Posted on 02/20/2025 8:59:02 PM PST by SeekAndFind
In Moscow, it was like Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s all rolled into one. In a gushing readout of his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the immediate start of negotiations about the future of Ukraine—without preconditions or other countries at the table. Earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine and any chance of a return to the country’s internationally recognized borders, fulfilling two key Russian conditions. On the same day, the U.S. Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard, whose talking points often align with Kremlin propaganda, as the next director of national intelligence.
The Kremlin and its media machine have not been this ecstatic since the launch of Putin’s “special military operation” on Feb. 24, 2022, when for a day or two it actually looked as if Russian forces would overrun Ukraine without much of a fight. “Trump is now doing our job for us” by “sawing” Europe into pieces, Russian talk show host Evgeny Popov told his viewers. His giddy, smiling co-host, Olga Skabeeva, described the turn of events as having been “unimaginable” and “unthinkable” before. On another show, the pundit Sergey Mikheev was elated by another Hegseth remark that was widely interpreted to mean that Washington was reconsidering its security commitment to Europe. Mikheev concluded that Russia was finally free to strike Brussels, London, and Paris.
Some pundits basked in the fact that it was Trump who reached out to Putin. “It’s as if Julius Ceasar himself telephoned a barbarian,” Mosfilm studio chief Karen Shakhnazarov commented on another show.
Pundits, bloggers, and officials across Moscow echoed the triumphalism. From their vantage point, fortune has finally turned Russia’s way following three years of humiliating setbacks, including Ukraine’s surprise conquest of a slice of Russia last summer.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
Will Trump blow the rest of the Nordstreams?
Neo-CON propaganda.
I did not see that coming.
Best leader of Russia?
Isn’t that sort of a low bar to clear?
In the long game DJT presently stops the active hostilities …
Then chokes the Rodina to death over time with low energy prices.
I hope Russia prevails.
You would expect this insanity from Foreign Policy.
State Department has spewed their crap for far too long.
We are witnessing a total re-alignment of Groups on a Global Scale. (Not Leftist Globalists, UN et all)
It will work itself out. Quickly
RE: I hope Russia prevails.
Can you tell us why you hope that?
RE: It will work itself out. Quickly
The issue that needs to be dealt with is CRIMEA and the DONBAS Regions ( not to mention some other territories Russia has taken over and the Kursk region that Ukraine has taken over ).
I am quite certain that Putin is NOT going to end the war without any territories to show his people after hundreds of thousands of Russian deaths.
Whether Ukraine will concede these territories is another roadblock.
Standard Neocon propaganda. Acknowledging reality is not “gifts to Putin”.
The Russians are winning. If the war is not ended soon, the Ukrainian army which has slowly been losing ground, will collapse. Then the Russians will take far more ground. Given the above facts, Russia has no reason to stop unless it is guaranteed Ukraine will not be in NATO. It is obviously never going to give ground it bought with blood back. The Ukrainians do not have the strength to drive them out either. So enough of this little fantasy that admitting they’re going to hold that ground or that Ukraine will not be in NATO are “gifts”.
If you want to be unrealistic and stubborn, fine. Your choice. We’ll walk away and not waste any more of our money. Russia will win and gobble up Kharkov and the Black Sea coast including Odessa too.
Don’t argue with the DU troll.
What would you have? War with Russia? That’s what it will take for Ukraine to “win”. The USA doing it for them.
It is a far bigger picture than just Ukraine.
Lots of pieces moving on the playing field.
There are some very serious players who are behind President Trump.
He is full of surprises. He is serious about DownSizing DC. (he never called it that, but I have for a very long time. Another story.)
Neo Cons aren’t having good days recently.
Suggest folks go scroll through YouTube for videos of life in rural Russia. Try to stay away from channels that are from people older than about 25, or that have been around less than 3 yrs.
Helps evade propaganda.
At the same time, you can scroll through videos of rural life in Ukraine (Pre-War).
Ukraine is a fourth world, poverty stricken Hellhole, even before the war. Remember, Ukraine is the poorest country in Europe, even more destitute than Moldova, the second-poorest country.
Then Russia should have conquered it by now. Or at least be ashamed that it is bullying it.
Donald is cutting off the bribe money stream that Ukraine is sending to potato head.
Because Ukraine is kicking back the money potato head was sending them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.