I wonder how the Canadians would react if the U.S. troops did a minor incursion into Toronto later on this week. Yeh, that would have some entertainment value right there. In a related matter, it was reported that a National Security Council meeting or the like was scheduled after Biden made that comment and before the press conference was even over. I would have liked to have been in the room with Robert Gates when he was watching that press conference. I am quite sure that he was thinking "Holy Shiite, here comes Joe, and when they ask him about the Ukraine he will step into it bigtime." Y'all know Robert Gates. Obama' and Bush's Defense Secretary who famously said "Joe has gotten every foreign policy issue and decision wrong in the last 40 years." Idiot. Clean up on aisle 5.
Treasury sanctioned 4 Russian operatives acting Ukraine today. The readout is rather insightful: Recent history shows when Afghanistan fell the biggest fallout was from the brain drain. Looks like the Russians are actively looking at how to avoid a total collapse in Ukraine.
The Ukraine situation is getting worse. No news there but it leads to a question that it presents. And that is- even if Putin does not do the incursion thing- what price should he pay for all the game playing, jousting, and threatening actions? The last thing he wants out of this situation is to leave the field with nothing, no territorial gains- yet it would be even worse if he left and the price he paid was more foreign troops placed in the Ukraine or "advisors." But he can not face his domestic audience with that. Just a couple days ago, I would have said "well if the fucker dicks around and presents major threats under the guise or war games, well, that goes with the turf. That is what armies and unfriendly countries do. It may be irritating and costly but what are you going to do? However, I am less sure of that today. A couple days ago I heard some military pundit somewhere outlining treaties we have with Russia - probably thru Nato- where each side is required to notify the other party when troop levels -exceeding certain numbers- are moved as part of training exercise. And new notifications when higher levels are reached. Some of those thresholds are as low as a couple thousand, and then again at five, nine, etc. RUSSIA PROVIDED NO SUCH NOTIFICATIONS. It is alleged. Yup. We have passed the point where he should pass a good sized price just for dicking around. I think that is happening anyway based on the arms flowing in and NATO finally realizing that the Americans are not necessarily going to do all their work for them and we don't have any leadership in the executive branch anyway. Military included. He has his eyes on a land bridge connection down the coast to the Crimea- minimum. And picking up the little pro-russian regions/states on the way down. He is hoping to take that home a consolation prize-mimimum. Probably he won't get it but if any Americans or others act stupid and vulnerable that will fuel his fire.
We won't do anything. Nor will the Brits or the EU. Putin knows this. The next big war, WW3 if you like, it will see the first salvos in cyberspace. Putin doesn't want that, and Biden certainly doesn't want that. I don't know what Putin's game is, but you better believe he's surrounded by some off the chart smart people. Not sure I can say that about our great democracy, too much political bs and hiring policies based on things other than what they should be, but with that said, Russia knows what we can do cyber-wise. And we know what they can do. The good news is, if one is inclined to believe there exists a secret cadre of (market) whales that get information before things happen... Generac is down 45% from it's all time highs with a solid downtrend in all of January. Who know's though, maybe the whales missed this one. GNRC-----> $284
Putin will take a part of Ukraine. Probably, the disputed parts with Ukrainians siding with Russia. I do not see the soy boys of NATO doing squat. Joe Biden will do squat or get US troops killed in the process if he foolishly intervenes. Russia has already positioned its navy and air force. Ukraine forces will be annihilated. The Ukraine President could have negotiated with Vladimir Putin directly. Commit to not joining NATO provided Russia does not invade and occupy Ukraine. Joining NATO put a target on Ukraine's back. They should have learned from Switzerland who maintains Swiss neutrality. Good relations with Russia and the US could have been established but, the Ukrainian President chose to anger the Russians. Being a NATO member, NATO can place missiles on Ukrainian soil, right beside Russia. That is why Russia does not want Ukraine to be a NATO member.
i was hoping that one of the reporters at Joe's press conference would ask Joe why he and Kamala were all cranked up about protecting Uraine's borders and national sovereinty and threatening to use military forces - all while abandoning America's borders and soveignty. I guess that was not one of the pre-approved questions that his handlers selected for him. No doubt the border situation in the U.S. would be classified as a minor incursion if someone had asked.