CNN: Russia plotting false flag event in Ukraine

[MaxQue]

Well this has already been causing conflict with Russia for decades. Of course, keeping Ukraine totally neutral would be the best option, rather than assuming Ukraine is part of America's sphere of influence.

How is Ukraine supposed to stay "neutral" between Russia and the West when Russia is occupying parts of it and constantly threatening to occupy the rest of it?

It’s not, but neither is the West obligated to assist it when it is obviously not in the interest of the West to do so.

Putting back Russia in its place is obviously in the West interest.

[MaxQue]

1) How have they backed down from invasion? Russia continues to have more than 100,000 troops on the border. That is not anywhere near comparable to the token force of NATO troops in the Baltics (around three battalions).

There's currently over 22k NATO troops in the Baltics and that number is increasing. Meanwhile just recently Russia withdrew 10k of their troops.

2) Yanukovich did not practice neutrality; he was a puppet of Moscow. The people of Ukraine did not like that, so they overthrew him. Nato is in Eastern Europe because the Eastern European countries, as sovereign nations, have wanted that, not because of NATO "forcing itself" upon them.

Yanukovich was the popularly elected President of Ukraine and was overthrown in a coup with significant Western initiatives there. The Eastern European countries were drawn into NATO by a program of rapid expansion and drawing red lines on Russian borders after the Cold War and by betraying their promise to Secretary Gorbachev that NATO would not move "one inch to the east" of Berlin. That was in exchange for the astonishing concession to allow a united Germany to join a hostile military alliance in the first place.

Welcome to international politics. USSR lost and Russia needs to accept it. Russia needs to understand that if it wants good relationships with its neighbors, it needs to treat them well, not threathen them or invade as they always did.

[MaxQue]

Welcome to international politics. USSR lost and Russia needs to accept it. Russia needs to understand that if it wants good relationships with its neighbors, it needs to treat them well, not threathen them or invade as they always did.

"The Native Americans lost and need to accept it. Never mind that our treaties with them are legally-binding, they need to understand that if they wants good relationship with the U.S. government, they needs to treat them well, not threaten white settlers encroaching on their land."

1. Native Americans are US citizens, they have rights and are electors. Russia isn't an US citizen.

2. There is no treaty or written agreement with Russia on NATO. Some dude (Baker) went off his station and said something that was never officially put on paper. This is the equivalent of, in a neighboors dispute, of saying "he cannot do that, the previous owner of his land told me 30 years ago he would never do it".

[MaxQue]

Welcome to international politics. USSR lost and Russia needs to accept it. Russia needs to understand that if it wants good relationships with its neighbors, it needs to treat them well, not threathen them or invade as they always did.

"The Native Americans lost and need to accept it. Never mind that our treaties with them are legally-binding, they need to understand that if they wants good relationship with the U.S. government, they needs to treat them well, not threaten white settlers encroaching on their land."

Are you actually comparing the genocide of the Native Americans and the USSR losing the cold war?

I'm comparing the logic of apparently thinking it's okay to not uphold formal agreements just because the other side "lost."

You are right that's it's not okay. Except there is no formal agreement, there never was and lying about that won't change the facts.

[MaxQue]

1. Native Americans are US citizens, they have rights and are electors. Russia isn't an US citizen.

Native Americans living in tribes were not U.S. citizens at the time. They were considered members of their respective independent nations and the U.S. federal government conducted treaties with them on that basis and which also involved land concessions, something that would not have been considered necessary if it was already all American land anyway. American Indians living on recognized Indian territory did not become U.S. citizens until President Coolidge in 1924; the Indian Wars were long over by then.

2. There is no treaty or written agreement with Russia on NATO. Some dude (Baker) went off his station and said something that was never officially put on paper. This is the equivalent of, in a neighboors dispute, of saying "he cannot do that, the previous owner of his land told me 30 years ago he would never do it".

It is officially put on paper, I literally linked to it earlier in this thread? There are two official versions of it (an American one and a Soviet one) and they both agree with each other in terms of substance. It was not a formal treaty but as mentioned it was a verbal agreement and such verbal agreements are considered legally binding, as it was between the two official representatives of the main powers of NATO and Warsaw Pact.

1. We are talking about right now. Native Americans are US citizens right now. Whatever rights or wrongs happened in the past is an important and interesting debate, but not relevent at all.

2. Was it ratified by the Senate? By the other members of NATO? The US Constitution states:

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur;

[MaxQue]

The Central Intelligence Agency of Ukraine also reported this information. In any case, I think Putin has already decided to invade and it will happen.

Do really think this is going to happen and affect the whole territory of Ukraine?

If so, the US and EU should cripple Russia with extremely tough sanctions and take as many Ukrainians as possible. Anyway, I hope you're going to be alright.

No, I don't think it will affect the whole territory of Ukraine. Ukraine will resist and it will not be a quick capture, it will be a long bloody war. I would say that Russia will not go further than the Left Bank Ukraine with some exceptions.

I would expect something like this:

Brown - already invaded
Red - will be invaded
Green - parts of the oblasts will be invaded
Blue - won't be invaded

Anyway, thank you for your support

A lot of the marked provinces are minority Russian, are you sure Putin would go for them?

Crimea and the 2 eastern "states" that have been taken are logical choices, because a good majority identify as Russian, so it's basically just "extending" Russia.

Taking a majority Ukranian province, however, is not as easy, since resistance and resentment is guaranteed.

Putin has learn from the USSR. Holomodor Mark 2 will do the job.

[MaxQue]

Um, you do understand that supporting friendly relations with another country, and speaking the language of that country, is not the same as being okay with an invasion, right? Otherwise, the Irish should welcome the British army with open arms, and the same with the Austrians and Germany, Canadians and the US, and so on.

Lol, all these regions had massive protests against the coup and have always voted for the pro-Russian candidate

I suspect many of them were under duress of pro-Putin armed mobs.