Thread: Russia launches Ukraine invasion

^ The EU are keen to get the UK on board a security pact, that is most of the EU, the froggies aren't ..... as usual

Vance Slaps Down Hegseth by Threatening Putin With U.S. Troops

Vice President JD Vance issued a stark warning to Russia, threatening the potential deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine—a move that directly undercut Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was forced into an embarrassing reversal on his earlier remarks.


In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vance said the U.S. may take military action if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to negotiate a deal that guarantees Ukraine’s long-term independence.

“There are economic tools of leverage, there are of course military tools of leverage” Washington could use to pressure Putin, the vice president told the newspaper.


“There are any number of formulations, of configurations, but we do care about Ukraine having sovereign independence,” he said.


Hegseth had firmly ruled out any U.S. troop involvement in Ukraine, but was left scrambling to walk back his first statement on the world stage after a powerful backlash.


Criticism must have also come from inside the administration because the next time he was in front of the cameras he had radically changed his tune. “Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops,” he said.


“Everything is on the table in any future peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, including Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO,” the defense secretary said Thursday in a major shift in tone. He added that negotiations were being led by President Donald Trump.


“What he decides to allow or not allow is at the purview of the leader of the free world, of President Trump. So I’m not going to stand at this podium and declare what President Trump will do or won’t do,” he said.


Trump announced that he had spoken. to Putin by phone on Wednesday morning, and said they agreed to work “very closely” with each other to kickstart peace negotiations “immediately.”


Economist Mark Toth, a national security and foreign policy analyst, told The Daily Beast that the contradictory messaging from Vance and Hegseth signals a deliberate White House strategy to keep adversaries—and allies—off balance.


“The White House appears determined to be unpredictable, using the ‘fog of war’—or in this case, the ‘fog of negotiations’—to maintain leverage as they work toward their endgame in Europe,” Toth said. “Ultimately, this approach sets the stage for a strategic pivot to pressing national security threats emerging from the Indo-Pacific and Iran.”


However, he warned that such tactics come with significant risks. “One final word of caution—fog, especially self-created fog on the battlefield, always risks its creator becoming lost in it as well. Trump and his national security team would be wise to remember that.”


The contradictory messaging from the White House may also be part of the strategy to pressure NATO member states into raising their defense spending from 2 percent to 5 percent of their GDP, Toth said.


“This mixed messaging by senior White House officials was likely intentional in design,” he said. “What better way to do that than scaring Brussels that under a Trump Administration going forward that Europe is going to increasingly be more on its own when it comes to confronting Putin’s ambitions in Eastern Europe?”


As talks of potential negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow to end the war gained momentum, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of striking the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with an “attack drone with a high-explosive warhead” early Friday.


The strike caused major damage to the radiation shelter and caused a fire, Zelensky said. The blaze was later extinguished.


Nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on X that radiation levels remain stable and that no casualties were reported.

The Kremlin swiftly denied responsibility, accusing Ukraine of staging a false-flag attack—a tactic Moscow has often employed to erode Western support for Kyiv.


“Most likely, we are talking about yet another provocation, manipulation—this is exactly what the Kyiv regime loves and sometimes does not hesitate to do," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.


Vance is scheduled to meet Zelensky later on Friday at the Munich Security Conference, where talks on the Russia-Ukraine war and potential negotiations are expected to take center stage.

JD Vance Slaps Down Pete Hegseth by Threatening Vladimir Putin With U.S. Troops

Originally Posted by misskit

Vance Slaps Down Hegseth by Threatening Putin With U.S. Troops

Vice President JD Vance issued a stark warning to Russia, threatening the potential deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine—a move that directly undercut Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was forced into an embarrassing reversal on his earlier remarks.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vance said the U.S. may take military action if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to negotiate a deal that guarantees Ukraine’s long-term independence.


JD Vance Slaps Down Pete Hegseth by Threatening Vladimir Putin With U.S. Troops

https://x.com/wsmartin218/status/1890384085027103120

In the meantime people die whilst he's eating a Mcdonalds

Trump and Hegseth will probably succeed in ending the war. Trumps initial position is to let Russia keep most of the land that they have taken and to not admit Ukraine to NATO or post any US troops in Ukraine as a security guarantee.

In other words, his starting position is to give Putin everything he wants. It's hard to see how that wouldn't work - at least for the next few years.

Originally Posted by qwerty

Trump and Hegseth will probably succeed in ending the war. Trumps initial position is to let Russia keep most of the land that they have taken and to not admit Ukraine to NATO or post any US troops in Ukraine as a security guarantee.

In other words, his starting position is to give Putin everything he wants. It's hard to see how that wouldn't work - at least for the next few years.

I disagree.

That's Trump's position, which we all knew he would take, but it has stirred Europe into action.

Starmer to join Macron-led European crisis summit on Trump’s Ukraine plan | Ukraine | The Guardian

Keir Starmer backs Nato membership for Ukraine despite US view

We can't rely on the US anymore - in fact they are pretty much an enemy now - but it has focussed us on protecting ourselves without the Trump nazis.

Maybe that's what he, the head of the US military industrial complex, wants though (certainly, to read Snubby and Nammers' posts on this thread - two ex army men - you'd think so ).

BREAKING: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius brutally shreds J.D. Vance for his utterly shameful speech attacking Europe at the Munich Security Conference: "This is unacceptable."This is a historic takedown of an American vice president..."We fight for your right to be against us, that is one of the mottos of the Bundeswehr and it stands for our democracy, this democracy that was just called into question by the U.S. Vice President — and not just the German democracy but Europe as a whole," said Pistorius.

In a vile MAGA-coded speech, Vance attacked our European allies for allegedly ignoring the will of their people and failing to curtail illegal migration. He ranted about abortion rights and religious freedom, and avoided talking about the security issues that the conference was designed to address. It was part of a concerted effort by Trump, Musk, and the rest of the MAGA movement to export their fascism around the globe.

Pistorius didn't hold back in his rebuttal—"He has spoke of the annulment of democracy and if I understood him correctly, he compares the condition of Europe to the condition that prevails in some authoritarian regimes," he said."Ladies and gentlemen, this is not acceptable," he added, to a round of applause."This is not acceptable. This is not the Europe, not the democracy where I live and where I conduct my election campaign right now and this is not the democracy that I witness every day in our parliament," he continued."

In our democracy, every opinion has a voice and it makes it possible for parties that are partly extremist such as the AFD and they can campaign just as any other parties. This is democracy," he said."And if the vice president had the opportunity to switch on his TV set when he arrived yesterday he would have seen one of those candidates in primetime TV," he went on."By the way, we even admit media that spread Russian propaganda and the representatives of the federal government answer their questions. Nobody is excluded," he said.

"But democracy does not mean that a vociferous minority will automatically be right and they cannot decide what truth is. It does not mean that anyone can say anything and democracy must be able to defend itself against extremists that try to destroy it," said Pistorius."I am happy to live in Europe where this democracy is defended every day against its internal and external enemies," he continued.

"And therefore I would like to explicitly contradict and oppose the impression that Vice President Vance suggested here that our democracies oppress and silence minorities.""We not only know against whom we defend our countries but what we defend it for. It's for democracy, for freedom of opinion, for the rule of law and the dignity of each and everyone, ladies and gentleman," he said.

Pistorius then switched to English to hammer home some final criticisms—"Ladies and gentlemen, but unlike the vice president I would also like to focus my speech on the most pressing questions of European and Transatlantic security," he said."The last few days have confirmed what many have speculated for months. The United States are pushing for a quick peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine and they expect Europe to take the lead in securing any agreement that follows," he said.

(Twitter post) This is what electing Donald Trump has done for America. We have alienated our allies, weakened our security, and made ourselves a laughing stock on the world stage. Thankfully, world leaders are not afraid to stand up to the incompetent bullies working to destroy America.

This has got to be one of the darkest days in American history. I keep thinking of the many who gave their lives in WW2, Canadians, Brits, Americans and all the rest. The men who sacrificed who lie in cemeteries in France and elsewhere. They must be rolling in their graves as we speak.

The morons who have hijacked America bring us closer to war, not further from it.

Originally Posted by bsnub

This has got to be one of the darkest days in American history..

Well, there have been a few of them so it isn't unprecedented.



At least you've always pretended to be the good guy in the past though.

Now you're basically a rogue nazi state. I was talking to my mate the other night about it all and he said that it couldn't go on like this.

Genuine, honest Q snubs. Do you fear civil war? I can see someone offing these two right wing nutters and it exploding. The MAGAts have already tried to take down a democratically elected government once before, so imagine what would happen if there orange god was taken out with all them guns in your country.

Jaysus.

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Oh the shame!

Originally Posted by bsnub

This has got to be one of the darkest days in American history. I keep thinking of the many who gave their lives in WW2, Canadians, Brits, Americans and all the rest. The men who sacrificed who lie in cemeteries in France and elsewhere. They must be rolling in their graves as we speak.t.

I agree with your sentiments, but let's not forget the Russians too.

Yet here we are: still in conflict with the big bear.

TD quiz of the day. Russia shares 18 borders and has invaded or been at war with every single one of them in its history.

Apart from one.

Can you name the one?

Originally Posted by hallelujah

Now you're basically a rogue nazi state.

Precisely why I said this;

Originally Posted by bsnub

I keep thinking of the many who gave their lives in WW2, Canadians, Brits, Americans and all the rest. The men who sacrificed who lie in cemeteries in France and elsewhere. They must be rolling in their graves as we speak.

Our fathers and grandfathers who fought this very fascism off before are rolling in their graves. It is sickening and there was clear warning that this would happen if that orange shitbag won the election.

Originally Posted by hallelujah

Genuine, honest Q snubs. Do you fear civil war?

I have for sometime even before Trump was elected. The worrysome part about a civil war is one side has a lot more guns than the other side. I am sure you can guess whose side that is.

I stand with the EU, UK and Canada and many of us Americans do and right now we are all horrified. There is a lot more going in internally here than I think many of you know. These goons led by Elon and his DOGE are dismantling the federal govenment as we speak. There already have been mass firings.

Originally Posted by bsnub

. These goons led by Elon and his DOGE are dismantling the federal govenment as we speak.

I salute you, snubs, and I highlight this.

As any sentient being knows, when you fire all the judges, try to jail the opposition, and systematically dismantle the government, there is nothing left to oppose a dictator.

He posted this yesterday:

reuters.com

Originally Posted by bsnub

There is a lot more going in internally here than I think many of you know. These goons led by Elon and his DOGE are dismantling the federal govenment as we speak. There already have been mass firings.

Not sure what this source of news you think we don't know is.


US goverment seeks to rehire recently fired nuclear workers

Originally Posted by hallelujah

TD quiz of the day. Russia shares 18 borders and has invaded or been at war with every single one of them in its history.

Apart from one.

Can you name the one?

Yet.

Originally Posted by hallelujah

I salute you, snubs, and I highlight this.

As any sentient being knows, when you fire all the judges, try to jail the opposition, and systematically dismantle the government, there is nothing left to oppose a dictator.

He posted this yesterday:

reuters.com

The criminal gang that has taken control in Washington

Our neighbours are no longer our allies

https://x.com/ArtCandee/status/1890968318418292939

STAND STRONG, CANADA

Originally Posted by hallelujah

Our neighbours are no longer our allies

That's heartbreaking to hear him say that. Everything is so surreal right now.

The spineless Orange Turds mouthpiece MIchael Walts speaks for the USA


White House National Security Adviser Michael Waltz says Ukraine needs to rein in its criticism of the US, as Washington tries to secure a peace deal to end the war.


"It's unacceptable, they [Ukraine] need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal," he tells Fox News. The deal he is referring to is a push by Donald Trump for access to rare minerals in Ukraine in return for aid, or even as compensation for the support the US has already provided.


"We presented the Ukrainians really an incredible, and a historic opportunity," the adviser says, adding that it would be "sustainable" and "the best" security guarantee they could hope for.


Zelensky has publicly rejected an American bid to gain access to – and profit from - Ukrainian minerals, saying: "I can't sell our state."


But he says that the two countries can reconcile its differences.

Right thinking Nations response



UK and Norway reinforce joint defence against Russia


We've just seen a joint statement between the UK and Norway, where both nations have expressed their "ironclad" and "unwavering" support for Ukraine and pledged to enhance their own defence.


The countries say they are committing to enhancing their "critical undersea infrastructure" as "Russia's aggression across Europe" continues "growing".


They also say they will increase intelligence co-operation and enhance co-operation in the High North and North Atlantic - as sea is where the UK and Norway share "the closest bonds".


"We recognise that Russia is willing to use all means at its disposal to undermine European cohesion and support to Ukraine," the statement reads.


For context, the UK and Norway describe themselves as "the closest of Allies", with a "deep history", having a "common outlook", and "commitment to democracy".


Both countries will use the coming months to work towards a new defence agreement, hoping to sign it by the summer.



from the BBC

Ukraine war latest: Trump aide tells Ukraine to '''tone down''' US criticism as Russia warns against Nato troops - BBC News

Anything less than a full wartime production on defense simply will not be enough.

Snubby I think even you know the orange turd is throwing Ukraine under the bus.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Snubby I think even you know the orange turd is throwing Ukraine under the bus.

It is not going to stop there, Harry. Pootin will have his eye on the rest of Europe next.

Originally Posted by bsnub

It is not going to stop there, Harry. Pootin will have his eye on the rest of Europe next.

Nah, we've got nukes.