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© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Russia pushes into Ukraine; West hits back with sanctions
By RAF CASERT BRUSSELS©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
97 Comments
Blacklabel
All Biden is left with is this as he got totally outplayed by Putin.
So the American people need to suffer more so that Biden can appear to have "done something" to support Ukraine.
What if we dont care about Ukraine and want Biden to focus on defending the stolen freedom in Canada instead? What if we dont care about the Ukraine border and want Biden to focus on the Mexican one?
Doolittle
Trump is absolutely right. Putin comes out on top of this in the end.
He plays the peacekeeper. The US sits by idly watching it all play out.
Brilliant.
Blacklabel
So the foreign policy decisions of a President DO have an impact on gas prices and Biden DOES have the ability (and tools at his disposal!!??) to impact gas prices? interesting.
Wait until people find out how much fertilizer we import from Russia. Food prices, sky high too.
itsonlyrocknroll
Donald Trump left the build some time back. I doubt he will return age catches up.
Both for Joe Biden and Donald Trump. No reason shy away from the fact, no ignominy in accepting the facts if life.
itsonlyrocknroll
President Biden is sitting in the big chair.
In a healthy democracy the President will be bombarded with opinions and opposing views.
That is an essential element, challenge, debate openly.
The alternative is Putin's Russia, opponents are poisoned, imprisoned, or simply executed.
Neighbouring ex-soviet countries are simply invaded forced back into line and the dissenters lined up and shot.
Freedom, democracy is a anthemia to Putin, the very thought disappearing under a tank.
bass4funk
And still zero evidence of a full-hearted and endorsement support for a full invasion of Ukraine.
You can point out whatever you want. No whining, that’s like me saying you’re a Trump supporter.
I never did, but if I did, I would gladly say it. What I do support is America and American isolationism. Quote that one for the archives
Blacklabel
Usual posters still talking about Trump repetitively and obsessively?
Biden and the Democrats control all the US government what that gonna do about this?
lincolnman
I guess you didn't open the link - these were Trump's exact words quoted from "Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show" where he was being interviewed....
https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-ukraine-invasion-justification-genius-savvy-2022-2
Can't? I already did - so once again - explain how its "wonderful" for Russia to invade Ukraine...
itsonlyrocknroll
Russian President Putin Statement on Ukraine
https://www.c-span.org/video/?518097-2/russian-president-putin-recognizes-independence-donetsk-luhansk-ukraines-donbas-region
Note the interpretation of historical events.
Putin military force, land, sea, and air, the most significate build of armour, armed forces since the second world war.
Putin's rambling speech, his constant twisting and rewriting of past events as far back as the 17th century, combined with the sheer size and strength of the Putin assembled armed services indicates Putin will move against and grab back former soviet states.
Expect Russian government to wage a huge social media propaganda war, mis-information, fake news, mass cyber attacks.
The manner President Macron was cynically and callously publicly humiliated, a President Macron devoted to finding a process for de-escalation, a peaceful solution.
Putin won't stop he is a frightened man, lashing out at his own advisers and government.
Putin witnesses the EU brand of peoples democracy ever shifting east, up to the Russian boarder.
Putin desperation will lead to more recklessness irrational behaviour, a nuclear arsenal at his finger tips
Countries that attempt to undermine Russian sanction must be held accountable with additional punitive sanctions.
In the case of the Government of China cancellation of all china held debt.
marc laden
Here is the Chief military strategist say about this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY7b0JCMY3A
Strangerland
It's definitely quaint watching Americans criticize the other team's media in America, clearly victims of their bubble to not realize that there isn't such a thing as good media anywhere in America!
rainyday
Sorry I can’t resist pointing out that now you are whining about CNN in the same sentence you insist you aren’t whining.
ulysses
Which is exactly what putin wants, thanks for showing your support for putin, yet again!!!
Better switch back to faux, you might miss out on directions on what to whine about!!!
bass4funk
Ok, quotes! If it’s hogwash as you claim, who verbatim said they support an invasion?
Uhh, I don’t and have been quite clear on that.
If we hated it we would be Democrats.
bass4funk
Not unless they specifically say the words. You would make a bad case as a lawyer if you tried to tie someone to a belief based on a few adjectives. Again, show a quote where any Republican said that they outright support a full on invasion of Ukraine. Try it. You know you absolutely can’t.
That does take priority particularly when you factor in that the Ukraine is not even a part of NATO.
It does not.
Not whining, tune in to CNN, they’re whining about one topic and one topic only.
ulysses
It’ll be easier to count the ones who don’t!!!
dan
Some sanctions and lip service .
The U.K and Boris NOT sanctioning the oligarchs in the UK ..Useless.
rainyday
So unless a US president has solved all the domestic problems of the United States first, they shouldn’t do any foreign policy stuff? That doesn’t make much sense.
Also, and I just note this because I like irony, even in the same paragraph that you claim to not be whining, you can’t help but start whining again.
lincolnman
Then explain this; "Former President Donald Trump praised Vladimir Putin in a podcast interview on Tuesday, describing the Russian president's justification for invading Ukraine as "savvy" and "genius." "I went in yesterday, and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful," Trump said when asked about the news. "I said, 'How smart is that?'
https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-ukraine-invasion-justification-genius-savvy-2022-2
"Smart", "Genius", "Savvy", "Wonderful"....sure sounds like pretty strong "backing and support" to me....
Sounds exactly like what Trump says at his rallies when he's "backing" a candidate...which in this case, he certainly is...
MAGA-world is now fully owned by the Russians...and the proof is in the words above from the MAGA-King himself...
stormcrow
"Trump says it wouldn't have happened if he were president and criticizes Biden but has no words of criticism for Putin or his actions . . . "
But, but, but . . . "I ALONE can fix it!"
Numan
@bass4funk
Why do the Republicans and its "independent" supporters hate democracy so much?
bass4funk
Which Republican outright and verbatim said that they fully support Russia to annex Ukraine?
smithinjapan
What were Japan's sanctions, just out of curiosity. Kishida said yesterday he'd do it.
smithinjapan
bass4funk: "Not one person is supporting Russia."
Hogwash. Plenty of the GOP and its supporters are, especially Trump, and if you support them in doing so, you also support Russia.
ulysses
ROFL, contradicting your there, try reading before posting!!
Trump shared Intelligence with Russia, and it was so worrying that even the Israelis stopped sharing secrets with US.
The GOP is.
I agree , trump should stop gushing about putin!!!
Bob Fosse
I follow a certain person’s Twitter account. Someone who claims not to use Twitter but has tweeted literally over 300 times in the past few hours. New app not working?
gkamburoff
It is time for a uprising in the Khabarovsk region of Russian anti-Putin sentiment.
I already recognize them as an independent nation.
FizzBit
I have no doubt in my mind that if Tulsi Gabbard became President none of this would be happening. It was the corporate MSM choice to go with the old fart Biden, now you have to live with it. Childish to bring Trump into this.
bass4funk
No, Biden is not fixing the mess he made in the US and if he’s trying to fix anything then he needs to leave it alone especially when you look at Afghanistan and now the Ukraine.
Uranium One was turned over to the Russians by a former Democrat Secretary of State.
Not one person is supporting Russia. The kindergarten playground talk will not stop Putin from making sure that Ukraine never becomes part of NATO
>
Tom San
Today, we are at DEFCON Level 3 (Round House).
ulysses
Glad you accepted that trump lost bigly!!
Biden is trying to fix trump’s mess, he almost turned over America to Russia.
putin knows that china and the GOP will support him!!!
your master trump, his lackey pompeo…… unless you mean they are not GOP!!!!
Coulda been
@Rodney 7.42am
Ever heard of Chechnya???
ulysses
The fact this post is still on and yet the moderators will suspend you for calling Donald trump ‘donald’ shows who is moderating today.
And this poster/moderator can get away with this language but anyone else will get deleted!
Anyone wants to bet that bass will have the last post before he closes this thread!!!
bass4funk
Trump is not the President. As you guys kept telling us. Biden is trying to fix something he is botching up again.
And yet the invasion will happen.
Not one is backing Putin, not one.
EdwardCanada
That must make the Ukrainians feel real special.
I thought Biden promised to protect the Ukrainians
Are you crazy?
Thank God Biden has enough sense when he correctly said essentially... we can't put American troops in Ukraine and create a situation where American and Russians are shooting each other, because that's a WORLD WAR.
.. between the 2 top nuclear countries on earth.
It would be all over for everyone on earth.
Putin already told Europe last week the Russians are one of the top nuclear countries on earth, and if Europe gets drawn into a conflict, it would be all over "in the blink of an eye".
Sounds like a threat to me.
NCIS Reruns
What else can you call this but naked aggression? Will it be appeasement or will it be war? It's 1938 all over again, and the clock is ticking...
ulysses
trump is busy praising his master putin and the loony right wing wants to blame President Biden!!!
Ordinary Russians are against invading Ukraine yet the GOP is backing putin!!!
Seems like we have an enemy within!!!
>
bass4funk
What? Ok, leave the emotion, proof please. Recognizing and supporting an all out invasion are two entirely different things and have different meanings, so where did he say he supported a full on invasion?
No, he absolutely does not, I can show you every transcript from his show where he didn’t say that. He specifically asked and (legitimately) what is in it for the US to stick it’s neck out for a country that is not even a member of NATO? How will that close the porous border? How will that reduce food prices or gas prices especially? Why did Biden wait so long to implement sanctions? Why is it that this President is so weak in his response to this guy and didn’t take a preemptive steps to begin sanctioning Russia a year ago?
https://dailycaller.com/2021/11/10/tucker-carlson-mike-turner-ukraine-russia-troops-fox-news/
We don’t that’s why we are so befuddled that Biden wouldn’t even allow himself to be drawn in like this.
Numan
@Blacklabel
Biden and his team was right from the get go. They laid out Putin's entire playbook. Putin is being shown to be the dangerous fraud.
This is why Putin hates social media because he can not control the news that comes out like trying to control the tides or crashing waves.
Ingvar
Ukraine is "prosperous and democratic"........ God have mercy. What has the corporate media done to the brains of these people........
Ukraine was somewhat prosperous 8 years ago. Not compared to Norway but compared to Romania, Bulgaria, especially Albania and etc. Now it's by far the poorest country in Europe. Even compared to Albania.
Numan
@Blacklabel
You also said Biden would not become president and his predecessor was doing a great job to get re-elected into office. You been wrong MANY times before.
Considering your track record, I assumed you could be sympathetic to others missteps.
Numan
@Bass4funk
Your favorite president trump loves Putin plan of invading another country.
Tucker Carlson also supports Putin's plans. He is fawning over a great interview with Putin.
Why do the Republicans and its "independent" supporters hate democracy so much?
TokyoJoe
Biden couldn't protect his front lawn from weeds, he is a senile, fragile old man voted in by reactionary leftists.
theFu
Russia provided Ukraine with security guarantees when they gave up their nuclear weapons.
Disclosure, my family is from Russia, east of Ukraine.
Ref: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/21/1082124528/ukraine-russia-putin-invasion
Belarus and Kazakhstan followed Ukraine. Beware to the people in those places.
Sanctions - full cutoff of all trade - are what needs to happen to Russia over this action. Ukraine is a stable democracy that Russia has been trying to destabilize the last decade. Russia is trying to take the mind off internal failures - like the pitiful COVID response - and get eyes looking elsewhere. Russia (Putin) couldn't wait for all the Russians moving into Ukraine to take over political offices, then get parts cut off later. Impatient people suck.
lincolnman
The Republican Party - can it even call itself that anymore? When it comes to Russia, It's gone from "barking dog" to "lapdog"...
Eisenhower stood up to the Russians in Europe, Nixon faced down the Russians in the Middle East, Reagan stood tall and told Gorbachev to "tear down this wall"....
But now we get a former Republican President who calls the Russian leader "a genius" and "savvy", and says that a Russian invasion of another sovereign country is "wonderful"....
Perhaps some of our Trump supporters here can explain to us how from the US and the West's perspective, Russia's invasion of their neighbor is "wonderful"?
Help us understand that....
bass4funk
No, it’s just this administration got us now bogged down in a mess that their trying to clear up on aisle 9.
Not this President
Only to Honolulu
ulysses
As Russian tanks roll into Ukraine, Trump says it wouldn’t have happened if he were president and criticizes Biden but has no words of criticism for Putin or his actions, instead calling them “genius,” “smart” and “pretty savvy.”
That sums up the idiot right wing thinking!!!
Monty
Putin is an old, senile and full of lies grandfather, whose brain is filled with warmongering madness.
Someone has to withdraw him from his power.
The European Countries and the US know already since many years that he is a high threat to the world piece.
Sanctions? I guess Sanctions will not really impress Putin.
But let's hope that someone or somehow can convince this old insane man to stop his crazy actions, which can lead the world in a big war.
2020hindsights
bass4funk
What do you think Biden should do?
Oh you mean give them some money to buy arms etc.? Yeah, the US did that, but some Orange Man made it contingent on getting dirt on Biden...
Alex
Russia has China now, they don't need the west for anything anymore....
2020hindsights
bass4funk
Umm, maybe they can book a plane ticket? Seems like a reasonable approach.
Bob Fosse
You just gave a suggestion and said that it was pointless in the same sentence. Well done, I suppose.
stormcrow
Poor, poor Ukraine. It hasn't done anything to anybody but try to live and exist peacefully and happily, and now this amplified barbaric assault.
If you live in a prosperous & democratic country near one of these powerful dictatorships, be careful!
bass4funk
I mean, what a load of garbage. Lol
That would be Putin and Ukraine.
I actually agree on that one.
Ingvar
Good idea. And have Germany and etc hire enough armored guards and trucks to occupy Paris, deliver the cash money to the Russian central bank in Moscow for the oil, gas and etc.
PTownsend
Of course they do, they are leaders of what the far right called, 'the new world order', they are the global masters that rightists used to claim they were opposed to. Both China aka CCP, and the Russian Federation aka Putinistan, know that for them to maintain control over the globe they have to sell their products to friendly states, and it could be with the Eurasian Economic Union and Belt and Road they have their networks in place. Russia and China's state predatory capitalism has outpaced western forms of predatory capitalism. Their approaches have left the Milton Friedman /Ayn Ran believers breathing their exhaust fumes
Western corporations and governments have helped create Russia and China as the globe's ruling empires, and many of the global wealthy have become richer helping them do so. Xi and Putin have also had lots of help from rightist social media trolls (aka useful idiots) constantly throwing fuel on long burning fires and fanning flames in their attempts to further divide and thereby weaken western democracies. The latest batch of useful I..s have been the "it's my body", freedom moaning herds.
Ingvar
Say what? Is this some alternate reality? There is a very famous siege often referred to, "The 900 days". The fascists fought and failed to enter the city for 900 days.
But it is something a lot of people talk about. Why didn't Stalin punish Finland severely? Rumor is that he had a pro-Finnish bias because at one point he escaped the Tsarist secret police hiding out if Finland at which time he first met Lenin.
bass4funk
Not me, I asked the question.
What he should have done was never get involved in a dispute between Russia, Ukraine and NATO and if Ukraine needed assistance then Biden should have helped to arm them over a year ago and hit Russia with sanctions then, not that it would have done anything significant to the point where the Chinese can’t compensate for any losses they incur.
No, I’m not a liberal, so no flip flopping here.
The Avenger
Contrary to myth, there is no Putin/Biden "summit" planned.
Blacklabel
Just a “minor incursion”. Biden weakly said that’s ok a few weeks ago.
Bob Fosse
So, give a clear answer. What do you think Biden should do?
And remember, if he does it you’ll then have to say it was a terrible idea and deny you ever supported it, so think carefully.
Paul
US/NATO supports neo-Nazis in Ukraine. Al Qaida in Syria. ISIS in Iraq. Fascist murder squads in Central America. Fascist junta's in South America.
In any conflict against any regime even learning left in accordance with the democratic wishes of the population, US/NATO sends the attack dogs in.
Unfortunately for them, all this tyranny hasn't stemmed the precipitous decline in the economic power of those tyrannical regimes but in fact has hastened it. Playing with numbers aside, in terms of the real economy, China is already the #1 economic power by some distance and Russian weapons are far superior.
Antiquesaving
Desert TortoiseToday 08:04 am JST
Interesting take on "the Winter war,"
And your blending it into WW2.
But you put an interesting twist but forgot to put in some very important facts.
Finland lost the winter war, not only did Finland loose the war, it lost even more territory than Stalin and the Soviet Union was demanding prior to the war, in total Finland lost over 9% of it's territory.
Then your
Is also misleading as it was nazi Germany with the Finland joining it and never actually marched in to be exact the seige was lost by the Nazi and their Finland allies and after the war Finland lost even more and had to pay the USSR reparations.
So your example is one that shows the aggression actually paid off for the USSR as it gained even more than it had been demanding.
I am not saying it was right, I am not saying what is going on now is right but I am saying if you are going to point out something in History, do it correctly and with the full details.
Ah_so
The American right, guided by its chief philosopher, Tucker Carlson of Fox News and the Kremlin's Internet Research Agency, are now fully behind Russia and it's fascist expansionism.
So the main single country with the strength to stand up and get Russia to back down is too divided even on this issue, let alone all the others it's been fed over recent years with the aim of destabilising national national unity.
Russia has already beaten the West in a game that most didn't even realise they were playing.
Bob Fosse
You’ve said continuously that this was a fake war and that The US should stay out of it. Just pretend it isn’t happening, seemed to work for you so far.
Bob Fosse
I though Russia weren’t going to invade and it was all fake msm hype.
Backpedaling much?
The Avenger
What next? We will send him a sternly written letter as well??
Block their SWIFT network.
Paul
Militas which are openly, proudly fascist.
Antiquesaving
Does anyone here going on about sending troops, over sanctions or others going on about harsher sanctions, etc .. criticising western leaders as if they know something the western leaders don't Actually have a plan, do you people actually know what is best or what will work?
Probably not a clue.
Ok on one hand sanctions, blockade, isolation, penalties, etc... This in not Iran, Iraq, or some other small country without power, it is Russia, well armed with nukes and a border right up on western Europe and a stone's throw from the USA.
Ok military intervention, great just what we need a 3rd major war that starts in Europe, especially with Russia, somehow things never end well for those that decide to pick a fight with Russia.
Sanctions sound like a great idea until the other side decides it has had enough and if it is big enough decides to fight back in a more direct way ( think pre WW2 Japan and Germany with WW1 war reparations and sanctions).
Now the problem is appeasement as in the per WW2 Sudetenland is also a problem as this is again a very well armed nuclear power.
So both the "more sanctions" and the "military intervention" sides need to think long and hard, let the people with far greater and more details handle things because one wrong move and you or your children may find yourselves on the front line staring down the barrel of a gun or hiding in a bomb shelter.
It seems as humans we have short memories
Desert Tortoise
I think the main deterrent for Mr. Putin is the possibility the Ukrainians might bleed his forces white. Back in 1939 Joe Stalin made false claims about the nature of Finland and it's government to justify an invasion, and even staged a fake attack, blowing up a Russian border post and blaming it on the Finns as a pretext to invade Finland. The resulting war didn't work out too well for the Russians. They got a few tens of kilometers of Finland at the expense of well over 100,000 dead Soviet troops and hundreds of thousands more injured or suffering from frostbite. The Finns were later able to turn the tables and march into Leningrad. I'm not sure how much of a student of history Mr. Putin is but I think his own greatest fear is not so much western sanctions as he fears a steady stream of Russian soldiers coming home in body bags. His hold on power is too brittle to withstand that. He has to know that casualties from Afghanistan is a big part of what led to the collapse of the USSR. A high body count in Ukraine could very well be the end of Mr. Putin.
I also have to wonder how much of a chess player he is. He complains bitterly about NATO moving closer to the Russian border. Does he not realize that both Sweden and Finland have for the past several years been debating whether or not to join NATO. This could very likely push both nations to do so, and the result would be US and other NATO forces right on the Russian border in Finland.
bass4funk
No, I want to know why Biden would even think he could talk Putin out of taking Ukraine? Especially after Afghanistan that wasn’t even up for discussion.
There are thousands of Americans living in the Ukraine so…
Not whining, that’s for the left, many of us are just asking a legitimate question and Biden is just not answering them, he will not deal with growing and continued problems in America, but he’s feverishly rushing to fix the un-fixable in the Ukraine.
Strangerland
Yes, America should start a war with Russia and show Russia whose boss, right?
Or if I'm not right, what exactly are you saying? What course of action do you suggest?
ulysses
And it doesn’t stop
Trump on Putin’s aggression into eastern Ukraine: "I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful. … I said, 'How smart is that?’"
PTownsend
?
Once again cheerleading for war, from a safe spot far away. Syria apparently didn't satisfy his need for others to fight wars for them. Those cheerleading for wars have must investments in Russian defense industries, or does their Lord Putin allow them to hold shares in his corporations. War and oil go together, 'til death do we part.
plasticmonkey
You've advocated doing nothing because . . . Tucker. Now you're advocating . . . What are you advocating anyway?
ulysses
Reading GOP tweets tonight, Republicans need to stop their trump-was-tough-on-Putin nonsense . The world is on the brink of war and you’re busy pushing out Putin’s propaganda? Put down that hammer & sickle and stand with US, not Russia. You’re an embarrassment to Reagan’s legacy.
ulysses
Meanwhile
Russia's state TV is proudly showing off Mike Pompeo's recent commentary, where he said about Putin: “Very shrewd. Very capable. I have enormous respect for him.
trump’s boys cannot stop praising this murderous dictator and yet the right wing bigots whine that President Biden needs to do more!!!
commanteer
As only makes sense. Biden is destroying their country. Putin is thousands of miles away destroying another country that most Americans couldn't find on a map. The question is: Why would anyone in the US focus hate on someone so far away? Do distract from real problems at home perhaps?
ulysses
Do you want President Biden to send in American troops?
And then whine that he is putting American lives in danger.
The fringe right wing need to stop whining and start thinking!!!
bass4funk
Biden issued sanctions and now what? We are taking the defensive approach and now what?
Rodney
Thank you Russia. For years the minority people of Donbass have suffered genocide, while the West supplied lethal weapons for Ukrainian militas and military forces to bomb their own citizens.
RichardPearce
So, anyone ask themselves what happens if Russia responds by simply refusing to do business with any country that joins in with the effort to bankrupt it?
You know China won't be joining the US etc, so it's not as if that would cut it off from the global economy, and there are other countries that the hypocrisy of the fine sounding phrases that the US etc are spouting will offend.
quercetum
Putin has calculated that Russia will be able to withstand any sanctions with Chinese help, and that any sanctions will hurt the Western economies more than Russia.
So Biden and Boris Johnson impose sanctions on Russia. Good lord, you can’t even convince people to wear masks to save the lives of your own countrymen. What chance do you have of getting people to support any economic pain to help people in a country most have never heard about? Per NBC news survey 84% of Americans don’t know where Ukraine is. Gas prices hurt.
Putin has so poisoned US politics that the Republicans hate Biden more than Putin. Fox News is already attacking Biden for the sanctions.
What Nixon realized is that you do not want Russia and China on the same side. The amount of incompetence it took for the US to get Russia and China on the same side is hallucinating.
Russia and China know the game. The US should be reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三国志 instead of The Art of War.