Putin Gives No Ground In Key Speech As War Enters Second Year
"They were the ones who started the war," Vladimir Putin said Tuesday, during a marathon state-of-the-nation address, his first since condemning tens of thousands of young Russians to a homicidal suicide mission in Ukraine.
Putin provided no evidence for a claim that Ukraine and the West were plotting to besiege the Donbas just prior to the invasion. Russia, he declared, is "using force to stop the war." There wasn't so much as a hint of irony.
Over some two hours, Putin broke little new groun
Who does this guy remind you of? A few years back Jehovahs witnesses were banned in Russia and all there assets seized and many were thrown into prison. Just like Hitler Putin will destroy his country and Russia civilians will end up paying the price.
Putin overtly incites and invites WWIII. How can China continue to abide with this nut? Putin and Russia will lose badly.
Russia shoots itself in the foot every day and it’s running out of toes. If Putin, China’s “unlimited” friend, goes down, not by his own choice, it’s going to be ugly. And Xi will be holding a worthless bag of promises, given to China by a self-serving, dumb, ego-maniacal fool. How can Xi even whisper that he and his country are comfortable in their relationship with Putin?
The eventual result may be that the Russian people get the chance to have a real democracy. But they are deep in Russian authoritarian muck at this point, and probably not able to see past the negative changes in their country. And any hope of redemption for the Russian people must be beyond their imagination.
it does certainly feel like that in Russia at the moment. no chance of any change. but that’s also how it felt in 1916 and, say, 1985
re. Whataboutism.
It depends how it’s done. Suggesting that Iraq was wrong isn’t necessarily the intent. Maybe invading Iraq was right, because empires and great powers are entitled to police the frontiers of their sphere of influence? Then invading Ukraine is justified b/c Russia is a great power too?
Given how often Putin refences past imperial/soviet glories, it’s not inconceivable his own thinking on Iraq is muddied. The US shouldn’t have done it (b/c they failed and also reduced Russian influence in the ME), but they were entitled to it and so are we vis a vis Ukraine… I wouldn’t put it past Putin to be that morally confused…
Pardon me for saying so, but no nation that characterizes itself as “Christian” is ever justified in attacking any other sovereign nation.
Oh, I dunno. Christian is an eminently flexible concept… The Most Catholic Spain wrangled its hands over its treatment of the natives in the Caribbeans and South/Central America but conquered and killed their way through they did. GWB and Blair thought they heard God telling them to go forth and free Iraq…
And obviously Joshua in the Bible is actually executing God’s express will in slaughtering thousands and razing whole cities. He wasn’t a Christian but isn’t being one of the Chosen even better?
Sorry, rereading this, I realise I come across as pointlessly combative/pointlessly cynical.
Those are my true colors so I’m leaving it there but please know I didn’t mean to disparage your personal faith and I would be nicer in person… 🙂