Well, that's an interesting theory. I'll just say that I won't expect it until Shoigu or Putin make a cease-fire offer public. I also have my doubts that the war will end before Odessa, Mykolaiv, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkiv are given the opportunity to join Russia.
While my 100% Ukrainian, Russian and Ukrainian speaking, wife doesn't like to talk about the war, we both think that what remains of Ukraine will have little financial support and joining Russia would be better for any region that chooses to do so.
And a referendum vote would have to include those displaced by the war. While my wife is now in the US because of the war, she's a Ukrainian citizen and deserves the opportunity to help decide what happens to her oblast.
A bit off today's topic, but a critical conversation for the end of the conflict, not just a doubtful cease-fire. She remembers the nine year civil war from the Minsk accords "cease-fire."
The war will end on Putin's terms; you are right. I don't know how much he will demand, but a ceasefire is not a treaty. I can see Putin graciously agreeing to a ceasefire while an armistice is negotiated, and then he'll demand a formal peace treaty. He'll probably insist on Ukraine recognizing that the Donbass and Crimea are part of Russia up front, and the Ukrainians will do it because the Biden Administration will tell them they have no choice. That's really what the guest on Morning Joe was saying.
They're moving the goalposts from "No negotiations until every square inch of Ukraine is Ukrainian again" to "It's a great victory that Ukraine survived the Russian onslaught at all! Joe Biden handled that so well. What a statesman!" At least, that'll be the line by February, if they have to talk about Ukraine at all, which they'll try to avoid. And if they can announce a ceasefire and negotiations during the holiday season when fewer Americans are paying attention, so much the better. That's one reason why I think a ceasefire in the next few weeks is likely after seeing that 180 by Scarborough and Brzezinski.
The US Empire is done with Ukraine. The MIC and Big Oil have profited all they can from this war, so they're moving on to the next one. Besides, they can't get any more funding for Ukraine through the House, but they sure can for Israel.
They'll take the war that they can get. After all, better one war than no war, as far as they're concerned.
We don't know Putin's and Russia's objectives now. Poroshenko, Merkel and Hollande have all admitted that the real goal of the Minsk accords were to re-arm Ukraine, and I believe it was a Ukrainian Rada member who recently confirmed that the negotiations that would have ended the war in March of 2022 were shut down by Boris Johnson.
It will be very, very difficult to establish trust for a negotiated settlement after confirmation that previous negotiations were not in good faith.
I don't know how this ends short of an unconditional surrender by Ukraine - maybe after another coup by what little remains of the Ukrainian army.
As you say, the US is done with Ukraine, so US voices no longer matter to Russia, and possibly not to Ukraine.
We were having this discussion today. While my wife considers Zelensky really, really stupid, maybe even he can see what the US did to Afghanistan, Libya, Vietnam etc. and realize there aren't even US troops to help him in the next coup.
A Ukrainian spokesperson on Ukrainian TV said yesterday that there was a peace treaty signed that was all about neutrality, but the US/UK shot it down. Even walked back the "Russia retreated from Kiev" bs.
What we all knew anyway, but now on UK TV. The eye of Mordor has now turned to Israel. Zelensky is just as toasted as Saruman.
UK is saying hey, it is in our Constitution to join NATO - as if that cannot be as easily taken out as it was inserted. Some are calling for a referendum on peace. Or not. Someone said UK parliament will kill each other over this. Meanwhile, Zelensky is going to announce a "very complicated" new conscription plan.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Ukraine and Russia. It's not going to be quite as peaceful in Palestine, I fear. Wouldn't it be lovely if there really could be "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All" just one day in the year?
"Imagine all the people living for the day... You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. One day I hope you'll join us and the world will be as one."
Americans should be MAD AS HELL that $114,000,000,000 of OUR MONEY was given to companies that can't even build an effective tank and to the most corrupt government in Europe. If you're from the US or you pay taxes in the US, you should be PISSED that Congress sent all that money away. I bet anybody who reads this knows somebody who works full time but can't afford their bills.
Well, that's an interesting theory. I'll just say that I won't expect it until Shoigu or Putin make a cease-fire offer public. I also have my doubts that the war will end before Odessa, Mykolaiv, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkiv are given the opportunity to join Russia.
While my 100% Ukrainian, Russian and Ukrainian speaking, wife doesn't like to talk about the war, we both think that what remains of Ukraine will have little financial support and joining Russia would be better for any region that chooses to do so.
And a referendum vote would have to include those displaced by the war. While my wife is now in the US because of the war, she's a Ukrainian citizen and deserves the opportunity to help decide what happens to her oblast.
A bit off today's topic, but a critical conversation for the end of the conflict, not just a doubtful cease-fire. She remembers the nine year civil war from the Minsk accords "cease-fire."
The war will end on Putin's terms; you are right. I don't know how much he will demand, but a ceasefire is not a treaty. I can see Putin graciously agreeing to a ceasefire while an armistice is negotiated, and then he'll demand a formal peace treaty. He'll probably insist on Ukraine recognizing that the Donbass and Crimea are part of Russia up front, and the Ukrainians will do it because the Biden Administration will tell them they have no choice. That's really what the guest on Morning Joe was saying.
They're moving the goalposts from "No negotiations until every square inch of Ukraine is Ukrainian again" to "It's a great victory that Ukraine survived the Russian onslaught at all! Joe Biden handled that so well. What a statesman!" At least, that'll be the line by February, if they have to talk about Ukraine at all, which they'll try to avoid. And if they can announce a ceasefire and negotiations during the holiday season when fewer Americans are paying attention, so much the better. That's one reason why I think a ceasefire in the next few weeks is likely after seeing that 180 by Scarborough and Brzezinski.
The US Empire is done with Ukraine. The MIC and Big Oil have profited all they can from this war, so they're moving on to the next one. Besides, they can't get any more funding for Ukraine through the House, but they sure can for Israel.
They'll take the war that they can get. After all, better one war than no war, as far as they're concerned.
We don't know Putin's and Russia's objectives now. Poroshenko, Merkel and Hollande have all admitted that the real goal of the Minsk accords were to re-arm Ukraine, and I believe it was a Ukrainian Rada member who recently confirmed that the negotiations that would have ended the war in March of 2022 were shut down by Boris Johnson.
It will be very, very difficult to establish trust for a negotiated settlement after confirmation that previous negotiations were not in good faith.
I don't know how this ends short of an unconditional surrender by Ukraine - maybe after another coup by what little remains of the Ukrainian army.
As you say, the US is done with Ukraine, so US voices no longer matter to Russia, and possibly not to Ukraine.
We were having this discussion today. While my wife considers Zelensky really, really stupid, maybe even he can see what the US did to Afghanistan, Libya, Vietnam etc. and realize there aren't even US troops to help him in the next coup.
A Ukrainian spokesperson on Ukrainian TV said yesterday that there was a peace treaty signed that was all about neutrality, but the US/UK shot it down. Even walked back the "Russia retreated from Kiev" bs.
What we all knew anyway, but now on UK TV. The eye of Mordor has now turned to Israel. Zelensky is just as toasted as Saruman.
UK is saying hey, it is in our Constitution to join NATO - as if that cannot be as easily taken out as it was inserted. Some are calling for a referendum on peace. Or not. Someone said UK parliament will kill each other over this. Meanwhile, Zelensky is going to announce a "very complicated" new conscription plan.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Ukraine and Russia. It's not going to be quite as peaceful in Palestine, I fear. Wouldn't it be lovely if there really could be "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All" just one day in the year?
"Imagine all the people living for the day... You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. One day I hope you'll join us and the world will be as one."
Americans should be MAD AS HELL that $114,000,000,000 of OUR MONEY was given to companies that can't even build an effective tank and to the most corrupt government in Europe. If you're from the US or you pay taxes in the US, you should be PISSED that Congress sent all that money away. I bet anybody who reads this knows somebody who works full time but can't afford their bills.
This is bullshit, y'all. We have to stop them.