Diplomatic Relations with Russia, Ukraine, and the UN

As many of you know, I am a sympathetic ear to Moscow. My fiance is from Kyrgyzstan (a former Soviet locale) and we communicate predominantly in Russian.

The situation in Ukraine has deteriorated. Moscow seems ready to cross their borders and implement some sort of forceful imposition - not sure to what end, but probably to secure Russia's presence on the global stage as a world power opposing a Westward direction in the politics of former Soviet, Eurasian, and Central Asian countries.

It is my position that Moscow has gotten in the habit of overstepping - they attacked Ukraine previously (2014, annexation of Crimea), and they recently had also attacked Georgia.

That is not okay... There has to be a diplomatic solution and it's my feeling that Vladimir Putin has catered to the opinions of his constituents, gererals, and the old worldview for too long. There should be an evolving resolve in the Russian Federation.

But they oppose Western interference; something I can understand - who exactly is at the helm of "the West"? Do they even understand the needs of Russia's people? or the economic realities in which Russia is a stakeholder?

Here is an article discussing "why" Ukraine is important to Moscow. It falters, however only slightly, seeming to suggest that Russia values Ukraine as a historical entity - it was the birthplace of the Russian state in the 9th century... Well, the reality is much more political than that nostalgic tidbit if you ask me... They don't want "Western" countries on their flank - something that to me seems reasonable.

How they are going about it though seems nothing short of unacceptable. Can't we find a diplomatic way to request their cooperation? It doesn't seem like our leadership will even try, not wanting to "bow" to Moscow.

Here is the article: Why Ukraine matters to Russia so much

 

Maintain International Peace and Security | United Nations

 

Russia is merely reclaiming that which cost them so dearly during the last war

 

Throughout history, the wars fought are always about a pissing contest over who the "toughest guy" is. Ego's drive the few numbers of men at the root of wars, because they want to be seen as "strong, tough guys" on the world stage. Throughout more modern history, wars and military interventions have been provoked by hostile, land-hungry dictators - like former Soviet Union leaders, Putin today, and Xi Jinping of China. It isn't the U.S. shooting down passenger planes, or invading other sovereign countries to "take them over" as a land grab. The U.S. - and almost every "Western" country - respond when their country or people are attacked FIRST by others. Such was the case after 9-11. The Iraq war was a joke, instigated by George W. Bush and tricky-Dickey Cheyney on FALSE premises. Saddam Hussein was an evil man, but he wasn't the cause of 9-11, or a player in it, as was first claimed. The Afghan war at least had facts behind our RETALIATION for 9-11. The U.S. didn't start that - but we hunted down the leaders of the group responsible for the 9-11 attacks on our soil. We found and killed Osama Bin Laden for his part in leading the 9-11 attack.

The Viet Nam war was a RESPONSE to North Viet Nam's aggression toward South Viet Nam (once again backed and supplied by the Soviet Union.) Another display of Russia's / Soviet Union's support for and supplying aggression.

The U.S doesn't send military into other countries like Canada, Mexico, or Central American countries to forcefully TAKE and OCCUPY those countries like Russia does - and HAS DONE over the decades. By anyone's standards and vision, Russia has always been an aggressive country. The only reason the U.S. and other Nato allied countries band together is to stop Russian invasions & aggression into other sovereign nations in Eastern Europe ......... based on the history of what Russia / Soviet Union has done for DECADES. The people of Ukraine, and the other Eastern European nations have a right to control their own destinies - without foreign aggression from Russia or any other country. If you want the rest of the world to honor Russia's sovereignty, then Russia must honor the sovereignty of other countries.

Citizens of Russia, China, and North Korea HAVE NO FREEDOM. They're prevented from free and fair elections by authoritarian, military-backed dictators. If they speak out against things they see as unjust or inhumane - they are thrown in prison or killed. HOW IS THAT GOOD FOR THEIR CITIZENS??????????? The "economies" in those countries are geared to enrich the dictators - not the people. They HAVE NO RIGHTS ........... they're trapped in systems they cannot escape - without risking their lives, or their families' lives.

Some way to live.

 

Just for clarity ....... which country has invaded and taken over Crimea?? Which country has been amassing thousands of troops and moving armament along the border of Ukraine??

Does anyone think it's the U.S. and Nato forces looking to invade Ukraine??

 

As I've already pointed out, the Soviet Union (as was) fought for and lost many thousands of its people wresting the Ukraine back from the Nazis. It is their territory. The Ukranian government is unstable and corrupt.

 

Russia and surrounding states had lost around 25 million people in the second world war, when the Nazis on their borders, broke the diplomatic treaty they had with the USSR, and tried to wipe out the remaining people. Soviet appeasement and diplomacy did not work with the Nazis to their peril.

NATO, which saw the U.S.S.R as its main foe, should have been dismantled after the collapse of the U.S.S.R, and the embracing of democracy by the eastern bloc.

However NATO, started projecting Russia as a bogeyman out of past habit, and probably to keep swindling gullible taxpayers of their money. Continued attempts by NATO to encroach into border states of Russia heightened Russian insecurities in this regard, still kept raw by the memories of the destruction caused by the Nazis, and which is remembered every year on Victory Day (May 9).

NATO wants the border states of Russia in its membership. Obviously this is interpreted as a threatening gesture , which has played havoc with growth of democratic institutions in Russia , as Putin uses these sorts of external threats and paranoia of invasion to consolidate his grip on the Russian government through hypernationalist propaganda.

NATO seems to be keen on getting Ukraine as a NATO member. Why can't it get Russia as well as a NATO member, and give it a privileged status on accordance with its technological and military capabilities !!! This would give Russia and Russians a sense of security, and would have avoided all these issues that had cropped up after Ukraine joined NATO.

But of course, if Russia becomes a NATO member, then there would be no bogeyman to be scared off, and there would be no need to spend so much money on NATO operations.

 

NO argument on the fight with the Nazi's. But anyone trying to portray Russia as a "peace-promoting" good neighbor is B-L-I-N-D.

Many of the "Eastern block" countries WANT to become Nato members - some have, others are being threatened by Russia for even wanting to join. WHY do you suppose those "Eastern Block" countries WANT to join NATO??? After the collapse of the Soviet Union, why did so many Republics RUSH to declare their independence from Russia????? Could it be that they want no part of Putin's dictatorial regime, and Putin's habit of having any persons who speak out or disagree with him ...... KILLED??? For Putin to suddenly become friendly with other nations - the U.S. and NATO countries - he would feel like he appears "weak" and "caving-in" to other countries. He's not about to appear "weak" on the world stage.

It's ironic that the move to being friendly with other countries and backing away from military "saber-rattling" would be GREAT for Russia and all other countries as well. Think of the improvements we could all make to life on earth if we didn't spend TRILLIONS on killing each other!!! We either prosper together, and survive .......... or we destroy each other ..... and we all perish. Wars boil down to 2 things generally - EGO and GREED.

FREEDOM ......... is not having to live under an authoritarian / dictatorial regime that self-perpetuates itself by military force, brutal violence, imprisonment or execution. F-R-E-E-D-O-M IS NOT Russia's history ...... for decades.

The U.S. and NATO countries don't invade other countries. They only respond militarily AFTER another country attacks us or allies. U.S. and NATO aren't in the process of "land-grabbing" either.

 

Existence. The gift of life. The grandeur of the cycles of nature on our home--earth ---where all sentience found their places. The ability to think. The ability to affect -----------------and then came the unconscionable avarice, constant wars ------ the carelessness with which we treat our home------you know ----the human characteristics that seemingly rise above any hope of amelioration. And here we are--- arguing about the same problems that have existed since humans began to walk upright. . Man V man. Tribe v tribe. Country v country. ---- Such lightweights we are.

 

However true this may be, it's irrelevant today. Ukraine has been an independent, sovereign nation for 30 years now. Their people have their own language, and own customs. And the Soviet regime wasn't exactly kind to them. The absolute shitshow that was Moscow's way of handling the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster is but one example. Also, you should really read about the Holodomor famine-genocide, which left some 3-4 million people dead following Josif Stalin's brutal clamping down on the country's intellectuals, and his forced collectivization of farms. And if this wasn't enough, the whole thing was censored, and people were forbidden to ever talk about it. This kept going all the way to the USSR's collapse. All of this is still well remembered in Ukraine. They have no desire to ever go back, and this should be respected. Putler is attempting to steal something that doesn't belong to him.

 

Respecting the sensitivities Russia has on massing military forces at its borders based on past tragedies, NATO, which is a military alliance, should desist from encroaching on Russia's borders, and keep a respectful distance.

The west can instead create economic alliances with these countries, and strive to play a diplomatic role instead in reconciling any differences between these countries or various ethnic groups in the same country.

The UN consisting of impartial countries could also play a role in diffusing tensions between these countries and ethnic groups and creating an atmosphere and culture of peaceful co-existence instead.

Russian invasions of Georgia and Ukraine came up after these countries displayed a pro-western tilt and eagerness to join Nato.

The U.S went to the verge of all out nuclear war and mutually assured destruction with the U.S.S.R to get rid of nuclear weapons aimed against it in neighboring Cuba in 1962. The U.S.S.R finally showed self-restraint in taking off its nuclear weapons and missiles off Cuba.

Now when the roles are reversed, U.S.-NATO forces are not showing any similar restraint in keeping off the border states of Russia, knowing fully the regional instability their encroaching into such regions would create.

A fully blown out nuclear war is obviously a lose-lose scenario for both sides.

As I stated earlier, if NATO wants Ukraine and the border states of Russia in their group, they should also try to include Russia as well in NATO, so that an ugly 'us versus them' scenario is not put up.

Nato is supposed to safeguard the security of the western countries, but its present moves risking thermonuclear war and holocaust actually endangers the security of the west and the western taxpayers who fund their gargantuan defence budgets (at the expense of other sectors like education, affordable housing and healthcare.)

 

You would think the MASSES would learn, wouldn't you??? Big wars are most often fought over the selfish ego and greed for more money, land, power by 1 or 2 people. The aggressor makes his move, and is then counterattacked by the targeted one. The biggest, bloodiest wars are pretty much that.

I always liked the line (I don't remember who said it) "what if someone started a war and nobody came??" That would solve a lot. Give each guy a bullhorn and let them call each other names while the MASSES sit back eating & drinking .......... taking in the show.

 

The UN - as it was originally constructed - is a joke today.

Because Russia is once again - ONCE AGAIN - massing 100,000 troops along their border with Ukraine. The Ukraine has been a free country for years - and wants no part of Putin and Russia.

Because Kennedy stood up to Russia - not because Russia was being "nice" to the U.S. and the rest of the world. I'm old enough to remember the actual happening.

The current situation with Putin is this - Putin views the collapse of "his" former Soviet Union to be a huge embarrassment. This hurts his ego, and he feels he must do something to re-build / re-take the land areas that were part of the Soviet Union. Putin HAS STATED that he sees the collapse as a stain on Russia. This is an EGO PROBLEM of Putin's. How many millions of people will die if war - once again - breaks out in Eastern Europe because of Putin's bruised ego?? Do you think those Russian soldiers want to die, leaving their families an uncertain future??

 

If the U.S., Europe and Russia wipe each other out in a thermonuclear war, there will be international mourning for a couple of years condoling the loss of our foolish American, European and Russian friends, along with the world coping with the after-effects of nuclear winter and devising new technologies and techniques to deal with the same.

I am also not sure a thermonuclear war and holocaust is in the best interests of democracy and humanism. With the demise of the American military, China will find the perfect excuse for gobbling up Taiwan and other countries as well and transplanting democratic rule with dictatorial rule over there.

 

If there was a thermonuclear war, Do you think that the world, The world could survive ? Thermonuclear particles will not magically stop at the border of any country. But will travel around the planet creating mass destruction. No where on this planet will it not be affected. The major countries are fully aware of it. And that is the major reason it has not be used.
Russia had a puppet in the White House for the last four years with Trump in office. And they got what they wanted during that time frame. Now they realize that they have lost that. And are trying to use threats as a playing card.. And are pushing as far as they can to see how much that they can get away with.

 

That's why T****never said a negative thing about Putin. T**** said he admired Putin's (along with Xi Jinping's and Kim Jung Un's) "strong leadership styles." (T****'s own words!!) T**** admires authoritarian DICTATORS. What's that tell any of us about what T**** really wants to be???????

 

Trump was / is perfect for the authoritarian leaning republican party as it exists today. Something surely entices the trump cultists nationwide to so blatantly agree with the lies the republican / Fox "news " anti democratic morons spew. The term useful idiots has been thrown around concerning the lying right wing legislators ---the citizens who voted for trump---the suck-ass right wing media--that keep the bullshit front and center day after day. Enough time has passed--enough judicial examinations have debunked the bullshit --enough information has been put forward--that I now believe that we're not dealing with useful idiots at all. WE ARE DEALING WITH EVIL , ANTI AMERICAN, ANTI DEMOCRATIC FORCES AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY that are going to bring this democracy down if the clear thinking citizens of this country don't wise up!! These fools need to be relegated to the fabled dust bin of history as a cautionary tale of how government by the people, for the people-- can so easily be twisted / vitiated into a monstrous, authoritarian-single party nightmare.

 

Which American president shared classified information with Russia ? Which American president pulled American troops out of American military bases so that Russia could move in and take them over ? Which American President told all of the press and American advisors to leave the room so that he could have a "private talk" with Putin ? And which American President was fine with leaving Russian reporters stay in the room to record such "private talks" Which President was informed by the U S Intel community that Russia has put a bounty on American Military. And that president denied it saying that he talked to Putin and that was not true. Thus defending Russia over his own country .
Yes that President was , and still is a Russian puppet .