Posted on 11/13/2026 8:58:49 PM PST by Cronos
Two months before Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, it issued a series of far-reaching demands, including that NATO pull its troops back to positions they held in 1997, before the Western alliance expanded toward Russia’s borders.
Now, in closed-door negotiations with President Trump’s envoys this week about how to end the war in Ukraine, the Russians have revived that stance — in some cases word for word — in an effort to attain a larger victory after five years and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Moscow’s unyielding position was laid out in a paper that Russian officials circulated this week, according to a copy obtained by The New York Times from a person involved in the talks.
The paper, whose authenticity was confirmed by another person with knowledge of the negotiations, shows that President Vladimir V. Putin has scarcely budged on his core objectives after more than 20 months of diplomacy by the Trump administration to end the conflict.
Russia’s decision to stake out this expansive position comes as Mr. Putin is set to sit down with Mr. Trump next week in Shenzhen, China, at an annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific regional economies.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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Our new permanent base in Poland was just green lighted with formal White House approval supposed to be coming in December.
Although if Russia really didn't want more countries to join NATO, invading Ukraine was a REALLY bad idea. Betcha Putin didn't have Sweden and Finland joining NATO on his bingo card. Although he should have thought of that first.
Another war-groupie who thinks history begins on a day of his/her/its choosing.
He thought it would be quick and done, and then consolidate his gains, incorporate them, and then plan out his next strategic move.
Sweden and Finland joining NATO and Ukraine receiving sustained support, and the hardening of NATO’s defenses and its increasing military strength and readiness, and its hardening of attitude and America’s strategic rearranging of the world, continued backing of Ukraine, while moving forward to Poland have wrecked his plans and reduced his options, but he is stuck in this quagmire.
He's well aware of the West's current military footing.
We're mired in a losing war with Iran and Europe can't produce heavy armaments with solar and wind power.
yup.
Putin has decided to settle this on the battlefied, so makes demands for a ceasefire which are designed to be rejected.
Russia and Iran share the same playbook: ignore military setbacks. Wait for the Democrats to gain power. They will surrender. We saw this in Vietnam.
Yeah, he’s losing all right. That’s why pukraine and the collective west are begging for a cease fire. Got it. The losers trying to dictate terms to the winners. You know why President Trump likes President Putin? Because he’s a winner. And President Trump likes Winners.
Can't let that odious canard stand!
Our valiant forces have wreaked havoc on the Iranian military and decapitated their leadership - with only minimal losses on our side.
President Trump miscalculated only in that he appears to have believed that the Iranian people would, at some point, rise up against the mullahs. Unfortunately, that has not yet taken place.
Yes, you can argue that we haven't achieved all of our geopolitical goals (foremost installing an orderly control mechanism to ensure that Teheran never gets nukes), but our military goals certainly were met.
Regards,
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