Scholz is no friend of ultimatums against his party's most favourite buddy, Russia, but he likes to speak of his weaseling "strategic ambiguity" :har: instead, that means to not tell Putin what he has to expect if he invades.

Why that is better instead of telling him crystal clear that his econoym would be economically sanctioned into the stoneage with all the West can mobilise for this task, so to speak, is beyond me. Maybe becasue Scholz knows that our gas reserves run thin and that Germany has accepted to end up in a state of learned helplessness and has no intention to support all imaginable heavy sanctions. Mind you, his poarty is streong in opinion in wasnting dismantle NATO, gettingUS nukes out of Europe, there is a very striong left wing in the SPD wanting this and even want to dismantle the Bundeswehr. The SPD has no real experts and insiders that propagate a trans-atlantic relation, but it has many Russia-whisperers wanting to bring Germany closer to Russia. Much of what then SPD says about NATO and the US is just lip confessions to not loose voters. Scholz probably comkbines his helplessness with just what he always does: moving handwarm but empty air by letting his tongue flap. In principle he is not more than just a warm air ventilator.

Or better: he is powerless, clueless, and represents a country that has just seen the last of its illusory and naive foreign political convictions going down the drain. No other Western nation crashes as hard on the hard ground of reality over the Ukraine, than Germany currently does. And we deserve it.



I can hold out for the remaining winter with my heating petrol reserves. I HOPE that the gas runs out and Germans suffer one or two or three weeeks without heatign and without power form gas-driven powerplants. Maybe such a hurting experience is what indeed is needed to bring some sense and reason back into these stupid hobbits' empty heads. He who will not hear must feel. Reality is stronger than drunk-of-romantic ideology.


Also, a boycott by Russia to deloiver gas and ore and coal, would probbaly bring a collapse to the Green'S insane "transofrmation" pllcies, now that the eU already has started to slowly move away from its over-ambitious prioce-dirving pllciy foir similiar ideolgical madnesses. The comeposnaiton measures would be so costly that we probaly cnanot afford to stick to this indeolgical insanities as they are being outlined now. So, I indeed can see some positive even in the worst case with Russia.

The enemy of my enemy is my part-time ally. Not by love, but pragmatic purpose. Just like for the same reason I reject to make a stand against the AfD. I dispise it, I laugh about it and think they are unbelievably stupid and in parts Nazis, but they enforce instability onto the established phalanx of political powers, and so I let them serve in a function of a ram. Sympathy and shared views have NOTHING to do with my tolerance for them. Its a pure egoistic abuse from my side.

Two separatist leaders from Ukraine have appealed to Vladimir Putin to recognise their "people's republics" as independent states.

Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, and Leonid Pasechnik, leader of the Luhansk People's Republic, are reported to be in Moscow.

Their appeals have been shown by Russian state TV.

Putin told his security council it was necessary to consider the appeals.

"Our objective, the objective of our meeting today is to listen to colleagues and decide on our next steps in this area," Putin said.

If he agrees, it could lead to Moscow openly sending military forces into both regions, using the claim that it is intervening as an ally to protect them from Ukraine.

Putin said the Minsk agreement has no more chance to be implemented. I think that mulls the recognition of Donbass' and Luhansk's independence.

That Biden agrees in principle to a summit with Putin, may give him satisfaction, too. He gets the recognition he wanted no matter whether the summit takes place or not, and he sees the Europeans being left out of it, as he always wanted.

Its up to Biden whether he agrees to ignore the Europeans, or whether he insits on keeping them in play, no matter how weak their role is.

But once again the Europeans get reminded of their irrelevance. Must be quite sobering. To me it is less sobering and more consistent with their self-made fate.

Have to ask those of you who post comment and follow this thread

How many of you believe that this Russia-Ukraine crisis is a made-up story produced by our elected politicians and supported by our free press ?

I have so far read three comments where the author did claim that this crisis is nothing but an "Invention" and it's not a conspiracy(wrote one of them).

I think it has to do with fear-These people have a fear for what may happen and by closing their eyes and say it's not there-it will disappear

For me this crisis is real as it can get-And yes I have fear what may happen-But it wouldn't disappear if I close my eyes.

Markus

Seems I read the US govt expects an attack on the major city of Kyiv, so Russia would come in from Belarus. Sucks Ukraine couldn't resolve their politics and corruption before it came to this. Not sure what Russia has to gain from this except very long term, but if they go in hard no amount of sanctions is gonna make them leave. Probably be the final nail to throw the US and most the world into recession and another cold war with us sending troops to Poland, Romania and other NATO allies. Europe better be glad warmer weather is coming.

To me it just proves that humanity will never learn to live in peace. If we are not already in a fight it won't be long before someone feels the need to start one.

We have come one step close to an invasion of Ukraine-The Russian government has recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine - Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

(the article says Putin is thinking about it-but according to the news here, Putin has recognized them as independent)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60468234

Markus

I reckon that eventually, Ukraine will be left to fend for itself and that is what Putin is gambling on because a protracted war will not be popular with the Russian people....not that he particularly cares about them and he is supported by the oligarchs and military.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is to recognise breakaway regions of Ukraine, the Kremlin says.

He told the French and German leaders of his plans in a phone call, saying he would sign a decree.

Such a move could allow him to openly move troops into Eastern Ukraine and end peace talks with Kyiv.

In a speech to the nation he said Ukraine had no history of being a true nation.

UK Defence Secretary says Russia's President Vladimir Putin is "committed" to invading Ukraine.

Several airlines including Air France and Lufthansa have suspended flights to Ukraine over invasion fears.

Sounds a lot like Hitler rescuing those poor germans in Sudetenland.

^ yes ..

How he can be able to move russian troops into those regions if he just accepted them as 'independent'.
Seems the 35 percent russian population needs help from Russia, against the evil 65 percent majority..

As written before "Seit 5:45 wird jetzt zurück geschossen" :shifty:

Ok this was it. Either instant hot war or a cold one.
And no one should misunderstand this. The aggressor is Russia.

Exactly. Now all we are waiting for is "representatives" of these breakaway regions to call for Russian assistance, then the troops march in. And then--gasp!--Ukraine has attacked these breakaway sovereign states and now poor Russia has the burden of war thrust on them.

Would be amazing if Ukraine is better prepared to fight than the Russkies imagine.

There's not much Western Ukraine can do about it-They are no match for the Russian military-They may sting them, but that's it.

No doubt Putin will give the order to send Russian troops into these two region-The question is what will Ukraine do and what will EU/NATO do ?

Markus

I have much faith humanity can be brilliantly stupid, but I still can't believe it would self anihilate. I'm old enough to enjoy a surprise though.....