Summary
A Russian presidential plane from the Kremlin’s Rossiya Special Flight Squadron visited New York and Washington, D.C., in late December, sparking speculation amid tense U.S.-Russia relations.
Moscow claimed the flight carried rotating diplomats, but its timing raises questions about Trump’s potential dealings with Vladimir Putin.
Trump has promised to end the Ukraine war in a day, alarming NATO officials who fear a deal that could harm Kyiv and alter NATO’s eastern border dynamics.
The flight highlights ongoing diplomatic maneuvering ahead of Trump’s January 20 inauguration.
Gotta test the beds at the White House to make sure they’re soft enough for Big Daddy Vlad.
Ensure they’re pee-proof.
Installing the rubber sheets.
Gotta fly in republican bribe money.
NATO officials who fear a deal that could harm Kyiv and alter NATO’s eastern border dynamics.
And why do they think Ukraine would agree to such a deal?
They won’t have a choice. That’s what he meant by ending it in a day. He’ll likely agree to allow Russia to use extreme measures on what the US will then officially consider Russian territory without risking retaliation from the US since it will then be Ukraine who is the aggressor on paper if they don’t withdraw and stand down. And the if NATO refuses to acknowledge the new agreement it will just give Trump the excuse to withdraw from it like he keeps threatening.
They won’t have a choice
Of course they will.
He’ll likely agree to allow Russia to use extreme measures
That will end the NATO alliance. And Europe will continue with many independent countries to support Ukraine.
it will just gibe Trump the excuse to withdraw from it like he keeps threatening.
Then the world will dramatically change, and democratic countries can nolonger work with USA, and USA will lose ALL soft power they have.
I seriously doubt the rest of the US administration and the oligarchy will allow that.You are vastly underestimating how uniquely stupid and compromised Trump is.
I CLEARLY write that the rest of the administration would probably stop him.
There is no rest of his administration, just a rotating cast of clowns that do as he says.
THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. THE PRESIDENT-ELECT IS A FUCKING RUSSIAN ASSET.
God damn it, I wish the news outlets would take the kid gloves off already.
Why would they? The people in bed with the russian asset own the media.
Biden lame ducked himself so hard that this isn’t a news story. Literally the entire world has already switched to talking to Trump unless it’s something that’s happening before January 20th. Yes Putin sucks, but he’s also the only person in the world who can call off the war in Ukraine. So without evidence of fuckery I find it hard to care.
This deserves an “we regret there was some kind of malfunction with a SAM system” without any actual apology.
what questions? Nobody had any doubt that this was going to happen.
Biden needs to transfer to Ukraine a nuke right now to provide some M.A.D. insurance. If he doesn’t, I worry Trump will look the other way completely should Russia escalate with tactical ones or worse.
Edit: Guys, please educate yourselves on MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) Theory. The point is deterrence through mutual destruction, which effectively worked during the Cold War.
EDIT: Russians down-voting? I can only assume given the curious lack of substantive counter-arguments.
Because Republicans with Trump gained full control of the US, effectively all geopolitical support is going to drop off for Ukraine over the next 4 years. It is imperative that Ukraine be given leverage ahead of this transition.
There are plenty of nuclear weapons close to Ukraine that can very easily and quickly be launched if whatever necessary scenario I can’t come up with that would require a nuclear weapon happens.
The UK currently has 120 of their 225 nuclear weapons deployed and France currently has 290 of their 280 deployed and Putin is well aware of that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_nuclear_weapons
For the same exact reason that all those surrounding nations aren’t committing their own forces to the defense of Ukraine is the exact same reason why providing Ukraine itself with a nuke as a deterrent to Russia’s use is essential.
Yes, other nations surrounding Ukraine have nukes. However, the odds are much higher that should Russia use nukes on Ukraine that all the surrounding nations would furrow their eyebrows heavily and condemn the attacks but ultimately do nothing because they want to contain the damage to Ukraine. Chamberlains everywhere would simply reiterate, “This is a tragic day for the world, but we cannot risk a greater conflict.” Meanwhile Tump, of course, would look the other way and seek to undermine any substantive NATO response at every turn.
To reemphasize my point that many seem to have missed: This is about giving the actual victim — Ukraine — agency to defend itself directly from a nuclear threat. I trust Zelenskyy to utilize it reactely, not proactively.
I agree, but many are like:
Oh no 😱, that would be crossing a Russian read line! 🤮
Man I hate this argument, Russia only respect one thing, and that is strength. And Putin is insane, he is gambling with extremely high stakes, and has upped the stakes consistently for years now.
All the pearl clutching people are doing, is only helping Russia.Exactly. I say fuck Putin’s red line and give Ukraine nukes to deter Russia unilaterally.
If surrounding nations are unwilling to commit conventional ground forces or establish a No-Fly-Zone over Ukraine for risk of escalation, can we really count on them to respond effectively should tactical nukes or worse be used by Russia against Ukraine? I think not.
I trust Zelenskyy to utilize it reactely, not proactively.
He will not be in power in perpetuity.
Perhaps not; however:
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This is practically speaking only reinstating the Budapest Memorandum given Russia’s failure to comply.
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It is very probable he remains in power over the next 4 years, which are the most pivotal 4 years of Ukraine’s future and most dire period for nuclear threat against them.
I don’t think you are understanding my point. The next person to come to power in Ukraine might decide to use it proactively. Once the genie is out of the bottle, it doesn’t get put back in.
Respectfully, I believe I do understand your point and I’ll try to echo your side to verify that; but you may not be understanding mine.
What I believe your point is: If we give Ukraine nukes now, the future leadership could be volatile, thereby increasing the net-volatility of the region.
However, let’s consider what I view as reasonable assumptions at the geopolitical level, both now and into the future:
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If say, 4 years from now or whenever Zelenskyy (still overwhelmingly popular in Ukraine) steps down, the future leadership of Ukraine becomes volatile, then MAD theory still works symmetrically; after all, Russia clearly has many more nukes than Ukraine and that spells their destruction.
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Practically-speaking, Ukraine geopolitical inertia has moved heavily toward the orbit of the West and its humanitarian values.
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If future Ukrainian leadership is unstable, it is therefore reasonable to assume that they are likely Russian-centric and sympathetic; therefore, they would be unlikely to unilaterally and proactively attack Russia.
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We trust Ukraine NOW. We trust Zelenskyy NOW.
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The risk of Russia launching nuclear attacks against Ukraine during Trump’s administration is orders of magnitude greater than the risk in the preceding years going back to 2014.
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Therefore, we should be far more concerned about the immediate, real danger Russia poses to Ukraine as opposed to the speculative danger of future hypotheticals down the road that — in my opinion — do not hold water given the aforementioned geopolitical climate. When Russia and North Korea already have nukes and are a global threat, I really am not concerned about the small Ukrainian country who is currently fighting the good fight on behalf of all of us. Seems to be putting the cart before the horse.
Why do you think there is any risk of Russia launching a nuclear attack against Ukraine? What would that gain them?
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Ukraine acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1994: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons#Ukraine
Yep, the Budapest Memorandum. Prior to the current government and contingent, of course, on Russia providing Ukraine with sovereignty and security assurances from (as source notes), UK, US, and Russia.
Naturally, Russia reneged on their side of the agreement.
Yes, but there could easily be doubt those would be used to defend Ukraine, and make whatever country using them a Russian nuclear target.
If Ukraine has their own, it’s a way more obvious defense for Ukraine, and Russia will know for sure they can’t use nukes without retaliation with nukes.
