Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Barrister]

Putin announces his ceasefire conditions...

Ukraine would have to give up all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukraine promises to never join NATO. Oh, and all sanctions against Russia must be lifted.

https://x.com/maxseddon/status/1801565113092084111

Yeah that's quite the offer.  Majority of Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblasts are not in Russian hands (and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk aren't either), so Ukraine is to surrender a bunch of territory Russia doesn't even control, PLUS Ukraine can't join NATO (supposedly a key Russian demand) PLUS all sanctions are dropped.

[Legbiter]

The Russians seem confident they can win the war this summer it seems. 

[Barrister]

The vaguely interesting offer from Russia would be:

-Russia keeps all territory under its control
-all sanctions are dropped
-Ukraine joins NATO

I still think Ukraine would say no (it still very much rewards Russia's aggression) but at least gives them something to think about.

[Tamas]

Perhaps publishing this just after a narrowly avoided country-wide bank run doesn't help his case.

[DGuller]

Why is Russia demanding Russian territory from Ukraine? 

[The Brain]

Why is Russia demanding Russian territory from Ukraine? 

Yeah they don't seem to be able to remember their own lies.

[Duque de Bragança]

Why is Russia demanding Russian territory from Ukraine? 

Yeah they don't seem to be able to remember their own lies.

Ministry of Truth behind schedule? 

[The Minsky Moment]

Putin announces his ceasefire conditions...

Ukraine would have to give up all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukraine promises to never join NATO. Oh, and all sanctions against Russia must be lifted.

https://x.com/maxseddon/status/1801565113092084111

It anyone was still waiting for the official admission that this is a brazen aggressive war of conquest, they have it.

[Josquius]

Why is Russia demanding Russian territory from Ukraine? 

Yeah they don't seem to be able to remember their own lies.

Ministry of Truth behind schedule? 

I dunno. It depends on the specific words used, I don't know what they were, but just based on the overview I don't necessarily see the disconnect here.
Ukraine has to withdraw from all our rightful territory which they, the evil invaders, are partially occupying.
Obviously that's our minimum requirement for a cease fire.
Kind of just mirroring Ukraine.

[Legbiter]

It anyone was still waiting for the official admission that this is a brazen aggressive war of conquest, they have it.

Yeah just a naked landgrab, nothing in there about denazification of gay NATO Satanists...

[Tamas]

I am not sure if it's true because I won't bother reading Putins "offer" but allegedly it has something about NATO removing itself from Eastern Europe. So there you go.

[Zanza]

We should make a counteroffer for Putin to remove himself from Eastern Europe.

[Syt]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-its-non-strategic-nuclear-drills-involve-iskander-missiles-2024-06-12/

Russia broadens tactical nuclear weapons drills

By Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly

MOSCOW, June 12 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday that soldiers and sailors from its northern Leningrad military district bordering NATO members Norway, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania took part in drills to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.

The move appears to broaden the disclosed geography of the nuclear drills to include soldiers from military districts which cover almost all of Russia's European border, which stretches from the Arctic Ocean down to the Black Sea.

President Vladimir Putin ordered the drills, which were announced last month to take place in the Southern Military district bordering Ukraine, after what Russia said were signals from Western officials that they would allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western weapons.

"The personnel of the Leningrad Military District missile unit are practicing combat training tasks," Russia's defence ministry said in a statement about the drills.

These included obtaining special training ammunition for the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system, equipping launch vehicles with them and covertly advancing to the designated position area for preparations for missile launches, it added.

"The crews of navy ships involved in the training will equip sea-based cruise missiles with special mock warheads and enter designated patrol areas," the ministry said.

A video released by the Russian defence ministry showed a mobile missile system being escorted to a field as well as a rocket being loaded into a warship.

Russia said on Tuesday it started a second stage of drills to practice deployment of tactical nuclear weapons alongside Belarusian troops.

Putin said on Friday Russia had no need to use nuclear weapons to secure victory in Ukraine, the Kremlin's strongest signal to date that Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two will not escalate into a nuclear war.

But he also said he did not rule out changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine, which sets out the conditions under which such weapons could be used. He has previously said he saw no reason to change the doctrine.

The United States says it has seen no change to Russia's strategic posture, though senior intelligence officials say they have to take Moscow's remarks about nuclear weapons seriously.

Putin, Russia's main decision-maker on deploying nuclear weapons, has faced calls from within the Russian elite to lower the threshold for using nuclear weapons.

Russia and the United States are by far the world's biggest nuclear powers, holding about 88% of all nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists, opens new tab.

When Russia announced the nuclear drills last month, it said missile forces in the Southern Military District would take part, together with aviation and the navy.

The Southern Military District, headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, lies alongside Ukraine and includes parts of Ukraine which Russia controls.

The Leningrad military district stretches from the border with Norway in the north down to Belarus, and includes the Northern Fleet and the exclave of Kaliningrad which sits on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Poland.

Russia has about 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, though arms control experts say it is very difficult to say just how many there are due to secrecy.

Putin said last week that many of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons were 70-75 kilotons of explosive power - around five times the size of the U.S. nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945.

Btw, I think someone with the name "Guy Faulconbridge" should not be a journalist but a 19th century gentleman burglar.

[Josquius]

"Falconbridge. Guy Falconbridge. Thats Falcon with a U."
"... Yeah... You've clearly just made that up"

Incidentally I wonder how one gets posted to Leningrad. I imagine there's quite the collection of bribes.

[Tamas]

Footage showing Russian prestige: Lavrov and other ministers sat down to start negotiating with North Koreans on their visit, but then were told to stand up and leave the room, because it is the Dear Leader who enters rooms first.

https://x.com/nexta_tv/status/1803426340147761632