Ukraine Invasion: Part 55

[MagicFox]

We're on 55. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 That last one went quickly!

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Will probably get deleted but just came across this on another thread and had to let you all know that we’re war mongers! News to me!!

”The long standing Ukraine threads are mostly populated by war mongering types who see Zelenskyy as the sainted leader of democracy. They typically shout "bot" and "troll" at everyone who doesn't think exactly as they do. Now there are numerous threads on the subject, they try to gate-keep all of these in the same way and it's incredibly disruptive.”

"The BBC is reporting a sudden shift in Russian rhetoric. For years the line has been to blame the US for threats to Russian security. Today it is saying that America is innocent and Europe is the aggressor"

@chadbourne.bsky.social

Must be exhausting trying to remember what line of nonsense they’re pursuing at any given time!

Black is white and white as black etc etc

Oh good. We are clearly pissing off those who are not genuine. I intend to keep it up.
Just be careful when fishing to avoid deletions.

Reading that the UK and France will suggest a 1 month ceasefire on ground and air assaults and no attacks on energy infrastructure (easier to see if this is holding than suggesting the whole front line). Only if that holds will the look for a full end of hostilities from all sides.

Sorry Naval and air assaults

@MagicFox

"The public needs to support defence spending and accept the difficult decisions that doing so will require. Because our defence, our democracy, and Europe's defence and democracy, depends on it."

A blunt but really good summary.

I would add that this needs to be on a European wide basis as well. Otherwise those countries such as Spain, Belgium and Slovakia will simply freeload off UK defence spending and UK taxpayers to provide their NATO defence for them.

”The long standing Ukraine threads are mostly populated by war mongering types who see Zelenskyy as the sainted leader of democracy. "

Of course as with all countries there here are faults with Ukraine and also with Zelensky but whilst not denying them, these faults pale in comparison to an unprovoked land grab invasion by its vastly larger neighbour Russia and the resulting loss of life and destruction.

I don't see myself as a war monger and I very much want a peaceful solution. The issue as I see it is that Ukraine needs a peaceful solution negotiated from at least some position of strength otherwise it is simply saying yes to whatever Putin and Trump cook up. This as we saw with Germany after WW1 or France after 1871 will create resentment and desire for revenge from the Ukrainian people which leads to further conflict. Equally a favourable outcome for Russia will embolden it in other countries like Moldova.

Whether we like it or not, the US has walked off the "job" and so it falls to Europe to put Ukraine into the best position of strength for peace negotiations.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-2-2025

Key Takeaways:

• Recent Russian official statements in response to the proposed US-Ukraine mineral deal indicate that the Kremlin is trying to sabotage the deal through narratives targeting Ukrainian and American audiences. The Kremlin is claiming that this mineral deal does not benefit Ukraine while also claiming that Russia can make a better offer to the United States, indicating that Moscow sees the deal as harmful to its objectives.
• The Kremlin has a vested interest in preventing the United States and Ukraine from signing a mineral deal, as the deal will commit the United States to a long-term investment in Ukraine and Ukraine's sovereignty.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is attempting to exploit discussions between the United States and the EU about the possible deployment of European peacekeeping forces to Ukraine as part of a future peace settlement in order to reinvigorate the Kremlin's demands for regime change in Ukraine.
• European leaders demonstrated their commitment to supporting Ukraine at a defense summit in London on March 2.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Velyka Novosilka.

* *

Daryl Hannah at the Oscars, she starts her presentation to a whoop of applause from the audience.

"Slava Ukraini. The world's real total badasses"

www.instagram.com/united24.media/reel/DGuEClDitnl/

Timothee Chalamet and Adam Sandler at the Oscars last night. No chance this was a coincidence 🇺🇦

https://news.sky.com/story/us-speaker-suggests-zelenskyy-might-need-to-resign-after-disastrous-oval-office-spat-13320236

I am thinking (get with the programme Hills you may say!) but was that whole White House sorry saga orchestrated for Zelenskyy's removal from office? The narrative being Zelenskyy has disrespected the oval office and Trump will only do a deal with someone else. I'm thinking Trump has said "dont worry Vlad, I'll get rid of Zelenskyy before you even have to sit round a peace talks table. You won't have to do a deal with him and you can tell your people the Nazi dictator has finally been removed."

Listening to Behind the Lines and they’re interviewing John Sweeney (worth listening). His description of Trump as the marmalade messiah made me chuckle 🤭

I'm listening as we speak! We are podcast twins, Jelly!

Thanks, @notimagain. It's reassuring to know we've got something in place.

After 3 years here, I'm still happy and humbled at the amount of knowledge on these threads.

"Cat threads are the most polite and the safest place on MN and no competitive lying there)."

Aside from the cats themselves, who twist into all sorts of pretty poses. 😍

Bloody well wish Russia would be taken over by cats.

test

I wondered if Zelensky stepping down would be one solution to this (thinking very pragmatically) but it does occur that this would suit Putin absolutely perfectly and and Trump and his entourage do seem to work to Putin's agenda now.

Possibly a paranoid view mind you, but that was one hell of a strange press conference.

I think you might be right and that Zelenskyy stepping down would be part of a peace deal.

You have great taste 😂

Sad reality is Europe cannot provide the weapons and munitions Ukraine requires.
As a former NATO bigwig said this morning, the UK has given its stockpiles to UA but not replenished them, we had 3 years to do this but did nothing.

By the time we and others ramp up production, should the US withdraw support, it will all be too late.
But atm the US is still supporting Ukraine, our job right now is to ensure they continue this.

On defence spend going forward, whether other countries do or don't increase, the UK has too, its irrelevant what countries with very small armed forces do.

@Alexandra2001

As a former NATO bigwig said this morning, the UK has given its stockpiles to UA but not replenished them,

That's true for some equipment and ordnance but not everything.

Trump will discuss on Monday the possible suspension or complete cancellation of military aid to Ukraine, including weapons previously paid for by the Biden administration — The New York Times

Well fuck.