"The 1980's are calling to ask for their foreign policy back."

On the one hand, Russia has a point.

On the other hand, there wouldn't be a need for NATO if Russia wasn't a threat.

When the situation in Ukraine becomes bad enough, NATO should (with the consent of Ukraine's legitimate government) roll in, push any occupying force out, and restore the legitimate government. Then begin a fast-track process to bring Ukraine (and Finland, too) into NATO. And then start building bases. This motherf**ker needs to be contained.

If Putin's aim had been simply to claim two breakaway provinces, it would've been outrageous and unacceptable, but not worth going to the mat for. But he can hardly complain about NATO at his doorstep, if he's seeking to take over Ukraine and install a puppet government...at NATO's doorstep.

Don't tell that to your buddy trump.

I think Trump would agree, because he was harder on Putin before Ukraine than Biden is after.

But, in any event, I don't care who does or doesn't agree with me.

So, your solution is nuclear war?

hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahhaha

[Hawkeye Pierce]There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.[/Hawkeye Pierce]

Authoritarianism at it's finest and yes, trump and Paladin would agree. Kill all the innocent people while the real problems remain in positions of power.

Perhaps you think Putin preferred $50/barrel oil?

Perhaps you think Putin liked it that Trump told NATO members that they needed to pay and do more?

Perhaps you think Putin liked it that Trump sold weapons to Ukraine?

If Trump was somehow Putin's puppet, he really wasn't very good at it.

You mean like when Trump pushed to have Russia added back to the G8?

No, and I see no reason Putin would go nuclear to hold onto Ukraine.

Is your solution waiting until Putin's causing trouble in EU/NATO states before you do anything about it?

trump wasn't very good at anything regarding his presidency. and if all the other shit brought up over the last 4 years is true, he hasn't been very good at anything in his entire life.

Trump at his worst will never be the disaster Biden's been in just his first year.

I'd be more likely to take your word for it if you weren't a trump supporter. As it is, I simply cannot take you seriously.

That statement says (on multiple levels) much more about you than about me.

You really don't understand how completely co-opted your brain has become? This has nothing to do with reality. It's a batshit insane take, that could only happen if you silo your news sources to only the ones you want to hear.

He tried to overthrow the US government, fascist.

Huh? Putin was holding out hope that Trump would go through with his talk about withdrawing from NATO

You know, the policy he advocated since *checks notes* 1987 after *no shit* his first trip to Moscow.

The Saudis were largely responsible for that, not Trump. And Trump likes any strongman, not particular ones, so of course he didn't try anything to stop it.

An obvious pretext to leave NATO as soon as it was politically feasible (read: in a second term).

Congress sold weapons to Ukraine before Trump was in office. Trump slow-walked the implementation when he couldn't stop it and tried to use them to solicit a bribe.

"Idiotic sycophant" is the more accurate term here, rather than "puppet."

You think that NATO and Russian troops can be fighting each other and that it wouldn't escalate?

I don't have a "solution". There are things that can be done. Some of them are happening, and I mentioned others above. But they can't include that.

Ummm…. South Ossetia and Abkhazia would like a word.

Also, you are completely ignoring the point. That Trump was doing Putin’s work for him. Destabilizing NATO, pulling troops out of Europe, alienating allies, etc. etc.

No, he didn't.

I don't think it would go nuclear unless NATO chased Russian forces beyond Ukraine's borders.

That said, I think it'd be a mistake to have this be a NATO operation. But certainly the UK could take the lead in a European coalition as a signatory to Minsk II.

It seems like Comrade Paladin is working hard on updating his Truth Social talking points today.

Yep.

And OJ is still looking for the true killer.

His social credit will be really high once the true Lord and Savior is back on his rightful throne.

Tucker Carlson says we've always been at war with Eastasia...
I don’t think anybody approves of what Putin did yesterday," he said. "I certainly don’t.”
By primetime Thursday, Carlson had changed his tune: “Vladimir Putin started this war," he said. "He is to blame tonight for what we’re seeing tonight in the Ukraine.” Then he quickly pivoted. “The question is ... how should the United States respond to what he has done? Within minutes of the outbreak of the war last night the usual liars on television began leveraging this tragedy for partisan political gain ... it’s contemptible. But we're going to ignore that tonight and talk about what matters.”

As much as Carlson wanted folks to ignore his previous week (OK, five years) of blowing kisses at Russia's strongman, his love letters were scattered about social media. Russian state media reportedly aired his flattering commentary with subtitles to show Putin's subjects how Americans really feel, as well as an article titled, "Tucker Carlson wonders why U.S. elites hate Putin."