With all of the Russian embarrassments/defections and the geopolitical isolation taking its toll, I wonder when Russia will begin to sue for peace? Putin seems to be quite stubborn about continuing on, but the military leadership has got to think that cutting their losses might be for the best. (Although like Putin, they don't seem like they want to give up easily)

Well Azerbaijan has talked about EU AND NATO membership which would block all southern Caucas access to Iran and Syria and give NATO access to the Caspian Sea, also Armenia is part of CTSO the Russian central Asia alternative to NATO and they could request Russian support not to mention Georgia to the west which already has Russia meddling with them in their own borders.

It's a valid concern, but I don't think Russia could do it with Finnish NATO expansion, Ukraine and the Georgian separatist situation they'd be spread to thin.

I get that. I'm just asking GDS, with his history of supporting Russia over Ukraine, why he brought these two specific Twitter posts up in this topic - though, I have my suspicion it involves a conspiracy theory in support of Russia...

It geographically qualifies for neither. Not to mention, it is also at war, and a far more stupid one at that.

Its a member of the council of Europe so it qualifies just like it's neighbor to the west of it Georgiaand they got the OK. If Azerbaijan Georgia and Turkey joined the EU and Nato that would give them a economic and military advantage into Eastern Europe/ Middle East.

It's definitely not on the European continent, which ends at the Ural and Caucasus mountains, and I also don't really believe we should be doing imperialism, especially considering what is currently happening.

With that retarded logic all of Russia is part of the European continent, Georgia and Azerbaijan have always been linked close to Europe culturally and historically and it would offset Iran and Russia. And if they want to do it voluntarily why stop them its only benefits from there.

I wonder what the game here is. I am assuming they are trying to bait out a Russian reprisal to get them occupied on two fronts. I guess we will have to wait and see.

In the meantime let the usual cast of characters rage on at this post.

Neil Hauer on Twitter: "❗Azerbaijan has struck multiple Russian targets in Armenia, including both FSB vehicles and an FSB border post (mentioned elsewhere) on Armenia's eastern border" / Twitter

Neil Hauer on Twitter: "Azerbaijan now reportedly calls for a ceasefire https://t.co/1YHej8wYXP" / Twitter

I assume the answer may be: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Not all, only the part where people live.

Putin used to be known as a tactician of sorts, now he just acts drunk stupid....

Russian troops forced to retreat in Ukraine were meant to be elite forces tough enough to fight NATO, UK intel says

The Russian troops forced to retreat in Ukraine had a big reputation, UK intel said.

The UK named the 1st Guards Tank Army army among those who ceded vast parts of the Kharkiv region

That army, official said, was a prestigious unit meant to take on NATO in a hypothetical conflict.

The army Putin spent 2 decades building has been largely destroyed in Ukraine, and Russia's 'strategic defeat' could threaten his regime

Russia's military will have to be rebuilt as a result of the war in Ukraine, experts say.

The war has "dramatically" altered perceptions of Russia's military strength, one expert told Insider.

Putin's regime could also now be in jeopardy, as it faces rare examples of dissent.

Twitter.com/AndrewPerpetua here is another random link for me to shit post

perhaps a new thread on armenia might be justified if it spirals out of control any more than it has, but while we're talking about it here for a rare good move from nancy she's travelling to armenia to show them support

i thought america would've stayed out of it completely due to the midterms and the bad image supporting a country that has openly supported russia would look, but this is a pleasant surprise that knocks against my expectations

armenia is a sovereign nation, they deserve to be invaded and occupied (if not genocided) as much as ukraine does, so i hope this signals some willingness for america to mediate the situation

Russia is desperate after recent major loses in Ukraine...

Putin is ratcheting up threats agaisnt Ukraine, while reducing Russia's main goal to the Donbas region, as his own position of power is increasingly on shaky grounds, with growing criticism among the Russian elite and widespread panic in Russian controlled media. And it's negatively impacting their status as an energy superpower, as Germany takes over Russian refineries for their own self preservation from them.

Meanwhile, Russia's military forces continue to face poor planning, low morale, food and military equipment shortages. Russia's mercenary group, the Wagner group, is now enlisting convicted psychopaths and cannibals to replenish their ranks in Ukraine. And Russia still faces a lack of solid support from their closest allies, who, by now, know that Ukraine is a lost cause, and not worth facing international backlash in supporting Russia over it.

Russia is getting desperate with holding a referendum to annex the territory it holds while it is losing its hold on said territory. Everyone is going to see what it really is. Putin wants to be able to say "hey Ukraine is invading us" but really no one is stupid enough to even believe that. No one will recognize Russia's claims. Putin may try use it for a general mobilization, but it is far too late for that.

That's the hopelessly prowestern spirit! Warning I am going to paint you a picture to the contrary view. Putin is winning even if Russia is losing. The short term territorial reclamation belie the scenario, that what could be looted or plundered already has. For six months (sob) all the Ukranians and Russian soldiers shat together in musty basements, voluntarily or for fear of their own lives.

Whether Russians as a majority decide we can no longer trust such a person, the man is very clever, at least on an intellectual basis, at dividing houses, at reversing momentum. Whether Russia wins or loses, Putin in his selfish personal aspirations is the person who actually wins.

What do you think, at a year when the droughts get a little longer, the sea rises a little more, and the floods drop like a bucket, that we should be worried about Ukranian lives?

Even though he lost a fraction of territory, he has taken hold of the central supply chain. He claimed what Hitler could not: control of the vast eastern caucuses which hold a % of the Earth's petroleum reserves, a rich quality that could never be reproduced in North America.

Get one thing right if you actually reading this post. I not trying to be pro Putin or support him, rather I look at this situation as objectively as is possible.

Then consider the western and global economy. Don't think about the interpersonal issues of how Xi Jingping might have personal issues now that he witnessed the Wagner Ultimatum. Think about how it's the Gatsbian crisis in the west, where low rider millennials have bid up the value of stocks 50x past their price to earnings ratio. How Berkshire is "holding" while inflation>=20%. That is because after he sold the rights of Fox to Disney, he ran out of actual mental interests. The value of superstocks is expressed through the prospect of knowing every detail about every influence, which requires quite a big of data collection. Do you ever wonder why you seem to have used that much data? And as fb collects your info, they use your battery and data plan to conduct the transfer.

And on top of all this superficial and accelerating consumption, there is no guarantee that personalized data sets will be protected by government or corporations of the west. In fact, it's more likely it will continue until we will have forced updates until our words are understood by our shitting and eating cycles.

Why does that have anything to do with the Ukraine situation? Because as America, I am not producing the quality, durable and long lasting products like I was in the 1950's. What is the significance of donating items to Ukraine that have been imported to America from China? The cycles of consumption and anxiety where Americans feel the need to throw everything into the trash, will certainly hit a tipping point! We always need to ask, at whose insistence have they made such a product, which currency has been the predominant driver of such manufacture and transport.

Until or unless Putin dies, sincerely apologizes, this will go on a long time. If it gives everyone anxiety, then it is not just a national or territorial situation, rather a global situation.

But getting back to the black hole of direct conflict, he does not care about slavs or kossacks or any other ethnic group traditionally seen as Russian. He is training slavs to kill slavs, kossacks to kill kossacks, and the numbers of casualties on either side gives him glee, because his goals seem greater than any such cost.

Okey dokey.

Hm.

Prior to the war, the USA got 3% of its oil from Russia, which is not a large share. Most of oil imports comes from Canada.

Good question, lol

Two things:

-You’ve made a leap of logic to get China deeply involved in the Ukrainian crisis.

-… I’m fairly sure the majority of Ukraine’s imports aren’t the USA’s hand-me-downs …

I don’t see how most of what was written in this long wall of text suggests that Putin is going to come out on top.

The closest I found was the stuff about the supply of oil, which most users are aware about since the beginning of the war, hence seeking alternative suppliers from Saudis, pulling the plug completely on Nordstream 2, etc.

This is an article from March 2, 2022: Poor planning, low morale, weak supplies corrode Russian invasion from within. Since then absolutely nothing has changed, except for increased rhetoric from Russia on escalating the conflict in Ukraine after recent massive defeats. This is leading to their stock market tanking, protests, and people fleeing the country in fear of being conscripted to die for a god king complex.

It looks like Russia wants to increase their forces to 300,000, but it's unlikely they will be properly trained and supplied, just like in previous wars, and just be used as cannon fodder meant to ingloriously die in suicidal attacks in hopes that overwhelming numbers will win them the war. What was that Nazi nonsense again about preserving the Russian people that Putin and his Russian allies are promoting?

I read that hawkish Russian commentators are looking for further action in Ukraine. IMO I think it is clear to those in Russia they are not succeeding so Putin has opted to double-down.

However, I suspect the West will need to respond soon, as I think the false elections in the annexed regions give an excuse for escalated responses. I suspect Putin would rather use a nuke than retreat meekly.

I think if Putin used a nuke, or even intentionally destroyed Ukraine's nuclear power plant, it would further isolate Russia from all it's remaining international allies, effectively drying up trade and killing off it's economy, and Putin most likely would be assassinated or imprisoned by the other Russian oligarchs - who aren't too happy with the war in the first place. I think Putin's reign of power, regardless of what happens in Ukraine, is already numbered. There is no way he can change any of it at this point, only make it worse for himself.

.

and will

effectively be the end of Putin's rule. He must be ware of this, at the very least.

If Putin does go nuclear, isn't there a possibility that the West launches nukes back at Russia in retaliation? The end result: the cockroaches inherit the Earth...what's left of it.

Where have I seen this before?

Would have been nice for the EU to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, oh, say, eight years ago?

They invaded Georgia and Crimea. There was plenty of advance warning this was going to happen.

Might wanna rephrase that.

unless you think i believe ukraine should suffer a genocide, it makes my point clear enough

but to be clearer, i do not believe either ukraine nor armenia deserve genocide against their people

This is a scary thought but I want to eschew it out there. And it is how were those Russians recruited, exactly who are they? Is Putin using some type of internal analytics to pick people he wants out of Russia? I mean this is pure speculation, but we heard the first time he upped the ante, he was selecting a pool of young men without much fighting experience, and one thing that was indicated, yesterday, was that the next wave from Russia against Ukraine have the fighting experience. I mean this is unqualifiable, but if true, how did he pick them? Did he steal from the west, in terms of platform, in order to do so? I mean did he use analytics to draft specific individuals? And if so, why?

Well, when you are conscripted, or drafted, into the military, you don't have much choice but to serve. Most of them will come from those in the Russian reserve, who have limited military training, and will likely have no additional training when they are shipped off to the killing fields - and will most likely be ill equipped with food and weapons when they get there. It's an act of desperation on the part of Putin over a failing war, and image, where many Russian would rather flee the country than die for the needs of a narcissist.

Yeah but this is like postmodern warfare. It's not a simple draft, where the soldiers of a nation are chosen by lots, blindly. I'm suggesting it could have been done selectively and using the software the Russians stole from western source code.

that is a frightening phrase to me