lunchbox said:
Russian media reporting another explosion.BREAKING: Second explosion heard in rebel-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - RIA
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 18, 2022
Who are the "rebels"??Rossticus said:lunchbox said:
Russian media reporting another explosion.BREAKING: Second explosion heard in rebel-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - RIA
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 18, 2022
Lots of Russian state media reporting that Ukraine is engaged in terrorist style attacks. That couldn't be disinformation at all.
Corn Pop needs his nap-nap time.justcallmeharry said:
Bumbling Biden is almost an hour late in his update to the public on this topic.
The Russian backed separatists in the Donbas region.aggiehawg said:Who are the "rebels"??Rossticus said:lunchbox said:
Russian media reporting another explosion.BREAKING: Second explosion heard in rebel-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - RIA
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 18, 2022
Lots of Russian state media reporting that Ukraine is engaged in terrorist style attacks. That couldn't be disinformation at all.
Mexico as an independent state yes but I'm considering Spanish occupied Mexico and before due to the long term historical occupation by the same native ethnic population(s).Que Te Gusta Mas said:Rossticus said:
Texas had been part of Mexico since long before the US existed. I don't hear anyone arguing that they're entitled to take it back. That's an invalid and illogical argument. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation with rights consistent with such status. They have a right to remain as such under international law, which Putin wishes to violate.
Unrelated to the current conflict, but Texas was a part of Mexico for 15 years before Texas Independence. It didn't become a part of Mexico until 45 years after American Independence.
Ethnic Russians living in Ukraine. They're backed by Russian troops who have supplied them with heavy weapons, trained them, and often help operate them.aggiehawg said:Who are the "rebels"??Rossticus said:lunchbox said:
Russian media reporting another explosion.BREAKING: Second explosion heard in rebel-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - RIA
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 18, 2022
Lots of Russian state media reporting that Ukraine is engaged in terrorist style attacks. That couldn't be disinformation at all.
Oh, thought somehow they were calling the non-Russian Ukrainians "rebels". Gets confusing at times. One person's freedom fighter is another one's rebel.Rapier108 said:Ethnic Russians living in Ukraine. They're backed by Russian troops who have supplied them with heavy weapons, trained them, and often help operate them.aggiehawg said:Who are the "rebels"??Rossticus said:lunchbox said:
Russian media reporting another explosion.BREAKING: Second explosion heard in rebel-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - RIA
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 18, 2022
Lots of Russian state media reporting that Ukraine is engaged in terrorist style attacks. That couldn't be disinformation at all.
They already blew a passenger jet out of the sky with their incompetence several years ago.
Might have just seen it. Excuse me while I open a new bottle of Rebecca Creek.EastSideAg2002 said:
We going to see a false flag within Russia?
🇺🇦A Fight broke out on a live TV show in Ukraine between Journalist Yuriy Butusov and parliamentarian Nestor Shufrych.
— Ukraine War Report (@UkrWarReport) February 18, 2022
Ex-Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and Ex-President Poroshenko were present. pic.twitter.com/6BoNnoBPXp
BREAKING: Biden says he's "convinced" that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine https://t.co/RjfiUp9WLT pic.twitter.com/6JbehMwGHe
— Bloomberg (@business) February 18, 2022
What Putin doesn't understand is that, instead of ringing Russia with resentful vassal states, a more secure way to create strategic depth is to surround yourself with friends.Serotonin said:74OA said:
What does Putin really want? DEPTH
That was an excellent piece, thanks for sharing.
duffelpud said:
Written in 2015, this analysis by Phillip Karber helps explain a lot of what's going on...
5 Elements of Russia's New Generation Warfare
POLITICAL SUBVERSION: Insertion of agents; classic "agi-prop" information operations employing modern mass media to exploit ethnic-linguistic-class differences; corruption, compromise and intimidation of local officials; backed up with kidnapping, assassination and terrorism; recruiting discontented elements into a cellular cadre enforced with murderous discipline.
PROXY SANCTUARY: Seizing local governmental centers, police stations, airports and military depots; arming and training insurgents; creating checkpoints and destroying ingress transportation infrastructure; cyberattacks compromising victim communications; phony referendum with single party representation; establishment of a "People's Republic" under Russian tutelage.
INTERVENTION: Deploying of the Russian forces to the border with sudden large-scale exercises involving ground, naval, air and airborne troops; surreptitious introduction of heavy weapons to insurgents; creation of training and logistics camps adjacent to the border; commitment of so-called "volunteer" combined-arms Battalion Tactical Groups; integrating proxy troops into Russian equipped, supported and led higher-level formations.
COERCIVE DETERRENCE: Secret strategic force alerts and snap checks forward deployment of tactical nuclear delivery systems; theater and intercontinental "in your face" maneuvers; aggressive air patrolling of neighboring areas to inhibit their involvement.
NEGOTIATED MANIPULATION: The use and abuse of Western negotiated ceasefires to rearm their proxies; using violations to bleed the opponent's Army while inhibiting other states from helping under the fear of escalation divide the Western alliance by playing economic incentives, selective and repetitive phone negotiations infatuating a favorite security partner.
Who knows, but rushing him out of a press conference SOP with himDan Scott said:
Did Biden Mispeak here. He got rushed out afterwards
74OA said:What Putin doesn't understand is that, instead of ringing Russia with resentful vassal states, a more secure way to create strategic depth is to surround yourself with friends.Serotonin said:74OA said:
What does Putin really want? DEPTH
That was an excellent piece, thanks for sharing.
The important point in Biden's comment that he believes Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine is that when asked how he knew, he replied, "we have a significant intelligence capability." He wasn't offering a subjective opinion.
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) February 18, 2022
lunchbox said:
Russian media reporting another explosion.BREAKING: Second explosion heard in rebel-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - RIA
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 18, 2022
Yep. Zero sum is no way to govern.Rossticus said:74OA said:What Putin doesn't understand is that, instead of ringing Russia with resentful vassal states, a more secure way to create strategic depth is to surround yourself with friends.Serotonin said:74OA said:
What does Putin really want? DEPTH
That was an excellent piece, thanks for sharing.
Based on where he comes from, and the time he comes from he'll never see that. It's Russia against the world. There are no friends, only opportunities.
Interesting choice to break this news given it was Zyuganov's party's draft of the Duma resolution recognizing LNR/DNR as independent statelets that got sent to Putin... https://t.co/hnQjbRIuhF
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) February 18, 2022
Sure would be nice if we energy independent.Jock 07 said:
Not an alarmist but I'm filling up my gas tanks tonight
hunter2012 said:Sure would be nice if we energy independent.Jock 07 said:
Not an alarmist but I'm filling up my gas tanks tonight
K2-HMFIC said:The important point in Biden's comment that he believes Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine is that when asked how he knew, he replied, "we have a significant intelligence capability." He wasn't offering a subjective opinion.
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) February 18, 2022
The Duma has already asked Putin to declare the Donbas region in Ukraine to be independent. Putin will agree and then the Donbas rebel leaders will request Russian army protection.aezmvp said:
Some chatter about Putin making an announcement about Donbass on the 20th.
Jock 07 said:hunter2012 said:Sure would be nice if we energy independent.Jock 07 said:
Not an alarmist but I'm filling up my gas tanks tonight
Yes indeed, if only there were a simple solution.
Not disagreeing. Most might be a stretch. Still a big portion in the south.74OA said:The Duma has already asked Putin to declare the Donbas region in Ukraine to be independent. Putin will agree and then the Donbas rebel leaders will request Russian army protection.aezmvp said:
Some chatter about Putin making an announcement about Donbass on the 20th.
The rebels will subsequently hold a referendum in which the Donbas people supposedly decide to request annexation by Russia. Putin will agree again.
It will change nothing in the strategic equation, except that Ukraine will be a tiny bit smaller, even more resentful of Russia and will have shed most of its internal Russian sympathizers.
Unintended Consequences
