Once the Russian offensive gets going,
depending on how well/bad it goes,
we will see who is willing to deal....

Pretty sure, since the world knows it's coming,
the Ukrainians are more capable, it shouldn't
last long....

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 02:29 pm: Edit

‘But when the Tsar of all the Russias, the commander-in-chief of three million horse-guards, foot-guards, life-guards, and Cossacks, begins to talk sweetly of brotherly love, it is time for decent people to look to their guns.’

-Hendrik Willem van Loon

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 04:16 pm: Edit

The war needs to end, but I don't see that happening, not this way, not any other way. I support ending the war; I have never seen a way to end it that I can support. I also cannot support continuing it without a way to end it. There is no end game.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 06:09 pm: Edit

The single solitary thing that both sides in this war have in common, is unrealistic supposedly nonnegotiable preconditions.

Putin wants what putin wants, and Zelenski wants security for Ukraine.

Putin, can’t cave without looking weak.

Zelenski, can’t accept anything that looks like appeasement, else he looks weak.

The only way out of this log jam, is if both sides desire for peace out ways the cost of never ending war.

Short of a nuclear dirty bomb detonation that renders all of Russias oil field’s radioactive for 50,000 years, there may not be a solution that both sides can agree to.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 06:37 pm: Edit

Detonate a dirty bomb in a Russia oil field starts WW3.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 07:06 pm: Edit

world war 3 as already started. It is just going to depend when the history books decide.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 07:26 pm: Edit

No matter how the war ends....
The world ends up with another
border similar to the Koreas.....

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 09:27 pm: Edit

The only realistic option, for both sides, is stall.

Eventually, one side, or the other, will lose the war of attrition.

The wild cards are many, and unpredictable:

1. The Ukrainians (or Russian patriots…) manage to put Putins security people out of work by botching their assigned duties.
2. The Russians manage to kill one (or perhaps many) members of the Ukrainian government.
3. A by product of Trumps Tariff policies crashes what is left of Russias foreign trade.(possible in theory….but realistically not a likely outcome, unless most or all of the free world cooperates.)
4. China decides (for reasons that would only be clear to the Chinese Communist government) to also economically isolate Russia economically, financially and politically. Combined with efforts of many other nations, might be enough to force regime change.
5. Russia falls into a general Civil War, and one, or more, regions offer to ally with Ukraine to finish off Putin.

Other ideas? Anyone?

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 07:57 am: Edit

6) China tells Russia that to keep being supported by them and North Korea they have to surrender the far Eastern parts of Russia to them...

SVC: HILLARIOUS. THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AND CHINA WOULD NEVER EVEN ASK, KNOWING HOW PUTIN HAD TO ANSWER.

By John M. Williams (Jay) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 09:49 am: Edit

A variant of 3 is already happening. As a result of economic uncertainty and a decision by OPEC to increase production, oil has dropped to about $60 a barrel, after spending most of the last two years above $70 a barrel.

Since oil is financing much of Russia's war effort, a lower price of oil (if it stays there) could greatly increase the strain on the Russian economy.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 09:56 am: Edit

A desprate Putin with nuclear weapons and nothing to lose is not a comforting thought.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 11:29 am: Edit

---

Quote:

world war 3 as already started. It is just going to depend when the history books decide.

---

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 11:31 am: Edit

It is an ongoing concern.

Putin has been making mistakes, worse since the start of the Ukrainian Invasion three years ago.

Interesting choices:

Appease Putin, just to see if he decides to invade another country after he consumes Ukraine, or

Attempt to buy Putin off. (How is an open question, and not an easy one.)

Or openly oppose Putin, and fully fund Ukrainians war effort knowing full well that. Uch of the funding will be stolen long before it reaches the front lines.

The threats to totally cut off support forUkraine ***could be*** just another bargaining ploy by Trump to force more concessions from Zelenski.

Unlike some posting to this board who maintain “land for peace” is the only option, it is not.

Concessions from Ukraine could take many forms.

One of which is an end of corruption. Not an easy option, but removing the “bad apples” would be a game changer as far as actual fighting is concerned.

By John L Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 04:23 pm: Edit

I was hopeful when Putin publicly ordered a cease fire. Only the military did not get the word to do so. Or worse, Putin told them privately to keep fighting. I would not put it pass him to do this.

In My Opinion, the only way is for the Russian citizenry and military brass to have a successful coup to remove Putin. There was a failed coup attempt a while back. So, there is definitely "unrest" in Russia.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 08:39 pm: Edit

Oh for the love of.... sigh

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press.

The existence of the unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about Hegseth’s use of the unclassified app and raises the possibility that sensitive defense information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 09:00 pm: Edit

Considering how many falsehoods were reported by the AP and other media during the first Trump term I'm hesitant to believe this reporting.

By Mike Curtis (Nashvillen) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 09:13 pm: Edit

I am with Ryan on the reliability of the AP at this time and place.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 10:48 pm: Edit

I have no doubt something happened; I have no doubt that the AP and Jessica cast it in the worst light.

Remember that their campaign has more to do with damaging the bad orange man than with wanted to honestly improve the government. Consider the sources.

Jean is on the warpath, wanting this whole topic shut down. To avoid this, I suggest avoiding sensationalist politically motivated exaggerations.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 11:11 pm: Edit

In other news, the Financial Times, published in London, U.K. Is the first western media site to report that the civilian head, and senior uniformed Commander, of the South Eastern region of China, have been “purged” (polite description for arrest and prolonged interrogation.)

Rumors had been circulating for nearly a full month, but the report posted yesterday in the Financial Times appears to be the first mention of the event.

Still trying to establish a timeline of events, but it appears to have started more than a month ago with a large military drill to demonstrate military readiness for combat.

To all reports, it did not go well.

The reason this is important, is the south east region is responsible for the anticipated attack on Taiwan. A bad showing by the military reflects poorly on the Communist government, and in particular reflects poorly on the top leadership.

The purge coincided with the cancellation of the drills.

We may expect to start seeing more stories on both the purge and the military preparations of the tawain invasion.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 25, 2025 - 08:43 am: Edit

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, April 25, 2025 - 09:29 am: Edit

A more accurate reading of the actual report might help.

As opposed to the paraphrase posted, the AP article reported that the Secretary of Defense Hegseth “had” the personal computer set up.

WATCH IT, JEFF, I'M ALLOWING THIS MUCH OF YOUR POST ONLY BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY INCLUDED A BIT OF INFORMATION. I DELETED YOUR LAST LINE BECAUSE IT WAS FACTUALLY INCORRECT AND INFLAMMATORY. I DELETED YOUR SECOND LINE, YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST, BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL POSSIBLE INTERPRETATIONS AND DIDN'T HELP MATTERS.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "SPEAKING MY TRUTH" ONLY "SPEAKING THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH" AND "SPEAKING MY INTERPRETATION."

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, April 25, 2025 - 09:52 am: Edit

In other news,

“Russian general killed in Moscow-area car bombing, investigators say
Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik killed in explosion in Balashikha, Russian officials say.”

Fox news report, two hours ago.

Initial reports are that this is not a drone attack, but the vehicle was shown on video with what appeared to be blast damage and on fire.

Ukraine is expanding the area of operations, and targeting officers in the chain of command responsible for fighting the Russian Ukrainian war.

By John M. Williams (Jay) on Friday, April 25, 2025 - 04:52 pm: Edit

When I saw this headline, my first thought was to wonder what this general did to make Putin want him eliminated.

Which points out a comparatively unique situation for a Russian general: who is more likely to kill you? The enemy or your supreme commander?

By Burt Quaid (Burt) on Friday, April 25, 2025 - 05:50 pm: Edit

Maybe the general would not go into multi-story buildings that one could fall out of.

burt

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, April 25, 2025 - 06:48 pm: Edit

Absent being pushed into some idiotic peace deal that won't last, Ukraine can, and will, win.

In addition to the dead General, a large Russian arms depot East of Moscow had a series of detonations a few days ago. Some ammunition landed up to 10km away. Satellite photos show severe damage to most of the depot.

Ukraine has also shown the ability to inflict severe damage on Russian oil refineries. They haven't done it lately, which I suspect is due to US pressure.

Ukraine is wisely preparing for the possible end of US support. Even this would not be fatal. They have satellite recon lined up from France and Japan, for example.

If the end of US support also means the end of US-imposed constraints, the trade-off could be overall beneficial.