Putin hasn’t known when or how to deliver an ultimatum. He ignored a few of his own ultimatums already, and also Medvedev’s. Biden has now decided that long range U.S. artillery will be allowed to strike deep inside Russia. The news says he is considering it, but this means he already decided it; Blinken and the UK foreign minister are said to be evaluating it (today is 9/11).
We know Russia delivered a written ultimatum to Great Britain not too long ago, through its ambassador in London, and its foreign ministry spokeswoman in Moscow; Zakharova wore no makeup that day and I thought she was emphasizing the gravity of the ultimatum. The ultimatum said that if the United Kingdom allowed its long-range artillery to be used to hit targets inside Russia, there would be a direct retribution against the kingdom.
Well, they (all) measured Putin on their balance and found him to be wanting. The UK evidently decided to disregard his ultimatum since it is moving now toward authorizing the use of its long-range artillery inside Russia. The U.S. and G.B. are feeling him out right now, just in case, but it’s decided, obviously.
Empire of Lies
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“We’re good until we’re lost” (good saying) and I think Putin has been lost so since December-2021, when he sent two proposals to NATO and the U.S. about needed nuclear safety measures, and even a new non-adversarial relationship between Russia and the West, besides delineating Russia’s nuclear-military security needs.
The two proposals looked like great statecraft, but one had doubts they were really that. Unfortunately, they were employed by Russia only as a “last step” or as the culmination of all previous efforts. They could have been instead the beginning of a new diplomatic campaign, since the worst problems they listed were not imminent yet. The “special military operation” was conceived as something easier than this real war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives to both sides. Those two proposals really ended up being more like an ultimatum they did fulfill.
The terrible costs of the war, even of the false ultimatums, have placed Putin in a vulnerable position – and he’s dissipating his political capital within Russia. Will he ignore this last ultimatum? I think so because its meaning was uncertain or weak already. It basically meant ‘send them but only use them against us in Ukraine.’ The West says this doesn’t make (military) sense anymore.
Today, the ‘special military operation’ war is being decided in the East for a variety of reasons – the available soldiers and the total casualties first and foremost among them. Russia assures its population that there will be no general mobilization or military draft. It looks now like its best happening would be for Trump to win in November; if she wins, Russia is in more trouble.
Putin ironized that he wants Harris to win the election, and maybe he does prefer her over him. He may think Trump is too erratic, and maybe prefers not to deal with him anymore. Trump doesn’t seem to know the meaning of respect for a fellow president, and is disrespectful toward Putin, revealing supposed conversations where he intimidates Putin and where Putin expresses admiration for Trump’s toughness, and it sounds like it’s made up or invented – certainly conversations that should be kept private if you want to talk with him (Putin) again. (I’m not too far from joining the voters who don’t know who they prefer.)
Putin has closed his SMO exits; I don’t know what he can do in Ukraine. His troops better win in the Pokrovsk region now; Ukraine knows it’s a decisive fight, that whoever loses there may be broken in this SMO war, which is so “special” let’s remember Russia made it illegal for Russians to call it “war” in 2022 (people went to jail in Russia if they called it that). Well, it’s a smaller scale war Ukraine thinks it can win (and it may be correct).
How America Was Lost: ...
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Kamalah Harris raised her political level as soon as Biden gave her his support to run for President. Her debate performance just showed this more clearly. I think she can improve in every future debate. If Trump offers to give her “multiple debates” again, she should sign on the dotted line right away – for any number whatsoever.
On the other hand, I think we saw the best Donald Trump can do in a debate, which means that he must never ever debate with her again. He took more “punishment” in this debate than in all previous debates put together, especially, in my opinion, when she insulted him twice with strong disdain and no response from him, namely when she said his former Generals told her that he is “a disgrace”, and when she said “this – former president” while looking toward his feet. They might as well have been knives and not words. He should have been ready for these insults, with an appropriate response. He should have looked at her more, especially when she said those words.
Trump’s top strength is his past record as president. With its lights and shadows, it’s all he really has. He can’t improve on that. He is not even presenting an economic plan, and it was smart of Kamalah to say in the debate that he doesn’t have it. Just like Biden hid in his basement in 2020, Trump should hide from any more debates in 2024. Any excuse will be good. To debate her is to promote her. Too bad we don’t have better presidential options.
