Trump IIRC was openly talking about pulling out of NATO. Trump complained about the lack of contributions from some member states but didn't do anything else to force them to "pony up."
He also hated Ukraine and thought it was holding Hilary Clinton's servers. Giuliani fed him all sorts of fantasies about Ukraine. Trump tried to hold up arms shipments promised to the Ukrainians until Congress forced his hand.
"Durham revealed all and you are still in denial."
Durham's substantive findings largely echoed IG Horowitz's report on the FBI.
Do you seriously think that Trump, with all his talk about staying out of wars and foreign conflicts (which you keep praising), would sufficiently deterred Putin from invading? Trump, the guy who crapped all over our relationship with European allies? Trump, who couldn't organize a barbecue let alone a massive buildup of the Ukrainian military or deployment of NATO forces?
Trump keeps claiming he would have prevented Putin from invading with just a phone call. How? By threatening a massive nuclear strike on Russia? Please.
Trump was all bluster and no achievement. You still see him as a superman. Trump is clearly an arrogant incompetent who has dropped himself into serious, serious legal trouble because he cannot think through the consequences of his greediness and desire to hold onto power. (Holding onto a sh-t ton of documents because...why? Ignoring legal advice over and over because...why? JFC.).
He makes Dick Nixon even in his worst moments look like the Serene Buddha.
Exactly. He was⦠through words and deeds weakening the NATO alliance and weakening our relationships with our close allies while trying to cozy up to dictators like Putin and Un. Heâs called Putin a genius for how he has handled the war and (I believe) has yet to fully denounce the conflict and side with Ukraine. So where oh where exactly would Putin be fearful of Trumpâs response to the invasion of Ukraine? Trump would have rolled out the red carpet for such an invasion and Putin was trying to time that for a second Trump term but fortunately for the world that didnât come to pass.
Trumpâs claims that he could have solved the conflict are laughable. We have seen his lack of follow-through on a myriad of things: border wall building and having Mexico pay for it, repeal and replacement of healthcare, botched Covid response⦠getting an agreement with North Korea on nukes. Trump doesnât have the time, energy or commitment to getting anything done that doesnât profit him personally.
Trump was rebuilding and strengthening NATO by getting all the slacker nations to finally pony up and start doing their fair share; what their membership required them to do.
You forget the dinner with Xi at Mar a Lago. The missile attack in Syria while they were having desert. Xi was pretty much stunned. Trump got his attention.
Your thinking is based upon the Steele Dossier and all the crap that Hillary conjured up. You sucked it up and begged for more and still do. It's why to this day you believe that Trump is Putin's bitch. You were wrong to believe it then and are wrong to still believe it now. Durham revealed all and you are still in denial. You are just another useful idiot that the DNC is counting on to do their bidding. But I'm just another dumb doorknob, so YMWV.
Trump IIRC was openly talking about pulling out of NATO. Trump complained about the lack of contributions from some member states but didn't do anything else to force them to "pony up."
He also hated Ukraine and thought it was holding Hilary Clinton's servers. Giuliani fed him all sorts of fantasies about Ukraine. Trump tried to hold up arms shipments promised to the Ukrainians until Congress forced his hand.
"Durham revealed all and you are still in denial."
Durham's substantive findings largely echoed IG Horowitz's report on the FBI.
Do you seriously think that Trump, with all his talk about staying out of wars and foreign conflicts (which you keep praising), would sufficiently deterred Putin from invading? Trump, the guy who crapped all over our relationship with European allies? Trump, who couldn't organize a barbecue let alone a massive buildup of the Ukrainian military or deployment of NATO forces?
Trump keeps claiming he would have prevented Putin from invading with just a phone call. How? By threatening a massive nuclear strike on Russia? Please.
Trump was all bluster and no achievement. You still see him as a superman. Trump is clearly an arrogant incompetent who has dropped himself into serious, serious legal trouble because he cannot think through the consequences of his greediness and desire to hold onto power. (Holding onto a sh-t ton of documents because...why? Ignoring legal advice over and over because...why? JFC.).
He makes Dick Nixon even in his worst moments look like the Serene Buddha.
I am aware. The hot mike message was directed at Putin given to Medvedev to deliver to Putin. What Putin thought "more flexibility" meant was evidently more than just about missiles. And I do not believe it is a coincidence that Putin waited for Trump to be out of office before invading Ukraine fearing what Trump may have done in response. Biden, being part of Obama's team and given his debacle in Afghanistan was what Putin saw as his moment of opportunity and he took it.
Wha? Putin wasn’t ready to invade during Trump’s initial 4 years. He was letting Trump weaken NATO ties and thought his best opportunity would come presumably during Trump’s second term. You gotta be sh*tting us if you think Putin preferred to invade while Biden was in office vs Trump. What exactly do you think Trump would have done that Putin was fearful of? Putin regrets the fact that Trump wasn’t reelected as he knows that he would have been able to stall Trump from any sort of decisive action. This would also have had the effect of stalling any collective support from the NATO contingent and would have delayed the sanctions imposed on Russia. Putin would have appealed to Trump with something along the lines of his military action being necessary and temporary to remove Nazis and stabilize the situation and Trump would have ate that crap up without even thinking. “Putin said this was necessary and I have no reason not to believe him”.
Trump would have done nothing in response and Putin well knows it. If Trump was at the wheel when the military action began the conflict would well be over and 30% to 40% of Ukraine would already be in process of becoming part of Russian territory.
Trump was rebuilding and strengthening NATO by getting all the slacker nations to finally pony up and start doing their fair share; what their membership required them to do.
You forget the dinner with Xi at Mar a Lago. The missile attack in Syria while they were having desert. Xi was pretty much stunned. Trump got his attention.
Your thinking is based upon the Steele Dossier and all the crap that Hillary conjured up. You sucked it up and begged for more and still do. It's why to this day you believe that Trump is Putin's bitch. You were wrong to believe it then and are wrong to still believe it now. Durham revealed all and you are still in denial. You are just another useful idiot that the DNC is counting on to do their bidding. But I'm just another dumb doorknob, so YMWV.
I am aware. The hot mike message was directed at Putin given to Medvedev to deliver to Putin. What Putin thought "more flexibility" meant was evidently more than just about missiles.
And I do not believe it is a coincidence that Putin waited for Trump to be out of office before invading Ukraine fearing what Trump may have done in response. Biden, being part of Obama's team and given his debacle in Afghanistan was what Putin saw as his moment of opportunity and he took it.
Wha?
Putin wasnât ready to invade during Trumpâs initial 4 years. He was letting Trump weaken NATO ties and thought his best opportunity would come presumably during Trumpâs second term. You gotta be sh*tting us if you think Putin preferred to invade while Biden was in office vs Trump. What exactly do you think Trump would have done that Putin was fearful of? Putin regrets the fact that Trump wasnât reelected as he knows that he would have been able to stall Trump from any sort of decisive action. This would also have had the effect of stalling any collective support from the NATO contingent and would have delayed the sanctions imposed on Russia. Putin would have appealed to Trump with something along the lines of his military action being necessary and temporary to remove Nazis and stabilize the situation and Trump would have ate that crap up without even thinking. âPutin said this was necessary and I have no reason not to believe himâ.
Trump would have done nothing in response and Putin well knows it. If Trump was at the wheel when the military action began the conflict would well be over and 30% to 40% of Ukraine would already be in process of becoming part of Russian territory.
Ah, yes, the Crimea. We also remember something that Obama said in a hot mike message to Putin earlier that he (Obama) could be more flexible towards Putin's needs after his reelection.
It was Medvedev, not Putin, and he said that in 2012—two years before the invasion of Crimea. The topic, btw, was missile defense. Putin had just been "elected" to replace Medvedev, That invasion did happen on Obama's watch, and the subsequent occupation and annexation was the status quo Trump accepted as the new reality when he started his cozy relationships with the world's despotic dictators.
I am aware. The hot mike message was directed at Putin given to Medvedev to deliver to Putin. What Putin thought "more flexibility" meant was evidently more than just about missiles.
And I do not believe it is a coincidence that Putin waited for Trump to be out of office before invading Ukraine fearing what Trump may have done in response. Biden, being part of Obama's team and given his debacle in Afghanistan was what Putin saw as his moment of opportunity and he took it.
btw, what is particularly astonishing about this is that Scholz was like a wet rag for the first twelve months of this war. Of the main parties, the SPD (the party he leads) is the party that is LEAST likely to take Ukraine's side. How times change.
Yeah, quite the turnaround in Scholz. It wasn't that long ago in my daily readings where Germany's name was repeatedly getting dragged through the mud for their stalling and minimal support tactics. I think everyone in Europe understands this is their once in a generation opportunity to put Putin and his expansionism ideas back into a cage - and bury it for at least another 20 yrs.
Ah, yes, the Crimea. We also remember something that Obama said in a hot mike message to Putin earlier that he (Obama) could be more flexible towards Putin's needs after his reelection.
It was Medvedev, not Putin, and he said that in 2012âtwo years before the invasion of Crimea.
The topic, btw, was missile defense. Putin had just been "elected" to replace Medvedev,
That invasion did happen on Obama's watch, and the subsequent occupation and annexation was the status quo Trump accepted as the new reality when he started his cozy relationships with the world's despotic dictators.
Spring of 2022? Why wait so long? Why not negotiate with Putin in 2014, when he first invaded - you do remember that, no?
btw, what is particularly astonishing about this is that Scholz was like a wet rag for the first twelve months of this war. Of the main parties, the SPD (the party he leads) is the party that is LEAST likely to take Ukraine's side. How times change.
Ah, yes, the Crimea. We also remember something that Obama said in a hot mike message to Putin earlier that he (Obama) could be more flexible towards Putin's needs after his reelection.
Appalling. And even more appalling were his public suggestions that NATO probably shouldnât continue to exist and the time when tried to hold up millions in approved Congressional funding for Ukraine in order to have them investigate a political rivalâs offspringâ¦
Ah, yes, the Crimea. We also remember something that Obama said in a hot mike message to Putin earlier that he (Obama) could be more flexible towards Putin's needs after his reelection.
Important to focus on a "hot mic" moment 10 years ago as some sort of "show of weakness" (when our NATO allies living on the continent only ever supported the sanctions that were placed on Russia) instead of considering our current Republican front-runner who called the invasion of Ukraine " genius" and "savvy" in his never-ending genuflection for Putin.
The Ukrainian government turmoil at the time and the strong Russian sentiment in Crimea complicated any response. Oh yeah...we were also over a dozen years into Afghanistan.
Upset are we now VV? Does that explain your juvenile us versus them rhetoric? Of course the Russians are willing to kill a large number of Ukrainians and ultimately others if you and your fellow Americans back them into a corner. Whether you agree or understand, the Russians view pushy NATO as an existential threat. Personally, I would have kept NATO out of the former Warsaw Pact Treaty countries. But you already know that don't you? Given US-lead NATO's blunders to date, I would have sat down and negotiated seriously with the Russians in the spring of 2022. You support President Biden's hawish stance and rhetoric on Ukraine; I do not. Quite frankly, I see your policy stance as self-loathing assuming that you genuinely care about American economic and strategic outcomes and welfare. The USA is coming out of this conflict weaker, not stronger.
Spring of 2022? Why wait so long?
Why not negotiate with Putin in 2014, when he first invaded - you do remember that, no?
Ah, yes, the Crimea. We also remember something that Obama said in a hot mike message to Putin earlier that he (Obama) could be more flexible towards Putin's needs after his reelection.
Upset? No just making a point. Seems you might be the one upset. I was responding to the original us vs them post.
Warsaw pact is no more⦠effectively dissolved as you should know. Those countries are free to determine their own destines and alliances as they see fit without having to worry about what Putin/Russia might want or desire. Thats the reality of the situation and isnât justification for the invasion of Ukraine. If aligning more strongly with Russia is what Ukraine desired then they could go down that path⦠they didnât as they didnât want to be held back economically / politically.
I love how all pro-Russian propagandists all focus on America. Seems you have nothing to say about the advanced weaponry supplied by England, Poland, Germany et all. Some of it more advanced than what US has supplied to date. That doesnât concern⦠bother you?
Bidenâs hawkish stance? You mean the one where he wants Russia to stop invading Ukraine and leave it? Guilty as charged⦠I support that.
US is not coming out of this weaker at all⦠I guess you havenât seen the recent jobs report.
+1 to all of the above.
and not only that but the assertion that Russia was backed into a corner by NATO encroachment is so fucking backwards it beggars belief.
First it assumes this is all about a military threat à la Cuban missile crisis. That particular argument was rendered null and void by nuclear submarines looooong ago.
Secondly, Russia already had a direct border with NATO since its inception (Norway and - with a little bit of water in between, the US (Bering Strait).
Thirdly, NATO is a defensive association that is only triggered by an attack against one of its members.
Finally, this whole geopolitical analysis put forward by Dugan, propped up by Mearsheimer and a gaggle of myopic anti-capitalists on the left and rabid nationalist wannabe fascists on the right is intellectually lazy and tailored to stoke the ego of a battered imperialist power, on the one hand, and smear the position of the west on the other.
Wars are just another way of trying to influence someone else's thoughts and beliefs in the absence of any cogent and compelling arguments to win them over otherwise. In the final instance, even empires need to sell something to their people to retain power. When they fail to do that, they crumble.
The fact of the matter is that Russia, with its weird amalgam of a Mafia boss ruling over a coterie of kleptocrats spinning a nationalistic dream based on days of glory past, while actually creaming it by stealing from the people, actually doesn't offer any compelling or cogent arguments to win over its neighbours. Its economy is propped up by selling oil and gas and for a country of its size and its wealth of natural resources, it is an absolute failure.
Upset are we now VV? Does that explain your juvenile us versus them rhetoric?
Of course the Russians are willing to kill a large number of Ukrainians and ultimately others if you and your fellow Americans back them into a corner. Whether you agree or understand, the Russians view pushy NATO as an existential threat.
Personally, I would have kept NATO out of the former Warsaw Pact Treaty countries. But you already know that don't you?
Given US-lead NATO's blunders to date, I would have sat down and negotiated seriously with the Russians in the spring of 2022. You support President Biden's hawish stance and rhetoric on Ukraine; I do not.
Quite frankly, I see your policy stance as self-loathing assuming that you genuinely care about American economic and strategic outcomes and welfare. The USA is coming out of this conflict weaker, not stronger.
Upset? No just making a point. Seems you might be the one upset. I was responding to the original us vs them post.
Warsaw pact is no more⦠effectively dissolved as you should know. Those countries are free to determine their own destines and alliances as they see fit without having to worry about what Putin/Russia might want or desire. Thats the reality of the situation and isnât justification for the invasion of Ukraine. If aligning more strongly with Russia is what Ukraine desired then they could go down that path⦠they didnât as they didnât want to be held back economically / politically.
I love how all pro-Russian propagandists all focus on America. Seems you have nothing to say about the advanced weaponry supplied by England, Poland, Germany et all. Some of it more advanced than what US has supplied to date. That doesnât concern⦠bother you?
Bidenâs hawkish stance? You mean the one where he wants Russia to stop invading Ukraine and leave it? Guilty as charged⦠I support that.
US is not coming out of this weaker at all⦠I guess you havenât seen the recent jobs report.
