Russia-Ukraine War

[Observe]

I confess. Maybee it is my 70+ year old brain that can't process this. Or it might be because I haven't eaten anything in three days. But as many times as I've watched clips of this now infamous meeting, I can't seem to be able to figure out exactly what went wrong, or why.

So, Zelenskyy was vocal about his disagreements with Trump/Vance. So what? Isn't that what diplomacy is all about? I get that Trump/Vance don't like Zelenskyy very much. Again, so what? It sure looks like Trump/Vance had it in for Zelenskyy before the meeting took place. In other words, a set up?

Besides, as others have pointed out, this should have been a closed meeting between heads of State, with no press present. Making it a public spectacle was very poor form.

Hopefully, things will settle down next week, and everyone involved can do a reset.

[esd]

It put me in mind of a gangster film where a local businessman arrives to ask why the protection he pays just doubled.

[EGO_Aut]

I thought I was in a bad movie. Now I think everything was agreed upon, a script, a production, but why? Putin may have patted himself on the thighs, but US allies will be in shock.
Who benefits from it? A humiliation of Zelensky so that Putin will be merciful? For me, Selensky gained more sympathy, he showed balls, not like Scholz. And Trump was just embarrassing, as always, even later wearing a MAGA cap in front of the press.

@MrWho
20% is lost and not part of UKR, face it.
The election is intended to determine whether the war should continue or not.

[mr.WHO]

@MrWho
20% is lost and not part of UKR, face it.
The election is intended to determine whether the war should continue or not.

Except you can bet that Putin/Trump/Orban will use this to question those elections from the first moment Ukraine will decide to make elections on non occupied territories.

[burger1]

Ukraine has many soldiers it can't send to the front due to lacking equipment for them. Ukraine has extra soldiers and is just lacking equipment. EU can up military production and reroute sales from other clients to Ukraine.

Ukraine currently has advantages that might not last if Russia adapts. Glide bomb jamming for one thing. Russias up to using donkeys as transport. Russian armour might be less available. Need to hit Russias production lines and production facilities in Iran. Russia isn't producing enough to support itself.

UN wouldn't send soldiers and if they did then they would be useless. There's UN peace keepers in several countries that watch people die and do nothing. UN isn't an army.

Ukraine should be treating this as generational warfare in the sense that it should accept and train people from outside Ukraine. Maybe even use pmc in some areas.

Ukraine should be able to destroy Russian pipe lines to India, China, etc... Punch a bunch holes every 50 ft or so can even light the oil on fire maybe. 400 incendiary armour piercing rounds per drone at 25 m per puncture 10km pipeline per drone run. Drones are relatively cheap, ammos cheap and readily available. Will eventually run out of pipeline replacement parts. Could also snipe from a distance due to the pipelines being in a fixed position. Railgun? Attack from high altitude? More of a physics problem.

Bacteria to eat the oil. Not so easy to do since bacteria require nutrients also not likely available in the oil. They use bacteria to eat oil spills. Using a catalyst would also likely be out. Tainting the oil somehow would be a bad idea. Would cause damage downstream to China, India, etc...

Blow up the fertilizer production plants. Would hurt crops yields in EU, etc... but would remove some materials for making explosives/bombs. Also would decrease Russias income. Fertilizer is made from natural gas in Russia. No idea why they have started making it else where to destroy the Russian industry or make it disposable. Could actually help EU by replacing Russian industry by targeting that specific industry. Light a coalmine on fire and EU can sell more of that coal variety, etc...

Attack Russian assets outside Russia or from outside Ukraine. Northern fleet?

Cheap repeated attacks would likely destroy a lot of Russian infrastructure. Power lines, rail lines, oil facilities, etc... The techniques would eventually be used against Ukraine which is the issue with warfare. Ukraine needs to change their tactics. They fight the war the much harder way.

[Warenwolf]

I confess. Maybee it is my 70+ year old brain that can't process this. Or it might be because I haven't eaten anything in three days. But as many times as I've watched clips of this now infamous meeting, I can't seem to be able to figure out exactly what went wrong, or why.

Really - have you ever seen such chimpanzee show before on tv before? This was a deliberate ambush. Performative politics leads to bad outcomes.

Norwegian fuel company Haltbakk Bunkers has announced it will cease supplying fuel to U.S. military forces in Norway and American ships docking in Norwegian ports:
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/norwegi ... r-ukraine/

Act as a clown and be treated as one.

[Observe]

I don't think it's practical for Ukraine to have an election in the middle of a war. Besides, Ukraine's law prohibits elections under these circumstances anyway.

[fiksal]

I think elections in Ukraine are part of Putin's plan now. He failed with the war, he doesnt know how to finish it. But to take over an election and push own people through, distabilize regions within the country - that's Kremlin's proficiency! That worked at least 3 times that I counted in Ukraine alone, in last 10 years.

I confess. Maybee it is my 70+ year old brain that can't process this. Or it might be because I haven't eaten anything in three days. But as many times as I've watched clips of this now infamous meeting, I can't seem to be able to figure out exactly what went wrong, or why.

Well.

My opinion is coming from the direction that Trump never meant well here. And if you approach it that way, what Zelensky did "wrong" was talking back. As they told him several times, the only words out of him today should've been "thank you". Because he (and Ukraine) is no one to them and they are everything, as they pointed out sort of too.

Zelensky responded and answered as if they were equal and having a discussion. They did not.

Between the lines, I noticed what the White House was pointing out. That Zelensky/Ukraine has no say in the matters when negotiating minerals with US or "peace" with Russia, and must only accept what's offered and dictated by each without question.

[burger1]

I think Ukraine was supposed to get security guarantees with the minerals contract. Trump then said no when Zelenski asked. Trump might have lied. The mineral deal wasn't signed. The member of the Russia state media being present probably didn't help also. Media might wear nationality pins/identification? Trump and vance also acted badly in my opinion.

The previous day when UK Prime Minister Starmer did the press interview I thought Starmer was going to punch trump. Macron from the day before that also seemed ticked off at the start of the conference but handled it quite well and upstaged trump.

It seems obvious it's trump/vances fault. World leaders have come out in support of Zelenski and have condemed trump/vance. They made a twitter page or something. US currently only has one semi ally Israel and Russia. Everyone else is against the US.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9n5jq42pdo

Anyways the war should continue and more and better long ranged weapons should be given to Ukraine until Russia decides to negotiate or attack. Trump dropping aid to Ukraine in favour of russia was pretty much the plan. EU and previous administration planned for it. Ukraine should adopt different red lines, morals, etc...

Wonder what allies could do in Georgia and other unwelcome Russian leaning countries.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/15/europe/g ... index.html

[burger1]

Here we go elon musk and senator Mike Lee are starting the push to leave NATO. Defunding and leaving the UN might also be happening.

https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-goes ... to-2030046

marjorie taylor greene says russia is nice and that our negative views are due to tv/movies.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... r-AA1A3KOf

[chew-ie]

marjorie taylor greene says russia is nice and that our negative views are due to tv/movies.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... r-AA1A3KOf

ROFL

[EGO_Aut]

Here we go elon musk and senator Mike Lee are starting the push to leave NATO. Defunding and leaving the UN might also be happening.

https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-goes ... to-2030046

....

Good idea, leaving UN could accelerate an anti Veto Power reform.

Leaving NATO could initiate an abandonment of bases on NATO territory. US will be able to save a lot money there, but will loose the "world police" status

[jlehtone]

If US leaves NATO, then they have no say on whether Ukraine joins NATO or not.

[chew-ie]

An interesting perspective

Rheinmetall said they only need more invests to ramp up production..

[mr.WHO]

Long time since I posted Perun video.

This one is right on time - Could Europe Defend Itself Without the US?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7giYIisLuaA


Hard numbers and analysis without the usual internet trolls babble.

[Chips]

A Russian state media reporter gained entry to the Oval Office for Trump-Zelensky sit-down

If this is true... , oh wait, it is.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/28/medi ... index.html

[chew-ie]

So... part of that "outrage" of Zelenskyy "not respecting" US was .. that Trump wanted him to wear a suit for that meeting. While Vance was busy bickering over other useless stuff that guy with the "suit question" did another of Trumps bidding by asking what's up with the dress code.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d4r9yvqzpo

Just in case anyone can't feel the level of disconnect of the Trump administration yet.

[fiksal]

perspective:
war about existance of nations; from Finland's point of view

Alexander Stubb (President of Finland) speech about Ukraine-Russia war
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgsZT7YPS3E

[Observe]

Alexander Stubb (President of Finland) speech about Ukraine-Russia war
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgsZT7YPS3E

Smart guy. Intelligently well spoken.

[Observe]

Trump halts all miltary aid to Ukraine.

The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.

The US is pausing all current military aid to Ukraine until Trump determines the country’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace.

This includes deliveries that are already in progress.