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JHUM's avatar

Given Putin’s strong preference for Zhou over Trump, wouldn’t it make sense for Russia to delay the final assault until after the US elections?

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Elspeth Ham's avatar

Strong preference according to whom? The rendition I read said in fact Putin preferred Biden because he was more predictable. In fact we could get to the election without knowing where

Trump stands on much of anything. He's too busy with all the BS. How handy is that?

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Steghorn21's avatar

I always like it when, two or so years afterwards, the "experts" realise what we schlubs already knew.

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Ray Zacek's avatar

"Ukrainian forces have often simply turned and fled. " Probably running all the way to Krakow to seek asylum.

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NFO's avatar

Kharkov was my first encounter with the corruption of newly-independent Ukraine some 30+ years ago. Yanked from a train from St. Petersburg on which I was traveling with Russian friends to their dacha down near Yalta, I was forced to overnight in Kharkov (the first cross-border city) at a fleabag hotel (in a semi-custodial arrangement--they had my passport) for the privilege of paying $100 cash for a $5 (tops!) room, only to receive back the same address-registration stamps I'd obtained in St. Petersburg before I left. Not a fan...zero stars ;-)

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JoeMichel's avatar

Interesting times - and certainly more so in the Ukraine at the very moment. The city of Kharkiv could topple and yes that would be a big game changer. Then possibly Odessa as mentioned in your report.

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Steghorn21's avatar

Nothing another $60bn from Congress can't sort out.

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ML's avatar

Maybe a little of that funny money could go to an upgrade, say from -* to * of NFO’s fleabag hotel! Soon to be persona non grata Blinken could even find a room there!

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SMH's avatar

Yep, like former Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn used to say, “a million here a million there and before you know it you’re talking real money”, but we’ll just bring it into the 21st century and say “billion”.

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