Author Topic: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....  (Read 131024 times)

Ben

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #75 on: January 27, 2022, 06:12:17 PM »
This is rather interesting, from a "biased news" perspective. Rather than a CNN vs Fox thing, this is US news vs European news. In this case specifically Germany, who, sad for me to say, seems to be going very soft on Russia for political /economic reasons. This story is from the Epoch Times Germany, who are pretty similar to the US Epoch Times in generally unbiased reporting.

In this article, they are talking about undue saber rattling by the US and UK, that Biden is overreacting, and even have interviews with Ukrainian officials downplaying the current crisis. Anyway, I found the non-US news report rather interesting compared to what is reported here. The article was too long for me to manually translate, so I just threw it into Google translate. While clunky, it captures the gist of the article:

Quote
While sabers are being rattled in Washington and London, Ukraine seems relaxed. Russian troop movements at the border are therefore normal. But why is this matter so hyped?
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with serious consequences and economic sanctions if Russia invaded Ukraine. He even announced that he could imagine direct sanctions against the Russian president.

With Russian troops near the Ukraine border, Biden said this could be the "biggest invasion since World War II" and would change the world. The “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” reports that around 8,500 US soldiers have been put on increased standby so that they can be quickly transferred to Eastern Europe if necessary. A Pentagon spokesman said on Monday that the soldiers would be deployed as part of the NATO Response Force if necessary, but would not be sent directly to Ukraine.

But what is the assumption based on that a Russian invasion is imminent? Apparently not on current Ukrainian assessments.

Ukraine does not see itself in danger
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently gave the impression in a video language that there was no imminent danger: “Everything is under control. There is no reason to panic.” A peaceful solution to the Donbass conflict is being sought. His head of government, Denys Schmyhal, also sees “no threats to the functioning of our economy”. There are sufficient currency reserves to support the exchange rate of the national currency hryvnia.

On Monday, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine, told journalists: "Today we see no evidence at all of the allegation of a large-scale attack on our country." Troop movements on the Russian side, in contrast to the West, are not a surprising matter .

This is reported, among other things, by the “Kleine Zeitung” in Austria. According to Danilev, it all started with an article in the Washington Post in mid-October. The situation in Ukraine has been difficult since 2014, said Danilov after a Security Council meeting.

Among other things, however, the USA and Great Britain are already withdrawing part of their embassy staff and family members of diplomats from Ukraine: "Precautionary measures", according to the US State Department. "Excessive caution," says the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry: "We consider such a step by the American side to be premature." The security situation has "not changed fundamentally," the ministry said in Kiev.

On the fringes of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had rather reassuring words about the American personnel deduction: "I don't think we need to dramatize."

Arms shipments and geopolitics
The journalist and political scientist Ramon Schack writes on Dirk Müller's financial website "Cashkurs": "Great Britain and the USA have of course also taken the lead in arms deliveries to Ukraine, which distracts somewhat from the domestic political problems on the home front, of which both statesmen have had enough to have."

Schack also recalled that Joe Biden finally welcomed the Ukrainian President to the White House in September after a long wait, but then treated him like a supplier. Instead of supporting Ukraine's NATO membership and the Nord Stream 2 issue, Zelenskyi returned to Kiev with empty suitcases.

According to Schack, the Ukrainian President is now assuming “that his country is only acting as a pawn in this geopolitical conflict”. Sooner or later Kiev will be dropped. The neighbor to the east, Russia, remains.

Schack points to a possible scenario for the current crisis. In 2019, the pro-government RAND Corporation discussed sanctions and tactical troop deployments, such as stationing bombers and tactical nuclear weapons within striking distance of the Russian border, under the title "Overextending and Unbalancing Russia". Ukraine was said to be "exploiting Russia's greatest external weakness" and providing "deadly aid" to Ukraine. Schack explains: "Say: to deliver weapons."

Is US action driving Russia to China?
During a recent visit to Kiev, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken highlighted the close ties between the US and Ukraine and said he wanted to use "unyielding" diplomacy to stop Russian aggression. Last Thursday in Berlin, Blinken said at a joint press conference with Germany's new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, "No matter which path Russia chooses, it will find the United States, Germany and our allies united."

Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, accused the US and NATO of not causing the tensions with Russia, but with their "hysteria" and "information campaign" accompanied by a multitude of "simple lies".

Schack doubts whether, in view of this development, it will be possible to force Russia out of the alliance with communist China. In the past few weeks, Moscow has registered exactly what the Kremlin thinks of the West.

https://www.epochtimes.de/politik/ausland/nur-bidens-hysterie-ukraine-sieht-wegen-russland-keinen-grund-zur-panik-a3698964.html
« Last Edit: January 27, 2022, 08:43:49 PM by Ben »
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RocketMan

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #76 on: January 27, 2022, 07:08:03 PM »
So when Russia ultimately doesn't invade Ukraine, Joe can take a victory lap and perhaps help his sagging poll numbers.  Is that possibly what all the fuss is about on the US side?
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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #77 on: January 27, 2022, 10:13:09 PM »
This is rather softballing it, but Germany likes Russian natural gas.  And probably isn't real thrilled with headlines like "Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US". 

I think Ukrainian state actions show that the government takes the situation is a little more seriously then Oleksiy is letting on.

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #78 on: January 28, 2022, 12:11:46 AM »
This is rather softballing it, but Germany likes Russian natural gas.  And probably isn't real thrilled with headlines like "Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US". 

I think Ukrainian state actions show that the government takes the situation is a little more seriously then Oleksiy is letting on.

Good thing Germany and Russia have never colluded to invade an annex a mutual neighbor...

Ben

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #79 on: January 28, 2022, 10:14:59 AM »
It appears stuff from the German article is making it to the US, regarding Biden possibly blowing this up into something more than it is, and it seems to corroborate Zalensky telling Biden to calm down:

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2022/01/28/tweets-got-deleted-after-wh-disputed-what-cnns-anonymous-sources-said-about-bidens-call-with-zalensky/

I read a couple more kraut articles, and they continue the same theme as the first one. I was also looking at reader comments and it's interesting to see this opinion emerge multiple times: "Under Trump there seemed to be no great worries regarding Russia invading Ukraine, but now with Biden it seems Putin feels he has a free hand."

Note that most krauts did not like Trump, so lots of people thinking the above show that they also have "vicarious buyer's remorse" regarding their support of Biden.

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Jim147

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #80 on: January 28, 2022, 02:41:47 PM »
And now China is saying they are ready for war with the US if Taiwan tries to go full independent.
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Ron

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #81 on: February 15, 2022, 10:30:52 AM »
The "official news" of the deep state is now accusing ZeroHedge of being a mouthpiece for Russian propaganda.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-accuses-financial-website-spreading-russian-propaganda-82898788

Russia! Russia! Russia!
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Ron

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For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

K Frame

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #83 on: February 15, 2022, 11:13:23 AM »
Dow up 470, oil down $4.50 on apparent cooling of Russia/Ukraine tensions.
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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #84 on: February 15, 2022, 11:24:04 AM »
Dow up 470, oil down $4.50 on apparent cooling of Russia/Ukraine tensions.

Reports of some Russian units going back to their bases
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Ron

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #85 on: February 15, 2022, 11:37:40 AM »
Reports of some Russian units going back to their bases

So thankful for the steady hand of President Biden  =D

Putin suffers the same fate as CornPop.
For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

K Frame

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #86 on: February 15, 2022, 11:42:15 AM »
I smell a Nobel Peace Prize!
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Ben

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #87 on: February 15, 2022, 01:56:34 PM »
Reports of some Russian units going back to their bases

I think it's like 10K out of 100K troops. Still, it potentially implies that the Europeans and the European news were correct about this, and that the US was overblowing things for some reason.
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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #88 on: February 15, 2022, 01:58:25 PM »
Dow up 470, oil down $4.50 on apparent cooling of Russia/Ukraine tensions.


Biden and his cronies buying on the stock dip?
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charby

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #89 on: February 15, 2022, 02:00:06 PM »
Reports of some Russian units going back to their bases

I trust Putin less than the distance I could throw Biden.
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Cliffh

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #90 on: February 15, 2022, 03:54:54 PM »
I trust Putin less than the distance I could throw Biden.

I trust Biden less than the distance I could throw Putin.

MechAg94

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #91 on: February 15, 2022, 04:38:26 PM »
I think it's like 10K out of 100K troops. Still, it potentially implies that the Europeans and the European news were correct about this, and that the US was overblowing things for some reason.
Or Biden worked with Putin (one used the other?) to stir things up and raise gas prices for whatever reason.  Both are happy.
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charby

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #92 on: February 15, 2022, 05:09:41 PM »
I trust Biden less than the distance I could throw Putin.

You trust him more than I do.
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Jim147

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #93 on: February 15, 2022, 06:32:38 PM »
Next week he will call his buddy Xi and say hey the Russian thing didn't work how about you deploy your entire navy just off the coast of Taiwan.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

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charby

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #94 on: February 15, 2022, 06:48:48 PM »
I think Biden just publically committed the US to war if Russia invades Ukraine.
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French G.

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #95 on: February 15, 2022, 06:53:38 PM »
I think Biden just publically committed the US to war if Russia invades Ukraine.

I saw it as a Ukraine greenlight. We will defend nato.
AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

Ben

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #96 on: February 15, 2022, 07:02:58 PM »
I saw it as a Ukraine greenlight. We will defend nato.

Yup, Brandon has a crappy poker face.
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French G.

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #97 on: February 15, 2022, 08:41:55 PM »
Pretty sure our country wants war there more than anybody. Distracts from home, amps the economy, gives an excuse to ignore Taiwan getting rolled, etc.
AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

charby

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #98 on: February 15, 2022, 09:38:16 PM »
Pretty sure our country wants war there more than anybody. Distracts from home, amps the economy, gives an excuse to ignore Taiwan getting rolled, etc.

Well I'm one American that doesn't want a war there.
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WLJ

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Re: War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....
« Reply #99 on: February 16, 2022, 03:13:04 PM »
So much for the reports

Ukraine crisis: No sign of Russian de-escalation, Nato chief says
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60407010
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