All Things Russia & Ukraine

[Typical Lax Dad]

Georgia & Ukraine are as corrupt as Russia. Pick your poison.
Where's Saakashvili now ? We should have stayed neutral.
...but then where would Soros have spent his NGO $'s.
We tried to take advantage of Russia at their weakest.
It didn't work.

You loath America

????????? You been bonging with Dmac right...

If you criticize actions taken by the government you hate this country.

That would be true if you were talking about a Republican. If a Democrat FLP type criticizes the country they are a true patriot indeed.

Is Old Sailor a Republican? When people question historical actions taken by the the US Government he believes those folks hate and loath America. His hero VDH put that in his mind...or so it seems.

[OCanada]

In 1994 Boris Yeltsin described Russia as " the biggest mafia state in the world" and the "super power of crime".

"Corruption in Russia had penetrated the political, economic, judicial and social systems so thoroughly that has ceased to be a deviation from the norm and has become the norm itself. By pursuing poorly thought out actions during its transition to a free market economy the state became a generator of crime; in other words the authorities became a criminal based institutions generating a social behavior".... Serguei Cheloukhine

(recall at this time Trump had lost access to western banks and became heavily reliant on Russian monies).

Russia as a democratic state became a virtual not a real democratic state because Yeltsin failed to develop a real one for many reasons. The west "allowed the Russian elite to turn its banks and business structures into machines for laundering Russian dirty money. And the west's political and business circles understood perfectly what was going on." Lilia Shevtsova

After the Soviet Union fell the west welcomed Russia as a country democratizing and worked to integrate it into western markets and institutions. it was allowed to keep its Security Council seat. The EU became its most important trading partner, It joined the Council of Europe and the G6 became the G7. a NATO-Russian Council was formed. The west was dealing in delusional thinking. While playing the West Russia occupied part of Moldova and created the state of Transnistria. The Russians were in Chechnya. Russia failed to honor its the obligations and and commitments it pledged to effect. They did not reject the "near abroad" that defined former satellites as in their sphere of influence. Did not withdraw troops from Moldova. Russia ignored them ands no sanctions were imposed. (1990s)

David Satter described the set of clues driving reforms as "social darwinism, economic determinism. and a tolerant attitude toward crime." The people sink into poverty and money concentrated into organized crime and the underground crime. (The daughter of a good friend was living in Moscow at the time and remarked it was like she had seen in movies about the 1930s here.) Resources were controlled by the government.

Things got worse under Putin. Troops remained in Moldova, Georgia was invaded, The Ukraine was invaded and the regime became much more authoritarian, anti-western right wing, and patrimonial. Russia began to resort to "active measures" mentioned a few posts ago.

Putin cultivated western contacts like Berlusconi. The Ukraine invasion changed things. Russia was now threatening European security. Russia was suspended from the G*, PACE and sanctions were imposed. Russia responded with sanctions and escalated its "active measures" and subversive activities. I nentioned these kinds of things a couple of posts ago. They found a willing partner in the far right on western countries.

I met the Russian woman I dated in the Malta airport. Her family was from St Petersburg, she had lived in Moscow and was then in far eastern Russia. I gained a lot of insight from her and developed a deep interested in events involving Russia

[old salt]

Chechnya was, & remains, a part of the Russian Federation.
The war with Chechnya started under Yeltsin. Putin ended it.
Brutal terrorists, dealt with harshly.

The West welcomed Russia economically (& profited handsomely) , but we made no serious attempt to include them in a Pan-European security system. We took advantage of their weakness to lop off long standing, historic Russian provinces as independent states, stranding millions of former ethnic Russians in new ersatz nation states, set up to promote eastward EU expansion. This played right into Russian's historic paranoia of European invasion from the West & the need for a near abroad buffer.

It's ez to say what's wrong with Russia, but nobody's come up with any ideas on how to improve the situation.
Putin has a firm grip on power, is in office until 2024 & if he doesn't find a way to extend that, he'll choose a supplicant successor.
What we are doing is not working -- we're just making the situation worse.
Sometimes, we have to deal with the devil, until events beyond our control produce (another) opportunity for change.
Then we need to be positioned to take advantage of it. We are reacting, based on domestic political opportunism.
We have no coherent long term Russian strategy, other than another costly, dangerous Cold War.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Chechnya was, & remains, a part of the Russian Federation.
The war with Chechnya started under Yeltsin. Putin ended it.
Brutal terrorists, dealt with harshly.

The West welcomed Russia economically (& profited handsomely) , but we made no serious attempt to include them in a Pan-European security system. We took advantage of their weakness to lop off long standing, historic Russian provinces as independent states, stranding millions of former ethnic Russians in new ersatz nation states, set up to promote eastward EU expansion. This played right into Russian's historic paranoia of European invasion from the West & the need for a near abroad buffer.

It's ez to say what's wrong with Russia, but nobody's come up with any ideas on how to improve the situation.
Putin has a firm grip on power, is in office until 2024 & if he doesn't find a way to extend that, he'll choose a supplicant successor.
What we are doing is not working -- we're just making the situation worse.
Sometimes, we have to deal with the devil, until events beyond our control produce (another) opportunity for change.
Then we need to be positioned to take advantage of it. We are reacting, based on domestic political opportunism.
We have no coherent long term Russian strategy, other than another costly, dangerous Cold War.

Sort of how we loped off long standing native American nation states! That’s blasphemous talk y’all.

[dislaxxic]

“I HAVE BEEN SENDING EVERYTHING TO VICTOR:” ON PAUL MANAFORT’S TREASURY-SANCTIONED MEETING PLANNER, VIKTOR BOYARKIN

..

[6ftstick]

“I HAVE BEEN SENDING EVERYTHING TO VICTOR:” ON PAUL MANAFORT’S TREASURY-SANCTIONED MEETING PLANNER, VIKTOR BOYARKIN

..

Mueller screwed up badly. In addition to his 18 Trump hating liberal democrat prosecutors and scores of investigators he needed YOU to find out all this prosecutable stuff.

[dislaxxic]

Trump's goin DOWN. Hard.

..

[6ftstick]

Trump's goin DOWN. Hard.

..

You're heads gonna explode when barr and The IG reports come out.

The biggest political scandal in American History.

[dislaxxic]

Yep, that's the republican political Wet Dream alright. I'd put some rubber sheets on my bed if i were you, Skippy.

..

[old salt]

Chechnya was, & remains, a part of the Russian Federation.
The war with Chechnya started under Yeltsin. Putin ended it.
Brutal terrorists, dealt with harshly.

The West welcomed Russia economically (& profited handsomely) , but we made no serious attempt to include them in a Pan-European security system. We took advantage of their weakness to lop off long standing, historic Russian provinces as independent states, stranding millions of former ethnic Russians in new ersatz nation states, set up to promote eastward EU expansion. This played right into Russian's historic paranoia of European invasion from the West & the need for a near abroad buffer.

It's ez to say what's wrong with Russia, but nobody's come up with any ideas on how to improve the situation.
Putin has a firm grip on power, is in office until 2024 & if he doesn't find a way to extend that, he'll choose a supplicant successor.
What we are doing is not working -- we're just making the situation worse.
Sometimes, we have to deal with the devil, until events beyond our control produce (another) opportunity for change.
Then we need to be positioned to take advantage of it. We are reacting, based on domestic political opportunism.
We have no coherent long term Russian strategy, other than another costly, dangerous Cold War.

Sort of how we loped off long standing native American nation states! That’s blasphemous talk y’all.

The Cossacks don't have casinos. Another of your hermaphroditic historic analogoes. Stick with your subject matter expertise.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Chechnya was, & remains, a part of the Russian Federation.
The war with Chechnya started under Yeltsin. Putin ended it.
Brutal terrorists, dealt with harshly.

The West welcomed Russia economically (& profited handsomely) , but we made no serious attempt to include them in a Pan-European security system. We took advantage of their weakness to lop off long standing, historic Russian provinces as independent states, stranding millions of former ethnic Russians in new ersatz nation states, set up to promote eastward EU expansion. This played right into Russian's historic paranoia of European invasion from the West & the need for a near abroad buffer.

It's ez to say what's wrong with Russia, but nobody's come up with any ideas on how to improve the situation.
Putin has a firm grip on power, is in office until 2024 & if he doesn't find a way to extend that, he'll choose a supplicant successor.
What we are doing is not working -- we're just making the situation worse.
Sometimes, we have to deal with the devil, until events beyond our control produce (another) opportunity for change.
Then we need to be positioned to take advantage of it. We are reacting, based on domestic political opportunism.
We have no coherent long term Russian strategy, other than another costly, dangerous Cold War.

Sort of how we loped off long standing native American nation states! That’s blasphemous talk y’all.

The Cossacks don't have casinos. Another of your hermaphroditic historic analogoes. Stick with your subject matter expertise.

How about we trade Casinos for the rest of the country Sailor. You hate this country for meddling in Russian politics. It’s a theme.

[old salt]

Chechnya was, & remains, a part of the Russian Federation.
The war with Chechnya started under Yeltsin. Putin ended it.
Brutal terrorists, dealt with harshly.

The West welcomed Russia economically (& profited handsomely) , but we made no serious attempt to include them in a Pan-European security system. We took advantage of their weakness to lop off long standing, historic Russian provinces as independent states, stranding millions of former ethnic Russians in new ersatz nation states, set up to promote eastward EU expansion. This played right into Russian's historic paranoia of European invasion from the West & the need for a near abroad buffer.

It's ez to say what's wrong with Russia, but nobody's come up with any ideas on how to improve the situation.
Putin has a firm grip on power, is in office until 2024 & if he doesn't find a way to extend that, he'll choose a supplicant successor.
What we are doing is not working -- we're just making the situation worse.
Sometimes, we have to deal with the devil, until events beyond our control produce (another) opportunity for change.
Then we need to be positioned to take advantage of it. We are reacting, based on domestic political opportunism.
We have no coherent long term Russian strategy, other than another costly, dangerous Cold War.

Sort of how we loped off long standing native American nation states! That’s blasphemous talk y’all.

The Cossacks don't have casinos. Another of your hermaphroditic historic analogoes. Stick with your subject matter expertise.

How about we trade Casinos for the rest of the country Sailor. You hate this country for meddling in Russian politics. It’s a theme.

What I hate is -- watching what thousands of us spent our careers fighting to accomplish,
being frittered away by feckless political hacks & their bootlicking supporters, like you.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Chechnya was, & remains, a part of the Russian Federation.
The war with Chechnya started under Yeltsin. Putin ended it.
Brutal terrorists, dealt with harshly.

The West welcomed Russia economically (& profited handsomely) , but we made no serious attempt to include them in a Pan-European security system. We took advantage of their weakness to lop off long standing, historic Russian provinces as independent states, stranding millions of former ethnic Russians in new ersatz nation states, set up to promote eastward EU expansion. This played right into Russian's historic paranoia of European invasion from the West & the need for a near abroad buffer.

It's ez to say what's wrong with Russia, but nobody's come up with any ideas on how to improve the situation.
Putin has a firm grip on power, is in office until 2024 & if he doesn't find a way to extend that, he'll choose a supplicant successor.
What we are doing is not working -- we're just making the situation worse.
Sometimes, we have to deal with the devil, until events beyond our control produce (another) opportunity for change.
Then we need to be positioned to take advantage of it. We are reacting, based on domestic political opportunism.
We have no coherent long term Russian strategy, other than another costly, dangerous Cold War.

Sort of how we loped off long standing native American nation states! That’s blasphemous talk y’all.

The Cossacks don't have casinos. Another of your hermaphroditic historic analogoes. Stick with your subject matter expertise.

How about we trade Casinos for the rest of the country Sailor. You hate this country for meddling in Russian politics. It’s a theme.

What I hate is -- watching what thousands of us spent our careers fighting to accomplish,
being frittered away by feckless political hacks & their bootlicking supporters, like you.

Who do I support? You get paid or did someone force you into something you didn’t want to do? I hope those are crocodile tears I see. Aren’t you the guy that believes people who complained about past government actions hate the country? Btw, this country is great because we can have a feckless politician, an actor or a mobbed up crooked NYC real estate developer can run the country....not just folk you see fit because you performed a job and feel vested.

[old salt]

Forced into doing something you didn't want to do ? Ask someone older about the draft.

I'm just trying to prevent a stupid nuclear exchange before climate change wipes out humanity.

Open the Arctic sea lanes.

[OCanada]

Geopolitically illiterate. Putin killed Russians to start a second Chechen conflict.

Russia was invited into many EU and international organizations after the fall and the failed to live up to their responsibilitiesX. You don’t onvitecthe fox into the NATO henhouse. I understand you are a Russian apologist. It’s kind of necessary if anyone wants to defend trump. There won’t be a nuclear war unless Trump screws up, Putin is too intelligent to make that kind of mistake with s rational opponent. Like the way you are willing to sell those folks out in order to accommodate Russian imperialist ambitions.

There are a lot of Americans who have moved to Mexico and Canada and Italy and....

Not for a minute should anyone believe Estonians or Ukrainians or Slovenians or Latvians etc want any part of Russia.

[old salt]

Hah. Russians bad, Chechens good. Who's geo-politically illiterate ?
I'm hardly a Russian apologist. I spent most of working life studying them, preparing to fight them.
The Partnership for Peace left Russia on the outside looking in, while NATO & the EU gobbled up the Warsaw Pact & former Russian provinces in the near abroad. The West provided a willing conduit for oligarchs to funnel out billions of dollars pilfered while "privatizing" Russian industries.
Western bankers & real estate moguls were eager accomplices.
I've felt this way since the '90's, long before Trump came on the scene.
Most high ranking military officers & State Dept Russia hands watched NATO expansion (beyond E Germany) with trepidation.
I watched it happen. Yeltsin & Clinton enjoyed the party. Weeks after NATO expansion, we bombed Belgrade.
Just because you had a Chechen girlfriend does not make you a Russian expert.
I'm sure you're eager to defend all those E European borders. That's what we signed up to do.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Forced into doing something you didn't want to do ? Ask someone older about the draft.

I'm just trying to prevent a stupid nuclear exchange before climate change wipes out humanity.

Open the Arctic sea lanes.

Sounded like you were pouting because you were drafted and forced to put something together for slack jawed politicians and are upset that more slack jawed politicians are undermining your work. My bad. I don’t “support” politicians. You have pledged allegiance to Trump. That’s obvious.

[old salt]

Forced into doing something you didn't want to do ? Ask someone older about the draft.

I'm just trying to prevent a stupid nuclear exchange before climate change wipes out humanity.

Open the Arctic sea lanes.

Sounded like you were pouting because you were drafted and forced to put something together for slack jawed politicians and are upset that more slack jawed politicians are undermining your work. My bad. I don’t “support” politicians. You have pledged allegiance to Trump. That’s obvious.

I've pledged allegiance to not to getting dragged back into another Cold War with Russia.
The inevitable ones with China & Iran, + the GWOT, are more than enough.
Maybe we can hold it off if climate change finishes us off before the global community signs up for our green new deal.
...btw, Sen Biden supported NATO expansion, along with partioning Iraq, before withdrawing, leaving it for ISIS.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Forced into doing something you didn't want to do ? Ask someone older about the draft.

I'm just trying to prevent a stupid nuclear exchange before climate change wipes out humanity.

Open the Arctic sea lanes.

Sounded like you were pouting because you were drafted and forced to put something together for slack jawed politicians and are upset that more slack jawed politicians are undermining your work. My bad. I don’t “support” politicians. You have pledged allegiance to Trump. That’s obvious.

I've pledged allegiance to not to getting dragged back into another Cold War with Russia.
The inevitable ones with China & Iran, + the GWOT, are more than enough.
Maybe we can hold it off if climate change finishes us off before the global community signs up for our green new deal.
...btw, Sen Biden supported NATO expansion, along with partioning Iraq, before withdrawing, leaving it for ISIS.

I don’t give a rats *ss about Biden.

[a fan]

I've pledged allegiance to not to getting dragged back into another Cold War with Russia.
The inevitable ones with China & Iran .......are more than enough

Nothing inevitable with either. Unless we CHOOSE to pick a fight with both.

Which is precisely what Trump is doing. Surely you see that.