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This Time It’s Different - Neither we nor our allies are prepared to fight all-out war with Russia, regionally or globally (Ukes failing, Washington wants direct war)
The American Conservative ^ | 1-26-23

Posted on 01/29/2023 5:53:38 AM PST by BusterDog

Until it decided to confront Moscow with an existential military threat in Ukraine, Washington confined the use of American military power to conflicts that Americans could afford to lose, wars with weak opponents in the developing world from Saigon to Baghdad that did not present an existential threat to U.S. forces or American territory. This time—a proxy war with Russia—is different.

Contrary to early Beltway hopes and expectations, Russia neither collapsed internally nor capitulated to the collective West’s demands for regime change in Moscow. Washington underestimated Russia’s societal cohesion, its latent military potential, and its relative immunity to Western economic sanctions.

As a result, Washington’s proxy war against Russia is failing. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was unusually candid about the situation in Ukraine when he told the allies in Germany at Ramstein Air Base on January 20, “We have a window of opportunity here, between now and the spring,” admitting, “That’s not a long time.”

Alexei Arestovich, President Zelensky’s recently fired advisor and unofficial “Spinmeister,” was more direct. He expressed his own doubts that Ukraine can win its war with Russia and he now questions whether Ukraine will even survive the war. Ukrainian losses—at least 150,000 dead including 35,000 missing in action and presumed dead—have fatally weakened Ukrainian forces resulting in a fragile Ukrainian defensive posture that will likely shatter under the crushing weight of attacking Russian forces in the next few weeks.

Ukraine’s materiel losses are equally severe. These include thousands of tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems, air defense platforms, and weapons of all calibers. These totals include the equivalent of seven years of Javelin missile production.

(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanconservative.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: mentallyilliams; notnatoswar; notourwar; nuclearwar; russia; war; zeepers4ww3
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To: tlozo
Zelensky support among the Ukrainian people is around 90%.

Yes, the same sources report that Biden's support is around 95%. Everyone loves the affable old guy!

81 posted on 01/29/2023 8:05:33 AM PST by fireman15 (Irritating people are the grit from which we fashion our pearl. I provide the grit. You're Welcome.)
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To: BusterDog
Until it decided to confront Moscow with an existential military threat in Ukraine

This nonsense again? A western-aligned Ukraine is NOT an existential military threat to Russia. Neither Ukraine nor NATO have any desire to invade Russia. Instead, it is clear that Putin’s war is an existential military threat to Ukraine.

82 posted on 01/29/2023 8:06:44 AM PST by Salohcin
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To: fireman15

It is a corrupt money laundering machine

Indeed even the pentagon said they have no idea how much of the money makes it to Ukraine.


83 posted on 01/29/2023 8:10:53 AM PST by Vaduz (LAWYERS )
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To: Salohcin

The reason for invading Ukraine is very simple

Russia, Putin et al need a barrier against European land invasion. That buffer has shrunk to nothing

Ukraine is the existential barrier now that he Iron Curtain is gone.


84 posted on 01/29/2023 8:12:40 AM PST by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Juneteenth is inequality day )
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To: BusterDog

.


85 posted on 01/29/2023 8:12:43 AM PST by sauropod (“If they don’t believe our lies, well, that’s just conspiracy theorist stuff, there.”)
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To: fireman15
Yes, the same sources report that Biden's support is around 95%. Everyone loves the affable old guy!

Right, Ukrainians should instead rally to Putin and his soldiers that are leveling towns and cities.

86 posted on 01/29/2023 8:17:40 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: bert
Russia, Putin et al need a barrier against European land invasion. That buffer has shrunk to nothing Ukraine is the existential barrier now that he Iron Curtain is gone.

Right, like Hitler wanted to turn France into a buffer. Ukraine is not a buffer, its a country with 44 million people larger than France.

87 posted on 01/29/2023 8:20:38 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: Williams

“Because it’s right there if we want to attack it why don’t we?”

The west has been positioning and laying infrastructure for a color revolution in Russia.

Even amateurs can see it. So certainly Russia can see it.

It’s the western “rules based order”, implemented by “other means”.

It’s the only way to effect regime change in Russia. External forces cannot.


88 posted on 01/29/2023 8:21:31 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Gnome1949

Please stop peddling Russian propaganda. Ethnic Russians are a MINORITY in the Donbas. Only 38-39% of the populations of Luhansk and Donetsk identify as ethnic Russians.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Ukraine

In fact, these provinces have always had ethnic Ukrainian majorities. Here are a few ethnographic maps from the past 150 years to show this:
Published in 1879:
https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1879_nation_europe1.jpg

Published in 1914:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0f/09/3d/0f093d9ed319ed61b678a225cb86a69e.jpg

Published in 1949:
https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wMWjtUSAXoQ1.jpg

Published in 2001:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hL85-21M0a4/VyigQss_JpI/AAAAAAAACTc/iZwo8Q8ZCIYyG8j-kdr8Hul2BTNPP0M8wCLcB/s1600/781f6031609e52f92003a7098d5fd73a.jpg


89 posted on 01/29/2023 8:23:12 AM PST by Salohcin
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To: alexander_busek

Well, there was the cute young German Foreign Minister who publicly stated that Germany and NATO are now, at the present time, at war with Russia.


90 posted on 01/29/2023 8:29:49 AM PST by OKSooner (War is a racket. COVID-19 is a racket.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Well then why don’t you go fight for your good guys?


91 posted on 01/29/2023 8:35:38 AM PST by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
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To: wildcard_redneck

Oh noes. Countries joining NATO because they’re afraid of Russia

Yeah. Sure thing. That’s the West’s fault


92 posted on 01/29/2023 8:51:48 AM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds )
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To: wildcard_redneck

I saw no cussing in the post. You need to be more precise


93 posted on 01/29/2023 8:55:25 AM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds )
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To: Williams

Too many misconceptions in all this. Russia sent 160,000 soldiers into Ukraine. The West trained 800,000 soldiers for a new Ukrainian Army since 2008; that the bulk of these soldiers were not active duty isn’t an issue.

Russia has essentially destroyed the cream of the Corps... or is that the crops?

Russia has reorganized her forces, under unified military command which is something missing when they sent four distinct fighting groups into Ukraine. Russia pulled back to defensible positions to give her time to get that 745,000 soldiers ready to FINISH the job 160,000 could not.

Russia underestimated what the West did in Ukraine. If you follow the daily sitreps from both sides, it is clear that the Main Defensive Line of Ukraine is about ready to break.

No one person, from Pres Biden/Zenelsky wants peace or peace talks. Less than two weeks ago Zenelsky had a traitorous branch of Govt accused of seeking or conducting peace talks with Russia shot down.

Our MSM lies just like their paymasters at the CIA lie for a living, just like Biden couldn’t find truth in a bowl of ice cream.

This conflict was orchestrated in part from Washington DC since Obama, with Biden on point for 12 of the last 18 years. Houston, we’ve gotta problem.

Had peace been wanted, the Biden Admin would not have provoked Russia with death by a thousand cuts, finally making it happen that Putin would attack.

After spending 38 years of my life dedicated to defending America... I can no longer see much ourselves as anything less than Bullies who finally bit off more than we were prepared to chew. The NEOCONs and NWO run our country now. They do not, however, run Russia and personally I hope Russia doesn’t resort to nuclear weapons at any point, but that they do enough to break the NWO hold on the West.


94 posted on 01/29/2023 8:55:44 AM PST by Jumper ( )
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To: Williams

I fought in a useless war for this country. Carry the scars to this day. I do not want my grandchildren fighting another useless war for politicians and defense contractors.

We have NO alliance with Ukraine. Ukraine is not our neighbor. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. Yet we get deeper and deeper into the conflict so Biden can deflect from issues here in the US and enrich himself and his supporters. Also, many key Republicans are also being enriched from the War.

Who is suffering? The Ukrainian people and the Russian soldiers. The US could force Ukraine into a negotiated Settlement at any time. They will not as long as there is significant money to be made and the American people allow the War to continue.


95 posted on 01/29/2023 9:03:54 AM PST by georgiarat (We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. William Faulkner )
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To: tlozo

That is the bulk of the aid but we are also sending money to pay for Ukrainian bureaucrats, Ukrainian infrastructure that keeps being destroyed by Russian and our contractors say cha Ching rinse and repeat. We are not loaning Ukraine the money we are GIVING it to them while our own infrastructure is a mess and our borders are wide open.


96 posted on 01/29/2023 9:07:20 AM PST by georgiarat (We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. William Faulkner )
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To: BusterDog

The Russkies getting free propaganda via Free Republic.


97 posted on 01/29/2023 9:13:05 AM PST by kenmcg (ti hi o)
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Stupid article

Russia can’t fight sleep.

They sure as he’ll don’t want to fight us directly.

Besides, if we don’t have to, we will use a cut out.

Hence, Ukraine...


98 posted on 01/29/2023 10:05:09 AM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Just what is the basis for saying that "NATO is now threatening to attack Russia" and "initiating a war with Russia?" I have seen nothing of the sort, but NATO has exercised considerable restraint in the face of Russian provocation and misconduct. Various private peace proposals to Russia have all been rejected.

Russian aggression against Ukraine goes back many years, with Russia under Putin seizing large swaths of the Donbas and the entire Crimea over the last decade. In addition, Russia has frequently made threats and claims against NATO members, especially against Poland and the Baltic Republics and the UK. And Putin's assassinations of critics in London, Spain, and other European venues were classic acts of war.

Putin, swollen by corruption and arrogance and surrounded by yes men, did not know when to quit and did not have an accurate understanding of the fundamental weakness of Russia's military. Dreaming of a restoration of the old Russian empire and having the territory of the Warsaw Pact as a Russian sphere of influence, Putin gambled on an invasion of Ukraine being a quick and easy winner.

With national survival at stake, Ukrainians though fought with great courage and determination that justly command the respect and support of free peoples everywhere. And it is Russia that is routinely issuing nuclear threats -- not NATO and the US. This will end badly for Putin and Russia, with Putin dead or otherwise out of power and his successors having to sue for peace on terms set by the US and NATO.

99 posted on 01/29/2023 10:25:31 AM PST by Rockingham
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To: Jumper
Excellent summary of where we are and how we got here.

Now we are faced with a brutal lose-lose conflict where Russia and Ukraine grind themselves into the ground and destroy anything worth destroying.

All while NATO's perfumed princes and corrupt pols brag and smile about they have "destroyed" Russia's military without NATO soldiers firing a single shot by using Ukraine as a proxy war with Ukrainian people dying proxy deaths to further Westerns hidden agendas and for the enrichment of the corruptocrats on all sides of the conflict skimming the cream off the top of massive emergency aid cash flows.

This thing could and should have been settled via fast track negotiations as soon as it happened but Biden Admin engineered the conflict and they are getting exactly what they wanted

100 posted on 01/29/2023 10:47:50 AM PST by rdcbn1
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