Global Events & Politics Überthread
- Thread starter Hawk
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striker42
Well-known member
Also today the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said Russia is "fully committed to the principle of the inadmissibility of nuclear war".
This makes me wonder if Russia has gotten some blowback from China and/or India after Putin's comments and so needed to walk things back a bit. Of course it could just be PR but I can't see this being said without the Kremlin wanting it said.
I think we're more likely to see chemical weapons used than nuclear. They would accomplish much the same thing but could be more easily denied (Russia has already laid the groundwork accusing Urkaine of chemical and biological attacks) and so less likely to alienate allies. They would also be unlikely to trigger NATO reprisals.
After all, we know Russia is willing to use chemical weapons as they used them in Syria. Chemical weapons were mentioned alongside nuclear in Biden's speech tonight. Personally, I think the risk of chemical weapons being used is much, much higher than nuclear weapons.
This makes me wonder if Russia has gotten some blowback from China and/or India after Putin's comments and so needed to walk things back a bit. Of course it could just be PR but I can't see this being said without the Kremlin wanting it said.
I think we're more likely to see chemical weapons used than nuclear. They would accomplish much the same thing but could be more easily denied (Russia has already laid the groundwork accusing Urkaine of chemical and biological attacks) and so less likely to alienate allies. They would also be unlikely to trigger NATO reprisals.
After all, we know Russia is willing to use chemical weapons as they used them in Syria. Chemical weapons were mentioned alongside nuclear in Biden's speech tonight. Personally, I think the risk of chemical weapons being used is much, much higher than nuclear weapons.
striker42
Well-known member
The only good thing from tonight is Biden admitted to trying to figure out Putin's off ramp. It's a sign Biden is starting to consider deescalation and peace.
We should be 100% trying to deescalate and resolve the crisis now. Russia's military has gone through a meat grinder it won't quickly recover from so our strategic goals have been met. Peace would allow some loosening of sanctions and an easing of energy prices. It would also prevent risking an escalation spiral.
If we're worried about Russia rebuilding it's military during peacetime, we should be turning every state it borders into a hedgehog. Make them so military prickly as to make them too costly to invade.
striker42
Well-known member
The risk there is the people around him are more hawkish than he is and you could easily end up in a worse position.
I personally believe Putin is escalating to deescalate. He's basically telegraphed his terms to the west. Zelensky might not want to take them but he would have no choice of we premised military support on accepting them.
Look at the Korean war as a guide. The US negotiated the ceasefire. South Korea wasn't really given a choice. We could do the same here and end this nonsense.
Korea is different. If NK rolled down south, our military would intervene to stop it. If Putin and Zelensky agree to a ceasefire what happens next year when Putin tries this again? There’s no American military presence to stop Putin from trying it again. Why would Putin be scared to try this again? He isn’t. You cut his head off and you put an American military installation in Ukraine to scare off anyone else.
striker42
Well-known member
Another sign the G20 could be big is Biden was asked if he'd meet with Putin at the G20 and he responded "That remains to be seen."
This is actually a pretty dramatic shift from earlier this month when the administration signaled there was no interest in a meeting.
It might not come to pass but there are signs that Washington is growing tired of this war. There's little left to gain strategically and a lot left to lose.
This is actually a pretty dramatic shift from earlier this month when the administration signaled there was no interest in a meeting.
It might not come to pass but there are signs that Washington is growing tired of this war. There's little left to gain strategically and a lot left to lose.
Tapate50
Well-known member
All of this could have been avoided if we didn't air foreign policy moves on Colbert Report for chuckles.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Two Russian nationals fleeing President Vladimir Putin’s call-up of military reservists landed by boat on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea and are seeking asylum in the United States, the state’s two senators and U.S. government officials said Thursday.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...sedgntp&cvid=a797880129484cf8bad69217fa520fa7
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...sedgntp&cvid=a797880129484cf8bad69217fa520fa7
cajunrevenge
Well-known member
Excuse me but what did the phone call have to do with any potential war or lack thereof?
striker42
Well-known member
https://news.yahoo.com/putin-wants-grand-bargain-west-160100422.html
A story that isn't getting enough attention. Erdogan is on good terms with Putin and Turkey is a member of NATO so it makes sense Putin would float this to Erdogan.
This would be an interesting shift in tactics by Putin. The war is going poorly but he's got the West uneasy and winter could be rough for Europe. Shifting the focus from Ukraine to the broader relationship with the west would be clever. It would allow him to transcend the Ukraine problem while dealing with Western leaders directly instead of furious Ukraine leadership.
A story that isn't getting enough attention. Erdogan is on good terms with Putin and Turkey is a member of NATO so it makes sense Putin would float this to Erdogan.
This would be an interesting shift in tactics by Putin. The war is going poorly but he's got the West uneasy and winter could be rough for Europe. Shifting the focus from Ukraine to the broader relationship with the west would be clever. It would allow him to transcend the Ukraine problem while dealing with Western leaders directly instead of furious Ukraine leadership.
And now the idiot warmongerers are getting their wish.
All because they know their electoral losses will be massive and they need to wag the dog. We have no clue where this current escalation will take us but recent actions has shown that russia has been demonstrating big restraint in their actions. Too bad the evil people that run the west did nothing but escalate whole idiots like BL cheered for more.
All because they know their electoral losses will be massive and they need to wag the dog. We have no clue where this current escalation will take us but recent actions has shown that russia has been demonstrating big restraint in their actions. Too bad the evil people that run the west did nothing but escalate whole idiots like BL cheered for more.
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