"Newsweek", a liberal magazine from New York.
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Shiftless2
Well-known member
I would have thought "did" as opposed to "might have"
Putin cancels annual year-end news conference: Kremlin
The break in tradition comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine falters and its economy struggles under the weight of sanctions.Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold a year-end news conference this year, the Kremlin has said, suspending an annual tradition that dates back to the early years of his presidency.
“There will not be [a news conference] before the New Year,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, but noted that Putin “regularly speaks to the press, including on foreign visits”.
Peskov gave no reason for not holding the marathon conference that usually lasts several hours, but Kremlin observers view it as a break with protocol due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began in February.
There would also be no New Year reception at the Kremlin, officials said, at a time when Russia’s war in Ukraine has not gone according to plan.
Putin cancels annual year-end news conference: Kremlin
Break in tradition comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine falters and its economy struggles under the weight of sanctions.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
Russia Complains of Ukraine Military's 'Aggressive Behavior'
Russia complains of Ukraine military's "aggressive behavior"
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin blamed Kyiv for failed peace talks and lamented its "totally aggressive" military conduct.www.newsweek.com
S2 #64
I've read accounts of why Putin may sincerely believe, or find plausible the excuse for his adventurism in Ukraine.
I consider it disgraceful that some world leader (even the Pope, or any Imam with a shred of human decency [if there is one]), or some entity with a spine made of something other than jello, hasn't grabbed Putin by the lapels and read him the riot act.
Smooth.
Attract interest by getting onlookers emotionally invested by making a prediction, and then monitoring to see if they're right.
My own take on this:
What Putin is doing to Ukraine is quite analogous to a sadistic bully mercilessly pummeling a pacifist.
Seems to me Putin won't have much incentive to knock it off, until Russia begins to suffer the destruction, the loss of life now being inflicted / sustained by Ukraine. Seems like absolute madness to me that Ukrainian counter-strikes are not already underway.
Scroom!
If they want to keep dying, I'll have to settle for keep reading about it.
I've read accounts of why Putin may sincerely believe, or find plausible the excuse for his adventurism in Ukraine.
I consider it disgraceful that some world leader (even the Pope, or any Imam with a shred of human decency [if there is one]), or some entity with a spine made of something other than jello, hasn't grabbed Putin by the lapels and read him the riot act.
t #65
Smooth.
Attract interest by getting onlookers emotionally invested by making a prediction, and then monitoring to see if they're right.
My own take on this:
What Putin is doing to Ukraine is quite analogous to a sadistic bully mercilessly pummeling a pacifist.
Seems to me Putin won't have much incentive to knock it off, until Russia begins to suffer the destruction, the loss of life now being inflicted / sustained by Ukraine. Seems like absolute madness to me that Ukrainian counter-strikes are not already underway.
Scroom!
If they want to keep dying, I'll have to settle for keep reading about it.
t #67
Indeed.
Part of the question is why Ukraine still lacks that offensive capability, though this War has been ongoing for most of a year.
The West in general and the U.S. in particular has been fairly generous even if not particularly prompt with providing Ukraine defensive weapons. Recent reports indicate the U.S. is seriously considering providing Ukraine with Patriot defense missiles.
Even if not for perpetuity, this war, this destructive Russian aggression deliberately degrading Ukraine's peaceful infrastructure may continue for the foreseeable future, as Putin is paying a price (Russian military casualties) Putin evidently considers acceptable.
My intended point in #66 is that the way to shorten this war, pressure Putin / Russia to end it and withdraw, is to exact an attrition rate against valuable Russian infrastructure roughly comparable. Otherwise, in Putin's terms, Russia can continue for years, a price Putin is evidently willing to pay.
The West certainly can sell both defensive, and offensive weapons. From the quotes thread:
Whether "comments" or some other consideration, it's clear to me the U.S. is withholding supplying Ukraine effective retaliatory offensive (counter-offensive) weapons. Not sure why, but I imagine Putin's nuclear weapons threats both expressed and implied, have until now limited Ukraine's access to such weapons.
The result is, Ukraine may have much much more suffering to do.
Indeed.
Part of the question is why Ukraine still lacks that offensive capability, though this War has been ongoing for most of a year.
The West in general and the U.S. in particular has been fairly generous even if not particularly prompt with providing Ukraine defensive weapons. Recent reports indicate the U.S. is seriously considering providing Ukraine with Patriot defense missiles.
Even if not for perpetuity, this war, this destructive Russian aggression deliberately degrading Ukraine's peaceful infrastructure may continue for the foreseeable future, as Putin is paying a price (Russian military casualties) Putin evidently considers acceptable.
My intended point in #66 is that the way to shorten this war, pressure Putin / Russia to end it and withdraw, is to exact an attrition rate against valuable Russian infrastructure roughly comparable. Otherwise, in Putin's terms, Russia can continue for years, a price Putin is evidently willing to pay.
The West certainly can sell both defensive, and offensive weapons. From the quotes thread:
B U T ! !
Whether "comments" or some other consideration, it's clear to me the U.S. is withholding supplying Ukraine effective retaliatory offensive (counter-offensive) weapons. Not sure why, but I imagine Putin's nuclear weapons threats both expressed and implied, have until now limited Ukraine's access to such weapons.
The result is, Ukraine may have much much more suffering to do.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected House speaker on a historic post-midnight 15th ballot early Saturday, overcoming holdouts from his own ranks and floor tensions that boiled over after a chaotic week that tested the new GOP majority’s ability to govern.
“My father always told me, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” McCarthy told cheering fellow Republicans.
Eager to confront President Joe Biden and the Democrats, he promised subpoenas and investigations. “Now the hard work begins," the California Republican declared. He credited former President Donald Trump for standing with him and for making late calls “helping get those final votes.”
news.yahoo.com
And now the headlines the entire nation is so eager for? The winning numbers from the most recent Megamillions lottery ...
“My father always told me, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” McCarthy told cheering fellow Republicans.
Eager to confront President Joe Biden and the Democrats, he promised subpoenas and investigations. “Now the hard work begins," the California Republican declared. He credited former President Donald Trump for standing with him and for making late calls “helping get those final votes.”
McCarthy elected House speaker in rowdy post-midnight vote
Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected House speaker on a historic post-midnight 15th ballot early Saturday, overcoming holdouts from his own ranks and floor tensions that boiled over after a chaotic week that tested the new GOP majority’s ability to govern. “My father always told me, it’s not...
And now the headlines the entire nation is so eager for? The winning numbers from the most recent Megamillions lottery ...
R #70
And Volodomir says he not only wants Russia out of Ukraine, but out of Crimea too.
Business Insider
Seems to me China isn't doing much to conceal the fact that TikTok is metadata spyware. If so, shame on Biden for not already having banned it.
And Volodomir says he not only wants Russia out of Ukraine, but out of Crimea too.
Business Insider
Why India banned TikTok — and what the US can learn from it, as pressure mounts for Biden to follow suit
Why did India ban TikTok? In 2020, after a geopolitical dispute with China, India banned the app entirely, citing a law that allows the government to block websites and apps in the interest of the country's "sovereignty and integrity." Mark Shmulik, a Bernstein analyst, said that as political pressure builds for the US to follow suit, India's actions are "a useful proxy" because its a huge market similar to the US that has banned "an app that's at the top of its popularity."Seems to me China isn't doing much to conceal the fact that TikTok is metadata spyware. If so, shame on Biden for not already having banned it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has wasted the opportunity to use his country's gas supply leverage over Europe because nations are now successfully diversifying their energy supplies, according to Germany's vice chancellor.
Robert Habeck, the German deputy head of government and economic minister, said at a press conference on Thursday that German had initially been left exposed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February due to its reliance on natural gas from Russia, supplied via the Nordstream 1 pipeline.
"The German problem, or the central European problem, was that half of our eggs were in the basket of Putin," Habeck said at a joint press conference with the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, The Guardian reported. "He destroyed [those eggs]."
After the invasion of Ukraine there were fears of blackouts in Germany and other countries across Europe, as Russia drastically reduced its gas supplies amid sharp criticism of its aggression against its neighbor.
Before the conflict, Germany had relied on Russia for around 60% of its gas. Many other countries in Europe had similar heavy reliance.
But Germany's scramble to secure alternative energy supplies has borne fruit, with the country switching to sources of energy including Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG.
Habeck said that Germany was now "one-third done" with replacing Russian energy supplies through other means, and sounded a note of cautious optimism.
"Right now, I can say the storages in Germany are full, around 90%, we will withstand this winter, and the [gas] prices are going down," he said.
As German and Norwegian ministers met, energy companies from the two countries announced a deal on Thursday to increase Germany's supply of Norwegian blue hydrogen, a low carbon emissions hydrogen fuel, DW reported.
https://news.yahoo.com/putin-wasted-leverage-over-europe-141448516.html from Business Insider
It is a ghastly high price to pay in blood & treasure. But many lessons for Russia and beyond can be learned from Putin's failed attempt at military conquest in Ukraine.
Putin's obsolete Soviet style mind-set reflects Putin's own superlative ignorance of economics.
More fundamentally than that, it indicates Putin doesn't really perceive a future for Russia apart from the past.
Bottom line it seems Putin has lead Russia to war again because Putin didn't know what else to do.
Robert Habeck, the German deputy head of government and economic minister, said at a press conference on Thursday that German had initially been left exposed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February due to its reliance on natural gas from Russia, supplied via the Nordstream 1 pipeline.
"The German problem, or the central European problem, was that half of our eggs were in the basket of Putin," Habeck said at a joint press conference with the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, The Guardian reported. "He destroyed [those eggs]."
After the invasion of Ukraine there were fears of blackouts in Germany and other countries across Europe, as Russia drastically reduced its gas supplies amid sharp criticism of its aggression against its neighbor.
Before the conflict, Germany had relied on Russia for around 60% of its gas. Many other countries in Europe had similar heavy reliance.
But Germany's scramble to secure alternative energy supplies has borne fruit, with the country switching to sources of energy including Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG.
Habeck said that Germany was now "one-third done" with replacing Russian energy supplies through other means, and sounded a note of cautious optimism.
"Right now, I can say the storages in Germany are full, around 90%, we will withstand this winter, and the [gas] prices are going down," he said.
As German and Norwegian ministers met, energy companies from the two countries announced a deal on Thursday to increase Germany's supply of Norwegian blue hydrogen, a low carbon emissions hydrogen fuel, DW reported.
https://news.yahoo.com/putin-wasted-leverage-over-europe-141448516.html from Business Insider
It is a ghastly high price to pay in blood & treasure. But many lessons for Russia and beyond can be learned from Putin's failed attempt at military conquest in Ukraine.
Putin's obsolete Soviet style mind-set reflects Putin's own superlative ignorance of economics.
More fundamentally than that, it indicates Putin doesn't really perceive a future for Russia apart from the past.
Bottom line it seems Putin has lead Russia to war again because Putin didn't know what else to do.
Borg Refinery
Active member
Or because he's reportedly dying of pancreatic cancer and panicked when he saw the west's noose (NATO bases surrounding him).
Borg Refinery
Active member
They've been quite pro Trump at times actually.
Sadly, I gather a Western friendly Kremlin palace coup is as unlikely as a stampede of unicorns trampling the flowers.
Both New Yorkers?
Borg Refinery
Active member
No problem with a non-Western friendly government in place. I just have a problem with a murderous one who wants to do terrible things. They aren't exactly Western-friendly in Cuba but they pose little to no threat to us and Obama smartly wanted to deal with them in the proper manner.
I quite like the idea of a strongly independent Russia that is opposed to the West as long as it's not headed by men like Putin, or for that matter, pushovers for the west like that awful Yeltsin. It needs men more like Gorbachev or Kerensky.
Lenin on murdering Grand Duchess Elizabeth -
"virtue with the crown on it is a greater enemy to the world revolution than a hundred tyrant tsars"
The virtuous must be eliminated first. That's how he saw it (not that Russia is Communist - at all - now - but that still gives you an insight into what Russia had been living under from 1917-1991)
I quite like the idea of a strongly independent Russia that is opposed to the West as long as it's not headed by men like Putin, or for that matter, pushovers for the west like that awful Yeltsin. It needs men more like Gorbachev or Kerensky.
Lenin on murdering Grand Duchess Elizabeth -
"virtue with the crown on it is a greater enemy to the world revolution than a hundred tyrant tsars"
The virtuous must be eliminated first. That's how he saw it (not that Russia is Communist - at all - now - but that still gives you an insight into what Russia had been living under from 1917-1991)
I can't presume to understand it, other than simple mentally ill desire, wanting to rule others. Such persons may feel no need to justify their ambition.
Yet I do puzzle over what it is they have in mind, why they think it's OK for them to do that to others, but not OK for others to do that to them.
Yet I do puzzle over what it is they have in mind, why they think it's OK for them to do that to others, but not OK for others to do that to them.
I lack the clarity of your insight on these men. But for the record, if we're going to point the accusatory finger at a Russian / Soviet leader for being a pushover for the West, would it not be Gorbachev? It was after all during Gorby's tenure that the Cold War ended. Not clear to me how that war's end could be legitimately perceived as anything other than defeat for the Soviet Union.
Borg Refinery
Active member
His hand was largely forced by CIA intervention to try and help topple the Soviet hardliners who sought to undo him [Gorby]. The two secret hands of the Hardliner Communists and Western puyppets joinjtly brought him down, it's really unfair actually. But he was a murderous tyrant himself in many respects, as he suppressed independence movements in some SU satellite states brutally and killed protesters. He was far, far from being a saint. He was still Russia's best hope though.
BR, please pardon my "senior moment" here. You know Victor Danilchenko?
At his site (last Spring?) we discussed the horrendously missed opportunity of the U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush (GHWB) administration.
Victor clanged that there was nothing the West could do. So I posted a rough draft of what President sear would have sent Gorby within a week of the Berlin Wall tumble:
Dear President Gorbachev:
For decades the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were locked in a mutually depleting Cold War that threatened our mutual annihilation.
That War is now over, and some might expect the victor to harvest the spoils.
But the United States of America maintains a proud tradition of welcoming our former adversaries as friends, as we have with both Germany and Japan after WWII.
Not a mere rhetorical welcome without substance or concern, but genuine, substantial peace and prosperity.
The Soviet economy was a zero sum game. For government to have more, the good people of the Soviet Union had less, and for the Kremlin to keep pace with the Pentagon, the good people of the Soviet Union were forced to have a great deal less.
As president of the United States I offer to you, to Russia and the good people that populate her, the same determined hand of friendship that it is our tradition to extend.
It will be a very long road Mr. Gorbachev, measured not in miles, but decades. Many challenges and obstacles await us in our mutual effort to welcome Russia to a far more prosperous, more comfortable, more secure future.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." There is no benefit to delay. The sooner we begin to rebuild, to modernize, to benefit all of Russia the better.
I have appointed a liaison team to establish communications with their counterpart working group in Russia.
This combined team can begin by establishing the objectives Russia chooses to achieve, prioritized to your preference, to be executed only upon your approval.
If any time you sense a snag in their progress, or if you simply wish to touch base to solidify mutually beneficial diplomatic relations, please feel free to contact me directly.
Both our nations have paid a price. But the wisdom of your world-class leadership is surely equal to this task that lays before us. Our liaison team has communication keys to share with yours, for their consultation with Germany, Japan, and other Western nations eager to offer constructive suggestions on how to optimize Russia's post War transition.
All best to you and and Raisa.
Your partner in Russia's prosperity, with kindest regards
United States President George Herbert Walker Bush
202-456-1111
I'd appreciate your insight here BR. Am I way off base here?
Seems to me the West allowed Russia to founder terribly, leaving it to draw a perfectly rational conclusion: the West still views it as them vs Russia, NOT Russia has joined us.
Seems to me if we'd accorded Russia some portion of the kind of post war aid accorded Germany and Japan, we'd all be better off.
a) Life in Russia including the standard of living would have improved. It would now be superior to where it actually is, because we left the Russian economy to stagnate.
b) There would be no war in Ukraine right now, because Russia would have known it had more to lose than to gain if it did invade Ukraine.
As Kris Kristoffersen wrote: "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose." I sincerely believe the U.S. treasury, and Ukraine's homeland are paying the penalty for GHWB not sending Gorby a letter like that.
Victor never acknowledged my post. I assumed I nailed him, and he was simply too shy about it to acknowledge.
Shouldn't the West have welcomed Russia, and snuffed out all embers from the Cold War, lest they fester & flare, as they have in Crimea and Ukraine?
At his site (last Spring?) we discussed the horrendously missed opportunity of the U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush (GHWB) administration.
Victor clanged that there was nothing the West could do. So I posted a rough draft of what President sear would have sent Gorby within a week of the Berlin Wall tumble:
Dear President Gorbachev:
For decades the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were locked in a mutually depleting Cold War that threatened our mutual annihilation.
That War is now over, and some might expect the victor to harvest the spoils.
But the United States of America maintains a proud tradition of welcoming our former adversaries as friends, as we have with both Germany and Japan after WWII.
Not a mere rhetorical welcome without substance or concern, but genuine, substantial peace and prosperity.
The Soviet economy was a zero sum game. For government to have more, the good people of the Soviet Union had less, and for the Kremlin to keep pace with the Pentagon, the good people of the Soviet Union were forced to have a great deal less.
As president of the United States I offer to you, to Russia and the good people that populate her, the same determined hand of friendship that it is our tradition to extend.
It will be a very long road Mr. Gorbachev, measured not in miles, but decades. Many challenges and obstacles await us in our mutual effort to welcome Russia to a far more prosperous, more comfortable, more secure future.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." There is no benefit to delay. The sooner we begin to rebuild, to modernize, to benefit all of Russia the better.
I have appointed a liaison team to establish communications with their counterpart working group in Russia.
This combined team can begin by establishing the objectives Russia chooses to achieve, prioritized to your preference, to be executed only upon your approval.
If any time you sense a snag in their progress, or if you simply wish to touch base to solidify mutually beneficial diplomatic relations, please feel free to contact me directly.
Both our nations have paid a price. But the wisdom of your world-class leadership is surely equal to this task that lays before us. Our liaison team has communication keys to share with yours, for their consultation with Germany, Japan, and other Western nations eager to offer constructive suggestions on how to optimize Russia's post War transition.
All best to you and and Raisa.
Your partner in Russia's prosperity, with kindest regards
United States President George Herbert Walker Bush
202-456-1111
I'd appreciate your insight here BR. Am I way off base here?
Seems to me the West allowed Russia to founder terribly, leaving it to draw a perfectly rational conclusion: the West still views it as them vs Russia, NOT Russia has joined us.
Seems to me if we'd accorded Russia some portion of the kind of post war aid accorded Germany and Japan, we'd all be better off.
a) Life in Russia including the standard of living would have improved. It would now be superior to where it actually is, because we left the Russian economy to stagnate.
b) There would be no war in Ukraine right now, because Russia would have known it had more to lose than to gain if it did invade Ukraine.
As Kris Kristoffersen wrote: "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose." I sincerely believe the U.S. treasury, and Ukraine's homeland are paying the penalty for GHWB not sending Gorby a letter like that.
Victor never acknowledged my post. I assumed I nailed him, and he was simply too shy about it to acknowledge.
Shouldn't the West have welcomed Russia, and snuffed out all embers from the Cold War, lest they fester & flare, as they have in Crimea and Ukraine?
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