NATO: Our commitment to Article 5, our collective defence clause, is iron-clad. We will protect and defend every inch of NATO territory.
NATO is a defensive Alliance. We do not seek conflict with Russia. Russia must immediately stop the war. Pull out all its forces from Ukraine. And engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts. The world stands with Ukraine in calling for peace.
NATO Allies provide different types of military support: material, anti-tank weapons, air defense systems and other types of military equipment for Ukraine, humanitarian aid and also financial support. But NATO is not to be part of the conflict. NATO is not going to send the troops into Ukraine or move planes into Ukrainian airspace.
President of Poland Andrzej Duda- we are not sending any jets to Ukraine because that would open a military interference in the Ukrainian conflict. We are not joining that conflict. NATO is not a party to that conflict. However as I said, we are supporting Ukrainians with humanity aid. However, we are not going to send any jets to the Ukrainian airspace.
BBC- Sanctions round-up
Mark Steyn- War in Europe: Day Five
Which brings us to this last day of February 2022. Which is beginning to feel like late February 2020, don’t you think? That is, in the stampede to impose the suffocating blanket of “the narrative” to the exclusion of all else. There is certainly a real country called Ukraine, where real people are being killed by real missiles hitting their apartment houses. Just as there was a real virus called Covid-19, which emerged from a real lab in a real city in China and began killing real people all over the world. Yet “the narrative”, then as now, seems designed to obscure any serious consideration of the underlying causes.
In 1938, when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, the Prime Minister went on the radio and described it as “a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing”. For America, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the precise opposite: a quarrel in a far-away country of which their leaders know everything. Because they’ve been up to their neck in it for years.
Francisco- My two cents. Given the bumbling idiots and incompetent institutions we have in charge these days all over the western world I don’t have a lot of confidence in them resolving this problem in a way that doesn’t make it worse or drags the rest of us down with it. Innocent people everywhere are already getting hurt in one way or another.
We got a quick glimpse of what kind of chaos economic sanctions can cause last week when Ottawa pulled them on its own citizens. The notion that we can just “unplug” Russia from everything without inflecting any kind of harm on ourselves seems naïve. It’s doubtful that anyone even knows how that will all play out given how complicated and interconnected global finance and economics are these days. It also doesn’t take Russia’s nuclear weapons off the table, if anything it gives them more reason to be in play.
I don’t have a solution to this but all sides need to be able to claim some kind of victory and encouraged to de-escalate. Also, Canada is pretty much irrelevant here. We don’t have any hard power, or soft power, or the economic clout to do anything meaningful. It would be nice if our politicians stopped pretending like we do.
Well, Putin just won…Zelenski is not going to join NATO now.
Just like what we see now on our streets: people getting beaten, mugged, raped, assaulted and everyone else filming it instead of helping the victim.
A very nice analogy. Yes, the world is standing-by taking photos of the mayhem. Worse, still … all they’re REALLY doing is re-Tweeting photos and clips filmed by Ukrainians. Just more weepy-faced Tweets … of the same bomb blast over and over and over …
Odd. Wasn’t NATO pushing Ukraine to join them?
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Why is it always impossible to to kill those who create the pain and suffering that the average man has to endure?
Because Jodi Foster is too old, and too gay to impress anymore? /sarc.
Castreau? Stop pretending? His whole life is one big charade – getting people to believe he’s not a narcissistic sociopath who’ll destroy anyone daring to dissent. And at least 30% of Canadians have bought the pretense.
Not good enough for the Davos Uniparty, Soros/Clinton Deep State Neocon bootlicks looking to increase their grift inside the Beltway. They want WAR. And the little toadies (that just last week claimed they loathed all these very same Globohomos) keep cheering them on. Right, Colonialidiot?
You’re being played again.
“Two weeks to flatten the Czar.”
—Mark Steyn
Sound familiar?
And you don’t want him flat, you want him at full staff, yes we get, we get it, you can come out of the closet now.
Did “Not Another Travel Order” use that same rationale when they bombed Libya, Syria?
Looks like to stand with Ukraine is to stand wit Klown Slob…
The Russian government and Russian companies owe a lot of money to creditors in Europe and the West. Sanctions make it exponentially harder for them to service those debts, which can poke holes in the balance sheets of creditors. Everyone needs to be careful what they wish for.
Russia could disappear tomorrow and the world would be fine. All of Russia’s “vast” exports, everything, is less than Vietnam.
30 years of investing in Russia by the US, about $100 billion. Americans spend $80 billion EVERY YEAR on lawn care.
Is Trudeau sending Ukraine our military supplies in 2022 equivalent to Trudeau sending China our PPE in 2020?
What exactly would we have that would be of any use to them?
Night vision equipment, ammo, medical gear, body armor there is plenty.
Also 100 Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle with 2K rounds of ammo.
Justin pleases his Chinese bosses.
He morally postures in everything else.
Ha !
NATO, you’re NO GOOD.
I remember Libya, y’all just had to wreck it….we werent even at war , FFS;.
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The hysteria and consolidation of opinion and support for the Ukraine is like a giant Clinton / Obama / Biden / Soros clean-up operation of a campaign prop. The institutional left hasn’t been this war drum beating since they discovered that fracking made the US energy independent when the party narrative was the opposite. When Soros is on the same side as the neocons, the world is about to become a giant short sell for the old Nazi and a shit show for everyone else.
I am struck by the Parallels in two conflicts. In the case of the freedom convoy, the Federal Government knew well in advance about the concerns of the truckers. But since they were a “minority fringe group”, Our glorious leadership ignored them and the convoy resulted.
A conversation to hear them out and explain in detail the government’s position (in other words a two-way discussion ) would have went a long way towards avoiding the results.
In the case of Russia, its much the same problem. When Putin assumed the leadership, Russia was a basket case, economically and militarily. I haven’t heard anyone comment on how Putin turned that around.
To the rest of the world, Russia was a poor country that warranted no consideration. For years Putin expressed what his problems were, but since it was perceived he had no clout, either with military or economically, he was told in essence to sit down and do as we tell you.
Putin wants to be treated as an equal in the world. I believe he is concerned only with his country, so whatever is best for Russia, he will do.
This could have all been avoided if the arrogant assholes that run the rest of the world would just give some acknowledgement that Russia is indeed a force to be reckoned with, and whose voice is just as important as theirs.
“I haven’t heard anyone comment on how Putin turned that around…”
Putin comes to power 1998. 8 rubles to dollar.
23 years later, pre war, 85 rubles to the dollar. Decline of 1,000%.
Now 150+ to dollar.
1998 147 million Russians. Today 140.
And older.
And more non white, more muslim.
Last year largest population decline since 1942.
Russia in Europe…
Highest AIDS rate
Highest child abandonment rate.
Lowest male life span.
Top five abortion rate.
Per person income 1/7th of European.
Attah boy Putin!
Well they had the highest abortion rates in the world, before Pootin solved the problem … by prohibiting publication of abortion statistics.
Putin: “Islam and Orthodox Christianity are based on fundamental humanistic values — respect for human beings” well the worshipers are similar…
If you can, read this:
http://www.strobertbellarmine.net/books/Solovyev–Russia_Universal_Church.pdf
Make of this what you will:
“But Byzantinism, which was hostile in principle to Christian progress and which aimed at reducing the whole of religion to a fact of past history, a dogmatic formula, and a liturgical ceremonial — this anti-Christianity, concealed beneath the mask of orthodoxy, was bound to collapse in moral impotence before the open and sincere anti-Christianity of Islam.” (pg. 25)
Yeah, that too, Kagan and Peterson talk about some of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys2zTL-b3eE
Putin is not a victim.
He is a former KGB agent with designs to retake all that was once the Soviet empire.
Did Russia ever diversify its economy? Nope, but it did rely on Europe and other parts of the world to “go green”.
And here we are.
My opinion for what it’s worth.
There is a lot of posturing for peace by folks that will benefit immensely if the conflict persists.
This will bring Putin to his knees.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/596306-russian-release-of-the-batman-halted
Don’t have a cow, bartman.
Oh dear….
If we want parallels, the most obvious one is the determination to label Stalin a good guy, because he was fighting the Nazis….. except that Ukraine is not Nazi Germany..
Hitler was evil. Stalin was evil.
Biden is scum. PUTIN IS SCUM.
The enemy of my enemy is my enemy’s enemy, no more.
We seem to be picking sides here on the basis of domestic politics instead of following principled arguments relating to what makes a Just War, and throwing millions of Ukrainians under the bus in order to make ourselves feel good.
Well said. Pity the Kremlin trollbots will not listen.
Thank you!
People need to remember that the Soviets ALSO INVADED POLAND in 1939 because A.H. and J.S. were friends then.
The deals go back. Germany under the terms of the WW1 surrender was prevented from owning, operating or developing a lot of military equipment, tanks included.
So where did the Germans go when they wanted to play with tanks but didn’t want the ‘West’ watching with disapproving eyes?
(Hint starts with Sovie and ends with ussia.)
Like most Lefties Alliances A.H. and J.S. remained friends right up until they weren’t. That is the core problem with the Left. When you get out of bed each morning believing that ‘Everything would be Better if only I was in Charge’ there comes a point when the ‘I’ part needs to be re-confirmed. Left alliances are like pyramids. When you are at the bottom there is plenty of room for ‘allies’, but once you gain a bit of success and power the pyramid starts to reach the point. You want to keep going up you need to throw a few ‘friends’ under the bus.
But yeah, A.H. and J.S. were completely happy to team up when it suited them.
“People need to remember that the Soviets ALSO INVADED POLAND in 1939 because A.H. and J.S. were friends then.”
And then, when Germans were conquering Western Europe, russians invaded Finland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia…
A silly attempt to restore the Empire. Boslheviksnfelt jipped that they had signed a really harsh peace with Germany in early 1918, only to watch the November rout of the German state from the sidelines. They never forgave themselves for that missed opportunity to spread the Worker’s Paradise far and wide.
I will point out that Russia has been in FAR, FAR worse shape in her recent past than she is now. Russia lost around 7 million in WW1. Then they decided after that shitshow “hey, let’s have a Civil War, and off another 9 million of our people!!!!”
And what was Russian GDP in 1922? What was it in 1937?
Then just as their living standards were really taking off circa 1941, along comes Adolf. He puts Russia into the red by another 22 million. Ouch.
Nah, this is a blip compared to Napoleon, the Kaiser, Lenin and Hitler.
My two cents: after watching Putin’s speech as to the reasoning why he was invading, I went and fact checked some of the things he said. Turns out his claim of Nazis in Ukraine is correct. And he’s right that NATO continues to expand towards Russia, despite promises that they wouldn’t. And he’s right that the US is arming “anti-Russian” forces in Ukraine. Anti-Russian forces who happen to be self professed Nazis. Why is the US selling Javelin anti-tank weapons to the Azov Battalion? I have zero faith in anything the mainstream media is pushing, and right now they’re pushing Ukraine as the innocent victim and Russia as the evil aggressor.
My $1.50 plus tax.
Remember, “Everyone I hate is LITTERALLY Hitler!”
Also, “Trust the Science, you are not qualitied to do your own research!”
US selling to the Azov Battalion? Really? You seriously think that passes the smell test? Have you never been forced to deal with ITAR?
Azov Battalion is not the Ukraine. If you believe the US is selling them weapons then you must also believe that the Canadian government is openly supporting Maori Separate Movements in New Zealand.
Can confirm.
This is a tricky topic, because this is the real world where political interactions travel in every direction.
This is not a nice clean adventure movie where nation states live as hive minds and comply with rigid cultural and ethnic stereotypes.
So – NATO? Yeah, they are correct. They are allowed to continue to exist because they are a DEFENCE PACT. Nations join NATO so that the US can do all the big spending and they are promised the support of all other members should diplomacy reach the violence stage of foreign policy. Attack one of us, attack all of us and all that.
NATO would not be allowed to exist if it was allowed to act in aggressive manner. (skirting the loopholes over the decades not with standing…). The spirit – if not letter – of the alliance is they act when a threat to NATO occurs, but only in a reactive manner. They can’t be seen to pre-emptively at in violence because just because France thinks the Independent Duchy of Examplestein is looking at them funny and needs a good thrashing, the other NATO nations do not want to be ‘legally’ forced to join in.
So, throwing Ukraine under the Russian bus? Yes. Legally they are doing the correct thing. Ethically and Morally? Big open question.
War is also a very complex legal beast. The 1982 Falklands Conflict was a Conflict. UK and Argentina were never actually at War. Conflict? yes. Killing each other? yes. War? No.
Why? Cause the moment your two nations are at war you have a clean legal slate in regards to every other formal agreement your two nations have. Trade deals? Gone. Crime Co-operation agreements? Gone. Environmental Deals? Gone. Beyond the simple basics of shooting each other and causing families to lose loved ones there are big implications.
So where are we left? Not wanting to get involved? Well… yeah. Not wanting to get involved is a good thing. Many nations over the decades managed to spend large parts of their time in ‘Splendid Isolation’ deliberately not getting involved in as many things as they believed they could get away with. A nation’s leaders are just that, leaders of a nation. Their role is to lead their nation and ensure their nation grows and develops (or at least that their nation successful grows and develops their retirement fund – your corruption may vary). It is a difficult sell to a population to get them to maybe spill literal blood half a world away while many of their own cities have literal shit on the streets. Sort your own life out first and stuff like that.
“A far away country… of whom we know nothing” by Chamberlain was, in context, a valid quote. In context the world was bigger than. In context the names on the war monuments were brothers and fathers and sons to thousands of people and not just semi random collections of letters. Chamberlain didn’t trust Germany, but he read not only the room but the building and realised if he wanted to go to war against Germany in 38 he was doing it alone. No other nation in Europe supported an anti German war and by extension didn’t really want to be neighbours to a Germany/Czech. When Chamberlain came back with his piece of paper and said ‘Peace for our time’ he was a hero.
(also never forget he was the PM who declared war over the invasion of Poland)
In hindsight Chamberlain is the poster boy for taking a knee in front of an international monster and not stopping someone when he had a chance. In reality he took the knee because the vast majority of people, both in the UK and in Europe wanted to live in peace and Chamberlain was just the guy standing at the front.
So what do we do? Is the Ukraine just some ex Soviet land filled with radiation, vodka, stunning female models and is sort of – to our eyes – just Russia with a different flag? Do we want to get involved? Do we need to get involved? Do we have a right to get involved?
The problem is where does anything ever end? In the 30s we went from Peace for our Time to war in a fist full of months. The hindsight argument is that it all could have been avoided if people had just stood up and told Time Man of the Year (well done Time Magazine, that aged well) to sit down and run his own country and his country only.
The other argument is that we should only ever fight to defend our own soil, to which I counter that if you have to defend your own soil you are much better off doing it overseas. Sure supply is tricky but pragmatically do you want your own cities reduced to rubble if you can avoid it. Foreign wars are fought to keep wars foreign. You send the army off and your people watches via the tv, not via the window.
Look, none of this is a simple answer. If you have a simple answer you don’t understand the question.