The Nuclear Option
Link to quote: Putin lowers the threshold for using his nuclear arsenal after Biden's arms decision for Ukraine | AP News
In a major change and an escalation, Joe Biden, after an election, has lifted a ban on Ukraine using U.S. long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia. Biden is also trying to get every dime to Ukraine in aid before he leaves office. He also reversed course and provided them with land mines. There is also an added issue - the Ukrainian military needs Pentagon assistance to launch ATACMS at their longest range. All of that from the guy who once handcuffed Ukraine early in the war.
Putin has said that would amount to direct U.S. involvement in the war. It seems that it has already happened. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine had carried out its first strike on Russian territory using U.S.-supplied long-range weapons, hitting a military facility in the Bryansk region with an ATACMS missile.
Yesterday, the Kremlin announced that Putin had approved an updated nuclear doctrine, which is a document that governs how Russia uses its nuclear arsenal. The doctrine now declares that Moscow could unleash a nuclear strike if subject to an attack by a nonnuclear country that has the support of a nuclear state.
Meanwhile:
A top United States Navy admiral has warned of the American weapons stockpile being depleted by continuing to send weapons to Europe and the Middle East.
President Joe Biden 's administration has been steadily supplying Ukraine and Israel with billions of dollars of weapons from the U.S. conflicts to aid in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said at an event on Tuesday that it would be "dishonest" to claim that the shipments were not utilizing weapons that could be used elsewhere.
Paparo expressed concerns that American forces in the Pacific could be impacted due to weapons like Patriot missiles being shipped overseas, pointing in particular to regional threats posed by China.
"With some of the Patriots that have been employed, some of the air-to-air missiles that have been employed, it's now eating into stocks, and to say otherwise would be dishonest," Paparo said, according to Reuters.
"Inherently, it imposes costs on the readiness of America to respond in the Indo-Pacific region, which is the most stressing theater for the quantity and quality of munitions, because the PRC [People's Republican of China] is the most capable potential adversary in the world," he added.
Top US Admiral Sounds Alarm on Weapons Stockpile - Newsweek
Most Ukrainians have lost their enthusiasm for the war and now want what Trump is suggesting - a peace deal:
LONDON -- After more than two years of grinding conflict, Ukrainians are increasingly weary of the war with Russia. In Gallup’s latest surveys of Ukraine, conducted in August and October 2024, an average of 52% of Ukrainians would like to see their country negotiate an end to the war as soon as possible. Nearly four in 10 Ukrainians (38%) believe their country should keep fighting until victory.
Half of Ukrainians Want Quick, Negotiated End to War
It appears Biden wants Trump to fail and is attempting to box him in.
Biden is leaving the President-elect in a precarious position.
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Alvin Bragg would like to pause the case for 4 years until Trump is no longer President and then have sentencing. In the meantime, Professor Alan Dershowitz has called for the Trump defense team to ask for an emergency appeal to the trial itself since the defense can't appeal in the state of New York until a sentence is given.
An indication that this is not about the law but about shitty politics.
The people of Manhattan seem to want Trump destroyed.
I don't think it's the "people". The Democrats and liberals want him destroyed. He must have a lot of stuff on them if they fear him this much.
You may be on to something. All those years in NYC, there must have been some sort of nefarious goings on............
There has to be. No other reason to react they way they are.
Then there is this headline about the soft on crime NYC DA:
I wonder how long before this piece of shit is back on the streets.
K YIV, Ukraine — The United States said Wednesday that its embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv , had closed after receiving "specific information of a potential significant air attack."
"Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," it said in a security alert , recommending U.S. citizens take shelter if an air alert is announced.
Shutting the embassy is not an unprecedented move amid the war, which reached its 1,000th day Tuesday.
But the renewed threat to Kyiv follows Ukraine's first strike on Russian territory with U.S.-supplied long-range weapons , raising fears of Russian retaliation.
U.S. shuts Kyiv embassy over 'significant air attack' threat
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Just barely. As of 10:29 AM EST
1.68% or 2,573,453 more of the people who cast a ballot for President preferred Trump over Harris.
A clear mandate.
So.......he won the electoral and popular vote.
Interesting. How many libs proudly pointed out Hillary won the popular vote in 2016? Many as I recall.
Funny how a few years change things right?
It is not a "clear mandate." 1.68% is a squeaker, not a mandate. He did win, but that only lends credence to the trite saying that Half the population is of below average intelligence. From what I can tell, the people who voted for him were largely people who do not follow politics closely or foolishly thought that he was going to save the country from tyranny.
Trump has always let you know what he is up to: You can tell by what he accuses people of doing.
If Harris had won by that much you would have been screaming "unprecedented mandate" at the top of your lungs, along with every other leftist out there.
The fact Democrats lost more seats in the House, and lost control of the Senate- shows just how much of a mandate this election was.
That is your bias speaking. In truth, if a Democrat won by that little they would already be reaching across the aisle not talking about vengeance.
No, I would have hoven a huge sigh of relief because I would not be subjected to another 4 years of his yammering about how great he is juxtaposed with how meanly he is treated. I want just policy, not overblown and abscessed personality disorder.
Donald Trump ’s transition team is said to be “upset” with Pete Hegseth because he “hasn’t been honest” about the sexual misconduct allegation from his past – prompting insiders to consider other options to lead the Pentagon.
Hegseth was tapped last week to become Trump’s defense secretar y but now those in the president-elect’s inner circle are “quietly preparing a list of alternative” candidates, Vanity Fair reported .
Trump transition team ‘quietly’ looking at alternatives to Pete Hegseth after he ‘wasn’t honest’ about past
I guess that is the good part of rolling the names out early. There is time to vet and replace.
Recess appointments trivia:
President Obama made 32 recess appointments, all to full-time positions. During his presidency,
President William J. Clinton made 139 recess appointments, 95 to full-time positions and 44 to
part-time positions. President George W. Bush made 171 recess appointments, 99 to full-time
positions and 72 to part-time positions.
Recess Appointments Made by President Barack Obama
Evidently Trump is different!
Context matters; none of those Presidents acted or tried to act in bad faith to the Senate before their first inaugurations or first year. They each served 8 years with many changes in Senate and House leadership.
Thanks for pointing out that the GOP appears to do it more than the other guys and gals.
The best that Joe Biden can achieve by 'freeing' Ukraine is to prolong the war -- by a few months. Biden may not realize it but his shift in policy has placed Zelensky in the hot seat; not Trump. And Zelensky wont' turn the tide of war in two months. Especially since the US and Europe can't sustain a sufficient supply of advanced weapons to intimidate Putin. The US and Europe doesn't have the capability to fight a war of attrition.
Biden may think he is boxing in Trump but, apparently, Old Joe hasn't been paying attention. Trump has clearly indicated that he expects Europe to fight European wars. Biden's shift in policy only increases the pressure on Zelensky to negotiate (meaning give up territory for peace). Zelensky is doomed to fail simply because the US and Europe cannot provide sufficient means to succeed.
Biden has set up Zelensky to be the scapegoat for failure. Zelensky got what he wanted and will fail to deliver on promises. What Joe Biden has achieved with this shift in policy, perhaps unwittingly, helps Trump end the war quicker.
In relation to that, I think it also puts pressure on both Zelensky and Putin to seize as much territory as possible before Trump takes over. That may mean we could see the two bloodiest months of the war.
Perhaps. In that scenario the territory to be seized would matter quite a bit, wouldn't it?
Ostensibly, Russia invaded Ukraine to protect its interests in Crimea and to prevent a NATO intrusion into Ukraine (more importantly, eastern Ukraine). Russia seems to have fulfilled those goals on the battlefield but Ukraine continues to threaten those gains. A negotiated end to the war could solidify Russia's accomplished goals.
Would Putin exchange Kursk for Crimea? Putting Crimea on the table raises the stakes. So far, Ukraine hasn't captured anything of strategic importance in Kursk; small towns and farm land mostly. What is the value of Zelensky's bargaining chip?
Russia has already declared (two years ago) that the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine are independent Republics. Yeah, that might have been propaganda. But it also provided Russia an out at the bargaining table. Russia could agree to withdraw in exchange for recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent countries. That would create a NATO free buffer. Luhansk and Donetsk would rebuild as industrial centers meaning they would be industrial suppliers for Russia and customers for Russian gas, just as they were before the invasion.
IMO Russia has more to gain from a negotiated end to the war. Ukraine will be trying to avoid negotiations. And now Trump enters the picture which has thrown Europe on the fence. With Trump in charge, the United States will step back whether or not the war ends. What will Europe do?
Breaking:
Trump campaign official Chris LaCivita predicted election officials in Pennsylvania will face jail time for counting mail-in ballots with either incorrect or missing dates after the state Supreme Court previously ruled such ballots should not be counted.
Pennsylvania, Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia
"They will go to jail," LaCivita, Trump's co-campaign manager, posted to his X account on Sunday evening. "Count on it."
Trump campaign official says Pennsylvania Dems will face jail time over ballot recount
Let's hope so.
Why? So Trump can win the state by a few more votes?
SMH
They were bragging about defying the court in order to count illegal ballots. So much for election integrity.
The Nuclear Option? I'm considering moving to Australia. According to a movie I watched a long time ago, being ON THE BEACH may be the last place in the world where human life will exist.