Posted on 12/25/2024 10:20:58 AM PST by marcusmaximus
President-elect Trump’s choice for special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, slammed the Russian military missile and drone attack on Christmas Day and said the U.S. is “more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.”
“Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day,” Kellogg wrote Wednesday on social platform X. “Launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on the day of the Lord’s birth is wrong. The world is closely watching actions on both sides. The U.S. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
I was very disappointed in his picks of Kellogg (out of touch and no statesman/diplomat), Hegseth (in way over his head — would have been better for Veterans’ Affairs), Gorka, Rubio and Walz. At least we got Gabbard and Musk. Trying to look on the bright side, but it’s not easy. I guess we’ll see how it goes.
You’re 100% right.
Did Ukraine invade Russia? No Russia invaded Ukraine. If there is so much corruption in Ukraine how is that Ukraine is winning. Col Macgregor is not regarded seriously by many people.
The zeepers keep forgetting to mention that part.
I hope Trump is able to quickly put an end to this debacle.
We sure agree!
Based on his knack for personnel picks and his crazy statements about taking over Greenland, the Panama Canal, and placing tariffs on any moving good, I'm beginning to see storm clouds forming on the horizon.
The only saving grace is it is so much better than our other choice back in November!
“Russia has not been a threat at all since the end of the USSR.”
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Finland and Sweden beg to differ...
Just extending a warm holiday greeting to those who refused a Christmas Ceasefire. You know the war is going badly for Zelinski when he refused a 1-2 Christmas cease fire, because that would prevent his desperate operations to save the Kursk Salient.
This simple rejection of a first attempt at a cease fire is one strike against Ukraine.
Zelinski has failed to negotiate in good faith which is the terminology Trump used when he spoke of ending the war.
The refusal of Trump’s first attempt by Ukraine should have consequences. Zelinski’s insulting of both Orban and Putin should also carry consequences, suck as a formal appology at some future point.
The EUropeans, Biden Admin and Ukraine have taken diplomacy and ruined it by refusal to observe niceties and actual maintenance of relations, however strained.
Trump cannot do a damn thing with the cards he has been given by those who desire war as a profitable enterprise. Many people involved and many with connections are making profits from the war... which when the war finally ends, if their is no Reconstruction Bank (Blackrock and BTC ETF 11), many EU countries are going to see yet another revenue stream end making these politicans jobs a loser situation for them, and their people whose recession is only worsening as the money dries up.
My first introduction to the incomprehensible Balkans came from reading Srđa Trifković in Chronicles magazine (I’ve never figured out how his name is pronounced). This was probably 1991, before they started slaughtering each other as I recall.
He said politics there is so complex and tribal that even the locals have trouble deciphering it.
General Wickham’s memoirs relate how as a LTC attending the Paris Peace Talks tells how the Chicom and NVN officials came in with tough resolve, they put on a good face, and snickered at the American delegation. Of course, the first few days they had plenty of SAMS and the losses the Americans were suffering made them think it would end rather quickly. By day 8 of the Christmas Bombings, the Chicoms and NVN were ready to talk, but the Americans had been subjected to the ZELINSKI-BIDEN TREATMENT RUSSIA IS NOW ENDURING, and the Americans sat their without speaking, answering the pleading as the SAMS ran.
The final few days the the delegation from Ho Che Man City were weeping and wailing in teals and had lost all composure; many of the Chicoms too were moved to tears and sadness as the American Bombings continue unabated and nary a SAM to be fired as the planes flew unopposed everywhere with only spradic small arms fire at them.
The last day of the Bombing Campaign, LTC Wickham’s description was that the American’s made demands and they were accepted without hesitation. Later on they were to go back on their word, but an understanding had been reached in Paris between the American’s and NVN-Chicom’s that the US was serious.
The DNC war lasted about as long as it took for Nixon to make nice with Peking and the DNC to destroy him for not continuing a war. The DNC with Biden voted to refuse the American Commitments to SVN in the Spring of 75, and Siagon was overrun and defeated.
General Wickham was a pretty cool old fart to me as E6 25 years old in Korea working for him. He survived the assination attempt on him during the Chun Do Han take over, and his driver Mr. Kim was given US Citizenship for his driving and evasive actions in saving the Gereral from a Lite Anti-Tank weapon fired at point blank range from the South Koreans. That was a real Sh*t Show; I meet President Chun do Hawn twice and it was super tense both times; very formal in the office, and his body guards were the biggest Korean’s I have seen in my life, so big their Uzzies were well concealed in the massive suits.
Those guys are very anti-US policy but they are closer to the truth than the MSM. Try some of these links:
https://www.youtube.com/@timesofindia
https://www.youtube.com/@DPA-War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrbNlBisSl0&t=988s
Military summary channel
The Duran
There are many more channels and Telegram sources.
Ukrainian Deep State maps are decent.
I have all of Trifković’s books and am an admirer of his.
How to pronounce his name: SUR-jah TRIF-ko-vich.
Yes, politics is very complicated there, but that doesn’t stop them talking about it — and history. They can go on for hours and hours.
We might as well throw Trump under the Bus on this one. His oppositon to the war is rooted in two Impeachments and Obama led USG that screwed him out of his first term. Project Ukraine has made many rich.
Not the problem of the US. EUropeans are responsible for their own interests... until NATO. It’s long past time (1993) to disband NATO.
Kentfromohio is a fake account, his entire posting history is during 2 months.
His posts consist of a few in November of 2012,and then a few in this month of December of 2024.
Read posts 20 and 33.
FR Christians would be or were fine with the many Orthodox who celebrate Christmas on December 25, and would have supported any who cared to join the majority of Christianity in that Christmas.
I don’t recall FR Christians being negative and against the Orthodox who celebrated our Christmas day.
Thanks!
Putin sure doesn’t seem to understand that his actions in Europe have worsened the reputation of Russia in the eyes of people in Central Europe for the rest of this century.
Whenever I hear people say it’s better that Trump has 4 years out to be better prepared for now I cringe. It would have better to have had someone besides the compromised Ukraine Burisma people.
“EUropeans are responsible for their own interests...”
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Since 1917, it hasn’t worked out that way...
This is a bunch of projection on your part. It’s obvious that some here really, really hate Russians. That hardly means all of those disappointed in some of Trump’s cabinet picks “hate Ukraine”. In fact, I’m on record here as caring very much about Ukraine and mourning its destruction.
Why I object to Hegseth. He’ll be in way, way over his head. He does not have the background, experience or education required to be effective in that position. I watched his long interview and was appalled at his lack of knowledge and vision. We need a SecDef who understands the inner workings of the Pentagon and can be an effective administrator, one wise to the tricks and traps of the entrenched “deep staters” there.
We need a SecDef who has an overarching vision of how we need to shape our military for the future instead of spending trillions to attempt to fight the last war. One who has a broad and deep understanding of the roots of the current and emergent conflicts and how these conflicts affect each other, as well as history, including military history. One who understands the politics and problems of weapons development and procurement.
Hegseth has none of those qualities and in my opinion is not qualified for that position, and will be unable to advise Trump wisely. Trump can be a little starstruck by conservative media talking heads, and here we seem to have a case of that. Worst of all, Hegseth doesn’t seem to even appreciate how much he has to learn and appears to have a rather incurious mind. Yes, he wants to clean up the woke nonsense in our military and that’s all to the good, but there are others far better qualified for that job who would do the same. Hegseth has demonstrated that he has a heart for veterans and better understanding of Veteran’s Affairs, and I think would better serve Trump and our country there.
Gorka: He’s a Brit of Hungarian extraction with close ties to MI6. I’m sick and tired of foreigners with other allegiances and axes to grind walking our halls of power and influencing our policies at the highest levels. Brzinski, Wolfowitz, Nuland, the Kagans, etc. It all started with the Captive Nations Committee during the Cold War. Okay, but what we need now are Americans who have American interests at heart first and foremost. He’s also a blowhard and a jerk with a swelled head whose sky-high estimation of himself does not correspond with reality. Again, Trump starstruck by a talking head. Trump has many strengths, but like any mortal man, he has a few weaknesses and this is one of them.
Kellogg: He is not a statesman, not a diplomat, and appears to be out of touch with the realities on the ground in Ukraine. I think he is unsuited for this post. Given that such a position will likely require lots of energetic shuttle diplomacy, his age is also a concern. If he were a wise elder statesman with deep understanding of this conflict and familiarity with the various players, then age might be overlooked in exchange for excellent qualifications — but he lacks those qualifications. Kellogg could better serve Trump in an administrative post, an area where he shines, rather than this diplomatic one.
Rubio: Do I really need to explain? Plenty of other Freepers have already written paragraphs on their objections to Rubio.
Walz: He made somewhere around $25 million off his contracting firm with a dubious record of training Afghan government troops (we saw how that turned out) and wanted us to remain in Afghanistan indefinitely. Hmm. I wonder on which side his bread is buttered. Not happy with this pick, either.
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