Russia Blatantly Getting Ready to Invade Ukraine Right in Front of Our Face

OP preferred the president who kissed Putin's ass

As tensions mount between Washington and Moscow over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. intelligence has found the Kremlin is planning a multi-front offensive as soon as early next year involving up to 175,000 troops, according to U.S. officials and an intelligence document obtained by The Washington Post.

The Kremlin has been moving troops toward the border with Ukraine while demanding Washington guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO and that the alliance will refrain from certain military activities in and around Ukrainian territory. The crisis has provoked fears of a renewed war on European soil and comes ahead of a planned virtual meeting next week between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Russian plans call for a military offensive against Ukraine as soon as early 2022 with a scale of forces twice what we saw this past spring during Russia’s snap exercise near Ukraine’s borders,” said an administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. “The plans involve extensive movement of 100 battalion tactical groups with an estimated 175,000 personnel, along with armor, artillery and equipment.”

The “weak and feckless” quote from Gen. Barry McCaffrey

OP, why do you like Russia? Putin?

I doubt Biden is weak and feckless, you nasty shit-eating troll.

Merkel left a leadership vacuum?! It was Merkel who made the EU vulnerable by facilitating its reliance on Russian energy. She also prioritized German business interests in Russia above any kind of human rights concerns. Russia has had a problem with NATO expansion since day one and now nobody has enough leverage to prevent this confrontation.

Putin was gifted a shit ton of secret information from the puppet he stole the US election from in 2016 so why should he care about what we can and cannot do to stop him.

I don't know about feckless, but definitely Biden is weak. Is he a 21st century Neville Chamberlain?

But his pussy grabbing!

How are gays treated in Russia?

Allow me to translate the true meaning of the article posted by the OP:

[quote]The Military Industrial complex wants to increase its profits YET AGAIN, because Afghanistan, Somalia, Irak and Syria are pretty much done and dusted (another set of embarrassing losses for the Great American Empire!), and both Yemen and Ethiopia aren't escalating fast enough for their liking. In addition, the coup attempt in Bolivia proved to be a fiasco, Argentina is trying to push against US control, the US-backed Bolsonaro government is collapsing in Brazil and Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba keep resisting American interventionism. Moreover, the US is desperate to find an excuse to engage China, but the Chinese are too mighty a foe to take them on directly, not to mention that they have gone to great lengths to avoid a military conflict with the US.

[quote]So, what is the best solution to these problems? The US needs to go against China's allies Russia and Iran, which will cause a decades-long conflict like Afghanistan and Iraq, increase profits, terrify anyone who thought about standing up to the US and its allies into submission, and allow the corporate-run US government to unify an increasingly exploited, abused and impoverished population by giving them a series of big enough boogeyman to blame for all of the corporatrocracy's corruption, ineptitude and mistakes! Bellicism and jingoism are the solution to ALL of America's problems!

[quote]Also, the US government will make sure to give very lucrative contracts to Amazon, Tesla, Facebook and Google, so all the billionaires know that the Executive and Legislative branch will ALWAYS take good care of them. This is why the WP, owned by Bezos, is shamelessly promoting this agenda!

So there you have it, I've revealed this article's true meaning for you. More disgusting pro-war propaganda is being promoted at the behest of the neoliberal RepuDems! Oh, and before you call me Boris, Ling Ling, tranny, fat, ugly, incel or effeminate (how clever you are!), let me ask you: why is it that the US only cares about the national sovereignty and human rights of countries that won't surrender their resources to American multinationals, won't accept "help" from the World Bank and the IMF and won't submit to US imperialistic impositions? Furthermore, why doesn't the US condemn its "respectable" allies like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India, among others, for their totalitarianism and human rights violations? Could it be that, since those countries do exactly what the US wants, they're to be respected no matter what they do?

What exactly do people expect Biden to do? The US has been told ad nauseam over the past 20 years to stop entering other countries, mind our own government, and get our bases out of Europe. The strength or weakness of our sitting president is irrelevant, given we shouldn't be involved in this matter. Let Ukraine and the rest of Europe deal with Russia invading Ukraine.

OP preferred the president who ̶k̶i̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ 𝒌𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 Putin's ass

Here are the translated transcripts from Polygraph:

First clip:

"The reports that are on TV about ... well, you know, about Syria and the 25 people that are wounded there from the Syrian f--- army and — well ... to make it short, we've had our asses f--- kicked. So one squadron f--- lost 200 people ... right away, another one lost 10 people ... and I don't know about the third squadron, but it got torn up pretty badly, too ... So three squadrons took a beating ... The Yankees attacked ... first they blasted the f--- out of us by artillery, and then they took four helicopters up and pushed us in a f--- merry-go-round with heavy caliber machine guns ... They were all shelling the holy f--- out of it, and our guys didn't have anything besides the assault rifles ... nothing at all, not even mentioning shoulder-fired SAMs or anything like that ... So they tore us to pieces for sure, put us through hell, and the Yankees knew for sure that the Russians were coming, that it was us, f--- Russians ... Our guys were going to commandeer an oil refinery, and the Yankees were holding it ... We got our f--- asses beat rough, my men called me ... They're there drinking now ... many have gone missing ... it's a total f--- up, it sucks, another takedown ... Everybody, you know, treats us like pieces of s--- ... They beat our asses like we were little pieces of s--- ... but our f--- government will go in reverse now, and nobody will respond or anything, and nobody will punish anyone for this ... So these are our casualties."

Second clip:

"Out of all vehicles, only one tank survived and one BRDM [armored reconnaissance vehicle] after the attack, all other BRDMs and tanks were destroyed in the first minutes of the fight, right away."

Third clip:

"Just had a call with a guy — so they basically formed a convoy, but did not get to their f--- positions by some 300 meters. One unit moved forward, the convoy remained in place, about 300 meters from the others. The others raised the American f--- flag, and their artillery started f--- ours really hard. Then their f--- choppers flew in and started f--- everybody. Ours just running around. Just got a call from a pal, so there are about 215 f--- killed. They simply rolled ours out f--- hard. Made their point. What the f--- ours were hoping for in there?! That they will f--- run away themselves? Hoped to f--- scare them away? Lots of people f--- so bad [they] can't be f--- ID'd. There was no foot soldiers [on the American side]; they simply f--- our convoy with artillery."

The general consensus seems to be that Putin loves the posturing, and hasn’t yet decided what he’s going to do. He might be happy to get a summit with Biden—he loves looking like an equal on the world stage. If he does invade, he’ll have to make it snappy; Russia might not do well in a prolonged war.

[quote] Russia might not do well in a prolonged war.

Damn right

Putty had four long years to do this under his puppet Trump's reign, but he deliberately chose Biden to bear the burden.

Well Trump would be giving Putin a blowjob in celebration right about now, OP.

A brilliant analysis provided by The Grayzone's Aaron Maté and Professor Richard Sakwa from the University of Kent.

Why are you posting here? If you're so hot to go to war get down to your local Army recruiting office.

Russia, Ukraine and Belorussiya are three Orthodox countries with a common origin in Kiev. They were one country until the break-up of the Soviet Union. The West is obsessed with breaking Ukraine from Russia and has been since 1917. Putin sees his role in history to make Russia great again and reunite the three Orthodox Russian lands together again. He won't be stopped. The main problem will be western Ukraine which was a part of Catholic Europe and doesn't want to b a part of an Orthodox state. Stalin made a huge mistake when he annexed western Ukraine after WWII. So yes, Putin will invade or subvert Ukraine until it descends into chaos and Russia then occupies the country to restore order.

Biden is preparing to give him a scolding.

It’s none of our business we do not need to meddle in any wars right now.

Hair Furor and OP are the weak and feckless ones. More GRU disinformation.

What's the point of NATO if it can't stop Putin. Has it been toothless all these years?

What's the point if the EU if it cannot defend Ukraine?

What's to be done, sanctions?

Russia’s getting ready to do a false flag operation in Ukraine which will justify an invasion. This after talks with the EU, US and Russia broke down.

Get ready, it’s coming.

Many Iraq invasion supporters here. Very CFR.

This has nothing to do with me. I'm more worried about inflation.

OP's pic...Trenches???......TRENCHES????? What is this...19 fuckin 20?

We have no formal mutual defense treaty with Ukraine. They’re not in NATO and if Europe won’t do anything, how can we?

This is not about right or wrong, it’s simple logistics. Putin looses in the end and war and conquest costs lots of money and blood to include constant insurgencies. We can strangle all the oligarchs financially and absent a few countries, they’ll be unwelcome.

You’re assuming everyone in Central Ukraine wants to be under Moscow’s control, r20. That’s certainly not reality. Ukrainians have desired their own country long before Westerners cared. Read about the Ems Ukaz, introduced precisely because of separatist sentiments among the intelligentsia. This was followed by extreme Russification from the 1930’s until the collapse of the USSR.

I believe Ukrainians would not object to reunification were Russia not authoritarian.

Does Putty have the money to back up all this chest beating?

Russia is BROKE y’all.

Belarus is on the northern border of Ukraine.

And this..

No one cares. Not our problem.

If Putty does invade Ukraine, his people will banish him according to Linda G.

Why would someone attack a country while COVID runs rabid?

Answer=only an asshole.

State Dept. is evacuating the US embassy in Kyiv.

“The Embassy has limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia.”

Hold me.

Still building up- rapidly.

I don't want war, but if Putin did attack, I'd hope retaliation was strong, as it's about time he was told to fuck off.

R40 These are part of a Russian air defense missile system.

Oh, just be quiet, will you? Even Ukraine is saying that it's beyond unlikely that Russia will invade. And we are talking about a government that couldn't be more hostile to Russia.

The US government has caused a rift with Europe because of their stupid stubbornness and blind arrogance; Germany won't sever its ties with their most important energy provider, France doesn't want a war at aall, Croatia has said that they will turn their backs on NATO if there are attacks on Russia and Bulgaria has already said that they refuse to allow US forces in their territory. Do the likes of Blinken, Nuland and Biden realize how serious this is for everyone, but Europe in particular? Obviously, they haven't learned any lessons from Irak, Afghanistan and Vietnam.

By the way, the rabid warmongering in the US media is being criticized all over the world.

Putin is a war monger

More Russian convoys headed to Ukraine. Sure looks like he’s planning to do something..

Biden reportedly told Zelenskyy Kyiv could be “sacked” today in a phone call. Sacked? What is this, the 5th century?

R43 = Tucker Carlson, being a good Putin boy waiting for a check from Moscow.

Just let them shithole countries cannibalize each other. I don't give a shit. Two shitarse, criminal-whore pieces of shit.

Apparently Putin is waiting for the ground to freeze before invading.

When the fuck will Putin finally be put down? He refuses to allow peace to exist in the world.

Now they’re moving medical supplies around, including blood.

Not sure this showbiz president they have in Ukraine has this situation under control. Hopefully the generals have. There is so much corruption, Putin has probably bought half of the government.

He’s been building up to this since October, slowly but surely.

R51 I don’t know about this headline. The thing about blood is it has to be stored at a very precise temperature and it needs to be used by a certain time or it expires and must be discarded. This story that they’re sending blood to their front lines doesn’t seem credible.

Idiot @ R54, it's cold in Ukraine right now and I'm sure they can roll out a couple of diesel generated fridges and freezers into the region.

[quote]The US embassy in Kyiv is not playing around this time. Currently giving US citizens exit routes by land.

The buildup continues.

A nation with no redeeming qualities.

Those tanks look scary as fuck.

Ukraine got javelins to combat the tanks. Just give them whatever they need.

So basically Putin gives a flying fig about what he promised Macron a few days ago to not escalate this conflict any further.

Will they invade during Super Bowl?...Perfect timing... NBC would never break into commercial. Hours of Americans distracted and drunk and not paying attention.

Isn’t it strange that you never hear from the average Ukrainian or Russian average citizen of even a smidgen of worry. If there ever was a hostile army on our borders or the threat of crippling sanctions on the US economy, I’d be shitting my pants. However, all of these buildups and negotiations seemed to be based on diplomatic closed door meetings.

(Things that make you go Hmmm….).

R63 True, all the experts seem to think it's a bluff and invasion won't happen.

The thing that makes me wonder though is that the experts didn't see the fall of the Berlin Wall either. They were all surprised by it despite living there. I think there was only one reporter who did, and he was new, had recently arrived, so was able to see things with fresh eyes.

My concern is that Russia has invaded twice before (Georgia and Crimea, both times during an Olympics). And the build up of troops on the border is certainly extensive, so is it simply missing what's staring you in the face? I don't know.

I thought Crimea happened mere days after the Sochi Olympics.

R65 well, it depends when you define it as having started. The pro-Russian demonstrations orchestrated by the Russians were on the last day of the Sochi Olympics but the actual takeover of the parliament was 4 days afterwards.

Ukraine is a large country. I would be very nervous if I were Germany or France. Putin taking over Ukraine is just the next step. Also Putin has some states in Ukraine who sound like Texas---they WANT Putin to come and be their president. Let's face it, the United States never does anything to stop Putin. We warned them in Chrimea but they still took it over.

Please do not the cite kick-the-can master Obama. It’s just not very helpful now.

The fall of the Berlin wall was grassroots, r64, driven by the people, not a political decision from the top, and I'm not sure what you mean by the experts didn't see it coming, considering there had been so many changes in Eastern Europe already that it was obvious that the socialist regimes were being dismantled.

Your analysis is the one lacking: Russia does not benefit from invading Ukraine. It does benefit, however, from forcing the US/Nato to the negotiating table to talk about its security concerns - and the US has even communicated its proposals on Russia's concerns to Russia, which Russia responded to positively. This so-called build-up of troops isn't even that large, but it helps the US to pretend it is and an invasion is imminent because then it can go into negotiations with Russia and come to an agreement with Russia on security issues, with compromises that it would have been harder to make before and present this all as a victory for diplomacy over military conflict.

Not sure at this point anybody can trust Putin sticking to any signed mutual agreements.

Here is Ukraine’s independence day performance that happened 5 months ago, you can see the president crying I think he knew what was going to happened soon.

The president and other Ukrainian officials keep telling the Americans to shut up with their hysterical war rhetoric, r71.

Nuke this awful country or Russia. Maybe they can do it to themselves.

CNN:

The idea that a Russian invasion might be "imminent" seems almost far-fetched in the streets of the Ukrainian capital — a buzzing European city where people are going on about their business. The public transport system remains busy, shops are well stocked and open, and restaurants are still inviting guests in. But while nothing seems out of the ordinary, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko is drawing up contingency plans including shelters, evacuation procedures and maintaining communications.

“Our parents say that nothing will happen, not to be afraid," Taras Samchuk, a 32-year old historian, told CNN. "Because it's Russians, they are just trying the typical tactics of Soviet politicians or late Russian Empire times, late 19th century, just to show the power, saying that in two days they will be in Kyiv."

Putin is a sociopathic murderer. If he invades, he invades.

The wealthy oligarchs have left the country.

Now Zelensky has announced (on Facebook) that the invasion will take place on Wednesday 2/16…

WHAT? If Zelensky is saying that (he's been trying to downplay it so far because of the economy) then it might actually be serious. I wonder what intelligence he's seen.

Zelensky: “We are being told that Feb 16 will be the invasion day. We will make it Unity Day. A decree has already been signed. We will hang national flags, we will wear blue and yellow ribbons and we will show the world our unity”.

He was being sarcastic. He is not happy with the US media right now and their scaremongering. He was referencing a rumor from the US which said that Russia will invade on Wednesday.

Yeah now he’s saying he was joking, j/k lolol.

This guy’s a clown.

He's a professional comedian, r81.

I heard Ukrainians are not panicking they don't believe Putin will attack same thing in Russia.

The Gayzone's take is rather brilliant. This is a long video, but well worth the time it will take you to watch it in its entirety.

Russian spin on this (possible) drawing down of troops:

These are all lies. The US media are incompetently trying to rally support for a war that nobody else but Biden and Johnson want, and they are promoting the neo-Nazis of the Azov batallion and their political branch.

"U.S. intelligence officials on Tuesday accused a conservative financial news website with a significant American readership of amplifying Kremlin propaganda and alleged five media outlets targeting Ukrainians have taken direction from Russian spies.

The officials said Zero Hedge, which has 1.2 million Twitter followers, published articles created by Moscow-controlled media that were then shared by outlets and people unaware of their nexus to Russian intelligence."

R87, all we've heard from the Biden administration is propaganda.

I've long thought that Zero Hedge is Russian propaganda that tries to create loss of confidence in the western financial markets.. basically chaos and division, so just another troll operation by the Russians.

The US has been fucking up the western financial markets just fine on its own in the past few weeks, r89. The markets shot up today when everyone basically decided that the US is talking crap about Russia invading Ukraine - this despite more "intelligence" revelations about an imagined coup plot.

R90 OK, Sveta. ZeroHedge is still blatantly Russian propaganda.

[quote]The 29 April 2016 unmasking article by Bloomberg, quoted former website staffer Colin Lokey as saying: "I can't be a 24-hour cheerleader for Hezbollah, Moscow, Tehran, Beijing, and Trump anymore. It's wrong. Period. I know it gets you views now, but it will kill your brand over the long run. This isn't a revolution. It's a joke." Lokey told Bloomberg that he was pressured to frame issues in a way he felt was "disingenuous," summarizing its political stances as "Russia=good. Obama=idiot. Bashar al-Assad=benevolent leader. John Kerry=dunce. Vladimir Putin=greatest leader in the history of statecraft."

[quote]In November 2014, Dr. Craig Pirrong, Professor of Finance at the University of Houston, stated: "I have frequently written that Zero Hedge has the MO of a Soviet agitprop operation, that it reliably peddles Russian propaganda: my first post on this, almost exactly three years ago, noted the parallels between Zero Hedge and Russia Today."

[quote]Over time, Zero Hedge expanded into non-financial analysis, including conspiracy theories and fringe rhetoric associated with the US radical right, the alt-right, and a pro-Russian bias.

Do you know how few people read Zero Hedge, r91? In contrast, 10s of millions have heard the ludicrous claims coming from top US officials that Russia is going to invade Ukraine tomorrow - which not even the Ukrainians believe and are ridiculing. Today's US allegation was of a Russian coup plot in Ukraine, to install an obscure, irrelevant guy as puppet ruler. Except it's a completely different obscure, irrelevant guy from the one the UK, America's poodle, claimed its "intelligence" had revealed the Russians were planning to install as puppet ruler. What about the one with the "bags of blood" that the Russians were supposedly moving to the border with Ukraine, which supposedly "proved" an invasion was imminent? Except that invasion never happened either.

R92 Sveta, Zero Hedge has 1.2 million Twitter followers.

all the people who read zero hedge are magahats.

Wow, Datalounge has a real-deal tankie posting.

Here's a denunciation of a neo-Nazi Sbovoda supporter linked to the Azov batallion: she's sniper who brags about murdering innocent ethnic Russian civilians who are Ukrainian nationals. Not surprisingly at all, she is a racist, homophobe and radical ethnocentrist who praises Hitler in her blog. The scandal was so big that the German government had to retire an award that they had given her for being a promoter of "democracy".

We ought to remember that Victoria Nuland and Geoffrey Pyatt invested USD5 billion to support the 2014 coup that brought down the Yanukovich government. The snipers and the people who were supporting this blatant attack on democracy were being organized by nao-Nazis and financed by the US government under Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Aaron Maté is exposing the US media's role in promoting war on the behalf of war profiteers and corporate interest groups.

Aaron Maté is interviewed by Jimmy Dore.

And some more information...

I'm sure Biden would be very happy if Putin decides to retreat and not attack Ukraine. Simply because that would mean he has the capability to successfully deal with Putin and come out of this mess as the winner.

Putin has maneuvered himself into a quagmire here. Whatever he does, he will cop huge losses and I don't think he can do a blitzkrieg operation with Ukraine. This conflict could last for months, maybe even years. And depending on which countries want to get involved supporting either side, this thing could escalate quickly way beyond Ukraine.

Upping the ante with the “Ukrainian genocide” propaganda. Now the Russian FBI is “investigating.”

USAF close encounter with an ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ Russian fighter pilot over the Black Sea.

Senior U.S. officials pivoted today from warning of the threat that Russia could soon invade Ukraine to the firm expectation the invasion is about to begin.

Putin’s plan is progressing according to Intel predictions. Now he’ll have NO CHOICE but to go in to protect his people from Ukrainian attacks and GENOCIDE.

Next step right on schedule: a “terrorist attack/assassination attempt” against a Russian separatist leader.

Garry knows of what he speaks:

Biden just said he/the US believes Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine.

With the shelling of a kindergarten and propaganda claiming that the Ukrainians are attacking Russians, I feel sure that he's already started the process. Common sense (the build up of troops as well as past actions re: Georgia and Crimea) always suggested that he was going to invade or orchestrate a coup. Are the experts still saying that they think not?

Our strategy of leaking intel about Russia’s intentions may not have worked. Because Putin doesn’t give a shit what the rest of the world thinks.

first on the bus are orphans, I hope there is no false flag and no bus bombing.

R110 I think it was important to counter Putin's propaganda. Otherwise he'd have full court propagandizing about how supposedly the Ukrainians are the ones who are the aggressors.

R111 Horrible, the poor kids. Putin is a really evil man.

[quote] The White House said on Friday that removing Russia from the SWIFT international banking system, if it decides to invade Ukraine, is not part of the first sanctions package the Biden administration would impose. “All options remain on the table. But it’s probably not going to be the case that you’ll see SWIFT in the initial roll out package,” Daleep Singh, a deputy national security adviser, told reporters.

Wonder why not? I thought this was the most powerful of the possible sanctions.

This is downright scandalous, and you are all liars. The US is DESPERATE to start a war with Russia and this has been a false flag operation initiated by the US-supported neo-Nazi militias. You are blaming Putin for bombing ethnic Russians in the Donbas after he has clearly stated that he won't invade Ukraine, and the alleged invasion dates keepbeing moved by so-called US intelligence? Oh, PLEASE!

By the way, now that we're talking about the neo-Nazis of the Ukrainian militias attacking ethnic Russians in Donetsk, guess who is arming and lending support to the Ukrainian Nazis WHILE accusing a Jewish Canadian of standing next to nao-Nazis?

Oh, and look at this! The US is starting a false flag operation by blaming Russia of bombing ethnic Russians in Donetsk, so they have an excuse to "invade" Ukraine... Even though Putin has done nothing and the "imminent treath" has never materialized!

This would be a joke, if it weren't so awful.

Order given by…who? Putin?

B-b-but my Olympics don’t close until Sunday.

Here is one:

Continued:

These doctored videos are laughbly amateurish.

Potential for bad effects on financial markets.

75% of conventional forces positioned to invade.

Navy being positioned too.

They’ve closed the Sea of Azov (in the south, next to Crimea.)

This US Embassy warning seems sus. “Terrorist attack” in 3…2….

George Galloway's and Caleb Maupin's take on the USA's manufactured war against Russia.

R127 Russia has massed 75% of its battalion tactical groups, the largest amphibious force in the Black Sea since the early 1990s, numerous district-level assets, armies from the Central/Eastern Military Districts, 190K troops along Ukraine’s borders. You think that’s a “manufactured war” by the US?

Also, George Galloway??? That man is an 'useful idiot', and a narcissist who is always found on RT.

Putin giving an unhinged speech to the nation right now, outlining why it is necessary to invade Ukraine. Ukraine was never a ‘real’ country, it is part of Russia, it is controlled by the West who are out to destroy Russia. It’s bonkers and scary. He really sounds deranged.

(He’s STILL talking, btw.)

Been talking for an hour and just now got around to mentioning Donbas. (The purpose of the speech was supposed to be about recognizing Donbas as an independent entity, leading to going in to “protect” it against “Ukraine’s attacks and genocide.”)

EU head responds. Ball is in Biden’s and EU’s court now. Blinken has said that Russian recognition of Donbas would “trigger severe sanctions.” Now he must put his money where his mouth is.

Russian defense minister was in Syria last week, meeting with Assad and overseeing military exercises there.

Is Zelenskyy about to be whisked out of the country? Putin has him on a hit lust.

^ hit LIST.

Predicting “bloodletting” if Ukraine does not stop what it has not been doing (“committing genocide.”) He’ll just make up more lies to justify invading Ukraine.

The world was worried (deservedly so) about Trump being in control of a nuclear arsenal. Turns out it should have been more worried about Putin -- based on today's speech, he's really gone around the bend.

Gaslighting the world.

some parts of the speech were interesting. The remark about his request for Russia to join NATO in his meeting with Bill Clinton and the supposed response he got was very bitter sounding. Two weeks ago, Macron in one of the interviews stated that this whole crisis is in a way West's doing. There have been too many missed opportunities with Putin. Apparently US never did anything as it just wasn't in American interests to get EU and Russia closely aligned.

45 “peacekeeping” tanks headed for Ukraine, 20 miles from the border.

UN Sec Gen is “concerned.”

Putin must be laughing.

All US state department personnel are now leaving Ukraine. That's drastic change from just hours ago.

Remember this from last month? “Any assembled Russian units” crossing the border = an invasion?

Well?

Right-wing media is pushing the idea that Trump kept Putin in control and Biden couldn't manage it. Russian expert Tom Nichols sets them straight.

R134, Josep Borrell is a pro-US puppet and he will do ANYTHING to please Biden. He is also a raging crypto-fascist (I should know, as I am Catalan) who has promoted neo-liberal policies everywhere he has been, and has done everything in his power to destroy the independence movement in Catalonia. It isn't any surprise that he supports Ukraine's human rights violations in the Donbas.

Regarding this so-called invasion, there is no such thing: Putin's hand has been forced by the US-backed Ukrainian forces, in roder to avoid a massacre and protect Russia's navy in Crimea. Burisma lobbyist John Herbst (yes, we're talking about the same company that has very close ties to the Biden family) is demanding that we give missiles to the so-called Ukrainian rebels.

This is THE SAME that they did with Al-Assad in Syria. The only difference is that Russia is a thousand times more powerful... Then again, all they care about is creating a perpetual war for the military industrial complex's sake and getting rid or Nord Stream 2, so they can economically enslave Europe.

The U.S. made him do it!

Actually, it did R148.

YES.

More than a few comparing this to Hitler.

I spot the smelly Russian bot at R149!

Putin wants to Make Russia Great Again. He should start selling t-shirts and hats.

Putin continues to execute his step-by-step plan.

^I wish the fucking Republicans would all move to Siberia.

Trump continues to lick Putin's boots:

Rumors that tonight’s the night, specifically 4AM Ukraine time (9PM in the US.)

Russia already started the first bombings in Southern East Ukraine right now. I think they will go from east, south, and north looking at their movements. At least, it looks like it's going to be relatively quick. Or I hope for Ukrainians sake, they won't resist too much.

The irony is that if Ukraine was in NATO this probably wouldn't happen. How can the Ukrainians even 'resist much' as it stands?

You're a liar, R159. I have just checked the news and there ISN'T one single reference to any alleged bombings. Do you think that the US media would allow something like this to pass? You're only warmongering, little troll.

R161 here.

R162 There have been reports of ‘explosions’ in the Donbas for days now.

OSINT monitoring airliner activity are reporting aircraft turning around to avoid Ukraine airspace tonight. Now seeing reports of Ukraine airspace being closed.

Why is he tweeting this?

Ukrainian airspace officially closed.

Fox News is confirming it too. Also there are reports that the Russian ballistic missiles went live and the bombers are now airborne.

Sec Gen of UN just now appealed to Putin to “Give peace a chance” (during emergency meeting of Security Council.)

Putin is making an address to Nation right now.

Spetsnaz is Russian special forces.

#Putin: 'It's the question of life or death for us'

#Putin: 'the military operation in Ukraine has begun'

#Putin: to Ukrainians 'be patient, this will be over quick'

It’s really happening. Right now.

#Putin: to the West 'do not dare to interfere, we will destroy you '

#Putin: 'the endgame of military action is to demilitarisation and denazification of the whole Ukraine'

It’s 5AM in Russia. Some people noting Putin’s wearing the same tie as his previous speech/rant of a couple of days ago. Might be prerecorded.

“This will be over quickly.”

“We will destroy you.”

God he’s scary.

[quote] ‘endgame of military action is to demilitarisation and denazification of the whole Ukraine'

What the actual fuck. He’s a psycho.

He’s insane.

He won't fuck around. Kharkiv is being bombed right now.

CNN reporter live on air in Kyiv reports big explosions.

Explosions heard in Kyiv.

Kramatorsk is home to a Ukrainian airbase.

Here is Kharkiv also nowhere near Donbass.

I hate this.

Former ambassador Michael McFaul on MSNBC: It looks like this will be a full-scale invasion and a long, bitter war.

the Leader of the Free World

So US intelligence was right after all. So many experts sneered at it and the Ukrainians seemed to go into denial that it would happen.

Very sad, thoughts with the poor Ukrainians. I kind of hate seeing all of these people at the UN council just saying words but Putin doesn't care about words with his tanks and bombs.

Fuck off troll at R188.

Many an aggrieved man has committed murder because he felt "disrespected."

Add in the psychopathy of a former KGB head with access to the world's most terrible weaponry, and you've got Trouble with a capital "T."

Rolling coverage.

Stalin and Ukraine:

And how the New York Times covered up Stalin's mass murder and received a Pulitzer Prize for so doing. The progressive intelligentsia of the day such as George Bernard Shaw were dazzled.

Russian defence ministry said that Ukraine’s air bases and military infrastructure has been neutralised, according to an IFX news agency report.

Ukraine military said that five Russian planes and a Russian helicopter were shot down in Luhansk region, reported Reuters.

2 days.

Putin threatens response to sanctions

The Russian government warned on Wednesday of a "strong" and "painful" response to the Biden administration's sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine, according to multiple reports.

Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said the country would target "sensitive" US assets in retaliation.

The ministry said in a statement that the US sanctions against it were part of America's "ongoing attempts to change Russia's course," CNN reported.

"Russia has proved that, despite all the sanctions costs, it is able to minimize the damage," the ministry said in the statement. "And even more so, sanctions pressure is not able to affect our determination to firmly defend our interests."

The ministry said it was open to diplomacy with the US but that the sanctions would be met with a fierce response.

It added: "There should be no doubt that sanctions will receive a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but finely tuned and painful to the American side."

Europeans are more worried about sanctions than US.

What’s scary is a tit-for-tat escalating process of cyber attacks on Russia triggering Russian cyber attacks on us and Europe in retaliation. Who knows how that would end up and the damage it would cause.

[quote] "There should be no doubt that sanctions will receive a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but finely tuned and painful to the American side."

We should have let the EU take the lead and be the ones targeted by the Russian response. We shouldn't have to bear the brunt of what is happening on their continent.

Can’t the civilized nations summon UN Peacekeeping forces into Kiev? Is this not possible? If so, why? Isn’t this the UN’s chief mission. Why are we holding back? Sanctions will take years to have any effect and in the meantime innocent civilians will be cannon fodder. Surely, armed multi-national UN members can send in a coalition of armed forces to protect Kiev. We’re not even discussing such an option. Western Europe being pussies again and offering harsh language instead.

R201 Ukraine has a decent army but they are vulnerable to the air - they need planes.

Datalounge hero Trump hater Col.Alexander Vindman on this fuckup.

For two decades, the U.S. entertained illusions about what might be accomplished with Russia, a reluctant partner, while remaining oblivious to opportunities in Ukraine, a far more willing one. In its relationship with Russia, the U.S. had limited prospects of achieving any objectives outside of arms control, whereas with Ukraine it might have successfully influenced regional development.

The seed of this conflict was planted many years ago, across multiple Republican and Democratic administrations. But the Biden administration and its successors will own the geopolitical consequences of this war.

Like every administration since the end of the Cold War, Joe Biden’s fell victim to wishful thinking about the Kremlin’s ambitions in Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s basic commitment to international norms. In doing so, the Biden administration continued the decades-long practice of allowing deterrence to erode. The paths to prevention were not taken.

All the while, the Biden administration failed to pair diplomatic overtures with sufficiently powerful, credible military pressure, perhaps over fears of a bilateral conflict with Russia. These fears were misplaced. I can say from my significant experience dealing with the highest levels of Russia’s military leadership that it has no interest in a bilateral confrontation with the U.S. Russian leaders have zero desire for nuclear war, and they understand that they would inevitably lose in a conventional war. However, Russia excels at compelling the U.S. to self-deter.

Besides military pressure, the U.S. also failed to consider graduated response options once Putin’s preferred course of action had been established. The U.S. could have imposed targeted sanctions on Russian leadership or introduced long-overdue anti-corruption legislation to signal the impending costs of reinvasion to the Kremlin. By choosing to view these options through an all-or-nothing lens, the U.S. unnecessarily constrained its response. Biden’s administration was reactive when it should have been proactive. Over and over, the president’s longtime senior advisers seem to have recommended narrow, low-risk policy options, and these backfired.

Unlike during the Cold War, when the U.S. successfully deterred the Soviets for decades, the U.S. has now implicitly recognized Russia’s sphere of influence and perhaps undermined its own role as the most powerful global protector of democracy. This war marks the single biggest reversal of trends in the Western liberal order in the 21st century.

I don’t place much (if any) blame on the Biden Administration for Pitin’s complete reversal due to a mental defect that I suspect had built up in recent circumstances. Besides, wasn’t Vindman all the while working in the White House under both Obama and Biden? Where was his public statement then? Comes off sounding two-faced.

And I do not believe the Ukrainian infantry can hold back any well-tested and trained military force, let alone the Russian military. Do they even know how to operate advanced artillery, SAMs, and many others if they did not have them before? I have grave reservations that they will have any effectiveness.

This assault on Ukraine feels like a Madman’s last hurrah before his despicable soul leaves this mortal coil. That’s all this is. He cannot undertake a long term occupation of Ukraine. He can’t afford it and his remaining years of life are hopefully very short. It’s all simply insane! And completely useless. Hopefully the innocent Russian people will stay safe as well while this doomed maniac thrashes before giving up his final death rattle.