Oh Dear!
@My American friends
Stock up swiftly on two of my favourite tipples – Hennessy Cognac and Jameson Whiskey – before those 200% tariffs kick in … This is War! ‘Tis War!

Posted by: Don Firineach | Mar 13 2025 18:16 utc | 104

War crimes is the new normal.
Maybe always was but the west is now shameless and no longer hiding it, they see terror as a military force multiplier just like Nazi Germany and Japan did in WW2. It’s why they will lose.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 13 2025 18:22 utc | 106

RT (Tass)
Putin: We agree to a 30-day ceasefire, but we need guarantees!
.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken out in favor of a possible 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, but expressed concerns about the implementation of such a ceasefire. In a speech on Thursday, Putin warned of potential loopholes and strategic disadvantages.
Moscow considers the “idea” of a ceasefire to be “correct,” Putin told reporters at a joint press conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow on Thursday. “We absolutely support it,” he added. The President emphasized:
“We support the idea of ​​resolving the conflict by peaceful means.
We also want guarantees that Ukraine will not mobilize, train soldiers, or receive weapons during the 30-day ceasefire,” Putin continued.
He listed questions that needed to be clarified, among others: Who will exercise control over compliance with the ceasefire along the 2,000-kilometer-long front line? What happens if it is violated? Who will verify the situation? Who will guarantee that this control is exercised? Who will give the orders to pause the fighting…America, perhaps?
Analysis
“Ceasefire benefits only those who retreat”: Russia’s top experts comment
He reiterated that the cessation of hostilities must lead “to a long-term peace” and eliminate “the root causes of this crisis.” Moscow has a number of questions about the US ceasefire proposal that must be addressed in the upcoming talks, Putin explained.
“I think we need to discuss this with our American colleagues and partners,” he said. Nevertheless, Russia supports the idea of ​​ending the conflict through diplomatic means. The dialogue could also require a personal meeting with US President Donald Trump, the Russian leader said.
A decision on whether and under what conditions Moscow could agree to a ceasefire has not yet been officially made and is expected to be made only after talks with the US envoy in Moscow or further diplomatic consultations.
The situation in the Kursk region on the Russian border could also be a major point of contention, according to the Russian president. Putin wondered whether a ceasefire would mean Russia would have to withdraw all Ukrainian troops that entered the territory in August 2024:
“Should we simply let them leave after they have committed numerous crimes against civilians? Or will Kyiv order them to lay down their arms?”
.
In short, Putin is clearly playing for time; many, many issues need to be resolved.
He didn’t even address the Zaporozha nuclear power plant, which Trump mentioned in his interview with NATO Rutte in the point about returning it to Ukraine.
Which leaves the question open: Does this point stem from Trump’s wet dreams?
Feedback geben

Posted by: berthold | Mar 13 2025 18:28 utc | 108

steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:14 utc | 103–
Western BigLie Media and the UN agencies will continue to ignore Western crimes because that’s why they exist. That’s why Russia is using its own prosecutors and courts to deal with those crimes. Maria Zakharova’s Weekly Briefing today provided yet another partial listing:

Russian courts continue to sentence Ukrainian neo-Nazis and mercenaries for their war crimes.
British citizen Jon Anderson, who has been committing crimes against civilians in the Kursk Region since mid-November 2024, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Militants of the 64th Separate Rifle Battalion of the 44th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine I. Furlet, Yury Zadorozhny, Yury Sychenko and Yury Khayuk, detained by Russian servicemen on September 10, 2024, were found guilty of committing terrorist attacks in the Kursk Region and sentenced to 17 years in prison. It was established that the terrorists prevented the evacuation of civilians and repeatedly opened fire on civilians.
Boris Reed, a mercenary from the United States who fought on the side of the Ukrainian militants, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in absentia, and the commander of the 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, I. Golishevsky, was sentenced to 21 years in prison, on whose criminal order in January 2024 a UAV attack was carried out on a service car in Gorlovka, which led to the death of two DPR investigators.
O. Doga, a militant of the 24th separate assault battalion “Aidar” (a terrorist organisation banned in the Russian Federation) O. Doga, who was detained in August 2024 in the DPR, was sentenced to 12 years in custody and fired at the settlements of the LPR in June-August 2023.
Russian law enforcement agencies will continue to work to bring Ukrainian Nazis and foreign mercenaries to justice for war and other crimes.

Putin also raised the issue of the terrorists who remain in Kursk as one of the unsolvable issues related to the proposed ceasefire. Those many small attacks aren’t as spectacular as the massive events that have previously occurred, but combined they become larger. The more widespread drone and other attacks are on Russia the more Russians will demand justice for those crimes. Indeed, more are finally saying the entire affair from the coup onwards is one massive crime, which is 100% correct.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 13 2025 18:31 utc | 110

@ karlof1 | Mar 13 2025 18:14 utc | 102
Putin — the eyes have it (pun)
The Ideas are correct, but the Issues require discussion.
There’s a good politician.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 13 2025 18:32 utc | 112

Putin To Formulate Russia’s Position on Temporary Ceasefire in Ukraine – Kremlin Aide
https://tass.com/politics/1927483
“Russian President Vladimir Putin will formulate Moscow’s position on a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine himself, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told Channel One.
‘It is up to the president to formulate our official position,’ he pointed out.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 13 2025 18:34 utc | 114

The gents @ The Duran were *trapped* in a livestream w/ a stodgy British admiral just as news broke from the Lukashenko press conference of VVP’s “interest in a ceasefire, a readiness for a ceasefire,” if the “nuances” are worked through.
The stodgy admiral was droning on about aircraft carriers not being sitting-duck targets for hypersonics—“Erm, well, actshually actshually”—and he was being very cagey, constrained by what he was authorized by military brass to say, while the rest of the world was comprehending that 20th Century militarism had just bit the dust.
We no longer have to compare everything to “Sudetenland” or “Molotov-Ribbentropp* or speak about “appeasement.” The Ukraine War broke the back of WWI and WWII comparisons like Victory breaking the enemy’s sword over her knee. The Ukraine War has ushered in 21st Century paradigms, and we are living those paradigms.

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:39 utc | 116

My American friends
Stock up swiftly on two of my favourite tipples – Hennessy Cognac and Jameson Whiskey – before those 200% tariffs kick in … This is War! ‘Tis War!
Posted by: Don Firineach | Mar 13 2025 18:16 utc | 104
______
Good thing I’m into California Zins and the occasional martini made with Japanese Roku…although I will miss those $7 bottles of Costco Côtes du Rhône-Villages (best wine ever at that price point!)…

Posted by: malenkov | Mar 13 2025 18:45 utc | 118

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 13 2025 18:31 utc | 110
“The more widespread drone and other attacks are on Russia the more Russians will demand justice for those crimes. Indeed, more are finally saying the entire affair from the coup onwards is one massive crime, which is 100% correct.”
<< When media narratives could no longer hide the fact that Joe was non compos mentis, it became possible to talk about an actual perceivable reality without being accused of 'conspiracy theories'--and eventually even the media picked up the thread. Same here w/ Project Ukraine, as you say above: "Indeed, more are finally saying the entire affair from the coup onwards is one massive crime, which is 100% correct." When the media narratives can no longer mask the perpetrator of the "brutal, full-scale, unprovoked, aggressive" crimes against ordinary citizens in Ukraine--people, including those in Crimes, which was still a part of Ukraine as Euromaidan happened, who did not want to live under the coup-installed neo-Nazi regime--it will be possible for reality to seep through.

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:51 utc | 120

*Crimea* not Crimes

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:54 utc | 122

108 – Putin is saying “Yes repeat no”, it seems to me, as I don’t see Kiev ceasing to mobilise, acquire weapons or train troops during the 30 days. For them the whole point is to pull themselves together after the undoubted drubbing in Sudzha.

Posted by: Waldorf | Mar 13 2025 18:56 utc | 124

I’m saying, Crimea *was not* and *is not* a Crime
<< Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:51 utc | 120 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:54 utc | 122 Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:56 utc | 123 . Just as Odessa will never be, it was and will remain a Russian city.

Posted by: Ost Rentner | Mar 13 2025 18:58 utc | 126

Live Updates from the nytimes: Putin Stops Far Short of Agreeing to a Cease-Fire, but Says He Is Open to One<< President Vladimir V. Putin voiced very preliminary support for the 30-day cease-fire proposal from the United States and Ukraine, but said that a number of “questions” remained. The Russian leader on Thursday made it clear he was in no hurry to agree to a cease-fire and wanted to continue negotiating with President Trump, telling reporters that Russia was in favor of a 30-day truce — but with numerous conditions. Speaking with the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval, DJT said there are “very serious discussions” with Putin and others as they try to finalize a 30-day cease-fire deal. “We’d like to see a cease-fire from Russia,” DJT told reporters. When asked if he will speak with VVP, DJT said he would “love to meet” and talk with him. << So the nytimes and DJT are keeping their powder dry.

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 19:02 utc | 128

119 – A Korea-type armistice is one way this thing ends. Not that I favour such an outcome, but it is a real possibility.

Posted by: Waldorf | Mar 13 2025 19:04 utc | 130

Synchronized swimmers are very good w/ finances. Must be all the controlled respiration and breathing oxygen through submerged tubes. Reminiscent of the pneumatic tubes in banking lanes.

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 19:08 utc | 132

Posted by: Waldorf | Mar 13 2025 19:04 utc | 130
#########
An armistice requires both sides.
Russia has made huge breakthroughs during the last 6 months.
What reason would they have to an armistice, which would be a fatal compromise?
I could see it if Putin has been playing a 30 year game to destroy Russia. Do you see that?

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 13 2025 19:13 utc | 134

wow usual UK channel 4 rubbish ..Putin is negative, procrastinates, says no to an unconditional ceasefire.
Well of course there must be conditions…how is it going to happen when armaments still flow to Ukraine…monitoring…deconfliction procedures de militarising etc etc?
NB the latest economic report on UK today ie sleepwalking into disaster due to decades of underfunding into social structure and military and economy etc, might have an effect on what actually UK might be able to do any further re Ukraine, despite Starmers delusional wishes.

Posted by: Jo | Mar 13 2025 19:19 utc | 136

Posted by: Jo | Mar 13 2025 19:19 utc | 136
Literally the EU and its most devoted Baltic and Nordic defense ministers just said they intend to keep shipping weapons during a ceasefire. This is precisely one reason there can’t be one.
They made Ukraine a sword, and it needs to be shattered for good.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 13 2025 19:23 utc | 138

Reading msm live feed on this in europe and politicians are all over the place, saying everything and anything that could be said. Almost funny.

Posted by: Ornot | Mar 13 2025 19:25 utc | 140

It seems to me that the big question at this moment is – will the Ukrainian military keep retreating and surrendering across the contact line? Was Kursk an exception or will we witness their national collapse? This, by its self, could signal why they want a ceasefire right away – to stop defeat from going nonlinear. If so, Russia should accelerate the fighting into their collapse.
Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 13 2025 15:06 utc | 10
The front is static or being slowly pushed back elsewhere; they might call off the ongoing counterattacks to redeploy some forces to hold the line in Sumy.
We will see what happens during the summer campaign.

Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 13 2025 19:27 utc | 142

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 13 2025 19:02 utc | 127
###########
Also many Western Ukrainians are thieves and psychopaths. Some have delusions that they can conquer Europe.
One couldn’t write a story which exceeds reality about a more dysfunctional country.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 13 2025 19:29 utc | 144

We shouldn’t forget that President Putin always compiles his commentary and addresses with the Rest Of The World/Global South/Global Majority in mind, most of whom would have seen the US ‘proposals’ as a complete non-starter; he’s now confirmed that they are indeed a complete non-starter.
Wonder if it will dawn on the Trump administration that traditional neo-con huff-puffery isn’t going to work?
As you were, gentlemen, the grinder grinds on.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2025 19:29 utc | 146

Vladimire Putin has it !
You’v either go it or you have’nt.
Credabilty and beleavabilty.
Trump, starmer, america, uk and europe ?

Posted by: Mark2 | Mar 13 2025 19:35 utc | 148

Well now that Putin is positive to a ceasefire my nagging feeling that something is wrong with this adventure is getting stronger.
https://tsargrad.tv/investigations/zolotaja-diversija-centrobanka-kroty-utashhili-zapasy-dragmetalla-na-zapad-rossiju-lishili-glavnogo-rezerva_1167620
It is important to note here that for Russia, such a situation with gold prices should be an unequivocal plus. At the end of 2024, our country retained second place in the world in terms of gold production, having produced about 330 tons of metal. In first place is China, which produced 377 tons, in third place is Australia with 277 tons.
According to analysts, despite the sanctions, our priceless wealth was still in demand abroad. They say that Russia, of course, is the “aggressor” and launched an “unprovoked attack on Ukraine”, but “give me your gold, of course.” In 2023, despite the current sanctions restrictions, Russia was in the top 6 in terms of the volume of gold sold to Switzerland, where 63.4 tons were sent. In the same year, it became one of the ten largest exporters of the precious metal and its derivatives in the world.
And indeed, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that the bulk of Russian gold is exported abroad. After all, the Central Bank did not buy this metal in 2023, and in 2024 too. In mid-2023, Reuters conducted a kind of investigation into where Russian gold actually goes in the face of the toughest sanctions. And the conclusion was interesting: to the United Arab Emirates.
Reuters notes that from February 2022 to March 2023, Russia could send 75.7 tons of gold to the UAE. Another 20 tons “went” to China and Turkey, and in total these three countries accounted for 99.8% of all Russian gold exports. Just like that.
But after 2019, and then from 2022, everything changed. At first, 90% of Russian gold went to London, and then non-residents began to profit from it. And this, according to Katasonov, happened instead of filling the Russian reserves with gold mined in Russia, which no one could touch or confiscate. The country would only get richer.

Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 13 2025 19:35 utc | 150

What the delightful Julia squealed in 2014……
Tymoshenko threatens war in leaked phone call

Posted by: Cynic | Mar 13 2025 19:38 utc | 152

What Putin said is the highly diplomatic version of GFY, its an art that both the Russian and Chinese leadership greatly understands – messaging in a way that maintains decorum while delivering a blunt message. Of course the US leadership is completely inept at such things.

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 13 2025 19:42 utc | 154

Over at Smoothies @Larch445 has posted a transcript from kremlin.ru: https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2025/03/here-is-your-response-verbatim.html including this nugget:

But first of all, I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr. Trump, for paying so much attention to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. We all have our own current affairs. But many leaders-the President of the People’s Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa-are engaged in this issue and devote a lot of time. We are grateful to all of them for this, because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission – the mission of ending hostilities and human losses.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2025 19:43 utc | 156

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 13 2025 19:42 utc | 154
And the wester merdias are unable to understand it of course.

Posted by: Naive | Mar 13 2025 19:50 utc | 158

“Been busy watching Nima’s chats and just now have read what Putin said at the presser. Here are the two main points Putin made:
“Second. We agree with the proposals for a cessation of hostilities, but we believe that this cessation must be one that leads to long-term peace and addresses the original causes of the crisis….
“Therefore, the idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it, but there are issues that we need to discuss. I think that we need to talk with our American colleagues and partners on this matter. We need to talk, perhaps call President Trump and discuss it with him. But the very idea of ending this conflict by peaceful means is supported.”
Yes, much was said about the “issues” where the ellipses are that lead to the conclusion. In other words, the answer is a polite no, this won’t work; it’s unsatisfactory. IMO, that answer won’t be swayed by anything Witkoff says to Putin this evening.
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 13 2025 18:14 utc | 102″
A honest and artful response by Putin. The big mystery. Is Trump yet another warmonger in MAGA clothes? We will know soon enough. Russia wont accept a Minsk 3. If Russia gets genuine security guarantees of course they want the war to end. Russia leaves the door open to peace if Trump genuinely wants peace. Or is it ta ta Europe you war with Russia were of to war with China as Berlectic argues?
If we regard the results of the covid event what did we witness? Supply chain cessation and argument of cessation of personal liberties for a greater cause. Cessation of many small businesses and a greater reliance on goverment for sustenance. A China war will see that x10 and permanent.
Russia always reasonable under the hyper intelligent Putin is willing to allow a continuance of the USA as a global power. Is China? With Russias guidance I think so. China has a deep angst regarding foreign domination and with good cause. Smiting the evil foreigners and those that cooperate with them is a frequent theme in Chinese cinema. China has a reactiviness currently that is contrary to many of its core values demonstrated in its culture. China is finding itself and indeed all nations are. Chinas reactivness is certainly understandable but it may be unhelpful. Its a minor if significant issue USA demand for primacy is the primary barrier to continuance.
My opinion is war with China will be a world war. Iran and Russia will be participants. WE have no idea whether there will be any restraint or the weapons that will be used. I find the idea that it will be a restrained game of I sunk your battleship in the south China sea naive. That game does not bode well for the USA so another will be played.
It comes down to this. China will be the leading military power in a decade maybe two. That is either accepted or a attempt to destroy that is implemented with the current paradigm. AI incorporated with all weapon types will yield a exponential gain in destructive potential. There is third paradigm that was presented by Russia prior to the Ukraine invasion. What Ukraine represents is a opportunity to negotiate common sense security measures where coexistence not primacy is instituted to avoid WW3 where everyone loses. Among other things this would allow precious and finite resources to be used to sustain humanity not destroy it. Russia continues to try for this third paradigm that currently does not exist. Russia under Putins guidance continues tirelessly to try to save humanity. Some of Trumps statements would suggest he is smart enough to understand that this common sense approach is the only option if we are to maintain some of the fantastic advantages of modern industrial civilization. Some malign Trumps character. Others promote it. Others including myself wonder if he really holds power for change. We can hope this or lament that. We will find out soon enough. Ukraine will be a significant indicator if there is any chance of a new paradigm emerging of cooperation to avoid destruction. If real principles of a new paradigm are demonstrated in Ukraine they must be demonstrated universally to avoid catastrophe.
We are all brothers on this planet. We can try to manifest that. It is not easy in this world where there often injustice and victims. It is clear to me new principles are demanded if we are to avoid cessation. Myself I hold hope even though I am a pessimist by nature. You know what they say. Hope springs eternal.

Posted by: antcafe | Mar 13 2025 19:54 utc | 160

karlof1 | Mar 13 2025 18:31 utc | 110
*** Russian courts continue to sentence Ukrainian neo-Nazis and mercenaries for their war crimes.***
Ridiculously mild sentences for what they’ve done.
And they’ll likely soon be swapped with NATO like happened before, and then get back to murdering Russians.

Posted by: Cynic | Mar 13 2025 20:02 utc | 162

Posted by: Cynic | Mar 13 2025 20:02 utc | 162
There were some rumors that US mercenaries or Nato officers were caught in the Kursk bulge. Funnily enough, the imminent ceasefire requests were launched the next day after Kursk bulge had all but collapsed.
Somehow feels reminiscent to the special negotiations in Istanbul after Mariupol, when there were also said to be Nato officers in the Azovstal basements.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 13 2025 20:09 utc | 164

@ Waldorf | Mar 13 2025 19:04 utc | 130
re:A Korea-type armistice is one way this thing ends.
Yes. Korea is the gift to the Pentagon which keeps on giving for 71 years plus, demanding 76,000 troops in Japan and Korea. Trump tried to end it but wasn’t allowed to. I guess that the PTB ran a video of Dealey Plaza for him.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 13 2025 20:19 utc | 166

Menz@165….no one dies playing Chess or Monopoly…..surely you can tell the difference….
Cheers M
…that’s the issue, when the game is to stuff as many pockets as possible, on both sides, profits over life every time….

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Mar 13 2025 20:33 utc | 168

berthold — as someone said, President Trump’s opponents take him literally but not seriously. The rest of us take him seriously but not literally.
It is absolutely obvious that he is throwing up dust to confuse his many opponents in the US Congress (government shutdown coming!), in the US legal system (every Far Left judge is trying to shut down all his programs), in the media (all extreme anti-American Leftists) and in Europe (enough said!). It says something about his opponents that he has so far managed to fool & distract them all the time.

Posted by: Gavin Longmuir | Mar 13 2025 20:34 utc | 170

AFU attack in Toretsk has reportedly been defeated/stopped. That is another ‘trump card’ gone from Zelensky.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 13 2025 20:40 utc | 172

Further to my last comment…
If trump wants ‘it’ right now, he should fold his hand of ukraine cards walk away and let Europe take the consequences. And biden the blame.
Where they’v belonged since the Skriple deception.

Posted by: Mark2 | Mar 13 2025 20:43 utc | 174

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 18:51 utc | 120
Ayup. You got it, all of it. It will take a while to wear them all down. In the meantime there might not be much of a rump Ukraine left. The West and Kiev are not desirable and probably need to be subdued to get rid of all the crud.
Last time, the exit to South America was over Bolzano in Northern Italy with the assistance of Pope Pius XII.

Posted by: Acco Hengst | Mar 13 2025 20:46 utc | 176

This should help things along nicely:

Ukraine presented the US with “red lines” for peace talks, NATO among them-source
At a meeting in Jeddah, Ukraine, among other things, assured the American side that it would not agree to abandon NATO membership in the framework of a possible “peace agreement”
A source involved in the negotiations explained this to Evropeyskaya Pravda.
The interlocutor of EvroPravda stressed that the meeting did not provide for agreeing on a position on a major agreement, but the Ukrainian side informed its American partners about its “red lines”.
“We also discussed the issue of NATO, and we clearly said that for Ukraine it cannot be removed from the agenda,” he explained.
The EP’s interlocutor also explained that during the talks, other key positions of future negotiations for Ukraine were also discussed.
“For Ukraine, there are red lines-in particular, that there can be no restrictions on the size of the army, and there can be no prohibitions on Ukraine’s participation [in international organizations], including in the EU and NATO. The question [of the red line regarding] NATO was also raised from Yermak that Russia should not have the right of veto, ” he said.

https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2025/03/13/7207140/ (via translation add-on.)

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2025 20:49 utc | 178

Ukraine fires drones with anti-personnel cluster munitions deliberately at civilian areas on Moscow.
In response complete silence from the west.
This tells you the political reality: the west is a society based on militarised racial loathing, with a murderous amoral agenda. With fast disappearing democratic credentials. So it’s a simple objective fact, not polemic, that Western Europe is the Nazi Fourth Reich engaged in Barbarossa 2.0.
Europe have repeated the trick today with French satellite imagery deliberately enabling another attack against civilians only.
Again only silence or assent from the Nazi-and-proud-of-it west.
The world is seeing this and will respond accordingly.

Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Mar 13 2025 20:54 utc | 180

@ karlof1 | Mar 13 2025 18:14 utc | 102
Putin — the eyes have it (pun)
The Ideas are correct, but
the Issues require discussion.
There’s a good politician.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 13 2025 18:32 utc | 112
———————————————
Live Updates from the nytimes: Putin Stops Far Short of Agreeing to a Cease-Fire, but Says He Is Open to One.
So the nytimes and DJT are keeping their powder dry.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 19:02 utc | 128
————————————————————
NYT would rather fight than switch, using a popular 1960 cigarette commercial (Tareyton).
DJT put himself in a box to get action. Putin is not saying no, he is properly Japanese, saying ‘Maybe’, we need to discuss this. Just like the SMO, the Russian will grind it out unless somebody or something balks and breaks. The Vietnam Peace Talks took how long?
In the meantime the beat, excuse me, the beatings go on. Well, at least until morale improves.

Posted by: Acco Hengst | Mar 13 2025 20:58 utc | 182

Most funny thing about that “Ball is in your court” thing is that the ball is not a ball but a bomb that will explode at any given time xD

Posted by: Macpott | Mar 13 2025 21:03 utc | 184

Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 13 2025 20:32 utc | 167
My guess is that the Kiev forces who surrendered in Kursk were actual kiev forces who will end up back with their families at some stage, but those who skidaddled as quick as they could were mercenaries, whom, if caught, might well be executed.
A brilliant guess, of the highest order!
However, dear Hermius, we must also see that there was no gradual, predictable collapse… It was months and months of the same slow and gradual tactic. Suddenly, in two days, the house fell down!

Posted by: Elber | Mar 13 2025 21:06 utc | 186

like Iran and Iraq during their decade-long war in the 80s.

Posted by: Definitely Not Me | Mar 13 2025 20:56 utc | 181
Mmm… not really seeing that parallel; remember that from Russia’s viewpoint this is a Special Military Operation, not all-out war. So… they are deploying what they see as the minimum necessary to achieve their objectives, which is far, far different from deploying the maximum available.
If Russia had deployed their “maximum available” I could probably see the column of smoke rising from here, as I’m sat on my sofa; actually I’d probably be looking at several columns of smoke, some as close as RAF Fairford and Salisbury Plain…
Escalation dominance hasn’t gone away…

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 13 2025 21:11 utc | 188

Which will make Madame Lagarde, a former synchronized swimmer, all the more intent on tapping private savings accounts in EU banks.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 13 2025 19:06 utc | 131
———————————————————
Amazing! Thank You.
I did not know that she had any skills beyond being an upper class French grifter with an amazing eye for where cameras are located.

Posted by: Acco Hengst | Mar 13 2025 21:13 utc | 190

I love me the smell of oligarch feuds as shown by Reuters

Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 13 2025 21:17 utc | 192

My opinion is war with China will be a world war. Iran and Russia will be participants.
Posted by: antcafe | Mar 13 2025 19:54 utc | 160
North Korea would likely join the party as well. I’d also think that China, Iran & NK would throw in should the West attempt to take on Russia directly, but IMHO Russia wouldn’t need the help at this point. NATO’s a paper tiger.

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Mar 13 2025 21:22 utc | 194

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Mar 13 2025 21:25 utc | 195
##########
Very good call.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 13 2025 21:26 utc | 196

Posted by: NH | Mar 13 2025 21:14 utc | 191
RF President Putin was quite impressive with the statement alongside the ByeloRussian President Lukashenko. Details, details, you cannot fail with details.
The details of the logistics of a ceasefire showed Putin’s ability to drill down to the nuts and bolts of the situation. It’s nice to see. It’s so rare in the West to have such politicians.
How to resolve violations of the ceasefire? Are Ukrainian war criminals going to get a free pass to return for more training in rape, murder, theft, vandalism, stealing and so on? Just to raise these practical questions is to answer them in the negative. Putin is showing how the West is agreement incapable. They’re not even able to conceptualize the solution to such questions.
If you keep providing arms to the other side, if you keep sending your own mercenaries, if you keep stealing our assets, if you keep sanctioning our country, what the f*** do you expect? Clean up your mess, loser, and then we can talk.
A very polite and skilful “no”. Well done, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
***
My goal is to congratulate you and at the same time transcribe such a brilliant comment!

Posted by: Elber | Mar 13 2025 21:31 utc | 198

There is no way zelensky would be acepted into the EU or NATO. And no way he will be acepted by America. Thats an end to it.
He dosent wear a suit !!. And he’s short.

Posted by: Mark2 | Mar 13 2025 21:38 utc | 200