For Those Who Might Be Wondering Why We Might Be In Ukraine

[Baztrachian]

THAT ^ is grounds for immediate impeachment, trial for treason, and public execution.

No, it isn't. He thought appeasing the Russians and their fucking dictator would bring an end to the war and he was dead fucking wrong and at least he seems to be coming around.

I don't know how it got into the collective American conservative mind that Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia and which wanted to be allied with the United States, was somehow an opponent of the United States.

I can't even tell you how many conservatives I know who have fallen for Russia's bullshit propaganda that Ukraine is a bunch of Nazis and that Russia is somehow re-enacting the end of World War Two.

I also can't even begin to say how much I hate the fucking Russians and their fucking prick dictator.

 

[Lazaran]

No, it isn't. He thought appeasing the Russians and their fucking dictator would bring an end to the war and he was dead fucking wrong and at least he seems to be coming around.

I don't know how it got into the collective American conservative mind that Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia and which wanted to be allied with the United States, was somehow an opponent of the United States.

I can't even tell you how many conservatives I know who have fallen for Russia's bullshit propaganda that Ukraine is a bunch of Nazis and that Russia is somehow re-enacting the end of World War Two.

I also can't even begin to say how much I hate the fucking Russians and their fucking prick dictator.

Um, “appeasement”usually happens BEFORE the war, NOT during it.



Also:

DonOld ADMITTED to giving aid & comfort to the ENEMY (yes, Russia IS the ENEMY).

And SOME of DonOld’s traitorous / treasonous actions occurred during PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ADMINISTRATION, like when DonOld ACTIVELY orchestrated the blocking of military aid to Ukraine FOR SIX MONTHS (sabotaged the war effort against Russia), during which time (and for a short time after), Russia made its greatest gains of the war.



Also:

EVERYTHING I post is intended to assign culpability to the MAGAts (etc) who voted for DonOld the traitor (or who didn’t vote for Kamala). The MAGAts (etc) are guilty of treason and crimes against humanity by extension / association. Those MAGAts (etc) are also culpable for the collapsing economy, the slow rolling constitutional crisis, and the damage to the environment resulting from DonOld’s FAILED presidency (presidencies).



We. Told. Them. So.

 

[ChloeTzang]

The Russian economy is on the brink of collapse and Putin knows it.

Putin's bloody war is economically unsustainable. Increasingly alarming signs of overheating indicate that the country is heading for economic collapse. Despite data that remains opaque we can see that sanctions have created preconditions for the collapse of the Russian economy. Russia's war economy is shrinking, inflation is rising, interest rates are reaching 21%, & 40% of gov spending is devoted to the army. Against the backdrop of falling global oil prices, Western sanctions & Ukrainian attacks, the Kremlin is urgently calling a meeting due to an alarming decline in the volume of oil product transportation within the country.

Russia lost 450 bln amid sanctions, technology shortages & oil prices. Trade between the EU & Russia has fallen by 74%, from €260 to €68 bln. Moscow may face the most serious challenge since the collapse of the USSR. Since the beginning of 2025, the rapid depletion of old oil fields has been recorded in Western Siberia, & new developments in the Eastern Siberia region are significantly complicated by natural conditions & lack of access to Western technologies. Moscow's budget deficit is expected to triple in 2025 compared to initial forecasts. Over 4 months, fees from oil & gas companies fell by 10%: However, expenses, a third of which this year is allocated for the war against Ukraine, increased by 20%. By the end of April, the budget had a deficit of 3.23 trillion rubles.

After years of resilience, as the war in Ukraine goes into a stalemate, the domestic situation in Russia enters into great uncertainty. The military parade’s shrinking size & internal struggles indicate deeper problems within the nation. Russia's economy is buckling under the financial weight of the war in Ukraine - despite the Kremlin's claims. A new report suggests Russia's claims of economic strength are "misleading", with the country in fact spiralling towards a banking crisis. Galloping inflation is at 10.3%, but it could be significantly underestimated by Rosstat. The Romir website measured thousands of prices, including food prices: their amount is double that displayed by the Russian Central Bank.

Russia's economy is in meltdown as mortgage defaults soar & banks face a 'credit crisis'. Russia's largest banks face a sharp rise in loan defaults. Businesses & consumers have been hit by a double whammy of high inflation and interest rates. Russia's Central Bank has been forced to raise the key interest rate to 21% - the highest level in 20 yrs. Russians are paying the price for Putin’s war through rising household costs, a weakening ruble, & inflation driven by relentless defence spending. A shortage of workers is one of Putin's biggest problems. 73% of companies are experiencing labor shortages. By 2030 the deficit could grow to 2.4 M people. Now the Kremlin is trying to plug the hole by bringing in workers from Africa & North Korea. The Russian car market faces a 50% drop in demand. The State Duma adopted a new bill: from March 1, 2026, carriers will be required to purchase cars produced exclusively by Russian automakers.

Putin's shadow fleet is more exposed than ever and its share of oil transport has fallen from over 60% to less than 40%. The newly adopted EU sanctions will also target third countries that help export Russia's oil massively & this is what Russia fears most. The US imposed heavy sanctions just before Biden left office, blocking the operations of oil companies Gazprom Neft & Surgutneftegaz. Russia’s largest shipping company Sovcomflot posted a loss of $393 million in Q1 of 2025. Sovcomflot linked the collapse in revenues to “unprecedented sanctions”. Russia has spent $14bln buying over 400 tankers for its shadow fleet, an armada that is now struggling to deliver exports around the world. Large-scale tanker sanctions in 2025 have helped significantly reduce Russia’s shadow fleet capacity, down some 46%.

Russia's largest maker of combine harvesters & tractors, Rostselmash, said that the demand for its machines has collapsed, farmers have no money to buy equipment. Rostselmash produced 70% of agricultural machinery; it will stop production in June. Russia is now unable to modernize its own energy infrastructure due to the war, the government has decided to postpone the implementation of 14 power plant modernization projects by 2–3 years. Russia now struggles to supply electricity to its own population. "Russian authorities did not have enough money to bury those killed in the war and pay the families of killed and wounded security forces. The State Duma was asked to add more than 700 million rubles for this in the 2025 budget," reports MO. Russians' pensions in Estonia and Bulgaria have been suspended without explanation. "Since February, Russia has failed to pay out pensions to around 4,000 Russian pensioners living in Estonia". Russian propagandists suggest canceling pensions, claiming elders should be supported by children they "gave birth to," otherwise they "should die."

Putin is already dipping into his reserves because of falling oil and natural gas revenues: "Russia to use reserves to cover growing budget deficit: Report."Forecasts suggest that Russia's budget deficit in 2025 could rise from 0.5% to 1.7% of GDP. Following Putin's refusal to accept a ceasefire, Europe is preparing to intensify sanctions & "strangle the Russian economy." The EU plans to disconnect more than 20 Russian banks from SWIFT and lower the oil price limit to $45. On May 26, 2025, Putin declared into the BOSCH microphone that the Russian foreign services should be strangled just as "they are trying to strangle us."
Recently EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called for the U.S to also take "strong action" against Russia. Underlining that the bloc is working on more sanctions on Russia: "The longer Russia wages war, the tougher our response." It's oil revenues that keep Russia's economy afloat. If oil prices fall permanently below $40 a barrel, Moscow will struggle to continue its war in Ukraine.

Contrary to what the Kremlin says, Russia needs peace because its economy could completely collapse in 2025.

And THIS is why Trump wants sanctions lifted and his trade deals with Putin - he has his instructions from the Kremlin. Just wait. He's going to blame Zelensky for no ceasefire and lift US sanctions on Russia. Except Lindsay GRaham may actually cut the treasonous asshole off at the knees.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ukrainian Air Force getting stuck into Russian targets in Kursk........my, how thimgs are changing.....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1927369247858020798

 

[Politruk]

The key to understanding the Russians is their history and their stated definition of what an "existential threat" is. Our leftist friends here simply don't get it. The list of brutal Russian victories is long: Golden Horde (Mongols), Sweden, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Napoleon’s France, Ottoman Empire, Persian Empire (Qajar Iran), Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan (in Manchuria), Hungarian Revolutionaries (1956), Czechoslovak Reformists (1968), Chechen Separatists, Georgian Military (2008), Crimean Khanate. They are an old-world people, with deep roots in an ancient battlefield. War is in their blood, fighting is not just a necessity, but a tradition. Losses are a lesser concern; they endure, absorb, and adapt. And when they retreat, it is rarely in defeat. Ask Napoleon at the gates of Moscow, or Hitler in the snows of Stalingrad, and they might whisper from the grave: "The chase was the easy part."

It is increasingly obvious you are Russian.

 

[Politruk]

Wishing too hard for Vladimir Putin’s removal without a clear understanding of who might replace him is a dangerous gamble, as several prominent figures waiting in the wings, such as Dmitry Medvedev, Igor Girkin, Ramzan Kadyrov, and Alexander Dugin, are not moderates but far more nationalistic, authoritarian, and openly warlike. While Putin is undeniably aggressive, his actions are often tempered by calculated strategic interests; by contrast, Medvedev now routinely calls for nuclear strikes, Girkin demands full mobilization and total war, Kadyrov advocates brutal repression and escalation, and Dugin envisions a messianic Russian empire in open conflict with the West. If Putin were suddenly removed without a managed transition, the resulting power vacuum could elevate these ultra-hawks, plunging Russia into even deeper militarism and heightening the risk of global instability. In this context, toppling Putin may not lead to peace or reform, but to something far more volatile. Wishes could have consequences.

And in the pay of Putin.

 

[Celand]

I doubt Putin will use nuclear weapons. It would give Emperor Xi effective permission (excuse) to stomp all over the Russian "colonies" in East Asia. Remember that in the last 80 years, France, UK, Portugal, Spain, USA, Netherlands and Germany have all given up their colonial possessions and treaty ports in Eastern Asia. Only one country has refused - Russia. Every Chinese government since Sun Yat Sen in 1912 has demanded their return. The reckoning of that account is overdue. It might be good strategic policy for the West particularly the USA to encourage Chinese ambitions in that region.

Russia is wssentially same for 500 + years. NO idea what " colonies" you are referring to?

Map: and changes since 16th century:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Growth_of_Russia_1547-1725_true_borders.png

 

[Celand]

It is increasingly obvious you are Russian.

in reference to Rightguide .....

Not necessary. He just knows history.

 

[icanhelp1]

If Russia was going to have conquered Ukraine then their window of opportunity to do so was in the first ten days of the SMO.

And they botched it. Badly.

Frigging logistics for that op were all for shit. The Russian Army expected to drive unopposed all the way to Poland and instead they got their asses SLAUGHTERED outside of Kyiv when they ran out of gas.

Now it's a war of attrition and Russia is losing which is evidenced by Putin having to buy North Korean, Chinese, and even Iranian mercenaries.

Plus Putin managed to piss off his BFF Donald Trump who sided with the Europeans in removing all of the restrictions on the Ukrainians for using Western weapons for long range attacks on Russian targets.

Give it a few days and I expect we'll see Ukrainian strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Those cocksuckers in Moscow deserve to suffer and I hope they do.

In for the penny in for the pound. It’s time for Ukraine to inflict severe pain on the motherland. Trump needs to act, Putin’s out of time. Europe needs to arm themselves to the teeth. More like 10 to 15 % of gdp towards a massive military buildup. Wouldn’t it be something if Finland took out that Russian garrison on their border. Putin doesn’t want a skirmish with Finland, lots of bad blood there!

 

[Celand]

In for the penny in for the pound. It’s time for Ukraine to inflict severe pain on the motherland. Trump needs to act, Putin’s out of time. Europe needs to arm themselves to the teeth. More like 10 to 15 % of gdp towards a massive military buildup. Wouldn’t it be something if Finland took out that Russian garrison on their border. Putin doesn’t want a skirmish with Finland, lots of bad blood there!

I presume this is humour? If so, where is the funny bit?

 

[ishtat]

Russia is wssentially same for 500 + years. NO idea what " colonies" you are referring to?

Map: and changes since 16th century:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Growth_of_Russia_1547-1725_true_borders.png

More than a little incorrect. That is a map of what Russia claimed de Jure at those dates. The de facto situation is that there were no effective sovereign governments east of the Urals in the early days before the Trans Siberian Railway. There were dozens of tiny tribal populations which lived a precarious Hunter/Gatherer existence. Then in the 17th/18th century the Russians sent out fur traders to bring back furs for the West Russian market. It took years even as late as 1922 before the Communists eventually got control of the tribal communities. The first target for the Chinese will be the Amur Basin which China controlled for centuries until gradually losing it with their collapse of Empire between 1860 and 1912.

 

[ChloeTzang]

 

[ChloeTzang]

Russia is wssentially same for 500 + years. NO idea what " colonies" you are referring to?

Map: and changes since 16th century:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Growth_of_Russia_1547-1725_true_borders.png

LOL. That is simply a map of Russian colonial expansion. No idea what point you're trying to make with that one. I could show you a similar map for the expansion of the British Empire and of the first and second French empires. Doesn't mean those colonies are French or British.

Lets' take a look at the reality, starting with Karelia. Karelia amd the Karelian Isthmus are FINNISH. The Isthmus was seozed by the old USSR after WW2. It was not Russian, was never Russian, and should be returned to Finland.

Ukraine: the old Ukrainian borders were artificially imposed to reduce the size of Ukraine within the USSR. In the map below is the true Ukrainian territory - which includes many oblasts now within the Russian borders = Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, just to name 3 people are familiar with, but also as you can see the territory of the Don and Kuban Cossacks - who are Ukrainians, NOT Russians. These territories are Russian colonies and deserve to be liberated from Russian fascist oppression and occupation



The Caucasus: Russia invaded and occupied these lands in the 18th and 19th centuries in a long campaign of conquest and Genocide. Chechyna I am sure you are familiar with. Dagestan as well. These are the best known but there's also Ossetia, Ingushtia, Abkhazia and the remnants of Circassia - conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), after which approximately 80–97% of the Circassian people were either exiled or massacred in the Circassian genocide. Actually, looking at Circassia, you can see that Russia's intentions towards it's neighbors have not changed in the slightest.



And lets not forget Mordovia and Mari-El - two republics of Finno-Ugric people commonly known as the Volga Finna, unfortunately gtrapped within Russia. Again, not Russians. There language and culture is Finnish and they're the remnants of the Finnish people that used to live in most of what is now Russia - the Veps (now almost extinct), the Merya and Meshchera (extintc) and the Muromians (absorbed by Russians - one of the most famous knights in Russian history, Ilya Muromets, was actually Finnsh - as his last name illustrates, he was a Muromian). Muscovy has a long history of absorbing other countries people and achievements and claiming them as their own. The Mari and the Mordvin are the remnants of the original peoples who loved here.

And this is ALL west of the Ural Mountains.......

Russia is essentially the same? No fucking way. It's a colonial empire with a 1000 year tradition of conquest and genocide, that Putin is continuing.

National minorities of Russian Federation discuss its deimperialization in Prague​

https://euromaidanpress.com/2022/07...tion-discuss-its-deimperialization-in-prague/

“The Prague Declaration defines the Russian Federation as a terrorist state, whose colonial practices for centuries, such as forced eviction and genocide, have made indigenous peoples victim of historical injustice." Representatives of ethnic groups and nations that operate in Russia stressed that Moscow’s actions led to the Russian Federation being on the verge of chaos and civil war. ”Only complete, controlled decolonization of Russia can prevent this,” they stated.

 

[ChloeTzang]

HERE are the true borders of Muscovy. Pretty much everything from 1471 on is occupied colonies that need to be liberated from Russian oppression. The Russian Federation is an extreme anomaly. It is the last European colonial empire that still continues to exist.

Muscovy itself is a small rump state within Europe, that without the colonies it has seized and still occupies by force and terror, would be a useless pimple on the ass of Europe, rather similar to Belarus.

BTW, "Russia Now" on the map below is a misnomer for "Russian Colonies", just to be absolutely clear

 

[Rightguide]

Russia has made no appreciable gains in the last 2 years. A field here, a field there. The ZSU is fighting reasonable intelligently, and trading ground for dead Russians. Yes, the ZSU makes mistakes, what Army doesn't, byt they are improving and gaining strength with every month. Their Brigades are being equipped and strengthened - BTR-4's for example, are equippig roughly another Brigade every two months. Leopards from Germany are trickling in, along with Marders. M113's - Canada handed ove around 100 that need rebuilding but Ukraine can handle that. Now 400 more M113's from Italy, and who knows what else. More F16's. More artillery. More battle taxis. The big gap is air defence against ballistic missles, but in the end those are terror weapons aimed largely at civilians, which does nothing to win the war for Putin - and in point of fact, better they hit civilian than military targets.

Ukraine is consistenty targeting Russian infrastructure as well as military targets. The drone line is gaining strength, there are ZSU reserve brigades equipping and training....the ZSU will launch some sort of counter offensive this summer, likely after Putin has drained his reserves dry in meat attacks....and then we will see. This war will go into 2026 for sure.

Searching the web reveals the following:

Territorial Gains (2023–2025)​

• Total Area Seized: In 2024, Russian forces captured approximately 4,168 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, a significant increase compared to previous years. Al Jazeera+2Institute for the Study of War+2russiamatters.org+2
• Current Control: As of early 2025, Russia controls about 18–20% of Ukraine's territory, including areas occupied since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Brookings

---

Key Urban and Strategic Captures​

• Avdiivka: Captured in early 2024, marking Russia's first major gain since Bakhmut in 2023. Wikipedia
• Vuhledar: Seized in October 2024 after prolonged combat, resulting in significant destruction. Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1
• Kurakhove: Fell to Russian forces in late 2024, with the nearby power station captured in January 2025. Wikipedia
• Krasnohorivka: Fully occupied by September 2024. russiamatters.org+2Council on Foreign Relations+2ArcGIS StoryMaps+2
• Bilohorivka: Captured in February 2025, with subsequent advances toward Hryhorivka and Verkhn'okam'yans'ke. Wikipedia

 

[ll74]

Searching the web reveals the following:

Territorial Gains (2023–2025)​

• Total Area Seized: In 2024, Russian forces captured approximately 4,168 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, a significant increase compared to previous years. Al Jazeera+2Institute for the Study of War+2russiamatters.org+2
• Current Control: As of early 2025, Russia controls about 18–20% of Ukraine's territory, including areas occupied since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Brookings

---

Key Urban and Strategic Captures​

• Avdiivka: Captured in early 2024, marking Russia's first major gain since Bakhmut in 2023. Wikipedia
• Vuhledar: Seized in October 2024 after prolonged combat, resulting in significant destruction. Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1
• Kurakhove: Fell to Russian forces in late 2024, with the nearby power station captured in January 2025. Wikipedia
• Krasnohorivka: Fully occupied by September 2024. russiamatters.org+2Council on Foreign Relations+2ArcGIS StoryMaps+2
• Bilohorivka: Captured in February 2025, with subsequent advances toward Hryhorivka and Verkhn'okam'yans'ke. Wikipedia

"Searching the web"


Wtf does that mean?

 

[Rightguide]

Why Ending the War in Ukraine Is So Difficult Now​

Tags:Big Government,Democracy,Politics,War and Foreign Policy
05/28/2025•Mises Wire•Connor O'Keeffe

https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-ending-war-ukraine-so-difficult-now

Too long to post, but interesting.

 

[ll74]

Why Ending the War in Ukraine Is So Difficult Now​

Tags:Big Government,Democracy,Politics,War and Foreign Policy
05/28/2025•Mises Wire•Connor O'Keeffe

https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-ending-war-ukraine-so-difficult-now

Too long to post, but interesting.

Because Putin doesn't want to end the war.

No long post needed

 

[ChloeTzang]

Why Ending the War in Ukraine Is So Difficult Now​

Tags:Big Government,Democracy,Politics,War and Foreign Policy
05/28/2025•Mises Wire•Connor O'Keeffe

https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-ending-war-ukraine-so-difficult-now

Too long to post, but interesting.

The long and the short of that one is that Russia cannot accept that it's former colonies are independant, and due to a long Russian tradition of invasion, conquest and genocide, they fear Russia and look for protection to NATO.

In invading Ukraine, Russia has reinforced those fears, some of the consequences of which are Finland and Sweden - JOINING NATO! Go figure. In Ukraine's example, the choice is simple and has been clearly articulated by Zelensky. NATO or Nukes. A choice that Russia is responsible for due to its inability to co-exist peacefully with its neighbors.

NATO is an irrelvance and a red herring. Putin wants to restore the Tsarist Russian Empire and eliminate those troublesome minorities - see Circassians above. Russia cannot accept that THEY are the Nazis and the genocidal maniacs. Russia NEEDS to be defeated, the Russian Federation broken up and Russia demilitarized and denazified, with ALL it's leaders tried as war criminals - a second Nuremberg, with a bunch of them hung.

Tough shit if Russia doesn't like it. Hitler didn't like being defeated either, but what is necessary is necessary. Russia delenda est.

 

[Politruk]

HERE are the true borders of Muscovy. Pretty much everything from 1471 on is occupied colonies that need to be liberated from Russian oppression. The Russian Federation is an extreme anomaly. It is the last European colonial empire that still continues to exist.

Muscovy itself is a small rump state within Europe, that without the colonies it has seized and still occupies by force and terror, would be a useless pimple on the ass of Europe, rather similar to Belarus.

BTW, "Russia Now" on the map below is a misnomer for "Russian Colonies", just to be absolutely clear

View attachment 2543969

Most of Russia is inhabited by Russians. I've never heard of any movement for an independent Novgorod or St. Petersburg, or even for an independent Siberia.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ukraine sending a message - nothing in Russia is safe

 

[ChloeTzang]

Russian economy is bleeding out. The illusion of Russian strength has been exposed.....

 

[ChloeTzang]

A good look at the ongoing process of Russian demilitirization.... the Special Military Operation is now underway in Russia....

Anna's clips are always really informative

 

[ChloeTzang]

Most of Russia is inhabited by Russians. I've never heard of any movement for an independent Novgorod or St. Petersburg, or even for an independent Siberia.

You won't of course, but the undercurrents are there.

As for Novgorod or St Petersburg, these are Russian - altho St Petersberg is mostlt Russian colonists -- it used to be Ingria, and was part of the Swedish kingdom, peopled by Ingrian Finns - even as later WW1, 25% of St Petersberg's population was Finnish - but Stalin sent them to the gulags in the 1930's and only a few thousand made it back.

 

[ChloeTzang]

These updates are interesting too - specualation that Taurus missiles will be built in Ukraine with German help.....THAT would be amazing.