Ukraine Chooses to Get Beaten-Up Some more; Peace Talks End after only HALF HOUR

Ukraine and Russia met again today in Istanbul, Turkey, for peace talks.  The talks ended after only about Half an hour.  Ukraine apparently hasn't been beaten-up enough and has chosen to get beaten-up some more.

According to the Ukrainians "Russia has not changed its maximalist position."  

At the most recent exchange of soldier dead bodies, Russia turned over one-thousand (1,000) dead Ukrainians; Ukraine turned over sixteen (16) dead Russian Soldiers.   That a ratio of about 52:1

Ukraine came to the table in Istanbul with the offer of a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire.   Russia said "nyet."  Russia will not allow Ukraine time to re-arm, re-deploy, and re-supply, just so they can once again continue the war.

Russia said "agree to our terms and THEN the fighting will stop."  Ukraine said "nyet."

According to Russian News Agency TASS, the talks ended after half an hour "and will not resume."   It is not clear if that means "will not resume TODAY"  or will not resume - at all.

This is the third or fourth time the two sides have met, and at each meeting, Russia's position has been exactly the same: Accept THESE particular terms, and the fighting will stop."  At each meeting, Ukraine said no.

This battle is, primarily, about Ukraine joining NATO.   Russia cannot allow that.  Positioning American missiles upon Ukraine soil would give those missiles a five minute flight time to Moscow.  No nation can defend itself against missiles that take-off and impact their target within five minutes.

And because the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, Russia has no way of inspecting those American missiles to see if the warheads were changed from conventional to nuclear.

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS PRECEDENT

U.S. President John F. Kennedy set this precedent with Cuba.   In 1963, Soviet missiles were placed in Cuba.  They were detected by U.S. spy plane photos.

Kennedy revealed to the world what we found out, and then Kennedy imposed a naval blockade upon Cuba to inspect all ships traveling to Cuba for missiles or related components.  Kennedy didn't CALL IT a "naval blockade" which would have been an act of war, he CALLED it a "Quarantine."

Word was sent to the Soviets: Remove those missiles or the US will invade Cuba and destroy them.

Kennedy also began massing troops in South Florida for an invasion of Cuba.

Because there were no telephone lines from the US (or Europe) into the Soviet Union at the time, and no way to send a Western Union Telegram, word had to be sent personally, by Diplomatic couriers.  That took a lot of time.  In that time, the Cubans began erecting missile launch pads.

It came down to a 24 hour period where the Soviets had to choose: Use them (the missiles) or Lose them.

Had they fired the missiles, they would have had a five minute flight time to Washington, DC.    President Kennedy refused to tolerate their existence.

THAT was "The Cuban Missile Crisis."

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and then-Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev used Shortwave Radio (Voice of Moscow) to transmit word that the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles.

Nuclear war: Averted.

But for 24 full hours, this world teetered  -- literally -- on the brink of nuclear annihilation.

It must be pointed out that the reason the Soviets placed those missiles in Cuba, was because the US placed its "JUPITER" Nuclear missiles, in Turkey.   The Soviets were merely responding to what the US had done.   That part of the story rarely gets told.

Fast-forward to Ukraine.  When word leaked in 2008 that NATO was trying to recruit Ukraine, the Russians made it known this was completely unacceptable to Russia.  No one in the West listened.

In 2014, when the US and EU overthrew Ukraine's democratically-elected President, Viktor Yanukovych, and installed a puppet government, Russia realized they were doing this so as to bring Ukraine into NATO.  So Russia began acting in its interests.

In December 2021 and again in January 2022, Russia put forth Treaty proposals for Iron-clad, legally enforceable, security guarantees.  Both times, the US and EU/NATO laughed at the proposals and rhetorically threw them in the trash.

In February, 2022, Russia called Zelensky and told him "You have five hours to publicly announce that Ukraine will NOT join NATO." 

Zelensky called both the British and the Americans.  Both told Zelensky "ignore the Russians."

After the five hours had elapsed, Russia waited two more hours and, hearing nothing back, sent the Russian Army into Ukraine.   Ukraine is not going to join NATO because it would threaten Russia's existence.  Period. Full stop.

Hal Turner Opinion

Ukraine has lost over a million soldiers so far and still, they just don't seem to get it. They can't join NATO.

Looks to me like they need to get the shit beaten out of them some more.  I think the Russians will do exactly that.  Maybe when it hurts enough, Ukraine will stop.

Of course, it may be that they won't stop until there is no more Ukraine.  That suits me just fine. Ukraine is Nazi infested.  I hope Russia wipes them out.