Russia.  Russia won't stop its invasion until Ukraine surrenders.  Apparently, Russia isn't serious about ending war by insisting on conditions for simple 30 days ceasefire.  If similar conditions are required for both countries, Russia is less likely than Ukraine to accept them.

This war has taken a back seat in the press while they go down all the rabbit holes the Delusional Narcissist has created. Today I read Russia using drones to bomb the city of Odessa killing women. children & elderly. The power grid was also attacked in the middle of winter to further inflict pain in the Ukraine. In the Northeast, a train packed with over 200 people was also attacked by a drone adding to the terror. Russia has replenished their forces by offering work & bonuses to Bangladeshi workers who are quickly thrown into combat.

I think millions voted for Donnie the Diva because he promised to end the war immediately upon entering office. People believed the lie & we are not suffering the consequences of their stupidity.

I'm a firm believer this war doesn't end until one of the leaders is gone & it's not Zelensky.

@Midnight1

 You think millions of people voted for Trump because he promised to end the war immediately ?  That's laughable.  

While I'll admit to you that he did make that promise, most could care less and just wanted someone that was more competent than Harris...  and we got that.  Harris would've been "Weekend at Bernies" part II.   She's that bad.  

Yep....absolutely extremely likely that is the case!    Out of all those who voted, MILLIONS surely did.... 

I am also in doubt how many votes it has given him - but that is mostly because I don’t think most people would have foreseen the path he took (nor which consequences it would have) 

If you for one second believe that it was a coincidence your politicians have fought for 80 years not unifying EU militarily - you are insane - we already have 3 nuclear nations in Europe with 4 more in the process of becoming one - Ukraine produces 70 times as many drones as you do - imagine if that is taken to a manufacturing mastodont like Germany I hope you will still be happy for you not voting on Bernie’s part 2 when you are hit by a few nukes or when you are hunted down by a drone swarm 

I am not proud of this - but my continent is made for war and destruction - I am not as sure yours are