I'm not sure if this is some 4D BS or something that marks a significant shift. As reported by CBC, the second notably critical post about Putin by Trump within a week:
Quote:
After Pope Francis's funeral service in St. Peter's Square, Trump boarded Air Force One and departed Rome. While in the air, he published a social media post that took a tough tone on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days," Trump posted on Truth Social. Twelve people were killed on Thursday when a missile fired by Russia hit a Kyiv apartment block.
"It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!" Trump wrote.
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I'm not sure if this is some 4D BS or something that marks a significant shift. As reported by CBC, the second notably critical post about Putin by Trump within a week:
Trump wants out of Russia-Ukraine war. He's not interested in eastern Europe. He cares about middle East.
Trump is not pro-Putin or pro-Russian. The perception of him being pro-Russian came because he sent a clear message that he's not pro-EU/pro-Ukraine anymore, after EU dared to turn against key US ally in the key region. For Trump it's a simple black-and-white them-vs-us this-for-that world. Ukraine and Israel are two theaters of the same war. Most of the drones that attacked Ukraine were made in Iran. EU couldn't be on one side in one theater and on another side in another theater.
After that Trump told EU, point blank: "Go fight for Ukraine on your own".
Last edited by Pointman; 04-26-2025 at 10:49 PM.
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Trump wants out of Russia-Ukraine war. He's not interested in eastern Europe. He cares about middle East.
Trump is not pro-Putin or pro-Russian. The perception of him being pro-Russian came because he sent a clear message that he's not pro-EU/pro-Ukraine anymore, after EU dared to turn against key US ally in the key region. For Trump it's a simple black-and-white them-vs-us this-for-that world. Ukraine and Israel are two theaters of the same war. Most of the drones that attacked Ukraine were made in Iran. EU couldn't be on one side in one theater and on another side in another theater.
After that Trump told EU, point blank: "Go fight for Ukraine on your own".
Most of Russias drones are domestically made by this point, they are mass producing them in insane numbers.
Also, EU is pro-Israel (or at least not anti-Israel) and definitely not pro-Iran, so I don't understand that part about EU being on different sides of the same conflict? You're not making sense.
Additionally, Trump has always been extremely openly pro-Putin, and what's worse, is really is easily manipulated by Putin.
He doesn't have to be pro-Russia, when he's already given Russia basically everything Russia could have asked for short of direct military support (recognition of occupied territory, end of military support for Ukraine, cutting off relationship with all of it's western allies) without getting anything in return.
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Trump wants out of Russia-Ukraine war. He's not interested in eastern Europe. He cares about middle East.
Trump is not pro-Putin or pro-Russian. The perception of him being pro-Russian came because he sent a clear message that he's not pro-EU/pro-Ukraine anymore, after EU dared to turn against key US ally in the key region. For Trump it's a simple black-and-white them-vs-us this-for-that world. Ukraine and Israel are two theaters of the same war. Most of the drones that attacked Ukraine were made in Iran. EU couldn't be on one side in one theater and on another side in another theater.
After that Trump told EU, point blank: "Go fight for Ukraine on your own".
Firs of all, Trump doesn't have any strategic interests beyond what benefit him personally. But, Trump isn't pro-Russia or Pro-Putin...???? On what planet?
-Re-stablished communications with the Kremlin a month into his term
-Wants Russia back in the G8
-Says Ukraine started the war and Putin was simply responding to NATO expansion in war. Has also used many other Kremlin talking points
-Tried making a peace deal with Russia without allowing Ukraine or EU leaders in the room
-Trump's first campaign manager was literally the Kremlin's man in Ukraine
-Ceased all cyber operations against Russia despite a staggering amount of cyber espionage Russia directs at the US
-Disbanded efforts to seize oligarch assets, and ended enforcement of rules to go after Russian interference in elections
It goes on and on
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NSFW to read, but an important absolutely disgusting reminder of what the russians do to those in captivity.
With all of the talk of cease fires, resource development and the Trump jabber left and right, it's easy to forget that the Russians regularly behave like medieval monsters.
A lot of this activity isn't just sanctioned by the government, but by the media and by the people. No outrage, no empathy. Over 20K kids stolen and moved to 'somewhere' for 're-education'. The people brave enough to try and uncover some truth, are tortured beyond our capacity (here in the west) to even fully understand what has happened to them.
This is why when politicians in the US or Canada say that our countries are broken, they sound like crying children. Russia is an example of a broken country. Even the souls of their people are broken.
There is no peace with Russia, they only understand fear. I think that the only way that this ends, is if the war leaves the boundaries of Ukraine and enters Russia proper. There are three major cities close to Ukraine, and I can't believe that I'm saying this, but the Russians need to know fear to get out of Ukraine.
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"By Grabthar's hammer ... what a savings."
I don't know how much longer Russia can keep this up.
Russia has about 140 million people. Only 12 million are men between the ages of 18 and 30. They already had a demographic disaster due to low birth rates and a lack of immigration. Now they have mass casualties and mass emigration. Even Japan has a higher percentage of its population being young men than does Russia.
And the life expectancy of Russian men is 67 years. The average life expectancy of Bengali men is 73 years. The GDP per capita in Bangladesh is only $2,529. California, Texas, New York, and Florida each, individually, have larger total nominal GDPs than Russia.
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I don't know how much longer Russia can keep this up.
Russia has about 140 million people. Only 12 million are men between the ages of 18 and 30. They already had a demographic disaster due to low birth rates and a lack of immigration. Now they have mass casualties and mass emigration. Even Japan has a higher percentage of its population being young men than does Russia.
And the life expectancy of Russian men is 67 years. The average life expectancy of Bengali men is 73 years. The GDP per capita in Bangladesh is only $2,529. California, Texas, New York, and Florida each, individually, have larger total nominal GDPs than Russia.
They military won't run out of men, but their economy is likely already fubar for the foreseeable future... Unless they actually conquer Ukraine, in which case they can at least plunder that economy. Putin has driven his country in to a corner with full victory now the only path to success, which is unlikely to happen.
Here's APN with some cautious optimism. He very early on predicted correctly that Trumps peace plan is likely to fail, because the reality of the war just didn't support a peace at this point, and I just generally think he's one of the most worthwhile commentators on the war.
He's pointing out that even though Trump is hot on Putin, that feeling is actually not mutual, and just beyond that, Putins regime in large part relies on his role as the man standing between motherland and the US, so Putin in some ways can't afford to cozy up to Trump too much.
He's also pointing out that generally opinion in the US is still overall on the side of Ukraine (and I would add that the interests of their military-industrial complex are also on that side), and since at the end of the day Trump just doesn't care, he could still end up in a fairly Ukraine-friendly position out of political convenience.
APN also pointed out that the version of the mineral deal US and Ukraine signed was much better than the one originally suggested, and could serve as a path for more weapons support for Ukraine.
The situation is not great, but in some ways, despite all the turmoil and the increased carnage in Ukraine, not much has changed. The war is still about attrition and about whether or not Ukraine can hold on longer than Russias economy.
On a different note, I've been watching the Great War series on YouTube about WW1, and 3 years after the start of that war, the Central powers were in control of several opposing capitals, had technically reached most of their original war goals, and Germany was convinced they could win the war by the end of the year 1917. Spoiler: they lost.
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A RUSSIAN HERO: Alexander Skobov is a Moscow political commentator who gave a clear and sober analysis of Putin’s regime. In order to remain true to himself, he has refused to emigrate. He’s been sentenced to 16 years in prison, and calls for armed rebellion against Putin. https://twitter.com/user/status/1919727717890609607
TOO GOOD NOT TO PASS ALONG: a sneak peek at Russian preparations for its Victory Day parade. Ukraine promises to make this event a memorable one for Russia’s dictator. https://twitter.com/user/status/1919089016911077417
On the night of May 2, a HIMARS strike hit a concentration of Russian troops from the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment (42nd Division) near Myrne, Zaporizhzhia region. 22 soldiers were killed, including 3 officers. https://twitter.com/user/status/1919726907660046561
"Putin does not want peace, he wants Ukraine," said former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
On russian Telegram: Nowhere is safe in Mordor. The Ukrainian Armed Forces' drones decided to check how accurate Russian maps are and flew all the way to Nadym, setting a new range record of 2.6 thousand km.
Ukraine's air defenses shot down 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 81 attack drones during a massive Russian strike involving over 180 UAVs and missiles overnight.
remlin says Putin’s proposed Victory Day ceasefire still stands. Peskov confirms all instructions were given and mobile internet in Moscow is restricted due to “security concerns from hostile neighbors.” Zelensky already refused the ceasefire, calling it a "theatrical performance" https://twitter.com/user/status/1920080563651616934
Members of Putin's AFD party remain seated while the European National Anthem is played commemorating the end of WW2 today. Germany's AFD is the closest thing to a Nazi Party that Europe has had since 1945 https://twitter.com/user/status/1920069896001716562
he Kremlin denies the existence of Lithuanians as a separate nation. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov, became the author of the preface to the monograph "History of Lithuania", which denies the existence of the language and statehood of this Baltic country.
The German AfD was btw officially classified as an extremist organization by German intelligence just a few days ago.
This is obviously significant on its own, but it also gives German intelligence legal right to monitor their activies in a way that would not otherwise be allowed against a politival party.
To put it mildly, it's interesting, and an extremely rare development in a democratic state, especially since AfD become the second largest party in the country in the last federal election.
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This documentary covers the three day defensive operation of the Chosen Company during the Russian push in Donetsk oblast in the Pervomaiske region. What started as an assault attempt to relieve some of the friendly forces, quickly became a harsh and intense combat to deny the enemy their advancement. Usually the famous assault company chose their battles and dictate the pace.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Corporal Jean-Marc H. BECHARD, 6 Aug 1993
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Ukraine's GUR just revealed the first footage of its S-200 Gammon SAM unit, restoring and using the massive Cold War-era missiles to hit Russian targets.
Vladimir Putin’s latest diplomatic ploy is a grotesque display of Kremlin hypocrisy. On May 9, basking in the choreographed grandeur of Victory Day, he announced peace talks to end Russia’s savage war on Ukraine, posing as a benevolent peacemaker.
This is what Laki Miroshnyk of the russian Foreign Ministry is proposing for tomorrow's talks in Istanbul: Troop limitation: russia proposes reducing the Ukrainian army to 85,000 troops. Neutrality: Ukraine should refuse to join NATO and accept foreign troops or infrastructure.
On May 11, Ukraine targeted the headquarters of the 40th Separate Guards Marine Brigade in Rylsk. According to reports, Deputy Commander Alexander Danilov is said to have died from injuries sustained during the attack.
