The Brink of War?

[cdnmatt]

Besides, looks like turkey is moving closer towards NATO anf ruther away from Russia these days anyway. Three things:

1.) Recently, allowed Zelensky to return to Ukraine from Turkey with five Azoc commanders. It previously was a prisoner swap of the Azov soldiers captured in Mariupol, and deal was those five commanders would remain in Turkey for the duation of the war, hence Turkey broke the agreement.

2.) Russia wants to pull out of the grain deal allowing safe passage of grain exports from Ukrain's ports. Turkey stepped in and said it will unilaterally enforce the deal if necessary, going against Russia.

3.) Natrually, Turkey has said it will approve Sweden's membership into NATO.

[Moses]

Besides, looks like turkey is moving closer towards NATO anf ruther away from Russia these days anyway. Three things:

1.) Recently, allowed Zelensky to return to Ukraine from Turkey with five Azoc commanders. It previously was a prisoner swap of the Azov soldiers captured in Mariupol, and deal was those five commanders would remain in Turkey for the duation of the war, hence Turkey broke the agreement.

2.) Russia wants to pull out of the grain deal allowing safe passage of grain exports from Ukrain's ports. Turkey stepped in and said it will unilaterally enforce the deal if necessary, going against Russia.

3.) Natrually, Turkey has said it will approve Sweden's membership into NATO.

It is Turkey, they know how to sit on 2 chairs at the same time.
Just hint: there will be Putin's visit to Turkey in August.

[Dragonman]

Just hint: there will be Putin's visit to Turkey in August.

That sounds ominous, except that TASS reported 5 days ago (headlined "Erdogan repeats that he expects Putin to visit Turkey in August. According to Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, there have been no new phone calls between the Russian and Turkish presidents") that (a) Putin was only "expected" to visit Turkey in August, (b) the visit is supposed to discuss the grain corridor and the Ukrainian conflict, and (c) the the lack of progress on the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum concerning the implementation of Russia’s demands concerning exports of its food and fertilizers, re-connecting Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT and some other matters (https://tass.com/politics/1644761).

[cdnmatt]

It is Turkey, they know how to sit on 2 chairs at the same time.
Just hint: there will be Putin's visit to Turkey in August.

Hate to break it to you, but Putin's political stick on the world stage has gotten much smaller over the past 16 months. People don't take him as seriously anymore as they would have a couple years ago.

[latintopxxx]

I wish you guys would stop discussing this as if ita a soccer competition, if informatiion gleamed from public records is to believed over 50,000 young Russian men have died, dozens of cities in the Ukraine have been pulverised killing thousands of innocents and displacing millions....all because putin wants to turn back the clock by force when he simply could have bought what he wanted with the gazzilions in oil revenue...

[Dodger]

............Putin's political stick on the world stage has gotten much smaller over the past 16 months. People don't take him as seriously anymore as they would have a couple years ago.

Totally agree in concept, with two corrections;

a) Putin's political stick has done more than just shrink over the past 16 months - it has been "miniaturized" to where he now has as much political clout as Jamaica.

b) I believe people still take him seriously. Seriously insane.

I know that there's nothing funny about this situation at all - but I can't help but imagine how Putin would react it Belarus stopped answering his phone calls and applied for NATO membership...beyond hilarious!!!...

[Dragonman]

..... when he simply could have bought what he wanted with the gazzilions in oil revenue...

Unfortunately, it was never as simple as that.

Trump offered to buy Greenland but was told in no uncertain terms that "Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously” (Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, during a visit to Greenland, August 2019).

The last major country to buy territories was the USA, which bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, the Philippines from Spain in 1898, and the Danish Virgin Islands in 1917. In each case, however, the native inhabitants were not consulted about the sale by the occupying power.

It is clear that Ukraine would not have sold its occupied territories for any amount of money.

Moreover, psychologists who have analyzed Putin's behavior and career believe he needs the forceful annexation of the Ukrainian territories to cement his place in Russian history (see, e.g., https://www.e-ir.info/2022/11/28/opi...-with-ukraine/). He will undoubtedly secure his place in history - but not in the way he intended.

[arsenal]

Since WW2 ended.

Korea. USA
Hungary. Soviet
Cuba. USA
Vietnam. USA
Czechoslovakia. Soviet
Afghanistan. Soviet
Grenada. USA
Nicaragua. USA
Afghanistan. USA
Iraq. USA
Syria. Russia
Ukraine. Russia


The unspoken thing. Both sides use these wars to keep the military battle ready. Putin could have invaded Ukraine at any time, after all the supposed Nazis haven't turned suddenly up in the last 14 months. He waited until the US and its allies were knackered from 20 years of pointless warring in Afghanistan.

[Moses]

===Syria. Russia===
Bullshit: Russia is invited, not invaded to Syria. Russia is officially in Syria by invitation of ruling govt. USA is also in Syria, but it is against will of Syrian govt.

Also you forgot:
Iraq UK + EU
Falklands UK

In total there were (or still going) 68 military conflicts in 21st century on Earth.

[arsenal]

I didn't suggest all were invasions. Merely that all are armed conflicts and are used as live trainng exercises.

Urban. Check
Dessert. Check
Jungle.USA,check. Russia, try Bali or Bhutan or somewhere like that.
Sea. Check.
Air. Check.