War in Ukraine

Predictable. I think there is a certain reality that a final peace deal may have had to do this. But what would be the point of recognizing it, absent a peace deal? Trump just gives things away in favor of Russia, so what does Russia have to “negotiate”? Maybe the next phase of negotiation is for Krasnov to recognize unoccupied territories as Russian.

 

I can see that being a realistic price to pay for a peace settlement this year, so no harm in floating it as an incentive to make Russia give ground on other elements it finds intolerable, such as a security guarantee for what remains of Ukraine. However, any negotiator worth their salt would also mention that if we are unable to come to terms and have to continue supporting Ukraine's defense, then we will not feel so generous when Russia is in an even weaker political and economic position a year from now.

 

This is Day 90 of Trump’s 24 hours to end the war.

Trump saying the US is preparing to walk away.

Interpretation: the US doesn’t have the cards.

 

Russia is going to run out of SA-21's if this war keeps going.

Ukraine Figured Out How To Hit Russia’s S-400 Surface-to-air Missile System, 31 S-400 Batteries Destroyed In Ukraine War

That is bad news for Iran since they need to replace the SA-23's the Israelis destroyed with their F-35's. The SA-23's could not even detect them and they did not even get a shot off at the F-35's.

 

Well, Iran only has to necessarily replace those missiles if it’s more important to them to be assholes than it is to rebuild economic and political ties with the West. Since those missiles did exactly nothing to protect them from an Israeli strike anyway, I know what the smart choice seems like to me.

 

Lol, you can lie all you want, but we know you're a libbie

 

The only real surprise in this video/article is that Russia is now conducting conscription enforcement in Moscow, which it had been avoiding for the last three years.

Russia snatches men from gyms in Putin’s new conscription drive

 

Cannot speak for him although by your standards Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, two of the most conservative presidents in the last 90 years would be considered "libbies" not to mention Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush who were more moderate and were considered mainstream Republicans. From your post history it's reasonable to infer that you believe that anyone who is not a member of the Cult of the Donald is a "libbie".

 

More reasonable interpretation, Putin has Trump by the balls and the American Dear Leader is subservient to the stronger Russian Dear Leader. Donald Trump is cos playing a strong leader while Vladimir Putin is in fact a strong leader.

 

And to a right winger, being a "strong" leader is the most important thing. Being a smart leader, or a non-homicidal leader is way down the list.

 

Or the Trump Admin figured that once again a new Admin could make a deal with Russia that the previous Admin could not. Goes back to the Obama Admin.

More likely, the Trump Admin figured that they could get Putin to agree to a peace settlement if they allowed the Russians to keep their gains in the East and offered them an off ramp from this conflict that did not go they way Putin thought it would. It would allow Putin to get out of the quagmire he has found himself in and save face with the Russian people. With the losses that the Ukrainians were inflicted on the RGF, it makes sense when looking at it from an American perspective. The problem with that is the Russians do not have an American perspective and they have a completely different framework they are working off of.

 

Don’t give Trumpty Dumpty any ideas or this will be coming to Trumpty’s Amerika soon. Pull people off the streets and instead of El Salvador, send them to Trump’s Capo.

 

continuing to give and get nothing in return with no willingness to extract a price for their intransigence.

 

Agree in principle, but on this issue we have given precisely nothing, only floated an idea … and maybe even have not really done that. After all, we are discussing a rumor here.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say this Administration officially recognizes Russian sovereignty over Crimea as some sort of precondition and get nothing in return. What can be done easily by one President can be undone just as easily by the next.

For what it’s worth, my position continues to be that time is on Ukraine’s side. If Russia won’t agree to a more-than-fair deal immediately, I say bleed them white for another year and force them to take something far worse.