Anyone else? Preferably someone who knows something about this issue?

You’re too stupid to engage with, sorry. — Mikie

I questioned your imbecile comment with pertinent arguments.
And that's why you deserve no pity.

I questioned your imbecile comment with pertinent arguments. — neomac

:lol:

I know, dismissing interlocutors is cheap, offering pertinent arguments isn't as easy. Unfortunately you can't emojy your way out. You really have to argue pertinently to earn respect, or at least pity.

:lol:

The deNazification/demilitarization demands are about Ukraine (minus occupied areas). Dead end aggressor demands.

• the Kremlin repeatedly said that Kyiv is a Nazi rule, which is decidedly false
• Russia has seen regress (for decades), Ukraine is trying and has seen progress (for years)
• on investigation, Russia turns out more extremist/Nazi infected than Ukraine, some of which have been or are in Kremlin employ
• Russia brought Putin's authoritarianism, colonization, and Russification to Ukraine
• Ukraine has been and is attempting to shed the shackles of the dominating neighbor

Putin has raised his "one people" rhetoric often enough. Maybe he even believes it, and thinks it's relevant. The Kremlin's hostilities extend beyond Ukraine (including mala fide statements).

Russia demands NATO roll back from East Europe and stay out of Ukraine (— Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, Tom Balmforth, Andrew Osborn, Vladimir Soldatkin, Maxim Rodionov, Robin Emmott, Joanna Plucinska, Natalia Zinets, Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, Mark Trevelyan, Timothy Heritage, Frances Kerry · Reuters · Dec 17, 2021)

Appeasement politics:
Miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari (117)
Nunuku-whenua (1835)
Fallen Hero (1935-1941)
"Peace for our time" (1938)
Why die for Danzig? (1939)
The Failures of Appeasement (2013)

Ukraine repeatedly told the Kremlin "No", and most of the world concurred. Ukraine became a sovereign nation in 1991, de jure and de facto. Changing that isn't up to the Kremlin including by their own law.

Trump told the truth, and then Zelensky said that this is absolutely out of the question because Crimea is part of Ukraine, according to the country's Constitution... Russia does not negotiate the integrity of its territory. Trump understands this. — Sergey Lavrov · Zvezda via Mariupol News · Apr 27, 2025

If we did what everybody here wants us to do, and that is come in and crush them with more sanctions, we probably lose our ability to talk to them about the ceasefire and then who’s talking to them? — Marco Rubio · POLITICO · Jun 25, 2025 (“them” is the Kremlin)

They don't have much further to talk about. It's their way or the highway. Or deterrence. But the negotiation table remains open, a phone call away. I guess Rubio thinks they can "crush them with more sanctions". DeCriminalizing Ukraine includes deKremlinizing Ukraine.

Anyway, the repetition gets tedious. Now some 600 pages.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/jun/22/one-million-and-counting-russian-casualties-hit-milestone-in-ukraine-war

Deaths are estimated to be over 200,000, which is like ten Afghanistans (or three Vietnams). Russia is going to be dealing with hundreds of thousands of badly wounded men for decades, and that's excluding all the mental issues. I wonder when the Russian people are going to get tired of all this.

Hm Wonder what Trump will say (if anything) ...

Russia captures key lithium deposit in Ukraine in move that could impact US mineral deal (— New York Post · Jun 27, 2025)

Appearances of Azerbaijan sending the Kremlin a message:

A Russian media outlet is raided in Azerbaijan’s capital as tensions rise between Moscow and Baku
^{— Aida Sultanova · AP · Jun 30, 2025}
Azerbaijan arrests journalists at Russian state outlet as tensions with Moscow rise
^{— Nailia Bagirova, Dmitry Antonov, Lucy Papachristou, Andrew Osborn, Ros Russell, Ron Popeski, Sandra Maler · Reuters · Jun 30, 2025}

NEXTA also reports arrests, allegedly "members of two organized crime groups suspected of drug trafficking, moving narcotics from Iran, and cyber fraud".

Naturally, Ukrainians are cheering. :)

According to Elvira Bary, romanticizing criminals is a legacy from the Soviet days for Russians. So like Russian baby boomers and Gen X wouldn't be ashamed of Russian criminals doing their thing. They're doing what they have to to get by. There is zero rule-of-law vibe because they don't have the institutions for that.

I'm curious what younger Russians would think, like their Millennials.

Withdrawal from international anti-landmine treaty is the new buzz of the summer :
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/30/why-is-ukraine-withdrawing-from-the-ottawa-treaty-banning-landmines
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/europe/article/2025/05/08/lithuania-s-parliament-votes-to-withdraw-from-landmines-treaty_6741049_143.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/estonian-parliament-votes-withdraw-landmines-treaty-2025-06-04/
https://notesfrompoland.com/2025/06/26/parliament-approves-polands-withdrawal-from-international-anti-landmine-treaty/
https://www.euronews.com/2025/06/19/finlands-parliament-votes-to-withdraw-from-landmine-treaty-due-to-russia-threat

Let's all thank Russia which is working so hard for a better world, free from Western imperialism

Maybe the US / Israel are planning further offenses in the Middle East.

Trump administration redirects 20,000 anti-drone missiles meant for Ukraine, Zelensky confirms (— MDAA · Jun 9, 2025)

US won’t send some weapons pledged to Ukraine following a Pentagon review of military aid (— AP · Jul 1, 2025)
Ukraine voices concern as US halts some missile shipments (— Reuters · Jul 2, 2025)
US halts weapons shipments to Ukraine over fears stockpiles are too low (— Guardian · Jul 2, 2025)

General hostilities in the region have come up before:

Researchers home in on origins of Russia’s Baltic GPS jamming (— Defense News · Jul 2, 2025)

Chances of bona fide talks would improve if they didn't keep up these mala fide acts.

Russian imperialism 1.01, the short version covering the past and the present:



Noteworthy comments from the interview:
-Empires fall when they try to bring on some kind of a democratization process or democratic reforms.
-The present Russia has now an expansionist regime which is more dangerous than during the Cold War when Soviet Union was basically just defending what it had in Europe behind the Iron Curtain and where the rest of the World was the playground for Superpower competition.

General hostilities in the region have come up before:

Researchers home in on origins of Russia’s Baltic GPS jamming (— Defense News · Jul 2, 2025) — jorndoe

For Putin's Russia, there is no line were actual hostilities start from their side, but just something that can be stretched as far it can be. Yet we have to understand that Putin has said that it is in war with NATO. And this guy usually means what he says.

More on Russia re-asserting its sphere of influence in its near abroad:
https://apnews.com/article/russia-azerbaijan-putin-aliyev-tensions-relations-627104d770071082be26c189161b1ac9

More on the orange president fixing the war in Ukraine in one day:
"We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin," Trump said during a meeting with cabinet officials at the White House.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/trump-says-not-happy-russias-163357554.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABxuYhHS9Ol6enuivxctaFxdKEwyAAe6q5u7vVuAuD8hnvPBR5qhWPaV6V8sdg76U2pO-EdfGCabRxTL7fjXVgYIVCBZ1oyLoOprugJStwv8nVGHSeG3SAvuYWexrmKBhjZYJk2o0SCv2M4u9GdQMhqt-8gyRf-EROnbO9Rju6EW

Ukraine: "Send More Weapons."
US. "ok."
Ukraine: "Thank you."

Hear audio from 2024 fundraiser where Trump said he threatened to bomb Moscow and Beijing
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/08/politics/video/trump-fundraiser-threats-moscow-beijing-src-digvid

Another one bites the dust. Your mileage may vary on some of the content:

Inside the far-left media that, backed by Moscow, Damascus, and Tehran, attacks Israel
^{— Nicholas Potter · Jerusalem Post · Dec 12, 2024}
Germany says Russia using media platform Red to sow discontent
^{— Rachel More, Miranda Murray, Madeline Chambers · Reuters · Jul 2, 2025}
German authorities: Russia supported Islamist portal in Berlin (in Russian)
^{— Nikita Oshuev · Deutsche Welle · Jul 9, 2025}

Seems inconsistent for the Kremlin to operate against Israel bombing Gaza, while at the same time bombing Ukraine, but their aims are of a different nature, not about bombed victims.

An article regarding some history for the so inclined:

A Piece of Theater: West German–Arab–Israeli Relations Staged by Intelligence Services, 1955–1967
^{— Tilman Lüdke · International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence · Jun 4, 2025}

"Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing did not want to see a Russian loss in Ukraine because it feared the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.

The comment, to the EU’s Kaja Kallas, would confirm what many in Brussels believe to be Beijing’s position but jar with China’s public utterances. The foreign ministry regularly says China is “not a party” to the war. Some EU officials involved were surprised by the frankness of Wang’s remarks.

However, Wang is said to have rejected the accusation that China was materially supporting Russia’s war effort, financially or militarily, insisting thatif it was doing so, the conflict would have ended long ago."
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316875/china-tells-eu-it-cannot-afford-russian-loss-ukraine-war-sources-say

On the 4 Jul 2025, apparently China still doesn't know that Russia has already succeeded in its goals in Ukraine. How imbecile is this Chinese minister? Where are your emojis @Mikie? We need them.

The comment, to the EU’s Kaja Kallas, would confirm what many in Brussels believe to be Beijing’s position — neomac

It would, yes, but the contention that China's top diplomat made such a blunt and frank declaration to the EU's top diplomat sounds extremely implausible. It seems a lot more plausible that someone in Brussels put their own opinion into Wang Yi's mouth.

the contention that China's top diplomat made such a blunt and frank declaration to the EU's top diplomat sounds extremely implausible — SophistiCat

If you are serious, what makes you think that? The source I'm quoting is SCMP:

The South China Morning Post (SCMP), with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group.

Since the change of ownership in 2016, concerns have been raised about the paper's editorial independence and self-censorship. Critics including The New York Times, Der Spiegel, and The Atlantic have alleged that the paper is on a mission to promote China's soft power abroad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Morning_Post

If you are serious, what makes you think that? The source I'm quoting is SCMP: — neomac

Not sure what your wiki reference is supposed to add here. So, it's a Hong Kong newspaper with a dubious reputation. The journo is referencing anonymous sources.

What makes me say that is that diplomats don't talk like that, least of all, Chinese diplomats, who are known for their exemplary circumspection.

Not sure what your wiki reference is supposed to add here. So, it's a Hong Kong newspaper with a dubious reputation. The journo is referencing anonymous sources. — SophistiCat

If a Chinese source like SCMP controlled by the Chinese authority validates a report to me that's enough relevant evidence of what the Chinese authority wants the audience of SCMP to believe. At least, until it is not officially disclaimed by the Chinese authority. It's not even that SCMP echoed some Western report. They were the primary source as far as I can tell.

What makes me say that is that diplomats don't talk like that, least of all, Chinese diplomats, who are known for their exemplary circumspection. — SophistiCat

Sure. Until they start making blunt and frank declarations. Tensions between China and EU may be the background circumstances which could motivate a more assertive posture by China, also in the Ukrainian conflict. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marktemnycky/2025/07/11/european-trade-tensions-rise-ahead-of-the-july-summit-in-china/)

Trump is now basically Biden 2.0. Doesn’t want a Ukraine loss on his watch, so after the complete failure to bring peace (which he promised “on day one”), this will end in a protracted freeze, with the US supplying weapons for years to come.

Russia has no interest in conquering Ukraine, and never did— despite the assurances of our media and their parrots online — so whatever territory has been taken (illegally) they will keep and defend for years to come.

That’s the current state of things.

How to deal with military buildups?

The threat of Russia's force in Ukraine
^{— Sava Jankovic, Volker Roeben · Journal on the Use of Force and International Law · Oct 23, 2024}

We have examples of both hostile buildups and otherwise. The Russian buildup starting in 2021 near Ukraine was preparation for the all-out 2022 invasion (main topic of the article). The Feb 2022 Belarusian buildup was a Russia-Belarus military exercise, and not itself directly offensive. The NATO buildup in Lithuania, Jul 2023, was a summit. ... Hostile intent was denied for the three examples (2021 was a lie).

non-routine, suspiciously timed, scaled up, intensified, geographically proximate, staged in the exact mode of a potential military clash, and easily attributable to a foreign policy message, the hostile intent is considered present and the demonstration of force manifest

The most problematic aspect remains the reaction to military threats, which may depend on the determination of a threat and its (un)lawfulness, geopolitical considerations, and the overall position one takes on threats.

Besides, anyone can claim defensive measures are provocations (if not offenses). Anyway, the international community failed Ukraine in 2014.

Three different, short accounts:

Two foreigners detained for displaying Nazi symbols in Pechersk, Kyiv, - police. PHOTOS — Olena Gulayeva · Censor.NET · Jul 8, 2025
^{Police detained two foreigners for demonstrating Nazi symbols in the capital's Pechersk district.}

Public display of Nazi symbols in Kyiv: police detained two men — Yevhen Ustimenko · UNN · Jul 8 2025
^{In Kyiv, police detained two foreigners, aged 25 and 27, for publicly displaying Nazi symbols.}

Two foreigners walked through the streets of Kiev with Nazi symbols — EADaily · Jul 9, 2025
^{In Kiev, two citizens were detained who walked through the capital of Ukraine with Nazi symbols — one of them was holding a flag with a swastika, the other was wearing a T-shirt with the banned Nazi emblem.}

Why would they parade a Ukrainian flag with unmistakable Nazi symbols on it?

Russia has no interest in conquering Ukraine, and never did— despite the assurances of our media and their parrots online — so whatever territory has been taken (illegally) they will keep and defend for years to come. — Mikie

Your post is questionable on many points (“Trump is now basically Biden 2.0”, really?!) but I’ll comment just this snippet.
A part from the fact you are not in Putin’s mind so what interest Russia has is matter of speculation and trying to downplay the evidence that goes against your narrative won’t change the fact that your conviction is parroting pro-Russian biased speculations. And a part from the fact that counter-propaganda against Western media is totally instrumental to Russia as more propaganda against the West, no matter how pro-peace, pro-life or impartial you want us think you are.
You are completely missing the whole point: annexing territories (like in the case of Israel), no matter how small, it is a very concerning violation of the international order to all geopolitical actors. Even more if they have territorial claims or are exposed to other actors’ territorial claims. Besides the annexed territory may be more or less relevant for a country to increase its sphere of influence in a wider region in terms of security and access to resources. And geopolitical actors act also on anticipated moves even independently from stated intentions by political leaders. So OBVIOUSLY hegemonic powers like the US and China are compelled to take position wrt Russia has done. And cornered itself to keep doing.
Putin’s DECLARED goals concern what OTHER COUNTRIES (especially, the Western alliance backing Ukraine and Ukraine) must do: neutral status of Ukraine (e.g. rejection of Ukraine's NATO membership or ambition), demilitarisation, denazification of the Ukrainian regime (i.e. regime change), recognition of the annexed territories (+ some more which is not even occupied). Literally NONE of them has been reached so far, after 3 years of war that Russia has INITIATED with estimated hundreds of thousands of death between soldiers and civilians (+ 8 of illegal occupation of Ukraine).
And it is very much questionable the idea that Russia has increased its sphere of influence in its near-abroad just because Putin has occupied some Ukrainian territory "(illegally)" as you say.

I’ll comment just this snippet. — neomac

Your long, tedious posts are an automatic “ignore” for me. You’re just way too stupid. But thanks anyway.

Your long, tedious posts are an automatic “ignore” for me. You’re just way too stupid. But thanks anyway. — Mikie

I'm not writing for you. I enjoy hitting your imbecile claims hard. You deserve no pity. Don't waste time begging for mercy. Suck it up and move on.