Can It Get Any Clearer?

I guess not. This is for those who still consume copious amounts of Trump's verbal diarrhea. 

МОСКВА, 5 фев — РИА Новости. США должны сделать первый шаг к нормализации отношений с Россией, заявил заместитель главы МИД Сергей Рябков, его слова приводятся на сайте внешнеполитического ведомства. Дипломат отметил, что Москва стремилась к честному партнерству, но Запад ее не услышал, поскольку изначально преследовал цель ослабить геополитического противника. Тем не менее Россия смогла выстоять, расстроив планы теперь уже бывшего руководства Соединенных Штатов, которое продвигало "миропорядок, основанный на правилах", а также стремилось нанести Москве стратегическое поражение. "На фоне провала этого курса и смены администрации первый шаг к нормализации двусторонних отношений, имея в виду переговоры на основе принципов взаимного уважения и равноправия, должны сделать США", — пояснил Рябков. По его словам, Россия открыта для диалога, готова договариваться в режиме жесткого торга с учетом реалий "на земле" и национальных интересов, предопределенных историей и географией. "Так что решения и выбор — за Дональдом Трампом и его командой", — резюмировал замглавы МИД.

Translation: MOSCOW, 5 Feb — RIA Novosti. The United States must take the first step toward normalizing relations with Russia, said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, his words are quoted on the website of the Foreign Ministry. The diplomat noted that Moscow sought an honest partnership, but the West did not listen to it, since it initially pursued the goal of weakening the geopolitical adversary. Nevertheless, Russia was able to withstand, upsetting the plans of the now former leadership of the United States, which promoted a "rules-based world order" and also sought to inflict a strategic defeat on Moscow. "Against the backdrop of the failure of this course and the change of administration, the first step toward normalizing bilateral relations, meaning negotiations based on the principles of mutual respect and equality, should be taken by the United States," Ryabkov explained. According to him, Russia is open to dialogue, ready to negotiate in a tough bargaining mode, taking into account the realities "on the ground" and national interests predetermined by history and geography. “So the decisions and choices are up to Donald Trump and his team,” the Deputy Foreign Minister summed up.

Russians have a proverb--to spin like a snake on the frying pan. If Trump wants to own this war, so be it--Russia is ready. The conditions are announced publicly. So, what is it going to be, Mr. Trump? Guess who holds the frying pan?

Explanation Verbatim.

For those who still have any illusions. Moscow doesn't have any. 

МОСКВА, 17 января. /ТАСС/. Коренных изменений политики санкционного давления США на Россию во время президентства Дональда Трампа быть не может, не стоит предаваться чрезмерным ожиданиям. Об этом заявил журналистам пресс-секретарь президента РФ Дмитрий Песков, комментируя заявление выдвинутого Трампом на пост министра финансов США Скотта Бессента, который высказался за ужесточение санкций против России и ее нефтяного сектора. "То, что американская администрация при определенном декларировании политической воли к диалогу существенно не изменит своего характера в этом плане, это ни для кого не секрет. Здесь не нужно предаваться каким-то чрезмерным ожиданиям. Никаких коренных изменение быть не может", - заявил представитель Кремля. Говоря о просанкционном высказывании Бессента, представитель Кремля отметил, что "было бы странно, если, будучи министром, Бессент не поддержал решение своего президента". "Такого просто не может быть. То есть в случае неподдержания он просто ушел бы в отставку", - заметил Песков.

Translation: MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. There can be no fundamental changes in the US sanctions pressure policy on Russia during Donald Trump's presidency, and there is no need to indulge in excessive expectations. This was stated to journalists by Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the statement by Scott Bessent, nominated by Trump for the post of US Treasury Secretary, who spoke in favor of tightening sanctions against Russia and its oil sector. "It is no secret that the American administration, despite a certain declaration of political will for dialogue, will not significantly change its character in this regard. There is no need to indulge in excessive expectations. There can be no fundamental changes," the Kremlin spokesman said. Speaking about Bessent's pro-sanction statement, the Kremlin spokesman noted that "it would be strange if, as a minister, Bessent did not support the decision of his president." "This simply cannot happen. That is, if he did not support it, he would simply resign," Peskov noted.

So, here it is, and this is not posturing. Russia is not going to be discussing 404--this territory is none of the US's business--global arrangements are a completely different business.

Yeah, Sure...

A classic exceptionalist BS by people who only sense, but are not able to grasp intellectually, what is unfolding. Wet dreamers. 

Ukraine and its Western backers have precious little common ground with Russia. Yet all the key players seem to agree on one critical issue: the war in Ukraine will end in negotiations. As Russian President Vladimir Putin told the conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson in a recent interview: “We are willing to negotiate.” A spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, while casting doubt on Putin’s sincerity, retorted in a statement that “both we and President Zelensky have said numerous times that we believe this war will end through negotiations.” The absence of decisive battlefield outcomes over the past two years has made the alternative to a negotiated end (one side’s absolute victory) seem like a fantasy.

The war is already ending and it will end in Russia dictating surrender conditions on the West, not on 404 which does not exist anymore as a viable state. I will remind those ignoramuses from CFR that Putin was explicit in his interview with Tucker that the US has very little time left to exit this with some dignity left. I think this time is over, but I could be mistaken. As always, CFR nincompoops failed to understand the context. Vicki Nuland did, albeit too late. 

Even if a deal is currently out of the question, all parties should take steps now to bring about the possibility of talks in the future. In the middle of a war, it is hard to know whether an adversary is genuinely ready to end the fighting or cynically talks of peace only to further the aims of war. The challenge of discerning an adversary’s intentions is nearly impossible in the absence of dialogue. Therefore, it is necessary to open channels of communication so as to be in a position to take advantage of the opportunity to pursue peace when that opportunity comes.

LOL, the US lost the war, fvcking idiots, and it is the battlefield not some diplomatic maneuvering, which is important but derivative, which defines the outcome. The US sits on sky high piles of bodies in 404--the result of military and political incompetence and dialogue is becoming a monologue, the only outcome which was ever possible. Now, they better learn what Russia's readiness to talk is based upon. I'll give a hint, and I quote--a recognition of realities on the ground. Meanwhile, 404 evacuates a truck load of towns in Kharkov (Kupyansk) direction. Just because they want to, right?

John Mearsheimer About "Victory".

Well, it is good that Mearsheimer arrives to conclusions about the damage (he was on record for years that Russia has a "mediocre" military).

"Neutral Ukraine" stopped being "solution" about two months ago and it is not about Ukraine anymore. In fact, it never was from the git go in 2014. It is, indeed, an existential struggle for Russia and Putin is one of the dovish ones in Russian leadership. Moreover, what Mearsheimer fails to understand, that Russia didn't even roll out big guns and they are being kept in reserve in case Russia decides, which appears to be the case, to "expand" on her military-political objectives for SMO and is now in the mode of breaking up NATO. In this case, it really doesn't matter what the US wants or cares about--it is all connected to the escalation dominance Russia possesses and I warned about it as early as 2015-16. It is not about Putin, it is about Russian people, as a nation and we are long past the point of any negotiations about Ukraine. As I write for 8 years in this blog--the subject of negotiations is what will be the conditions of surrender of the combined West. I hope Mearsheimer begins to understand this.