Ukraine war thread

[Dr Strangelove]

Bring it DOWN!

[al_keda]

And nothing of value was lost.

[Dr Strangelove]

Saw this on X where they were saying the Russians were executed. Oh the cope...

[Dr Strangelove]

1st flamingo of many

[al_keda]

Fly, you pink nightmare you.

[Dr Strangelove]

[Dr Strangelove]

Russia rightfully fears the power of NATO. Not because NATO ever had plans to attack Russia, but because NATO exists as a power entity in the world outside of an imperial structure.

To join NATO you first have to be a democracy with universal suffrage. NATO is an organization that free nations willingly join. This means that NATO never has to waste resources on maintaining control over “NATO territory.”

The state of Russia has ALWAYS been based on the conquest of new peoples who do not want to be part of Russia. The Russians under their original Empire and their Soviet Union reincarnation were always tied up with internal conflicts and security concerns. The Russians have always had to spend vast resources (secret police) on keeping their conquered peoples and territories in line.

The Kremlin has always ruled with fear. Therefore, Russia can never operate at full strength against an external enemy, because their empire would then crumble from within as different conquered peoples would rebel with the hope of escape.

Because NATO is a voluntary organization, every new nation that joins only adds strength to the alliance rather than subtracts from it. NATO does not have to worry about its member states going to war with each other. If NATO had to go to war against Russia, NATO would not have to waste resources putting down internal rebellions of nations who would use a conflict as an opportunity to escape NATO.

This is what Russia fears about NATO. Autocrats always think democracies are weak because they are disorganized, chaotic, and everyone is always after their own self-interests. But democracies in the last 100+ years have a long and bloody history as some of the most warlike forms of government. And democracies have won most wars of the last century.

Whereas autocracies like modern Russia are frequently extremely weak, utterly lacking in resilience, and extraordinarily brittle. Conscripts from impoverished regions of an empire make terrible soldiers. They will be the first to rebel against their masters the second they sense weakness from the emperor.

[Dr Strangelove]

Trump attacked Europe during today's call. The conversation was heated. Trump shifted responsibility for putting pressure on Putin to Europe. Europeans no longer expect Trump to impose sanctions against Russia.

Trump accused Europeans of buying Russian oil and financing its war machine. Ursula von der Leyen tried to object, saying that Europe had significantly reduced purchases after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Trump was reminded that only Hungary and Slovakia directly import Russian oil. Witkoff turned the tables and accused Europe of buying Russian oil from India.

When the conversation turned to sanctions, Europe attempted to agree on a joint approach with the American president. The Europeans immediately offered to send their representatives to Washington to set up a working group on sanctions within 48 hours. It is not known whether Trump agreed.

Trump told the Europeans that they should put pressure on China to give up Russian oil. Trump himself did not introduce secondary duties on China for purchasing oil from Russia, he only introduced them on India.

Trump emphasized that Europe should put more pressure on Russia.

After the conversation, Europeans no longer expect Trump to impose sanctions against Russia.

[Dr Strangelove]

[Dr Strangelove]

Pretty!