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Not optimistic for the Trump-Putin pact today.
Well then, out of Kursk and into Belgorod
The Primitives - Crash
Is the entirety of Kursk 'liberated' now?
There are only two choices either Ukraine accept Trumps brainfarts or they don’t
By this stage it’s a sideshow as the key to Ukrainian future is in Europe and not US (for that matter the key to Europes future is not the US either anymore)
There was an article which put it very succinctly
”The conflict cannot simply be resolved as a property transaction. Trump needs to square Russian demands with the minimum Ukrainian requirement for the preservation of their country’s sovereignty and security. He could cut off American aid to Ukraine. In extremis, he could impose sanctions on Ukraine. But he cannot force the Ukrainians to stop defending themselves.”
The last bit in bold stands, back in real world reality doesn’t care for Trumps and Putin alternative reality and dreams
Exactly, that's why this Trump-Putin love-in doesn't really have any validity.
No
You need weapons grade nuclear materials to make bombs. Making such materials is complex and requires building substantial processing facilities, which takes time and a lot of money and would be near impossible to do in secret. Ukraine is essentially bankrupt - it's armed forces salaries are paid from funds given them by the EU.
If they have 7 tons of Plutonium, then they might well be building weapons.
I think the best hope is a consortium of countries that realise the need and cooperate on making nuclear weapons, this way they can collectively flip the bird to those countries that would inevitably object and try and stop them were they to try and do this independently
Ukraine already have 7 tons of plutonium on hand since the main purpose of those Soviet era reactors was plutonium production, electricity was a bonus
The Times had an extensive article about this a while back
Unlike Iran they can skip the whole enriching uranium step and go for better bombs, tho the threat of a drone with a dirty bomb imho is more credible and could be done quickly with existing tech and cause as much if not more damage by causing a panic without the explosive wave
Making such materials is complex and requires building substantial processing facilities, which takes time and a lot of money
And IMO the current crisis will have to be permanently resolved one way or another long before that could happen
Putrid is bluffing, and Kravnov is just pretending to be acting as an arbiter when so far he's done nothing but make demands on Ukraine and none whatsoever on Putrid.
The Russian economy is on the brink of collapse and Putin knows it The Russian ruble has lost over half of its value in a decade and inflation is rampant - with electricity up 250 per cent and interest rates at 21 per cent. As its citizens become increasingly impoverished, the key to peace will be Putin’s financesRussia spent more on its military in 2024 than the rest of Europe combined, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ latest Military Balance report – a staggering $462bn, if adjusted for purchasing power…Massive losses on the battlefield have worsened labour shortages, with a record-low unemployment rate of 2.4 per cent. Factories are running at capacity and beyond. Russia’s economy has “reached the limits of its productive capacity while demand continues to be stimulated,” Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina warned the Russian parliament in November, predicting a fatal combination of economic stagnation and inflation known as “stagflation”.For the first three years of the war, the Kremlin’s war spending fuelled GDP growth which peaked at a staggering 5.4 per cent in early 2024. But 2025 will be the year that growth flatlines, experts predict…The current crazy levels of expenditure are unsustainable, so Putin has a strong economic incentive to bring his war to an end. Ukraine’s economy is also under attack.
The Russian economy is on the brink of collapse and Putin knows it The Russian ruble has lost over half of its value in a decade and inflation is rampant - with electricity up 250 per cent and interest rates at 21 per cent. As its citizens become increasingly impoverished, the key to peace will be Putin’s finances
Russia spent more on its military in 2024 than the rest of Europe combined, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ latest Military Balance report – a staggering $462bn, if adjusted for purchasing power…
Massive losses on the battlefield have worsened labour shortages, with a record-low unemployment rate of 2.4 per cent. Factories are running at capacity and beyond. Russia’s economy has “reached the limits of its productive capacity while demand continues to be stimulated,” Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina warned the Russian parliament in November, predicting a fatal combination of economic stagnation and inflation known as “stagflation”.
For the first three years of the war, the Kremlin’s war spending fuelled GDP growth which peaked at a staggering 5.4 per cent in early 2024. But 2025 will be the year that growth flatlines, experts predict…
The current crazy levels of expenditure are unsustainable, so Putin has a strong economic incentive to bring his war to an end. Ukraine’s economy is also under attack.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-economy-putin-ukraine-war-deal-talks-trump-b2714371.html
Ukraine knows this and I think they will very politely decline Kraznov's parroting of Putrid's surrender demands which are manifestly unacceptable.
They can do what Putin did this week which amounts to
“We accept the concept of unconditional ceasefire, BUT here is my long list of conditions”
If the US really betrays Ukraine, it has also betrayed Europe and its commitment to NATO and European defence is effectively over. The European NATO members should threaten to kick the USA out of its European bases if they betray Ukraine. It might sober up some people in US military circles. And its not a suicidal or idle threat, as US commitments would be worthless if Ukraine is betrayed.
He's not talking or acting like a man desperate for a deal. So far anyway…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-03-11/putin-seen-setting-peace-terms-he-knows-ukraine-will-reject
Vladimir Putin won’t compromise on demands on land, peacekeepers and Ukraine’s neutrality in any peace talks, Western security officials tell us. The Russian leader knows his price won’t acceptable to Ukrainians and other Europeans and is prepared to continue fighting, they added.
Absolutely agree. I have long been a fan of ending this de rigueur fire-walling between security and defence matters and everything else, it's crazy. The US has a trade surplus with Australia and they still went ahead with tariffs.
It's time former US allies woke up and started playing some different cards, like bases, intelligence sharing, data safe-harbouring, airline passenger information, and so on.
When anyone arrives in Australia or the EU from the US - they should be put in a special line and fingerprinted and have facial and retinal scans taken. See how they like it.
Who in US military circles isn't sober?
The US military does not, and should not, have control over international policy decisions which are the remit of the civilian elected government. We may not like the ramifications of it, but do you really want a situation in a Western democratic government where the military instructs the civilian leadership what do to?
I haven't travelled to the EU since the recent retaliatory arrangements were put in place a few months ago, but is that not the case right now anyway? I don't get the retinal, but I certainly got facial last time I passed through Frankfurt, and in Canada (I opt in for facial on the way back to the US as well, actually, it's far faster).
Looks like you are correct and that retaliation is in progress.
Yes, this is fine, so Ukraine is 1/2 way to creating a nuclear weapon. The plutonium they have cannot be used in a working fission bomb, it needs to be purified, plus the bomb needs everything else that makes it go boom rather than fizzle out.
Whoever wrote the Times article thinks otherwise
You should know not to take that literally. Of course I accept that the military are ultimately subject to civilian control and to the constitution. But if an idiot like Trump persues a defence policy which rips up alliances and ultimately weakens the position (incluting the military position) of the USA in the world, then senior military officers have a duty to make their concerns known. Of course they might not do this in public, but there are channels through which their views can be made known, loud and clear.
Orc drone pilots hunting Ukrainian children. This is what having all the cards looks like if you are a pathological narcissist.
Reminds me of my Grandmother telling me about her and a friend being shot at as she made her way home from school. Black & tans pulled in on the roadside and fired up the field at them,
As always Timothy Snyder is spot on here. We await for any MSM to make this irrefutable point?
No reason to believe they're not. In fact, I suspect they are.
But that doesn't mean Trump has to agree with them.
The call between Putin and Trump has now gone on for over an hour & remains ongoing.
Its just incredible this is happening without UKRAINE even having the ability to be listening in. The population of Ukraine have this anxious wait for the unknowns about the future of there country being decided by the aggressor. The world is upside down, fcked with such precidents as this. It just makes no sense at all
No mention of this fact on MSM ( EDIT: SKY just said this at 4. The reporter said he is amazed to be standing in front of the white house where the future of UKRAINE and Europe is being "decided" potentially WITHOUT there involvelment )
"The conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump began over an hour ago and remains ongoing. According to the White House, the talks are progressing in a positive direction.
Following the conclusion of the discussion, President Trump is expected to address the media. The briefing will provide further details on the outcome of his conversation with President Putin."
Trump believes in spheres of influence. I think the reality of the situation is that small countries simply don't count for much once Trump was elected on a protectionist ticket. We are seeing this play out. The world has changed. For smaller players which is the vast majority of countries, not in a good way.
Update from earlier
Trump believes in a lot of stupid **** which somehow always conveniently helps Russia
What's the point in raising these kind of 'principles' re Russia? Putin is a dictator ruling a rogue state who is just going to do as he pleases until somebody puts manners on him…
