Russia Russia Russia

[Deranged Rhino]

 

[RkFast]

Turns out that Ambassador was booted LAST WEEK. Today was only the day it was made public. Timing matters. 

[RkFast]

4 hours ago, snafu said:

 

 

That part sounds like a pretext to threaten Baltic states the same way they're doing Ukraine.

Belarus is really in the thick of it all, geographically.

 

 

 

 

I CANT see how he would take Ukraine and then make a move against actual NATO. Thats just a suicide pact for him and for Russia. Not even China would go along. He also doesn't have the military for such a move. It would also mean we have an actual madman on our hands. No...he wants Ukraine one way or the other...as part of Russia or as a friendly state a la Belarus. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by RkFast

[Foxx]

1 hour ago, RkFast said:

Turns out that Ambassador was booted LAST WEEK. Today was only the day it was made public. Timing matters. 

And... it was a tit for tat retaliation.

[snafu]

50 minutes ago, RkFast said:

 

I CANT see how he would take Ukraine and then make a move against actual NATO. Thats just a suicide pact for him and for Russia. Not even China would go along. He also doesn't have the military for such a move. It would also mean we have an actual madman on our hands. No...he wants Ukraine one way or the other...as part of Russia or as a friendly state a la Belarus. 

You’re most likely right. 
I guess it depends on how much Putin gets from this Ukraine move. Part of what he’s doing is trying to show what a sham NATO is. 
 

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

2 hours ago, RkFast said:

Turns out that Ambassador was booted LAST WEEK. Today was only the day it was made public. Timing matters. 

 

You all know I'm not one for conspiracy theories, least of which is because I think most of our leadership is about as sharp as a ball-peen hammer and couldn't follow a decent conspiracy theory if their lives depended on it.

 

But even I have to wonder why the White House and State sat on this story and only went public with it about 24 hours before the war kicks off.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

5 hours ago, snafu said:

 

 

That part sounds like a pretext to threaten Baltic states the same way they're doing Ukraine.

Belarus is really in the thick of it all, geographically.

 

 

 

 

Not really.  Maybe eventually, but not likely in the foreseeable future.

 

Again, his goal is pretty straightforward: extend Russia's sphere of influence west to the German/Polish border.  That doesn't necessarily mean invasion and control.  It does mean weakening western influence in the Baltics, and weakening NATO in general, though.  

 

And this isn't new or recent.  Putin's been pursuing this policy since Bush announced the deployment of ABM systems to Eastern Europe.  Russia's been increasingly pissy about NATO influence in former Warsaw Pact countries and USSR Republics ever since.  

 

Edit: and remember, Russia courting Turkey during Obama's second term?  Wasn't just about Syria, it was Putin trying to split NATO.  8 or so years ago.  Putin's playing a long game.   Which also means: he's invading Ukraine if he thinks it puts a nail in NATO's coffin, by making them look weak and ineffective.  Invading Ukraine isn't just about invading Ukraine.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Crap Throwing Monkey

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

 

Sounds far more alarmist than it actually is, since this would mean that more than half of Russian forces are more than a day's march from the border.  It's actually pretty shitty reporting.

[Dubs]

The Ukraine is not weak!!

 

 

sorry, obligatory reference. 

[Foxx]

Evacuations.

 

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

21 hours ago, Deranged Rhino said:

 

Up another 20% overnight.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

1 hour ago, Foxx said:

Evacuations.

 

 

Sure.  Get civilians crowded in one place, waiting for transportation, and out in the open.  After that...an act of Ukrainian terrorism?  Maybe set off a car bomb?

 

 

[Deranged Rhino]

1 hour ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said:

 

Sure.  Get civilians crowded in one place, waiting for transportation, and out in the open.  After that...an act of Ukrainian terrorism?  Maybe set off a car bomb?

 

 

 

You called it. 

 

[Deranged Rhino]

I've called the period we're in a (dis)information war for a reason. 

 

[Deranged Rhino]

 

[Deranged Rhino]

 

[Foxx]

5 minutes ago, Deranged Rhino said:

 

What?? Maybe there are people who donate to trucker convoys... 

[Taro T]

35 minutes ago, Deranged Rhino said:

 

 

From the Arthur Carlson school of political speechifying. 

[Deranged Rhino]

 

Only posting for the video which is kind of neat. 

[Vark]

35 minutes ago, Taro T said:

 

From the Arthur Carlson school of political speechifying. 

There is a "Big Guy" joke in there somewhere.