https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/us/politics/russia-ukraine-james-baker.html
It’s never too late, actually. We just can’t repeat what Turkey did/is doing:
«As it happens, one of those who suggested a different approach was Mr. Baker. In 1993, as NATO was contemplating admitting Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, he proposed in an op-ed in The Los Angeles Times that the alliance consider another possible member: Russia itself.»
https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/status/1504914226497871883?s=20&t=F4xY40xlQH8Bi2gzQ6rsYQ
Brace for war of attrition/starvation in Ukraine.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances#Content
Russia promised to respect Ukraine’s borders. So much for that. (Starting with the annexation of Crimea in 2014.) Items 1 and 2 violated. Item 5 soon to follow, I suspect.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/ukraine-antitank-missiles-russia.html
By sheer coincidence, i received my St. NLAW t-shirt today. I knew these things would come in handy when the range got shorter (like, in cities).
Oh, interesting. I guess we really are sliding into a world war. War bonds and victory gardens, here we come! Hopefully not followed by nuclear launches, but, if so, people need to hang from lamp-posts when we get to them (and not Western leaders, either, in case some folks think that).
https://www.greatpower.us/p/escalating-fears-that-putin-might
«In one sense, this means that we should stop being hemmed in by this fear [of Russian nukes] and accept that the risks and costs are Ukraine’s to assess and determine. Ukraine is taking all the risk. They are paying all the costs. We should listen to them about what risks they are willing to take and costs incur.»
«[Russia] says its bid to forge ties with the West after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union is now over and that it will develop ties with other powers such as China.»
Pretty sure that happened a while ago. I guess Russia will now replace North Korea as China’s favorite [expletive]. Anything Putin can do to stay one step ahead of the people living in the country he controls.
https://www.ft.com/content/7b341e46-d375-4817-be67-802b7fa77ef1
Now it gets fun (assuming this is true). I wonder what the sense of folks in Ukraine is, and how the leadership would even find out. Ask the mayors of Kherson, Kharkhiv and other towns (the ones who haven’t been kidnapped and replaced by quislings)? Would the people of Ukraine really accept this? (Basically, no support from the West and restrictions on their own military ability.) Will they require reparations from Russia? Will they require Russia to repudiate their recognition of the separatist regions of Donbas? Will they also require Russia to stop supporting the separatists with little green men? Is that even enforceable?
How is this not forcing Ukraine into a weakened position with the threat of further violence in the future?
Also, by the way, does Ukraine get Crimea back? I’m sure they’d be happy to rent the harbor to Russia.
Here, Read This 