Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #15

[BayouBelle_LA]

"The US director of national intelligence said the ties between Russia and the US go "very far back".

Only if you consider Trump's first term to be "very far back".

It goes a lot farther back than President Trump’s first term. Memories are short. moo

 

[SouthAussie]

We need to move on at some point. After all

We need to move on when Russia gets out of Ukraine and leaves them alone. Russia cannot be winners in their invasion. Not if there is any sense of fairness left in this world.

imo

 

[303gmf]

It goes a lot farther back than President Trump’s first term. Memories are short. moo

Yes, since the late 70’s, much information on his hopes for Russia hotels, shady rubles and nickname of Krasnov

None of it flattering, ALL very ugly for the US

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes, since the late 70’s, much information on his hopes for Russia hotels, shady rubles and nickname of Krasnov

None of it flattering, ALL very ugly for the US

Russia also funded Trump when his businesses were failing all over the place, and he couldn't get US banks to fund him.

It's no wonder that Trump wants to cease sanctions against them. They were his high financing buddies.


" ..... some three decades ago, when Trump’s businesses were buckling under failure after failure and repeatedly declaring bankruptcy—causing him to be toxic to U.S. banks—foreign money played a significant role in reviving his fortunes.
In particular, Trump benefited from investment by wealthy people from Russia and the former Soviet republics, some of them oligarchs linked to Putin."

September 2008: Donald Trump Jr., said: “In terms of high-end product influx into the United States, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. … We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”

The Enduring Mystery of Trump’s Relationship With Russia

After years of government investigations, we still don’t know if the former president is actually in Putin’s pocket.

foreignpolicy.com

imo

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Okay I am sorry for your lose. But now we heard Putin agreeing to
exchanging 175 captured soldiers plus 25 wounded soldiers. Its
time for a lasting ceasefire and peace talks.

Wow! That's very dismissive of the op's grief
And as for lasting peace, there will be none. Putin doesn't want a ceasfire, he wants a surrender. His terms now still demand land that is not his, and for a temporary ceasefire he expects Ukraine to go without military provision so that they cannot regroup and recover enough to fight back when the 30 days (or during, because it's Putin) are up and Russia comes back at them full force.
He wants them helpless and undefended so he can come in, take what he wants, and annihilate any trace of Ukraine and its citizens.
Zelenskyy and Ukraine are not the problem.

 

[JennieM]

‘As real as it can get’: EU to loan €150bn for European defence from invasion​

EU launches scheme to buy more weapons in Europe as Russia remains ‘a threat for the foreseeable future’

The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters that the EU was preparing for the worst: “We don’t have a cold war, but we have a hot war on European soil, and the threat is existential. It’s as real as it can get.”

Last month Danish intelligence services warned that if Moscow perceived Nato as weak, Russia could be ready to wage a large-scale war in Europewithin five years. Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen urged fellow EU leaders to set a 2030 target on rearmament at a recent emergency summit in Brussels.

Addressing the Royal Danish Military Academy in Copenhagen on Tuesday, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said “readiness 2030” meant “to have rearmed and developed the capabilities to have credible deterrence” and “an industrial base that is a strategic advantage”.

‘As real as it can get’: EU to loan €150bn for European defence from invasion

EU launches scheme to buy more weapons in Europe as Russia remains ‘a threat for the foreseeable future’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Teche]

The only peace will occur when Putin meets his maker.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Wow! That's very dismissive of the op's grief
And as for lasting peace, there will be none. Putin doesn't want a ceasfire, he wants a surrender. His terms now still demand land that is not his, and for a temporary ceasefire he expects Ukraine to go without military provision so that they cannot regroup and recover enough to fight back when the 30 days (or during, because it's Putin) are up and Russia comes back at them full force.
He wants them helpless and undefended so he can come in, take what he wants, and annihilate any trace of Ukraine and its citizens.
Zelenskyy and Ukraine are not the problem.

Ukraine won’t be helpless or defenseless. The ‘Coaltion of the Willing’ would step in if Russia continues the fight. imo

 

[CaMan60]

Lets agree there is a need for peacekeepers formed by The Coalition of the willing
Yesterday it was stated,

What they’ve said: Following a summit of European and other allied leaders in London, UK PM Keir Starmer said the UK, France and other countries would establish a “coalition of the willing”. He said the UK would also send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if and when the war ends

 

[Vern]

Thank God the leaders are getting together.
No one wants to stay up at night, hearing gun shots in the distance.
and wondering "who Is doing the fighting".

Most companies started with an idea, like a Peace plan.
It takes courage and hard work to move on with a Peace plan
for the rebuilding of the country.

Is Ukraine going to be at the table for the meeting?

I think it's pretty critical that they get to decide whether those gunshots happening in their living room are imprtant or not and whether or not they're worth it. Not me, not you, but them.

Putin, nor Trump has so far offered up a peace plan. Trump has offerd up pieces of Ukraine to Russia however.

I get it, some people live oceans away rather than on the current two-way range. Some of them even pray for peace. Some pray for Ukraine to surrender just 'to end the war'.

IMO, and in my experience, 'peace' is not, nor will ever 'be a thing' other than wishful thinking when dictators get to and are allowed to run roughshod over sovereign nations. When done, they just move on to the next 'innocent nation' and begin the bullet firing and the taking over there. And then the whole world wonders, "when are they coming for me"/"who are they shooting now"?

People's countries and their nationhood is not a hockey game; it is not some company group brainstorming session about where to find layoffs or increase profit margins.

Preserving Freedom and democracy is what actually what takes the hard work and courage.

There is no peace without justice and there is no peace without security.

Just a fact.

IMO.

-

 

[Vern]

Ukraine won’t be helpless or defenseless. The ‘Coaltion of the Willing’ would step in if Russia continues the fight. imo

Indeed we will be. Our allies actually mean something to us.

-

 

[PommyMommy]

I had a positive, very substantive, and frank conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump
@POTUS. I thanked him for a good and productive start to the work of the Ukrainian and American teams in Jeddah on March 11—this meeting of the teams significantly helped in moving toward ending the war. We agreed that Ukraine and the United States should continue working together to achieve a real end to the war and lasting peace. We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year.

President Trump shared details of his conversation with Putin and the key issues discussed. One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it. Our teams discussed this step in Jeddah. The American side also proposed an unconditional ceasefire on the frontline, and Ukraine accepted this proposal as well. We will continue working to make this happen. We believe that such steps are necessary to create the possibility for a comprehensive peace agreement to be prepared during the ceasefire.

I also provided an update on the battlefield situation and the consequences of Russian strikes. We spoke about the situation in the Kursk region, touched on the issue of the release of POWs, and the return of Ukrainian children who were taken by Russian forces. We also discussed the state of Ukraine’s air defense and the possibility of strengthening it to protect lives.

We instructed our teams to resolve technical issues related to implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire. Ukrainian and American teams are ready to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to continue coordinating steps toward peace. We instructed our advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible. We noted the positive work of our advisors and representatives—Rubio, Waltz, Kellogg, Yermak, Sybiha, Umerov, and Palisa. In further meetings, the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security guarantees.

I thanked President Trump and the American people for their support. I stressed that Ukrainians want peace, which is why Ukraine accepted the proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. I highlighted the importance of President Trump’s concept of peace through strength. We agreed to maintain constant contact, including at the highest level and through our teams.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1902412196304531701

 

[PommyMommy]

I spoke with President of the European Council, António Costa @eucopresident, ahead of tomorrow’s European Council meeting, and thanked for the invitation to participate. We coordinated our positions and discussed key issues on the agenda.

We also talked about Ukraine’s participation in the ReArm Europe initiative, the financing of ammunition procurement, and steps to accelerate our EU integration. I am relying on support in unlocking the negotiation clusters.

Additionally, I informed President Costa about my constructive conversation with President Trump, during which I reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness to implement the U.S. unconditional proposal for a ceasefire. The Ukrainian people want peace more than anyone, and we are ready to work towards it.

Thank you for your support.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1902435401215643990

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 19, 2025

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 19, 2025

Russia and Ukraine have not formally announced the implementation of the temporary long-range strikes ceasefire. Ceasefires take time to negotiate, execute, and monitor and require both sides to agree to cease attacks on specified targets at a specific time and date. Ceasefires also require both...

www.understandingwar.org

Key Takeaways:

• Russia and Ukraine have not formally announced the implementation of the temporary long-range strikes ceasefire.
• Official American, Ukrainian, and Russian statements indicate that the parties to the ceasefire have not yet finalized the details of the agreement.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin is adding confusion about the timing and details of the ceasefire in an attempt to falsely blame Ukraine for violating the ceasefire before both countries have officially implemented the agreement.
• The Kremlin continues to contradict Trump's report of his call with Putin on March 18.
• The Kremlin continues to demand that Ukraine cede Ukrainian territory that Russia does not currently occupy and to set conditions to make further territorial demands.
• The United States, Ukraine, and Europe continue to agree that Ukraine and Europe must be involved in peace negotiations to end the war, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to exclude Ukraine and Europe from such negotiations.
• Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner of war (POW) exchange on March 19.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense's (MoD) Main Military-Political Directorate Deputy Head and Akhmat Spetsnaz Commander, Major General Apti Alaudinov, described recent Russian deception tactics that may amount to acts of perfidy — a war crime under the Geneva Convention.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Belgorod Oblast and near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka.
• Russian milbloggers argued that the Russian government should give military awards and social benefits to military instructors and Russian defense industrial base (DIB) employees.

 

[Stella123]

MAR 19, 2025

Zelensky announces talk with Trump on March 19; says Russia attacked Ukraine's power grid despite claimed pause

"Today, I will contact President Trump. We will discuss the details of the next steps," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

kyivindependent.com

President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on March 19, as Zelensky announced during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The Ukrainian leader said he expects to hear details from Trump about his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18.

"Putin's words are very different from reality," he said, noting that Russia launched around 150 drones against Ukraine overnight, including against energy facilities, despite the claimed moratorium.

Pistorius: Putin "playing a game" with Ukraine strikes after Trump ceasefire agreement - Euromaidan Press

Two hospitals in Ukraine's Sumy region were damaged by Russian drone strikes shortly after a Putin-Trump phone call that supposedly yielded a partial ceasefire agreement.

euromaidanpress.com

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “playing a game” following new attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure shortly after agreeing to a partial ceasefire with US President Donald Trump on 18 March.

It's the old thing of - don't listen to what he says - watch what he does.

 

[PommyMommy]

175 Ukrainian defenders have returned home from Russian captivity.

An additional 22 individuals are coming home through measures outside of exchanges. Among them are severely wounded soldiers and those whom Russia prosecuted for fabricated crimes.

The exchange took place under the "175 for 175" formula with the mediation of the UAE.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1902363973346877634

"Mom, I’m home."

A Ukrainian soldier’s first words after months in Russian captivity—a call filled with tears, relief, and raw emotion.

A moment of joy, but thousands still remain in Russian hands. Will they get their "Mom, I’m home" moment too?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1902434904635285703

 

[JennieM]

UK to host new Ukraine peacekeeping talks​

20 March 2025, 04:58 GMT
Updated 2 hours ago

The UK is hosting a closed meeting on Thursday of senior military leaders from the "coalition of the willing", as they draw up plans for a proposed peacekeeping force for Ukraine.

More than 20 countries are thought to be involved.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to attend on Thursday afternoon after first visiting Barrow, where he is due to lay the keel of one of Britain's next generation of nuclear-armed submarines.

Plans for a Western-led peacekeeping force for Ukraine are said to be moving to an operational phase.

[…]

UK to host new Ukraine peacekeeping talks

The prime minister is expected to attend the meeting of senior military officers on Thursday afternoon.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Ukrainian Air Force says it intercepted 171 Russian drones overnight
​

In its morning update, the Ukrainian Air Force says it shot down 75 of 171 drones launched by Russia overnight.

It adds that 63 were successfully redirected.

The regions of Sumy, Donetsk and Kirovohrad were targeted by the attacks, the force says.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Trump suggests US could run Ukraine's power plants​

​

IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

The White House has said that US ownership of Ukraine's nuclear power plants was discussed during yesterday's Trump-Zelensky phone call - though the Ukrainian president later said the suggestion was only made about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia facility.

Following the call between the two presidents, Washington's top diplomat Marco Rubio said "American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure".

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in southern Ukraine, is the largest in Europe. Russian forces seized it shortly after launching their February 2022 full-scale invasion and have occupied it ever since, alongside most of the Zaporizhzhia region.

The facility stopped generating power in 2022, but needs a constant supply of electricity to cool one of its reactors which is in a state of "hot conservation", meaning it is not fully offline.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

'Decisive days for Europe' von der Leyen says ahead of meeting
​

We are seeing leaders arrive now in Brussels, ahead of an EU roundtable later today.

"These are decisive days for Europe," Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, tells reporters ahead of the meeting.

Leaders have a packed agenda today she says, and it's expected they will discuss lasting peace in Ukraine, competitiveness and security.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk