The former Konigsberg became Kaliningrad as the Soviet Union moved out all the Germans and brought in Russians to live there (with Allied acquiescence).
For whatever Ukrainian territory Russia gains out of this, why would Putin not move in Russians, maybe even giving land to families of dead Russian soldiers as compensation, making the region irrevocably mixed.
If such a thing were to happen, I would consider Russian civilians being used to de facto mark territory to be fair game for any Ukrainian reprisals. Russia shouldn’t be allowed to establish any settlements/colonies in occupied territory in an attempt to change the status of those areas.
Reynolds: So, similar to Hitler, he’s using a sense of massive historical grievance combined with a veneer of protecting Russians and a dismissal of the rights of minorities and other nations to have independent countries in order to fuel territorial ambitions?
Hill: Correct. And he’s blaming others, for why this has happened, and getting us to blame ourselves.
If people look back to the history of World War II, there were an awful lot of people around Europe who became Nazi German sympathizers before the invasion of Poland. In the United Kingdom, there was a whole host of British politicians who admired Hitler’s strength and his power, for doing what Great Powers do, before the horrors of the Blitz and the Holocaust finally penetrated.
Reynolds: And you see this now.
Hill: You totally see it. Unfortunately, we have politicians and public figures in the United States and around Europe who have embraced the idea that Russia was wronged by NATO and that Putin is a strong, powerful man and has the right to do what he’s doing: Because Ukraine is somehow not worthy of independence, because it’s either Russia’s historical lands or Ukrainians are Russians, or the Ukrainian leaders are — this is what Putin says — “drug addled, fascist Nazis” or whatever labels he wants to apply here.
So sadly, we are treading back through old historical patterns that we said that we would never permit to happen again. The other thing to think about in this larger historic context is how much the German business community helped facilitate the rise of Hitler. Right now, everyone who has been doing business in Russia or buying Russian gas and oil has contributed to Putin’s war chest. Our investments are not just boosting business profits, or Russia’s sovereign wealth funds and its longer-term development. They now are literally the fuel for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
I mean conflating that Russia was wronged (or felt threatened) by NATO and that Putin is justified is just inaccurate for many who believe the first part to even a tiny degree. Seems like a bad faith argument on her part. I mean I guess if she is referring to those who felt like NATO are meanies for expanding and Putin was thus justified is maybe a more solid conclusion to reach but I suspect she is assuming a broader viewpoint. Like does anyone except Tucker Carlson types think Ukraine isn’t worthy of independence? They are a sovereign nation lol.
morale to that story was don’t take a day off work–was the only reason people found out. (sure there were some people wondering but nobody was gonna look)
That being said, the images taken over Poland prove the situation is different in Eastern Europe and mark the first time U.S. or allied F-35s are spotted operating near enemy airspace without reflectors.
The posture has changed and, as a consequence, the F-35s must be ready, if required, to operate near or inside a contested airspace, in “full stealth mode” to avoid detection from enemy radars. And, again, if you worry about OPSEC, consider that these photos were approved for release and this means that U.S. and NATO want this to be known…
