Posted on 05/17/2025 10:40:39 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Summary
KYIV, May 17 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Saturday for stronger sanctions on Moscow after a Russian drone killed nine bus passengers in northeastern Ukraine just hours after the two countries held their first peace talks in three years of war.
The meeting of Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey on Friday failed to broker a temporary ceasefire. It was the first direct dialogue between the two sides since the early months of the war that Russia launched in February 2022.
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Commenting on the drone strike in the Sumy region, Zelenskiy said on X: "All the deceased were civilians. And the Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting. This was a deliberate killing of civilians."
Ukrainian police posted photos of a dark blue passenger van nearly destroyed, with the roof torn off and the windows blown out.
"Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy," Zelenskiy said.
He said Russia had sent to Istanbul "a weak and unprepared" delegation without a meaningful mandate while real steps were needed to end the war.
The only result of the talks in Istanbul was an agreement on the largest prisoner exchange of 1,000 people from each side, which, according to the head of Ukraine's military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, could take place as early as next week.
"We are expecting strong sanctions against Russia from the United States, from...
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Since Putin would gain nothing from peace talks, or from negotiations, his only alternative is to continue the war, and terrorize the Ukrainians into a surrender.
Putin will not do what he knows offers him no advantages.
How much does George Soros pay you for posting his propaganda?
If Putin does not agree to cease fire on Monday, and Trump drops the bone-crushing sanctions on Russia, the likely response by Putin will be to re-Sovietize Russia to an even more marked degree (extensive central planning and control, and more repressive restrictions on individuals, perhaps rationing), and to print rubles at a hyper-inflationary rate (6-12 month delay till the full inflationary effects manifest). A series of economic crises will likely roll out in Russia over the rest of this year.
In 2022, people thought that Putin would drag Ukraine back into the Soviet Union, but in 2025, it is clear that it is Russia that is being dragged back into the Soviet Union.
“Honestly, I will (impose sanctions), if we’re not gonna make a deal,” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview published on May 16. “This is turkey time, we’re talking turkey, and we’ll see what happens. This would be crushing for Russia because they’re having a hard time now with the economy, oil prices are low.”
You know everything!
How did you get to be so smart? 🤡
“Since Putin would gain nothing from peace talks, or from negotiations,”
Zelinsky certainly gives the impression that talking is a waste of time.
“his only alternative is to continue the war and terrorize the Ukrainians into a surrender.”
Sounds reasonable. What is Ukraine’s alternative to making demands that Putin will never agree upon?
“False flag. Russia has nothing to gain from it.”
ALWAYS look at the timing. TOTALLY OBVIOUS this time.
“A series of economic crises will likely roll out in Russia over the rest of this year. In 2022...”
Now that you mention 2022 - didn’t you guys claim that the “Ruble is rubble” - actually Ursula said just that!!!
Now Russia is BUDDIES with China (thanks to your Neocon friends)...so they’ll be just fine.
Adorno?
Isn’t that a frozen pizza?
Oh yes, I’m paying attention to the conflict. But I’m not paying attention to your moralistic blather. Russia vs “sort of Russia”, they’ll figure it out.
I agree. Zelensky is a lying, manipulating little punk.
He needs to agree to cede the land Russia has taken back and STFU.
Most of those areas are inhabited by ethnic Russians who want to rejoin Russia.
Zelensky has considered them sub-citizens, outlawed their religion and generally miserable for them.
Zelinski is a threat to world peace he must be retired.
“didn’t you guys claim that the “Ruble is rubble””
The ruble is rubble. It is a dead currency for International trade, like the Cuban Peso, or the North Korean Won.
The Chinese deal in Yuan, the Indians in rupees, the Turks in Lira. No one wants to take rubles, who doesn’t have to.
The trading volume is a small fraction of what it was before the war, oppressive controls have been placed on the ruble market (forcing buying and prohibiting selling), and the Russian Central bank is still having to spend billions of dollars of foreign reserves to prop up its exchange rate on the Moscow Exchange.
If President Trump imposes the bone-crushing sanctions that he has discussed, the collapse of the ruble, is one of the economic crises that Russia is likely to see this year.
“Now Russia is BUDDIES with China (thanks to your Neocon friends)...so they’ll be just fine.”
The sanctions that President Trump has discussed (and may impose on Monday, if Putin refuses a cease fire to Trump himself, on their scheduled phone call), are massive secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil (and other products).
Senator Graham has garnered a filibuster-proof majority of 72 Senators to support 500% secondary sanctions on such buyers.
China cannot afford that (145% was unbearable for them), and Russia only accounts for 5% of their trade. What China gets from Russia is overwhelmingly just easily replaced commodities, like oil, gas and some minerals. No way China will take a hit like that (the Europeans also seem to have been coordinated with, to possibly join with these “bone-crushing” secondary sanctions).
President Trump has the cards, to have China throw Russia under the bus, whenever he chooses.
“The ruble is rubble. It is a dead currency for International trade”
Russia’s buy all they need from CHINA, so their money sure as hell is worth something.
“The sanctions that President Trump has discussed (and may impose on Monday, if Putin refuses a cease fire to Trump himself, on their scheduled phone call), are massive secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil (and other products).”
China just gave us the finger regarding our “massive sanctions” on their products...they’ll do it again here.
One again, watch and learn. We ain’t KING OF THE HILL no more, not by a long shot.
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