"Putin is fighting not to conquer Pokrovsk but to destroy Ukraine as a nation. He wants to show Russians that democratic aspirations are hopeless. He wants to prove that a whole host of international laws and norms, including the United Nations Charter and the Geneva conventions, no longer matter" - ThreadSky

anneapplebaum.bsky.social • 141 days ago

"Putin is fighting not to conquer Pokrovsk but to destroy Ukraine as a nation. He wants to show Russians that democratic aspirations are hopeless. He wants to prove that a whole host of international laws and norms, including the United Nations Charter and the Geneva conventions, no longer matter"

Reposted from Anne Applebaum

Putin isn't fighting just for territory in Ukraine, and any "peace plan" that fails to understand his goals will fail

www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Comments

carison.bsky.social•141 days ago

I'll say, right now putin is in the lead. It's very hard to see solutions without Pacta Sunt Servanda. It leaves us with people who takes power and they are not easily removed.

afura33.bsky.social•141 days ago

Vladolf Putler

billb2222.bsky.social•141 days ago

These are strong reasons for the media to shine a spotlight on Russian asset Tulsi Gabbard and make sure she is never allowed to run our intelligence agencies.

jkdanthonyian10.bsky.social•141 days ago

Let's not forget that he is allied with Trump and the MAGA party to achieve this.

petemarchetto.bsky.social•141 days ago

What's weird is watching a 72-year-old geezer with a thirty-year plan. He doesn't even have a successor lined up to take it over, and I'm pretty sure whoever DOES replace him will gain instant acclaim with the Russian people by stepping back from Putinism.

gildedcage66.bsky.social•141 days ago

This looks like Putin's Play book - a must read!

It covers plans for Brexit & Ukraine - How easily the West has been manipulated by Russia:

The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia by Aleksandr Dugin - Published in 1997

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Geopolitics

someoneontwitter.bsky.social•140 days ago

He's not doing a very good job of dismantling China though, seems that they are propping Russia up at the moment.

gildedcage66.bsky.social•140 days ago

As with any play book it's a list of possibles, desires, strategies and desired outcomes to be picked over and enacted according to focus.

norwegiantroll.bsky.social•140 days ago

This has been obvious for a very long time. More similar shit also going on. But people don't read history. Don't read news and don't pay attention to those commentators who have true insight. Instead they follow no-brain-social-media-pretend-to-be-experts.
- How could it go wrong?

eleritudor.bsky.social•140 days ago

Putin has been at war, a cyber war, with us for years. Time Western democracies wised up. We need a department dedicated to countering malign disinformation,

wee-old-harry-01.bsky.social•141 days ago

What a horror!
But a great find! Thx!

gildedcage66.bsky.social•141 days ago

Initially seen through posting by @lovemilan.bsky.social

surbitonsfinest.bsky.social•141 days ago

The question is: how is he stopped? When will he give up? What’s it going to take for his attempt to fail?

damop.bsky.social•141 days ago

Putin wants Ukraine's lithium deposits, which would position him and Russia advantageously in the European electric vehicle industry for the next two decades.

davidjohnurban.bsky.social•141 days ago

Thanks Anne. I may have considered subscribing to the Atlantic to read this if not for the Hunter pardon article.

miak06.bsky.social•141 days ago

Putin is pure evil - in mind, body and spirit.

tropenfisch.bsky.social•141 days ago

And there is some person in the US playing a trump card to support exactly those views.

sweetooth1.bsky.social•141 days ago

Not the first time Russia attacks the Ukrainian desire for independence. Just methods & reasons have changed. Putin wants to unite East Slavs under Russia. Worse is the agreement between Russia, U.S. & U.K. to protect the sovereignty of Ukraine after independence & Russia violated that agreement!

patpouncey.bsky.social•141 days ago

💔:(

rickclark.bsky.social•141 days ago

Sadly, the monster, who just got elected to the next term in the White House will offer little to no assistance to Ukraine, which will probably doom their survival. I hope not, but it’s looking that way. Breaks my heart.

geneahern.bsky.social•140 days ago

“Putin also wants to show that America, NATO, and the West are weak and indecisive, regardless of who is president, and that his brutal regime represents some kind of new global standard.”

trump, by injecting human cancers into DoD, FBI, etc., shares Putin’s goals. He continues to idolize Putin.

powerfromspace1.bsky.social•140 days ago

Don't ever forget the actual aim of the SVO ☝️

jomommafromtwitter.bsky.social•141 days ago

Well said 👏

nottx.bsky.social•141 days ago

What are the chances that EU leaders will step up aid for Ukraine?

sig321.bsky.social•141 days ago

50%

steffifee.bsky.social•141 days ago

Sure??

jmolofsson.bsky.social•141 days ago

Some will.
Most won't.

nottx.bsky.social•140 days ago

I hope this changes and Putin is not rewarded for stealing Ukrainian land. Come Europe! You are our only hope.

timjcj.bsky.social•141 days ago

As we know from bitter experience, appeasment never works. Unfortunately Trump is completely ignorant about history so believes that everything is transactional. The consequences of his actions will continue until well after he is dead, so he doesn't care.

mwilk19.bsky.social•141 days ago

500,000 Russians is a hell of a butcher's bill just to make a point.

jmolofsson.bsky.social•141 days ago

Not a high price if this sacrifice leads to the Endsieg over Europe and America.

thecuriouseye.bsky.social•141 days ago

When the history of World War III is written, one of the most damnable observations will be how many American lives were squandered because our leaders ignored the lessons of World War II and failed to stop Putin when the cost was low.

thesheldonhicks.bsky.social•141 days ago

…and is succeeding because of Western cowardice…a West mise en placed by Putin, divided, within ALL Western countries now, into the White Christian Nationalist-authoritarian friendly-Russian sympathizers and myopic on one side and the steadily diminishing guardians of liberal democracy on the other

a-blueberry-cake.bsky.social•78 days ago

I think the US performance with Palestine in 2023 and 2024 proved that international law part already
Or really, it proved that law based international order was always mostly a facade

overit1971.bsky.social•141 days ago

Yes. 100%. Thank you for your work especially during times when it’s hard to hold faith.

bayeralex.bsky.social•141 days ago

He now has an ally. In the White House

graygraydk.bsky.social•141 days ago

Many Conservative Party politicians in the UK agree with Putin. International law is for other countries, or if it suits you and human rights laws must be suspended.

onlytruthcansolve.bsky.social•141 days ago

Instead of stopping the terrorism against Ukrainian children – the United Nations allows the RUZZIAN terrorists a VOICE AND A VETO. History cannot help but record the United Nations as an EPIC FAILURE of it’s charter, but a MASSIVE SUCCESS of verbal vomit.

deepfrz.bsky.social•141 days ago

#SlavaUkraine

johnnyapril.bsky.social•141 days ago

At least the Newspapers and you keep us informed.

johnnyapril.bsky.social•141 days ago

I have been listening to the Putin Podcast. It is great. Looking forward to reading books on this. It's not like you learn anything from TV news unless you're into movie stars and music artists.

carolannie.bsky.social•141 days ago

He and his American henchmen

resistaustria.eu•141 days ago

And if the ruSSians weren't a bunch of slavish serfs to any dictator, the could prove him wrong within a week.

hajot.bsky.social•140 days ago

Well, Putin continous the centuries old imperial policy of Russia!What is amazing , is that West somehow is not capable to accept this obvious reality! The sooner it accepts the sooner Putin&Russia can be stopped!

thedude-iam.bsky.social•141 days ago

Another question, where does Trump handlers stand on the issue?

czeckmate2024.bsky.social•141 days ago

Jake Sullivan has screwed up UKR aid and conduct rivaling Merrick Garland’s disastrous handling of our internal insurrection.

michalef.bsky.social•141 days ago

This is so clear, and yet we see many Western, so called, leaders, being quite ok with this.
Scholz is just the most annoying example.

natolakefella.bsky.social•141 days ago

Therefore putin can't win.

sergeek.bsky.social•141 days ago

International law rarely matters, only when bigger countries bully smaller ones with it. But I support whatever change you want for Russia, Ukraine, whatever Slavic bumhole this time.

tilmane.bsky.social•141 days ago

Agree, hence I have doubts, that Putin really wants any peace negotiations.

He will prefer to be in a position to constantly bomb Ukraine to keep it from becoming a successful democratic state, such as Estland, Lettland, Poland,....

flythe.bsky.social•141 days ago

That's what it is and that's why he gets so much support from bad actors around the world.

mynameredacted.bsky.social•141 days ago

📌

mynameredacted.bsky.social•141 days ago

Exactly

jarratt.bsky.social•141 days ago

Does NATO have the spine to fast-track membership or is the unanimity provision the deal breaker?

mikeneuland.bsky.social•141 days ago

🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯👌exactly !

rose1215.bsky.social•141 days ago

Donny is a big fat dictator

trebek707.bsky.social•141 days ago

I thought Putin didnt like Ukraine joining the EU which tends to make Russia nervous. Western Europe has been surrounding and attacking Russia for centuries, I think the EU is partially to blame.

forestsnow2120.bsky.social•141 days ago

Putin (along with his partner Xi) is attempting to dismantle the rules-based intl order and establish Russia/China led “new world order”
(Which has been RU/CH publicly stated joint agenda for almost 12 years - March 2013)

yur134.bsky.social•141 days ago

And fucking old fart Trump is helping him!!! Trump is Putin’s bitch!!! America will be Mafia State oligarchy!! Just like Russia!! God Bless President Biden!!

talhazelden.bsky.social•141 days ago

Darth Spaceball Putin

rustyfrog.bsky.social•141 days ago

Yes yes yes. He is ONE JEALOUS punk ! Putin s RUSSIA = misery misery misery. When he dies the ASSAULT ENDS .

steffifee.bsky.social•141 days ago

I doubt it.

rustyfrog.bsky.social•141 days ago

One shot at Jan 6th - they all scattered ! Vio!ence + FEAR is their only director .

steffifee.bsky.social•141 days ago

This is a wild scenario.

savvysuzy.bsky.social•141 days ago

It is truly genocide and NATO is just looking on.

differance.bsky.social•141 days ago

future historians, if there are any, will not be kind to Jake Sullivan

mark-dingman.bsky.social•141 days ago

An excellent article, thank you.

camaro16.bsky.social•141 days ago

UN charter already doesn't matter, it is a joke. 130 000 war crimes by russian side, but west is not considering how to bring justice. Instead they consider how to get ceasefire at at all costs, just to postphone conflict later.

steffifee.bsky.social•141 days ago

As long as Russia has a veto right in the UN, nothing will happen. It is time to reform the UN. The same applies to the EU, which can only pass resolutions unanimously and is regularly blocked by Hungary.

paullima.bsky.social•141 days ago

Hi Steff,
Below 👇 is a petition for radical reform of the faulty UN 🇺🇳 and its compromised-by-🇷🇺 (In)security Council, which I believe will be of interest to you/others:
https://www.change.org/ReformTheUnitedNations

imaginefella.bsky.social•141 days ago

putin is not going to stop in Ukraine, that is for sure. This is what his "spiritual mentor" Dugin writes. I'm sure he's voicing what has been discussed in the Kremlin for a long time.

tomallen56.bsky.social•141 days ago

Financial destruction will help.

paulbun.bsky.social•141 days ago

True.

greenmamalama.bsky.social•141 days ago

THIS FCS, THIS!

banasnap.bsky.social•141 days ago

This is precisely the most truthful reason behind this war. Putin aims to send the same message to Western audiences: that democracy and international law are futile. It’s about consolidating his power at home while attempting to extend it abroad.

splootman.bsky.social•141 days ago

Putin won't stop at Ukraine, especially now his employee is about to move into the WH. These are very dangerous times yet the US seem intent on repeating the mistake of 1939 by adopting an isolationist policy. It failed then and will fail this time too .

chrisn50.bsky.social•141 days ago

Well said. The trouble is, he now has a follower (pal) shortly to be resident in the White House, who admires Putin's ideas!

jatemw.bsky.social•141 days ago

I sometimes wonder if he may have a point. Look at South Korea and now France. Not that I like this though, but it looks like preserving democracy is becoming more difficult everyday.

jmolofsson.bsky.social•141 days ago

Indeed.
It is more challenging for each year.

The question is: what's the conclusion of this?

And what can we learn from countries where democracy backslided, at one or another point in their history?

meidasromi.bsky.social•141 days ago

Destroying a big country is Ukraine would install fear in all Eastern European countries and will give wind to all far—right parties that were created encouraged and financed by Ruzzia

whatzupdoc.bsky.social•141 days ago

I love Joe. I don't understand why he had 2 B so cautious.Whatever did or didn't happen was going to be blamed on him & democrats anyway.I understand the goal is to show democracies don't work (neither do kings who say, "I alone can fix it" w/Putin+Orban's help). Things are staged 2 B saved & saw it

niezabitowski.com•141 days ago

The stakes here go beyond #Ukraine. A successful #Russian campaign would embolden other autocrats, undermine global norms, and make the world a far less stable place. Supporting Ukraine isn’t just about territorial integrity - it’s about defending the principles that keep international order intact.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply