The Ukraine war thread

[Renauda]

Perhaps Trump should find out and have a conversation with him or her as to who exactly sets policy in these matters. Right now the shadowy culprit appears to be Eldridge Colby.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/why-the-pentagons-pause-on-weapons-to-ukraine-backfired/?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--CcL7Rmk7Wxxb8BfLJ4IByxBy3XGKBqdcVb8nzQT3UKNgi7wscfB_BsKkYQ5S0HDEh5lctD2YI3tM4zbxgq6xw6N4uoA&_hsmi=370403849&utm_content=370403849&utm_source=hs_email

[Mik]

Well, here's a different viewpoint. I think it's a little giddy after Iran, but it doesn't hurt if Putin is thinking this way.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/putin-has-pushed-trump-too-far-he-may-not-like-what-happens-next/ar-AA1Ihx9K

[jon-nyc]

This reminds me of when, in his first term after failing over and over to repeal Obamacare, Trump said ‘nobody know health care could be so hard’, when really everybody except for him knew.

[jon-nyc]

Big if true.

[jon-nyc]

They’re not wrong but maybe ‘his side’ will align with the victim rather than the perp for a while.

[Wim]

First create a scarce, then resume deliveries and have others pay for them.
Oh, and give Russia 50 extra days to scorch Ukraine
The Donald is a genius!

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c36xrr9kj11t

[jon-nyc]

The tariff threat is bizarre. We buy more from Nicaragua. Since 22 our trade with them has plummeted.

[Renauda]

The Moscow stock exchange went up almost 3% following Trump’s announcement.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62g6e8zvd4o

[jon-nyc]

[Mik]

Might have been more effective had he done this January 22.

[jon-nyc]

Hadn’t considered this but it makes sense. A woman born in Yugoslavia is going to know who the Russians really are

[89th]

Masterclass in negotiation!

[Wim]

Methinks Melania did NOT forget how she was portrayed in Russian media.
She probably knows better than anyone else how to 'redirect' Donald.

[jon-nyc]

Good to know.

[89th]

Delusions

[Renauda]

Kremlin responds to Trump’s statements of the past 48 hours:

https://kyivindependent.com/mass-attack-hits-cities-overnight-as-ukrainians-brace-for-50-more-days-of-russian-terror/

Trump barks, Putin laughs:

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56429

[Wim]

I think that he's trying to highlight that NATO still has the capacity to give Russia a bloody nose and Kaliningrad would be a particularly bloody nose."

"https://kyivindependent.com/why-a-us-generals-kaliningrad-threat-to-russia-is-so-significant-07-2025/

[Renauda]

The Kremlin on Monday neither confirmed nor denied that a visit by the U.S. envoy would take place this week, saying only that it was “always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow.”

I’m sure they just rejoice when Trump’s trusted hand picked amateur diplomat, Mr. Dimwit, shows up at the door. Not only good for laugh or two afterward but makes for great fodder for domestic lampooning of the USA and the Western democracies in general.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/08/04/trump-says-special-envoy-witkoff-to-visit-russia-in-coming-days-a90083

[jon-nyc]

This is already embarrassing you just know he’ll get rolled again. A megadose of flattery and Putin’s off to the races while Trump tells his buddies “no really guys, I’m serious, the stripper really liked me’.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/europe/putin-trump-meeting-ukraine-russia-intl

[Axtremus]

Here in the USA, we see and read more about Ukraine's victories and Russia's losses, yet here is where things currently stand:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/08/09/ukraine-zelensky-trump-russia-meeting/

Ukraine controls only a small toehold in Russia’s western Kursk region. Russia, meanwhile, controls around a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.