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Putin Lays out Latest Demands for Cease-Fire in Ukraine — but Is He Now in a Position to Demand Anything From Anybody?
Red State ^ | 03/18/2022 | Mike Miller

Posted on 03/18/2022 9:09:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

It was not supposed to be this way. Not in the mind of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, anyway.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entering its fourth week, as my colleague Steiff reported on Thursday, Putin delivered a speech to the Russian people that at times sounded confident and reassuring, other times desperate and suspicious of his own people — even to the extent of threatening the “scum and traitors,” and a “self-cleansing to purge the bastards and traitors.” (“Uncle Joe” Stalin come to mind?)

The bottom line? Putin knows he’s in a spot.

So what’s a guy in a spot to do? For one thing, Putin on Thursday laid out his latest demands —which look a lot like his former demands — for a cease-fire during a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The question is, is Putin in a position to demand anything from anybody, or is he doing irreparable harm to himself and his country?

As reported by the BBC on Friday, a Turkish official who listened to the call between the two leaders said Putin would end his invasion if several conditions are met including a promise that Ukraine will remain neutral and not join NATO.

Prior to the collapse of talks between Russia and Ukraine, Putin issued the following six demands:

No NATO membership and a neutral position.

Russian should be the second official language of Ukraine, with laws prohibiting it abolished.

Recognize Crimea as Russian territory.

Recognize the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk.

Demilitarization of Ukraine and abandonment of weapons that could be a threat to the Kremlin.

Banning of ultra-nationalist parties and organizations [“Denazification”] in Ukraine.

Erdogan’s leading adviser and spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, told the BBC Putin is also asking for face-to-face negotiations with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hammer out his demands with Zelenskyy. This is odd, given that Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked, pleaded, and demanded that Putin sit down with him “like a man” and tell the Ukrainian president what he wants — what it will take — to end the brutal invasion.

Kalin also said there were other demands Putin listed, about which he didn’t go into detail, but they likely involve pro-Russian territories in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. Kalin “assumed” Putin will ask Ukraine to give up territory in the east and formally recognize Crimea, which Russia illegally “annexed” in 2014 as a part of Russia.

The demands are in line with previous reports that Putin has told Ukrainian officials he will end his invasion if six major conditions are met.

So as I asked at the top, is Vladimir Putin in a position to make demands? Consider the following recent RedState headlines.

Analysis: Risk Grows as Russian Army Told They Are Fighting ‘the USA Inside Ukraine’

Are We Witnessing the End of Vladimir Putin?

Top General in Putin’s Personal Army Is Arrested by FSB

Putin’s vision of a quick, tidy little “visit” into Ukraine in which citizens would take to the streets to welcome “liberating” Russian soldiers, Zelenskyy’s government would fold up like a cheap suit, the little dictator would install a puppet government, and all would be well did not happen.

Putin is in a quagmire and he knows it. The question is, what will he ultimately do in perhaps a desperate attempt to extract himself from that quagmire? While Vladimir Putin has been on the world stage, often front and center, for nearly a quarter-century, there’s much the outside world doesn’t know about the guy.

Does he make major decisions completely on his own or does he rely on — or even get — input from others? Do people bring him bad news he might not want to hear? If so, does he pay attention to it? Finally, does he think he’s always the smartest guy in the room? If so, is he capable of admitting his mistakes and changing course? We could go on.

The answers to these and other questions are paramount to not only trying to understand what makes Putin tick but also in predicting what he might do if really backed into a corner. I’m not an expert on geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine, or Vladimir Putin. That said, it does not appear to me that presently, Mr. Putin is in a position to demand anything from anybody. The more he continues his rape of Ukraine, the more he becomes a pariah in the eyes of much of the world.

The more damage Putin does to the Russian military, the Russian economy, the stability of his own government, and most importantly in his mind, his image and legacy; both of which he has obsessed over for decades to the point of compulsion, and a fair amount of delusion and unattainable visions of grandeur, the more unpredictable he very well might become. So the demands keep coming.

If the point comes when Vladimir Putin sees no possibility of declaring a win — even a “win” concocted to look like a real win — all bets are off and things just got scary as hell.



TOPICS: Government; Military/Veterans; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: ceasefire; delusional; demands; hegonemad; mikemiller; neverhappen; nuts; putin; ukraine
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1 posted on 03/18/2022 9:09:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Yes. He is. Red State us totally clueless as to what is going on in Ukraine.

Checkout The Duran, Alex Christoforou, Alexnder Mercouris and Gonzalo Lira, who is in Ukraine, on YouTube and other formats to escape the ridiculous propaganda being broadcast even by Fox News minus Tucker.

Russia is getting what it wants. Only US and NATO intervention, which the vast majority want no part of, could stop it.

2 posted on 03/18/2022 9:13:52 PM PDT by Kazan
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In the end, Mike Miller will do what his digital masters in the Brandon Media and on social media tell him to do - or he'll get cancelled.

How's that "freedom" thingee working out for ya, Mikey?  winking face face with tears of joy face with tears of joy

3 posted on 03/18/2022 9:15:34 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: SeekAndFind

red state is retarded


4 posted on 03/18/2022 9:16:11 PM PDT by TTFX
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To: SeekAndFind

Is He Now in a Position to Demand Anything From Anybody?

Is anybody now in a position to force out the Russian Army out of the Ukraine?


5 posted on 03/18/2022 9:17:27 PM PDT by BenLurkin ((The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.))
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To: SeekAndFind

When the Russian army failed to take all their objectives in the first 3-7 days, they failed. They are now in a quagmire. They have neither the troops or the logistics to subdue this large, hostile, fighting population. If the Ukrainians had sophisticated stealthy drones armed with anti ship missiles, they would be able to disrupt the heretofore unopposed Russian Navy’s operations to land troops and supplies. Without that naval operation the Russian position in Ukraine would be untenable.


6 posted on 03/18/2022 9:18:28 PM PDT by allendale
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To: Kazan

Spot on! I’ve been tuning into those two for ages and haven’t been let down yet! Especially compared to our Mockingbird Media.


7 posted on 03/18/2022 9:32:02 PM PDT by Dogbert41 (Hungering and thirsting for Righteousness...)
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To: SeekAndFind

We signed the Budapest Agreement which “assures” sovereignty for Ukraine against invaders. So did Russia. The Ukes gave up their Nukes and honored the agreement. Russia has invaded twice, violating the agreement. The USA is rapidly looking for ways to abrogate their responsibility towards sovereignty and are selling the Ukes down the river.

That kinda forces the Ukes’ hand. They HAD nukes. They gave UP their nukes. We betrayed them. If they had never given up those nukes, they never woulda been invaded, that’s fersure.

The Ukes have Nuke Knowledge. They have 15 Nuke power plants. They have Chernobyl. They HAD nukes. They have fissionable material. It only took the A-Bomb Kid a few weeks to design his own Atomic Bomb. The Ukes have the design capability and all the ingredients, and now they have the motivation to build and deploy their own nukes.

And when they DO deploy their own nukes, who are we to scold them for blowing the hell out of their invader? After all, we did exactly the same thing to end our existential war. And we betrayed them.

With that in mind, and with a distinct possibility of outright surrender by every Russian invading Ukraine, here would be THEIR demands.

No NATO membership and a neutral position.
***Uhh, we can join NATO when we WANT to join NATO. None of yer bizness. We really would LIKE to be aggressively Neutral and will probably stay this way now that WE have Nukes. Don’t try to have us give them up again.

Russian should be the second official language of Ukraine,
***Screw that. Ukrainian is the official language. Period.

with laws prohibiting it abolished.
***We will pass whatever internal laws we want, thank you very much. Buzz off.

Recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
***Recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine. Drop every wrench and every weapon and only take enough food for 3 days and one set of clothing. We will escort your citizens to the border, monitored by blue helmet UN troops.

Recognize the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk.
***The Russians in those areas are free to leave with all the Russian invaders. After that, those areas are part of Ukraine. Sabotage will not be tolerated.

Demilitarization of Ukraine
***We will have whatever military strength we want, thank you very much. Buzz off.

and abandonment of weapons that could be a threat to the Kremlin.
***Russia will abandon every gun, every bullet, every artillery piece, every airplane, every tank, every thing except the clothes on the Russians’ backs and 3 days’ supply of food.

Banning of ultra-nationalist parties
***Yes the Ukes will be banning Russian Nationalist parties for the foreseeable future.

and organizations [“Denazification”] in Ukraine.
***We’ll use the United Nations to root out NAZIs in only 2 eastern provinces. But the same group will be welcome into the 2 closest provinces of Russia to root out any aggressive militarists still in the region. The Russian demilitarized zone will be patrolled by blue helmet UN soldiers for 3 decades, and will withdraw to 10 miles of the Uke border at that time, then 1 mile per year after that until there are no more blue helmets nor Ukes on Ruke territory.

It’s a start. There will be reparations the Russians will be paying.


8 posted on 03/18/2022 9:32:13 PM PDT by Kevmo (Give back Ukes their Nukes https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4044080/posts)
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Mushroom: The story of the A-bomb kid

https://www.amazon.com/Mushroom-bomb-John-Aristotle-Phillips/dp/0688033512


9 posted on 03/18/2022 9:34:49 PM PDT by Kevmo (Give back Ukes their Nukes https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4044080/posts)
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To: Kazan
Russia is getting what it wants.

Really? Russia wants a much stronger NATO? (with Germany and others upping their defense budgets significantly). Their military an embarrassment? And an economy in shambles? Interesting.

10 posted on 03/18/2022 9:40:21 PM PDT by norcal joe
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To: allendale

If Zeleskh doesnt sue for peace his army will be destroyed.


11 posted on 03/18/2022 9:40:34 PM PDT by Dogbert41 (Hungering and thirsting for Righteousness...)
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To: SeekAndFind
"is Vladimir Putin in a position to make demands?"


12 posted on 03/18/2022 9:41:00 PM PDT by BeauBo
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To: BenLurkin

The Russian military’s own logistics might do that for them. If they really are running out of supplies. Armies go to eat too.


13 posted on 03/18/2022 9:43:27 PM PDT by Widget Jr
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To: Widget Jr

US Grant built roads to supply his troops in the vicksburg campaign. The Russians might do likewise, or even better yet run raimroad tracks to their lines.


14 posted on 03/18/2022 9:49:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin ((The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.))
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To: Kazan

The Duran is an excellent program. I haven’t heard their take on all this. Very matter of fact and like listening to old time correspondents.


15 posted on 03/18/2022 9:56:52 PM PDT by Luke21
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To: Kazan

Bookmark.

Thx!


16 posted on 03/18/2022 10:02:36 PM PDT by Salvavida
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To: BeauBo

You win!


17 posted on 03/18/2022 10:04:28 PM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: BenLurkin
They are trying. IIRC they are building mini pipeline (thread, 7:00 - 10:00 on video). The larger issue is there is such lack of preparedness, training, leadership, and corruption that it is getting in the way. Of course there is the small problem that the Ukrainians are putting up such one hell of a fight it is making Russia look like amateurs.
18 posted on 03/18/2022 10:11:02 PM PDT by Widget Jr
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To: Kazan
Red state is clueless. These DC/media types think that Putin can be cancelled like a Republican in America. Pulling Starbucks and putting Ukrainian flags on your social media profile does not mean beans either. Most of these folks could not find Ukraine on a map 3 weeks ago.

This is not Iraq, this is not the Balkans, etc.

19 posted on 03/18/2022 10:49:01 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: SeekAndFind

Red State

Nevertrump org

Boy that’s my go to news source fo shizzle


20 posted on 03/18/2022 10:59:43 PM PDT by wardaddy (Free Republic has gone insane but it's fun)
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