U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States and its allies should not support a cease-fire or peace talks to end the war in Ukraine until Kyiv gains strength and can negotiate on its own terms. Blinken said in Finland on Friday that heeding calls from Russia and others for negotiations now would result in a false “Potemkin peace” that wouldn’t secure Ukraine’s sovereignty and or enhance European security. He argued that a cease-fire allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin “to consolidate control over the territory he has seized, and rest, rearm, and re-attack" would not bring "a just and lasting peace.” Kyiv has given confusing signals about whether a counteroffensive is coming or already underway.
“We believe the prerequisite for meaningful diplomacy and real peace is a stronger Ukraine, capable of deterring and defending against any future aggression,” Blinken said in a speech in Finland, which recently became NATO’s newest member and shares a long border with Russia.
the price is Ukranian freedom, and it’s worth fighting for until Russia backs down. There is no rational argument to be made for Ukraine sacrificing the freedom of its citizens, for if they do - if Russia learns it can bully Ukraine into sacrificing its citizens and land - it will just come back for more.
russia has proven it will not honor its agreements, or this war would not be happening now. they need to learn their lesson and be beaten.
Most of the people supporting the western ‘moral cause’ for Ukraine, have ‘zero’ understanding of the actual issue. They only know what the MSM in this country tells them. Until that changes, there’s no hope for a productive conversation. They think the conflict began at the moment the Russian incursion happened. If you tell them to justify Ukraine’s ignoring of the Minsk Accords, they have no answer and won’t reply, because they don’t know what it is. And in the midst of all that, Ukraine was shelling and murdering the Russian speaking population in Donbass and Luhansk, all the while Russia was waiting for them to implement the agreement and cease it’s military actions. You heard ‘zip’ about it from the western media. And you hear ‘zip’ about it from the people raking Russia over the coals in this thread.
Russia essentially wanted the Ukraine to become a State to Russia, similar to what Japan’s relationship to the US became, after World War 2. And it was ‘signed off on’, by Ukraine and other European states. The US encouraged Ukraine to ignore it and thumb it’s nose at Russia, while they militarily armed Ukraine, flowing in weapons, and building it up to the point where it could then safely violate the terms agreed upon and become yet another US client state, on Russia’s doorstep. The good old, ‘hold the baby in your arms and then hit your ex-husband while he attacks back, trying to rescue the situation’, and then call him the villain who’s abusing the baby.
But is it so important to have that patch of ground in Crimea? It would also give Ukraine a snap back mechanism if Russia ever reneges on a deal. Fund separatists or start a Russia-backed coup and bombs could be raining down on Russia’s precious warships within minutes. Stick to the deal and everything stays nice and peaceful indefinitely. The price is minor, since Russia already had the base in 2014. The change is that there would need to be a formal treaty that obliges Russia to non-interference in Ukrainian affairs and obliges Ukraine to allow supplies through to the Black Sea fleet. This was previously maintained by having a friendly/neutral Ukrainian government, but now terms must be in writing.
the price is Ukranian freedom, and it’s worth fighting for until Russia backs down. There is no rational argument to be made for Ukraine sacrificing the freedom of its citizens, for if they do - if Russia learns it can bully Ukraine into sacrificing its citizens and land - it will just come back for more.
russia has proven it will not honor its agreements, or this war would not be happening now. they need to learn their lesson and be beaten.
It was Ukraine not Russia who violated the Minsk Accords
Most of the people supporting the western ‘moral cause’ for Ukraine, have ‘zero’ understanding of the actual issue. They only know what the MSM in this country tells them. Until that changes, there’s no hope for a productive conversation. They think the conflict began at the moment the Russian incursion happened. If you tell them to justify Ukraine’s ignoring of the Minsk Accords, they have no answer and won’t reply, because they don’t know what it is. And in the midst of all that, Ukraine was shelling and murdering the Russian speaking population in Donbass and Luhansk, all the while Russia was waiting for them to implement the agreement and cease it’s military actions. You heard ‘zip’ about it from the western media. And you hear ‘zip’ about it from the people raking Russia over the coals in this thread.
Russia essentially wanted the Ukraine to become a State to Russia, similar to what Japan’s relationship to the US became, after World War 2. And it was ‘signed off on’, by Ukraine and other European states. The US encouraged Ukraine to ignore it and thumb it’s nose at Russia, while they militarily armed Ukraine, flowing in weapons, and building it up to the point where it could then safely violate the terms agreed upon and become yet another US client state, on Russia’s doorstep. The good old, ‘hold the baby in your arms and then hit your ex-husband while he attacks back, trying to rescue the situation’, and then call him the villain who’s abusing the baby.
But is it so important to have that patch of ground in Crimea? It would also give Ukraine a snap back mechanism if Russia ever reneges on a deal. Fund separatists or start a Russia-backed coup and bombs could be raining down on Russia’s precious warships within minutes. Stick to the deal and everything stays nice and peaceful indefinitely. The price is minor, since Russia already had the base in 2014. The change is that there would need to be a formal treaty that obliges Russia to non-interference in Ukrainian affairs and obliges Ukraine to allow supplies through to the Black Sea fleet. This was previously maintained by having a friendly/neutral Ukrainian government, but now terms must be in writing.