Biden says he expects Russia will invade Ukraine

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

President Biden on Wednesday said he expected President Vladimir Putin of Russia would invade Ukraine, delivering a grim assessment of the ability of the United States and its European allies to persuade the Russian leader not to send troops across the border.

“Do I think he’ll test the West, test the United States and NATO, as significantly as he can? Yes, I think he will,” Mr. Biden told reporters during a near two-hour news conference in the East Room of the White House, adding: “But I think he will pay a serious, and dear price for it that he doesn’t think now will cost him what it’s going to cost him. And I think he will regret having done it.”

Asked to clarify whether he was accepting that an invasion is coming, Mr. Biden said: “My guess is he will move in. He has to do something.”

The president’s comments came as Russia has marshaled more than 100,000 troops to the border with Ukraine over the past several months. Mr. Biden has vowed extensive sanctions if an invasion happens, but he suggested that they would not be enough to keep Mr. Putin from moving forward with military action.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/01/19/us/biden-voting-rights-filibuster/biden-asks-what-are-republicans-for-as-he-defends-his-first-year-in-office

[OnlinePoker]

1. I had a dream a couple of weeks ago

In it, Biden had a paper that said Russia would invade on February 1st and the UN would do nothing about it. I guess my mind is going that way since, in a Dec 31st post, I said Germany's shuttering of half of its final 6 nuclear reactors was giving Russia the green light since Germany now will rely heavily on Russian natural gas.

[maxsolomon]

2. The question is where Russia will stop.

Will they stop short of the Dneiper, taking the Russian-majority areas in the SE, and leave an independent rump Ukraine? Or do they want it all?

Short of WW3, what is NATO or the UN to do? What did the world do about China annexing Tibet? Putin is betting we're not starting WW3 over this, and he's right.

I can't believe I'm living to see the return of Russian Imperialism.

[oldsoftie]

7. Heavy sanctions & banning the purchase of all Russian gas & oil will cripple Putin.

Along with giving Ukraine whatever lethal weaponry will cause the highest Russian body count. Ukraine should also attack Russian bases near their border, if attacked.

[manicdem]

16. No alternatives for NG

Europe is reliant on Russia's natural gas. If the shut off imports, they'll try to get it from world markets sending prices skyrocketing everywhere. And there will still be a shortage.

Putin knows what he's doing.

[oldsoftie]

35. Restart the nuclear plants & build more. Sell them OUR NG to assist. We have lots.

Nuclear power is the answer to the greenhouse gas issue anyway. Especially the new style nuclear plants. France should have ALREADY restarted their plants. Wind & solar will never supply what's needed. Maybe future inventions & innovations can, but we have to live until they come along.
But putting the financial squeeze on all the rich Russians will make an impact as well. Sanctions should be done NOW to prevent an invasion, instead of AFTER one happens

[AllaN01Bear]

9. putin wants to recreate the old ussr.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. A TWO HOUR press conference??? Is that a Presidential record?

That's amazing. The man has decades of experience, sure, but he's also way up there in the intelligence department. He simply knows how government works better than anyone I can think of.

[gab13by13]

4. Clare McCaskill nailed it tonight,

she said that Putin will invade Ukraine to make president Biden look bad to help his buddy get elected. Clare went on to say that Putin wants Trump because he is the only president to French kiss him, apologies to the French.

[yaesu]

6. I consider the entire repuke party as enemy agents working for putin, the all should be rounded up

if we ever go to war with russia.

[BigmanPigman]

8. What I don't get is why he didn't do this when tRump

was POTUS. The fucking moron would have provided easy access to Putin, his BFF.

[OnlinePoker]

19. By not doing it, it made Trump look strong

Similar to Kim in Korea stopping missile tests. Make the weak man look strong and make moves behind the scenes. Then the strong man (Biden) comes in and they ramp up the threats and rhetoric. That way, when the next election comes along, the right can come in and say how ineffectual the left is in international affairs and pull undecided voters looking for "strength".

[BigmanPigman]

20. That makes sense to me.

[Yandex]

22. I'm puzzled why Putin didn't invade during Trump n/t

[TomCADem]

26. Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia

Remember that Trump almost announced a U.S. withdrawal from NATO. If Russia invaded before, this would have both weakened Trump and caused the U.S. to double down on NATO. In contrast, you have right wing Republicans like Tucker Carlson cheer leading for Putin to invade Ukraine, so that they can argue that Putin feared Trump. Now, watch Tucker Carlson and company cheer on a Russia invasion while simultaneously calling Biden weak and NATO ineffective at stopping Russian aggression even though the Ukraine is not part of NATO.

Also, given how Republicans have been cheerleading for Russia, Europe knows it can't count on the US, so they are will appease Russia.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/nato-president-trump.html

WASHINGTON — There are few things that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia desires more than the weakening of NATO, the military alliance among the United States, Europe and Canada that has deterred Soviet and Russian aggression for 70 years.

Last year, President Trump suggested a move tantamount to destroying NATO: the withdrawal of the United States.

Senior administration officials told The New York Times that several times over the course of 2018, Mr. Trump privately said he wanted to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Current and former officials who support the alliance said they feared Mr. Trump could return to his threat as allied military spending continued to lag behind the goals the president had set.

In the days around a tumultuous NATO summit meeting last summer, they said, Mr. Trump told his top national security officials that he did not see the point of the military alliance, which he presented as a drain on the United States.

[Yandex]

29. I guess but

Russia invaded during Obama, took Crimea, skipped Trump, and now under Biden are threatening invading again. It just seems weird.

[yaesu]

5. Maybe reverse psychology, putin will make Pres Biden eat his own words by NOT invading

[left-of-center2012]

10. Germany depends upon Russian gas

They're building a new pipeline.
If they oppose Russia 'too much' Russia shuts of gas (heat, etc) to Germany.

[tirebiter]

12. The German Greens don't want the pipeline

And they’re the governing party in Deutschland. They ran on that issue.

[left-of-center2012]

13. The Greens are one of three parties in the coalition

Olaf Scholz, Germany's chancellor, is a member of the Social Democratic Party.
So I don't know how someone says "the Greens are the governing party".

[Igel]

18. As do other countries.

It's a problem that nobody wants to address.

And which Germany rather likes making worse.

[madville]

24. They shut their nuke plants down to depend on NG

Germany is shutting down all their nuke power plants and is now dependent on Russian natural gas, building a pipeline, not much sanction leverage from them now….

[oldsoftie]

36. Stupid move. Restart them. Build more.

Relying on a country like Russia for energy is like relying on a country like China for antibiotics. Oh, wait........

[IronLionZion]

11. Putin has to or risk looking afraid of Biden

And with all those troops moved to Belarus in the north, he could flank Kiev from the east too. I'm not liking Ukraine's chances here without NATO support.

[Shermann]

14. WHAT?? Our response will be PROPORTIONAL to what Russia does??

That's not how the Republican cowboys would play it apparently. Shoot first and ask questions later!

[left-of-center2012]

15. Like it or not ...

I don't see the U.S. or NATO getting into a shooting war with Russia.
We'll talk tough, and put on sanctions.

Then Russia will start looking at Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

[OnlinePoker]

21. Russia and Belarus are staging joint military "drills" next month

I wonder if Belarus will move north into the Baltic states. Risky since they're NATO countries, but I wouldn't put it past Putin or Lukashenko.

[left-of-center2012]

23. I think they'll do the Ukraine first

Then when NATO and the US do nothing,
Russia will take the baltics.

[Lancero]

33. Assuming they don't join them first.

It'd be another Western Betrayal. If the West shows, yet again, that it can't be relied upon for protection then why not just throw in with Russia? Russia will have them one way or another, so why not take the option that doesn't end up with their people dying in a unwinnable war and their nations getting blown all to hell?

[blue-wave]

30. "Then Russia will start looking at Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania."

If they do invade any Baltic state or let's say Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechia, Bulgaria, Albania and there's plenty more to name, NATO will respond. That's because the Baltic states and all I've listed are NATO countries. That would drag us into a war, likely WWIII.

[Yandex]

17. The "minor incursion" ok remark has been walked back

A "minor incursion" is probably Puties preferred option.

[inwiththenew]

25. That genie is already out of the bottle

The Repukes are already running with the comment. Reuters just put out an article titled: "Biden sees Russia moving on Ukraine, sows doubt on Western response" in reference to this comment.

[TomCADem]

27. Tucker Carlson Backs Russia, Compares Ukraine Joining NATO With China Controlling Mexico

Is it amazing how the right can cheer lead for Russian aggression and Putin while also saying that Biden is weak for not opposing the Russian aggression that the Putin fanboys gush over.

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-fox-news-tucker-carlson-putin-nato-china-1670699

Tucker Carlson has backed Russia's argument that NATO enlargement was behind the current Ukraine crisis and accused the media of stoking tensions that could lead to an "incredibly destructive war with Russia."

In a segment on Tuesday, the Fox News anchor introduced a clip in which MSNBC host Joe Scarborough demanded the Biden administration speak "more clearly and more aggressively" against Russia as concerns grow over its build-up of more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's border.

After the clip, Carlson mocked Scarborough, saying that "people that do that should not have TV shows and they certainly shouldn't be weighing in on adult topics like war and peace, but they are."

"So you have to ask yourself, why is this happening? Why are the Russians so upset? Why are we moving towards some kind of conflict?" Carlson said.

[blue-wave]

32. Tucker Carlson and his jackass band of Putin loving

right wing goons should, if war breaks out, request asylum in Russia. What great roommates they would all be.

[Polybius]

28. "He has to do something."

Bad choice of words imo.

[blue-wave]

31. There are many here who think Russia has already won

even before an invasion. You will be surprised by Ukrainian resolve, they won't be a push over. I would guess Ukraine even has chosen targets inside Russia they will attack, likely with special forces.

To all my Ukrainian friends: Slava Ukrayini!!! (Glory to Ukraine) and God Bless America!!!

[Lancero]

34. Yeah, a lot of people forget how quickly Ukraine pushed Russia out of Crimea... oh wait...

[blue-wave]

39. A lot has changed

inside Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Crimea.

[oldsoftie]

37. Yes; if attacked (again), Russia should be targeted. Only military targets though

The Russian people didn't like seeing body bags coming home back when Russia wasn't even admitting BEING there. Having an open war where thousands of actual Russians could be killed won't play well at home.
Give the Ukrainians the weapons they need to be able to inflict the most harm

And this is a HUGE example of how "nuclear disarmament" is a dismal failure. The West betrayed Ukraine.

[marie999]

38. Russia will never accept Ukraine being in NATO.

How would the U.S. react to having a 3122-mile border with an enemy, the 2nd best military in the world?