Not really, America is stronger today than we’ve been at any point since the 1990s because Trump excluded the Afghan government from our peace talks with the Taliban beginning in 2018. So excluding them enabled Trump to surrender to the Taliban and end our involvement in that asinine war.
Just how would the Ukrainian army be beefed up? Will they expect the countries to which a large part of their military aged male population has fled be required to round those people up and ship them home where they will be press ganged into the military? Will they require women to serve and become cannon fodder?
It appears no one in Europe leadership actually wants the War to end. Of course, any skin they put in the game will never be theirs.
Does anyone find it laughable that this "agreement" will be submitted to Parliament for approval before the Russians have even been negotiated with? Obviously, the signal there is that it is intended to be a "take it or leave it" deal, with no negotiating. I wonder what the Russian answer will be....🤔
This suits many Russians fine. The thinking in Moscow from some quarters, so I have been told, is to continue the war because Russia has benefited from it (in terms of national unity, vision and economics) more than been harmed by it. They will continue to attrite Ukrainian military manpower down to 85,000, and NATO materiality and material means (money), and of unity. In this view the longer the war goes on the weaker NATO becomes, the more NATO commits the greater their confounding, embarrassment and loss of credibility, and perhaps political and economic bankruptcy, once the Russians announce a victory that is irrefutable.
The war with Ukraine has been an unmitigated disaster for Russia!! Gazprom relinquished the vast majority of their EU market share to the benefit of making America energy dominant and turbocharging the LNG market!! Russia has been investing in pipelines and this war undermined Gazprom’s business model!! And that’s just the economic consequences of their asinine invasion of Ukraine to say nothing of the fact the Russian military has been revealed as a paper bear that has been degraded by Ukraine’s military with help from NATO.
For Europe, Russians taking over all of Ukraine is actually an attractive prospect. It frees them from the moral obligation to accept the country into the European Union. As Viktor Orban wrote today, the Ukrainians are seeking financial aids to the tune of €800--nearly a trillion dollars--over ten years. That's almost half of the EU budget. The money simply doesn't exist. On top of that, any negotiated settlement would involve recognition of the Russian language. Ukrainian membership would mean Russian becoming an official EU language. So we're looking at total humiliation plus back-breaking financial burdens.
To "capture the whole of Ukraine" means to step on a rake and go through the "reincarnation" of Afghanistan for the USSR or Vietnam (Afghanistan, Iraq...) for the United States.It is unacceptable for Russia to get bogged down in Ukraine, and even more unacceptable is the "social engineering" in "building a new Ukrainian state" in order to "further influence" Russia on Ukraine.In my opinion, Ukraine is a trap for Europe and, to a lesser extent, for the United States. The question is who will have more strength for a justified escalation leading to an end to the conflict or, "at least," to progress."The question is who will have these justifications for escalation that will be more legitimate for the international community to understand and accept.I wouldn't be surprised if Russian special forces kidnapped Zelensky and put him in a cage on Red Square.Fortunately, Trump's "example" (already) allows us to repeat this "franchise" on Slavic lands and with a Slavic "interpretation." This can "activate" Europe with its "agreements" and promises.Russia expects this...(Yandex translator)
Russia will take over all of Ukraine since they are the same people in every way. There are slight language variations in Galicia in the western 10 -15% of Ukraine.
The Europeans obviously don't want peace. The plan is to lay the groundwork for the next American administration to go to war with the Russians. I don't think they can or want to conquer all of Ukraine. Cutting it off from the Black Sea serves them better, as does making Ukraine a permanent economic burden on Europe. And the message they are sending to the Americans is that there will be no profitable business in Ukraine without Russian consent.
S.B, once again your reporting is appreciated, you provide a clear and concise precise of the latest European, U.K - NATO jaw boning sesh, another excuse to gather, enjoy some Bon homie, negotiate amongst themselves and in essence do all they can to spike peace and carry on with the war they lust and covet, in no way shape or form would these vacuous dummies ever do anything to advance peace… having torpedoed the very best deal on the table they are likely to ever receive from Russia, that of Minsk/Istanbul April 2022 these warmongers have since, done all they can to ensure terms offered Russia will result Russia obviously declining the overtures made..
Still when gathering every weekend as they have been since the aforementioned terms offered Russia April 2022, terms we know that were inked until Boris Johnson forced his oversight dishevelled self into proceedings conveying the Wests message to not agree terms, instead encouraging the drug addled premier of that Nazi shithole to walk away from terms his representatives had initialled and consign the nation to a conflict they are losing… such a shame, Russia will take and enforce their will on the battlefield as it should be… f..k these lying warmongering faux defenders of freedom, democracy belligerents … deal to them I say, a defeat of fascism round 2 from Russia, doing us all a big favour.. in the process torpedoing the duplicit, speak both sides of its mouth U.S who started, funds, aggravates the entire conflict as arch protagonists whilst trying to present as peacemakers is truly an act of absurdity, in any other realm, such people, especially BIC, bloviator in Chief would be carted off to the lunatic asylum… where by virtue his actions, the latest opining peace whilst sending drones to assassinate Putin, just as was done Iran, Egypt Qatars peace envoys, same playbook, same dastardly act, except this time Tr7mp will find Russia will go from SMO to War… watch this space, the West who have derided and ridiculed Russia and the SMO are going to get I believe a portent of what War Russian style truly looks like, a taste, in order they pull their heads in… if not Russia will destroy them… and we know they can conventionally whilst the U.S only has nuclear to rely upon… funny how things worked out, bloated budgets and all, good for over priced, over hyped junk, no hypersonics, no oreshnik equivalents nor any other equivalents Russia is rolling out almost weekly.. it’s laughable, still that’s greed, avarice for you… just saying
A "peace negotiation" that takes place without the primary party to the conflict is exactly what you'd expect it to be: a complete waste of time.
Not really, America is stronger today than we’ve been at any point since the 1990s because Trump excluded the Afghan government from our peace talks with the Taliban beginning in 2018. So excluding them enabled Trump to surrender to the Taliban and end our involvement in that asinine war.
Just how would the Ukrainian army be beefed up? Will they expect the countries to which a large part of their military aged male population has fled be required to round those people up and ship them home where they will be press ganged into the military? Will they require women to serve and become cannon fodder?
It appears no one in Europe leadership actually wants the War to end. Of course, any skin they put in the game will never be theirs.
Indeed - how could any exiled Ukrainian man return to Ukraine knowing that step1 is to conscript another half million men.
It is not just Russia that needs a tiny Ukrainian army with no Nato boots in Ukraine. It is Ukrainians that need promises of no conlict even more.
Like the analysis and the conclusion. I may want to add the Russian will make sure Ukraine will become a rump state in the meantime.
Nice photo... represents pretty much, but with more moutaches and 'morning suits' with tails, the sort of dynamics we're back to in Europe.
Or maybe the current dynamic is closer to the Crimean War.
Silly charade, anyway.
More likely it's closer to the Spanish Civil War.
Does anyone find it laughable that this "agreement" will be submitted to Parliament for approval before the Russians have even been negotiated with? Obviously, the signal there is that it is intended to be a "take it or leave it" deal, with no negotiating. I wonder what the Russian answer will be....🤔
This suits many Russians fine. The thinking in Moscow from some quarters, so I have been told, is to continue the war because Russia has benefited from it (in terms of national unity, vision and economics) more than been harmed by it. They will continue to attrite Ukrainian military manpower down to 85,000, and NATO materiality and material means (money), and of unity. In this view the longer the war goes on the weaker NATO becomes, the more NATO commits the greater their confounding, embarrassment and loss of credibility, and perhaps political and economic bankruptcy, once the Russians announce a victory that is irrefutable.
The war with Ukraine has been an unmitigated disaster for Russia!! Gazprom relinquished the vast majority of their EU market share to the benefit of making America energy dominant and turbocharging the LNG market!! Russia has been investing in pipelines and this war undermined Gazprom’s business model!! And that’s just the economic consequences of their asinine invasion of Ukraine to say nothing of the fact the Russian military has been revealed as a paper bear that has been degraded by Ukraine’s military with help from NATO.
For Europe, Russians taking over all of Ukraine is actually an attractive prospect. It frees them from the moral obligation to accept the country into the European Union. As Viktor Orban wrote today, the Ukrainians are seeking financial aids to the tune of €800--nearly a trillion dollars--over ten years. That's almost half of the EU budget. The money simply doesn't exist. On top of that, any negotiated settlement would involve recognition of the Russian language. Ukrainian membership would mean Russian becoming an official EU language. So we're looking at total humiliation plus back-breaking financial burdens.
To "capture the whole of Ukraine" means to step on a rake and go through the "reincarnation" of Afghanistan for the USSR or Vietnam (Afghanistan, Iraq...) for the United States.It is unacceptable for Russia to get bogged down in Ukraine, and even more unacceptable is the "social engineering" in "building a new Ukrainian state" in order to "further influence" Russia on Ukraine.In my opinion, Ukraine is a trap for Europe and, to a lesser extent, for the United States. The question is who will have more strength for a justified escalation leading to an end to the conflict or, "at least," to progress."The question is who will have these justifications for escalation that will be more legitimate for the international community to understand and accept.I wouldn't be surprised if Russian special forces kidnapped Zelensky and put him in a cage on Red Square.Fortunately, Trump's "example" (already) allows us to repeat this "franchise" on Slavic lands and with a Slavic "interpretation." This can "activate" Europe with its "agreements" and promises.Russia expects this...(Yandex translator)
Russia will take over all of Ukraine since they are the same people in every way. There are slight language variations in Galicia in the western 10 -15% of Ukraine.
The statue of Catherine the Great in Odessa means she was Ukrainian, right?
Excellent summary.
The Europeans obviously don't want peace. The plan is to lay the groundwork for the next American administration to go to war with the Russians. I don't think they can or want to conquer all of Ukraine. Cutting it off from the Black Sea serves them better, as does making Ukraine a permanent economic burden on Europe. And the message they are sending to the Americans is that there will be no profitable business in Ukraine without Russian consent.
https://open.substack.com/pub/simplicius76/p/swift-retaliation-putin-launches?r=7fhcc&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
In a related vein.
Steve’s argument is valid.
S.B, once again your reporting is appreciated, you provide a clear and concise precise of the latest European, U.K - NATO jaw boning sesh, another excuse to gather, enjoy some Bon homie, negotiate amongst themselves and in essence do all they can to spike peace and carry on with the war they lust and covet, in no way shape or form would these vacuous dummies ever do anything to advance peace… having torpedoed the very best deal on the table they are likely to ever receive from Russia, that of Minsk/Istanbul April 2022 these warmongers have since, done all they can to ensure terms offered Russia will result Russia obviously declining the overtures made..
Still when gathering every weekend as they have been since the aforementioned terms offered Russia April 2022, terms we know that were inked until Boris Johnson forced his oversight dishevelled self into proceedings conveying the Wests message to not agree terms, instead encouraging the drug addled premier of that Nazi shithole to walk away from terms his representatives had initialled and consign the nation to a conflict they are losing… such a shame, Russia will take and enforce their will on the battlefield as it should be… f..k these lying warmongering faux defenders of freedom, democracy belligerents … deal to them I say, a defeat of fascism round 2 from Russia, doing us all a big favour.. in the process torpedoing the duplicit, speak both sides of its mouth U.S who started, funds, aggravates the entire conflict as arch protagonists whilst trying to present as peacemakers is truly an act of absurdity, in any other realm, such people, especially BIC, bloviator in Chief would be carted off to the lunatic asylum… where by virtue his actions, the latest opining peace whilst sending drones to assassinate Putin, just as was done Iran, Egypt Qatars peace envoys, same playbook, same dastardly act, except this time Tr7mp will find Russia will go from SMO to War… watch this space, the West who have derided and ridiculed Russia and the SMO are going to get I believe a portent of what War Russian style truly looks like, a taste, in order they pull their heads in… if not Russia will destroy them… and we know they can conventionally whilst the U.S only has nuclear to rely upon… funny how things worked out, bloated budgets and all, good for over priced, over hyped junk, no hypersonics, no oreshnik equivalents nor any other equivalents Russia is rolling out almost weekly.. it’s laughable, still that’s greed, avarice for you… just saying
Kia Kaha (stay Strong) From New Zealand
Thanks for your great work Stephen!
We've restacked and shared this link on 'The Stacks'
https://askeptic.substack.com/p/the-stacks