Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Kallisto]

Eh...we don't particularly care about what Russia says now, but when negotiating, if in good faith, we do need a baseline to work from.

As for the bolded part: Hungary might be a big issue with Orban.

And the Slovak PM and maybe Erdo if he wants something.

[Nymrohd]

Like this fat fuck, gives a single flying fuck what happens to his people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine

If someone else kills them, he can't sell them as slave labour though.

[Iphie]

Social media is saying a certain air defense system near Kerch got ATACMS'ed...

Rumours, of course

Slightly more legit

[Corvus]

I'd want some evidence first, but given the s500 is a prototype which they claim can defend against everything, having it destroyed by old weapons would be hilarious. And irreplaceable.

[Iphie]

Yeah, I'm stating what I saw on SM and I thought people would get a giggle out of the thought.

The news ranges from total loss to "just a scratch".

Time will tell.

On that note I saw one mention of Zelensky being open to negotiations with rUSSRia?

[Corvus]

Zelensky has always been open to negotiations. It's just pootie isn't and his demands are totally unacceptable to anyone.

[ringpriest]

For the millionth time: RUSSIA IS SEING NATO AS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT. It has been told by scholars, diplomats, prime ministers, military personnel A BILLION times.

When NATO started putting the anti ballistic shield in EU and Russia wanted to cooperate with them, we said no. When Russia asked for legal reassurances when we put the MK-41 launchers in Romania, that we will NOT put the nuclear capable tomahawks in there, we said no. The list goes on and on and on.

They are afraid of NATO, we keep ignoring them and this is exactly where our fault is

This is untrue. I won't venture into whether or not you understand that. But for other readers, I'll point out that if Russia saw NATO as an existential threat, then a policy and leader doubling Russia's border with NATO would have to be seen as a catastrophic failure, followed by a swift change of policy and leadership. Yet no such change has occurred.

Likewise, if Russia saw NATO as an existential threat, then stripping that immense border bare of soldiers would be a foolish and dangerous decision that would be swiftly reversed. And yet... Russia has moved almost all troops from Finnish border to Ukraine.

Now, there is one element of Russia that is deathly afraid of some things NATO has: Putin (and the kleptocratic kakistocracy he sits atop) are deathly afraid of... democracy and rule of law. Not some utopian dream of democracy, but practical "public government in the public interest" and even semi-functional government of laws instead of personal interest spell doom for Putin and his pals. That, and greed, and are the primary motivations for Putin's challenge to the post-WWII order. A free and functional neighboring state, with even a semblance of rule of law, democracy, and the prosperity that accompany them, does pose an existential threat to the criminal regime Putin leads.

And, it is my personal belief that the overwhelming majority of Putin's supporters and apologists want to live in a similar regime, where they imagine they would be on the top (or, at least, above many others). Such selfish, would-be abusers are, of course, largely fools whose fate in such a regime would inevitably be to, sooner or later, find themselves gunshot and dying, cold and alone, railing not against the leaders who sent them to their deaths, but against their executioners for refusing to lie down and die.

[Iphie]

"Kakistocracy", love that word. In practice no system can ever be a true kakistocracy since the system would fall apart on contact with reality, but it's as good a descriptor as any for pootie's regine.

[Ripster42]

"Kakistocracy", love that word. In practice no system can ever be a true kakistocracy since the system would fall apart on contact with reality, but it's as good a descriptor as any for pootie's regine.

Inertia isn't just for physical objects, and political inertia isn't always detrimental. The US from 2017-2021 was the closest I've ever seen to a true kakistocracy, and the political inertia essentially saved the US. That being said, kakistocracy doesn't describe the RU. From a major position of weakness, they're 1/2way to destroying democracy in the US, and shrank the EU mostly using twitter and illegal political donations.

[diller]

I wish Orban would stop being an idiot and suggesting a ceasefire.

[Mayhem]

I wish Orban would stop being an idiot.

You, lots of Hungarians and most of Europe.

[Iphie]

I have no issues with a ceasefire, as long as it's on Ukraine's terms i.e. russia fucks off from all internationally recognised Ukrainian territory.

[Elder Millennial]

I wish Orban would stop being an idiot and suggesting a ceasefire.

He's not an idiot. He's Moscow's spokesperson. He's doing Moscow's PR.

As someone with Hungarian ancestry, whose Hungarian side of the family carries generational trauma caused by Russians going back to WW2 and 1956, the Hungarian alignment with Moscow is one the weirdest things ever.

Given, I never lived in Hungary and my cultural ties to the country aren't fresh or up to date, but I truly didn't realize how disconnected I am.

[KrayZ33]

He's not an idiot. He's Moscow's spokesperson. He's doing Moscow's PR.

Thats just confirming he's an idiot ;).

[Kaleredar]

He's not an idiot. He's Moscow's spokesperson. He's doing Moscow's PR.

As someone with Hungarian ancestry, whose Hungarian side of the family carries generational trauma caused by Russians going back to WW2 and 1956, the Hungarian alignment with Moscow is one the weirdest things ever.

Given, I never lived in Hungary and my cultural ties to the country aren't fresh or up to date, but I truly didn't realize how disconnected I am.

I mean, it's easy enough to explain for Orban. Money/power.

As for Hungary overall, I have no real insight into the subject, but if I had to guess it's probably something similar to how the conservatives/GOP in the US, the former "classic enemies of the USSR" and the biggest driving force behind the "red scare," are now suddenly buddy-buddy with Russia it's because a select group of conservative pundits and politicians easily bought off by Russian money instead pitch their audiences to be afraid instead of some "other" group that's "worse" than the Russians. In the US that's demonizing immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, "socialists," and so on and so forth. Is there some well of prejudice in Hungary that Russia has found a way to tap?

[Corvus]

Well, the meeting between orban and pootie went as well as expected. Pootie rejected any ceasefire and said the war would only end with the complete destruction of Ukrainian statehood.

[Kaleredar]

Well, the meeting between orban and pootie went as well as expected. Pootie rejected any ceasefire and said the war would only end with the complete destruction of Ukrainian statehood.

And Where are our resident Russian apologists who claimed that “Russia doesn’t want Ukraine, it just wants to make sure it’s safe from NATO?”


They’re like trump supporters. It becomes really hard to maintain an illusion of morality when the person you’re making excuses for has none and will do and say anything at a moment’s notice.

[Elder Millennial]

They’re like trump supporters. It becomes really hard to maintain an illusion of morality when the person you’re making excuses for has none and will do and say anything at a moment’s notice.

The only way to protect Russia from NATO is by the annihilation of Ukrainian statehood and nationhood.

S/

[Kaleredar]

The only way to protect Russia from NATO is by the annihilation of Ukrainian statehood and nationhood.

S/

Funnily enough, if Russia absorbs Ukraine, it will actually be expanding Russia’s border with NATO

[Saradain]

Funnily enough, if Russia absorbs Ukraine, it will actually be expanding Russia’s border NATO

How long until Ulmita and other "but but NATO" shitposters return, hoping we have forgotten the dismantling of that lie among the thousands?