Ukraine Always Get What You Want

Translation: This thread is interesting to me. I think I can contribute to it in ways that are apolitical. There are plenty of utterly fascinating angles to take on this war in that regard. I'd rather not have it devolve into 6 or 7 pages of "Trump did this!" and one page of the board's three remaining conservatives countering back with "But Biden did this!" followed by another 10 pages of two dozen SJ progressives squashing any dissenting opinions until the next shiny object comes down the road. If I had wanted that, I'd have stayed active over on the politics thread.
That's tiresome and doesn't change any minds. I have far better things to do, even if I occasionally slip up and post a political take on a thread like this. I'd rather take the high road here — or the L; if you want to call it that and do the Icky Shuffle be my guest — before a second thread falls into the muck.

And if you can't comprehend and/or appreciate all of that, then in the words of our Ukrainian friends, іди нахуй.

 

In which the parts of the West that don't pay attention to Africa (i.e. most of it) start to learn of the Wagner Group.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/06/what-is-wagner-group-russia-mercenaries-military-contractor/

 

Ну сукин сын.

 

I thought "The Americans" devoted that entire dreadful Season 5 to this subject.

 

The nonsense you brought into the discussion. It is Republicans who keep trying to score political points with this, especially former President Trump. They want to ignore the role Trump played in creating this mess. They want to ignore how he kept aid from Ukraine. They want to ignore how he emboldened Putin, how he continues to do so so. Sorry, but no sale.

I notice you wanted to take another shot at President Biden before arguing that we should agree to disagree. I would have taken that last part more seriously without the first. What Joe Biden did as Vice President, acting on behalf of the country, is not the same as what Donald Trump did as president, acting to try to hold on to his own power. Take off the Republican blinders and you will see it.

You really are a great part of this board, but that was some bullshit. Do you want to drop the blame game now? By all means, do so. Just don't expect to do it while taking another drive-by shot at the other side and expect it to go unchallenged.

 

Republican Inquiry Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by Biden (Published 2020)

The homeland security panel’s Republican chairman, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, had made little secret of his political ambitions for his report, boasting for weeks that his findings would demonstrate Mr. Biden’s “unfitness for office.” Instead, the result delivered on Wednesday appeared to be little more than a rehashing six weeks before Election Day of unproven allegations that echo an active Russian disinformation campaign and have been pushed by Mr. Trump.

 

The biggest ally of the Ukraine is time. Time will keep sending shockwaves through the Russian economy. Time will allow those inside Russia to kill Putin or give him a one-way ticket to Siberia. The Ukraine won’t defeat Russia, but they can play long enough so a tie can happen.

Their fight also will allow Sweden and Norway to join NATO. Russia will not have the strength or the will from their people to do this again.

 

That is why Putin is waving his biggest saber. Of course, his claim that NATO is making "aggressive statements" is bullshit. His implication that financial and trade sanctions somehow justify even a hint at using nuclear weapons is far beyond bullshit. His attempts to justify this entire mess are bullshit, too. We know it. He knows it. He doesn't give a damn. He's betting that hinting at using a nuclear option will get everyone off his back.

Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions

 

It'll be a bad day to be a Russian bank teller.

 

We're not disagreeing. You're wrong here. This information is known. It doesn't say about Biden what you're trying to make it say. It was a MAGA talking point, as others pointed out.

In truth, it was Biden executing US policy, not a grift for his benefit. And there was no finding of wrongdoing. This is not a disagreement. This is someone misusing known information.

 

Ukrainian sailor reportedly tries to sink Russian oligarch’s yacht: ‘I would do it again’

 

This will complicate some narratives. Certain people will spin this as proof that nothing coming out of Ukraine is trustworthy, but Occam's Razor would suggest it's more likely the Ukrainian authorities were working off the best information they had at the time when they declared the sailors dead. Hopefully people don't hold the sailors' lack of martyrdom against them.