Let’s review the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act and Trump’s waiver.
Lindsey O. Graham Act Key Points
Tariffs
- On Russia (Section 112): Requires the President, within 30 days of enactment, to raise duties on all goods imported from the Russian Federation by up to 500% ad valorem (on top of any existing duties).
- Secondary tariffs on third countries (Section 113): Authorizes tariffs of up to 100% ad valorem on all goods from countries that (1) were among the top five importers (by volume) of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas in the prior 12 months and knowingly make new purchases after a specified date, or (2) were among the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion. A limited natural-gas exception applies for countries accounting for less than 15% of Russia’s total gas exports that are taking significant steps to reduce those imports. Rates can be adjusted for changes in behavior; determinations are reassessed periodically (generally every 180 days). These tariffs also stack on top of other duties.
Sanctions and Restrictions on Russia
- Blocking and visa sanctions on senior Russian government and military officials (including the president), oligarchs, and leaders/controlling shareholders in the defense, energy, and transportation sectors, as well as foreign persons supporting Russia’s defense industrial base, sanctions evasion, or activities undermining Ukraine.
- Sanctions on the Central Bank of Russia and major Russian banks (including Sberbank, VTB Bank, Gazprombank, and other government-affiliated institutions), plus secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions conducting significant transactions with them.
- Measures targeting the Russian “shadow fleet” of vessels used for sanctions evasion (owners, operators, insurers, crew, servicing ports, etc.).
- Prohibitions on new U.S. investments in Russia, U.S. persons purchasing Russian sovereign debt, trading certain Russian government-linked securities on U.S. exchanges, and certain energy-product exports/reexports to Russia. Many of these codify or expand existing restrictions. paulweiss.com
Iran Provision
- Extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (targeting Iran’s energy sector and efforts related to weapons of mass destruction/advanced conventional weapons) through December 31, 2031.
Flexibility, Waivers, Termination, and Exceptions
- Broad presidential national-interest waiver authority for the sanctions, restrictions, and duties (requires a written certification and explanatory report to Congress).
- Authority to terminate Russia-related measures after certifying that Russia has signed a peace agreement accepted by the free and independent Government of Ukraine and has ceased military hostilities and efforts to overthrow, dismantle, or subvert that government (subject to congressional review and potential joint resolution of disapproval).
- Exceptions for humanitarian activities, intelligence/law-enforcement, certain nuclear cooperation and uranium imports, official government/UN business, pre-existing general licenses, good-faith wind-downs/divestitures (during a 270-day period), vessel/crew safety, and other specified cases. paulweiss.com
The Act’s Let Russia out of Jail Provision
| Mechanism | Basis | What it requires | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Termination provision | Russia signs a peace agreement accepted by the free and independent Government of Ukraine and ceases military hostilities and efforts to overthrow/dismantle/subvert that government | Presidential certification + report; subject to congressional review and potential joint resolution of disapproval | Permanent termination of the Russia-related measures |
| National-interest waiver (Section 115) | Presidential determination that a waiver is in the national interests of the United States | Written certification to Congress that the waiver is in the national interest plus a report explaining the basis for the certification | Temporary or ongoing waiver of the application of the sanctions, restrictions, or duties (can be lifted later) |
Mish Position
Most cheered the Lindsey Graham Act.
Not me.
I was against the Lindsey Graham bill due to my often-stated position that sanctions don’t work. They have never in history resulted in a regime change for the better.
I was also fearful of the provision that Trump would find a way to do whatever he wanted with tariffs, and that Congress was foolish to give Trump more tariff toys to play with.
Eleven Senate members shared my concern.
Vote Overall Breakdown August 7, 2026
- Yea (for): 86
- Nay (against): 11
- Not voting: 3 (Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mitch McConnell (R-KY))
Those Voting Against
- Republicans (1): Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Democrats/Independents (10): Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR) govinfo.gov
Opposition centered mainly on the new tariff authorities granted to the President rather than opposition to Russia sanctions themselves.
An amendment by Rand Paul and Ron Wyden to strip the tariff provisions failed earlier that day 32–64.
Trump’s Executive Order Exempting Russia
Those, including me, fearful of tariff shenanigans have already been proven correct.
On October 16, Trump Issued an Executive Order on Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act
The executive order waived the new tariffs and most of the new or codified sanctions provisions under the Act, certifying that the waivers were in the national interest.
Practical Result
The practical result of the Graham Act plus the waiver is Trump has sided with Russia on the war.
That is my assessment.
I asked Grok and Grok disagreed. I then asked Grok to factor in Starshield throttling that started mid-October 2026).
Starshield Throttling
Reports indicate that around October 12–14, 2026, speed/connectivity limits were applied to moving terminals (roughly above 100–160 km/h).
Ukrainian officials said this hampered drone operations and air-defense intercepts against Russian Shahed drones and other strikes, and they linked it to political pressure over Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and related ceasefire or energy talks.
Connectivity was later reported as partially restored.
Also, Trump agrees to buy Russian diesel, giving Russia more ability to fight longer, potentially prolonging the war.
Grok Responded
The Starshield episode adds a contemporaneous restriction on a critical U.S.-controlled communications capability that Ukraine was using for defense. Combined with contemporaneous reporting of possible diesel arrangements with Russia and friction over energy strikes, the sequence is more consistent with the administration using leverage (or withholding tools) to shape Ukrainian behavior and pursue its preferred negotiation track than with maximizing immediate military/economic pressure on Russia.
Whether this amounts to “siding with Russia on the war” remains a judgment that depends on the weight one assigns to stated U.S. negotiation goals, energy-security considerations, and the continuation of prior sanctions versus the non-use of new tools and the temporary degradation of a key Ukrainian capability.
The Alleged Ceasefire
Russia Pounds Ukrainian Energy Despite Ceasefire
The Wall Street Journal reports Russia Pounds Ukrainian Energy Despite Trump’s Ceasefire Announcement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian strikes had hit energy infrastructure across his country hours after President Trump declared an energy ceasefire between the warring sides.
The Russian attacks—including on gas infrastructure, a power plant and a substation—come as the U.S. heaps pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, and after Trump moved to allow Russia to export diesel to the U.S. in a bid to drive down American prices at the pump.
The Wall Street Journal Weighs In
Please consider Trump Waives Most Russia Sanctions Passed by Congress (Emphasis Mine)
President Trump is halting implementation of most of the sanctions that were to be imposed on Russia under a bipartisan bill he signed last month.
The announcement came in an executive order on Friday night, and was part of a broader pivot by Trump toward courting Moscow as he seeks to end the war in Ukraine and keep energy prices under control ahead of the midterm elections.
In the executive order, Trump stated that waiving implementation of most aspects of the law was “in the national interests of the United States.”
The decision follows Trump’s surprise announcement to buy Russian diesel fuel after striking a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and comes as he continues to pressure Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to end the war that started when Russia invaded.
“A U.S. sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin—all of this only encourages him to keep attacking,” Zelensky wrote on social media Saturday morning.
Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.), who is retiring after this term said, “The President is prolonging the war, not ending it.”
The president has been facing bipartisan backlash in recent days over the diesel deal, his call for Zelensky to step down and his demand that Ukraine observe an energy ceasefire that Moscow promptly broke.
Siding With Russia? You Make the Call
Trump has threatened pressure on Russia countless times only to back down. Now Trump has undoubtedly removed pressure on Russia while putting one-sided pressure on Ukraine.
So, does this amount to siding with Russia or not?
Regardless, Trump’s pledge to end the war on day of his presidency is exposed as a hoax.
And the Lindsey Graham bill made a further mess of things as predicted in this corner. This is one of those things you prefer to be wrong about.
Backlash has begun, but it’s too late. The bill as written lets Trump do whatever the hell he wants.
Only one Republican Senator got this correct, Rand Paul.
Related Posts
October 12, 2026: Trump Humiliated by Putin Within Hours of His Ceasefire Announcement
Trump wanted a ceasefire so he announced one. Putin immediately ignored it.
October 12, 2026: We Export 48 Million Barrels of Diesel per Month, Why Import from Russia?
Importing Russian diesel is illegal. There is no real need anyway.
October 16, 2026: Trump Has a 91% Disapproval Rating from Voters Under 30 on Inflation
“The worst I have ever seen in any poll, on any issue for any president”
For the benefit of Ukraine the war must be brought to an end. Ever notice none of the people who support endless war and death never seem at all concerned about Ukrainian casualties, which are now likely in the millions? It’s because they simply don’t care.
Europe, The UK, and Canada will attempt to fund Ukraine until Trump is gone, and they will most likely succeed. Xi would be stupid to participate in Trump’s farce. He usually does not do stupid.
Putin has presided over a Holocaust of young Russian men, with hundreds of thousands dead in Ukraine and millions more maimed or simply fleeing the country. Russia’s replacement rate is dropping to near 1%. If Russians believe that this is what strong leadership looks like, they are truly a nation of fools.
Most Westerners think Russia’s invasion was unjustified – an act of wanton aggression. A few of us understand Russia’s position – I would argue because we have a fuller understanding of America’s venality. Ultimately, our opinions don’t matter. Our judgement of the parties’ sins doesn’t matter. What matters is what the possible outcomes are and how Ukraine can make the best of the situation. Col Daniel Davis opines on this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KiD4BzFHz6g&ra=m
Looking at Mish and commenters posts, it seems useful to get a measure of bias of AI models.
See trakkr.ai
Grok is the most steerable model (i.e. sensitive to your own bias in the prompt). It is also the most right leaning. Whether you are right or left, I would consider this as a red flag as evidence of manipulation given who the owner is and clear evidence of strong views on some of his favourite topics.
Claude and Gemini seem to be better to help break down your own biases. Reading some of the comments here some people should really at least try it.
I pick Grok exactly because it is the most right-leaning ai, it’s owned by Elon Musk, and shouldn’t be able to be picked apart by the Russian bots and edgelords.
Bizarre trusting Grok to resist manipulation by edgelords when it is owned by arguably the world’s most influential edgelord. But at least you are using it.
Anthropic and Google are known for extreme left-wing bias.
Trump can “Waive whatever sanctions he wants”, but if the Russians have a ban on exporting diesel, or, not enough diesel for their own consumption, he is waiving at the wind.
Anyone who thinks buying diesel from Russia is germane to the eventual outcome of the Ukraine war is unserious. Trump is probably breaking the law he signed and is supposed to enforce. Does this surprise anyone? Just don’t think it meaningfully affects the war in Ukraine. If this Trump action can be used to impeach and remove him, great. He should be removed for launching an unconstitutional war of choice against Iran, but if he gets impeached for jaywalking that’s fine with me. He also should be 25th amendmented, for threatening to destroy a civilization.
Mish, please follow Brian Berletic’s work. Look for a recent article or video of him covering “burden sharing”.
I’ve been following Brian’s work for awhile. After Trump’s election I thought Brian was too pessimistic re: continuity of agenda but most events are tracking his thesis.
After seeing this exchange, I looked up and read an essay by this writer dated 7th July 2026, and entitled “The U.S. War on Iran Continued. Playacting for Peace While Managing Malicious War.”
It was interesting, and I suppose if you accept certain assumptions, it could be persuasive. I don’t accept those assumptions, and it may be that I make assumptions myself. I assume, for example, that some news services are more reliable than others, and I base what I believe on what I understand to be the characteristics of different races; and on the assumption that people are nearly always more inclined to be honest with and deal fairly with other people of their own race, while assuming that other races are fair game.
There are complications in the picture. As I see it, Jewish influence, even control, in Washington and New York is a factor. So is the inevitable attempt by China to destroy all other races and populate the Earth with Chinese, a present step in which is to reduce and destroy the more or less Aryan dominance of the Americans, and I suppose the large Aryan population of India, which is just over the hills from China.
I think that the idea that the Americans spend all their time plotting and working to destroy Persia is a bit childish. I have read somewhere that Greeks know that Greece founded civilization, and they think that every move made by the Americans or anybody else must in some way be designed to have some effect in Greece. They don’t believe that they aren’t the center of the world any more. This article seems to be written from the assumption that Persia is the center of the world and that whatever the Americans do must have something to do with Persia.
That said, I do accept that the depraved American philosophy of feminism may have a political influence in America, in giving an element of female support for the idea of harming Persia because American women think Persians don’t treat their women right. As I understand it, Shia Moslems are considerably less unkind to women than Sunni Moslems (and considerably less unkind than Negroes or Chinese are to their feminine counterparts), but I suppose American women don’t consider that. There seems to be a three-part hierarchy in moral judgements: Chinese and Jews are above humanity, so we mustn’t criticize their customs and arrangements; Negroes and other tribal people are below humanity, so there is no point in holding them to human standards; such people as Europeans, Indians, and Persians are on a level with humans (English-speakers), and we hold them to our standards and are quite entitled to wage war on them if we think they are not behaving right.
Getting back to Brian Berletic’s view of the Middle East wars, he seems to assume or pretend that in the absence of American “aggression,” there would be some sort of peace and fair dealing in the Middle East. This conflicts with everything I have ever heard about these people. I have come across something that is said to be an Arab saying, “The strength of one is the strength of the tongue,” which means, I take it, that you may be able to talk your way out of a situation that you can’t fight your way out of, and which is also a good credo for salesmen; and the line “I against my brother; I and my brother against my cousin; I, my brother and my cousin against the outsider,” which is a rather sad truth about not only Arabs with scarce resources but also about royal families and other people in situations where there isn’t enough for everybody.
In general, I think that Mediterranean and Middle Eastern people are not particularly truthful, have a compulsion to stab each other in the back, and can’t be relied upon to keep agreements. Among such people and in such a moral climate, I don’t think there can be any long-term agreement or fair dealing. There is a story I picked up somewhere, years ago, about negotiating with the Persians about inspection of nuclear research sites. When the Persians were caught in a deception, as they occasionally were, they would more or less shrug their shoulders, say “okay, you caught us,” close down the offending program (so far as anyone could tell), and expect to go on negotiating as if nothing had happened.
Why Persia should not be allowed to have the atomic bomb when China is allowed to have it, I don’t get, but it seems that a threat to the Jews in Israel is more important than a threat to humanity as a whole. That said, as I understand it, I gather that the Persians were reaching a stage of advanced missile development where they could have threatened not only Israel but Europe. Europe is the heart of civilization, so I go along with the idea that Persia can’t have those sorts of weapons systems.
Given all that, it seems to me that in the Middle East, there can’t be fair dealing: there can only be dominance and submission. President Trump has chosen that Israel will be dominant in the Middle East. I wouldn’t do that: I would evacuate the Jews, at least the more-or-less European ones, and let the various kinds of Moslems fight it out. But Americans get morals mixed up with expediency, and apparently have decided that Jews are “good” and Moslems are “bad,” and that they will use that as a sort of baseline for doing what they want to do in the Middle East. It reminds me of the time that the British decided that the Dutch settlers in South Africa were “bad,” and had to be held to British standards, while Negroes moving in from the north were “good,” noble savages who had to be protected from the evil Dutch farmers who gave them employment. That was called the Boer War, and it was I think the first Anglo-American campaign to which Australia contributed troops. It also enabled Britain to control the gold and diamonds of South Africa.
I’m afraid that Brian Berletic may be right in his later comments about America fighting a rearguard action against potential Chinese dominance of the world. The Chinese are, I think, more honest and more capable of fair dealing as individuals than Middle Eastern people are, but they naturally understand that THEY are humanity and that all other races are eventually destined to be eliminated. That is a basic truth that any race will believe about itself if it can. There won’t be a harmonious world in which different races live at peace and trade with each other. There may be a rise of some nasty new amalgam of races, but if so, it will have to deal with a steady outpouring of East Asians, swamping and destroying all the old races, and, if possible, the new one. Islamic evangelism doesn’t matter in the long run. Islam, like Christianity is not believable in the modern world (since the publication of ‘The Origin of Species’), and trying to spread those old religions is a fool’s game.
I’ll stop there. I think I’ve said enough.
‘Shahed’ is an Iranian drone design that they reverse engineered from a downed American drone. Pretending these drones are Iranian is a propaganda misnomer, and discredits itself as factual reporting.
This would hardly hamper AD intercepts (of which there aren’t a lot anyways). UA is out of interceptors and they don’t work on Starlink technology, neither do the anti-drone killers that don’t have the elevation or speed to intercept Geran 4 and 5 drones (arguably more aptly called loitering cruise missiles).
Star Shield is used for drone attacks on Russian territory, but the campaign against Russian refineries is a CIA campaign according to the NYT and many other outlets. Not Zelensky but Trump himself is nominally responsible. It is thus mainly a Russian test of whether Trump exerts any control over operations whatsoever. Star Shield is just one component of a whole panoply of ISR capabilities that the CIA implements by using the American orbital constellation.
Grok, is the Ukrainian drone campaign against Russian refineries a CIA campaign?
No. The Ukrainian drone campaign against Russian oil refineries is a Ukrainian military operation using primarily domestically produced long-range drones. It has received significant U.S. (including CIA) intelligence support for targeting, routing, and air-defense evasion, but public reporting does not describe it as a CIA-run or directed operation. 
What the reporting shows
Major outlets including the Financial Times, Reuters, and others, citing Ukrainian and U.S. officials, have reported that U.S. intelligence has helped Ukraine:
• Map Russian air-defense positions and radars.
• Plan drone flight paths, altitudes, and timing to evade defenses.
• Identify vulnerabilities at specific refineries (including, per one December 2025 Telegraph report citing officials, a hard-to-replace “coupler” component highlighted by a CIA expert as an effective way to keep facilities offline longer). 
Some accounts describe Washington as closely involved in planning stages, with Ukraine selecting targets and the U.S. providing vulnerability data (or, in some versions, helping prioritize). France has also been cited as providing related intelligence. This assistance contributed to a sharp rise in successful strikes in 2025–2026, with Ukrainian forces hitting many of Russia’s major refineries, sometimes repeatedly, and causing measurable reductions in refining capacity and domestic fuel shortages. 
What it is not
• The drones (e.g., Ukrainian FP-1 and similar long-range models) are largely produced and operated by Ukrainian forces. Reporting emphasizes expanded Ukrainian manufacturing, improved guidance systems (including AI elements in some cases), and Ukrainian military units, planners, and energy specialists executing the missions. 
• There is no credible public evidence that the CIA or U.S. personnel are launching the drones, controlling the operations day-to-day, or treating the campaign as a U.S. covert action. It is framed as allied intelligence support to a Ukrainian strategic effort aimed at degrading Russia’s war-financing energy sector and pressuring Moscow.
• Recent developments underscore Ukrainian agency: In October 2026 the Trump administration publicly pressed Ukraine to halt or limit refinery strikes (citing diesel prices and a diesel-supply arrangement with Russia) and reportedly threatened to curtail intelligence sharing or other support. Ukrainian officials responded that they would continue or resume the strikes. 
In short, U.S. intelligence (with CIA involvement in some of the technical advice and targeting insight) has materially aided the campaign’s effectiveness. That is distinct from the campaign being a CIA operation. The operations, drones, and strategic direction remain Ukrainian. Classified details are of course unknown, but available open-source reporting from multiple outlets does not support the stronger claim.
Grok? Seriously ?
Well it’s not exactly an ad hominem fallacy you make here. We need a new class of fallacy… Ad machinum maybe. The point is the same though.
I’m at least providing a source, What do you have?
Your source is the ai run by the guy who provides services to … “the government”.
Well, try the prompt yourself.
You’ll see that Grok provides links.
I get tired of reading bald assertions that are simply opinions, or regurgitated Russian propaganda, with no links.
And even yourself just complains about the source, without rebutting any of the reasoning.
Links to what? The same regime-aligned liars (“journalists”) I ignore anyway.
Not interested.
Source? Repeat after me. Grok? Seriously ?
So do you want me to provide a different AI?
What is YOUR favorite source of truth?
Some of us aren’t laying down before the glory of Musk’s AI like your post suggests you’re wont to do.
AI simply recapitulates its training.
Grok also assured us that Elon Musk gave better blowjobs than any other human in history and could drink a greater volume of piss, to boot.
Counter-propose a source, please.
Yeah, no kidding! I literally had someone last week on X post a grok response re: efficacy of Israeli/U.S. air defense, and it just regurgitated statements from U.S./Israeli officials as if they are facts. Meanwhile I pointed him at Ted Postol who is actually a missile defense expert, and who walks through actual war footage to show why Patriots are not even close to matching the claims.
so, it sounds like we don’t know how much actual control over ukr drone operations and this maybe the Russians testing to see if US has red lines and if we can enforce them.
Crock
NO?
I’m citing the NYT
Grok gives the game away [ p r o p a g a n d a ]
This means even a literalist ‘Forest Gump’ such as Grok “realizes” there’s a gap between the narrative and the physical exigencies.
The drones are not produced in Ukraine, they are assembled there.
The parts and sensors come from China, the US, and a lot are coming in from Europe that has scores of companies working on this, as the Ukrainians and Russians have both stated & reported on details.
How can the UA continue the campaign without US/CIA provided intelligence? They need real-time signals to correct flight paths. All their command & control is via American provided channels. They need terrein mapping from American satellites (to use river valleys and mountains to hide). They need real-time awareness of seams in Russian radar and AD coverage. They need to know elevations and speeds to not alarm various echelons of Russian AD. Even the target decks are prepared by Western intelligence. Everything depends on Western money, sustainment, and the American orbital satellite constellation.
The media is always imprinting plausible deniability in the minds of the public for the part played by the USA, who tries to act the magnanimous intermediary. They talk about Israel “going it alone” as well. How? They need to cross American defended airspace. They need refueling, American permissions to use weapons systems and ordinance (bought in the USA “by Israel” using American tax payer money). Someone needs to key in crypto keys to receive real-time American satellite signals. ISR. Terrein reconnaissance. Electronic warfare support by American flanking squadrons.
People need to think more about the nuts and bolts of media narratives.
Thanks, webej. I don’t think people give Ukraine enough credit.
They’ve held off Russia for 4.5 years. With a lot of assistance, sure. But we have exactly zero combat units in action over there.
“ They need terrein mapping from American satellites (to use river valleys and mountains to hide). ”
Easily available via Google Earth, contour maps even from Cold War days, and European intelligence and satellites.
“ All their command & control is via American provided channels.”
There are commercially available solutions for that.
“ They need real-time awareness of seams in Russian radar and AD coverage.”
That’s why they send hundreds of drones in a wave. Each drone that is taken out reveals an AD unit.
“ They need to know elevations and speeds to not alarm various echelons of Russian AD.”
Russian AD isn’t that good, and can’t be everywhere. Ukrainian drones fly so slow, anyway, they’re little more than glorified ultralight aircraft with cheap motors, some batteries and electronics, and a shaped charge that doesn’t pack much explosive power but creates a lance of molten energy that will punch through a roof and ignite the contents below.
“ Even the target decks are prepared by Western intelligence.”
Umm, maybe? I bet I could compile a list of the biggest Russian refineries in an hour or two, with their addresses, just by going to a Lukoil website.
Same with Wildberries warehouses, or Yandex data centers. Russian companies are just like any Western company, they publish open jobs, with required resume, and the address you’d have to report to. Easy.
“ Everything depends on Western money, sustainment, and the American orbital satellite constellation.”
Well, it helps, I am sure. But Russia lost some of its own territory to Ukraine (!) at least for a while. I don’t imagine the US would have advised it. While humiliating for Putin, it wasn’t worth the Ukrainian lives or losses of material.
Point is, CIA isn’t controlling the Ukrainian effort.
You think the denials are plausible. We’ll have to agree to disagree. No sense discussing that war with each other further.
Putin bought Krasnov for cheap! A few Russian hookers, a few underaged children and some well placed cameras and Putin gets whatever he wants. The sooner this toxic orange pile of sludge has that final aneurysm the better.
i think the reports of the KGB looking into donald as a useful idiot in the cold war, concluded he was too stupid and vain to bother with. who knows though. it’s seems obvious to me, that israel is amerika’s useful idiot pawn on the board near all the oil. but that pawn also has a noose around the king, queen,bishops knights and rooks…..in the pax amerikan high command.
pedo
you are correct mish. sanctions rarely work for a positive result. it’s nice to see your libertarian principles. freedom is the answer. what is the question. hat tip ernie hancock.
Yet again the cadre of Putin defenders is back to explain how it’s not an invasion and it’s actually just Israel restoring order- oh wait Israel is the bad guys but not Russia lol.
I think the literal self professed pedophile of these comments being Russia’s chief defender really says more than I can.
Isn’t it time for you to goose-step off to your local Nasty parade, there Adolph?
Fubar, got anything thoughtful to add, or just insults?
Don’t forget Leon Trotsky.
Putin is a war criminal and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal.
whether he is morally justified maybe debatable, but international law has specific criteria to invade another country and Putin didn’t meet it.
murder someone for really good reasons and the people in power will act according to the law, we should hold all of them to the same standard.
Mosh, I love ya, but give progressive Dem senators credit where credit is due!
I know you think Warren Sanders et al are lunatics, but at least they are against wars and dictating by divine right (or whatever)
The Trump–Putin Diesel Deal Isn’t What You Think
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-trump-putin-diesel-deal-isnt-what-you-think/
Well, that’s great. Trump and Putin are, if not the adults, the big men in the room. They should work together to stop the killing. Zelensky presumably deserves to be hanged.
It seems to me to be pretty childish to pass a law just because it is what a recently dead senator, however beloved, would have wanted. I don’t suppose that is what was really going on, but that is the way it was presented to us.
This sort of war in Europe, in which two European nationalities are slaughtering each other for the amusement of a Jewish actor who has managed to wangle himself into the position of head of government of one of them, is horrible. I do realize that it is important for an empire to be able to test out new weapons and keep its military skills up to date, and that that is what America has been doing here.
Russia attacked and you know it. If you want to love Putin, fine, that’s your choice but don’t come spouting nonsense that zelensky started this war.
The idea that trump and Putin are somehow the adults in the room is insane. Trump is a greedy toddler, as shown by his actions over the last 10 years.
Tell me that I’ve been reading Russian propaganda, but as I understand it, Zelensky bombarded the Russian-speaking breakaway provinces with artillery, and killed 14,000 people, after the “Minsk accords” were signed. The “Minsk accords” were a time-buying exercise, and the Americans and the Germans used the time gained to train the Ukrainian military in fighting the style of war they have been fighting since. In other words, the Russians were double-crossed. Putin would be a fool to trust the West again, particularly as he knows that the whole idea is to subsume his country into America’s decadent empire, just as Germany and most of the rest of Europe have been subsumed into it, to a greater or lesser degree. Germany is now very decadent, except for still working hard, which Germans seem to be incapable of not doing.
Trump may not be the greatest abstract thinker, but as a practical man he is a damn sight better than you or me.
You have a lot of it correct, although I don’t see how Germany can be considered decadent (outside of certain elite). The country is starting to fall apart economically. But Trump, practical? LOL.
You’re Full Of Shit
Gemini:
JFC, you guys and your AI. Apparently you have to query AI because you haven’t been paying attention and can’t remember anything. The 14,000 figure is an exaggeration because it includes ethnic Ukrainians. The consensus figure is a 8,000 ethnic Russians. Poroshenko definitely threatened Russians though. The Ruthenians consider themselves superior – Like their nazi heroes.
That’s not what it says, nice try though.
There are enough downsides to ai that im really happy to see an upside… It shreds bullshit putin lover posts a new asshole in 5 seconds or less
Also love you complaining about people not paying attention, but completely glossing over everything prior to 2019, like Crimea and all of putins other lies and crimes
Yup. “Phil”. From “Connecticut”.
And Neil “Russia attacked and you know it “.
Either trolls or suffering from Russia Derangement Syndrome. Maybe both, who knows.
The record is clear that the US and NATO were training the Ukrainian military, integrating them with NATO, doing NATO exercises with them.
The Ukrainians were attacking ethnic Russians in the Donbass for 7 years. The Ukrainian military was being built up.
To buy their argument, you’d have to subscribe to the notion that if you are being attacked, surrounded and outflanked by an opponent since 1989, and you decide to lash out before you are fully surrounded and backed into a corner and before the enemy is ready to launch their attack, now YOU are the aggressor.
Characterizing Russia as revanchist and out to get us is what keeps the MICC well lubricated with funding so it can keep churning out high priced, sophisticated garbage.
Sure Ivan
Repeat after me. Gemini? Seriously ?
If you can’t refute the argument, you haven’t made any point and the argument stands. Still waiting for anyone to do anything other than to attack the messenger.
Putin indeed is a behaving as a responsible leader, directly confronting the security threat that NATO brought to its doorstep while trying to avoid direct confrontation (although that may be coming depending on attacks on Russia). Zelensky OTOH demonstrated more talent and maturity playing piano with his d**k than as President of Ukraine.
I agree with you re: Trump. He’s truly become a demented toddler.
Trump scares me for reasons of his madness plus sheer incompetence. Trump could never have dreamed of accomplishing what Putin has, facing the same situations and resources. Trump was a lucky chump for being able to shakily steer what the USA created before him. And for ability to carry out projects and follow through, Trump could not have wiped the crust off of Stalin’s boots. Which does not make me want to be anywhere near any of them.
Oh, c’mon. What security threat did Ukraine ever pose to Russia?
Blinken told Lavrov in January, 2022 that the U.S. reserved the right to station nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances and pledges to respect its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Then Putin stole Crimea. This all happened well before 2022. Guess you weren’t paying attention back then.
In 2007 before NATO”s initial serious push to pull in Georgia and Ukraine, Putin warned about the encroachment of NATO and installation of certain military systems around Russia. I guess you weren’t paying attention then. I think the warmonger McCain was paying attention though since he looks pissed off. How dare Putin talk about the need for mutual respect and dialogue re: security!
Putin’s 2007 speech at Munich Security Conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsPTfsAWgfc
Ukraine also pledged neutrality, which ended with the American sponsored coup in 2014.
There was no American sponsored coup but keep lying, it’s amusing
Crimea was a Russian-speaking area, and Russian speakers were being badly mistreated in the Ukraine.
Yup! Can also look at the behavior of the Baltic states and Poland with active discussions to host nuclear weapons, despite all Russian warnings against this. Given constant rhetoric about striking Russia and breaking it up, they make themselves targets for preemptive action. They absolutely refuse to engage in diplomacy.
The problem is that the Russian leadership really does not seek to make war on the West but to be allowed to join it.
The West openly seeks the end of Russia.
The diesel deal is foolish from Russia’s perspective because Trump has no incentive to continue past the midterms.
Russia ends up aiding its enemies, alienating friends, and has nothing to show for it in the end.
Russia went in to protect Russians who were by pummeled by Kiev regime for years. Over 90 % of people East of Dnipr are ethnically Russians. (I understand, even Zelensky’s mother tongue is Russian). Moscow dealt with a massive scale of war refugees, larger than Europe did later on, long before February 2022. That the world had ignored that is another story. By the time Russia moved in, NATO had almost 10 thousand soldiers already stationed in Ukraine. And that number was steadily increasing since US pulled out of Afghanistan a year before. There was something brewing…
That reminds me of a certain guy who wanted to claim every place that had ethnic Germans needed to be seized and added to a greater Germany. I admit the Versailles treaty caused some suffering and injustices that were not tiny. They were very real in the lives of people caught on the “wrong” side of boundaries. However, I cannot respect that sort of mentality as a rational to overthrow Ukraine in this circumstance.
There will always be some unhappy souls in such places.
Please provide, with citation, the units from NATO that were deployed in Ukraine.
Grok, How many NATO troops were deployed in Ukraine prior to the Russian invasion in February 2022?
Zero NATO troops (as in alliance forces under NATO command or combat troops). A small number of individual NATO-member-country military personnel—primarily trainers and advisers, totaling a few hundred at most—were present for bilateral/multinational training missions; nearly all were withdrawn in the days/weeks before the February 24, 2022 invasion. 
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated explicitly on February 24, 2022: “There are no NATO combat troops, no NATO troops at all inside Ukraine. We have made it clear that we don’t have any plans and intention of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine.” Ukraine is a partner but not a NATO member, so the alliance did not station or command forces there. 
Individual NATO countries ran training and advisory programs in Ukraine (especially after 2014) under national or multinational frameworks, not as NATO operations. Key examples of personnel present shortly before the invasion:
• United States: Roughly 150–160 Florida National Guard troops (plus a small number of special operations personnel) conducting training at the Yavoriv/International Peacekeeping and Security Center in western Ukraine as part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine. These were ordered out around February 12, 2022. 
• United Kingdom: Approximately 100 personnel under Operation Orbital (launched 2015; trained over 22,000 Ukrainians cumulatively), plus about 30 more sent in January 2022 to train on NLAW anti-tank systems. These were withdrawn around the same time. 
• Canada: Around 200–225 under Operation Unifier (also launched 2015; trained tens of thousands of Ukrainians). The mission was suspended in mid-February 2022, with personnel moved to Poland. 
• Others: Smaller contingents from countries including France, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, and others participated in the multinational training effort at Yavoriv and elsewhere. Cumulative figures sometimes cited (e.g., ~1,000 personnel from 15 countries having rotated through Yavoriv over years) refer to total throughput, not simultaneous presence. 
These were non-combat training/advisory roles focused on defensive skills, professionalization, and interoperability. No credible evidence supports claims of large NATO combat deployments (e.g., thousands of troops) prior to the invasion; such claims have been repeatedly fact-checked as false. Training largely shifted outside Ukraine after the withdrawal.
Again with the fucking ( CIA-curated) AI. You guys beclown yourselves. The NYT wrote that the CIA had at least 12 bases in the Ukraine. They weren’t there to deliver meals on wheels. They were there to plant the means to topple the Russian government.
Truth hurts, Ivan
Dude it is a troll. First, the demand to provide names of units. Designed to waste people’s time. Second,the long-ass post – designed to waste people’s time or clutter the comments section and turn people off. Third, supposedly using AI, which becomes another point of contention/argument designed to turn people off. Smash that Hide Button.
I guess I could do like you do, which is state Russian agitprop like it’s fact, no sources, and insult everyone who disagrees. 🤷♂️
Once again, repeat after me. Grok? Seriously ?
Zelenskii speaks Russian when the mike is off.
This is common among many Ukrainian politicians.
To give one example, at the closing of a PPP agreement, i had to explain the meaning (in Russian) of basic Ukrainian words to a Kiev-based businessman and a representative of the Yushchenko regime.
I have never studied Ukrainian, but I spoke more Ukrainian than many Ukrainians i worked with.
The world would be in a better place today if only JFK had taken Khrushchev to Disneyland.
Fred should have done the same for little Donnie.
What would the ultimate plastic incarnation of Huxleyesque industrialization and cartelization of the human imagination have taught Khrushchev? Khrushchev could have just read the dystopian novel We (forerunner of 1984), by one of his countrymen. Now we have Trump resorts for that.
Sure dude,
The guy who was a comedy actor is the mastermind here
Not The the Cold War spy master who’s been dictator of his country for decades with an iron fist…
Russia isn’t Communist any more: Russia is Eastern Orthodox again now.
I don’t know how free and fair Russian elections are. I do recall that when Putin couldn’t run again because of a term limit, he stepped down and his offsider was president for one term. Then Putin came back. For a political figure to be able to do that, his standing among his associates must be very high.
Russia is a wild place with a terrible climate. They don’t have room for softies there. When a czar wasn’t up to scratch, as in Scotland (another wild place with a terrible climate), they would take him out into the backyard and cut his throat. In places like London, Paris, and Vienna, it was usually different, at least in later times: the king would spend his time in his garden, or pursuing some other hobby, and the actual work of running the government, making the final decisions, would be done by a minister (e.g. Cardinal Richelieu, Cardinal Mazarin, Cardinal Wolsey).
You haven’t answered my query about the 14,000 killed by artillery fire. It seems you people just don’t see what you don’t want to see.
“Eastern Orthodox” is not an economic system. Your term does not describe the Russian system. With all due respect to its believers, it is in this instance a beard for Putin, post-oligarchs era, to obscure what the system is, and (like MAGA) to provide some recruiting imagery.
I do not blame Putin for assembling that system out of the failed wreckage of western capitalist “shock therapy.” I would have done the same. There are worse things than Putin possible in a nuke power region, which we may regret finding out. I just think we shouldn’t be plastering on these postcard obfuscations, or icons or whatever, in place of accurate descriptions of systems.
Grok, how many ethnic Russians were killed by artillery fire from Ukrainian forces during the years 2014-2021?
There is no reliable, independently verified figure for the number of ethnic Russians specifically killed by Ukrainian artillery fire in Donbas during 2014–2021. No credible source (UN, OSCE, or others) tracks casualties by ethnicity in that way, and attribution of individual artillery strikes is often contested. 
What the best available data shows
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the total conflict-related death toll in Donbas from mid-April 2014 through the end of 2021 was approximately 14,200–14,400. The breakdown is roughly:
• At least 3,404 civilians
• About 4,400 Ukrainian forces
• About 6,500 members of Russian-backed armed groups 
Civilian deaths (the category most relevant to questions about non-combatants) resulted from actions by both sides—artillery/mortar shelling, small-arms fire, mines, and unexploded ordnance. Shelling was a major cause, especially in 2014–2015, when the large majority of civilian fatalities occurred. After the intense fighting of those early years, annual civilian deaths dropped sharply (dozens per year by the late 2010s). 
Analyses such as those from the International Crisis Group indicate that a large share (around 80% in some assessments of live-fire incidents) of civilian casualties from shelling and gunfire occurred in non-government-controlled areas. Those areas are more urban and populous near the contact line. This does not mean every such death was caused by Ukrainian fire; both sides fired into populated zones, and crater analysis or direction-of-fire assessments are not always conclusive or available for every incident. 
Why a precise “ethnic Russians killed by Ukrainian artillery” number does not exist
• Casualty monitoring (OHCHR, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission) records deaths and injuries but does not systematically classify victims by ethnicity.
• Donbas was (and is) ethnically mixed. The 2001 Ukrainian census showed ethnic Ukrainians as the majority in both Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (~57–58%), with ethnic Russians around 38–39%. Large numbers of people of both ethnicities speak Russian as a primary language. Many local residents who fought for or supported the separatist forces were also local ethnic Russians or Russian-speakers.
• Russian and DPR/LPR authorities have claimed higher civilian death tolls specifically attributed to Ukrainian forces (sometimes several thousand). These figures are not corroborated by UN or OSCE data and are widely regarded as inflated for political purposes. 
In short, thousands of people—civilians and combatants—died in the fighting between 2014 and 2021. A significant portion of the civilian deaths occurred in separatist-held areas and involved shelling, some of it from Ukrainian positions. However, equating the overall ~14,000 death toll (or even the civilian subset) with “ethnic Russians killed by Ukrainian artillery” is not supported by the evidence. The actual number of ethnic Russians killed specifically by Ukrainian artillery is unknown and cannot be isolated from available records.
At least that AI response was nuanced
Good grief, Again with the Grok. Seriously ?
Yes, I despise morons who say that Russia is communist….such offing idiots.
Zelensky is a human being. Putin, like Trump, is a sociopathic coward who mistakes violence for bravery.
Zelensky is a neo-nazi jew. He is willing to sacrifice as many Ukranians as possible. He has also stolen $600 million so far as per the CIA. Get a clue…
Sure Ivan
Source?
He;s got no source, “neo-nazi Jew?” That’s the dumbest shit I ever heard.
Technically Zelensky isn’t a Nazi. He’s just been under threat from Ukronazis. Banderites. In the U.S. we think of Nazis as “people who hate Jews”. In Russia, they think of Nazis as “people who hate Russians”. The nazis did consider Russians untermenschen and killed more of them than they did Jews.
I take it back, that’s the dumbest shit I ever heard
The ignorance is astounding. This Russia, Russia, Russia nonsense is so tiring. In the States, we have been dealing with this same globalist-instigated circle jerk since the 2016 election.
https://substack.com/@eventsinukraine
Provides great detail.
So Zelenskii has no clue that men are press-ganged off the streets and publiv transport and herded into the army? He is clueless as to the topic of every conversation in Ukraine?
Such a humanitarian.
How about the role American neo-cons played in Ukraine’s 2014 revolution (Maidan)?
I don’t know anything about that. I am not clear on which of my comments you are replying to, or what point you are trying to make.
Vicky’s Cookies
How is life in the bot farm in St. Petersburg? You are clearly a Russian agent who should be dealt with accordingly.
This is not a Zero Hedge forum, there should a minimum decorum to keep it a healthy platform…
“…you aren’t in Cleveland…”
– Sam Wyche
Isn’t it time for you to goose-step off to your local Nasty parade, there Adolph?
You clearly are a lowbrow
Looks like it’s time for zelensky to hit another data center
I’m in Australia, and I eat the same sort of food as you do. I understand that it isn’t easy to determine who is real in this environment (Isaac Asimov wrote about not being able to distinguish robots from people years ago). I’m glad to see that I started a discussion in which there are some serious posts, and arguments about statistics and history. People who can’t think will always be with us.
Violence is not strength. Trump and Putin are both weaklings. I pity the craven cowards who support these criminals because they never had a strong father figure in their life.
23 And Me for the win
So those poor scrotes that are press ganged at gunpoint are actually persuaded using facts and logic to become cannon fodder?
You think Joe Biden was strong? You think all those pathetic Western leaders who sat and watched as China developed nuclear weapons were strong?
We have the memory of a fruit fly.
Three weeks ago, it was widely reported that Russia is importing diesel instead of exporting it. 25 to 50% of the Russian refining capacity is gone. How are they supposed to be now selling diesel if they are importing it and their refineries are still getting targeted? The Russian diesel export is not worth considering seriously.
The question becomes why Trump made an unexecutible and if occured is miniscule.
1) The amount of fuel supposed to be sold by Russia is a drop in a bucket.
2) The US is a net exporter of diesel with approximately 20% of the world’s available supply. This means if Trump imposed a diesel ban, US companies would suffer from not being able to take advantage of the windfall.
3) Without the diesel export ban, the US is subject to world prices.
4) Most of the world’s population buys subsidized fuel. Government subsidies cause artificial shortages of subsidized fuel.
5) US inventory of diesel (distillate fuel oil) is down only 14% from last year. We 105,138,000 barrels or 4,415,796,000 gallons in storage.
Possible side effects of the non-deal.
Ukraine – Might be more pliable to make a deal to end the war. 1,000 people die a day, and 1,000’s more are casualties
.
Europe – Sends them a message that they need to use their reserves and not let the US once again bear the cost of their defense. They let their natural gas reserves so low they may run out this winter. (i.e. poor governance).
Russia – We can be trusted as a neutral party.
China – Use your oil reserves and issue permits for export to your refineries.
The implications run deep for a deal that will never be executed.
Or else Trump is just stirring up his usual malicious, ill-cpnsidered, incoherent disorder. I go with Occam’s razor.
Importing diesel ? Maybe. Maybe they are selling Iranian diesel forward to the US. Maybe Europe buys it and supplies Ukraine. LOL
Your 25-50% is obviously propaganda.
Russia imports gasoline every year in holiday season, since they don’t make much.
They have restricted diesel sales many times in the autumn to depress prices for the harvest season.
To me, this is the most fascinating part of the article
Trump believes he is a King, a God, who creates his own reality. If the mainstream press didn’t enable him, if they openly mocked him to his face when he makes ridiculous statements, he would melt down like Chernobyl
Apparently Trump said ‘you agree’ to the American people about Iran. The war power in the Constitution does require that We the People agree to war, through our elected Congress members. That is government of, by, and for the People. His apparatchiks found loopholes, but that still leaves no agreement.
Duress, legally: outward ‘agreement’ by force or threat of force, can and will be set aside by the coerced party. That’s gangster level stuff. Of course it creates nothing enduring. But that would require being principled.
Agreed, all press that is funded by corporate ads is not trustworthy. Not because journalists are nefarious, quite the opposite in my experience, but because they are paid for eyeballs and attention, not information.
Granted good luck finding anyone independent without heavy slant (see this blog). The game is to know that slant and adjust.
I may not agree with some (lots?) of Mish’s points usually, but he is intellectually consistent and honest
Good luck indicting the presstitutes for abetting war crimes & murder, for giving terrorists and serial killers just what they crave (publicity), and for always trading truth & integrity for sensationalism & mendacity.
We have the press to thank for the entire Trump phenomenon.
Trump doesn’t give the press a chance, he just says whatever trash he wants and walks away.
If they ask a tough question, he insults them and calls them “fake news”.
Wait until after the midterms.
Russia is foolish to fall for it, again.
Fall for what? Russia is still prosecuting the Ukraine war as they wish and are getting sanctions relief.
Just go watch some of Russia’s propagandists, like Solvyov.
They are celebrating with glee that Trump is siding with them.
“ Trump agrees to buy Russian diesel, giving Russia more ability to fight longer, potentially prolonging the war.”
This is grossly misunderstood. Trump’s purchases of diesel means jack squat to Russia’s prosecution of war. Ukraine will fall regardless of what we do. Russia has not yet tapped its full escalation potential, and yet we are now seeing the results of their attrition strategy with the ongoing collapse of Donbas defenses. Combined with an effective full Black Sea blockade and destruction of energy infrastructure, Ukraine is on the ropes and we could see the siege of Kiev by spring.
Right. the war supposed to take weeks that has taken 5 years. Right.
These claims that Putin’s initial goal was to take Kiev came from a handful of U.S. military officials and commentators. He did not have the military force in the theater required to do this. He did achieve the goal of scaring Zelensky into negotiations, and appeared to be getting close to a deal when Boris Johnson showed up and spoiled the party, convincing Zelensky to instead fight.
A lot of generals flap their gums about Russia and how they are so incapable, but then others scaremonger about how they’re going to run over the Baltics and annex territory all over to reestablish a Soviet empire. Which is it? Neither. But what’s clear is they operate on their own timetable, and when Ukraine personnel losses are running at least 10x Russia’s, there’s no question they will win.
Don’t waste the truth on them.
The “ongoing collapse of Donbas defenses” has taken 4.5 years, and is going in reverse as Russian units retreat from Rybar (according to the Russian milblogger Rybar.)
The reason Russia hasn’t escalated militarily: they were never able to establish air superiority over Ukrainian territory
Trump is likely a Russian asset on some basis. He is either a spy, on the payroll, or being blackmailed.
Please read my other answer.
Holy cow. The comment system ate it. Too much discussion of the Epstein files?
@Mish, did it go into moderation? Hopefully you can retrieve it.
Anything that goes into moderation vanishes >dev null
It can be very difficult to discover what word or punctuation is the culprit, often something trivial instead of controversial.
Nah, the Orangutan is just envious of the managed Russian democracy and its autocratic presidency.
Trump being a Russian asset is a long-discredited accusation started by the Clinton cabal. However, there seems to be a lot of smoke if not outright fire re: Epstein, and Netanyahu seems to have a power over him that goes beyond mere money.
Of course he’s an asset when Putin can manipulate him. Just because you don’t think you’re an asset doesn’t mean you’re not an asset. Taco is just clueless. Thinks he can have it both ways. Maybe this is his last shot at a Noble. Lol
Don’t take it too seriously.
He is just trying to shift blame for the fuel prices onto Zelensky before the mid terms.
It’s a pretty dumb ruse, but in his own mind it makes everything more coherent.
Aside from the merits or otherwise of the Ukraine conflict, for Trump, every one must be loyal to him, but him not loyal to anybody. And he is dragging us down into this personal mental sinkhole of his. It is the revenge of Roy Cohn, who uncovered vulnerabilities in our system. Those vulnerabilities involved us at least trying to be decent people, treating others as we might like to be treated.
I know, there are countless exceptions in US and world history. but my argument stands. Trump at last openly abandoned any decency and continuity in relations. He has no shame, no regrets, and that is an awful deficit, past a point. And he exemplifies the new predators in our world, the new opportunistic pathogens that feed on decency and good will. All the sacrifices and lessons of the 20th century are being thrown in the trash.
Sorry I became a dick 5 or so threads ago, peelo.
uniparty, we’re cool! You stir up the best stuff.
I respect sharp elbows when there is a sharp brain attached.
Elbows Up In Alberta on Monday
Lindsey Graham = War Monger
He exemplified the decades-long American plan: to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian”. Meanwhile, those opposed to Ukraine ceding territory to Russia think they’re helping Ukraine when in reality they’re killing it.
Finally.Trump does something right.
Rot in hell Lindsey. Hope your bakin’ with McCain and the rest of the sludge.
Gives income to a country that is building drones for Iran to use against our soldiers?
Yeah, this will help.
Fair play. Iran is a strategically important partner of Russia. We are the interlopers illegally waging war on Iran, who has shown great restraint so far re: killing of U.S. soldiers.
So we should be giving economic aid to the country that is making drones for them to fight us with?
I’m not talking about the moral conundrum, I’m talking about the mathematics of the situation.
Buying diesel is just an attempt to try to keep fuel prices from rising further until the mid-terms. It’s a few days of diesel usage and miniscule in terms of economic benefit to Russia (who would sell it into the global market anyway). As a strategic partner, Iran is going to receive military and economic assistance from both Russia and China regardless of U.S. policy. They will do whatever they can to ensure Iran wins.
Does it not help Russia? Does Russia not help Iran?
How does it help Russia? They can sell diesel to anybody who is desperate. And if not diesel, then the crude it’s made from (some time ago Urals was $130/barrel, 30% higher than Brent).
Yes and yes, but it is irrelevant as to whether Russia will continue to help Iran or to what extent. Russia is not on the ropes, begging for some deal that gives them room to maneuver.
Yup. Rounding error in the grand scheme of things. It’s down in the noise.
We have no business fighting Russia or Iran
^this
War criminals deserve the noose, but drones will do for now.
The Lindsey Graham “Putin kompromat” conspiracy used to sound ridiculous. After the latest administration shenanigans, it smells a lot more plausible. At this point, conspiracy forums are probably halfway through a screenplay involving KGB tradecraft, mysterious poisonings, and enough plot twists to make a spy thriller blush.
Soviet puppetry at its finest. We have joined the Union.
Ignoramus. Modern Russia has little to do with the USSR, and Putin is not Stalin.
Jeez, not one for humor are ya
Fair enough, but that’s what /sarc is for.
He wants to be quite badly. He’s always been a soviet.
That’s a point that could be argued. David Stockman refers to Trump as a big government statist, and the more I thought about it, realized he’s right. Trump displays some of the trappings of capitalism, but push comes to shove, he seems to think it can’t work without the gov’t (Trump thinking he IS the gov’t and should make all the decisions). There’s more meddling by the day.
Trump, as a kid, never experienced meaningful trade-offs. He had a silver spoon and undiminished arrogance. Plus luck. Sometimes that creates a monster with no conception of how reasonable societies or partnerships work. Look at his marriage: he got her off an industrial manikin rack. She is a shining trophy, as is everything around him. I would pay serious money to be a fly on the wall at his Wharton experience, to get some inkling of how the concepts rolled off his back like a sleeping duck. There is a quote where he said he learned there that regulations were made to be broken.
He just has no respect for anything but his caprices.
nixon was correct about post ussr era. he said they would most likely just get a new czar. he was correct. kissenger’s book, “diplomacy” really explained how nixon and he did know how the world worked. of course they were diabolical.
Who exactly were the Bolsheviks and where were they getting their money?
I think you committed an antisemitism
Vintage trump who always sucks up to dictators who he emulates.
i think Trump takes some sort of pleasure in undercutting people he thinks of as weaker or more vulnerable than himself. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in his house, with him and his brother there, the weak one who couldn’t bring himself to carry out the father’s ambitions of killer instinct. The brother dutifully started knocking down that community amusement place, and it broke him. Little Donnie was there to step up, to step on and step over whoever and whatever.
my grandfather knew fred trump very well. in the construction business. dad saw donald grow up. brother knows him. the writers in nyc know him well as donald has been an open book and demanding attention for many decades. the donald will be studied for centuries. up there with GW and Abe
Nah, he just wants lower oil prices so Republicans don’t get slaughtered in the mid-terms. This man has no principles.
Which is why I say, just wait until after the midterms.
I think it’s funny how he gives Kim the ick. In all the pictures I see of them together, Kim has this “what the hell are you doing” look on his face.