True, (well Tannenburg and the Marusian Lakes didn't exactly help the Czars cause) in fact in an odd historical ironic twist, Germany was intregal to Lenins return from exile and in fact a German train took him back to Russia.
And that train was loaded with cash to fund the revolution. As uftaipai said, German quickly regretted the widespread birth of Communism which they short-sightedly facilitated.
Besides it not being a Leo, it's also not that relevant if it is. I'm sure some of them will be lost during this war, even the Kurds busted a few Turkish Leos, so I don't really see how it even matters if some get blown up. I'm just waiting to see where Ukraine will make their breakthroughs, which they surely will somewhere, and how the Russian counterattack will be like.
The tie ins between Germany and Russia has certainly been interesting since Germany was formed, that's for sure. Incredible history, irony, friendship, betrayal, warfare at arguably an intensity seldom experienced in human history. And as an American from abroad with absolutely no travel experience in either country, I'm endlessly fascinated by both.
Completely agree. And clearly that comparison must include consideration of Ukrainian borders pre 2014. My assumption is the play will be for Putin to play every card he has except (I hope) the Dr. STRANGEGLOVE solution. The West, for its part, will probably pressure Ukraine to resolve the conflict and cede some captured territory aquired by Russia. The crown jewel of course is Crimea. Whomever winds up with Crimea will have a pretty good argument for "We Won".
Trump: Can't have the pipeline Biden: we're sorry for being so rude and offensive, here's your pipeline (months later) Biden: ok, looks like he may have been right all along CIA: Sir, they're blowing up your pipeline
You're very fixated on "winning", but neither side is winning. In the last few months, Russia has a slight edge in territory gain after overrunning Bakhmut, but even that is so small and incremental, it's nothing to boast about. This is a stalemate. Nobody is winning anything.
Nobody is winning (i.e. at the moment) or nobody is going to win? Which are you asserting, specifically? As far as being “fixated on winning” … uh, yeah, guilty … it’s war. Being fixated on winning wars is what I get paid for. If you want to read thoughts by someone fixated on losing wars but how to act like you won anyway, it wasn’t winnable, or it didn’t matter, read anything that Jake Sullivan writes.
The Germans aren't stupid, they know who did it. The blowback probably won't happen until years from now, when the German industries are on their deathbed and ultra-nationalists rise to power and start pointing fingers.
Same rationale war hawks used to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm not fixated on "winning" or "losing" a war that shouldn't be ours to begin with. We don't need Ukraine. It might be a nice showpiece and an extra layer of insurance, but we don't need them. As for Ukraine and Russia, I don't think either side is going to win anything more of significance on the battlefield before this is over. Perhaps a net win geopolitically for Russia, as they could add valuable seized territory and a potential permanent land bridge to Crimea, which gives them almost total dominance over the Black Sea. I'm surprised you see it otherwise, considering what you said about Jake Sullivan. If you want someone who wages purposeless war, he's your guy.
You could have used that justification for every war we've ever been in that blew up in our faces. It's not in the interests of the US to have a lot of things that go on in the world happen, but they do and we will be fine.
Wheat prices jumped on the news. Corn prices are spiking due to hot dry May in the midwest Food inflation on the horizon
Depends on who defines what the interests are. Russia has been somewhat of a problem for a while, and getting worse. They are putting pressure on Eastern Europe. They are spreading an authoritarian style of populism and trying to undermine democracy. They are even trying to meddle and influence US elections. Mitt Romney said Russia is a major geopolitical problem in 2012 and Obama (and me) laughed at him for saying it. But he was right. It’s only gotten worse. This isn’t a fight we started, but given it’s there, it is in our interests to back Ukraine. It isn’t about Ukraine. It is about protection of Eastern Europe and reversing the threat of authoritarian populism. Also, sending a signal to China and others who may have their sights set on hostile acquisitions. Now I fully understand you will disagree. As a Trump fan, you are not particularly concerned about loss of democracy or authoritarian populism, because you view those as preferable to having to live with democratically enacted rules made by your political opponents.
Jake Sullivan is a clown who should have been fired in early 2022 and replaced with a National Security Advisor who understands something about national security. I have stated that on here many times. The President makes a larger political error in sticking by this guy so as not to admit he was a poor choice, than to cut bait and get a serious war-time consigliere.
I don't disagree with you there and it's one of the many reasons I have low levels of confidence about what we're doing in Ukraine.
