dmallord
Humble Hobbit
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2020
- Posts
- 5,418
Really good day of hunting!
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Really good day of hunting!
Putin once more playing Trump.
Putin’s strategic outreach to Trump seeks to temper US support for Ukraine
Despite warm rhetoric and promises of a summit, Moscow’s tactic of buying time risks undermining real progress on the war. As ever with Vladimir Putin, timing is everything. Initiating a phone call with Donald Trump on the eve of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the White House was no coincidence. The Kremlin is acutely aware of the American president's apparent shift in sympathy towards Ukraine, and it's fearful that, tomorrow, it could translate into Kyiv being given permission to use US Tomahawk missiles. This was a clear attempt to stave off the weapons - which Moscow regards as a dangerous escalation - and bring Donald Trump back around to Russia's way of thinking.
Judging by the White House readout of the call, Vladimir Putin appears to have had some success. Instead of threats and castigation, Trump's rhetoric towards Russia is once again warm and fuzzy. He described the call as "very productive," claimed the leaders made "great progress," and crucially, we're told there'll be another summit. But does that really count as progress? After the distinct lack of progress that followed Alaska, I expect Ukraine and its European allies will doubt whether Budapest will be any different. There is a chance that Trump could still give Zelenskyy what he wants in terms of firepower at their meeting on Friday, but I doubt it. If he does, Putin would be forced to respond, and Budapest would be bust.
The call, and its outcome, follows a similar pattern. Just as Trump seems poised to throw his support behind Ukraine and apply pressure on Russia, in a manner that's more than merely verbal, Putin somehow manages to talk him down and buy more time, despite showing no sign of compromise or making any concrete concessions. There was the demand back in March for a 30-day truce, which Putin countered by offering a ceasefire on strikes targeting energy infrastructure only. In May, Trump tried again, but this time with the threat of joining Europe and imposing massive sanctions. Putin's response - direct talks with Ukraine. And don't forget Trump's 50-day, then 12-day, deadline in the summer for Russia to end the war or face economic fury. That's what triggered the Alaska summit.
This feels like history is repeating itself.
How does Putin do it? His tactic seems to be the same each time - offer Trump something he can present as a breakthrough, and serve it with lashings of bald-faced flattery. In this case, he congratulated Trump on his "great accomplishment" of the Gaza ceasefire; he thanked the First Lady for her intervention on Ukraine's missing children; and he agreed to (or perhaps proposed) another face-to-face photo-op. If Budapest happens, Trump will get what he wants - a TV moment to serve as the latest illustration of his peace-making presidency. But perhaps the bigger prize will be Putin's, who'll be welcomed onto EU soil for the first time since the war began, despite Europe's ongoing sanctions on Russia.
You can already see his smile.
Putin's Favorite Puppet State (Belarus) is About to Collapse
Belarus is responsible for much of Russia's war against Ukraine. They've allowed Russia to invade Ukraine from their territory, hosted Russian nuclear missiles on their own land, and promoted Russian propaganda talking points. Now, the bill is coming due. Let's talk about what's going on in Belarus' economy, why it's so closely linked to the collapse of Russia, and why Belarus might become Europe's newest democracy after the fall of their dictator, Lukashenko.
I hope this isn't just wishful thinking.
Chloe, have you ever heard of a war game named “Proud Profit”? I’m sure you would find it very interesting. It was played in 1984 and was the war game that convinced Reagan that nuclear war not winnable. In particular I’d like to direct your attention to the section that defines red team perimeters. This is the playbook the Russians are using today. 40 years ago we knew what Russia was all about. We were fools to think they would ever change.
I can't get into specifics but I was on the sidelines of a couple wargames where the Russian nuclear forces were simultaneously destroyed and no nuclear weapons were used. The scenarios were technologically possible and plausible and that was factoring in scenarios where the Russians compromised aspects of the operations.
I saw War Games as a kid too, bro!I can't get into specifics but I was on the sidelines of a couple wargames where the Russian nuclear forces were simultaneously destroyed and no nuclear weapons were used. The scenarios were technologically possible and plausible and that was factoring in scenarios where the Russians compromised aspects of the operations.
Let's not also forget that Russian nuclear forces are a shadow of their former self. It's debatable whether those weapons would actually work - look at whats happened with their ballistic missile launches - and one failure immediately removes the credibility of their nuclear deterrent. What if they launched a nuke and it was a dud?