"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (5 Viewers)

SaparotRob · Sep 3, 2025

GTX said:
Putin tells Ukraine: End war via talks or I will end it by force

So, like, what was it before?

SaparotRob · Sep 3, 2025

MiTasol said:
...

Then again starting with Vladivostok might be a better first choice. A very clear "we can freeze every Russian citizen if we want to".

It's pronounced "Haishenwai".

GrauGeist · Sep 3, 2025

SaparotRob said:
So, like, what was it before?

Well, rumor has it that Putin may send in his military.

Oh...wait...

SaparotRob · Sep 3, 2025

Just wait 'til the Black Sea Fleet shows up!

Thumpalumpacus · Sep 3, 2025

"If you don't surrender, I will continue beating my face against your fist!"

GrauGeist · Sep 4, 2025

So far, Russia has warned of:
Provocation
Escalation
Repercussions
Severe consequences
Dire consequences
Extreme measures

oh yeah, and nuclear threats (thinly veiled and outright mention)

To be 100% honest, the spectre of General Winter is casting a long shadow over the Kremlin and they are worried.
What Moscow dished out to the people of Ukraine over the past winters found them unshaken in spite of hardship while the Russian population lived in insulated comfort.

With Ukraine now taking out vital infrastructure in Russia, the public, who's comfort zone has been deteriorating in spite of Putin's best efforts, will now face the harsh realities of his war this coming winter and will looking to the Kremlin for hard answers.

Putin could literally fix this within a few days by withdrawing to pre-2014 borders and thus saving his ass. No apology needed.

But I suspect that he'll keep using Hitler's playbook and drive this to the bitter end.

Thumpalumpacus · Sep 4, 2025

GrauGeist said:
Putin could literally fix this within a few days by withdrawing to pre-2014 borders and thus saving his ass. No apology needed.

But I suspect that he'll keep using Hitler's playbook and drive this to the bitter end.

He cannot surrender, from his domestic view. He's staked his regime upon this invasion's success. If he surrenders now, the people are pissed-off for having lost so many for nothing, and the apparatchiks are pissed because now their nation is in a worse place.

Putin must win or die at this point, I believe. If he negotiates peace, then either knives or pitchforks come out. Or perhaps both.

MiTasol · Sep 4, 2025

I am concerned about the effect of the Chinese ww2 80th anniversary celebration on the war in Ukraine.

I had been ignoring all the fanfare and back slapping but now see that while I, and probably many others here, have been ignoring China they have in just months put together a large coalition of countries that have decided that the enemy of my enemy (that enemy being the USA) is absolutely and positively my friend. India in particular is a great worry. I think this is an unmitigated disaster and I hate to think of what will come out of it. Clearly the US has been caught out by the law of unintended consequences as a result of "renegotiating" just about everything with all the finesse of a hand grenade in a bucket of shit.

The ONLY question for this forum, naturally, is how will this play out in Ukraine.

One worrying possibility is that all those countries will supply credit, arms and manpower to Russia to ensure the destruction of Ukraine and every other country that Putin lusts after. In other words another 20 odd countries doing what North Korea has been doing for the last many months. Many have been aligned with China for years but until now have remained out of the Russia-Ukraine war. Many also have significant funds.

China has a lot of Russian compatible weapons. Will they send those and the people to use them to Russia?
India has a lot of Russian designed weapons. Will they send those and the people to use them?
Ditto how many other countries?
How many of these countries will sanction US companies who supply goods to Ukraine?

Is the US abandonment of Ukraine to the benefit of the rest of the free world? In other words is this new grouping just going to financially and politically attack the USA and ignore the rest of NATO and other Ukrainian supporters or will they go after all those who support Ukraine?

Putin has been extra bolshie over the last few weeks. Obviously he knew his fortunes are about to change to his benefit so now his recent threats to Ukraine change from empty rhetoric to possibly something that is real.

Maybe the mods should separate this out into a new thread.

GrauGeist · Sep 4, 2025

MiTasol said:
I am concerned about the effect of the Chinese ww2 80th anniversary celebration on the war in Ukraine.

I had been ignoring all the fanfare and back slapping but now see that while I, and probably many others here, have been ignoring China they have in just months put together a large coalition of countries that have decided that the enemy of my enemy (that enemy being the USA) is absolutely and positively my friend. India in particular is a great worry. I think this is an unmitigated disaster and I hate to think of what will come out of it. Clearly the US has been caught out by the law of unintended consequences as a result of "renegotiating" just about everything with all the finesse of a hand grenade in a bucket of shit.

The ONLY question for this forum, naturally, is how will this play out in Ukraine.

One worrying possibility is that all those countries will supply credit, arms and manpower to Russia to ensure the destruction of Ukraine and every other country that Putin lusts after. In other words another 20 odd countries doing what North Korea has been doing for the last many months. Many have been aligned with China for years but until now have remained out of the Russia-Ukraine war. Many also have significant funds.

China has a lot of Russian compatible weapons. Will they send those and the people to use them to Russia?

India has a lot of Russian designed weapons. Will they send those and the people to use them?

Ditto how many other countries?

How many of these countries will sanction US companies who supply goods to Ukraine?

Is the US abandonment of Ukraine to the benefit of the rest of the free world? In other words is this new grouping just going to financially and politically attack the USA and ignore the rest of NATO and other Ukrainian supporters or will they go after all those who support Ukraine?

Putin has been extra bolshie over the last few weeks. Obviously he knew his fortunes are about to change to his benefit so now his recent threats to Ukraine change from empty rhetoric to possibly something that is real.

Maybe the mods should separate this out into a new thread.

This is very relevant to the Ukraine situation.

First of all, all consumers of Russian tech as well as those that have lived in the Soviet/Russian shadow have seen the short-comings of Russian versus Western military tech.

North Korea is a backwater communist dream. Their troops have been slaughtered by the truckload, their equipment has failed repeatedly when needed most. They are a non-issue.

India is playing the fence game. They know Russian equipment garbage, but they can buy it at bargain prices and fix it in house - smart, to be honest.

China, on the otherhand, is an adversary to keep an eye on. They are an opportunist and will play the game as best as possible. Notive how their chest-beating at Taiwon has quieted lately? They are seeing how the situation in Ukraine is playing out. This doesn't mean that bullying smaller nations is off the table: trying to ram a Philippine Coast Ship in Philippine waters is an acceptable risk.

Zelensky made it clear that the nations that came to their aid will be partners when the rebuilding process begins and when China offered to be part of the process, Zelensky pretty much told them to go f**k themself.

As far as Putin doing something "real", just exactly what can he possibly attempt, short of nuclear war, that hasn't been tried?
His military has been hollowed, his reserves have been bled out and his assault troops have transitioned from BMPs, to golf carts, to motorcycles, to bicycles and now electric scooters?

And keep in mind that China has had ongoing border issues with Russia as well as territorial tensions. With Russia on their back leg, how would they be able to react to China if they decided they want their land back?

buffnut453 · Sep 4, 2025

MiTasol said:
I am concerned about the effect of the Chinese ww2 80th anniversary celebration on the war in Ukraine.

I had been ignoring all the fanfare and back slapping but now see that while I, and probably many others here, have been ignoring China they have in just months put together a large coalition of countries that have decided that the enemy of my enemy (that enemy being the USA) is absolutely and positively my friend. India in particular is a great worry. I think this is an unmitigated disaster and I hate to think of what will come out of it. Clearly the US has been caught out by the law of unintended consequences as a result of "renegotiating" just about everything with all the finesse of a hand grenade in a bucket of shit.

The ONLY question for this forum, naturally, is how will this play out in Ukraine.

One worrying possibility is that all those countries will supply credit, arms and manpower to Russia to ensure the destruction of Ukraine and every other country that Putin lusts after. In other words another 20 odd countries doing what North Korea has been doing for the last many months. Many have been aligned with China for years but until now have remained out of the Russia-Ukraine war. Many also have significant funds.

China has a lot of Russian compatible weapons. Will they send those and the people to use them to Russia?

India has a lot of Russian designed weapons. Will they send those and the people to use them?

Ditto how many other countries?

How many of these countries will sanction US companies who supply goods to Ukraine?

Is the US abandonment of Ukraine to the benefit of the rest of the free world? In other words is this new grouping just going to financially and politically attack the USA and ignore the rest of NATO and other Ukrainian supporters or will they go after all those who support Ukraine?

Putin has been extra bolshie over the last few weeks. Obviously he knew his fortunes are about to change to his benefit so now his recent threats to Ukraine change from empty rhetoric to possibly something that is real.

Maybe the mods should separate this out into a new thread.

I do wish Washington would wake up to the rhetoric within Russia. There is no way on this earth that the current mindset in Moscow can ever be compatible with American values, let alone the comments in this montage about America's key democratic partners.

Any doubt left? | Poul Erik Weidick ðºð¦ð©ð° | 17 comments

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Frankly, the US needs Allies right now. The US needs NATO. The Royal Navy just completed a flag-waving exercise with HMS Prince of Wales visiting Tokyo. NATO members can project power…but they need to be treated with respect and be part of a collaborative coalition. Those conditions aren't present right now based on the rhetoric in DC.

Trump needs to stop beating on his Allies and start working with them to contain not just Russia but this emerging axis of anti-American and anti-democratic countries.

MiTasol · Sep 4, 2025

buffnut453 said:
...
Frankly, the US needs Allies right now. The US needs NATO. ... NATO members can project power…but they need to be treated with respect and be part of a collaborative coalition. Those conditions aren't present right now based on the rhetoric in DC.

Trump needs to stop beating on his Allies and start working with them to contain not just Russia but this emerging axis of anti-American and anti-democratic countries.

And the part I highlighted is the biggest problem - but it is not just Trump. Many in his cabinet are as bad or worse.

Of all the many leaders who have visited the US and met Trump only two were treated with the respect that all LEADERS treat each other, regardless of their personal feelings about the other person. Both those who were treated with respect are at war and commanding militaries that are committing horrific war crimes.

Most of the others were treated like they were a pool of cat piss on the oval office desk.

The other problem with the treatment of allies, one that is a close second, is why Wall Street named Trump TACO. No one can trust him to keep a promise.

So long as he treats allies like cats piss and dog droppings and refuses to honour commitments there is, unfortunately, little chance of containing this emerging ... anti-American ... sentiment in the countries that are being abused.

buffnut453 · Sep 4, 2025

MiTasol said:
And the part I highlighted is the biggest problem - but it is not just Trump. Many in his cabinet are as bad or worse.

Of all the many leaders who have visited the US and met Trump only two were treated with the respect that all LEADERS treat each other, regardless of their personal feelings about the other person. Both those who were treated with respect are at war and commanding militaries that are committing horrific war crimes.

Most of the others were treated like they were a pool of cat piss on the oval office desk.

The other problem with the treatment of allies, one that is a close second, is why Wall Street named Trump TACO. No one can trust him to keep a promise.

So long as he treats allies like cats piss and dog droppings and refuses to honour commitments there is, unfortunately, little chance of containing this emerging ... anti-American ... sentiment in the countries that are being abused.

Unfortunately the way Allies are being treated means that anti-American sentiment is growing within those Allies. Many in Europe are baffled at the way NATO nations are being treated while Russia seems to get a free pass.

This second- and third-order effects of dismantling the status quo may take years to become fully apparent…but they are absolutely happening.