Zelensky rubbishes Biden’s war on Russia

Asia Times ^ | MARCH 11, 2022 | MK BHADRAKUMAR

[FarCenter]

What was the need for all that happened in the period since mid-December when Russia transmitted to Washington its demands for security guarantees? This question will haunt US President Joe Biden long after he retires from public life.

The foreign-policy legacy of his presidency and the reputation of this much-vaunted 80-year-old politician with a half-century’s record in public life, much of it supposedly in the domain of American foreign policy, are in tatters – irreparable.

News has appeared that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has conceded that he is willing to concede to the Russian demand that his country will not seek to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The announcement came early this week in an interview with ABC News where he revealed that he is no longer pressing for Ukraine’s NATO membership.

In fact, Zelensky let the cat out of the bag by casually adding, “I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that … NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine.”

Zelensky explained why: “The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia.”

This comes after his earlier revelation that he is “open to compromise” on the sovereignty of the two breakaway republics of Lugansk and Donetsk in the eastern Donbas region and on the status of Crimea.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Zelensky better get real open to those demands and soon.

[sjmjax]

I understand.
Just wanted to clarify the ‘honeymoon’ perception as I understand it.

Funny you should mention using schooling to ‘get laid in Europe’.

High school buddy of mine got involved in the Students for a Democratic Society (communist front group) back in the late sixties. Motivation was the hot college aged female recruiter was sexually rewarding ‘good’ students.

Later when he became college aged, it was his turn to ‘educate’ impressionable high school girls through the same organization with which he’d become quite well connected by then.

Of course our friendship had a falling out over that.

He eventually became a teacher and years later when our paths crossed at a high school reunion, his words were ‘still corrupting the minds and morals of our youth’.

Not surprised as this seems to be the overarching goal of our public education system today.

[Paul R.]

The article makes a couple good points, but also makes major mistakes and omissions.

Sanctions are not the main thing driving up the global price of oil. They likely are not even 10% of the increase. US and Europe’s policies on energy are mostly to blame.

This war is NOT petering out. At least not yet. Zelenskyy MIGHT wave the white flag tomorrow, but, with well over 10k ManPad and ManPatt missiles still on hand, he may try to play the long game. This appears to be NATO’s strategy.

The article fails to address at all those fleeing Ukraine I’m beginning to think the estimates of 5 million refugees, that at first seemed almost incomprehensible, will turn out to be low. The repercussions will be enormous. (Did anybody in 1948 expect the Palestinians to be a problem that just keeps on growing, generation after generation?)

Putin really needs oil to be more like $70 - $80.

If the Biden admin. does not come to its senses and strongly ramp up oil and gas production, or at least initiate a major program to do so, the Republicans, if they have any political acumen at all, will slay the Dems in this fall’s elections. Will the Pubs take advantage of this beyond energy policy? I’m not optimistic, but, we shall see.

Major food shortages appear to be in the offing. I expect this to be dynamite.

If Putin ends up with defacto control of a large part or even all of Ukraine, he’ll have to seal those borders, and, the repression within will be extreme. The self-inflicted wound will go on bleeding until something breaks.

Pres. Trump points out that Japan and Germany (Europe in general, I would add) arming up has a very bad history. To which nukes are now part of the picture. We have a lot of self-absorbed FReepers lacking the acumen to understand the forces at work, and what they will lead to.

[StAnDeliver]

"Major food shortages appear to be in the offing. I expect this to be dynamite."

A paradigm buster. It won't be shortages during the plandemic "Gee, my tp choices are Scott's which you can strike a match on, versus overpriced Seventh Generation recycled tp -- yuk", it will be outright empty shelves of staples.