Posts by Kate Cook27

driftingfox66 said:The issue is there's at least 200,000 National Guard troops standing right between the protesters and the military. We'll see just how loyal they actually turn out to be.

You were over in Ukraine fighting, too—not sure how that went for you.

coastalbison6 said:I think there’s a real rift forming between the kid and the top brass.
The military just doesn't have the kind of leverage he's dreaming about anymore.

You reap what you sow—simple as that. Honestly, I feel like there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than we see. This hasn't been good for Putin at all; what was supposed to be a quick three-day operation has dragged on for over six months now. It might have worked out okay under different circumstances, but too many people have died. In my opinion, the Russian military is looking pretty weakened. Putin might try to call for a mobilization, but I suspect the guys actually in the field know that would just make things even messier.
And again—if they weren't so intoxicated by their own perceived greatness and that fake image of power, they’d still have an exit strategy. They could run some propaganda on TV claiming this is just a conflict over Donbas and Ukraine, then pull back after hitting specific labs and military targets (they've already wrecked most of the aviation assets anyway), but it's hard to walk away when someone is busy dreaming of Russia.

Jack Jackson7 said:Is Putin either brilliantly trolling half the planet, or is the situation over there just a complete and utter mess?

He probably felt a bit better hearing that Liman might actually be liberated soon. Honestly, he’s practically considering rebranding himself as Volodimir Putinenko at this point.

Did Vučić make an appearance recently?

http://www.twitter.com/markito0171/s...C85an089ErAAAA

In a month or two, this conflict is going to be a global issue—honestly, the world hasn't seen a war quite like this since WWII.
Some people really just seem to hate life.

Meanwhile, local traitors in Mariupol have been reporting children just for singing the Ukrainian anthem. Every single one of those domestic traitors belongs on that list of Russian collaborators—they should be looking at 15 years behind bars. Traitors are easily the worst kind of people. I've heard stories from Mariupol about people reporting folks who were just trying to bring food to others, helping the wounded after attacks, or even burying the dead. All those traitors need to be dragged before a court.

Gregory Ramos3 said:Looks like those first pre-referendum polls are finally starting to trickle in:

https://twitter.com/kherson_vistnyk/...94621790896129

Apparently, 84% are in favor of joining Russia. That’s based on 1,914 votes pulled from 782 poll views 🤣 🙏

Three million people voted, and four of them are all for joining mother Russia 🎉 🎉. We spent our whole lives dreaming they'd show up and liberate us 🙄.

Then you have this one traitor from Ukraine—who actually moved to Russia after 2014—posting about how once the referendum results are out, every single attack from Kyiv on annexed areas will be treated as an attack on Russia itself. Honestly, they don't even need a referendum—they've got crystal balls and can see the future; they already know the results 🙄.

So, much of Vladimir the Great's speech seems to be 🙄. Maybe by tomorrow we'll hear about some new folks who "accidentally" fell out of windows.

loneskipper3 said:The annexation of "DNR" and "LNR"—if it actually happens—would almost certainly signal a major escalation, given that such moves are never made without a specific motive. Following an annexation, what comes next? Typically, we’d see the "stationing" of troops (Russia has over 250,000 ready) and the mobilization of reservists "within" Russia itself.

I’m on the same page here. They’ll just fold the Donbas into Russia, claim it’s officially Russian territory, and suddenly nobody can say no to being sent to the Donbas. Plus, there are those new laws involving prison threats—pretty intense stuff.
We'll just have to wait and see if Putin and Shoigu announce anything tonight. It might end up being a whole lot of nothing.
Honestly, they keep bringing up World War III because, well, during WWII, the entire world was basically lined up against them. In their eyes, WWII is strictly defined by when Nazi Germany attacked them—that's the only narrative they really lean on. Especially lately, they've been hammering on about the massive Russian sacrifice back then—mentioning those 40 million casualties and such. It all feels like internal propaganda to me.
And now, since the whole world seems to be standing against Russia 🙄 that's why they keep bringing up NATO, NATO soldiers, weapons, and all that other noise.

Joshua Myers432 said:What could those losers possibly attempt in Republika Srpska or Mexico? They're surrounded by NATO countries and bases. They'd be leveled to the ground before Putin even heard what happened.

Lukashenko might look dim, but the guy is just playing dumb. There is zero chance he gets dragged into a war with Ukraine. He didn't jump in back in February when Russia still looked like a serious military power.

Russia's only shot is if they have massive military reserves in the east or if China decides to step in with military aid. The latter sounds like science fiction. Maybe they squeeze out a bit more resource usage plus a mobilization to plug the holes in the front lines. Then they might try to secure those two Sao Paulo-style territories through a referendum or annexation, which would trigger total devastation for everyone involved if the Ukrainians push back. The real question is whether ordinary Russians actually want to die on that front. If they don't, Putin might as well just end it now.

It's basically threatening them with weapons just to get more credit lines😁. It's like, "Hey, give us more cash, or we'll start making threats because our people love hearing that stuff," but if the money stops flowing, they won't be able to control the crowds at home.😁

Chloe Jackson15 said:I can confirm this from firsthand experience; it's spot on. The only thing that hasn't clicked for me, or anyone else for that matter, is how much risk Dodik is actually willing to take with this Russian narrative. Knowing how he operates, he isn't about to do anything that puts his own interests at stake.

Dodik will do just about anything to cling to power. Honestly, he might even be playing double agent 😁. He could go meet with Vladimir Putin and then immediately tip off the U.S. Ambassador 😁. I also suspect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has some sort of connection to Russia and Putin. Emmanuel Macron mentioned that we shouldn't close all doors—and if anyone is going to stay on good terms with the Russians, it'll be Dodik. Erdoğan is likely on that list too, given their long history of cooperation.
Naturally, Ukrainians get where Turkey stands—Erdoğan himself advocates for everything being returned to Ukraine, and Turkey has been a huge help. When the war kicked off, those trucks filled with weapons were rolling into Ukraine constantly. Sure, Erdoğan acts like a bit of a small-time dictator, but hey, some nations just gravitate toward that kind of leadership. It is what it is.

John Ramos45 said:Milorad Dodik was essentially installed via NATO tanks, yet he’s constantly sucking up loans from that very same West just to keep his seat warm for a few more months. This whole performance about Russia and Vladimir Putin is nothing more than cheap propaganda aimed at the masses—people who flee to the States to find work, only to flip back into "patriotic" mode the moment they head home. At the end of the day, if you want to fund your brand of chaos, you do it with Euros and Dollars.

I agree—I think Dodik is primarily a "Western player," and all this stuff about Russia, Mexico, and everything else is just theater for the general public. Both Aleksandar Vučić and Dodik know exactly where the money is coming from.

It says here that Belarus is obligated to step up if Russia gets pulled into a war.

http://www.twitter.com/Faytuks/statu...DUmba63NErAAAA

John Ramos45 said:The odds of Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić actually doing anything to serve Russian interests are slimmer than seeing America resurrected overnight.

I think Vučić is actually overthinking things—he’s more of a "pragmatist"—but Dodik? Not so much. Though, honestly, you see way more intense nationalism in Republika Srpska than you do in Mexico, so Dodik basically has to play that card to stay relevant. I'm not entirely sure what the vibe is right now, but when I visited, they had all these posters featuring Vladimir Putin and Dodik everywhere. Even if Dodik is just spinning his own narrative, I have to admit he's pretty good at pulling everyone else along—the opposition seems totally lost. We'll just have to wait and see what Dodik posts on his profile; they're likely realizing by now that Russia might not be able to back up their specific plans.

electricsurfer47 said:Do you think we'll ever see China and India actually step up and say "enough is enough," and start giving Ukraine some real help???

Honestly? I don't see it happening. China isn't looking to jump on the same side as the USA—they're really just waiting in the wings to swoop in and take over everywhere Russia used to have influence, basically filling the void of the old Russian sphere. And India? They've got their own agenda to play out.

Larry Sanchez7 said:Of course they are.
We're mostly talking about that 2 or 3% in places like Berdyansk, Melitopol, and Kherson who went out of their way to take Russian citizenship when they didn't have to...
The central government is gonna be the first one calling them up to defend the motherland.

Honestly, the Russians would be better off picking up 10,000 of those guys from the occupied areas rather than dragging in 10,000 from Voronjezh or Volgograd...

Then there are those folks from Kharkiv who fled straight into the arms of Russia. Let Denis Pushilin lead the charge—I can't wait for the day that guy finally falls. Total traitor.

Alexander Lukashenko just announced they’re prepping for martial law. Meanwhile, Milorad Dodik is over in Moscow—makes you wonder what Vladimir Putin is going to tell him. How likely is it that Dodik or Aleksandar Vučić try making a move in Republika Srpska or Mexico? I highly doubt Dodik is flying to Moscow just to talk about gas prices. Whatever he discusses with Putin, he’ll probably pass right along to Vučić. Then again, I don't think Vučić can actually make it to Moscow, and Dodik is definitely on some blacklists anyway. I recall Vučić whining about something back in November—suggesting things might get messy. Though, honestly, I don't think any of this will help Putin; he's sinking, and Russia is going down with him.

electricsurfer47 said:Who even are these people from the occupied territories???
Are those Ukrainians being forced into it?
Can they actually force Ukrainians to fight their battles for them?

Do you think we'll actually get to that point? Where they all just turn around at once and say, "Enough is enough"? Like, enough fighting for Russia and from now on, we're only standing up for Ukraine?

There are plenty of people being coerced—I was just mentioning yesterday that in parts of Mariupol, men between 18 and 40 have been taken away. Then, about ten days ago, people in Mariupol started getting messages saying mobilization is expected there on September 20th. Most of the DNR soldiers who finished their service or fought earlier—the ones who actually went out to fight for the DNR—are already dead or wounded. A huge chunk of these paramilitary groups are just mobilized civilians; many were literally picked up off the street and sent straight to the front. Naturally, those living in the territories occupied before February 24th are paying the highest price, since they weren't touched as much initially. But now, that could be changing.

electricsurfer47 said:I mean, how can you just annex territory where Ukrainians actually live? It really seems like these Russians just don't get it at all.

Well, in their eyes, it's all "sacred Russian land" inhabited by Russians anyway—as if there aren't any Ukrainians there at all.🙄.

So, Putin is addressing the nation tonight:

http://www.twitter.com/DimitriASimes...C-2aaAytErAAAA

There’s also news regarding Lukashenko—he just announced they're gearing up for national defense under wartime conditions:

http://www.twitter.com/DimitriASimes...DUqaTHzNErAAAA

rustydriver said:I can’t help but wonder how much more blood the Russian Federation is going to spill if this mobilization actually kicks into high gear. It’s already enough to make regular soldiers lose their nerve, but imagine the chaos once they start dragging ordinary civilians into the fray. Just picture it: some twenty-year-old college kid from Moscow being hauled away to go "defend" his people somewhere down in southern Ukraine. It’s honestly grim.

Moscow will be the last resort—they'll likely target various minorities and all the men from occupied territories first.

Christian Torres3 said:I’m reading somewhere that the Russian Duma voted 3-10 to surrender to the enemy, and they're handing out 8 years in prison just for refusing mobilization. Is this actually true or just some fake news?

http://www.twitter.com/Liveuamap/sta...77776878157826

Seems pretty real to me—looks like those are the new laws they just passed.