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Russian offensive widens in Ukraine as U.S. imposes new trade sanctions

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By YURAS KARMANAU

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The move to revoke Russia's “most favored nation” status was taken in coordination with the European Union and Group of Seven countries.

Long overdue. Russia must be crushed.

Russia went from the 2nd most powerful army on the planet to the 2nd most powerful army in Ukraine.

20 ( +30 / -10 )

This is going to be a very long battle of attrition. This is going to be an atrociously casualty-heavy battle and a siege, the likes of which we have rarely seen in modern history,”

How much do you have to cry? Before this madness stops.

5 ( +14 / -9 )

This Putin War is the worst thing that has happen in the 21st Century. This could be stopped. However, anyone trying to directly stopping this Putin War starts a fresh new world war. No one wants that and Putin knows it. However, with the new weapons given to The Ukraine, and with the fighting spirit of the people in this country, Ukraine - let Karma take care of the big picture and watch as Putins War comes to an end in humiliation.

I can dream a dream.

12 ( +23 / -11 )

Avenger, I concur

7 ( +15 / -8 )

US are monitoring Russian plane in real time Russian plane idling in an airbase in Belarus from the skies in Poland, Ukraine has not made any attempt to suppress Russia from Belarus, the are within 30 miles striking distance from Brest airbase in Belarus Google 51.544,23.8 to Brest Belarus

5 ( +9 / -4 )

President Joe Biden announced the U.S. will dramatically downgrade its trade status with Russia and also ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds. 

The Nazis invaded Russia in 1941 and killed one out of seven Russian adults, and even though Russia was ruled by Stalin, who was pretty good at killing Russians himself, the Russians still defeated the Nazis and captured Berlin in 1945 sacrificing 25 million of their own.

Considering that Russians have gone through this experience, then the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the Chechen civil war and near-bankruptcy and wholesale robbery of their economy and state assets by foreign and domestic oligarchs before Putin came to power, do you really think that these sanctions are going to bring them down?

-6 ( +10 / -16 )

On the economic and political front, the U.S. and its allies moved to further isolate and sanction the Kremlian.

This Putin War will most likely expand, Vlad Vader wants more territory, he wants greater control over the planet's resources, he wants more palaces, The cowardly male cares nothing about how many get killed by his Borg along the way, while he sits protected in one of his palaces. Maybe the main thing he cares about is having a higher death count than his idol Stalin had. As Putin expands his wars, he will need more stormtroopers, but will he be able to convince more Russians to fight his war for him and his oligarchs. Though it's doubtful that Russian media have ben allowed to release much information about Russian casualties in Ukraine, because Putin controls the media and information. Still it's hard not to think some info has leaked back into Russia, and more males of all ages might have become aware Russian soldiers are dying horrible, painful deaths. But maybe Russian males are also hearing tales of Russian soldiers robbing from stores and breaking into homes to steal food, and might think, I may die, but at least I could have some food to eat. And maybe some have heard tales of crimes Russian soldiers committed when they entered Berlin and eastern Germany near the end of WW2. Now Russia is being dragged down by madman Putin, and if Putin is not stopped, he will try to drag the rest of the world down to Russian level, i.e sub-human. Or maybe try to kill us all with one of his many nukes. Does that make the anti-west, anti-NATO, worshippers of toxic/alpha males feel good?

6 ( +15 / -9 )

This Putin War is the worst thing that has happen in the 21st Century. This could be stopped. However, anyone trying to directly stopping this Putin War starts a fresh new world war. No one wants that and Putin knows it. However, with the new weapons given to The Ukraine, and with the fighting spirit of the people in this country,

I agree.

Ukraine - let Karma take care of the big picture and watch as Putins War comes to an end in humiliation.

That’s all positive and wishful thinking but as long as the Ukrainians don’t get the MiGs the requested and have complete control over the skies, they won’t win this outcome. Wait until the Russians start flying their MiGs and establish their own No fly zone over the country, once that happens Ukraine is officially finished. The Ukrainians need MiGs and they need them now.

-8 ( +7 / -15 )

These sanctions won’t last and aren’t enforced with time and change.

US policymakers have turned to Venezuela and Iran, countries sanctioned by the West, to buy oil to make up for the loss of Russian oil.

We will in the future ask Russia, the country now being sanctioned, for help in containing China.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

This morning I read in another news that the Belarus army are ready to join the russian army on their attack on another Ukrainian city、Riwne.

The Belarus army is ready and willing to invade Ukraine.

I hope that these as...holes get immediately their asses kicked as hard as possible by the Ukrainians and that they will be send immediately back to Belarus.

7 ( +14 / -7 )

To all the supporters of this mass murderer Putin and his insane mass murderer Mob,

To everyone who defends Putin's actions and say how clever he is and that he has the historical right to do what he is doing and so on:

Nobody, absolutely nobody from you, has either the experience nor can anybody understand what the Ukraine people are going through right now because of the Russians.

You are all living in safe countries, in your nice and warm houses or appartements. Nobody is invading your country and destroy your houses. Nobody is killing your husbands, wives and children.

Our families are safe, our children have enough food to eat, can go to school and can enjoy playing.

Can anyone of you understand the sorrow, suffer and pain which this murderer Putin and his insane Mob brings to the Ukrainian people?

Did you see the pain, suffer and fear in the eyes of the Ukranian children?

All their joy, all their dreams, all their hopes are taken away from these russian mass murderes.

So before you continue to cheer up and praise these mass murderer Putin and his insane Russian Mob, think twice.

Think and try to understand what sorrow, pain, suffer and fear Putin and his insane Mob are bringing to the Ukraine people.

And if Putin will not be stopped, he will continue to bring all this to the next country.

Probably the country where you are living in.

8 ( +19 / -11 )

And if Putin will not be stopped, he will continue to bring all this to the next country. 

Ok and how should that be done?

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Did it occur to you that maybe some of us have actually been through wars and have family and friends who were killed by US made weapons?

Nobody who went through this experience will never ever by no means support that.

Absolutely nobody who went to that experience incl. families would never ever support what is going on in the Ukraine now, because he or she knows what that means.

And It doesn't matter where the weapons come from.

And I guess, that you are living in safe country, right?

Probably in the so called west.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Did it occur to you that maybe some of us have actually been through wars and have family and friends who were killed by US made weapons?

I'm sorry for your loss. I understand that you may have a special kind of empathy with the Ukrainian civilians that the rest of us may not have.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Some of us are really sick of the hypocrisy of the west

If people are sick of the hyprocrisy of the west, everyone is free to live in a country who has zero relation to the west.

No problem! Everyone is free to give up everything which is related to the west.

But to support wars, killing innocent men, women and children, if it is done by the US, Asia, Europe...whereever...any support of any war is a sick mindset.

And currently, we are confronted with a horrible war against all humanity in the Ukraine, started by the Russian Mass Murder Putin.

And not by any west hyprocrisy country.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Think and try to understand what sorrow, pain, suffer and fear Putin and his insane Mob are bringing to the Ukraine people.

It’s a given that we cannot understand what the Ukrainians and Russians are going through. Thinking the sanctions won’t stop Putin is not praising Putin. I’m here to read and discuss sanctions and the best corresponding action.

Cutting off revenue from seafood, alcohol, and diamonds? These people survived the Nazi attacks. No Uniqlo or McDonald’s isn’t going to do it. And in a few years US could ask for Russian cooperation to deal with China (see Venezuela and Iran) reversing the sanctions.

Drawing Europe or the US into direct war with Russia means even more sorrow, pain, and suffering. Zelensky should negotiate and accept the best terms he can get. Ukraine should surrender.

I’d like to know what others think to form a better opinion in case NATO or Biden calls me to seek advice.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Did it occur to you that maybe some of us have actually been through wars and have family and friends who were killed by US made weapons?

Now the Ukrainians are being indiscriminately killed by the Russians for No other reason other that Putin’s sick paranoia of the west and that he has a twisted and delusional misguided vision grandeurs of wanting to re-establish the former and renew Soviet Union.

Nobody who went through this experience will never ever by no means support that. 

No one in their right mind is supporting this mad incursion.

Absolutely nobody who went to that experience incl. families would never ever support what is going on in the Ukraine now, because he or she knows what that means. 

Even if you haven’t been in battle and fought in any war, it doesn’t mean you like it, approve of it or want to see it.

And It doesn't matter where the weapons come from. 

And I guess, that you are living in safe country, right? 

Probably in the so called west.

And your point? Does that mean people in the west can’t show their condemnation and also, not every country in the East is being invaded. There are a lot of safe places in the East as well. You’re painting a very broad brush there. Whatever grudge you have towards the west, you need to see what Putin (the aggressor) is doing in the East to a sovereign nation and their crime? For daring to make their own decisions about what they want what’s best for their nation and because of that free and independent thought, they’re being murdered and their country is being completely destroyed.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Welcome news.

Products like Vodka can be sourced at a better quality anyway from Poland, for example.

The more sanctions that squeeze terror states Russia and Belarus, the greater hurt that will be felt across all sectors of their dwindling economies.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

War is surely the greatest crime by far perpetrated by our species yet the usual suspects who start wars of aggression rarely pay for the tragic consequences of their heinous decisions with their own lives as happened once in Nuremberg, but rarely thereafter. I can't see why Lavrov is any less deserving than von Ribbentrop of a hempen necktie. This latest outbreak of European barbarism suggests to me that mankind is in urgent need of a "nation-blind" deterrent of a "last meal" for people like Putin and all other "masters of war" in order to put an end to the scourge of warmongers.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

@ Monty

Are you living in UKRAINE right now ?

Have you personally witnessed everything you say thats happening ?

Where do you access this information ? The internet or social media ?

How can you assume to know where all the other commenters or readers are from or living now and their life experiences of quality of life ?

It's probably more realistic that you have no real knowledge of other people's lives.

-10 ( +5 / -15 )

@bass

Point 1 and 2 of your post, I agree!

Point 3, Sorry I don't clearly understand.

About this point:

And I guess, that you are living in safe country, right? 

Probably in the so called west.

And your point?

My point is, that it is easy for people, who are living thousands of miles away and are zero directly involved in this war, to say that Putin is correct what he is doing or defend or even support what he is doing.

If Putin or someone else attacks these people and their country, kill their husbands, wives and children, then their mindset and opinions would be completely different.

Then for sure they would not support Putin and what he is doing.

Every war, and it doesn't matter if the war comes from the west, the east, the north or the south,...every war is wrong!

And right now, we are facing a war, which was started, like you also said, out of a sick paranoia against the west from Putin, and he do not hesitate to kill innocent men, women and children.

And I absolutely can not understand how anyone in this world do defend and support that.

How can anybody support killing innocent men, women and children?

Sorry, but this is completely over my horizon.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

These sanctions won’t last and aren’t enforced with time and change.

US policymakers have turned to Venezuela and Iran, countries sanctioned by the West, to buy oil to make up for the loss of Russian oil.

Sanctions aren't necessarily supposed to be permanent. Times change, regimes change, alliances change. Economic sanctions are a way to impact the transgressor and also show your displeasure with them in a way that stops short of a shooting war. It is just one tool in the toolbox.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Then for sure they would not support Putin and what he is doing.

I would have assumed the same, but some posters here have said they would not fight against the invasion of their homeland and would prefer to surrender to end the conflict.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The Belarus army is ready and willing to invade Ukraine

the west should warn Belarus (& Russia) in the same way as Putin did. If any Belorussian soldiers step foot in Ukraine, it’s game on.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

How can you assume to know where all the other commenters or readers are from or living 

Many of the commenters were here at JT already before this war started. And they posted a lot according to other articles here, where you can easily understand where they are living.

Many Of them even told it where they are living and where they are from.

Of course, maybe they were lying, but if they were lying, then they are just some internet Trolls whose posts should not be taken seriously.

I am not sure if you are watching or reading news. If you watch TV news or reading newspapers or if you are just depend on facebook.

But if you are watching TV news and reading newspapers, and that is where most of the reliable news are comes from (except the Propaganda Russian news), then you would also see and understand what is going on in the Ukraine.

You do not need to live in the Ukraine to understand what is going on there. Except you are completely brainwashed by the Russian War Propaganda.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

How can anybody support killing innocent men, women and children?

Straw man argument fallacy.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

My point is, that it is easy for people, who are living thousands of miles away and are zero directly involved in this war, to say that Putin is correct what he is doing or defend or even support what he is doing. 

Who? Which people? Who is defending this?

If Putin or someone else attacks these people and their country, kill their husbands, wives and children, then their mindset and opinions would be completely different.

I get it but hypotheticals is not helping anyone.

Then for sure they would not support Putin and what he is doing. 

Again, who?

Every war, and it doesn't matter if the war comes from the west, the east, the north or the south,...every war is wrong! 

I agree unless it is for self-defense or to stop someone like Putin.

And right now, we are facing a war, which was started, like you also said, out of a sick paranoia against the west from Putin, and he do not hesitate to kill innocent men, women and children. 

That is one small reason not the entire but a huge reason for sure.

And I absolutely can not understand how anyone in this world do defend and support that. 

How can anybody support killing innocent men, women and children?

Sorry, but this is completely over my horizon.

Well, I personally don’t know a single person that is for this invasion of the killing of innocent people. I am surprised that anyone would support such a thing.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

@ quercetum

the Russians still defeated the Nazis 

And yet Finland's tiny military defeated the Russians quite handily. Not sure your history lesson is all that relevant.

@us reamer

This latest outbreak of European barbarism

That's like calling 1970s Apartheid "African barbarism." Europe isn't a monolith. Indeed, the vast majority of it is peaceful and prosperous, the envy of the world, where millions people in less fortunate parts of the world put their lives in danger to a chance to live.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

All of the peace loving nations of the world should join together on sanctions against Russia. Those nations that don’t and continue trade and normal relations should face the same sanctions.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sanction all the banks in Russia and outside of Russia that conduct business with Russia.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

@Monty

No one really knows what is happening in Ukraine because both sides and its media are on a war-footing. What we do know is both can not be reporting honestly at the same time. We also know is that Ukraine had a very troubled history and outside influences from all sides have pushed agendas that have ended up in death and destruction.

This has to stop because everyday that passes is more death and destruction. No one is winning. No one ever wins in a war.

It is very annoying to me that we do not have decent journalist reporting properly but that has been a problem for a long time.

I have come to the conclusion that neither side wants it to stop so as normal elites get to play whilst ordinary people suffer. I have also concluded that we will never know the truth.

As to the off-topic. I am based in Japan but am English. I get my information mainly from Al-Jazeera. I read the RT headlines and I watch UK parliament. I do not use Twitter, FB and I do not watch BBC, ITV, CH4 or SKY. I am also not pro-Zelenski or Putin as I think both of them need locking up and both of them are to blame for the prolonging of this conflict. Although I also think that outsiders would quickly replace zelenski with something similar and putin is not acting alone and would also be replaced with something similar.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

@Stormcrow

Can you name a country that is actually peace-loving. The UK and the US have constantly been in varous wars and causing all-sorts of trouble. The UK is hardly a peace-keeping country and I really can not think of one that is.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I pray for all the people in Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and others under Occupation or in the middle of combat. Occupation is HELL and war is even worse.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Then for sure they would not support Putin and what he is doing. 

Again, who?

Nr.1: People around Putin, in his government circle, who supports him.

Nr.2: All the Oligarchen, who lives overseas and has big villas and boats, and supports Putin's war with money.

Nr. 3: People who are living overseas and still do not take official distance from Putin, like the Chelsea Soccer Guy, also Germany's ex councelor Schroeder, who is still not sure which side he is on (but currently he decided to speak to Putin), ....this Russian Opera Singer Netrebko, who has hundreds of concerts overseas ...and so on...

And unfortunately, when I read some posts here on JT, I can just shake my head, especially when I see that people are trying to dig out history, just to defend Putin's action.

But to give credit, It seems that some of these posters changed their mind and the content and meaning of their posts also changed...at least a little bit.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

@monty

History does give context to what is happening now. What putin did was wrong but to say it was done a whim is stretching reality. He made a decision based on his odd-ball-thinking. Plus being English and seeing how the EU has treated the very sensitive issues of Ireland I can not help concluding they have been happy to poke the bear as well.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

This is going to be a long brutal war. Russia will win at great cost, the Ukraine will be destroyed with thousands of innocent civilians killed and at the end of the day nothing will have been achieved by anyone. Men over the age of 18 are not allowed to leave the Ukraine and will be sent out as cannon fodder to appease Victoria Nuland.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

For now the NATO needs to be very careful about not becoming directly involved in combat in Ukraine, or do anything that the Russians could see as a pretext to attack a NATO member. For now. Russia so far is unable to recruit new members to fight in Ukraine and does not appear to be able to draw on reserves from anywhere else in Russia. Their air force mostly launches cruise missiles into Ukraine from inside Russian airspace, unwilling to venture into Ukraine itself and risk being shot down. They have not taken down Ukrainian air defenses or significantly hurt the Ukrainian Air Force, which has been flying missions daily. Their stated effort to recruit new fighters from Syria has so far not produced results. Wagner is advertising for new recruits but no indication they are having success. It is looking increasingly like they may fail to conquer Ukraine.

But there is a steady drumbeat of talk about Russia doing something at Chernobyl they will attribute to an attack by "radicals" (with communications and the power recently shut off to the plant there is worry at the IAEA about whether or not reactor fuel rods are receiving adequate cooling). There are also laughable accusations by the Russians that the US and Ukraine are co-developing biological and chemical weapons and the fear is this will used as cover for a chemical weapons attack by the Russians. Tass today was saying it was Ukrainian missiles hitting Ukrainian hospitals and apartment blocks so don't expect honest reporting from any Russian source. There is also persistent talk that if things go bad enough for Russian forces then Mr. Putin will order the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

I hope the US, UK and France have a plan in place to deal with Russia if chemical or nuclear weapons are employed by Russian forces. If nuclear, chemical or biological weapons are used then I think NATO is going to have to take a very deep breath and intervene. I hope the US has a plan using stealth aircraft to kill Russia's leadership and start taking down their nuclear arsenal in a big hurry if it comes to that.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

@Nator

This has to stop because everyday that passes is more death and destruction. No one is winning. No one ever wins in a war.

This is exactly the point!

No one ever wins in a war!

It just brings suffer, sorrow and pain.

Especially for children!

But unfortunately, there are still people in this world who don't understand that.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

@proxy

Have you been watching ollly-stone? He is a puppet and you need to take that into account.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

@D-Tort

NATO has ignored the use of chemical weapons in other conflicts. They have been accused of actively covering up for their friends.

As for Chernobyl I think both sides need to be careful. Putin in protecting it and Zelenski to stop using it as propaganda. If it did get bombed and exploded it would not be the same as a bomb. It would spew out radiation and depending on the height on the blast it would cover a large area. The original melt down sent material as far as the UK. The equivalent at fukushima did not get much further than tokyo.

I expect if it did happen it would be mainly the Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and maybe Poland that woud suffer. I doubt it would stretch much further than that.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

No one ever wins in a war.

Not true. The Allies unequivocally won WWII.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

@D-Tort

The UK were in debt until 2007. The Chinese and the Russians lost millions of lives. Plus because of WWII the nuclear bomb was invented. We have all lost because of that.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

do you really think that these sanctions are going to bring them down?

The sanctions aren’t necessarily meant to bring Putin down. Their main aim is to make it difficult for them to sustain this war.

Maintaining this war is extremely expensive for Russia. They’ve got an army of about 150k soldiers in Ukraine who are sucking up expensive resources at a very high rate. All those tanks that get blown up, all the rockets they fire, all the fuel and food, etc they need consumes a huge amount of money to provide and replace. The financial cost of the US maintaining its army in the Vietnam War forced the US off the gold standard, while the cost of Afghanistan likely contributed to the collapse of the USSR. The cost of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq was in the trillions of dollars, all paid for by the US.

Neither the US nor the USSR were facing anywhere near the same kind of economic sanctions and isolation that Russia is facing now, and both were much more powerful than Russia is now. At the same time, Russia is facing a war that is way more difficult and costly than either of those - estimates are that they’ve lost about 10% of their forces and equipment in just 2 weeks, a way higher loss rate and completely unsustainable. There is just no way that Russia is going to be able to pay for this war in the long term while at the same time its economy is being ravaged at home. Already they are drawing up plans to flood Ukraine with thousands of soldiers from the middle east. This makes no sense as a strategy, its just a desperate cost saving measure by the Russians and indicative of how poorly prepared the country is to fight a long term war in Ukraine under economic isolation .

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I expect if it did happen it would be mainly the Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and maybe Poland that woud suffer. I doubt it would stretch much further than that

Not true. Radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear mishap reached the Americas. All of Eastern Europe and Germany were affected. Parts of Sweden were heavily irradiated. Slovenia and Austria also experienced high levels of radiation. Radiation extended into parts of France and Spain. England and Scotland didn't seem to experience much radiation but Ireland sure did. You have to scan well down in this article to find the map of the radiation.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1141514/Chernobyl-map-radiation-fallout-what-countries-affected-chernobyl-radiation

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Nator

"Can you name a country that is actually peace-loving."

Sure. Ukraine, at least it was before it was so violently attacked and invaded.

Russia has crapped all over Ukraine now, so of course the people there are as mad as hell and want to fight. But the Ukrainians were not warlike before, were they? Russia's attack and invasion of Ukraine was completely uncalled for other than Russia wants to steal other people's lands. Naked aggression plain and simple. Just like with Hitler and the invasion Czechoslovakia.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Keep in mind it was the Swedes, trying to determine why there were such high levels of radiation in Sweden with no known reactor problems there who figured out the radiation cloud was coming across the Baltic from Ukraine.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Russia's attack and invasion of Ukraine was completely uncalled for other than Russia wants to steal other people's lands. Naked aggression plain and simple. Just like with Hitler and the invasion Czechoslovakia.

@ Stormcrow - very well stated.

Make no mistake : the same people justifying fascist Russias brutal invasion of sovereign Ukraine are the same type who would have justified Nazi Germanys policy of lebensraum.

They are on the wrong side of history - but it is good to know and remember who these pro-fascists are. People have long memories...

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I expect if it did happen it would be mainly the Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and maybe Poland that woud suffer. I doubt it would stretch much further than that.

Hmmm…not so sure. The Baltic States would go before Poland. This is the bigger plan and I don’t see Putin stopping with Ukraine.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

NATO should send a sizeable army on the borders of Russia and be ready for the worse.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

@D-Tort

Radiation reaching another country and it being a problem are two different things. Also I was talking about a future explosion not the one that happened which I aknowledged reached other countries.

A canadian universsity detected radiation that they followed back through weather patters to Korea. They said it was to do with the Norks but they could not excempt it from just being from a Japanese or Korea reactor.

@Stormcrow

Ukraine has had a barbaric history to say it is peace-loving is to fail to read anything of its history. Did it start the war NO. Did it poke the bear possibly. Is it peace-loving when it has constantly asked to involve NATO then I think not. Your idea of peace-loving and mine much be very different.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

The UK were in debt until 2007. The Chinese and the Russians lost millions of lives. Plus because of WWII the nuclear bomb was invented. We have all lost because of that.

I did not say wars are costless, but there are more often than not clear winners and losers. The UK may have been in debt but they weren't subjugated to the Nazis. The average UK citizen kept their personal freedoms and in most cases their property. None of that would be true had the Nazis won. The Brits and the other Allies clearly won and the Nazi regime ceased to exist to threaten its neighbors. Russia likewise kept its territorial integrity and its government, horrible as it was, prevailed over the Nazis. Costly as it was for them they clearly won. As for Japan and the atomic bomb, one of my parents was on the Manhattan Project and an uncle who was previously wounded in the Guadalcanal campaign was on a ship bound for the invasion of Kyushu. The atomic bombings and Japans surrender meant his mission changed from combat to occupation. Your comment also ignores the 18-24 months of additional suffering and millions of dead had the war gone on as planned without use of nuclear weapons. Not only did Japan lose and the Allies win, but it was the first defeat in modern times for Japan. They beat the Russians, the Chinese and ran the Brits, French and Dutch out of Asia. If they hadn't attacked the US it might have stayed that way for Japan. Wars have winners and losers.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Who? Which people? Who is defending this?

The GOP. It's all over the news, though I assume they shield you from it in the bubble.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@D@Tort

Plenty would dispute your version of history and the need to bomb Japan. You also seem to forget 20 years worth of cold-war and various times when it could all gone wrong.

Plenty would also dispute that life after the war was normal in the UK. It took a long time to rebuild the UK and Europe.

I would also gently remind you that even if Ukraine win many Ukrainians will not find it easy to forget that relatives had died, property has been destroyed, children have been traumatised and another generation of people will have so much hated in their heart that they will want to fight again in the future.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Radiation reaching another country and it being a problem are two different things.

Areas of Europe outside of Ukraine experienced high levels of radiation related cancers and other diseases. The radiation affected the safety of certain foods and livestock grown in places like UK and France as the fallout contaminated the soil and the plants that grew in it. Wild boars in Germany and deer in Austria remain unsafe to eat. Other wild game in parts of Germany, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Poland remain highly contaminated and are not safe to eat. The effects of the radiation are widespread and harmful to plants, animals and humans.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I would also gently remind you that even if Ukraine win many Ukrainians will not find it easy to forget that relatives had died, property has been destroyed, children have been traumatised and another generation of people will have so much hated in their heart that they will want to fight again in the future.

All of these are great reasons why the Russians should go back home sooner rather than later.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The GOP. It's all over the news, though I assume they shield you from it in the bubble.

Not one single person in the GOP is defending Putin’s actions, not a single one. In fact, they want this…..President to match Putin’s aggressions and be more hawkish, but Putin knows this guy won’t and that’s beyond immoral.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

@ChooseP

I would agree but I am not expecting it to happen. At least both sides are talking.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

President to match Putin’s aggressions and be more hawkish

Match Putin’s aggressions? That would surely be a declaration of war.

Maybe I misunderstood your previous posts.

Are the GOP advocating military action?

Are you?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Dear Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,

please just agree to Russia’s requests and stop murdering your citizens

So just give up and agree to be subjugated? That is your answer? Sorry the war so inconveniences you. I will give you two quotes to ponder. The first quote is from a letter written by Benjamin Franklin in 1755 on behalf of the Pennsylvania Assembly to the colonial Governor:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

The second quote is from Martin Luther King:

"If a man hasn't found something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Why do so many people call Ukraine ‘the Ukraine’ !?

It is not ‘the Ukraine’ - just ‘Ukraine’

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Plenty would dispute your version of history and the need to bomb Japan

Sure. Their lives and those of their families were not on the line. Even after the second nuclear bombing the IJA was intent to continue the war. Emperor Hirohito had to go into hiding to send the famous radio message announcing Japan would surrender. The IJA was trying to arrest their Emperor to prevent him from surrendering. Two nuclear bombings and the IJA still wanted to continue the war but some live with this fantasy that had the US not dropped those two bombs Japan would have surrendered anyway. It would not have and the war would have gone on 18 - 24 more months with millions more dead.

You also seem to forget 20 years worth of cold-war and various times when it could all gone wrong.

I was on the front lines of the Cold War as a naval aviator. Large well trained and unified forces with the credible threat to use them effectively if attacked kept the peace. The price of Cold War readiness was a heck of lot cheaper than the alternatives, unless you like collectivization, no personal rights and dictatorship of the proletariat. I much preferred a well armed stand off to being subjugated by the Soviets and seeing my cities incinerated.

I would also gently remind you that even if Ukraine win many Ukrainians will not find it easy to forget that relatives had died, property has been destroyed, children have been traumatised and another generation of people will have so much hated in their heart that they will want to fight again in the future.

I would argue that the horrors of WWII made the Europeans and Japanese much less inclined to engage in more warfare in the future. In fact an argument could be made that Americans might be more inclined to use military force because it has been 1865 since armies fought bloody battles in the lower 48. Nobody alive today remembers the depravations of war so that tempering influence is perhaps absent.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@zichi

I personally do not want US involved in anything outside of the US. I would be happy for twitter/fb to be removed. I would be happy for no more MC.D's. I would mourn the loss of coca-cola and futurama, bobs burgers, re-runs of taxi. I never buy US meat in Japan although would mourn the frozen peas.

As for the war the less US is involved the more likely it will be resolved soon and that is what I most dearly want.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Also keep in mind the Nazi government never really surrendered. The Nazi leadership was all dead. All that was left were some Generals and Admirals but these were not the national leadership of Germany. The Germans fought to the bitter end. Absent Hirohito's surrender the IJA would have likely done the same.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Not one single person in the GOP is defending Putin’s actions, not a single one.

And yet GOP members are calling out other GOP members for defending Putin's actions.

Yikes, seems you've got a bit of reality disconnect there in the bubble. Aren't you guys the ones always (fairly) criticizing CNN for not reporting the full truth? And yet, you seem to only be partaking in media that is giving you the partial truth. Yikes.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

As for the war the less US is involved the more likely it will be resolved soon and that is what I most dearly want

How naive. Without the support of the US and its allies the people of Ukraine will be killed and those who remain subjugated by the Russians. Is that what you most dearly want? It certainly isn't what the people of Ukraine seem to want. They wish to be free of the Russians and aligned with the west. You appear to support the Russians and their tyranny over the right of the Ukrainians to govern themselves and determine their own fate.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@D-Tort

I wonder how old you are. I think there must be at least 20 years difference in age between us and therefore a massively different outlook in life. Of my two grandfathers only one was in the army and he was an RAF engineer building spitfires and creating RADAR. He died before I was born so the only person I have ever known properly who was active in WWII was my father-in-law and even he was younger than 18 when it finished.

That might explain why you think wars can be won and are in times a good thing to have. I personally think wars are never worth fighting and never resolve the underlying problems.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I personally do not want US involved in anything outside of the US. I would be happy for twitter/fb to be removed. I would be happy for no more MC.D's. I would mourn the loss of coca-cola and futurama, bobs burgers, re-runs of taxi. I never buy US meat in Japan although would mourn the frozen peas.

Well, in a global marketplace, you don't have to buy any of those things, but a lot of people like them. Don't let your distaste for the US color your opinion of the war in Ukraine.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@D-Tort

I do not support putin but I do not think the war between putin and zelensky is worth one drop of british blood.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

@Nator

"Ukraine has had a barbaric history to say it is peace-loving is to fail to read anything of its history."

If you look hard enough and far enough back, you'll see that our ancestors were all barbarians at one time or another. Look at Sweden and Denmark! Here are two of the most peace-loving countries today, yet there was once a time when they were feared and dreaded all over Europe during the Viking Age. They aren't that way now, are they? They have evolved tremendously since then.

As far as recent history goes, has Ukraine been as barbaric as Russia is now by invading their neighbors' lands, killing them indiscriminately regardless of age and gender, and forced millions of them to flee their homes in terror?

By what right does Russia have to invade its neighbor's country and claim it for itself?

Why can't Russia live peacefully with its neighbors as America does with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico?

If we are evolving in the right direction, then past & distant history is no excuse for committing barbaric acts of aggression against peaceful neighbors today. However, Russia has been manipulating history in just that way by calling the Ukrainians Nazis, which they're obviously not, as a false justification to invade Ukraine in order to enrich itself, Mother Russia.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@Uchoosepoorly

The global market does prevent products that I would like from the UK actually getting to Japan. They make it as far a Malaysia so its not distance stopping them.

The US does not have a good track-record on foreign wars and does always seem to make a profit from them where for some reason the UK always makes a loss.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Nator - Is that Japan preventing them from coming in, or something else? I agree with you that the US doesn't have a good track record on foreign wars. No argument there.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In fact, they want this…..President to match Putin’s aggressions and be more hawkish, but Putin knows this guy won’t and that’s beyond immoral.

As recently as last Saturday Republican member of Congress Madison Cawthorn called Ukrainian President. Zelensky a "thug", called the Ukrainian government "incredibly corrupt", "incredibly evil" and accused the Ukrainian government of "pushing woke ideas"

https://www.wral.com/us-rep-madison-cawthorn-calls-zelensky-thug/20180199/

And then you have another Republican member of Congress Marjorie Taylor Greene speaking to an America First Political Action Conference while the crowd shouted "Putin - Putin - Putin ....."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/26/marjorie-taylor-greene-speaks-white-nationalist-conference/6956765001/

Conservative bomb thrower Nicholas Fuentes also addressed the same conference saying ": “Now they’re going on about Vladimir Putin and Russia, and Vladimir Putin is Hitler, and they say that’s not a good thing."

So while maybe not all of the Republican Party are neo-nazis and pro-Russian, quite a few genuinely are and a few of them are in the US Congress.

And in the spirit of bipartisanship lets not forget Tusli Gabbards slavish praise of the Russians and her support for Russian involvement in Syria.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The global market does prevent products that I would like from the UK actually getting to Japan. They make it as far a Malaysia so its not distance stopping them

The Japanese consumer market is like a parallel universe. What sells elsewhere doesn't sell in Japan and often the converse is true. I have found ways to buy things from Japan that are sold nowhere else and use them on 100 volt transformers I also buy from Japan (Nissyo brand, good quality). Japanese homes and Japanese tastes are unique. It's not a bad thing either. Some of it is the UK. I ordered some household products from UK last September and they have not yet arrived. The seller shipped them but because of Covid disruptions shipping anything abroad from the UK is hit and miss. Similar goods from Germany take three to four weeks. Order something from Japan and I have it in a week to ten days.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

They make it as far a Malaysia so its not distance stopping them

You don't say what these products are but Malaysia was once a British colony so there may be a residual demand for these goods among Malaysians who grew up with certain British products and still like to buy them. Japan was never colonized by the British so there is no real reason to expect the Japanese to have a taste for many UK products.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Civilians flee as soon as you can, Kyiv is going to fall soon..

Nothing will stop the momentum of Russia, just as in the second war, Nazism will be defeated..

-16 ( +1 / -17 )

Don't be offended people, every story has two points of view..

-16 ( +1 / -17 )

Fast forward please, to the bit where Mad Vlad shoots himself in a bunker.

The day cannot come too soon.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Accounts of Russian soldiers robbing food from stores and smashing their way into houses to steal food shows how poorly Russian soldiers are being looked after by Putin's military commanders during his war. Their rampaging sounds like tales from the days of the Vikings. Which makes me wonder when the Russian's master will tell his troops to do what Stalin's forces did to people living in eastern Germany and Berlin near the end of WW2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_crimes

Will Russians not serving in the Russian military today be willing to serve their Master Putin in his next invasions if they are able to learn how poorly Russian soldiers are being treated by their own army, and after hearing how horribly and painfully so many Russian soldiers died. Or will they say, maybe I can get better food and some warm clothes by robbing people living in whatever nation we invade next. Or will Putin continue to control his media and all information so no one learns how horrible the Putin War went. Will he commission some old Soviet-era propaganda experts to help him with his latest brainwashing campaign in attempts to lure more people to become soldiers and sailors, Russian people seem to be easily duped, as are Putin's 'Useful...Is" i.e. the non-Russians supporting Putin because he's an 'alpha' male that hates the west, especially the US and UK.

Does Putin want a Mausoleum nicer than Lenin's, and does he expect that if he goes down in history as the Russian who led the largest empire, and killed the most people, that he'll get preserved like Lenin. If Putin is still in Moscow now and his palaces outside Moscow are empty, has he allowed Russian citizens to stay in one of them while he's away. Does anyone know whether Putin's palaces have built in nuke shelters, and whether he's made plans to let common Russians stay in one of them if he does start a nuke war.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Nothing will stop the momentum of Russia, just as in the second war, Nazism will be defeated..

That was a little different, in that war, they were in an existential struggle for survival. Also, they were getting a lot of funding and equipment from their allies. This current invasion is the reverse.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Not correct. Not the first time you have said that.

I never support Putin, ever.

Former vice president Mike Pence on Friday night said there is no room in the Republican Party for “apologists for Putin”.

Well, it’s America, he can say whatever he wants and so do the people and he doesn’t get to make the calls or is a spokesperson for the GOP in general, except for a few GOP establishment heads

Again, no one supports what Russia is doing.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Less than a week ago you said you did not want America involved in a European war against Putin.

I don’t, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t supply Ukraine with what it needs and what they want are MiGs so there are ways they can work with our so-called partners to do this, but they won’t.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

And yet GOP members are calling out other GOP members for defending Putin's actions.

And you have liberals as well as Neo-liberals doing the exact same thing.

Yikes, seems you've got a bit of reality disconnect there in the bubble.

No, but this President does, ask Zelenskyy.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Cutting off revenue from seafood, alcohol, and diamonds? These people survived the Nazi attacks. No Uniqlo or McDonald’s isn’t going to do it. And in a few years US could ask for Russian cooperation to deal with China (see Venezuela and Iran) reversing the sanctions.

The rest of Europe also survived the Nazi's with the exception of the many millions they managed to kill. Sanctions will not defeat Russia but they will agitate from within as the population of Russia can no longer live with the comfort and products they are so used to having in their lives. Their employment will be put at risk and many will be losing jobs requiring the state to look after more and more people on a basic level. As they see life getting harder and harder and losing employment and comforts added to the loss of family and friends off trying to invade Ukraine they will increase the level of unrest in the general population and the leadership will more and more be questioned and opposed.

It is a long game, and all the while Ukrainians and Russians will be dying. Only Putin can end this madness and death.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

US intelligence reports Putin has lost 20% of his forces

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/us-intelligence-reports-putin-lost-175507014.html

4 ( +4 / -0 )

US intelligence (lack of) of a different kind:

"I am here, standing here on the northern flank, on the eastern flank, talking about what we have in terms of the eastern flank and our NATO allies, and what is at stake at this very moment, what is at stake this very moment are some of the guiding principles..."

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Maybe Ukraine should have emulated Danish politician Mogens Gilstrup.

From Wiki: On 22 August 1972, Mogens Glistrup founded the Progress Party, and in the landslide election of 1973 the party gained 28 seats of 179, making it the second-largest in parliament.

He had a unique sense of humour, the most famous example of which was his suggestion to replace the Ministry of Defence with an answering machine saying "We Surrender" in Russian.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Desert Tortoise

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

"If a man hasn't found something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

I'm not sure if those quotes are so helpful. How to define "essential Liberty"? And I think for most men, the one thing they would die for is their children, but they would always ask themselves, are my children helped more by me dying or staying alive.

I've no idea what is the best way for Ukrainians to defend themselves. The situation is quite depressing. I had a crazy dream the other night where everyone in Ukraine put on robes, picked up cymbals, and walked the streets chanting Hare Krishna. But I don't recall how it ended. Did it stop the Russians shooting or not?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

If nuclear, chemical or biological weapons are used then I think NATO is going to have to take a very deep breath and intervene.

If biological weapons are used that may very well end up being an indirect attack on NATO. A biological attack, such as smallpox doesn’t stop at the border and would quickly move to Poland (but Putin might gamble that this would seal the Polish border). . Likewise a false flag terrorist type attack on Ukraines nuclear reactors, is also likely to send radiation across the borders into Europe. Even low yield tactical nuclear weapons combined with burning building that would release radioactive smoke would be carried over to Poland. At what point does NATO draw a red line?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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