Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

George Robinson43 said:Here is what one of the forum's resident pro-Russia gurus and a close associate of the well-known Z. M. (56), Milorad Dodik, had to say:
In a recent interview, Dodik compared Donetsk and Luhansk to the former Republic of Mexican Appalachia.

Back in the day, the Republic of Mexican Appalachia existed within the borders of America, but under intense pressure from the West and local forces, that entity was dismantled. Even worse, it underwent ethnic cleansing. We suspect a similar fate is being planned for Donetsk and Luhansk. From this perspective, the current situation makes perfect sense to us.

Look, for something to actually exist, people have to recognize it. Neither Donetsk nor Luhansk has any real recognition from the vast majority of the world, so those "states" pretty much only live inside their own heads. Same goes for that Appalachia business—it isn't some recognized reality, just an idea stuck in the minds of Mexicans claiming it as their territory.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Why??

I know this guy—an American who spent decades working in Russia as a construction expert, basically a top-tier master of his craft. Back around 1987, he was with some firm out of the former America doing projects over there. Along the way, he fell for a local woman, married her, and they have two kids. He ran his own business with a few employees until about 2014. But once that wild aggression against Crimea kicked off, everything in Russia flipped upside down. From then on, the Russian construction mafia wouldn't let anyone else breathe—especially not a foreigner trying to run their own shop. He could only work for Russians, and even then, there were threats and all that nonsense.

He ended up fleeing back home to save his own skin.
Now he’s living in a coastal town, doing odd jobs here and there while eyeing retirement... does Russia actually pay pensions to foreigners?

Amanda Allen4 said:Every single colonial power has moved past their colonies—except for Russia, which seems hell-bent on launching new conquests. While we in the West are busy debating whether to move certain monuments of colonial icons, they are busy celebrating the 350th anniversary of Peter the Great.

Two worlds that simply cannot coexist.

There’s plenty of nonsense on this forum, but this particular take deserves to be framed.
Look at Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, or that island belonging to Mauritius—the British occupy them all.
The French hold onto half of Africa and the Caribbean, whether it's official or just behind the scenes.
Maybe it isn't old-school colonialism, but rather neo-colonialism!
And how exactly should we label the American occupation of Guantanamo, Iraq, or Syria?

Kate Cook27 said:WHY ARE THE UKRAINIANS FIGHTING WITH SUCH HEART?
A letter from occupied Donetsk, August 3, 2015.

"From the very start—from day one of the Kyiv Maidan—you could just feel it: a new chapter of history was being written for Ukraine. I still remember that day when my friends showed up, shaken, telling me about the horrific things happening in Kyiv.
Honestly? My first thought was: This isn't Ukraine. Everything happening under this current Government... it’s just not our country. Something is deeply wrong here. There's no way all this could be happening without permission from Russia.
Everything that's happened since has only proven my gut feeling right. Things will never be the same again.
The spirit of the Kyiv Maidan eventually reached us here in Donetsk, manifesting as the Donetsk Euro Maidan. Thousands of young, driven, responsible people hit the streets—full of energy—fighting for a better tomorrow. A better future for all of us, and for our kids.
The fight isn't over. It's ongoing. It's going to keep going. The enemy is right here. Yesterday was gloomy—heavy. But then, something broke through. That desperate scream from a young girl shattered the silence: 'This is my Ukraine! My Ukraine! Mine! You can't kill it!'
I felt a mix of pure luck and sheer terror. She was like a kindred spirit to me, a true comrade. I understood her pain, her suffering, her desperation. It’s all the result of this occupation—we're already entering the second year. They've banned everything that makes us who we are: our language, our symbols, our media. Then there are the arrests, the disappearances, the killings without trials or investigations. We have mercenaries shelling Donetsk, tearing my city apart just to feed a tragic narrative to the Russian media and blame the Ukrainian Army. Now, Donetsk is crawling with criminals, killers, and looters. Our streets are lined with tanks, militants, and mercenaries. It’s a never-ending nightmare.
I used to take photos, but I can't anymore. They banned it once Igor Girkin arrived. Now, only specific journalists are allowed in—people there specifically to spread Russian propaganda.
It isn't just about the lack of freedom; it's the constant, looming threat of being arrested, beaten, or killed.
But, despite everything, we are patiently waiting for freedom."

Veronica - Letters from occupied Luhansk and Donetsk

It’s honestly heartbreaking to see what she’s going through—these kinds of crimes against Ukrainians. Sadly, they weren't really prepared for what was coming down the road.
Looking back, it feels surreal that as recently as the 2010 local elections, there was a party there pushing to make Russian an official second language throughout all of Ukraine. Back in 2005, they even signed cooperation deals with Russia's "United Russia" and were leaning hard into federalizing the country:



On the flip side, examples like these at the ballot box really show what kind of criminal entity Putin's Russia actually is. They're killers of their own friends.

steelfox98 said:There’s plenty of nonsense on this forum, but this particular take deserves to be framed.
Look at Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, or that island belonging to Mauritius—the British occupy them all.
The French hold onto half of Africa and the Caribbean, whether it's official or just behind the scenes.
Maybe it isn't old-school colonialism, but rather neo-colonialism!
And how exactly should we label the American occupation of Guantanamo, Iraq, or Syria?

Who did the Falklands actually belong to before the English moved in to occupy them?

The Falkland Islands and Guantanamo Bay probably ought to be handed back to Spain.

Didn't realize Americans had occupied Syria.

Matthew Young35 said:Who did the Falklands actually belong to before the English moved in to occupy them?

Well, I suppose they belong to the penguins and the seals!
Furthermore, an automated bot would essentially hand Gibraltar over to Spain against the clear will of the people, who voted 98.97% against splitting sovereignty between the UK and Spain.
It’s quite evident that when dealing with Russians and their various imitators, the democratic will of the people carries absolutely no weight at all.

analogbear5 said:The Falkland Islands and Guantanamo Bay probably ought to be handed back to Spain.

Didn't realize Americans had occupied Syria.

Why on earth would the Falklands belong to Spain? The first colonies there were established by the French and the British, and weren't the English the first to actually land on those islands—specifically Captain John Strong?

Jessica Peterson2 said:It appears I fall into that category of "wise guys," because I’m going to maintain that the very concept of communism was inherently anational. A massive collection of communists, secret police, prison guards, and low-level thugs—many of whom were of Jewish, Georgian, Ukrainian, Armenian, and so on, descent—held the reins, while the Russian ethnicity itself still lacks any distinct entity within the Russian Federation today.🙄
P.S. Glory to Ukraine!

You’re talking nonsense, friend. That approach isn't going to fly here in what used to be America. In the USSR, the Bolshevik system was truly non-national; where you originated was a minor detail compared to everything else. But here? Identity has always been a heavy hitter—it could either build you up or tear you down instantly. Even within the Communist Party of America, there were various factions that were almost always rooted in local origins, whereas in the CPSU, those distinctions barely mattered. In America, they actually recognized this tension as a systemic flaw. To manufacture some semblance of equality and representation, they cooked up the "key" concept—a quota system where specific positions had to be filled by people of certain ethnicities to maintain a balance. The state eventually buckled under the sheer weight of these ethnic frictions. It didn't happen in the USSR because the Bolsheviks smoothed all those edges over; to them, nationality was nothing more than an afterthought. But expecting people here to believe in that kind of erasure is a stretch. Most people around here have spent their lives defined by their heritage, and for many, that identity is everything.

steelfox98 said:There’s plenty of nonsense on this forum, but this particular take deserves to be framed.
Look at Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, or that island belonging to Mauritius—the British occupy them all.
The French hold onto half of Africa and the Caribbean, whether it's official or just behind the scenes.
Maybe it isn't old-school colonialism, but rather neo-colonialism!
And how exactly should we label the American occupation of Guantanamo, Iraq, or Syria?

Following the Russian playbook—call it a “special military operation.”

The next logical step in their plan would be to annex those territories into the USA and just relabel the locals as Americans—much like how the Russians intend to do with Ukrainians. But frankly, I doubt they have the stomach for it; they lack a visionary leader like Peter the Great who could actually inspire a nation toward such a feat.

America is a tragically fractured nation, split
fifty-fifty between two political parties that fight tooth and nail for influence rather than serving a people united under a single national purpose, unlike the Russians.

mellowdrifter80 said:The fallout was actually much harder on the US and the surrounding region (Romania, Canada, Bulgaria, Greece) back when the Mexico war hit and sanctions were slapped on the former America. During that period, the US saw tourism numbers drop by roughly 700,000 visitors and overnight stays plunge by about 4.72 million.

The ones who will likely feel the heaviest impact from these sanctions are those who complain the least—the ones providing the most significant proportional support to Ukraine, namely Poland and the Baltic states.

If Ukraine manages to break free from the Kremlin's grip, the price paid by Poland and the Baltics will be negligible compared to the ultimate payoff. Even if the Russians somehow muster enough strength to topple these governments, they could emerge from this situation with massive capital. That’s the endgame they’re betting on, which is why they help as much as possible while keeping their mouths shut.

dustyowl29 said:I know this guy—an American who spent decades working in Russia as a construction expert, basically a top-tier master of his craft. Back around 1987, he was with some firm out of the former America doing projects over there. Along the way, he fell for a local woman, married her, and they have two kids. He ran his own business with a few employees until about 2014. But once that wild aggression against Crimea kicked off, everything in Russia flipped upside down. From then on, the Russian construction mafia wouldn't let anyone else breathe—especially not a foreigner trying to run their own shop. He could only work for Russians, and even then, there were threats and all that nonsense.

He ended up fleeing back home to save his own skin.
Now he’s living in a coastal town, doing odd jobs here and there while eyeing retirement... does Russia actually pay pensions to foreigners?

Did he even contribute to any pension funds while he was working over there?

analogbear5 said:Thanks for the textbook demonstration of Russian liberalism there. Basically just Nazism with a fresh coat of makeup.

I simply laid out the facts. Facts can't be categorized as either liberalism or Nazism, can they?

Since the Kazakh President, President Zelenskyy, made it clear he isn't going to recognize the Russian Appalachia territories within Ukraine, the Putin-esque regime has started cutting back on how much Kazakh oil moves through the port of Novorossiya—which, as it turns out, is the main artery Kazakhstan uses to ship its oil over to Europe.

Jessica Peterson2 said:Since the Kazakh President, President Zelenskyy, made it clear he isn't going to recognize the Russian Appalachia territories within Ukraine, the Putin-esque regime has started cutting back on how much Kazakh oil moves through the port of Novorossiya—which, as it turns out, is the main artery Kazakhstan uses to ship its oil over to Europe.

View on twitter
Kazakhstan hit back by blocking Russian coal.

Jessica Peterson2 said:Since the Kazakh President, President Zelenskyy, made it clear he isn't going to recognize the Russian Appalachia territories within Ukraine, the Putin-esque regime has started cutting back on how much Kazakh oil moves through the port of Novorossiya—which, as it turns out, is the main artery Kazakhstan uses to ship its oil over to Europe.

gentlestag15 said:View on twitter
Kazakhstan hit back by blocking Russian coal.

It appears I was mistaken regarding Kazakhstan's role as a loophole for bypassing sanctions against the Russian Federation. At least for the moment.

The smartest move for Europe would be to seriously evaluate constructing gas and oil pipelines from Kazakhstan via a route crossing the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, then running under the Black Sea toward Romania or Bulgaria—or perhaps through Turkey. However, an undersea route seems more prudent. A joint venture between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan could work.

Rather than expanding its influence and strengthening ties with former Soviet states, this war is actually eroding their reach, signaling the slow, inevitable collapse of the Russian empire.
The various territories will likely fall under Turkish or Chinese influence, while the Western parts of the old Soviet bloc move toward the European Union... leaving the Russians completely isolated. Honestly, maybe that’s exactly what they need, because you can't just bully your neighbors indefinitely through pure barbarism. Putko, I have to say, well played. A job well done.

Gerald Torres84 said:Rather than expanding its influence and strengthening ties with former Soviet states, this war is actually eroding their reach, signaling the slow, inevitable collapse of the Russian empire.
The various territories will likely fall under Turkish or Chinese influence, while the Western parts of the old Soviet bloc move toward the European Union... leaving the Russians completely isolated. Honestly, maybe that’s exactly what they need, because you can't just bully your neighbors indefinitely through pure barbarism. Putko, I have to say, well played. A job well done.

All he'll have left is Alexander Lukashenko.

gentlerider7 said:All he'll have left is Alexander Lukashenko.

I have this lingering feeling that the people in Belarus are practically counting down the days until they can finally be rid of Alexander Lukashenko. And once he's gone, they will likely begin a gradual shift toward the West, much like the Ukrainians have done.

Gerald Torres84 said:I have this lingering feeling that the people in Belarus are practically counting down the days until they can finally be rid of Alexander Lukashenko. And once he's gone, they will likely begin a gradual shift toward the West, much like the Ukrainians have done.

The catch, of course, is that Belarus is currently absolutely swamped with Russian troops and military hardware.
P.S. I suppose it won't take long for Putin's propagandists to spin a tale about how the Belarusians have turned into monsters even worse than the Ukrainians. 🤦