Europe Backdrop to the war in Ukraine

[Gethelred]

This is the thread for the geopolitics, history and framework around the Russia-Ukraine conflict. If you want to discuss the events of the war, head over to this thread:

Europe - War in Ukraine - Thread 4 - thread rules updated

This is the thread for discussing the War in Ukraine. Should you want to discuss the geopolitics, the history, or an interesting tangent, head over here: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/backdrop-to-the-war-in-ukraine.1302028/ If a post isn't directly concerning the events of the war or...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[IlovethePies]

Repeats Russia's disinformation as if from the textbook, but aghast anyone might claim its a defence of Putin's honour.

^Repeats the standard pro US./NATO response.

"What we say is true and must be believed unconditionally, and whoever disagrees with us is automatically an agent of Putin. "

 

[Zidane98]

^Repeats the standard pro US./NATO response.

"What we say is true and must be believed unconditionally, and whoever disagrees with us is automatically an agent of Putin. "

There isn't a single poster in here who supports US/NATO.

Plenty that support Ukraine and its right to not be subject to a fascist imperialist invasion.

This is not a new thing, Russians have been invading, genociding Ukranians going back to the 1800s.

 

[Aussie in exile]

^Repeats the standard pro US./NATO response.

"What we say is true and must be believed unconditionally, and whoever disagrees with us is automatically an agent of Putin. "

Like me are you of the opinion that Russia should withdraw from all Ukrainian land?

 

[wannabejack]

US Congress issues resolution to recognize Russian actions in Ukraine as genocide - Euromaidan Press

A bipartisan group of US House Representatives has reintroduced a resolution calling for Russia's actions in Ukraine to be recognized as genocide.

euromaidanpress.com

The allegations of genocide against Ukrainians by Russian forces are rooted in systematic patterns of violence, targeted killings, and cultural erasure, with evidence emerging, for example, from places like Bucha and Mariupol, where Russian troops executed civilians en masse.

 

[Chief]

US Congress issues resolution to recognize Russian actions in Ukraine as genocide - Euromaidan Press

A bipartisan group of US House Representatives has reintroduced a resolution calling for Russia's actions in Ukraine to be recognized as genocide.

euromaidanpress.com

The allegations of genocide against Ukrainians by Russian forces are rooted in systematic patterns of violence, targeted killings, and cultural erasure, with evidence emerging, for example, from places like Bucha and Mariupol, where Russian troops executed civilians en masse.

Apparently only after they failed a Russian language exam.

 

[IlovethePies]

A new book by Professor Ivan Katchanovski and published by Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature is now available online with free access.

It is the first scholarly book to comprehensively analyse the events at Maidan in 2014. In it, he shows that the massacre of protestors almost certainly was carried out by neo-fascists in a false-flag operation to overthrow the Yanukovich government and bring to power the extreme right wing/fascistic pro-US/NATO regime, leading immediately to civil war and conflict with Russia in the Donbas region.

Finally the truth about the Maidan coup and the nature of the political forces which carried it out is surfacing.

 

[wannabejack]

The Maidan Shooting: Conspiracy Theories and Unanswered Questions

Historian William Risch talks about the investigation of the February 20 Maidan shootings

commons.com.ua

William Risch is a professor of history at Georgia College in the United States. His area of expertise is Modern European, Soviet and Ukrainian history. He is the author of The Ukrainian West: Culture and the Fate of Empire in Soviet Lviv.

This section criticizes Ivan Katchanowski's version of the 20 February shootings, providing publicly available evidence about those events.

The murky history of the Maidan shootings, and the failure to bring justice to the victims, legitimated a hybrid war that has since become an all-out war against Ukraine’s existence as a state. That struggle for Ukraine’s existence has made a more complex explanation of the Maidan shootings even more difficult. Instead of bringing justice and the rule of law to Ukraine, its revolution of 2013 - 14 seems swept aside as geopolitical forces have turned the Heavenly Hundred into a tiny drop in an ever-growing ocean of blood.

 

[Zidane98]

A new book by Professor Ivan Katchanovski and published by Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature is now available online with free access.

It is the first scholarly book to comprehensively analyse the events at Maidan in 2014. In it, he shows that the massacre of protestors almost certainly was carried out by neo-fascists in a false-flag operation to overthrow the Yanukovich government and bring to power the extreme right wing/fascistic pro-US/NATO regime, leading immediately to civil war and conflict with Russia in the Donbas region.

Finally the truth about the Maidan coup and the nature of the political forces which carried it out is surfacing.

You're going to have to do better than Katchanovski who is a known promoter of Russian propaganda. Below is a concise and clear dissemination of all the false claims Katchanovski makes

The Maidan Shooting: Conspiracy Theories and Unanswered Questions

Historian William Risch talks about the investigation of the February 20 Maidan shootings

commons.com.ua

How's your internet connection going these days with nodex tovarisch?

 

[Zidane98]

Putin's propaganda man Dugin on Ukraine:





Imagine anyone trying to argue that Russia wasn't imperialistic.

 

[Anzacpaul]

Putin's propaganda man Dugin on Ukraine:





Imagine anyone trying to argue that Russia wasn't imperialistic.

BUT BUT NATO SOMETHING SOMETHING US PUPPET WARMONGERS NATO

 

[wannabejack]

 

[wannabejack]

https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-us-armenia-ties-says-washington-plays-destabilising-role-caucasus-2025-01-14/

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia values its close relations with Armenia and that the United States, which is set to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Armenia, had never played a stabilising role in the region.

Armenia's parliament last week backed a bill to launch the country's bid to join the European Union, although a rapid accession is unlikely.

Yerevan's relations with Moscow meanwhile have soured over what Armenia casts as Russia's failure to defend it from neighbouring rival Azerbaijan, including during a brief war in 2023.
Though Armenia remains a treaty ally of Russia, it has said repeatedly that it does not support Moscow's war in Ukraine and has sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv.

 

[wannabejack]

Czech Republic Finishes Pipeline Extension, Ending Reliance on Russian Oil - The Moscow Times

The Czech Republic no longer needs to import Russian oil following the completion of an expansion to the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) from Italy, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced Tuesday.

www.themoscowtimes.com

"The construction of this expansion has now been completed," Fiala told reporters. "Russia can no longer blackmail us, and we have a guarantee that we can completely supply ourselves with oil from the West."

 

[wannabejack]

Is Israel’s reluctance to help Ukraine, by not providing Ukraine with military support, related to annexation of territory?

Any indication that the international community would be willing to even consider a Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory would serve as a strong indication for Israel that an annexation of West Bank territory is similarly plausible, once the right political conditions present themselves.

 

[wannabejack]

"This is a heavily militarized country that presents an existential threat to us all," Kallas warned, citing intelligence reports suggesting that Russia is preparing for further provocations.

Seems like hyperbolic war mongering bullshit to me.

"Russia is spending 9% of its GDP on defense, while EU member states collectively average only 1.9%." Why would russia be spending 9% of its GDP if it isn't "preparing for further provocations".

You might call it “war mongering bullshit” but some would call it strategic defence. Military planning to deter russia from attacking a weak NATO.

 

[1990crow]

"Russia is spending 9% of its GDP on defense, while EU member states collectively average only 1.9%." Why would russia be spending 9% of its GDP if it isn't "preparing for further provocations".

You might call it “war mongering bullshit” but some would call it strategic defence. Military planning to deter russia from attacking a weak NATO.

The reality is Jan 20 has come and gone, and Trump has nothing.

The War continues and unfortunately Ukraine is going to have a tough time holding Russia back when Summer comes.

 

[wannabejack]

NATO chief urges US to keep arming Ukraine, pledges European funding

"If this new Trump administration is willing to keep on supplying Ukraine, the bill will be paid by the Europeans," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

kyivindependent.com

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on the United States to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, pledging that Europe will shoulder the financial burden, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.

"If this new Trump administration is willing to keep on supplying Ukraine, the bill will be paid by the Europeans," Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Rutte agreed with Trump's criticism of Europe's low defense spending, saying that "Ukraine is closer to Europe than to the U.S."

 

[wannabejack]

On 23 January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that condemns the Russian regime’s systematic falsification of historical arguments to justify its war against Ukraine.

In the resolution, the EU Parliament pointed to Russia’s attempts to create a cult of victory, justify totalitarianism, and deny responsibility for Soviet-era crimes, including the Holodomor artificial famine, the Katyn massacre, mass deportations, and the Gulag concentration camp killings.

 

[Zidane98]

Is Israel’s reluctance to help Ukraine, by not providing Ukraine with military support, related to annexation of territory?

Any indication that the international community would be willing to even consider a Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory would serve as a strong indication for Israel that an annexation of West Bank territory is similarly plausible, once the right political conditions present themselves.

Neither annexation is plausible.


And especially not Ukraine. Russia has signed many agreements formally recognising Ukraine's sovereignty, statehood and territory.


What Russia craves is international support for annexation because without it keeping hold of Ukranian territory becomes exceedingly difficult to maintain without any sort of agreement.

Been that way since Putin invaded Crimea.

 

[Mobbs]

Zakharova. Deploying a NATO peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire could lead to "uncontrolled escalation".

Fair I suppose, Russia enjoys its freedom to institutionally slaughter, genocide and erase sovereign nations and peoples. any barrier to this god-given right is clearly an incitement.

 

[Mobbs]

Slovakia (post from [ASTRA TG])

Anti-government rallies take place in Slovakia. According to local media, the protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico's government and an end to cooperation with Russia. Participants are chanting "Slovakia is Europe."

The organizer of the event is the civil association “Peace to Ukraine”.

Earlier, Robert Fico stated [Kommersant article] that the Slovak Information Service (counterintelligence) received information about the threat of a coup d'etat "through street protests and the seizure of administrative buildings." According to the politician, a group of "foreign experts" financed from various sources, who participated in the "color revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine, arrived in the republic. He did not say what sources he was talking about.

View attachment 6793e83ef9999300121c982e_addRusCort @rt_russian.mp4 View attachment 2025-01-24 20.35.14.mp4

 

[Visions]

Slovakia (post from [ASTRA TG])

Anti-government rallies take place in Slovakia. According to local media, the protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico's government and an end to cooperation with Russia. Participants are chanting "Slovakia is Europe."

The organizer of the event is the civil association “Peace to Ukraine”.

Earlier, Robert Fico stated [Kommersant article] that the Slovak Information Service (counterintelligence) received information about the threat of a coup d'etat "through street protests and the seizure of administrative buildings." According to the politician, a group of "foreign experts" financed from various sources, who participated in the "color revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine, arrived in the republic. He did not say what sources he was talking about.

View attachment 2210972View attachment 2210973View attachment 2210974View attachment 2210975View attachment 2210976View attachment 2210979

Slovakia (post from [ASTRA TG])

Anti-government rallies take place in Slovakia. According to local media, the protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico's government and an end to cooperation with Russia. Participants are chanting "Slovakia is Europe."

The organizer of the event is the civil association “Peace to Ukraine”.

Earlier, Robert Fico stated [Kommersant article] that the Slovak Information Service (counterintelligence) received information about the threat of a coup d'etat "through street protests and the seizure of administrative buildings." According to the politician, a group of "foreign experts" financed from various sources, who participated in the "color revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine, arrived in the republic. He did not say what sources he was talking about.

View attachment 2210972View attachment 2210973View attachment 2210974View attachment 2210975View attachment 2210976View attachment 2210979

Apparently western influence is taboo but Russian bribery lining his pockets is ok.

Trump even had a surge in popularity after his assassination attempt, this guy gets a dip instead. People probably disappointed the assassin didn’t succeed.

Will be interesting to see if he brings the troops out to disperse the protests. Problem for him is despite him thinking he is a dictator and having total control over his subjects, the Slovaks wont capitulate that easily.

 

[Jello_B]

"Russia is spending 9% of its GDP on defense, while EU member states collectively average only 1.9%." Why would russia be spending 9% of its GDP if it isn't "preparing for further provocations".

You might call it “war mongering bullshit” but some would call it strategic defence. Military planning to deter russia from attacking a weak NATO.

Because that’s how much they need to spend to sustain the war against Ukraine (with US / NATO backing).
Are they going to start spending 20% to start attacking Poland?

 

[Jello_B]

What's hyperbolic? Russia does present a threat to all, not just those who border it.


Just ask Netherlands who lost 193 citizens to Russian malice. And Azerbaijan who lost citizens to Russia similarly. UK citizens poisoned inadvertently by Russian spies attempting to assassinate Russian dissidents on UK soil.


The difference with Russia to European states is Putin has the power to spend what he wants on war. If that means obliterating the economy, so be it. What I find ironic is you get the vatniks who complain about Ukraine receiving military aid (which comes out of department of defense budget, not general revenue) are completely silent when Putin ramps up defense spending on a needless war to nearly 40% of the Kremlin's budget.

A few hundred citizens is not “existential” which is as I said a hyperbolic term.

 

[wannabejack]

Because that’s how much they need to spend to sustain the war against Ukraine (with US / NATO backing).
Are they going to start spending 20% to start attacking Poland?

So Poland’s increased military spending, for strategic defence, is a deterrent (insurance) for russia attacking Poland. Without the deterrent (insurance) russia may not need to spend your “20% to start attacking Poland” but a lot less.

It’s still not “war mongering bullshit” but strategic defence.
“They [Poland] had planned on basically running the transformation [military modernization] out to about 2030, and then suddenly, on the eve of the Ukraine invasion by Russia, the Polish government was like, ‘This is no longer a joke. This is too close to home. We need to accelerate everything in terms of our military modernization,’”

When “the war has broken close to you, the society creates what is happening,” he said. “You look at some views from Bucha or Irpin, where the Russian soldiers literally kill the normal civilian population, then you’re holding faster and you are very afraid.”