Russian Invasion of Ukraine | A War in Europe After Hours

[Franco Pinion]

Just when you think the US is maybe going to do the "right" thing, they throw a spanner in the works.

Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social)

Steve Witkoff told Tucker Carlson that four Ukrainian regions (which Russia partially or fully controls at the moment) should become Russian because there were "referendums" where "overwhelming majority of the people" voted to be under the Russian rule. This is not true.

bsky.app

Gabrielius Landsbergis (@glandsbergis.bsky.social)

Witkoff's repeating of Kremlin lies about "russian-speakers" wanting to "join Russia" is truly chilling. This is nothing less than carte blanche for Putin's genocidal imperialism. Hearing Americans talk like this should be an electric shock for Europe, not a wakeup call.

bsky.app

When the truth is......

UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com)

Crimea is Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. That’s a fact. Russia’s “referenda” in these territories were shams, held at gunpoint. That’s also a fact. Facts matter.

bsky.app

That is fecking incredible by Witkoff, you wouldn't expect Lavrov to be any more pro-Russian than that.

Then Witkoff comes out with another clanger as Starmer's plan gets ridiculed by his closest ally.

Sir Keir Starmer's plan for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine has been dismissed as "a posture and a pose" by Donald Trump's special envoy.

Steve Witkoff said the idea was based on a "simplistic" notion of the UK prime minister and other European leaders thinking "we have all got to be like Winston Churchill".

In an interview with pro-Trump journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff praised Vladimir Putin, saying he "liked" the Russian president.

"I don't regard Putin as a bad guy," he said. "He's super smart."

Witkoff, who met Putin 10 days ago, said the Russian president had been "gracious" and "straight up" with him. Putin told him, he added, that he had prayed for Trump after an assassination attempt against him last year. He also said Putin had commissioned a portrait of the US president as a gift and Trump was "clearly touched by it".

Witkoff made several assertions that are either not true or disputed:

• He said Ukrainian troops in Kursk were surrounded, something denied by Ukraine's government and uncorroborated by any open-source data
• He said the four partially occupied regions of Ukraine had held "referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule". There were referendums only in some of the occupied parts of Ukraine at different times and the methodology and results were widely discredited and disputed
• He said the four partially occupied oblasts were Russian-speaking. There are many Russian-speaking parts of Ukraine but this has never indicated support for Russia.

 

[Bob the Ninja]

Just when you think the US is maybe going to do the "right" thing, they throw a spanner in the works.

Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social)

Steve Witkoff told Tucker Carlson that four Ukrainian regions (which Russia partially or fully controls at the moment) should become Russian because there were "referendums" where "overwhelming majority of the people" voted to be under the Russian rule. This is not true.

bsky.app

Gabrielius Landsbergis (@glandsbergis.bsky.social)

Witkoff's repeating of Kremlin lies about "russian-speakers" wanting to "join Russia" is truly chilling. This is nothing less than carte blanche for Putin's genocidal imperialism. Hearing Americans talk like this should be an electric shock for Europe, not a wakeup call.

bsky.app

When the truth is......

UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com)

Crimea is Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. That’s a fact. Russia’s “referenda” in these territories were shams, held at gunpoint. That’s also a fact. Facts matter.

bsky.app

That is fecking incredible by Witkoff, you wouldn't expect Lavrov to be any more pro-Russian than that.

Then Witkoff comes out with another clanger as Starmer's plan gets ridiculed by his closest ally.

The old "Russian speakers" line said in English by an American and failed to see the irony. All those "referendums" were not participated by the whole of the oblasts as Russia at any point has never controlled 100% of any oblast. You just have to see how the locals of Kherson City reacted to when the Russians invaded to how they reacted to when the Ukrainians liberated them.

Agreeing to do a softball interview with Tucker Carlson says it all. What has the USA become, nothing more than a lapdog for Russia?

Watch the first half of that interview he couldn't even name the four regions, Crimea and Donbas are not part of the four regions. No wonder he's pro-Russian, he gets all his talking points from Putin.

I don't think the US have a plan for peace and almost everything is being dictated by Russia which, it appears, this Trump administration doesn't want to upset.

 

[Boot Cleaner]

Just when you think the US is maybe going to do the "right" thing, they throw a spanner in the works.

Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social)

Steve Witkoff told Tucker Carlson that four Ukrainian regions (which Russia partially or fully controls at the moment) should become Russian because there were "referendums" where "overwhelming majority of the people" voted to be under the Russian rule. This is not true.

bsky.app

Gabrielius Landsbergis (@glandsbergis.bsky.social)

Witkoff's repeating of Kremlin lies about "russian-speakers" wanting to "join Russia" is truly chilling. This is nothing less than carte blanche for Putin's genocidal imperialism. Hearing Americans talk like this should be an electric shock for Europe, not a wakeup call.

bsky.app

When the truth is......

UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com)

Crimea is Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. That’s a fact. Russia’s “referenda” in these territories were shams, held at gunpoint. That’s also a fact. Facts matter.

bsky.app

That is fecking incredible by Witkoff, you wouldn't expect Lavrov to be any more pro-Russian than that.

Then Witkoff comes out with another clanger as Starmer's plan gets ridiculed by his closest ally.

What I really don't get is why is the rest of America not coming out and saying anything about all of this, Obama, Clinton etc all of them have a voice but are choosing not to use it or calling out the obvious lies.

 

[Franco Pinion]

So before the latest round of talks got underway today we were treated to another Witkoff quote

Shameful...

 https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1903808028324851971

 

[Franco Pinion]

More talks between the US and Ukraine today.

Still no word on what the talks between the US and Russian involved or the talks earlier yesterday between the US and Ukraine. The term "useful" has been branded about but nothing concrete mentioned. I think it becoming clearer that the US have no definitive plan on how to end this war.

 

[Jason]

Black Sea "ceasefire" agreed. It should be a positive step but

The first hitch in the Black Sea ceasefire agreement has emerged.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Kremlin appear to be at odds over the timing and conditions.

The Ukrainian president said he understands the ceasefire to come into effect immediately upon the US announcement earlier today.

But Moscow says it will only come into force after Western sanctions are lifted against companies involved in food and fertiliser exports.

The sanctions it wants lifted include those against:

• Rosselkhozbank and other financial organisations involved in food and fertiliser trade
• Their connection to the SWIFT payment system
• Trade finance transactions
• Companies producing and exporting food and fertilisers
• Insurance companies handling food and fertilisers
• Ships under the Russian flag involved in the trade
• Agricultural machinery supply to Russia

The US, meanwhile, said it has agreed to "help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions".

Everyone can see where this is heading; America is bringing Russia back from the brink bit by bit and forcing Ukraine into a ceasefire or else.

Piecemeal ceasefires with attached russian demands bit by bit, which Ukraine get nothing in return.

Ukraine are forced to accept or lose aid and intelligenc

 

[Son Of Jack]

This sounds positive, a bold statement. Macron again leading the way. Hopefully it all comes together although Russia will object and America, well who knows. It is time Russia realised they don't dictate what happens in Ukraine or the terms of a ceasefire.

 https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1905255955341734361

 

[Franco Pinion]

America changes the terms of the mineral deal again.

US seeks control over all investments in Ukraine's resources, as well as investments in its infrastructure, — Bloomberg on new minerals deal

The US seeks control over all major investments in Ukraine's infrastructure and mineral resources, potentially vetoing participation by Kyiv's other allies and undermining its bid for EU membership.

The US is demanding "right of first refusal" on investments in all infrastructure and natural projects under a revised partnership agreement with Ukraine

The US would gain sweeping powers to control investments in projects such as roads and railways, ports, mines, oil, gas and critical minerals.

The Kyiv government would have to contribute 50% of the revenues from all new projects in natural resources and infrastructure to the fund. The US would be entitled to all profits plus 4% per annum until its investments pay off.

The US will have the right to purchase Ukrainian metals, minerals, oil and gas before other parties on commercial terms, regardless of whether the fund finances the project.

According to the project, the US government will receive the right of priority to purchase Ukrainian metals, minerals, oil and gas on commercial terms, regardless of whether the fund finances the project.

The agreement, which has no time frame, also prohibits Kyiv from selling key minerals to countries that are "strategic competitors" of the US.

Honestly, it is like one step forward followed by 3 steps back the following day with the Trump administration.

Ukraine would be better off telling America, "Thanks, but no thanks" and dealing with Europe. And Europe should be fast-tracking Ukraine's EU membership.

 

[Crabtree]

These "peace" talks from the Americans are an utter joke.

One week they go to Ukraine and propose a deal that the Russians will never accept.

The next week they go to the Russians and propose a deal the Ukrainians will never accept.

It's not only pointless, the "deals" being proposed are clearly stupid. I mean who gives a shit about mineral rights in territory no one knows who will ultimately control.

The grim reality is that there will be no peace deal. Both sides will fight until one side buckles and is forced into accepting an unpalatable deal. As of right now, it's the Russians who are increasingly in the stronger position. In absolute terms, they've suffered more than Ukraine. Unfortunately, in relative terms, the odds tilt against Ukraine.

We're in a war of attrition and it's Ukraine that has the shit end of the stick.

 

[Scottish Batman]

Some better news........

 https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1908306159414686189