If he takes and wants to keep Odessa, he should and will also take the rest of the coast and all land along the Transnistria border, which would settle that problem as well and for good.
My hunch now is that the rare earth story is just a deflection, Trump must know that there is little there, and that the real deal is carte blanche for Putin in Ukraine versus carte blanche for Trump with regard to Greenland.
Great point about Transnistria. Putin made it clear that he is looking out for Russians and their interests. Which is precisely what one would expect and hope a leader of the Russians would focus on.
Exactly. This drove his Ukraine policies and actions. And this is also the key for the Baltic states to live in peace: stop discriminating against your Russian minorities. Not more troops.
Amen to that! The kudos for the Ukrainian army is only valid because of the Biden regime interference in the dispute. Our left and sometimes both parties (depending on how many rinos at any given point are present, get involved in other countries affairs. Not to mention the toppling of foreign governments. It often looks as if our wayward representatives are stoking the fires of dispute. We need a strong well respected group of peace makers! End wars, end poverty, end subversive political hacks! Usher in a new age of peaceful arbitration and not war.
Russia may have a harder time winning the long-term peace if they choose to advance to the Dnieper. They'll be stuck managing a bitter Ukrainian contingent. Securing a land bridge to the Crimean would probably suffice.
Most of that area has large groups of ethnic or linguistic Russians, who have been severely persecuted under the Ukrainian leadership since 2014, with laws banning their language, education, names, ties to history, etc, all strictly enforced. The areas near Kharkov and Izyum, for example, were happy to be under Russian control in 2022, and received harsh retribution when Ukrainians took those areas back.
If he takes and wants to keep Odessa, he should and will also take the rest of the coast and all land along the Transnistria border, which would settle that problem as well and for good.
My hunch now is that the rare earth story is just a deflection, Trump must know that there is little there, and that the real deal is carte blanche for Putin in Ukraine versus carte blanche for Trump with regard to Greenland.
Not just Greenland, this is much much bigger than that.
Great point about Transnistria. Putin made it clear that he is looking out for Russians and their interests. Which is precisely what one would expect and hope a leader of the Russians would focus on.
Exactly. This drove his Ukraine policies and actions. And this is also the key for the Baltic states to live in peace: stop discriminating against your Russian minorities. Not more troops.
Amen to that! The kudos for the Ukrainian army is only valid because of the Biden regime interference in the dispute. Our left and sometimes both parties (depending on how many rinos at any given point are present, get involved in other countries affairs. Not to mention the toppling of foreign governments. It often looks as if our wayward representatives are stoking the fires of dispute. We need a strong well respected group of peace makers! End wars, end poverty, end subversive political hacks! Usher in a new age of peaceful arbitration and not war.
Russia may have a harder time winning the long-term peace if they choose to advance to the Dnieper. They'll be stuck managing a bitter Ukrainian contingent. Securing a land bridge to the Crimean would probably suffice.
Not quite, I think.
Most of that area has large groups of ethnic or linguistic Russians, who have been severely persecuted under the Ukrainian leadership since 2014, with laws banning their language, education, names, ties to history, etc, all strictly enforced. The areas near Kharkov and Izyum, for example, were happy to be under Russian control in 2022, and received harsh retribution when Ukrainians took those areas back.
Look here, for some quick info and maps:
https://blog.uvm.edu/aivakhiv-ukrtaz/2014/04/18/language-and-ethnicity-in-ukraine/