Posted on 03/05/2025 4:32:31 AM PST by marcusmaximus
The possibility of holding a meeting in Minsk between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US leader Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky has not yet been discussed, but for Moscow, the capital of Belarus would be the best negotiating location. This position was voiced to journalists by the press secretary of the head of the Russian state Dmitry Peskov.
"It was not raised and was not discussed in any way. But, of course, for us, Minsk is the best place. It is our main ally. Therefore, for us, it is the best place for negotiations," the Kremlin representative said in response to a question about whether the option of holding negotiations in Minsk is possible.
(Excerpt) Read more at m.mamul.am ...
The deeper issue in Russia vs Ukraine is the nature of sovereignty and legitimacy. Since WWI legitimacy was defined by the popular will. Sovereignty is defined as what a majority of the people in a given region will agree to.
This was a big change from the status quo ante, where sovereignty was largely based on tradition, or maybe ethnicity in rare cases. Nearly every country today considered a legitimate state on popular will - even Japan.
This Ukraine case completely abandons this. It opens the notion that popular will is not supreme. So any defense against a larger state invoking superior force and raison d’etat can override, legitimately, through “negotiations”, the sovereignty of any other. Imperialism and international conquest now have a secure legal basis.
This is why China can be taken even more seriously in re “the nine dash line”. Because their saying so trumps everything.
Putin is an opportunistic theif, running a tribe of similar people. Very much as your ancient Central Asian Khans.
Orban is a petty grifter.
Far too simplified.
President Trump uses a common phrase that I really like.
He relies on “Common Sense”, he is spot on. We are dying from complexity and the absence of old fashioned common sense.
I love technology, have been a Ham Radio Operator (builder) for 49 years. I built my first PC in 1982. Loved it, BUT today it is nothing but frustration having to navigate the gate keepers and blow away the lies.
AI? Will soon make it almost impossible to determine what is real and what is not. I pity all the young people who were never even exposed to history, how things work, what is normal, who you can trust.
I am 77, trying hard to live local as much as possible.
Lots of stories along that path.
That's probably why I rejected it, but since you are a diehard Ukraine supporter, I couldn't distinguish the sarcasm from a true believer in this conflict.
There is no “negotiation” possible in this. Other than for very temporary ends. rump is not prepared to deal with totalizing people. Trump likes finding win-win, which is nice. But we are dealing with something else entirely.
Sorry, but there is no difference. A win-win is the best possible outcome of any dispute, especially ones that involve an ongoing kinetic engagement. Sadly, you were never on the side of a diplomatic solution. Thus if there is no possible negotiation, then you are going to continue with Ukraine until end up losing everything. Like Zelenskyy, you rejected the efforts of the Minsk Accords, as well as ignoring Russia's fears, not of Ukraine, but of NATO being on their border.
Thanks for showing your true beliefs. Your concern for Ukraine is yet more sarcasm apparently. You will never even admit that this war was totally avoidable if realities were honestly put into consideration. That consideration was that Russia felt threatened by NATO expansion. So, apparently you are not prepared to deal with totalizing people as you claim Trump is.
Europe was actually aiding Russia because of their energy needs, to the tune of 221 billion over 3 years. So, why are they so adamant to stand with Ukraine?
If you ask me, it is because of the national resources that both Ukraine & Russia control in their respective nations, which would save Europe from total collapse. A collapse that they have self-inflicted upon themselves.
In other words, you were suckered into a lie and still have not been able to even face that reality.
Sadly, I must conclude that you are part of the problem that has brought this once great nation to its knees and refuse to change course to a more sane path. Why is that? What is it about Ukraine that makes you think that Ukrainians are more concerned about their borders than they are about their loved ones who are being sacrificed to the killing fields due to the total mismatch in combatant capabilities?
Sure, Ukraine has put up a impressive resistance, yet they are still losing territory & their loved ones.
As I said, Europe has more to gain, and they personally lose no loved ones or land. Though in the long run they have everything to lose, but not because of Russian aggression, but rather by their corrupt leadership where as I also said, they are punishing their own citizens in the process.
BTW, that is the same thing that both Democrats & RINOs have been doing to their citizens.
Wake up to reality. Trust me, I do not think you are capable of doing so, because you have not changed your flawed beliefs, and you still refuse to accept reality. Instead you embrace pipedreams.
I have nothing against you personally, but I will not hesitate to be critical of of your flawed beliefs that have been formed by lies that you continue to buy as you live in a fantasy world.
There is not always a happy perfect ending, so you must look at what is best, and so far I do not see you doing that at all.
Sorry old fossil, but these things are important.
This IS history. Its happened before. And it is “common sense”. And its much simpler than we may be tempted to think.
If you want a case in point, consider the fall of the Ming. In the west we don’t get much Chinese history, but its instructive. This is one of the clearest cases of bureaucratic overreach weakening the people and the state (you may well sympathise), to the point that the once great Ming were unable to resist the Jurchen/Manchu, even with cases of the bureaucracy eliminating its own generals, facing the enemy, for the sake of their own “deep state” infighting. In Chinese history and culture this is seen as a vast and absurd tragedy. Which was a great pity as the Ming were one of the high points of Chinese civilization, arguably never equalled.
NATO was a case of small countries coming together to face a common danger. That danger is that of being destroyed by a larger neighbor. A very ancient story. In a sense the US doesn’t even matter in this anymore.
The “Threat” was that faced by Poland (which took the lead in Nato expansion btw) and the small states of the old East Bloc vs what seemed like a resurgent, aggressive Russia. As a member of a few small states and cultures (there is nothing smaller or less influential than the Basques really) I know how you people think. We are nests of insects and unworthy of consideration. If we become a problem its perfectly fine that we inhumans are expunged.
NATO in its latter years was and is an alliance of these nests, at least as far as its functional components went. The rest is the land of the lotus eaters.
Another, greater confluence of “nests” is forming in East Asia, still behind private conversations, of other “insects”, from Tokyo to Canberra. Is it only the US that will defend Taiwan? No, certainly not. But the others aren’t likely to listen to the US or do it the Trump way.
Trump has not thought of the “insects”.
India. They seem to be the most objective country, I actually go to their news sources, because they are the most objective.
But you also totally ignore that Ukraine did a coup d'état on a sitting president because they didn't like his signing a treaty with Russia & not with the EU?
I'll bet you claim to be for Democracies, and that Ukraine is a Democracy. You speak out of both sides of your mouth depending upon who you are speaking of.
Sadly, you do not even recognize the complete & utter hypocrisy you spew forth. You are not consistent across the board at all. You are biased, I know because I was for so long myself. After all the USSR was out mortal enemy. It even carried over with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I'm still not a fan of Russia, but I certainly do appreciate their national security concerns, and it would have been easy to possibly get Russia to avoid invasion had we taken NATO expansion into Ukraine off the table, knowing full well that the invasion would become inevitable if we just continued to ignore Russia's security concerns.
Because like now, you rejected that Putin would backdown if NATO expansion would have been taken off the table. That is bias telling you that. You have no crystal ball to see what would have actually transpired.
If Putin has continued threatening Ukraine it would have made a stronger case to bring Ukraine into NATO, nut Europe was not interested in seriously helping Ukraine, and the U.S. would have been saddled with yet another kinetic engagement, only difference would be this would become the first time a kinetic war broke out with 2 nuclear capable nations, and would certainly escalate into a third world war with many nuclear capable nations involved.
That would have not ended well at all, but it is what the elites seem to want so that they can size total control of the world as their private playground.
Again, I state you ignore all realities, because you reside in a dreamland of milk & honey that always produces the outcomes you deem as being just.
A few signs you may want to follow.
The Philippines has 10 more batteries of Indian Brahmos supersonic antiship missiles on order (500 mi range, the specs SAY less). 2 batteries delivered so far. Thats 9 missiles per battery plus reloads, or probably 200 missiles... Who do you think is paying for that? And what is going to happen to the PLAN if they displease the (lets say) the budding East Asian alliance, around the Luzon strait? And all, probably, out of the control of the US, and independent of “negotiations” or playing US-Chinese games of chicken. Some Chinese vessel may be getting an unanticipated Brahmos unsanctioned by Mr. Hegseth.
Add, the current US plan is to treat the Philippines as one big “Cactus” airfield, a la Guadalcanal. And a missile launching site. News for you - its not just the US Marines that will be basing and flying missions from the country. There was even a Japanese offer to transfer, gratis, Japanese surplus F-15’s to the Philippine AF. But the maintenance would have been expensive and, worse, for now it would be too visible.
You are an unabashed hypocrite, which is why you will never change. You also lack critical thinking skills. Because you take nothing into serious considerations, which is exactly how powerful nations eventually collapse.
“but it is what the elites seem to want”
“Elites” - You cannot even think of the OTHER people involved, talk about blindness. You can only see things through the filter of your own caste war.
Can you even write down the word “Poland”? Who saved Ukraine (Kiev) in 2/22? The ‘elites”? No, it was the most un-elite Mr. Duda. The insect coalition in other words, forced the “elites” into action.
Keep acting like this, in your vast arrogance (”elites” indeed, I spit on them, and I spit on you, for you are the same) and you will be the enemy, indistinguishable, from the despots and tyrants. Because you WILL be despots and tyrants.
“You also lack critical thinking skills.”
Because I disagree with you?
I present you with an alternate reality that YOU have never considered. Be instructed, not outraged.
I guess I am less concerned about the neutrality of the country, than I am about the safety of Trump.
No I considered it before you even mentioned it, and I rejected because it was subjective and had no facts supporting it. It also ignored realities. In fact, I was first a supporter of Ukraine & even Zelenskyy. However, once I began to find our more information that was being withheld from the American public, and instead were being spoon fed propaganda that were pure lies. The whole conflict began with lies and the lies continue to this vary day.
Be instructed, not outraged.
Oh I have tried to be instructive many times over with you, but you refuse to except truths, because the truth doesn't jive with the lies you have accepted as being the truth.
I am not outraged, I am just telling you exactly how you are not a critical thinker, because you ignore signs that should have awaken your beliefs to the realities, but instead you justify the lies over the truth every time. That is a sign that you lack true critical thinking skills.
I have asked you why you keep insisting that Ukraine is a Democracy, when none of the evidence available supports that claim. Other than protecting their borders, what makes you so determined to save Ukraine, while taking resources away from the fight we have to save our nation?
You refuse to answer my questions.
You poo-pooed Trump's efforts t try and help the Ukrainian people who are losing their loved ones to a mismatched opponent, because you are still holding out for a full return to Ukraine, its borders before the conflict began. Those are not the replies from someone who employs critical thinking skills. Instead they are emotional responses.
Now if you started to recognize these realities, you just might become a critical thinker instead of an emotional reactionary. But I am still interested in what makes you so emotional about Ukraine? The sovereignty does not resonate, because I do not see that same type of response about our nation that even allows you to spend important resources that we need as we become more & more vulnerable financially, and especially under the leadership of Joe Biden. That too showed a lack of critical thinking.
Poland can do what it wants. Because even though Russia was promised that NATO would not move a single inch eastward when the Soviet Union collapsed. Even though he was not happy about being lied to about NATO expansion, he still allowed it to take place because they still had Ukraine providing a buffer zone from NATO.
NATO was never going to accept Ukraine in because of the problems it would create with Russia. If you even listened you would have learned that, so if that was going to be the case, why tease Ukraine with that?
This was never about securing and honoring Ukraine's sovereignty, but you bought so into that narrative, that you still believe it to this day, to the point where you are so emotionally invested, that you would much rather that the war should continue on, instead of securing the best out for them where they still possess the majority of their nation.
It wouldn't surprise me if you would vote for anyone other than Trump, if they promised to vote yes for Ukraine entry into NATO, and if a World War breaks out that is fine with you. Because that is how emotionally you are vested in Ukraine.
I would love to be wrong about that, but honestly, that is exactly what I think motivates you. Emotion, nothing else matters. For if it did you would support Trump n his efforts and appreciate what he is trying to do for Ukraine.
Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland said:
"What we have is 500 million Europeans, begging 300 million Americans, to protect us from 140 million Russians."
NATO was more relevant what it was the Soviet Union who had more people at their disposal, and also had nuclear weapons to threaten Europe with.
No one wants the fight. If Ukraine wants it, it has to realize the truth. The determination to fight for their corrupt nation is just not there. either is the money. But like you Zelenskyy will not accept the realities.
Ukraine is an insignificant player on the world stage. Perhaps you think that is a harsh statement, but that is the reality. Another reality is that Trump has been left with a nation in shambles, thanks to Democrats & RINOs who have seriously compromised our nation. While you are wasting time, money & resources on Ukraine you are removing them from our arsenal to fight against either Russia, China or even worse Russia & China.
Either adversary alone is not as serious as both untied & arrayed against the U.S. For while we are still the strongest, the gap has closed considerably.
While Biden was playing stupid games in Ukraine to provoke Russia to invade Ukraine to start a proxy war to weaken Russia, Biden was also building up China's military capabilities while simultaneously weakening America's capabilities.
So, unless you want this nation to fold, which will not be beneficial for the world at all, you, and more importantly, Ukraine had better take the opportunity to seriously try to come to a peace agreement while it is available. You think that peace is not available, and therefore you reject that attempt right out of the box. I disagree with your assertion, because I think Putin has lost a lot of citizens in the process also, and is really looking for an off ramp, especially if there is a guarantee that NATO will not expand into Ukraine. The whole reason for Trump insisting that Ukraine sign an agreement with the U.S. in regards to rare earth minerals is to interject the U.S. into Ukraine to act as a backstop deterrence for Putin to abide by the peace agreement. Because he is not going to guarantee Ukraine with boots on the ground militarily, and NATO will never provide Ukraine with NATO membership as long as Russia feels threatened by NATO expansion. If you actually think Europe has the wherewithal to save Ukraine, you are living in a dream, a dream that Europe also entertains. Like France in WWII they would collapse in short thrift, because it would be a house of cards.
Trump has to act quickly to realign the geopolitical board by pulling back Russia into our sphere of influence, and out of China's influence, because Russia really trusts us more than they do China.
Trump is taking on a lot with his plate overflowing thanks to Democrats & RINOs. He cannot afford to expand a lot of time & energy on Ukraine. Time for you to start living in reality.
This is why I say you are not a critical thinker. I am not trying to belittle you, I am trying to take your emotional component out of you and make you start to see reality. If you do not, then you are helping to destroy the world, not make the world a better place. Some times you have to take the road that everyone else sees as capitulation, when it is really to strengthen up for a battle where there exists a viable change to succeed. Right now, we are not there.
Fight against Ukraine and Zelenskyy's desire to fight on, for their sake, because you are not helping anyone but the evil people in the world who want the U.S. to become entangled in the conflict.
I hate being so brutal, I really do, because I recognize that your heart is trying to strive for good, but that good right now is for Ukraine to stop the fight, lick their wounds, so that they will live for another day, a day when the odds for them are much better. That frees up for more focus to be on China where it belongs. Russia is bad, but China is worse , perhaps even worse than the former Soviet Union was. The Soviet Union was based on brute strength, China dangers are their mental strengths to become intertwined with their enemies nations as the assert more & more influence upon their citizens. They look at all nations as being their enemies I might add, so that you understand where China comes from, thought wise.
It's up to you to start thinking critically. Right now you are thinking purely on an emotional level. That helps no one, except for Satan & his supports in their push for evil to take control.
| I hope you start joining us, because we need the people to fight evil effectively. Join us, we really have the same goals, we just have a more realistic approach than a straight on frontal attack that relies upon kinetic engagement, by attacking on all fronts at the same time.
If you have the time, I suggest that you read this article from the Wall Street Journal if you have the time:
China Is Secretly Worried Trump Will Win on Trade
I 🙏 that you are serious about the bigger picture. If you are unable to read the article behind the Wall Street Journal, let me know and I will send you the article in Freep mail.
Take care, and remember I am not your enemy. I am just trying to make you see reality. and to think critically and not emotionally, which is easy to fall into that trap, but it really it really is a trap, and it is not a trap that one should allow themselves to fall into because it does no good whatsoever. 🙂👍
Sadly most of what I see here are massive assumptions without any reasonable source, plated over with motivated reasoning.
The object seems to be to make a reasonable-seeming narrative. Of course. But so are all fantasies. Im a man of obvious facts, a “clever blacksmith” (BSME), and my own eyes have told me a much simpler and more obvious story.
You still fail to see reality, so you refused to actually critique yourself that emotional reactions hurt rather than help in the task at hand.
So, do not say that you only see are massive assumptions without any reasonable source, plated over with motivated reasoning.
Because the truth is that you reject reasoned critical thought processes that come to different conclusions than your conclusions based only upon emotional response. You refuse to answer simple question I have put forth to you, because they are emotional responses that ignore other realities. Realities that you reject, when it is very clear that Putin was funneled into finally invading Ukraine.
There is only one reason you would do this, and it isn't to save Ukraine. It is to use Ukraine. They had no real game plan, other than to send money guns & missiles to Ukraine.
If you exercised critical thinking skills, you would have come to the correct conclusion that this had nothing to do in a positive way for Ukraine, because they really do not care about Ukraine. They do not even care about our nation.
However, because you think only with emotional reaction, it is easy for you to be continually be fooled with propaganda that you want to accept. You are blinded by your emotionality, and you cannot change your way, and you do not even see that reality.
What exactly has this proxy war provided to Ukraine? A chance to kill Russians perhaps, but in the process they are losing more than the Russians are losing, and that reality will not change with more war. Because Russia holds more cards than does Ukraine. But you refuse to see that reality either, because you are so emotionally invested in Ukraine which only clouds your critical thinking skills.
Such a shame, that you cannot see these realities. Instead, you prefer to think that we support Russia. I actually support the Ukrainian people who are taking the brunt of this conflict . No doubt some Russians are also taking the brunt, but the brunt is not as destructive for them then it is for Ukraine, and you refuse to see that reality.
Good grief man, start thinking, if nothing else, then what is best for the people of Ukraine & their nation.
Your emotional desires are not going to become the reality, and the longer it is allowed to continue, their loss becomes worse & worse. Because the leaders of both countries are willing to sustain the losses, until one remains standing, and the likelihood of it being Ukraine are diminished with each Ukrainian killed or wounded on the battlefield, because Russia has a greater pool from which to pull from when it comes to combatants and actually material at their disposal to kill Ukrainian combatants.
If you think Europe boots on the ground will help, that could only happen of Russia foolishly decides to attack a NATO nation. I personally do not think that Putin is that stupid, but is he is, then World War 3 will become a reality.
But sadly, even that doesn't make you think critically. When you back a wild animal into a corner, then that wild animal becomes far more dangerous. A wild animal with nuclear weapons may be forced to use them. When that happens it will trigger a chain reaction from the many nuclear equipped nations once the first is deployed. But you still do not see the necessity for critical thinking skills. You probably think it won't be as bad as it is presented, so you are willing to risk that.
Sad commentary on your supposed "goodness".
BTW, you present suppositions by those you want to believe, without any proof that they have used critical thinking skills in forming their opinions.
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