Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? (2 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

Russia continues to mass assets within range of Ukraine - though the official explanations are that they are for various exercises. United States intelligence has noted that Russian operatives in Ukraine could launch 'false flag' operations as a predicate to invasion. The West has pressed for negotiations and on Friday in Geneva, the US Sec. State Blinken will meet with the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Certainly the Russian movements evidence some plan - but what is it? Some analysts believe that Putin's grand scheme involves securing Western commitments that NATO would never expand beyond its current composition. Whether that means action in Ukraine or merely the movement of pieces on the chess board remains to be seen.

VIENNA — No one expected much progress from this past week’s diplomatic marathon to defuse the security crisis Russia has ignited in Eastern Europe by surrounding Ukraine on three sides with 100,000 troops and then, by the White House’s accounting, sending in saboteurs to create a pretext for invasion.

But as the Biden administration and NATO conduct tabletop simulations about how the next few months could unfold, they are increasingly wary of another set of options for President Vladimir V. Putin, steps that are more far-reaching than simply rolling his troops and armor over Ukraine’s border.

Mr. Putin wants to extend Russia’s sphere of influence to Eastern Europe and secure written commitments that NATO will never again enlarge. If he is frustrated in reaching that goal, some of his aides suggested on the sidelines of the negotiations last week, then he would pursue Russia’s security interests with results that would be felt acutely in Europe and the United States.

There were hints, never quite spelled out, that nuclear weapons could be shifted to places — perhaps not far from the United States coastline — that would reduce warning times after a launch to as little as five minutes, potentially igniting a confrontation with echoes of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russia Issues Subtle Threats More Far-Reaching Than a Ukraine Invasion

If the West fails to meet its security demands, Moscow could take measures like placing nuclear missiles close to the U.S. coastline, Russian officials have hinted.

www.nytimes.com

Blinken Will Meet With Russia as U.S. Pushes for More Diplomacy

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will meet with Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov of Russia in Geneva on Friday as the United States warns that Russia could soon attack Ukraine.

www.nytimes.com

How to think about war in Ukraine

Start with the Ukrainians

snyder.substack.com

 

[UriUT]

there is no greater threat to an autocrat than internal uprising.

none.

As we see here, placate the masses and you can toss 500,000 into a meat grinder of a war without a single ramification from within. ( well one small attempt but that was quickly put down and then unexpectedly the leader of said coup perishes in a plane crash caused by an explosion that was explained away as " someone on plane was playing with a grenade and it exploded " LOL )


There is a reason that 80-90% of the losses in Ukraine are men from regions EAST/SE of the URALS and not Moscow/St. Petersburg.

Had nato wanted, they could ve marched from the baltics straight to Moscow and st Petersburg. Putin exhausted his military assets so much that barely any defenses were near nato borders. Yes, as prigozhin demonstrated in his March to moscow.

 

[CoolBrees]

It's almost like pre-1994 Soviet Union didn't happen.

It also almost like Ukraine wasn't promised sovereignty by Russia and protection from the US if they gave up their nukes.

It's almost like Putin hasn't already invaded four countries.

Because you have to suspend those facts to blame anybody but the dictator in Moscow for his attempted conquest of the former USSR.

 

[Lapaz]

I wonder if most evangelical christians know that Russia is persecuting evangelical churches in Urkaine? I think if this were more well publicized it could sway Trump's evangelical supporters.

‘Just Pray and Go’: How One Protestant Pastor and His Family Escaped the Russians | National Review

No matter what the propaganda says, Vladimir Putin and modern Russia are not defenders of traditional or Christian values.

www.nationalreview.com

 

[DaveXA]

I wonder if most evangelical christians know that Russia is persecuting evangelical churches in Urkaine? I think if this were more well publicized it could sway Trump's evangelical supporters.

‘Just Pray and Go’: How One Protestant Pastor and His Family Escaped the Russians | National Review

No matter what the propaganda says, Vladimir Putin and modern Russia are not defenders of traditional or Christian values.

www.nationalreview.com

A lot of them just don't give a sheet. They know nothing about what's going on in Ukraine.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I wonder if most evangelical christians know that Russia is persecuting evangelical churches in Urkaine? I think if this were more well publicized it could sway Trump's evangelical supporters.

‘Just Pray and Go’: How One Protestant Pastor and His Family Escaped the Russians | National Review

No matter what the propaganda says, Vladimir Putin and modern Russia are not defenders of traditional or Christian values.

www.nationalreview.com

Then we'd just start hearing ECINO thrown around for the first time ever.

 

[DaveXA]

Then we'd just start hearing ECINO thrown around for the first time ever.

Oh, that's been a thing for a while, just by a different name.

 

[Lapaz]

Then we'd just start hearing ECINO thrown around for the first time ever.

What is ECINO?

 

[DaveXA]

What is ECINO?

Evangelical Christians in name only.

 

[superchuck500]

House intelligence chair says Republicans are ‘absolutely’ repeating Russian propaganda

Mike Turner, the Ohio Republican, echoes a similar claim made recently by another rightwing American lawmaker

www.theguardian.com

 

[J-DONK]

House intelligence chair says Republicans are ‘absolutely’ repeating Russian propaganda

Mike Turner, the Ohio Republican, echoes a similar claim made recently by another rightwing American lawmaker

www.theguardian.com

Do you guys think SFL has a moment of self reflection when stuff like this gets posted?

 

[DaveXA]

Do you guys think SFL has a moment of self reflection when stuff like this gets posted?

Lmao, self-reflection? Impossible.

 

[Lapaz]

House intelligence chair says Republicans are ‘absolutely’ repeating Russian propaganda

Mike Turner, the Ohio Republican, echoes a similar claim made recently by another rightwing American lawmaker

www.theguardian.com

It seems to me that the House Republicans that are receiving all of the intelligence on the dangers that Russia presents (Mike Turner and Mike Johnson) know much more than the no-nothing chaos caucus House Republicans like Greene and Gaetz. It's no surprise that Turner and Johnson support aid to Ukraine.

 

[efil4]

It seems to me that the House Republicans that are receiving all of the intelligence on the dangers that Russia presents (Mike Turner and Mike Johnson) know much more than the no-nothing chaos caucus House Republicans like Greene and Gaetz. It's no surprise that Turner and Johnson support aid to Ukraine.

i suspect they know that some of the GOP are absolutely toting Russian disinfo in the lead up to 2024 elections as well, but keep somewhat mum on the matter to pretend they dont know and advance portions of the GOP agenda.

Its an utter disgrace what the GOP has morphed into over these last 20 years. Unbelievable to me that in 2024, Russia can invade a sovereign nation that had its own security agreement with Moscow post 1991 and level threats against NATO member countries, and there are some in the GOP that not only support it, but blatently repeat Russian propaganda ( The most recent being MTG repeating that Ukraine is waging war on Christianity - that comes DIRECTLY from the Kremlin propogandists on Russian State TV )

Kremlin is probably thinking that they never thought it would be this easy to get American Congressmen/women to act on their behalf.

 

[efil4]

Do you guys think SFL has a moment of self reflection when stuff like this gets posted?

if by self-reflection you mean taking to Twitter to find and collect 3-5 different tweets that are loosely counterpoint to this ( usually will include something about CIA/Operation Mockingbird ), run here, post them, no dialogue, just the tweets/links themselves, disappear for 2-3 days in hopes of pivoting off the real story that members ( current ) of the GOP.

That kind of self-reflection?

 

[MT15]

It seems to me that the House Republicans that are receiving all of the intelligence on the dangers that Russia presents (Mike Turner and Mike Johnson) know much more than the no-nothing chaos caucus House Republicans like Greene and Gaetz. It's no surprise that Turner and Johnson support aid to Ukraine.

If Mike Johnson supported aid to Ukraine, it would be on the floor for a vote. He’s stopping it.

 

[SFIDC3]

If Mike Johnson supported aid to Ukraine, it would be on the floor for a vote. He’s stopping it.

Yup, he's taking his orders directly from his orange master.....

 

[DaveXA]

If Mike Johnson supported aid to Ukraine, it would be on the floor for a vote. He’s stopping it.

Yeah, too chicken sheet to put it up for a vote because MTG is threatening to use the nuclear option yet again. I do think he suspects if he gets ousted, the Democrats may have enough votes to make flipping the House a possibility in an election year. I think it's a legitimate possibility, so he can't just willy nilly do it without consequences. They set the rules though, now they have to deal with it.

 

[SaintForLife]

House intelligence chair says Republicans are ‘absolutely’ repeating Russian propaganda

Mike Turner, the Ohio Republican, echoes a similar claim made recently by another rightwing American lawmaker

www.theguardian.com

Mike Turner? The same guy who came up with a fake story about a new Russian threat just to try to get Ukraine funding & FISA 702 passed without a requirement to get a warrant when spying on Americans? He's a mouthpiece for the defense contractors and intelligence services.