Summerinsiam

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.

But, but Hamas... Hamas would not exist if arab land had not been stolen and illeglly occupied.

Hitler espoused national socialism, which was a far-right ideology and nothing to do with socialism as it is commonly understood. You are betraying your ignorance here.

Nonsense. It appears that you have fallen for the false narrative so beloved by Zelensky. Indeed, according to him Putin is amassing 150,000 troops for just this purpose. An invasion is imminent. Never mind the reality: its miltary is fully engaged in Ukraine and its economy allegedly faltering. There is zero hard evidence to support this claim. You have contradicted yourself. If NATO is such a successful deterrent why would Putin invade neighboring countries like Poland and the Baltic Republics? Even Putin knows this is suicide, due to NATO's vast numerical and technological superiority. Nothing but scaremongering and alarmism.

You appear to have missed the point about dealing with the reality of the situation and realpolitik. Face facts: Ukraine is never going to join NATO, but will have to rely on alternative security guarantees. This has been well known for a long time in diplomatic circles and to all serious observers, but has never before been articulated so bluntly. Its not a question of bowing to Putin's demands, but prudently avoiding any direct confrontation between two nulclear armed forces.

While everyone knows that Trump's words should not be taken at face value, it must have come as a shock to Zelensky to be talked about like that. After all, he has spent the last three years being lauded like a superstar and flying around the world, while pushing the same old tired false narrative: that it is an existentialist crisis and not a territorial dispute with its roots in the cold war and the break-up of the former Soviet Union. I am not a Trump fan, but in this instance I think he may be right. You have to talk to your enemy no matter how unpalatable that may be. The current approach is clearly not working: sanctions and isolating Russia have not had the desired effect and on the battlefield the Ukrainians are losing. Indeed, they are currently facing a recruitment crisis, with thousands deserting and unwilling to fight. For them and their European sponsors, it is an outrage that someone has told the truth and shattered the illusion that has been crafted in the last three years. Hegseth was engaging in realpolitik and only saying out loud what most Europeans already knew: that it is not realistic for Ukraine to regain its lost territory or join NATO. It may be just that it does, but sadly we live in the real world. Just because Macron and Starmer keep saying it will happen doesn't make it so. A new approach and a shift in direction and momentum have clearly being needed for some time. What is the alternative? Continue to escalate a war that cannot be won with the ever- present danger that it may eventually engulf the whole world?

I just completed this quiz. My Score 70/100 My Time 107 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 80/100 My Time 111 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 80/100 My Time 94 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 40/100 My Time 128 seconds  

Agreed, and their so called 'content' has already been done a thousand times over: eating breakfast, getting a visa, walking on beach road or soi 6, recounting fabricated stories, looking for a condo...... Its mind-numbing. What's more, they think its a real job and will fund their stay in the land of smiles. Pathetic.

I just completed this quiz. My Score 40/100 My Time 99 seconds  

She will be out soon, once the one pulling the strings tires of her. And I dont mean her father

Who cares? In my opinion it is the most overrated drug in the world.

Yes,its a disgrace. The guy who is orchestrating this has been strangely inconspicuos. Is he still cycling in Bavaria?

I just completed this quiz. My Score 40/100 My Time 110 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 80/100 My Time 81 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 30/100 My Time 136 seconds