Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #12

[HmmMysterious]

The 47th President of the United States is trusted by the majority of the electorate, he has a mandate to try to negotiate a piece plan and stop funding the war in Ukraine.

Probably not anymore given how many are fuming over grocery prices and the massive firings. Some meteorologists that I read who voted for Trump are complaining about the cuts to the National Weather Service.

But anyway, back to this. Trump's peace plan is a joke. And I am proud of Zelenskyy for holding his ground.

 

[Snoopster]

Yes, it seems clear that a WH authority gave the Russian reporter admittance to the Oval Office. Especially with their "crack down" on which media they are allowing into the Oval Office.

Exactly.
It screams of propaganda and siding with Russia as opposed to other democratic nations.
Who would have thought that the USA, who apparently prided themselves on being defenders of democracy, would be such an easy target for Russia?
And there they are, voting with Russia and North Korea (the "Axis of Evil") while the rest of the democratic world is standing strong for democracy.

 

[mickey2942]

Respectfully @mickey2942 …. is the obverse true? That the current president of the US is a diplomat? Perhaps the current vice president?

IMO from what was displayed yesterday, and some other recent experiences, it seems the answer is that they are not. MOO

Definitely. Politicians are not diplomats. They shouldn't even attempt it. And as for our current President, he is definitely the last person who should meddle into delicate negotiations. He acted like a proverbial bull in a China shop!

 

[Marysmith]

Exactly.
It screams of propaganda and siding with Russia as opposed to other democratic nations.
Who would have thought that the USA, who apparently prided themselves on being defenders of democracy, would be such an easy target for Russia?
And there they are, voting with Russia and North Korea (the "Axis of Evil") while the rest of the democratic world is standing strong for democracy.

Yes, it's really very sad and scary.

 

[Snoopster]

Definitely. Politicians are not diplomats. They shouldn't even attempt it. And as for our current President, he is definitely the last person who should meddle into delicate negotiations. He acted like a proverbial bull in a China shop!

A bull and a bully.

 

[Marysmith]

A bull and a bully.

That was full on pile on bullying on display for all to see...

 

[Snoopster]

Yes, it's really very sad and scary.

It definitely is.
What's most scary is that the rest of the democratic world sees it for what it is, but for some reason, some Americans are blind to what Trump is up to. Clearly MOO.

 

[SouthAussie]

Probably not anymore given how many are fuming over grocery prices and the massive firings. Some meteorologists that I read who voted for Trump are complaining about the cuts to the National Weather Service.

In actuality:
77,303,569 US people gave the current administration the mandate.
78,208,963 US people did not give it the mandate.
Close to 90,000,000 abstained from voting at all, so we have no idea what their thoughts are about Ukraine or anything else.



United States Presidential Election Results

How Many People Didn’t Vote in the 2024 Election?

 

[Stella123]

The 47th President of the United States is trusted by the majority of the electorate, he has a mandate to try to negotiate a peace plan and stop funding the war in Ukraine.

I think this is why the whole press conference was a disaster. Trump is thinking American and Zelensky is thinking Ukrainian. They are poles apart. Trump is, as you say, trying to negotiate a peace plan. And perhaps he is the wrong person to try and do that if he is in DENIAL about who started the war and who invaded who! He simply wants to be that famous president who was the peacemaker and stopped the war. And he maybe genuinely believes he can be that person. But to talk about peacemaking deals that don't involve the views or needs of the invaded country is wrong.

Their mindsets are so different. Zelensky has been managing a war torn country for years, with support from the US for years. He wants that support from the US to continue and is now faced with a change of administration and someone who wants to make a deal with Putin, on Zelensky's behalf.

Quite simply I don't think Trump is up to this role of arbitrator and mediator if he thinks a business deal over mineral rights will stop a war, without any finalised proposals for the peace treaty or security for Ukraine. So essentially he wants Zelensky to sign a document for mineral rights and give Trump free rein to do a deal with Putin.

Understandably Zelensky doesn't trust Putin and wants greater assurances.

The whole thing was a ridiculous fiasco.

Also Trump did not tell the truth in places. He said no one tried to stop the war until he came along. Many people, including British politicians, went to see Putin to have discussions to try and get him to withdraw - at the point he had tanks surrounding Ukraine but hadn't yet invaded. It was all pointless.

My final view is - despite Trump having a mandate to achieve peace and end the war - should he actually be negotiating with an invader? Hitler was non negotiable.

When Bin Laden made terrorist attacks on the US, was there talk of peaceful deals? No. Because you don't negotiate with terrorists. Or they keep terrorising.

Zelensky is correct that a way needs to be found to stop Putin. European leaders seem to feel if Putin gets away with it, he could do it again - to any European country surrounding him.

Maybe there is a deal to be done - but I can't see Putin accepting one and keeping it.

JMO MOO

 

[Stella123]

I think Trump is out of his depth. Putin on one side and Zelensky on the other. Sometimes mediation doesn't work. Especially if one side doesn't keep to agreements or doesn't tell the truth!

 

[Snoopster]

I think this is why the whole press conference was a disaster. Trump is thinking American and Zelensky is thinking Ukrainian. They are poles apart. Trump is, as you say, trying to negotiate a peace plan. And perhaps he is the wrong person to try and do that if he is in DENIAL about who started the war and who invaded who! He simply wants to be that famous president who was the peacemaker and stopped the war. And he maybe genuinely believes he can be that person. But to talk about peacemaking deals that don't involve the views or needs of the invaded country is wrong.

Their mindsets are so different. Zelensky has been managing a war torn country for years, with support from the US for years. He wants that support from the US to continue and is now faced with a change of administration and someone who wants to make a deal with Putin, on Zelensky's behalf.

Quite simply I don't think Trump is up to this role of arbitrator and mediator if he thinks a business deal over mineral rights will stop a war, without any finalised proposals for the peace treaty or security for Ukraine. So essentially he wants Zelensky to sign a document for mineral rights and give Trump free rein to do a deal with Putin.

Understandably Zelensky doesn't trust Putin and wants greater assurances.

The whole thing was a ridiculous fiasco.

Also Trump did not tell the truth in places. He said no one tried to stop the war until he came along. Many people, including British politicians, went to see Putin to have discussions to try and get him to withdraw - at the point he had tanks surrounding Ukraine but hadn't yet invaded. It was all pointless.

My final view is - despite Trump having a mandate to achieve peace and end the war - should he actually be negotiating with an invader? Hitler was non negotiable.

When Bin Laden made terrorist attacks on the US, was there talk of peaceful deals? No. Because you don't negotiate with terrorists. Or they keep terrorising.

Zelensky is correct that a way needs to be found to stop Putin. European leaders seem to feel if Putin gets away with it, he could do it again - to any European country surrounding him.

Maybe there is a deal to be done - but I can't see Putin accepting one and keeping it.

JMO MOO

Exactly Stella. If you let a bully get away with it, he will just continue to bully other people.
We all understand how abusers work. There is no appeasing them.

Is there anyone here who thinks we should give in to bullies?

 

[Summerliz03]

The 47th President of the United States is trusted by the majority of the electorate, he has a mandate to try to negotiate a peace plan and stop funding the war in Ukraine.

I’m sorry, but he does not have a mandate. More people did not vote at all than voted for him. He won the popular vote but only by a margin of 1.5 points over Harris…that is not a mandate, no matter how many times he tries to say it is. FDR and Reagan won with numbers that gave them a mandate but DJT did not. Winning the popular vote is not a mandate, especially because he barely won the popular vote.

If he really wanted to negotiate a peace plan, he would tell Putin to withdraw completely from Ukraine and give assurance that they won’t attack again in the future. But he refuses to do that. He’s perfectly comfortable with fracturing alliances we’ve had for 80+ years, there’s nothing presidential about that (IMO)

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 1, 2025

Canada's Trudeau heads to European defense summit in London

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau departed for London on March 1 to take part in a European defense summit focused on shaping the conditions for a lasting peace in Ukraine.

kyivindependent.com

European governments increasingly view Ukraine’s security as integral to their own, and Sunday’s summit in London is expected to focus on how to fill the gaps left by uncertain U.S. backing. France, Germany, and the U.K. have been leading discussions on increased defense funding and alternative security arrangements for Kyiv.

Canada was not initially listed among the invited participants when U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer outlined plans for the meeting during his recent visit to Washington.

Trudeau’s decision to attend signals Canada’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine and its role in broader transatlantic security discussions. While Ottawa has provided substantial military and financial aid to Kyiv, it remains to be seen what new commitments, if any, Canada will bring to the table.

 

[PommyMommy]

In frontline Kharkiv, dancers refuse to be silenced. The Skhid Opera Company performs Dragon Songs, a ballet parable set to electronic music, deep inside a bomb shelter.

“If we didn't have this creative process, we’d probably go bananas!” says director Zhanna Chepela.

A city at war. A stage underground. A ballet that won’t be silenced.

In Kharkiv, movement is defiance, and every step is a stand against destruction.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1896062958616084806

 

[Snoopster]

I found this quote inspiring. We are all here to help others. Ask the people of Gander Newfoundland (Canada) who accepted double their population into their town (most were Americans) when the US closed down airspace on 9-11. They were simply kind, giving up their own food and clothes, and didn't expect any payback.

 

[Marysmith]

I found this quote inspiring. We are all here to help others. Ask the people of Gander Newfoundland (Canada) who accepted double their population into their town (most were Americans) when the US closed down airspace on 9-11. They were simply kind, giving up their own food and clothes, and didn't expect any payback.

View attachment 567403

It's just ridiculous to even suggest that that money is owed to you...

 

[SouthAussie]

If he really wanted to negotiate a peace plan, he would tell Putin to withdraw completely from Ukraine and give assurance that they won’t attack again in the future. But he refuses to do that. He’s perfectly comfortable with fracturing alliances we’ve had for 80+ years, there’s nothing presidential about that (IMO)

I think it takes a neutral party to hammer out a peace deal.

I don't know if there are any neutral parties in this situation. Many govts heavily support Ukraine, and some govts appear to support Russia for their own reasons. And China is reportedly delighting in the friction between the nations.

imo

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

The 47th President of the United States is trusted by the majority of the electorate, he has a mandate to try to negotiate a peace plan and stop funding the war in Ukraine.

Just a point of clarification. A President of the United States has not had a mandate in a very long time. The majority of the electorate has not voted for the winner of a presidential election in several cycles. Sadly, many people stay home on election day, so there is no such mandate. If and when the war ends, it won't be because of the US President. I fear what happens next actually. Russia will absolutely escalate this. JMO

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 2, 2025

US halts cyber operations against Russia, media reports

Cybersecurity experts warn that the move benefits one of America's most persistent cyber adversaries, potentially weakening U.S. leverage in both cyber and conventional military operations.

kyivindependent.com

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to suspend offensive cyber and information operations against Russia, according to a report by the Record.

The pause includes operations that typically expose or disrupt Russian malware before it can be deployed against American systems. A former senior defense official told the Record that suspending these efforts, even temporarily, could allow Russian hackers to regroup and strengthen their offensive capabilities.

The order from Hegseth contradicts the administration’s stated intent to adopt a more aggressive cyber posture against U.S. adversaries. National security adviser Michael Waltz previously suggested a shift toward stronger cyber deterrence, particularly against China and Iran, but omitted Russia from his comments.

 

[PommyMommy]

Putin, not Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, remains the main obstacle to a lasting peace agreement on Ukraine. Zelensky has continuously reiterated his commitment to obtaining a just and lasting peace in Ukraine through negotiations. Zelensky has indicated several times — including in his February 28 Fox News interview — that he is willing to make concessions on territory, Ukraine's NATO membership, and even his own tenure in office to secure a just and sustainable peace.

Putin and other senior Kremlin officials have by contrast continuously reiterated their commitment to Putin's initial war aims in Ukraine, which amount to Ukraine's full capitulation, replacing the current Ukrainian government with a pro-Russian puppet government, and Ukrainian commitments to neutrality and demilitarization — all of which would leave Ukraine nearly helpless against future Russian aggression and destabilization efforts

https://twitter.com/x/status/1896040359433814147

The Kremlin launched another informational effort intended to discourage additional US and European military assistance to Ukraine by claiming that Russia has won the war in Ukraine.

European countries remain committed to supporting the Ukrainian military and defense industry, however, amid preparations for a European defense summit about Ukraine on March 2.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1896054105702871151