The Ukraine war thread

[Mik]

This is an old claim. I doubt he would be stupid enough to misbehave in Russia.

[Renauda]

@Wim

I saw that earlier today. There have been other articles published the past year or so citing Mussayev’s claims. He appears to have been at this for some time.

I am of the opinion that there is nothing there and that Mussayev is conjuring this up to get attention in the hope of gaining recognition as an “expert/influencer” and cashing in on what that role offers in the charged populist dichotomy of our times. Even if there is a grain of truth in his claims, I highly doubt any serious kompromat on Trump involves women of any age group. Rather, it would be of a financial nature involving investments of ill gotten Russian money into Trump family owned properties. Essentially Putin knows and has the paperwork showing who, when, where and how much to the penny was involved in laundering money via the Trump syndicate.

[Mik]

I think you're quite right that financial shenanigans would be much more likely.

[Wim]

The claim that Kazakhstan tried something on Trump in 2017 was -at least for me- a new element.

[Renauda]

New to me as well but, all the same, not at all compelling for the simple reason it places too many people in the know.

[Renauda]

WTF, is he talking about?

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump on Tuesday said Ukraine had "better come to the table fast."

Trump has previously signalled his impatience with the lack of swift progress in solving the four-year conflict.

I wonder why, the lack of progress?

Wait a minute…..

Anne Applebaum gets it. Why can’t the WH narcissist demagogue?

[Mik]

Insanity.

[Renauda]

Cleese cuts out an important portion of the interview - an even better short of the interview with Applebaum:

[Axtremus]

Yeah ... quite likely the alternative will put in a better team to deal with this. (And yes, I also saw the AOC thread.)

[Renauda]

Indeed, Nikki Haley would have had professional diplomats and security specialist take the lead. Nor would she have let Putin con or intimidate the US.

[Axtremus]

NYT's news analysis starts leads with this headline:

Trump Bets on Diplomacy Without Diplomats

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/us/politics/trump-witkoff-kushner-diplomacy.html