Schiff: "Sure you're right, Mr. President"

[bigtree]

twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/1021817258061049857

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That last sentence says it all.

They certainly DO want a warm water port.

And they have wanted it for probably decades.

[Triloon]

3. it was the reason for the Russo Japanese war in 1904

Wherein the Japanese sunk the entire Russian navy. Another proud moment in Russian expansionism.

[magicarpet]

6. Russia landlocked/desires warm water port.

Good read,

https://www.democraticunderground.com/113321890

[oberliner]

7. What about Novorossiysk?

[erronis]

12. But even Black Sea ports are constrained by straights that can be easily targeted.

Better ports directly on the Mediterranean - perhaps Syrian? Might need a bit more muscle power to forge a land route down there but they're working on it. And, of course there are the Straights of Gilbralter.

Best - ports directly on the Atlantic. Maybe that's why pute's putsching the BREXIT? Make England into part of the "russian federation".

[grantcart]

13. Correct answer "years" or "centuries".

They had it for decades under the Soviet Union.

Wanted it for centuries before the Soviet Union and in the years since the breakup

[TheRealNorth]

2. Since Peter the Great

[Roland99]

4. And doesn't enact sanctions that were voted on 98-2 by the senate

[BlueJac]

5. Shit stain tells another lie...

How are we going to end this terror from the White House!

[FakeNoose]

8. Rep. Schiff is celebrating "opposite day"

[spanone]

9. Zing!!!!!!

[MariaCSR]

10. SHO YOU RIIIIIGHT

[pecosbob]

11. Crimea was about ports and access to energy reserves. Ukraine was natural gas pipelines to the E.U.

The Russians still control Kaliningrad on the Baltic (never gave it up). Mostly full of rustbuckets...the Russian Navy is shite. They might pose a serious threat to Finland or Japan, maybe, but not much more. Granted their missile boats are a very real strategic threat to the U.S. and NATO, but Putin isn't looking to invade the E.U. for a sunny port. If they aren't idiots, which presumably they are not, they know they will never be a sea power.

Putin wants an economic buffer zone against the E.U. that he can control much the same as Stalin wanted a political buffer zone. The country is one big gas station and without access to paying customers, they're back to grinding citizens into camp dust for profit.

[TNNurse]

14. Trump will think he is serious.

He is not smart enough to understand sarcasm or satire. He just isn't.

[maxrandb]

15. Don't give him any ideas Adam

he'll be giving them Florida