5 ms·

I feel that the EU is behind the curve. Trump just disbanded the task force that targets Russian oligarchs: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administrati

by throwaway191215 2y ago

I feel that the EU is behind the curve. Trump just disbanded the task force that targets Russian oligarchs: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-disbands-task-force-targeting-russian-oligarchs-2025-02-06/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-disban... Furthermore, there is a clear danger that Trump will make peace in Ukraine (without consulting either the EU or Ukraine) and have the EU pay for the reconstruction. And he'll possible resume friendship with Russia after the EU-Russia relationships have been ruined. The EU should stop playing the games of the US, which change every four years. It should develop its own foreign policy and stop being taken advantage of. Rule #1: Never get involved in a war that is promoted by the US. All "friends" of the US have been screwed over in various proxy wars. Kissinger even said "to be a friend of the US is fatal".

flanked-evergl 2y ago
Trump term 1 was significantly harder on Russia than Biden before the invasion of Ukraine. To suggest that he is pro-Russia is absurd, has always been, will always be. That being said, the war has to end. Pretending like it could go on indefinitely, as Biden and Europe did, is infantile.
- jcranmer 2y ago
  > Trump term 1 was significantly harder on Russia than Biden before the invasion of Ukraine. To suggest that he is pro-Russia is absurd, has always been, will always be. How? Trump rather infamously stood up at a press conference and said, in effect, he trusted Putin more than his own intelligence agencies. The only real anti-Russia thing done during his administration that I can recall is the Magnitsky Act, but the clear impetus for that came from Congress and Trump only very reluctantly signed it.
  - flanked-evergl 2y ago
    > Trump rather infamously stood up at a press conference and said, in effect, he trusted Putin more than his own intelligence agencies. Words are not policy. Biden stopped selling weapons to Ukraine and removed sanctions on Nord stream 2.
    - jcranmer 2y ago
      I'm going to have to ask for citations for that.
      - flanked-evergl 2y ago
        (before invasion) White House freezes Ukraine military package that includes lethal weapons https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/18/white-house-ukraine-military-lethal-weapons-495169 https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/18/white-house-ukraine... (before invasion) Despite appeals from Ukraine, Biden admin holds back additional military aid to Kyiv amid diplomatic push https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/appeals-ukraine-biden-admin-holds-back-additional-military-aid-kyiv-di-rcna8421 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/appeals-u... Biden administration slowed Ukraine arms shipments until his term was nearly done https://www.reuters.com/investigations/biden-administration-beset-by-doubts-slowed-ukraine-weapons-shipments-until-2025-02-03/ https://www.reuters.com/investigations/biden-administration-... Nord Stream 2: Biden waives US sanctions on Russian pipeline https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57180674 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57180674
tterras 2y ago
Nothing to do with the article. This desync plan was set 20 years ago. Baltic states have never been in good relations with our occupiers.
- fmajid 2y ago
  Oddly the Hungarians, Bulgarians and Slovaks seem to. Stockholm Syndrome?
  - fifilura 2y ago
    Corruption. But also Russia has a nuclear plant project in Hungary as hostage. I believe Bulgaria should generally not be lumped together with Slovakia and Hungary though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria%E2%80%93Russia_relations#Trade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria%E2%80%93Russia_relati...
AnimalMuppet 2y ago
> Furthermore, there is a clear danger that Trump will make peace in Ukraine (without consulting either the EU or Ukraine) and have the EU pay for the reconstruction. Yeah... Trump isn't dictator of the world. The only way he can make peace in Ukraine without consulting Ukraine is to persuade Russia to withdraw. (Which, if he did, that would be great... but I'm not holding my breath.) Other than that, the most he can do is stop supplying Ukraine with US weapons and intel, and let Ukraine decide what to do in the new situation. And, having the EU pay for reconstruction? The EU is not under Trump's orders. They may chose to help pay for Ukrainian reconstruction, if they choose to do so, but it won't be because Trump "had" them do so.
ImHereToVote 2y ago
I think Europeans are unprepared for the dangers of peace breaking out in Eastern Europe and what that entails.

flanked-evergl 2y ago

Trump term 1 was significantly harder on Russia than Biden before the invasion of Ukraine. To suggest that he is pro-Russia is absurd, has always been, will always be. That being said, the war has to end. Pretending like it could go on indefinitely, as Biden and Europe did, is infantile.

jcranmer 2y ago
> Trump term 1 was significantly harder on Russia than Biden before the invasion of Ukraine. To suggest that he is pro-Russia is absurd, has always been, will always be. How? Trump rather infamously stood up at a press conference and said, in effect, he trusted Putin more than his own intelligence agencies. The only real anti-Russia thing done during his administration that I can recall is the Magnitsky Act, but the clear impetus for that came from Congress and Trump only very reluctantly signed it.
- flanked-evergl 2y ago
  > Trump rather infamously stood up at a press conference and said, in effect, he trusted Putin more than his own intelligence agencies. Words are not policy. Biden stopped selling weapons to Ukraine and removed sanctions on Nord stream 2.
  - jcranmer 2y ago
    I'm going to have to ask for citations for that.
    - flanked-evergl 2y ago
      (before invasion) White House freezes Ukraine military package that includes lethal weapons https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/18/white-house-ukraine-military-lethal-weapons-495169 https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/18/white-house-ukraine... (before invasion) Despite appeals from Ukraine, Biden admin holds back additional military aid to Kyiv amid diplomatic push https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/appeals-ukraine-biden-admin-holds-back-additional-military-aid-kyiv-di-rcna8421 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/appeals-u... Biden administration slowed Ukraine arms shipments until his term was nearly done https://www.reuters.com/investigations/biden-administration-beset-by-doubts-slowed-ukraine-weapons-shipments-until-2025-02-03/ https://www.reuters.com/investigations/biden-administration-... Nord Stream 2: Biden waives US sanctions on Russian pipeline https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57180674 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57180674

tterras 2y ago

Nothing to do with the article. This desync plan was set 20 years ago. Baltic states have never been in good relations with our occupiers.

fmajid 2y ago
Oddly the Hungarians, Bulgarians and Slovaks seem to. Stockholm Syndrome?
- fifilura 2y ago
  Corruption. But also Russia has a nuclear plant project in Hungary as hostage. I believe Bulgaria should generally not be lumped together with Slovakia and Hungary though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria%E2%80%93Russia_relations#Trade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria%E2%80%93Russia_relati...

AnimalMuppet 2y ago

> Furthermore, there is a clear danger that Trump will make peace in Ukraine (without consulting either the EU or Ukraine) and have the EU pay for the reconstruction. Yeah... Trump isn't dictator of the world. The only way he can make peace in Ukraine without consulting Ukraine is to persuade Russia to withdraw. (Which, if he did, that would be great... but I'm not holding my breath.) Other than that, the most he can do is stop supplying Ukraine with US weapons and intel, and let Ukraine decide what to do in the new situation. And, having the EU pay for reconstruction? The EU is not under Trump's orders. They may chose to help pay for Ukrainian reconstruction, if they choose to do so, but it won't be because Trump "had" them do so.

ImHereToVote 2y ago

I think Europeans are unprepared for the dangers of peace breaking out in Eastern Europe and what that entails.