Russia gathering forces near Ukraine Border

[Aaron Fox]

Germany needs cheap gas from Russia. The US can't provide the necessary quantities and its gas is much more costly.

Largely because Trump stopped the LNG infrastructure project that Obama was doing, which suits Putin quite well...

Russia isn't stupid

However, it is also extremely nostalgic on all levels of its society, which causes warped logic to seep in the competence.

 

[paulobrito]

The LNG program still delivers gas at a much higher price than the one via NS2, even if LNG operates at perfect conditions.

 

[Bacle]

 

[Aaron Fox]

The LNG program still delivers gas at a much higher price than the one via NS2, even if LNG operates at perfect conditions.

Only because the infrastructure isn't completely finished yet. LNG water shipping is extremely hard, costly, and requires a lot of infrastructure to be actually viable.

Trump canceled that program which served Putin quite well.

... reality, stop using my future history setting notes as a blueprint. Please.

 

[Tiamat]

Only because the infrastructure isn't completely finished yet. LNG water shipping is extremely hard, costly, and requires a lot of infrastructure to be actually viable.

Trump canceled that program which served Putin quite well.

... reality, stop using my future history setting notes as a blueprint. Please.

Sorry, but Comrade Putin along with a sizable chunk of Russia called, they miss the glory days of the USSR and want them back.

 

[Aaron Fox]

Sorry, but Comrade Putin along with a sizable chunk of Russia called, they miss the glory days of the USSR and want them back.

... are you serious or is that sarcasm? Just asking because sarcasm doesn't show up well in the forum format.

 

[Zachowon]

Russia wants the old days back

 

[paulobrito]

Russia wants what allways wanted - a buffer state between Russia territory and NATO forces.

 

[Culsu]

German state broadcaster ARD two or three days ago made the mistake of mentioning in a news broadcast for the prestiguious Tagesschau (basically the daily news slot in Germany) that Russia had "amassed 10,000 soldiers" less than a day away from the Ukrainian border.

And I was like "Really. That's it? That's what all your panicking is about? Even if there were 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers, that's what? 2-3 divisions? And that's somehow a big danger?"

Wake me up when they have 20 divisions on the move.

 

[Zachowon]

German state broadcaster ARD two or three days ago made the mistake of mentioning in a news broadcast for the prestiguious Tagesschau (basically the daily news slot in Germany) that Russia had "amassed 10,000 soldiers" less than a day away from the Ukrainian border.

And I was like "Really. That's it? That's what all your panicking is about? Even if there were 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers, that's what? 2-3 divisions? And that's somehow a big danger?"

Wake me up when they have 20 divisions on the move.

You know not even the US has 20 division right?
More then one division is a lot of forces, especially in modern combat

 

[Aaron Fox]

Russia wants the old days back

Yeah, and is willing to do practically everything to do so... which is painting a particularly nasty target on their backs of the 'Carthago delenda est' kind. You heard that right. This will only end up having bad ends for Russia and its people.

Russia wants what allways wanted - a buffer state between Russia territory and NATO forces.

No, it wants defensible anchor points, and guess where the nearest defensible anchor points are? Well into Western Europe.

 

[Tiamat]

... are you serious or is that sarcasm? Just asking because sarcasm doesn't show up well in the forum format.

Both? Heh. But in all seriousness, yes, Putin was a KGB agent during the last heydays of the USSR. So restoring Russia to it's "former glory", cough, is something of a desired magnum opus for him.

 

[Aaron Fox]

Both? Heh. But in all seriousness, yes, Putin was a KGB agent during the last heydays of the USSR. So restoring Russia to it's "former glory", cough, is something of a desired magnum opus for him.

Yeah, and that is only going to end poorly for the Russian people, I'm afraid. Sometimes I want to go back in time and smother the entire 'shock therapy' idea in its crib. It might create another China but at least China doesn't truly want to burn the geopolitical order to ashes and damn the consequences...

 

[CurtisLemay]

Well, it seems there's more showing up every day, including dual-capable SU-34s....



And it seems the walls have ears in that corner of the world....

 

[Zachowon]

The USA is tracking this VERY heavily

 

[Tiamat]

Well, it seems there's more showing up every day, including dual-capable SU-34s....



And it seems the walls have ears in that corner of the world....

Yeah, this is all part of an "exercise", my ass. Didn't Ivan try to pull that excuse when all this crap began? The deployment of both fixed wing assets AND naval assets has my hackles tingling, and not in a good way.

 

[Zachowon]

Yeah, this is all part of an "exercise", my ass. Didn't Ivan try to pull that excuse when all this crap began? The deployment of both fixed wing assets AND naval assets has my hackles tingling, and not in a good way.

People think "Just showing they are there" then why is the US sending various ISR assets and having 1CD on recall

 

[Aaron Fox]

[starts praying about reality not taking the 'Aggressive Crimean Push' alternate timeline route]

You know what? This is stupidly depressing shit when reality takes your future history setting as a blueprint... hopefully this stays on the 'Crimean Poke' route instead of the alternatives.

 

[ATP]

Both? Heh. But in all seriousness, yes, Putin was a KGB agent during the last heydays of the USSR. So restoring Russia to it's "former glory", cough, is something of a desired magnum opus for him.

Problem is - he was KGB colonel,but rather poor.Becouse good ones was send to Western countries or Moscov,worst to satelitess which could made problems like Poland,and really bad to East germany - becouse they were so loyal,that all what KGB officers there need was find good beverage to fullfill their time.
Well,worst of all was send to Mongolia - as loyal,but no beer.

So,he is trying to get his empire back in a way which must lead to disaster for him and his country.Problem is,it could be disaster for us,too.

 

[CurtisLemay]

Why am I not wholly convinced this is the facts on the ground?

EUCOM Commander: Russia Not Likely to Invade Ukraine Soon - USNI News

While the current build-up of Russian forces near Ukraine rivals the 2014 annexation of Crimea – when Russia openly backed separatists trying to sever ties to Kyiv – the United States’ top commander in Europe today described the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the coming weeks as...

news.usni.org

And Biden is living down to expectations, he sanctions on one hand and says "Can we have a summit?" on the other? Pick one, Joe, it works better.

Biden proposes summit with Putin amid Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border

President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid growing concern over Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's border.

abcnews.go.com