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Putin has empire aims. He is not just piling on troops at the Ukraine border for a show to gain NATO to split with the US and threaten Natural gas to that aim.
He wants more. Just some concessions and all his might backs off is not going to happen. He wants domination and glory of the Russian Empire is renewed. Ukraine is going to fall.
Will it be like Austria in the 1930s or a worst case for those there. No doubt, Putin wants a Austria during ww2 scenario and win big at home. The West NATO and USA alliances weakened and China seeing it will be able to take fully Taiwan.
Who knows what's happening exactly? The truth is the first casualty of war they say.
I know we can't really trust either side. Russia's media is spoon fed info by the Kremlin, the Western media is spoon fed info by the Western governments. And we all saw on Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria that much of the Western media will march in lockstep when the U.S. government declares something to be the case whether it's true or not.
But what I do know is true is that the constant U.S. government leaks talking about an 'imminent invasion' that we have seen for a number of weeks now make war more likely and are not what someone acting in good faith would do. As a result I do think the U.S. security apparatus and Biden administration are acting provocatively and not in the best interest of peace. I think a 'heating up' conflict with Russia is what certain elements in the U.S. state apparatus have been desiring for several years now.
But with some of its actions, Russia has certainly provided them with material that can be used to justify such a conflict. It sometimes feels to me that Russia still underestimates the power of narratives and how the public in the West can be 'played' by savvy media operators. And the public is a key element, for the biggest obstacle in the way of the security apparatus's desire for conflict with Russia is the public's lack of appetite for more foreign entanglements after the failures of the last two decades. So it's quite important for Russia that the Western public does not perceive it as a genuine threat, and I'm not sure Russia appreciates that fully.
Putin won't do anything. He knows better. He knows that even if launching a military invasion of Ukraine would be successful initially, Russia would open a pandora box that could have catastrophic consequences for Russia and Russians. The West won't have to fire a single shot for that. Excluded from international financial markets, Russia and Putin would collapse in a matter of weeks. Putin is well aware of that. He knows that he his threats are capable of giving him some leverage.
You forget a couple of things. For one Russia is under heavy sanctions as we speak and has been for years. They're self sufficient in agriculture, energy, natural resources, industry and most technology. There's little more that can be sanctioned.
Russia can however cut off nickle, aluminum, iron ore and titanium from the US and Europe. They can cut the EU off of gas and oil. Wheat. They can shut off their airspace to western airlines. Go ahead, cut them off of SWIFT, out of world banking. They really can just go to China and their banking to pay for their fruit in winter.
It has been long known that Putin would never leave Ukraine alone. The loss of Ukraine is perceived in Russia as a national tragedy. Putin intend to take Ukraine by force and not just Russophone areas.
It has been long known that Putin would never leave Ukraine alone. The loss of Ukraine is perceived in Russia as a national tragedy. Putin intend to take Ukraine by force and not just Russophone areas.
I don't see how the Russians have a choice and I don't know of a more deserving batch of blockheads than the Kiev junta to be swinging from trees either.
Who knows what's happening exactly? The truth is the first casualty of war they say.
I know we can't really trust either side. Russia's media is spoon fed info by the Kremlin, the Western media is spoon fed info by the Western governments. And we all saw on Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria that much of the Western media will march in lockstep when the U.S. government declares something to be the case whether it's true or not.
Although I tended to say initially that "I can see what's going on in the LDNR," and therefore it's some additional info that provides me with better understanding of what's going on, but at the same time I have to admit that the DNR at this point is already under the full Kremlin's control, whether they like it or not.
I can't blame them for accepting it, because as righteous as they are, they are going to be bombed into the ground, if they won't accept Russian protection, that comes for a price of course.
They are the ultimate Socialists there in Donbass, always were, while Russia is a cut throat corporatist.
But when it comes to choosing between the corporate Russia and Nationalist Ukraine, it's obvious what Donbass would choose.
You've got to do what you've got to do.
The only person I would ultimately believe in this situation, was Alexander Zakharchenko - the heart and soul of Donbass resistance.
An ultimate person who successfully stood on the way of the foreign aggression that came through Kiev, and as we already know it by now, was assassinated with the help of the foreign intel service.
All three of them actually - both Givi and Motorola too, since they were hated so much by Ukrainian nationalists for their brains and success.
These three embodied what's best in Russians - to not to spare one's life when you know what you believe in and stand for.
And that's what Motorola once said - "So what if you kill us - others will come to replace us, so they'll continue our path and we will win at the end anyway."
This is very unlike Kremlin Inc, that calculated first how much Donbass might cost them in euros and dollars.
Few years ago DKM (the pro-nationalist poster here) was trying to convince me that these three "died for nothing," but look now - DKM disappeared, the Nationalists are scrambling to "defend Ukraine" while carrying banners in English, yet these three ( or rather what they stood for) now put their Donbass at the pivoting point of the global events.
It has been long known that Putin would never leave Ukraine alone. The loss of Ukraine is perceived in Russia as a national tragedy. Putin intend to take Ukraine by force and not just Russophone areas.
NOOOO!!!
Putin don't want the Ukraine, NATO and USA pointing nukes at the heart of Russia. Fair enough. If the USA doesn't bring Ukraine into NATO, the problem is solved.
Did the USA like it when Russia put missiles in Cuba? NO!!!
The Russian missile crisis only ended when the USA agreed to take our missiles out of Turkey. After the USA moved its missiles, Russia removed its missiles from Cuba.
How would the USA feel if China or Russia put missiles on the southern US border? No so great, right? Why would the USA expect Russia to feel any different with us putting nukes on their Ukrainian border?
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE UKRAINE!
BTW, The USA doesn't want Germany to establish a friendly relationship with Russia. The USA is hysterical over the future breakup of NATO and losing its hold on geopolitical power from the post WWII world. We aren't threatening Russia as much as threatening Germany and France to prevent a breakup. It makes the USA look so needy and really, Europe so over NATO already.
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