You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Negotiations between Putin and Biden: what did the leaders of the superpowers agree on?
2021-12-11
Direct Transalation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleg Tsarev
[Rusvesna] So, perhaps, the most anticipated meeting of the leaders of the two modern superpowers has come to an end . And although the bulk of the communication between Putin and Biden remained outside the scope of the general public's attention, I think that even from the little that we know, certain conclusions can be drawn.

Immediately: both supporters of "peace right in the morning" and supporters of an immediate war were hardly satisfied with the results of the talks between the presidents. It is not difficult to understand them: the situation of "neither peace, nor war", in which Ukraine and Donbass will be for a long time, is not very comfortable for anyone.

What is important for me personally: the suspension of the situation does not suit many Russian and Russian-speaking people, who now in Ukraine feel like second-class people. Now let's take a closer look at the situation. I'll make a reservation: not as easy as it might seem at first.
Read the rest here
Posted by:badanov

#4  I get why Stalin, or his predecessors, wanted to control Poland. Assuming that NATO were not on Russia's doorstep, what possible benefit would today's Russia -- not the "USSR" of Lloyd-have-mercy's fever dreams, or Magoo's delusions -- how exactly would Russia in 2021 or 2022 gain from dominating Poland?

The Gdansk shipyards?

Satisfaction in liberating the Silesian weavers?
Posted by: Merrick Ferret   2021-12-11 17:01  

#3  The US still has not clarified what exactly is it's vital national interest there?

Merrick,

Let me suggest that the issue here isn't so much the Ukranians...but the Poles. Their 'never again' mindset is pretty much that of Israel, and if Putin ends up absorbing or politically controlling the Ukraine the Poles aren't going to be putting a whole lot of stock in a NATO promise to defend them. That might start a Big One faster than anything else - they are not going to listen to counsel to be calm, to negotiate, and not to provoke.

They've seen that movie, and they know how it ends.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2021-12-11 15:47  

#2  Favorite ice cream?
Posted by: Skidmark   2021-12-11 15:46  

#1  What did they agree on?

Nothing. Why do you ask?

The US still has not clarified what exactly is it's vital national interest there? Is Ukraine being primed for entry into NATO? If so, why? To prevent Russia from from invading... West Germany? Romania?
Posted by: Merrick Ferret   2021-12-11 09:38  

00:00