Summerinsiam

Demogrhrapics mean that all countries will eventually embrace immigration. And yes, even Thailand.

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Then you are extremely naive if you think geopolitics is all black and white like in a fairy tale. If only it were so simple. Rubio was correct when he said recently that it is not about what is right or wrong, but the reality on the ground. Zelenskey is a busted flush and without significant American support, regardless what the pathetic 'coalition of the willing do', things will deteriorate further for Ukraine. If they were winning it might be different. The west does what it perceives is in its interest and not what is 'right', as most of the world, particularly the global south is fully aware. If those two things coincide or can be fashioned into a convincing narrative that can be pushed by the media, then all the better. You need to look no further than its embrace of Netanyahu and demonization of Putin for crystal-clear confirmation of this. The hypocrisy is off the scale. Both convicted war criminals, one an ally and the other not.

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The truth is out there.

Why is anybody who proposes an alternative perspective branded a Putin shill? It's pathetic. It is usually the ill-informed or gullible who see the world in black and white. We now live in a multi-polar world and such a worldview is unhelpful, facile and extremely naive. The UK population has been fed the same false narrative that the conflict is a battle between good and evil since day one of the conflict, with detractors from this view stigmatized by the establishment and mainstream press. I don't like Farage, nor Putin, but in this instance think what he says is spot-on.

The Russians are not interested in talking to the Europeans and have made this abundantly clear. Nor are they interested in a simplistic one month air and sea ceasefire. The Americans are not interested in giving security guarantees and have made this abundantly clear. It has been made abundantly clear to Zelenskey that he should make concessions but is now saying he will not cede any occupied territory, even though Ukraine cannot retake it. The thrust of the American's diplomatic efforts is that they should be based on the reality of the current situation on the ground and not how Zelenskey, Starmer, Macron and co think it should be. They are clearly not listening and seem intent on the continuation of the failed policies of the last three years, leading to more death, destruction, global instability and a further erosion of Ukrainian territory.

Zelenskey has made a major mistake in alienating someone who clearly places great stock in personal chemistry and in not playing along. He is essentially an actor, and could have at least pretended that he was interested in a potential ceasefire. He should not have tried pushing his tired, false narrative that the Russians are an existentialist threat to Europe and by extension to the USA. Vance did not like being told that as if he were a student. The Americans had already made it clear that they want to engage with the Russians and that they were not interested in providing a security guarantee. Tellingly, Starmer left with goodwill but nothing else. He won't be sending any peacekeepers without one. The mineral deal is as good as it is going to get for the Ukrainians and its cordial signing may have guaranteed the continuation of US military aid. Now all bets are off and Zelenskey has been left whistling in the wind and heading to yet another European talking shop.

The worst thing is that they think it is a real job. For many its just a means to stay here.

Yet, the inconvenient truth for many on here is that Ukraine is losing, has no way to actually reclaim its lost territory, and cannot win the war. All Zelenskey has is the moral high ground and admits himself that without the Americans the Ukrainians cannot win the war. Hence his and the Europeans desperation for American security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. The Europeans make the right noises, but thats all they are. If Starmer and Macron want to pretend that westetn Europe is in danger of imminent invasion from an ailing Russia then more fool them. Any rebuilding will take five years anyway. The strategy employed by the previous US administration has already failed. As unpalatable as Trump is it will take a wildcard to break the stalemate.

The UK and western Europe as a whole is in no danger of a Russian invasion. Such an assertion bares no scrutiny. He knows this himself, but if he wants to pretend otherwise at the expense of dealing with real problems on the home front so be it. The real danger, paradoxically, comes from miscalculation and nuclear escalation arising from the conflict.

Keep drinking the kool aid

Sanctions have not had the desired effect, forcing the Russian economy onto a war footing in order to compensate, and diplomatic efforts to isolate Russia have proved disastrous, driving the country into the arms of China and North Korea. The Russians have diversified and found new customers for their oil and natural gas. Yet the EU seems determined to continue down the same failed path; futilely announcing more sanctions and military aid when the moment has passed. Despite the naysayers, it is clearly time for a new approach. Diplomacy is a way of telegraphing this to the Russians and the world.