some of the absolute dumbest, least informed people on this board posting smug takes always makes for great reading
in partnership with Russia's innate right to invade and/or annex territory as long as there is a majority straw poll in its favor
My wife is in-house counsel overseeing the European division of her company, which has a significant presence in both Ukraine and Russia. She has weekly calls with her teams in Ukraine and Russia. Until a few weeks ago, she said the Ukrainian management team didn't think this was a serious threat. Now they are very worried. They go through regular bomb/shelter-in-place drills. Their counterparts in Russia, to this day, deny that there is any significant Russian military presence near the Ukrainian border or that there is even a remote chance that Russia will invade Ukraine. They think the news is just an anti-Russia conspiracy from the West. She still bitches about having to transition her Crimean employees from her company's Ukrainian to Russian subsidiaries, and how difficult that was ...
You should get your wife to mock her team, tell them to stop reading the US propaganda empowered by our war machine. Spoiler war machine
I'm starting to believe there are no Russian military units there and it's just photoshopped video and pictures coming from the imperialist propaganda wing of the NATO's war machine.
Hey guys I found some contrarian bullshit on the internets that I think you all should read Wake up sheeple
I'm pretty sure this apparent Russian pullback from the brink of war has more to do with the new government in Germany's efforts / stepped up involvement than anything the US (or the rest of NATO) has managed diplomatically. A war would be an absolute disaster for the Biden Administration and the United States in general, and everyone in the world (except for some TMB users in this thread) knows it.
A little ironic that Germany is the one stopping Russia from annexing territories on the grounds that part of the Ukrainian population is culturally and ethnically Russian and allegedly being discriminated against by the Ukrainian government. This feels very familiar.
I’m not worried about Russia invading Ukraine until Hell March cranks up. They haven’t even pulled the mammoth tanks out yet.
Scholz and Germany got a little pinched when the Biden Administration came out a week or two ago and said that Nord Stream 2 one way or another would not become operational if Russia decided to invade Ukraine. Put the Germans in a position to publicly say that all options were on the table regarding the pipeline. Even tho the language they used was very muted. Reports are that in private they gave the US and NATO those assurances but weren’t all that ready to have it out there publicly, until their hand was forced. If the argument is that the Germans did diplomacy better today in Moscow with Scholz’s visit and drove us back from the brink of war it’s kind of a weak one.
You can get the entire series on Origin for like $20. Did that a few years back and still piddle with it from time to time.
I am confused - people who don’t listen to the media because they are bought and paid for by big pharma to spread lies about the plandemic and evil dna altering vaccines are crazy but those who don’t listen to the media because they are bought and paid for by the war machine to spread false narratives about Putin and Russia about to invade are the smart people
All contention aside, I am definitely on the train of “create the conditions where the Ukrainians can decide for themselves what to do” Would certainly be nice for both sides to cut out the CIA-funded coups, little green men and troop buildups and actually respect the concept of sovereignty.
My only take-aways: 1. Russia is 100% in the wrong. It has offered no valid justification for invading a sovereign nation. Putin's article read the like the ramblings of a madman. 2. US needs to stay the fuck out of this. Let Ukraine and its allies with treaty obligations deal with it.
One concerning item was the prediction that prior to an event, Ukraine would suffer from widespread EW and cyber attacks. It looks like those are on as scheduled:
I don’t think most of this thread till it went off the rails in the last 20 hours were rooting for war or treating it like Sport. I felt a little dread anytime it was bumped bc it seemed like a major step towards a more dangerous situation for the World if it went down
That’s my fault then, I assumed the Budapest Memorandums functioned as treaties. edit: I see that the language of “assurances” does not legally entail the necessity of full military assistance.
Then it seems like the best option for compromise is some kind of souped-up agreement where Ukraine is off-limits to both parties in exchange for full military assistance for both from a third party.
Thats more or less the Budapest Agreements. The concept is unenforceable against Russia because of geography.