Putin's War, Week 36. Russian Mobilization Ends, Ukrainian Commandos Strike Deep Inside Russia, and What the Heck Is Happening In Kherson?

Welcome to my newest update on Putin’s War in Ukraine. We are now 36 weeks — 254 days — since Russia launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine. My last update can be found at Putin’s War, Week 35. The Lull Before the Next Storm. There has been some action, but the crappy weather has slowed things down. Also, both sides are somewhat tired after a punishing summer’s campaigning. I look at this period as the break when the fighters have returned to their corners.

Two significant items have been covered outside this update. First, the Pentagon is beefing up the number of weapons inspectors to ensure that weapons allocated to the Ukrainian Army end up there. Naturally, the folks who have been cheering Putin are claiming that this is a nefarious first step towards the US military fighting Russia a la Kennedy’s Special Forces advisors in South Vietnam. I think that is bullsh**, YMMV. If you’re interested, read more at The Pentagon Sends Weapons Security Inspectors to Ukraine; if You Thought Those Opposing Aid to Ukraine Were Happy, Think Again.

The second item is that after Ukraine launched an air-sea drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet at anchor in Sevastopol (Ukraine Carries out Extensive Drone Attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Sevastopol Homeport), Putin declared that Russia was leaving the agreement that allowed Ukrainian grain to be shipped out of the war zone. By Wednesday, he’d backed down (Vladimir Putin Rejoins Ukraine Grain Deal After He Finds No One Cared That He Left).

You aren’t bright to repeat the lie about non existent promises made to Gorbachev.

Gorbachev himself denied the lies you posted.

E pluribus unum “(Gorbachev agreed on dismantling the eastern Soviet bloc on condition that we would not bring countries bordering Russia into NATO”

That’s a lie which even Gorbachev said was a lie and no such promise was made.

Why do you keep repeating a lie?

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/11/06/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/

The agreement on not deploying foreign troops on the territory of the former GDR was incorporated in Article 5 of the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, which was signed on September 12, 1990 by the foreign ministers of the two Germanys, the United States, Soviet Union, Britain and France. Article 5 had three provisions:

1. Until Soviet forces had completed their withdrawal from the former GDR, only German territorial defense units not integrated into NATO would be deployed in that territory.
2. There would be no increase in the numbers of troops or equipment of U.S., British and French forces stationed in Berlin.
3. Once Soviet forces had withdrawn, German forces assigned to NATO could be deployed in the former GDR, but foreign forces and nuclear weapons systems would not be deployed there.

When one reads the full text of the Woerner speech http://nato.int/docu/speech/1990/s900517a_e.htm
cited by Putin, it is clear that the secretary general’s comments referred to NATO forces in eastern Germany, not a broader commitment not to enlarge the Alliance.

Here is a link to Gorbachev’s interview http://rbth.com/international/2014/10/16/mikhail_gorbachev_i_am_against_all_walls_40673.html

The interviewer asked why Gorbachev did not “insist that the promises made to you [Gorbachev]—particularly U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s promise that NATO would not expand into the East—be legally encoded?” Gorbachev replied: “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.”

Gorbachev continued that “The agreement on a final settlement with Germany said that no new military structures would be created in the eastern part of the country; no additional troops would be deployed; no weapons of mass destruction would be placed there. It has been obeyed all these years.”

There was mo promise made especially considering that in 1989 Gorbachev didn’t agree on “dismantling the eastern bloc” just about german reunification.

Why are you repeating lies?

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