Russian Troop Movements Reported Near Ukraine

[Emcon Ecomcon]

The former French soldier who vociferously promotes the Polish line and wants Britain to spend blood and treasure in Ukraine's interest thinks everyone who disagrees with him is disloyal to their country.

Go figure.

That's very true and unfortunately people like that, are actually serving Moscow's interests far better than I supposedly do. The days of your 'with us or against us' have already cost us so much in geo-political terms and now we have a woke ideology which dictates everything, its even harder to find common ground with anyone.

 

[Zemlyak]

............................, by our pushing eastwards ................................

Or, look at it another way.

Given that the dead hand of the USSR and Warsaw Pact disappeared, the countries that used to be part of them, looked around and decided upon which direction they wanted to move and which clubs to join, some sooner than others.

So newly freed nations made their own decisions, some who were independent pre WW2 jumped at it.

Not NATO and the west pushing east as though they were invading and taking over.

 

[Condottiere]

The former French soldier who vociferously promotes the Polish line and wants Britain to spend blood and treasure in Ukraine's interest thinks everyone who disagrees with him is disloyal to their country.

Go figure.

I spent five times as long under British Colours than I did under French. I am proud to have served both countries as they promote the culture, values, way of life and traditions that I believe in.

I am proud to be a British Citizen of Polish extraction. My Polish roots can be summed up by the opening line of the Polish National Anthem: "Poland has not fallen whilst we are still alive" and the WW2 slogans: "First to Fight" and "For Our Freedom and Yours". The Poles have always fought in the defence of the tenets that I listed above and two events epitomise that defence: Vienna 1683 and Warsaw 1920. Had the opportunity presented itself, I would have been very happy to serve under Free Polish Colours as well.

I do believe that the U.K. should be prepared to expend blood and treasure to defend itself, its allies and its core values. This it does in standing against Muscovite aggression as it has done in the past against other dictatorial aggressors.

And I believe that it has been made abundantly clear in your posts where your loyalties lie.

 

[Emcon Ecomcon]

Or, look at it another way.

Given that the dead hand of the USSR and Warsaw Pact disappeared, the countries that used to be part of them, looked around and decided upon which direction they wanted to move and which clubs to join, some sooner than others.

So newly freed nations made their own decisions, some who were independent pre WW2 jumped at it.

Not NATO and the west pushing east as though they were invading and taking over.

Those countries were actively encouraged to sign up by Brussels and the Americans and so push/pull, the result is the same. Do you think Poland or Bulgaria are more united now, or 25 years ago when they're first signed up ?

A new world order was created post-cold war and inevitably its had a good run and to some level, its become a bit corrupt and more about dividing people to maintain power, than unifying them has taken hold and it was inevitable that those on the outside, are sensing the massive opportunities.

I think Trump was a block in that he promoted bilateral and tried to strengthen nations and back to Biden we are in collective terms weaker now than at any time since the post-war settlement days and most countries were divided and ruined back then and could have gone communist quite easily until america opened its cheque book.

 

[Condottiere]

Moscow still has the option to de-escalate if it so wishes:

Senior U.S. Official Says Washington 'Ready Either Way' In Russia-Ukraine Crisis

The United States will in the coming days lay out its future steps in the standoff with Russia over the latter's troop buildup near the border with Ukraine, national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said on January 16, following a week of talks that failed to ease concerns of a possible conflict.

www.rferl.org

However it appears to be set on a path of confrontation:

Extracted passage:

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on January 13 that Moscow saw no reason to hold a new round of security talks with the West. On January 16, the Kremlin warned that the West and Russia are on "totally different tracks" despite the week of intense diplomacy.

That's because Moscow's diplomacy can be compared to an organised crime gang shaking down a business owner and can be summarised as: "Give us what we want or you'll be sorry!"

 

[Bus Pass 01]

Twitter says that the large amphibious landing ships last seen in the Baltic are heading for the North Sea. Speculation is they are bound for the Black Sea via the Med.

If these ships do a few Calais/Dover runs that's UK stuffed then?

 

[smartascarrots]

And I believe that it has been made abundantly clear in your posts where your loyalties lie.

To the idea of a rules based order, not one of might is right. One where the national interest is not a sufficient excuse for doing what you feel like and destroying at will.

I don't exclude any major power from routinely breaching that, but there are a great many contributors whose posts suggest they don't see any need for their own countries to improve so long as they can point the finger elsewhere and shout, "Worse!" To be the Good Guy, you actually need to be good.

Typically, those posters seem to feel (and feeling plays a far larger part than thinking does) that failing to march in lockstep with them suggests alternative loyalties, while refusing to examine their own consciences and where their own loyalties lie.

"O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion."

 

[Condottiere]

Peskov summarises the view from the Kremlin: Pure "Muscovite Mindset":


Besides the usual smokescreen of falsely claiming that during unification of Germany the US promised no further expansion of NATO eastwards and that NATO is an offensive alliance directed agaisnt Moscow.

He actually stated NATO is invading Ukraine!

"We have seen NATO gradually invade Ukrainian territory with its infrastructure, its instructors, supplies of defensive and offensive weapons, teaching the Ukrainian military and so forth. That has brought us to the red line, a situation which we couldn't tolerate anymore,"

He also said:

"You cannot create the security of one country at the expense of the security of another."

So Moscow really sees a threat to its security in a Ukraine that has the benefit of a freely entered into defensive alliance that guarantees its independence in the face of foreign aggresssion.

Why?

Because a free and independent Ukraine outside Moscow's orbit does not fit into the mythos of Muscovite Russia and is recognised as an absolute threat to the way Russia is currently (mis)ruled due to the example it would set to the Russian peoples.

The final preparations are under way for the invasion of Ukraine. A confirmation can be seen in the way the pro-Moscow posters on here have (maybe not so) subtly changed their spiel.

 

[Electromagnetic]

That's because Moscow's diplomacy can be compared to an organised crime gang shaking down a business owner and can be summarised as: "Give us what we want or you'll be sorry!"

Exactly this.

 

[Condottiere]

To the idea of a rules based order, not one of might is right. One where the national interest is not a sufficient excuse for doing what you feel like and destroying at will.

I don't exclude any major power from routinely breaching that, but there are a great many contributors whose posts suggest they don't see any need for their own countries to improve so long as they can point the finger elsewhere and shout, "Worse!" To be the Good Guy, you actually need to be good.

Typically, those posters seem to feel (and feeling plays a far larger part than thinking does) that failing to march in lockstep with them suggests alternative loyalties, while refusing to examine their own consciences and where their own loyalties lie.

"O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion."

Apply that to Moscow and Beijing and you might be onto something. Otherwise ...........

 

[smartascarrots]

Apply that to Moscow and Beijing and you might be onto something.

I did. Right there in the post you just quoted.

I see I can add 'poor reading comprehension' to 'lack of self-awareness' and 'weak analytic abilities'.

 

[Red Hander]

Information from Twitter:

 

[Condottiere]

I did. Right there in the post you just quoted.

Oh, where they are free to do as they please because they are major powers? So much for your rules based order.

 

[smartascarrots]

Oh, where they are free to do as they please because they are major powers? So much for your rules based order.

Yep, that bit.

You really seem to be struggling with the concept that nobody's shit smells of roses in that respect.

 

[Zemlyak]

Those countries were actively encouraged to sign up by Brussels and the Americans and so push/pull, the result is the same.

So you realised you made an incorrect statement. Well done.

I think Trump was a block in that he promoted bilateral and tried to strengthen nations a

Trump? Strengthen other nations? bwahahahaha

If the EU was such a bad idea, why is Putin keen to see it break up?

and back to Biden we are in collective terms weaker now than at any time since the post-war settlement days and most countries were divided and ruined back then and could have gone communist quite easily until america opened its cheque book.

Hurts doesn't it? Getting your predictions for the US election wrong.

 

[Zemlyak]

Yep, that bit.

You really seem to be struggling with the concept that nobody's shit smells of roses in that respect.

Yes, but some shit is shittier than others.

 

[Emcon Ecomcon]

To the idea of a rules based order, not one of might is right. One where the national interest is not a sufficient excuse for doing what you feel like and destroying at will.

I don't exclude any major power from routinely breaching that, but there are a great many contributors whose posts suggest they don't see any need for their own countries to improve so long as they can point the finger elsewhere and shout, "Worse!" To be the Good Guy, you actually need to be good.

Typically, those posters seem to feel (and feeling plays a far larger part than thinking does) that failing to march in lockstep with them suggests alternative loyalties, while refusing to examine their own consciences and where their own loyalties lie.

"O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion."

I've argued exactly that point (lesser of two evils) and was written off as a Russian stooge. We promote democratic values abroad, but erode them domestically and whenever the popular will is an obstacle to progress, its generally ignored (the EU, is one gigantic gaslighting operation). We also live in a world outside of europe where the gap between rich/poor is significantly greater than 1990, though select groups in each western backed countries have done very well out of the new world order.

Kiev flush with its newfound freedom had the opportunity to be a bridge of sorts and has actively chosen to be a problem for both sides and the ostensible good side is been pushed by neocons and at the same time pulled back and attacking in two directions at once is the very definition of surrounded in my book and why I've argued that its China/Russia who are starting to pull those global strings we've created and now a minority of us have become very aware that we are losing.

 

[Filthy_contract]

Interesting and worrying. Because to me, that implies that Russia's Far East can now rely on China to aid them and I wonder what new deals have been signed. One assumes now any China's invasion of Taiwan, will now have a commensurate build-up of Russian power against NATO and freezing it in place and a move on Taiwan this year, or next is now into its final preparations.

Yeah, Chinese military assistance in the Eastern provinces. That will end well.

 

[Condottiere]

Yep, that bit.

You really seem to be struggling with the concept that nobody's shit smells of roses in that respect.

No, your posts continually point to where you think the shit does smell rosier. We differ in that respect.

 

[Condottiere]

Yes, but some shit is shittier than others.

Yes and the closer you get to Moscow, the worse the smell.