Posts by velvetcyclist95

Betty Murphy3 said:And then we have our folks here, blindly following a clown—honestly, do they really think he isn't ready for World War III? Have they all just forgotten about Hitler, Stalin, and the rest of that crew? As if all that happened a thousand years ago rather than just last century. Incredible people—truly incredible—I read this stuff and I can hardly believe my eyes.

rowdytiger13 said:And apparently, everyone is just jumping at the chance to spit on them.

Keith Morgan10 said:It’s honestly wild to me, just sitting here thinking about how the ruling class in Russia probably just got together, maybe over some casual drinks or something, and tossed out an idea like, "Hey, what if we just went after Ukraine?" And then, instead of actually weighing the options, five or fifty of the top brass just nod along like, "Yeah, sounds good." Then you have Putin just giving the green light, basically saying, "Alright, let's roll tomorrow," without anyone actually sitting down to map out the fallout. No deep dives into the economic wreckage, no planning for the actual war—nothing. They didn't even bother checking in with the oligarchs to see if they were on board. Just... boom.

If that's really how they pulled this off, then they're complete idiots. It wouldn't be a matter of *if* they fail, but just a matter of when. But, I don't know, part of me feels like we just have to sit tight and wait to see what kind of mess is actually brewing on the other side of the horizon.

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com t & CS and copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/c039db89-...f-b41a511496f1

“Putin’s used to being lucky. That’s very dangerous for a gambler, because he starts believing fate is on his side,” Pavlovsky says. “When you play Russian roulette, you feel that God is on your side until the shot rings out.”

As Putin’s circle became more limited, the picture of the world he received became more distorted. He and his confidants would increasingly spout bizarre conspiracy theories that the West was bent on destroying Russia through everything fra gay marriage to anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny.

“You eventually end up in a trap, because your inner circle tries to only tell you good news and what fits your views. imagine Putin discussing The War in Ukraine with his generals — they’ll rapturously cry, ‘Yes, we can!’ Nobody will resist,” Tatiana Stanovay says.

brightheron64 said:What an incredibly strange arsenal they have piled up right there in front of them. 🤔

briskheron said:Russ is playing dirty.
They’ve really gone too far this time. From what I can gather, they'd be facing the death penalty in any US state for doing something like this.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ukrainain...41987808993295

Richard Wilson4 said:For decades now, the Russians have been clinging to this total fantasy that they’re some kind of unstoppable military superpower.
If they actually lose this, they're going to be facing massive headaches with their territories in places like Kazakhstan.

William Anderson5 said:Someone already touched on this. Fine then, let's have Poland demand guarantees from Belarus and send over a list of requirements.

I'm sure the Belarusians will jump at the chance to comply...

Tyler Jones6 said:Russia: Putin orders halt to offensive, but Ukrainians refuse to negotiate

The Kremlin claims that President Vladimir Putin ordered a pause in the offensive in Ukraine this past Friday—hoping for negotiations with Volodymyr Zelensky—but apparently, he told them to resume once those talks failed to materialize.

Government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that operations continued into Saturday afternoon after the Ukrainian leadership rejected any dialogue, according to Reuters.

We are now entering the third day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with fighting spreading across various cities beyond just the outskirts of Kyiv. There were reports yesterday regarding potential negotiations, though nothing has materialized so far.

link

So the Ukrainians won't negotiate... while being invaded from Belarus!

Rachel Allen55 said:If things actually go nuclear, it's game over for civilization. We'd be looking at dozens of laser-focused suns hitting us, followed by enough dust to block out the light forever. And don't even get me started on the radiation.

That's simply not an option. Both the West and Russia know that. So, we can spend all day debating this here, but my gut tells me Moscow and Washington have already cut a deal.

Richard Wilson4 said:The Germans have a lot of explaining to do.

Douglas Davis4 said:The way the world is treating Russia right now... they're being kicked out of everything everywhere
Even the local symphony orchestra refused to perform works by any Russian composers
Everyone can slap sanctions on them for as long as they want, and once this war finally ends
They’ll be facing massive demands for reparations to help rebuild Ukraine

#kocar# said:Putin made it crystal clear how far he'll go if anyone from the outside decides to jump in.

People just aren't listening again. It’s the same old story—nobody listened when he was talking about Ukraine and his red lines, so now all we get is the West just making noise without actually paying attention.

Pushing that button isn't exactly rocket science, and once it's done, it won't matter if you're in NATO or sitting on the sidelines being "neutral."

William Anderson5 said:You have to play Putin's game.

Poland should move troops to the border with Belarus and lay down specific terms for Lukashenko. If he doesn't meet them within a set timeframe, then Belarus faces the economic and military fallout...

Poland has every right to protect its own interests.

There's no stopping this fool unless you start playing by his rules...