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Invasion of Ukraine Continues As Russia Begins Nuclear Weapons Sabre Rattling
cold fjord writes Russian President has issued a stark indication of Russia's military capabilities: "I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations. This is a reality, not just words." According to News.com.au, "It's the first time in more than 25 years that Moscow has raised the spectre of nuclear war. The difference this time is that its tanks are already pouring over its western borders." To put numbers behind that, "Russia has moved 4,000 to 5,000 military personnel — a figure far higher than one U.S. official's earlier claim of 1,000 troops. The soldiers are aligned in 'formed units' and fighting around Luhansk and Donetsk.... And they may soon have company: Some 20,000 troops are on border and 'more may be on the way.'" On top of that, the Ukraine Defence Minister claims Russia has made threats that they're prepared to use tactical nuclear weapons to stop further resistance.
The whole idea that there is no actual Russian invasion falls a little flat when there are captured and dead Russian soldiers in Ukraine, and the official Russian line is that those soldiers, apparently with all of their military equipment and supplies, voluntarily invaded Ukraine on their vacations. You would think that Russia wouldn't want their soldiers taking tanks and artillery on vacation with them, but maybe they just do things a little differently in Russia.
By the way, it's just "Ukraine", not "the Ukraine". I would expect 8 former intelligence officials to know that, or at least be consistent in their so-called "memo".
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
War is an archetypal situation. Once the possibility of one starting develops, it has "suction": people react to the archetype, and that threatens to overwhem rational thought. The archetype was worshipped as a divinity in many cultures precisely because war behaves as if it was a living thing seeking to devour people - or, in this case, the entire world.
So yes, there's every chance this will develop into World War III: Last Dance.
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
This war comes from Wall St. and Soros and other bullies backing the coup they started in Kiev and thus forcing Putin into a corner
Why would a change in government in Ukraine force Putin into a corner? It's not like he's the ruler of Ukraine.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
I come to Slashdot for a certain type of view point, and sometimes, I am indeed interested in what Slashdotters have to say on topics of political and economic interest.
In that sense, I am often delighted when Slashdot carries such articles because it gives me an opportunity to understand a particular issue in a new light.
The signal to noise ratio here is significantly better than, say, CNN (i.e., imagine siphoning through thousands of comments on R vs. D debates). In contrast, I find that there is more rational discussion, and new insights here on Slashdot than elsewhere. Obviously, YMMV.
Well he drops a nuclear weapon on Ukrainian territory and he's not going to have ANY friends in that area anymore. He's already made the bulk of the Ukrainian people that used to love him hate him and that would turn to the cold stark hatred of lifetime if he were to use a nuke against Ukraine. Honestly, not only has he broke the treaty to defend Ukraine from the west he'll have attacked them instead.
Much of this war is internal politics to Russia. The west just hasn't done a good job of explaining how Putin has gained and maintained power and much of it plays into the nationalism he's exploited. The people behind all this nationalism want a big strong Russia again, a world power that everyone respects and pays homage to. To get Russian support for his intervention into Ukraine he played up the angle of NATO on Russia's borders, that it was a direct threat to Russia. Now that it looked like Ukraine might beat the Rebels instead of falling to Putin's puppet state demands he's being forced to take action by those same nationalists he inflamed. If he ignores those people his political career is over and possibly his life.
IMO Putin was using this staged "revolt" to put pressure on Ukraine to accept the puppet state status he has gotten Belarus and others to take. But Ukraines armed forces winning the battle was something they didn't think was possible. I believe they thought that it would grind to a standstill and when winter rolled around and Ukraine started freezing without gas the government would need to negotiate where Putin's demands for the customs union and such go into play and he turns them into a puppet state again. Ukraines military advances the last few months have raised the spectre that Ukraine may beat the insurgent forces before winter. Combined with Ukraine's threat to join NATO this forced Putin's hand with the nationalists. He literally doesn't have a choice here as his own ass is on the line.
What would you do?
Point out a ridiculously inaccurate analogy?
This is very much true. He's intelligent enough to work not only as a highly decorated KGB serviceman, but also to quickly climb the rungs of power in what is most certainly a very corrupt country. Don't underestimate the gamesmanship involved with either one of those achievements. That alone should give you pause before calling him irrational. He is likely very rational - and cold, and calculating, and ruthless.
I guess you're right. But somehow, Invading / providing substantial material support for an insurrection in another country, and then annexing it-- followed by reminding everyone "if you screw with us, things will get real" doesnt exactly sound as reasonable as the way you put it-- it somehow seems more aggressive.