Yes, the Biden Administration and most of the media are filled with the same people who pushed debunked conspiracy theories about Hunter’s laptop being “Russian disinformation”.
Why should anyone believe them now that they are beating the drums to go to war with Russia?
I have no problem selling weapons to nations that need em for their security. Hell that’s capitalism.
Ok and again….
They were a demoralized force, with sick old drunk as President of Russia in the 1st Chechen uprising. Then Putin came to power as the Chechens tried to expand their Islamic Revolution in 1999 into Russian Dagestan. Putin unleashed the full military might of the Russian army, the GRU, and the FSB on the Chechens. And he played by KGB rules. They took full control of Chechnya by May 2000. The insurgency lasted till 2009, when the Chechens had suffered enough under Putin’s tactics and ended their struggle. He has been rebuilding their armed forces every since.
They were a demoralized force . . .
That was also true of the Soviet Union in 1941, and the Russian Empire in 1812.
The key thing that Russia worried about is the Ukraine joining NATO. Given NATO’s history of aggression in Libya and Serbia, they have good reason to be concerned.
The northeastern border of Ukraine is only about 300 miles from Moscow. That is about the same distance as New York City to the Quebec border.
Would the US accept Russian or Chinese troops in an independent Quebec?
Putin was born and raised as a Soviet. And a true enough believer to rise to the rank of Colonel in the KGB (no small feat). He does want to see Russia recreate the heydays of the Soviet Empire. He would also love to humiliate the West the same way it humiliated the Soviet Union. And he sees the Ukraine as part of the old empire. Ukraine citizens see their history as a subjugated minority, conquered by the Poles, the Russians and others down through history. There is also a religious factor, while overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian, They are 2-1 Ukraine Orthodox vs Russian Orthodox.
We accepted Russian troops and warships in Cuba, just no Russian Nukes. I was in USAREUR when the Pershing 2 and Land launched Tomohawk Cruise Missiles were deployed. The Soviets had deployed SS-21s and could hit anywhere in Western Europe. The only deep strike we had was ICBMs, B-52s and F-111s. Our Pershing 1 and Lance systems were battlefield systems. Any return fires from EUCOM were expected to fall on the Warsaw Pact countries, not the Soviet Union proper. The new missiles made all of the Western Soviet Union also in range of our fires.
Today Putin has Iskander. The hypersonic version could hit Germany from Western Ukraine. The Cruise missile version is suspected of being able to strike farther than the SS-21.
Would the US accept Russian troops on the Canadian border?
Would the US have accepted Cuba or Canada joining the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War?
From what I see, Russia has legitimate security concerns about Ukraine joining NATO, especially given NATO’s history of aggression in Serbia and Libya.
I see no compelling US interest in getting Ukraine into NATO. Why risk war over this issue?
I think that Russia is trying to get agreement that Ukraine will become like Finland. Since World War II Finland has avoided conflict with the Russia/the Soviet Union.
Finland is a member of the EU, but it not a member of NATO.
Theirs was not an Islamic revolution. It was never going to happen regardless of who was president. Russia doesn’t give up its trade routes. More importantly it would have never allowed an independent country to get carved out of itself.
Russia has a low nuclear threshold.
If it looked like they were losing, they’d use nukes to try and deescalate.
And don’t think they wouldn’t.
I was in Europe during the first Chechen war. I received a wonderful briefing of the conflict and the History of the Chechen people, from their exile under Stalin up to what was present time as of the briefing. It was at the Marshal Center, given by the senior instructor for studies of the former Soviet Union. The briefing was very in depth and all in Russian. Chechnya was in the former Ottoman region of Southwestern Russia. The Chechen people did not give up Islam under the Soviets. Aiman Zawahiri, former leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad and second in command of Al Qaeda, when formed by Bin Laden, was actually arrested in Chechnya and held for a period. He had traveled there to offer assistance to the Chechens and find recruits. The Russians didn’t realize who he was and released him.
This was my area of expertise on active duty.
Interesting and thank you.
Right I agree with that. It wasn’t an Islamic revolution though. Jihad was red herring. They would have taken assistance from Mormons if they could.
Chechens are relatively secular, they were however trained in part by Al Quaeda etc. Again however, that’s not why or how the war started. Or why Russia reacted the way it did.
Yepp. They call it “escalate to deescalate.”
Detonate a few tactical nuclear artillery shells on the enemy. Like sub kt munitions. Leaves the other side with two choices.
Both options are unthinkable since option 1 will further the escalation to general nuclear war and option 2 will destroy your alliances.
As crazy as it is, it’s actually a pretty smart strategy. You’re putting your opponent into an un winnable political situation and they are forced to make one of only two decisions. It can’t be flanked, it can’t be maneuvered around, it can’t be negotiated. It’s a true 50/50 scenario.
What is the cut for Hunter and the Big Guy?
Good Biden is backing off poking the bear:. Biden rules out the possibility of sending US troops to Ukraine as Russia applies pressure to border.
What water of money. Let’s get those trapped out of Afghanistan
If I said what I am thinking as I read set off a few, I would bet banned. Any use of nukes is wrong in this Ukraine situation.
Armchair general. You know any?
