12 ms·

$200M a year, 700k tons of rice, space tech: deal for North Korea in joining war

51 points by paulcarroty 2y ago

ChumpGPT 2y ago
It's quite sad that Russia has better partners than Ukraine does. Zelensky has to beg every day for the West to fulfill its promises while the Russians send some rice and North Korea sends 12k soldiers. China, Iran, and India are funding and supplying Russia with more aid than the US/EU is supplying Ukraine with. Sadly the EU still sends more money every year to Russian coffers than it lends to Ukraine. The West is losing its influence and the USA is losing its reputation as a reliable partner. An undesirable result of the War in Ukraine will have some severe consequences for the US/EU in the decades to come. A lot of folks are just oblivious to it.
- ronsor 2y ago
  Russia's "partners" are vultures ready to swoop in and consume everything if the country collapses.
  - chgs 2y ago
    When. But the same can be said about the US. Look at the “reconstruction” of Iraq.
    - no_exit 2y ago
      > Iraq's oil infrastructure was damaged when the CPA took over. The CPA effected selected repairs. But the IAMB found that the CPA had chosen not to repair the meters on the pipelines. The IAMB told the CPA that they were concerned that the lack of metering made auditing Iraq's oil exports unreliable – making it impossible to detect fraud, deception or smuggling. The minutes of the IAMB meeting make clear that the CPA had assured the IAMB that they were in the process of repairing the meters – in bad faith. The CPA's authority came to an end with the meters unrepaired. Estimates of how much oil revenue was siphoned off during the year of the CPA's administration go as high as $4 billion – comparable to the amount Saddam Hussein is suspected of stealing during the entire duration of the oil-for-food program. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_Fund_for_Iraq https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_Fund_for_Iraq You have to laugh...
  - stonethrowaway 2y ago
    Framing it differently, they have skin in the game.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
  - potatototoo99 2y ago
    [flagged]
  - mjfl 2y ago
    I think this sentence makes more sense if you are talking about Ukraine and its partners.
  - moltar 2y ago
    And Ukrainian partners don’t even wait for that. Lands are being divided and bought out by BlackRock and the like for pennies on the dollar.
  - JohnCClarke 2y ago
    “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.” -- Lord Palmerston (and repeated by Henry Kissinger) It's a dangerous world out there, and best not to be weak.
- kev009 2y ago
  For BRICS it's just business, for NK there is immense value in getting some combat experience without formally entering any war.. NATO countries do this all the time as well, look back at the GWOT and lots of lesser known skirmishes where especially non-conventional forces are cycled through. I also don't think the US and EU have pure motivations in any of this, particularly the US the EU just seems gullible.. the anti-Russia talk from the politicians is just fodder for the masses so the grift can continue as the actual actions and inactions tell a different story.. send complicated weapons systems ($$$), complicated weapons system doesn't work better start working on some new ones ($$$), oh that's some nice farmland you got there better let our corporations buy it up ($$$).
- mannyv 2y ago
  India isn't funding anything in the war, AFAIK. Just because they're BRICS doesn't mean they're doing anything in the war. And Russia's "partners" are a shit country stuck in 1880 (North Korea) and, well, China. China's great at intimidating third world countries, but in reality their support and capabilities are limited. As for India, well, back in the old days India would have taken Eastern Russia, since the Russian armed forces are busy trying not to get killed. At least China and India seem to have cooled down their border issues.
  - ChumpGPT 2y ago
    https://finance.yahoo.com/video/big-indian-firm-sends-nvidia-191841655.html https://finance.yahoo.com/video/big-indian-firm-sends-nvidia... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/indias-increased-purchase-of-russian-oil-is-helping-fuel-ukraine-war-european-think-tank/articleshow/107829601.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/indias-increase...
  - zip1234 2y ago
    India is funding the war for Russia by buying all their oil.
    - gruez 2y ago
      There's a pretty big difference between "funding" a war by buying oil (BRICS/Non-Aligned), and "funding" a war by giving military aid (the West). Also, The West is still buying oil from Russia because for some countries there's still no alternative. https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/09/05/the-west-still-needs-russian-gas-that-comes-through-ukraine https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/09/05/the-west-still-n... https://archive.is/V0Efv https://archive.is/V0Efv
      - HDThoreaun 2y ago
        Russia sells oil to india, buys rice. Russia sends rice to korea, buys people and ammunition. How is India not funding russian war efforts?
- bad_haircut72 2y ago
  If Ukraine falls because USA cuts off aid expect every mid power in the world (South Korea / Japan / Australia / Italy etc) to begin their own nuclear weapons program immediately. “Losing its reputation” is an enormous understatement.
  - nradov 2y ago
    It's pretty clear to every world leader now that the only guarantee of security is to have your own nuclear weapons, or to have a solid mutual defense treaty with a nuclear power. President Zelensky has basically stated that if Ukraine doesn't receive sufficient conventional military aid then they'll be forced to pursue nuclear weapons development. Whether they are actually capable of doing this before being conquered by Russia is unknown: they have multiple civilian nuclear power plants and skilled engineers but still it takes a lot to build an operational weapons system including the delivery platform. https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ukraine-membership-progress-donald-trump-brussels-1970816 https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ukraine-membership-progress-do... Regardless of what ultimately happens in Ukraine, nuclear proliferation is obviously going to accelerate. This is the very real consequence of the international community failing to collectively oppose Russian aggression.
    - HDThoreaun 2y ago
      If ukraine builds a credible nucellar program NATO likely sides with russia to end the war asap. Zero appetite for nuclear war
      - nojvek 2y ago
        Russia has quite a bit of apetite for nuclear war. They wouldn’t be poking the bear otherwise.
        HDThoreaun 2y ago
        Which is why NATO wont let ukraine get nukes. Cant stop russia from getting nukes so only option is stopping ukraine.
- xattt 2y ago
  > The West is losing its influence and the USA is losing its reputation as a reliable partner. The undermined reputation came about because of a significant foreign influence effort that saw an agent hold the seat of power.
- jajko 2y ago
  Well, you are unfortunately correct. But as coming from Europe, I blame mostly EU at the end. US shouldn't be the sole policeman and shield to 450 million economically strong block. When I look at the government and its steps re defense, its beyond pathetic. Almost nobody does even mandatory 2% GDP -> NATO flow, the only countries doing so are those treated brutally by soviets/russian in the past - Poland, baltic states. Heck, freakin' Germany is trying to put their highway maintenance costs into those 2%, since 'army anyway has to drive on them' - that's borderline treasonous behavior from Scholz in situation where enemy is at literal gates and repeatedly stated that it will wipe out half of population in nuclear strikes if they want to. Polish army can roll over wehrmacht anytime without breaking a sweat. Sane voices from former eastern bloc countries well-versed in soviet terror and brutality were completely ignored first months of war. Leading countries in EU are still acting like there is some tiny annoying localized conflict far away and it will for sure end next month, and not like existential situation with many parallels with WWII and Hitler's behavior before and during it. They could have boosted their economies by diverting more money into defense, instead we get shooting in our own foot with endless green deal to kill half of European industry. Environmentally war on Ukraine is an utter disaster - we have some paper straws stupidities while they blow up 1 million plastic + chemistry + metal drones per year, on top of all other stuff blowing and burning to hell. That's probably the only thing I agree with trump (those 2%), but then again its painfully obvious and Obama kept saying the same. With russians they understand only the rule of stronger, just like typical mafia. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. /rant
  - CHB0403085482 2y ago
    Cartoon from 1930 but just as relevant today ~ https://x.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/status/1851955766585950476#m https://x.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/status/1851955766585950476#m
  - lostmsu 2y ago
    While I mostly agree, it took Hitler 1 month to take over Poland. Russia is still struggling 2 years later (8 since you should count from Crimea).
29athrowaway 2y ago
[flagged]
- ricardo81 2y ago
  Presumably 1 gold per turn for open borders too?
  - 29athrowaway 2y ago
    We are living in a Civ mod.
ck2 2y ago
WW3 with Russia+China+NorthKorea (and maybe various middle-east) is kinda scary. And it might start when they seize Taiwan like Russia Ukraine, how would we stop them in the slightest when we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine? No-one has convinced me yet that Putin isn't going to start executing generals (or falling from 3rd story) until one is willing to push the button when he's finally on his deathbed.
- csa 2y ago
  > how would we stop them in the slightest when we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine? We (US) could have and can stop the seizure of Ukraine fairly easily, imho. We have chosen not to do so directly in an effort to prevent WW3 and/or nuclear weapon use. > No-one has convinced me yet that Putin isn't going to start executing generals (or falling from 3rd story) until one is willing to push the button when he's finally on his deathbed. You’re not wrong, but his successor, or whoever thinks they may be his successor, will probably prevent that from happening. So many of them have czarist ambitions, and Putin has laid the groundwork.
- teaearlgraycold 2y ago
  China is playing both sides here. They want to go for Taiwan - but they aren't forming anything like the WW2 Axis powers.
- dudefeliciano 2y ago
  > we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine we could, but evidently we are not willing to. If Taiwan were taken perhaps the response would be different and we would not be as passive anymore. One thing sure, Xi noticed the weak response in Ukraine.
- feedforward 2y ago
  > And it might start when they seize Taiwan like Russia Ukraine, how would we stop them in the slightest when we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine? Russian troops were in the Crimea back when British redcoats were stationed in New York City, so I don't know exactly when this "seizure" of the Crimea by Russia is supposed to have happened. Taiwan is Kinmen island, which sits inside the harbor of the city of Xiamen in mainland China. The PRC, the US and the Taipei government all recognize Taiwan and the mainland as the same country. So I don't know how or why "we" would try to stop the Standing Committee from going into Taiwan - the island in their own harbor. Kind of a laugh to look at the shock of a "payoff' by Russia, when the US is doing bigger payoffs to countries all around the world.
killingtime74 2y ago
If anyone is interested the rice is valued at approximately $420 million. https://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=rice&months=60 https://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=rice&month...
mjfl 2y ago
North Korea and Russia have a military alliance. When an ally goes to war, you send your troops. Therefore, I don't understand the hysterics about the troops in Kursk. They are no more than 1/30th of what's currently on the front line. More of a training mission for the North Koreans than anything else.
- realusername 2y ago
  That's not correct no, Russia dragged North Korea into the war, they didn't have a military alliance. Then it's taken seriously because it's an escalation of the war by Russia.
  - mjfl 2y ago
    Constantly amazed by the big-brain takes around here. Please see the link below describing Russia and North Korea's mutual defense pact: https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-07/news/north-korea-russia-strengthen-military-ties https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-07/news/north-korea-rus...
    - realusername 2y ago
      I mean yeah, if you point Putin's visit only from a few months ago that's pretty much the definition of "dragged into the war". You should have a look at the date of your article first. That's also why North Korea bargained some goods in exchange of their support.
      - mjfl 2y ago
        you said > they didn't have a military alliance. Please just admit you were wrong. If you cannot do that then there is no point in responding to you.
        realusername 2y ago
        No, you were wrong here, they didn't have a defense pact and got dragged into the war in exchange for goods. Maybe you can point at some pre-existing defense pact to support your claims signed before the war but I'm not aware of any existing. It's possible that I missed it though but given that Putin flew in there when the situation got worse to negotiate their war support, I doubt they had one.
lovegrenoble 2y ago
[flagged]
- mjfl 2y ago
  Indeed. We can all learn from Ray McGovern, retired CIA analyst who gave the daily brief to President Reagan who is now a peace activist: https://consortiumnews.com/2019/11/14/ray-mcgovern-ukraine-for-dummies/ https://consortiumnews.com/2019/11/14/ray-mcgovern-ukraine-f...
  - ricardo81 2y ago
    The article has a lot of views from the USA/Russia perspectives, not so much Ukraine. Last I looked they were a democracy.
- martinko 2y ago
  The Ukrainian people do not want further or deeper ties with Russia, period. Your regurgitation of Russian talking points just shows that you have no idea what you are talking about.
  - missedthecue 2y ago
    The actual problem here is that Ukrainian people are not a monolith. People in certain regions undeniably do want to be part of Russia, or at least have deeper ties. This is not a Russian talking point. Authorities in Kyiv flat out concede this problematic dilemma.
    - whoknowsidont 2y ago
      >People in certain regions undeniably do want to be part of Russia They most definitely do not lol.
      - missedthecue 2y ago
        You cannot argue in good faith that the average resident of Crimea is pro-Ukraine. If you refuse to believe this, I cannot help you. Why do you think Putin's annexation in 2014 went so smoothly? The population was by and large positively receptive.
tokinonagare 2y ago
So, in the end DPRK strategy of over-militarization worked, since it is what allowed them to close the deal. On the other hand it is yet another blow for the US strategic choices and wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Vietnam, Korea, etc.) All that could have been avoided by not bullying the country to the point of famine. It's incredible how strong-willed Koreans are to keep up the fight and do things their way.
- ivewonyoung 2y ago
  North Korea has had their allies China and USSR/Russia literally next door to help them if needed, they share borders with them. Why do they have long lasting famine because of US sanctions while China and Russia/USSR are massive producers of food? Cuban food shortages are a bit more understandable because they're in the western hemisphere surrounded mostly by countries friendly to the US, but North Korea?
Animats 2y ago
Wars we can expect during the US next presidential administration: - Ukraine vs Russia/N. Korea continues. Georgia may be pulled in next. - Israel vs. Gaza/Iran/Lebanon continues to escalate. - China vs. Taiwan slowly heats up. - S. Korea vs. N. Korea/Russia - less likely. - Ongoing US-Russia cyberwarfare. Neither US presidential candidate is up to handling this.
- kev009 2y ago
  Necessity will find what is needed and the mental defectives will get shuttled out of the way if the entire system is facing existential crisis. The tragedy is that it is all avoidable but there is a lot of deck stacking to get one or more of these to pop off and people believe the official narratives still.
- Krasnol 2y ago
  [flagged]
- ipaddr 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - JSDevOps 2y ago
    Cyberwarfare Knows no bounds
  - roncesvalles 2y ago
    >Trump will end the Ukraine war as all it takes is agreeing not to expand NATO and giving up Russian speaking Ukraine parts. That would require the Ukrainians to truly and deeply internalize "sunk cost fallacy" because it means 2.5 years of total war was for nothing.
    - atmavatar 2y ago
      It would be worse than nothing. Allowing Russia to come away from the current conflict with freshly-annexed territory just emboldens Putin to invade again later, much like taking Crimea in 2014 ultimately led to today. If he can't take all of Ukraine now, he'll settle for invading again later once he's regrouped and rebuilt.

51 points by paulcarroty 2y ago

It's quite sad that Russia has better partners than Ukraine does. Zelensky has to beg every day for the West to fulfill its promises while the Russians send some rice and North Korea sends 12k soldiers. China, Iran, and India are funding and supplying Russia with more aid than the US/EU is supplying Ukraine with. Sadly the EU still sends more money every year to Russian coffers than it lends to Ukraine. The West is losing its influence and the USA is losing its reputation as a reliable partner. An undesirable result of the War in Ukraine will have some severe consequences for the US/EU in the decades to come. A lot of folks are just oblivious to it.

ronsor 2y ago
Russia's "partners" are vultures ready to swoop in and consume everything if the country collapses.
- chgs 2y ago
  When. But the same can be said about the US. Look at the “reconstruction” of Iraq.
  - no_exit 2y ago
    > Iraq's oil infrastructure was damaged when the CPA took over. The CPA effected selected repairs. But the IAMB found that the CPA had chosen not to repair the meters on the pipelines. The IAMB told the CPA that they were concerned that the lack of metering made auditing Iraq's oil exports unreliable – making it impossible to detect fraud, deception or smuggling. The minutes of the IAMB meeting make clear that the CPA had assured the IAMB that they were in the process of repairing the meters – in bad faith. The CPA's authority came to an end with the meters unrepaired. Estimates of how much oil revenue was siphoned off during the year of the CPA's administration go as high as $4 billion – comparable to the amount Saddam Hussein is suspected of stealing during the entire duration of the oil-for-food program. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_Fund_for_Iraq https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_Fund_for_Iraq You have to laugh...
- stonethrowaway 2y ago
  Framing it differently, they have skin in the game.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- potatototoo99 2y ago
  [flagged]
- mjfl 2y ago
  I think this sentence makes more sense if you are talking about Ukraine and its partners.
- moltar 2y ago
  And Ukrainian partners don’t even wait for that. Lands are being divided and bought out by BlackRock and the like for pennies on the dollar.
- JohnCClarke 2y ago
  “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.” -- Lord Palmerston (and repeated by Henry Kissinger) It's a dangerous world out there, and best not to be weak.
kev009 2y ago
For BRICS it's just business, for NK there is immense value in getting some combat experience without formally entering any war.. NATO countries do this all the time as well, look back at the GWOT and lots of lesser known skirmishes where especially non-conventional forces are cycled through. I also don't think the US and EU have pure motivations in any of this, particularly the US the EU just seems gullible.. the anti-Russia talk from the politicians is just fodder for the masses so the grift can continue as the actual actions and inactions tell a different story.. send complicated weapons systems ($$$), complicated weapons system doesn't work better start working on some new ones ($$$), oh that's some nice farmland you got there better let our corporations buy it up ($$$).
mannyv 2y ago
India isn't funding anything in the war, AFAIK. Just because they're BRICS doesn't mean they're doing anything in the war. And Russia's "partners" are a shit country stuck in 1880 (North Korea) and, well, China. China's great at intimidating third world countries, but in reality their support and capabilities are limited. As for India, well, back in the old days India would have taken Eastern Russia, since the Russian armed forces are busy trying not to get killed. At least China and India seem to have cooled down their border issues.
- ChumpGPT 2y ago
  https://finance.yahoo.com/video/big-indian-firm-sends-nvidia-191841655.html https://finance.yahoo.com/video/big-indian-firm-sends-nvidia... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/indias-increased-purchase-of-russian-oil-is-helping-fuel-ukraine-war-european-think-tank/articleshow/107829601.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/indias-increase...
- zip1234 2y ago
  India is funding the war for Russia by buying all their oil.
  - gruez 2y ago
    There's a pretty big difference between "funding" a war by buying oil (BRICS/Non-Aligned), and "funding" a war by giving military aid (the West). Also, The West is still buying oil from Russia because for some countries there's still no alternative. https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/09/05/the-west-still-needs-russian-gas-that-comes-through-ukraine https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/09/05/the-west-still-n... https://archive.is/V0Efv https://archive.is/V0Efv
    - HDThoreaun 2y ago
      Russia sells oil to india, buys rice. Russia sends rice to korea, buys people and ammunition. How is India not funding russian war efforts?
bad_haircut72 2y ago
If Ukraine falls because USA cuts off aid expect every mid power in the world (South Korea / Japan / Australia / Italy etc) to begin their own nuclear weapons program immediately. “Losing its reputation” is an enormous understatement.
- nradov 2y ago
  It's pretty clear to every world leader now that the only guarantee of security is to have your own nuclear weapons, or to have a solid mutual defense treaty with a nuclear power. President Zelensky has basically stated that if Ukraine doesn't receive sufficient conventional military aid then they'll be forced to pursue nuclear weapons development. Whether they are actually capable of doing this before being conquered by Russia is unknown: they have multiple civilian nuclear power plants and skilled engineers but still it takes a lot to build an operational weapons system including the delivery platform. https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ukraine-membership-progress-donald-trump-brussels-1970816 https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ukraine-membership-progress-do... Regardless of what ultimately happens in Ukraine, nuclear proliferation is obviously going to accelerate. This is the very real consequence of the international community failing to collectively oppose Russian aggression.
  - HDThoreaun 2y ago
    If ukraine builds a credible nucellar program NATO likely sides with russia to end the war asap. Zero appetite for nuclear war
    - nojvek 2y ago
      Russia has quite a bit of apetite for nuclear war. They wouldn’t be poking the bear otherwise.
      - HDThoreaun 2y ago
        Which is why NATO wont let ukraine get nukes. Cant stop russia from getting nukes so only option is stopping ukraine.
xattt 2y ago
> The West is losing its influence and the USA is losing its reputation as a reliable partner. The undermined reputation came about because of a significant foreign influence effort that saw an agent hold the seat of power.
jajko 2y ago
Well, you are unfortunately correct. But as coming from Europe, I blame mostly EU at the end. US shouldn't be the sole policeman and shield to 450 million economically strong block. When I look at the government and its steps re defense, its beyond pathetic. Almost nobody does even mandatory 2% GDP -> NATO flow, the only countries doing so are those treated brutally by soviets/russian in the past - Poland, baltic states. Heck, freakin' Germany is trying to put their highway maintenance costs into those 2%, since 'army anyway has to drive on them' - that's borderline treasonous behavior from Scholz in situation where enemy is at literal gates and repeatedly stated that it will wipe out half of population in nuclear strikes if they want to. Polish army can roll over wehrmacht anytime without breaking a sweat. Sane voices from former eastern bloc countries well-versed in soviet terror and brutality were completely ignored first months of war. Leading countries in EU are still acting like there is some tiny annoying localized conflict far away and it will for sure end next month, and not like existential situation with many parallels with WWII and Hitler's behavior before and during it. They could have boosted their economies by diverting more money into defense, instead we get shooting in our own foot with endless green deal to kill half of European industry. Environmentally war on Ukraine is an utter disaster - we have some paper straws stupidities while they blow up 1 million plastic + chemistry + metal drones per year, on top of all other stuff blowing and burning to hell. That's probably the only thing I agree with trump (those 2%), but then again its painfully obvious and Obama kept saying the same. With russians they understand only the rule of stronger, just like typical mafia. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. /rant
- CHB0403085482 2y ago
  Cartoon from 1930 but just as relevant today ~ https://x.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/status/1851955766585950476#m https://x.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/status/1851955766585950476#m
- lostmsu 2y ago
  While I mostly agree, it took Hitler 1 month to take over Poland. Russia is still struggling 2 years later (8 since you should count from Crimea).

29athrowaway 2y ago

[flagged]

ricardo81 2y ago
Presumably 1 gold per turn for open borders too?
- 29athrowaway 2y ago
  We are living in a Civ mod.

ck2 2y ago

WW3 with Russia+China+NorthKorea (and maybe various middle-east) is kinda scary. And it might start when they seize Taiwan like Russia Ukraine, how would we stop them in the slightest when we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine? No-one has convinced me yet that Putin isn't going to start executing generals (or falling from 3rd story) until one is willing to push the button when he's finally on his deathbed.

csa 2y ago
> how would we stop them in the slightest when we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine? We (US) could have and can stop the seizure of Ukraine fairly easily, imho. We have chosen not to do so directly in an effort to prevent WW3 and/or nuclear weapon use. > No-one has convinced me yet that Putin isn't going to start executing generals (or falling from 3rd story) until one is willing to push the button when he's finally on his deathbed. You’re not wrong, but his successor, or whoever thinks they may be his successor, will probably prevent that from happening. So many of them have czarist ambitions, and Putin has laid the groundwork.
teaearlgraycold 2y ago
China is playing both sides here. They want to go for Taiwan - but they aren't forming anything like the WW2 Axis powers.
dudefeliciano 2y ago
> we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine we could, but evidently we are not willing to. If Taiwan were taken perhaps the response would be different and we would not be as passive anymore. One thing sure, Xi noticed the weak response in Ukraine.
feedforward 2y ago
> And it might start when they seize Taiwan like Russia Ukraine, how would we stop them in the slightest when we can't stop the seizure of Ukraine? Russian troops were in the Crimea back when British redcoats were stationed in New York City, so I don't know exactly when this "seizure" of the Crimea by Russia is supposed to have happened. Taiwan is Kinmen island, which sits inside the harbor of the city of Xiamen in mainland China. The PRC, the US and the Taipei government all recognize Taiwan and the mainland as the same country. So I don't know how or why "we" would try to stop the Standing Committee from going into Taiwan - the island in their own harbor. Kind of a laugh to look at the shock of a "payoff' by Russia, when the US is doing bigger payoffs to countries all around the world.

killingtime74 2y ago

If anyone is interested the rice is valued at approximately $420 million. https://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=rice&months=60 https://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=rice&month...

mjfl 2y ago

North Korea and Russia have a military alliance. When an ally goes to war, you send your troops. Therefore, I don't understand the hysterics about the troops in Kursk. They are no more than 1/30th of what's currently on the front line. More of a training mission for the North Koreans than anything else.

realusername 2y ago
That's not correct no, Russia dragged North Korea into the war, they didn't have a military alliance. Then it's taken seriously because it's an escalation of the war by Russia.
- mjfl 2y ago
  Constantly amazed by the big-brain takes around here. Please see the link below describing Russia and North Korea's mutual defense pact: https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-07/news/north-korea-russia-strengthen-military-ties https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-07/news/north-korea-rus...
  - realusername 2y ago
    I mean yeah, if you point Putin's visit only from a few months ago that's pretty much the definition of "dragged into the war". You should have a look at the date of your article first. That's also why North Korea bargained some goods in exchange of their support.
    - mjfl 2y ago
      you said > they didn't have a military alliance. Please just admit you were wrong. If you cannot do that then there is no point in responding to you.
      - realusername 2y ago
        No, you were wrong here, they didn't have a defense pact and got dragged into the war in exchange for goods. Maybe you can point at some pre-existing defense pact to support your claims signed before the war but I'm not aware of any existing. It's possible that I missed it though but given that Putin flew in there when the situation got worse to negotiate their war support, I doubt they had one.

lovegrenoble 2y ago

[flagged]

mjfl 2y ago
Indeed. We can all learn from Ray McGovern, retired CIA analyst who gave the daily brief to President Reagan who is now a peace activist: https://consortiumnews.com/2019/11/14/ray-mcgovern-ukraine-for-dummies/ https://consortiumnews.com/2019/11/14/ray-mcgovern-ukraine-f...
- ricardo81 2y ago
  The article has a lot of views from the USA/Russia perspectives, not so much Ukraine. Last I looked they were a democracy.
martinko 2y ago
The Ukrainian people do not want further or deeper ties with Russia, period. Your regurgitation of Russian talking points just shows that you have no idea what you are talking about.
- missedthecue 2y ago
  The actual problem here is that Ukrainian people are not a monolith. People in certain regions undeniably do want to be part of Russia, or at least have deeper ties. This is not a Russian talking point. Authorities in Kyiv flat out concede this problematic dilemma.
  - whoknowsidont 2y ago
    >People in certain regions undeniably do want to be part of Russia They most definitely do not lol.
    - missedthecue 2y ago
      You cannot argue in good faith that the average resident of Crimea is pro-Ukraine. If you refuse to believe this, I cannot help you. Why do you think Putin's annexation in 2014 went so smoothly? The population was by and large positively receptive.

tokinonagare 2y ago

So, in the end DPRK strategy of over-militarization worked, since it is what allowed them to close the deal. On the other hand it is yet another blow for the US strategic choices and wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Vietnam, Korea, etc.) All that could have been avoided by not bullying the country to the point of famine. It's incredible how strong-willed Koreans are to keep up the fight and do things their way.

ivewonyoung 2y ago
North Korea has had their allies China and USSR/Russia literally next door to help them if needed, they share borders with them. Why do they have long lasting famine because of US sanctions while China and Russia/USSR are massive producers of food? Cuban food shortages are a bit more understandable because they're in the western hemisphere surrounded mostly by countries friendly to the US, but North Korea?

Animats 2y ago

Wars we can expect during the US next presidential administration: - Ukraine vs Russia/N. Korea continues. Georgia may be pulled in next. - Israel vs. Gaza/Iran/Lebanon continues to escalate. - China vs. Taiwan slowly heats up. - S. Korea vs. N. Korea/Russia - less likely. - Ongoing US-Russia cyberwarfare. Neither US presidential candidate is up to handling this.

kev009 2y ago
Necessity will find what is needed and the mental defectives will get shuttled out of the way if the entire system is facing existential crisis. The tragedy is that it is all avoidable but there is a lot of deck stacking to get one or more of these to pop off and people believe the official narratives still.
Krasnol 2y ago
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ipaddr 2y ago
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- deleted 2y ago
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- JSDevOps 2y ago
  Cyberwarfare Knows no bounds
- roncesvalles 2y ago
  >Trump will end the Ukraine war as all it takes is agreeing not to expand NATO and giving up Russian speaking Ukraine parts. That would require the Ukrainians to truly and deeply internalize "sunk cost fallacy" because it means 2.5 years of total war was for nothing.
  - atmavatar 2y ago
    It would be worse than nothing. Allowing Russia to come away from the current conflict with freshly-annexed territory just emboldens Putin to invade again later, much like taking Crimea in 2014 ultimately led to today. If he can't take all of Ukraine now, he'll settle for invading again later once he's regrouped and rebuilt.