Russian invasion of Ukraine

[LeGin v4]

Xi should consider how much better his position in the multipolar world would be if Europe had a better relation to China than it does to the US. And while that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, it's not now. I know a lot of people around the world would rather see Europe humbled and reduced in importance but I just don't see it happening. It is not a great power, but it still has significant wealth and resources that cannot be replaced by Central Asia or Africa (and definitely not by Russia).

I'm hoping this'll be a unifying event for Europe in lots of different respects

Trump has trivialised Putin's psychopathic aggression. Reduced it to something along the lines of: "stop bickering, you silly schoolboys". Both of them can go fuck themselves. Vance is doing his christofascist, blame-the-Muzzies thing.

EU has to galvanise in the face of this, not fragment

[Nymrohd]

I'm hoping this'll be a unifying event for Europe in lots of different respects

Trump has trivialised Putin's psychopathic aggression. Reduced it to something along the lines of: "stop bickering, you silly schoolboys". Both of them can go fuck themselves. Vance is doing his christofascist, blame-the-Muzzies thing.

EU has to galvanise in the face of this, not fragment

But that cannot happen. Every major economy in the EU has an unstable government

[Jastall]

He grabs some freshly made popcorn or 爆米花 (bào mǐ huā) and watches as his opponents destroy each other.

China has won without lifting a finger, and I applaud them for that.

There's not much to applaud them for. All this is America's own doing. Russia helped a tiny bit perhaps but I think loads of people vastly overestimate the reach of its troll farms. Americans don't need foreigners to help them make stupid decisions.

Plus, who knows if China will actually be able to reap the benefits of this nonsense on the medium term, considering they themselves aren't in the best position economically speaking as of now, Trump tariffs might hit them decently hard, the Taiwan issue is looming for them, and I low-key predict an internal bloodbath at the Party when Xi croaks, which might not happen now but nobody's immortal. IMO Europe will just roll its eyes for four consecutive years and may distance itself somewhat from the US but I doubt you'll see some sort of great, mass movement towards China or anyone else.

[Edge-]

There's not much to applaud them for.

Especially if you're remotely aware of the massive internal problems and ticking time-bombs within China as well. Calling China a winner is very, very, very premature.

[Shadowferal]

I think if China starts seeing things as a world problem their going to be juggernaut moving.

[Flarelaine]

JD selling out Ukraine in Munich

Isn't Munich just the right place?

[LeGin v4]

Isn't Munich just the right place?

Lots of options. Try his luck in Ukraine again. Georgia?

NATO’s fucked, so Estonia? Finland?

Follow through on the North Sea nuclear tsunami threat and obliterate the east of England.

Lots of potential. It’s worked once so why wouldn’t it work again.

[Kaleredar]

Especially if you're remotely aware of the massive internal problems and ticking time-bombs within China as well. Calling China a winner is very, very, very premature.

Not to mention… if people’s issues with Trump are his autocratic, dictatorial tendencies, desired control for censorship, government opacity and book cooking… China is all of those things already.

People are just saying, at that point, that they want a fully realized Trump leadership but in a more predictable and less outwardly crass form.

[Nymrohd]

Not to mention… if people’s issues with Trump are his autocratic, dictatorial tendencies, desired control for censorship, government opacity and book cooking… China is all of those things already.

People are just saying, at that point, that they want a fully realized Trump leadership but in a more predictable and less outwardly crass form.

My issues with Trump is him destabilizing the economy and the geopolitical map. I loathe his stances on social issues and the way he conducts himself politically but ultimately I don't live in the USA so that part is very much secondary to me.

Historically China is very problematic for the economy of anyone engaging with them but on geopolitics they are usually a rational actor.

[LeGin v4]

People are just saying, at that point, that they want a fully realized Trump leadership but in a more predictable and less outwardly crass form.

Who’s saying that?

Nym made a facetious remark about learning Mandarin.

China can fuck off too

[Nymrohd]

Who’s saying that?

Nym made a facetious remark about learning Mandarin.

China can fuck off too

Oh lol, I actually did learn Mandarin. But I was so bad at it I barely got the lowest certification.

[Corvus]

Well Zelensky pointed out the obvious -Europe can't rely on the US to honour its commitments anymore so a European army is necessary.

[PhaelixWW]

Well Zelensky pointed out the obvious -Europe can't rely on the US to honour its commitments anymore so a European army is necessary.

Congratulations, Russia. You didn't want a threat on your doorstep?

This is how you get a threat on your doorstep.

[Nymrohd]

Congratulations, Russia. You didn't want a threat on your doorstep?

This is how you get a threat on your doorstep.

I mean, it has to happen first. And it won't. Not with multiple EU countries under open Russian influence and with the EU's largest economy this far up its own ass.

[Iphie]

Well Zelensky pointed out the obvious -Europe can't rely on the US to honour its commitments anymore so a European army is necessary.

I would love to see that, as well as a robust military-industrial complex with better regulation than in the US. Just so we're no longer dependent on the Yanks.

[PhaelixWW]

I mean, it has to happen first. And it won't. Not with multiple EU countries under open Russian influence and with the EU's largest economy this far up its own ass.

I mean... don't be so sure.

Russia's "military superpower" stock has gone waaaaaay down over the last 3 years and if the rest of Europe decides to even half-ass an increase in their military capability, it'll certainly qualify as a threat to the weakened Russia.

[Gorsameth]

I mean... don't be so sure.

Russia's "military superpower" stock has gone waaaaaay down over the last 3 years and if the rest of Europe decides to even half-ass an increase in their military capability, it'll certainly qualify as a threat to the weakened Russia.

The EU is a serious threat to Russia already.

But that is a very different reality from a unified EU army.

[Nymrohd]

I mean... don't be so sure.

Russia's "military superpower" stock has gone waaaaaay down over the last 3 years and if the rest of Europe decides to even half-ass an increase in their military capability, it'll certainly qualify as a threat to the weakened Russia.

It would. I just don't see Europe agreeing on anything. The only people who seem serious about this are the Baltics who are next in line to be attacked but just don't have the economy to pull something like this, Poland and maybe France? And with France it is just Macron who keeps talking about this; it is extremely unclear what happens in the next French presidential elections. If the French people are given the choice between a left wing candidate and Le Pen, I think Le Pen will actually win.

[Timester]

Are we back to talking as Russia is a real threat to anyone? Just two weeks ago the donkeys footage came out. Two weeks.

Russia as a country is one step of collapsing harder than Soviet Union in 1991. Putin depends on the war economy to maintain control and can't even fully retake Kursk. Showing fear to such a failed state should be laughable.

It would. I just don't see Europe agreeing on anything. The only people who seem serious about this are the Baltics who are next in line to be attacked but just don't have the economy to pull something like this, Poland and maybe France? And with France it is just Macron who keeps talking about this; it is extremely unclear what happens in the next French presidential elections. If the French people are given the choice between a left wing candidate and Le Pen, I think Le Pen will actually win.

Europe agrees on one thing, markets. Rebuilding Ukraine is a perfect market just next door. That's why the EU invested so much so far.

[Gorsameth]

Are we back to talking as Russia is a real threat to anyone? Just two weeks ago the donkeys footage came out. Two weeks.

Russia as a country is one step of collapsing harder than Soviet Union in 1991. Putin depends on the war economy to maintain control and can't even fully retake Kursk. Showing fear to such a failed state should be laughable.



Europe agrees on one thing, markets. Rebuilding Ukraine is a perfect market just next door. That's why the EU invested so much so far.

No one is worried about Russia today, they slightly worry about Russia in 10-20 years after they rebuild their military