(March 1, 2025 at 10:20 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(March 1, 2025 at 10:16 am)Leonardo17 Wrote: Thumpalumpacus:
 
I’m only speculating here. But it seems to me that he is really trying to push for some sort of deal. He said “I could say a lot about Putin if I wanted to. But I’m trying to get both sides to agree on something”
And if he does not do it, Than who? (It’s probably not going to be the East-Roman Ruler, I can tell you that much )

Of course he's pushing for a deal. He has consistently been against Ukraine in this war and has been since Day One. Anyone with half-a-brain knows that freezing the lines here, declaring a cease-fire, but refusing to give Ukraine security guarantees -- which is what caused yesterday's blow-up -- is a recipe for this war's reignition in a couple of years.

Security gurarantees were given when Ukraine was "convinced" to denuclearize... See how well those went? That's why Zelensky was pushing so much for those guarantees. He needs them to be firmer than whatever was given to his country way back in the 90's,

Concerning the mineral deposits in Ukraine, those were never a secret and they were likely Russia's main goal with this conflict that has been going on since the early 2014 or so.
I've recently learned that the EU had an agreement with Ukraine, penned in 2021, just before Russia invaded how curious, for a partnership on raw materials.
Of course, Trump can't... err... trump over that pre-existing partnership and Zalensky knows that the EU is right next door and far more keen on helping them than the US, so why would he replace one partnership with 500 million people in favor of a deal with 350 million?
A partnership, as flawed as it may be considering that the EU is involved, means that both parties gain something and grow together.
A deal is an exchange of things. Considering how beligerant Trump and his lapdog, Vance, were, I'd say the deal would greatly benefit certain US businesses and leave Ukraine ravaged, like so many other mining areas of the globe have been (some in Africa and S.America by Europeans... shuushhh!)

Russia is also interested in those minerals so they could have tried to get a foot in that agreement with the EU and create a pan-european partnership in such a way that everyone would gain something. But it seems that was not their desire. Peaceful coexistence is always very difficult for those who wish for ever an growing power.
As it stands today, Russia will only back away from Donbas by force or by economic ruin. None of those seem to be materializing, so the war continues.
The people in those regions are mostly russian speaking and russian identifying, so it's unlikely that they will revolt against the present powers taht be.
Ukraine will give up on those provinces when they have no more people, or ammo, or equipment which is now mostly dependent on EU support.
Place your bets on which part of this chessboard falls off first.

(March 1, 2025 at 7:22 am)Belacqua Wrote: War is bad, and ending a war is good. 

What a truly facile claim, so fighting Hitler was "bad" then? 

Quote:There's no point in continuing the one in Ukraine.

The point is to stop a ruthless dictator, intent on a war of conquest against a sovereign nation, and who is happy to slaughter it's people, and his own to do so.

(March 1, 2025 at 7:33 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Bel use that same link last time..the one that says russias economy is fucked..if you actually click on it and read it?

He doesn't even know what his own points are anymore. The reality is Russia's economy military are fucked

Quote:War is bad, and ending a war is good. 

  War is good or bad depending on the circumstances. If you don't understand that very basic concept, then please hush.

Quote:There's no point in continuing the one in Ukraine.

Aside stopping  a mad tyrant taking  over a sovereign state

I swear China and Russia must be partying 24 hours they gotten more from Donald Chamberlain then they could have ever wanted

Arewethere yet:
 
No of course it isn’t. D. Trump is reminding me a lot of Nicholas Sarkozy (The President of France between 2007 and 2012). Their wives are almost identical, both of them have had serious legal issues from which they were unlikely to recover if it wasn’t for having been or being the president of their respective countries. And both of them have this superior, “I am so rich and all of you are bellow me” attitude which doesn’t make them very likable.
 
This is the type of politician that can be on national TV with very important journalists and provide irrational answers to questions, deny having done things that they did, deny having said things that they said, distort facts, distort reality, attack people personally for no apparent reason, turn the page or simply discard people who do not comply with their (often) childish demands.
 
So no. I just picked the image in which the guy is smiling with less teeth. I mean we have to try to smile right? I personally don’t see my self yelling insults at every evening news for the next four years right?
 
Pocaracas:
 
Is there any one of these minerals that is not already present inside Russia’s enormous territory?  
 
Besides: If there were so enormous amounts of rare earths in Ukraine, why is it that no one even explored them since the Soviet era?
 
No Putin wants to expand and restore as much of the Soviet Union as possible. He simply sees Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova as “in his sphere of influence”.
 
As Annalena Baerbock said today: We cannot have a world in which every weak country has to be afraid of its mightier neighbor. That would be a return to the time before the two world wars.
 
This is why everyone is supporting Ukraine. This is why everyone is standing with Zelensky and no one is standing with Donald Trump.

Remember Zelensky  isn't allowed to say mean things about the guy slaughtering his people but Trumps allowed to insult and demean him at every opportunity.....  

OFC, all part of the kremlins reflexive control campaign. Z the D? Russian nonsense. War for minerals? Russian nonsense. WW3? Russian nonsense. Ingrate nazis with hate in their hearts.....? Russian nonsense.

Still, it's clear that even in their reduced state the fsb can play to the lowest common denominator of americana. I guess you don't forget the habit of a lifetime.