Ukraine Watch...

[Forever_Winter]

Meh.

[Default0ptions]

“The People’s Republic of Donbas appealed to Russia for help.”

“In this regard, in accordance with Article 51, part seven of the UN Charter, with the approval of the Federation Council of Russia and pursuant to the Federal Assembly, on February 22 of this year, [we] ratified treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic.”

“I made a decision to conduct a special military operation. Its goal is to protect people who have been abused by the genocide of the Kyiv regime for eight years. And to this end, we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine,”

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It’s not in doubt that the population of Donetsk and Luhansk are ethnically Russian. It’s also not in doubt that the Ukrainian government were repeatedly shelling these areas - corroborated by UN observers.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanit ... _in_Donbas

At this stage, though, this is water under the bridge and what actually matters to the human beings in the conflict is that the fighting stops and people stop dying.

It doesn’t much matter the reasons behind it - it just needs to stop.

[Forever_Winter]

Meh.

[Forever_Winter]

And to this end, we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine,”

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I.e a complete takeover of Ukraine

[Default0ptions]

And to this end, we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine,”

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I.e a complete takeover of Ukraine :D

Well; thanks for reminding us that “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

Why would Russia want even more borders with NATO?

[Forever_Winter]

And to this end, we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine,”

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I.e a complete takeover of Ukraine

Well; thanks for reminding us that “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

Why would Russia want even more borders with NATO?

Maybe because Putin wants to start a war with NATO? Have you thought about that? Guess not. .......

[Default0ptions]

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

If the EU, NATO, the UK etc want to cut their own throats as consumer countries vs suppliers - well:

Print your way out of that.

Forever Winter: “Maybe because Putin wants to start a war with NATO? Have you thought about that? Guess not.”

I’ll do you the favour of assuming that you’re just congenitally stupid and it’s not your fault - though the use of childish emojis does make me wonder

[Just reading back through this and felt the urge to add a childish emoji. Forgive me!]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Forever_Winter]

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

If the EU, NATO, the UK etc want to cut their own throats as consumer countries vs suppliers - well:

Print your way out of that.

Forever Winter: “Maybe because Putin wants to start a war with NATO? Have you thought about that? Guess not.”

I’ll do you the favour of assuming that you’re just congenitally stupid and it’s not your fault

Your ad hominem attacks do you no favours. You have resorted to bullying which is a sign that you have lost the argument

[invalid]

Your ad hominem attacks do you no favours. You have resorted to bullying which is a sign that you have lost the argument

Choosing not to address the Main part of someone's post is a bad faith tactic and doesn't exactly inspire confidence in your own supposed convictions.

[Default0ptions]

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

If the EU, NATO, the UK etc want to cut their own throats as consumer countries vs suppliers - well:

Print your way out of that.

Forever Winter: “Maybe because Putin wants to start a war with NATO? Have you thought about that? Guess not.”

I’ll do you the favour of assuming that you’re just congenitally stupid and it’s not your fault

Your ad hominem attacks do you no favours. You have resorted to bullying which is a sign that you have lost the argument :D

How about you just answer this instead:

You said perhaps he wants to start a war with nato and I said:

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

No ad hominems there

[Default0ptions]

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

If the EU, NATO, the UK etc want to cut their own throats as consumer countries vs suppliers - well:

Print your way out of that.

Forever Winter: “Maybe because Putin wants to start a war with NATO? Have you thought about that? Guess not.”

I’ll do you the favour of assuming that you’re just congenitally stupid and it’s not your fault

Your ad hominem attacks do you no favours. You have resorted to bullying which is a sign that you have lost the argument :D

Sorry - did you have an argument to address there?

[Forever_Winter]

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

If the EU, NATO, the UK etc want to cut their own throats as consumer countries vs suppliers - well:

Print your way out of that.

Forever Winter: “Maybe because Putin wants to start a war with NATO? Have you thought about that? Guess not.”

I’ll do you the favour of assuming that you’re just congenitally stupid and it’s not your fault

Your ad hominem attacks do you no favours. You have resorted to bullying which is a sign that you have lost the argument

How about you just answer this instead:

You said perhaps he wants to start a war with nato and I said:

What would that possibly achieve? Why on earth would he want to?

He’s sitting on top of a country stuffed full of oil, gas, rare earths - Russia is a commodity giant.

No ad hominems there

You're think Putin is rational. He may well not be. Btw rare earth's aren't that rare. The biggest supplier is in South America. Plus the US has loads but let China use theirs up first. ..

[Default0ptions]

Well let’s see how it all works out,

Happy New Year

[Forever_Winter]

Happy New Year to you and yours

[BritDownUnder]

I thought China was both the biggest miner and refiner of rare earths and not South America. The US even sends some of its rare earths from the mine in California for processing. There is a mine in Australia where some of the rare earths are sent to Malaysia for processing but I am open to any evidence of a South American rare earth source.

I think the People's Republic of Donetsk is a bit more complicated than that. Before the 1930s it was majority Ukrainian until a lot of them starved to death - a bit like parts of Turkey used to majority Armenian until they all got wiped out. Then some Russian intelligence officer got parachuted in as leader of the breakaway parliament as a safe pair of Putinite hands and then declared independence. Sorted!

The mention of Nazis reminds me a bit of Vivian off the "Young Ones" or some kind of student union childish politics but in post-Soviet politics it is a serious allegation with little burden of proof required.