Putin Declares Alaska Sale Illegal

[Untitled]

https://www.newsweek.com/putin-decree-triggers-ominous-alaska-calls-territory-empire-soviet-union-1862689
 

the territory was sold to the USA by the Russian empire in 1867... 

why on earth has he done this ridiculous thing? i cannot work it out

[Ellipsis]

He is expansionist, Imperialist and - as this article describes - likens himself to Peter the Great ... 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/9/putin-likens-self-to-tsar-hints-at-russian-territory-expansion

[Khandro]

Hubris and megalomania. He fantasises about leaving a legacy as Peter the Great 11. Instead it will be one of a little turd wanted for crimes against humanity and the idiot who ruined his county. 

[Old_Geezer]

If it carries on in that fashion he'll end up being responsible for the breaking up of his country, and then he can be awarded a Nobel peace prize for removing one of the threats to world peace.

[ToraToraTora]

MAABOF!

[jno]

Russia had to sell Alaska to defray the expenses of the Crimean war. Well, they've got the Crimea now. Russia isn't about to be destroyed.

[ichkeria]

Russia continues to divorce itself from the civilised world: this is effectively warning of a future declaration of war : Alaska is one thing, but it is largely based on the former territories of Russia's Soviet empire. And we have the prospect of a future US president who at least claims that he's withdraw the US from NATO.

 

We have this morning another blitz on Kharkiv and Kyiv. The other day 27 were  allegedly killed by a Ukrainian artillery attack on a market in occupied Donetsk. However unsurprisingly it turns out this was from a source 4km away: 13 km INSIDE the front  line. A deliberate act of murder - as there have been so many in the past 10 years - to make it look like "Donbas" is being attacked by Ukraine. What sort of country does that?

[Old_Geezer]

Clearly any place they once controlled is theirs forever, and the whole Asia/Europe landmass is part of a greater Mosckovia that they need to secure moving westward.

[Khandro]

ichi: //And we have the prospect of a future US president who at least claims that he's withdraw the US from NATO.

 

 Trump won't leave NATO (& cant!) but he quite rightly gets peed off when the US contibutes 860 billion $  per annum  and other contries bask in its protection but won't spend their fair share, thus:

BERLIN, Aug 16, 2023 (Reuters) - The German government has retreated from a plan to legally commit itself to meeting NATO's 2% military spending target on an annual basis, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday.

[10ClarionSt]

So who owned these territories before the Russians then?

[Old_Geezer]

They aren't around so don't count.

[tomus42]

//Trump won't leave NATO (& cant!) //

Why can't he? (Assuming he wins the election)

[Khandro]

10C //So who owned these territories before the Russians then?//

Might as well ask, 'Who owned America or Australia?'

[Khandro]

 

*//Trump won't leave NATO (& cant!) //

Why can't he? (Assuming he wins the election)*

The POTUS couldn't unilaterally just decide 'leave', could he ?

[tomus42]

I'm sure you are well aware that the Congress and Senate are currently controlled by Trump cult MAGA loonies Khandro. The ones currently blocking aid to Ukraine.

This will still be the case if Trump gets another term. He'll do what he wants.

[Untitled]

what a reprehensible thing ichkeria. awful and another evil war crime to add to russia's long list. 

[ichkeria]

No I don't think Trump would - or could - leave Nato, but as so often with him, what he says causes huge instability and uncertainty.

On the bright side: Russia appears to be collapsing: protest may be muted but it has been rising, particularly in Bashkortostan, which along with eg Buryatiya has paid a heavy price in the lives of its people as Putn has tended to favour using ethnic minorities from the further reacches of his empire. Ukraine has been sending long range drones to attack energy installations, most notably the huge Ust-Luga oil terminal in Leningrad region, and things are breaking down with no one to fix them. This will get worse as Russia massively ups its "defence" spending this year to a quater of its entire budget and continues to send its citizens into the meat grinder at a rate of 700-1000 a day.

A small point, but I see the government no longer advises against all travel to Ukraine:

"The FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to the western regions (oblasts) of Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Chernivtsi"

[ichkeria]

Strictly, they mean the far south-west

[ichkeria]

Re Trump as a matter of fact: 

"

A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’”

“A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’”

“A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family – for all Gold Star families – on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.”

“A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women.”

“A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about.”

“A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason – in expectation that someone will take action.”

“A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators.”

“A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”

“There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.”

And that's his former chief of staff!

[royfromaus]

Turkish parliament approves Sweden’s Nato bid

Just saying.

[jno]

none of that maters, ichkeria. They've voted him in before; they may choose to do so again.