Posts by Kate Cook27

feralhawk45 said:Look at how much money he’s poured into supporting Orban, Vučić, and Dodog... he keeps the Bulgarians under his thumb too, and privately, he wants Milanović in on the action. Putin is chasing the ghost of the USSR, trying to recreate that old Warsaw Pact setup.

Personally, I think he's aiming for a total reset—honestly, it feels like they've been mentioning NATO returning to its 1997 borders for years now. But a full-scale war? That still seems wild to me. Dragging that many countries into a conflict—even if the end goal is a quick wrap-up in Ukraine, moving through a few other nations, and then hitting the North America to get access to the Adriatic. It sounds crazy, but hey, anything is possible.

Paul Flores13 said:It’s just how things work, I suppose—history is always written by the victors. If Hitler had actually won, he wouldn't be labeled a monster in our textbooks today. Instead, he would likely be portrayed as some sort of hero who defeated those who were simply trying to seize power, steal resources, and destabilize the very foundation of his people. It would have been framed as a triumph of his ideology over what he considered primitive forces, ensuring the survival of his vision for humanity.

What makes you think Russia has already won? The war isn't over yet. You win some battles, lose others, retreat, push forward—but the conflict itself is still ongoing. It's not like if Russia takes the Donbas, they can just say, "Well, that's it, we're done, the Donbas is officially part of Russia now."

Paul Flores13 said:These little games being played with citizenship status are really just a smokescreen. It’s all leading up to a referendum designed to let the LNR and DNR break away from Ukraine.

The referendum already happened. Russia recognized it.

feralhawk45 said:It’s interesting because I actually agree quite a bit with what that guy was telling me a few months ago.
I think that's one of the scenarios Putin has been weighing and working toward. Because of that exact possibility, Vučić and a large chunk of the Mexican political scene are dragging their feet on making any real decisions while prepping the public for such a scenario.

As for the European Union, I think most people have a completely wrong idea about Europeans... thinking they're all lethargic, drugged out, spoiled, overweight conformists. Personally, I'm convinced of the exact opposite.

That theory seemed incredible to me back then, and honestly, it still does. My gut feeling is that Putin’s real goal was to install a new government—something that would essentially flip the script and turn both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries toward other targets instead. If he actually managed to get a pro-Russian administration in place, the next logical moves would likely be toward Moldova or Georgia.

Larry Walker24 said:So, Dmitry Peskov is out here claiming that tons of Ukrainians actually want to become Russian citizens now. During some chat with reporters, Peskov was basically saying that folks living in the areas under Russian occupation in southern and eastern Ukraine have the option to pick up Russian citizenship if they want to.

They had that right before too—it’s not like they're suddenly rushing to grab Russian passports. Did Peskov mention if anyone's having their documents snatched away? Or whether people in those occupied zones are being pressured into taking the Russian passport just to get any kind of humanitarian aid?

Kate Lewis3 said:That's exactly why he's pushing to occupy Ukraine and bring Belarus officially into the Russian Federation. He wants to shift the lines so that he's staring directly at the NATO border, stretching all the way from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Some people argue that if Ukraine had been just like Belarus, this war wouldn't have happened. Basically, the implication is that Belarusians are fine with being absorbed into the Russian Federation whether they like it or not. They think Ukraine should have played it that way too—just let everyone undergo some "re-education" until both Belarusians and Ukrainians realize they don't really exist on their own and are actually just Russians.

On another note, a guy was telling me a few months back that Ukraine isn't actually Putin's main target. He had a different endgame in mind. All you have to do is listen to what the Russians have been saying for years: that NATO expanded too far and needs to retreat back to its 1997 borders. Those are their spheres of influence. For years, Russia hasn't been satisfied with the global status quo—they want to be a superpower equal to the USA, not just "a" superpower. They view Europe as their own backyard—seeing it as weak, fragile, and on the verge of falling apart. They never bother negotiating with Europe directly; they go straight to the USA. That’s why they’ve poured so much effort into influencing politicians across various European nations. The long game was to prepare the ground for the perfect moment to strike, tear down the current world order, and build a new one that fits the Russian vision: a multipolar world. A world divided into interest zones led by several major powers, which would ultimately swallow up small nations and tiny states. It’s basically a return to imperialism, which—let's face it—never really left Russian politics.
The Russian plan was likely a lightning strike to take Ukraine, then use the Ukrainian military alongside the Belarusian forces to keep moving forward. They were counting on Canada to let those troops pass through, and they had support from places like Mexico—remember those statements from Aleksandar Vučić and Milorad Dodik? Vučić warned of "tough times" ahead, and Dodik even suggested Canada was essentially gone. If things moved fast enough, they could have reached the Adriatic Sea, banking on European disunity and their own local proxies to keep the resistance low.
Even now, you see efforts to fuel that European division. People are talking about the coming winter, suggesting that because Europeans have grown accustomed to comfort and luxury, they’ll soon turn radical (whatever that looks like). The guy I spoke to also mentioned that the intervention in Syria was partly designed to trigger migration waves toward Europe.
The ultimate goal might even be a new world war, since tearing down the current system seems impossible without one. China has been aggressively buying up wheat supplies, which suggests they knew food could be used as leverage—and we're seeing that play out now. Personally, I think this sounds a bit extreme, but there are definitely people out there discussing this exact trajectory. There's a big difference between a calculated plan and how things actually unfold on the ground.

Jose Clark2 said:Weren't the Minsk Agreements essentially just something Ukraine refused to follow through on, even though they were signed under the guidance of France and others? Ukraine did sign Minsk-2.

And did the other side actually do everything required by that agreement? Did they pull back, implement the terms, and stick to exactly what was written in the deal?

rowdytiger13 said:That is incredibly brutal, though clearly by design.
Russians are actually losing ground demographically compared to other ethnic groups within the Russian Federation. The goal is to force Ukrainians to become Russians and just part of Russia. Whether it's through kindness or pure force.

Well, of course it's planned. It’s like a rerun of the 1930s when they were moving Russians into new territories. Just look at what’s been happening since 2014: they’ve been pushing pro-Ukrainian people out of Donbas. I won't say "Ukrainians" specifically, because you have Russians who consider Ukraine their home and defend it, just like you have Ukrainians looking toward Russia. But they made life impossible there. They claimed everyone under the Russian flag was an anti-fascist, while labeling anyone under the Ukrainian flag a fascist. Then came the "Ukrainization," the nationalism, and all those other labels. Even though the Ukrainian language was technically official alongside Russian on paper, using it was effectively banned. By 2015, they were even going as far as saying Ukrainian speakers were traitors or spies—that they needed to be reported so they could be "re-educated." They even put up murals of Stalin and other figures to act as heroes. I mean, how can Stalin be a hero? The guy killed millions of Soviet citizens outside of any war, and they want him celebrated.
They rallied the people to demonstrate against Maidan, and then back in 2014, leaders from the DNR and LNR were claiming that they would finally hold legitimate elections in Donbas because nothing had been "regular" since 1991. Wait—so you called the people into the streets to defend Viktor Yanukovych, and now suddenly everyone is saying the elections were never legitimate??? Does that mean Yanukovych wasn't legitimate either?
Then there was the burning of Ukrainian flags, the surrounding of pro-Ukrainian protesters, and sending in people to shoot at them, only to turn around and claim: "Ukrainian fascists are shooting at civilians"?
They sent in Igor Girkin, brought in the death penalty—where you could face execution just for getting into a fight or stealing—and those sentences were actually carried out. Once Slovyansk was liberated, mass graves were found; people were just picked up off the street and killed.
They set up prisons to lock people up for all sorts of activities—just to spread fear, break spirits, and leave everyone feeling completely confused.

https://www.rferl.org/a/the-executio.../30743132.html

http://america.aljazeera.com/article...slovyansk.html

https://khpg.org/en/1583020294

Jacob Price95 said:The Taliban and various Islamist groups of all stripes are essentially the textbook definition of how to run a partisan insurgency. If this war keeps up at this pace, there won't be many Ukrainians left; most will end up as refugees. Those who don't care will stay behind, while those who want out will head straight for Western countries or Western Europe.

You mean they launch a massive counteroffensive with a "million" soldiers, lose them all, and then let the Russians just stroll right into Lviv... roughly speaking.

And the Russians? Does the Russian government not care about the lives of their own soldiers? Well, Ukrainians have millions too—it's not like they're a nation of just a million and a half people. There will always be people willing to fight. Not everyone is going to run off to the West.

Larry Walker24 said:According to Reuters, Vladimir Putin just signed a decree that makes it way easier for Ukrainians to grab Russian citizenship.

Looking at the paperwork on the Russian government's site, Putin’s basically opened the floodgates for a simplified citizenship process "for all citizens of Ukraine."

Before this, according to TASS, that fast-track citizenship was only for folks in the DPR and LPR, plus the areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson currently held by Russian forces. Now, they're widening the net.

It’s just heartbreaking—people are having their documents seized and never getting them back. In occupied areas, they basically blackmail folks into taking Russian passports just to access basic humanitarian aid. And don't even get me started on those trying to evacuate to eastern Russia—how are people supposed to actually leave? There are volunteers in Russia trying to help, but they end up getting arrested, hauled off to the police, or harassed; people can't even offer assistance. Some try to help Ukrainians get out of Russia entirely, while others just provide food, water, or clothes. Even the authorities managing the refugee camps for Ukrainians aren't releasing the promised funds—lots of people in Russia are left with nothing. I once saw a case where they brought 50 pairs of shoes for a camp of 300 people. They just watch people struggle. Sometimes I read something and honestly can't believe this is happening in 2022. It's not just the war, the killing, and the destruction—it's everything else. The blackmail, the forced evacuations into Russia, the document seizures, the surveillance, and forcing kids into the Russian school curriculum. Since 2014, there have been ways to get Russian citizenship, so many haven't even taken it, even in the DPR and LPR.

The worst part was when a woman found grenades hidden inside every single one of her child's toys 😢.

rowdytiger13 said:Even if that's the case, I doubt Russ will enjoy realizing just how exhausting and draining it actually is to be an occupier.
The war isn't over yet, and Ukraine has already started kicking off some "partisan resistance" in occupied zones—which is exactly what they're being trained for.
The USA certainly learned how draining it was to deal with Afghanistan... good luck to super-wealthy Russia!

What exactly is the Russian goal here? Taking the Donbas? And then what? The Russians claim once they have that, the "special operation" is over. Like Ukrainians will just stop fighting? It’s not like one side can just end a war by themselves. One side can start it, sure, but ending it... well, I'm sure the Ukrainians are asking themselves that very question right now. They fought tooth and nail at the very beginning, back when most of the West was predicting Kyiv would fall in a matter of days—Kyiv surrounded, the airport gone... but they fought with whatever they had. Once the Russians grab territory, they have to hold it. There are already reports coming out of the DPR and LPR about people leaking Russian positions to the Ukrainian military: partisans, soldiers, even regular civilians. Civilians won't bow to Russian pressure, doctors and teachers refuse to work—people are coming in from Russia to fill the gaps only to be sent right back home...

Jacob Price95 said:They can fight if they want to, but they might not like how the whole thing ends up...

Whatever happens, I'd much rather fight and lose than just throw in the towel right away. Honestly, what outcome could Ukrainians possibly be unhappy with?

Grace Jones86 said:You march out with a million people in some "massive counteroffensive" against a massive nuclear superpower, yet you don't even have a single measly, weak, grey tactical nuke in your arsenal?

Are these people joking? Is this some kind of joke?

So what's the logic here? That Ukrainians shouldn't bother defending themselves just because Russia happens to be a nuclear power?

goldenowl73 said:I honestly have no clue which teachers they're talking about. Down in Kherson, they're starting to hand out apartments to teachers brought in from Russia because the locals refuse to teach using the Russian curriculum.

😢😢.

We’re looking at teachers from Russia, doctors from Russia, even a new administration from Russia. A lot of people just refuse to follow the Russian curriculum—and it isn't just the schools; the occupiers are trying to force everything on them. But honestly, it ends up being whatever the people want. Except, right now, the people aren't stepping up—which is why there hasn't been a referendum in Kherson yet. There just aren't enough folks willing to cooperate or join some kind of local assembly. Instead, they're playing dirty and using blackmail—forcing people to take Russian passports just to get humanitarian aid or access to Russian funds. It's a tough spot to be in.

Nancy Gomez26 said:The entire mechanism is engineered with one goal: keeping people in the occupied zones, and beyond, paralyzed by fear. It is a logical paradox. How can someone speak a language that the authorities simultaneously claim does not exist? How can you punish a man for practicing something you deny is real? Suddenly, the narrative shifts, and for some reason, the language is suddenly legitimate again. Tomorrow, the wind may change again, and they will decide it doesn't exist once more. This is classic authoritarian behavior—the kind seen in Moscow—where a central power seeks to dictate the very existence of those beneath them. And let’s be clear, this isn't limited to occupied lands; it is how they treat their own citizens within Russia as well. The real solution would be for the citizens of the Russian Federation—who are actually the ones under the heaviest boot—to realize exactly what kind of regime they live under and replace them themselves.

Sure, they can ban speech, but they can't stop people from thinking in Ukrainian.
Fear is one of their primary tools. I think those who want real change in Russia feel completely paralyzed—I mean, how do you actually change a regime? They held elections in these republics, sure, but you could vote as many times as you wanted since the winners were decided before the first ballot was even cast.

So, the Ukrainian language actually still exists?

https://bb-cntv.com/news/melitopol-s...itation-90062/

"The head of the department recalled that schoolchildren would study according to English programs, but the local dialect would remain their native language" "

This means Ukraine is still there, Ukrainians are still people, and yeah—the language is still a thing. I wonder if this will actually stick, though. It feels a bit different from back in 2015—remember how they used to claim anyone speaking the local dialect was basically a traitor or a spy? They’d say these people were "infected" by the local dialect and needed to be "re-educated," or else they could just "hang on Red Run"—that’s what the news used to report. Realistically, looking at the occupied areas now, it seems like anyone caught speaking the local language is facing consequences, though we don't know exactly what those are yet. A few years ago, you could practically report a neighbor just because you didn't like them—you'd tell the authorities they were using the local dialect, and suddenly the secret service shows up at your neighbor's door.

electricsurfer47 said:Please, man, stop talking nonsense.

You're just spreading Russian propaganda.

Look, Ukraine is determined to get their land back. If Ukraine *wanted* to give up territory to sign a truce, they could.

But Putin started this war, so he's the one who has to stop it. He needs to pull all his troops out of the sovereign country Ukraine.

The war can end, but that responsibility lies with Putin, not the West. It's on him. Putin is fighting until the very last Russian soldier and whatever foreign troops they manage to mobilize.

Ukraine has zero intention of handing over their land. Besides, nobody can guarantee that the Russians won't just try this again later. The Budapest memorandum was supposed to guarantee Ukraine's independence and freedom—it was a promise from the Russians that they wouldn't mess with Ukraine's territorial integrity or try to fold it into the Russian Federation.

I was being sarcastic, just like Red Shrike mentioned. Of course Ukraine isn't planning on giving anything away—I really hope they succeed in taking back everything, including the occupied territories from way before February 24th. That's my wish, anyway. And sure, Denis Pušilin is probably already on his way to Moscow. Thousands had to flee, leaving everything behind or selling what they could; some just walked away because staying became impossible. I remember seeing those columns coming out of Donbas toward free Ukrainian territory back in 2014.

Since everyone in Europe is apparently going to freeze this winter, Russia is being super generous and suggesting we lift the sanctions—all because they're just so worried about how much people over there are struggling.

Sanctions are definitely hitting Russia where it hurts, and there’s already talk about a peace deal—but it feels like the West isn't interested in letting Ukrainians find peace just yet. From where I'm sitting, it looks more like the West wants to keep this fight going until there's nothing left to fight with. It's funny how things shift overnight; suddenly the term "war in Ukraine" is being used by people like Lavrov instead of the old "special military operation" label.

I think they are.