I remember how under the blogs fell "Minsk 2" as an excuse for Putin. I then took a peek at the wiki to see what was decided there. And it immediately caught my eye: "To withdraw illegal armed groups and military equipment as well as fighters and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine." And I answered them that not with me such numbers, because the "other side" never ever took the agreement seriously. But they didn't understand.
Specifically, I have not known how to begin to understand the Minsk agreements. You have provided a way in to looking at these.
I may not be alone in recognizing that, in not being from that part of the world, I lack basic knowledge that is necessary for apprehending what is going on. You have been at pains to point out this problem.
Of course, in knowing so little, I or others might not have means to evaluate the insights you provide.
A previous post, regarding prison culture in Russia, touched me. I poked around some, and saw you had gone farther than a piece in -I think- The Atlantic in calling a spade a spade. Even apart from wanting to help Ukraine, such understanding is important for Americans in wanting to help ourselves, as Russian prison culture found its way into our national fabric, through Brighton Beach.
Correction: "imagines himself “honuring of Minsk”" methinks should be "imagines “honouring Minsk”".
I don't think Mate is too lazy to check wiki, but rather it's his business model to avoid checking wiki. Nobody knows how Grayzone, the "news outlet" he runs with Max Blumenthal, is financed exactly, and these guys received some prizes from Syria and Russia.
You make it sound like there were no separatists in 2014, only Girkin-led Russian forces. But in fact, there were a lot of Ukrainian/Donbass-born separatists there, and they played important roles in DNR & LNR. To name a few: Pavel Gubarev, Alexander Zakharchenko, Denis Pushilin, Vladimir Makovych, Alexander Ananchenko, Valery Bolotov, Aleksey Mozgovoy, Mikhail Tolstykh, Dmitry Trapeznikov.
"Negotiating with terrorists is not just morally wrong, it's futile"
That's debatable. Negotiations with, say, IRA or ETA certainly made much more sense than with Russia or Russian-sponsored "separatists".
I remember how under the blogs fell "Minsk 2" as an excuse for Putin. I then took a peek at the wiki to see what was decided there. And it immediately caught my eye: "To withdraw illegal armed groups and military equipment as well as fighters and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine." And I answered them that not with me such numbers, because the "other side" never ever took the agreement seriously. But they didn't understand.
I did manage, this time, to obtain a Google translation -- of the post, in Russian, praising Strelkov -- and found it to be singularly unedifying.
Much to learn, here....
I still have more to let learn from the piece.
Specifically, I have not known how to begin to understand the Minsk agreements. You have provided a way in to looking at these.
I may not be alone in recognizing that, in not being from that part of the world, I lack basic knowledge that is necessary for apprehending what is going on. You have been at pains to point out this problem.
Of course, in knowing so little, I or others might not have means to evaluate the insights you provide.
A previous post, regarding prison culture in Russia, touched me. I poked around some, and saw you had gone farther than a piece in -I think- The Atlantic in calling a spade a spade. Even apart from wanting to help Ukraine, such understanding is important for Americans in wanting to help ourselves, as Russian prison culture found its way into our national fabric, through Brighton Beach.
Keep eastsplaining to us, please!!
Correction: "imagines himself “honuring of Minsk”" methinks should be "imagines “honouring Minsk”".
I don't think Mate is too lazy to check wiki, but rather it's his business model to avoid checking wiki. Nobody knows how Grayzone, the "news outlet" he runs with Max Blumenthal, is financed exactly, and these guys received some prizes from Syria and Russia.
You make it sound like there were no separatists in 2014, only Girkin-led Russian forces. But in fact, there were a lot of Ukrainian/Donbass-born separatists there, and they played important roles in DNR & LNR. To name a few: Pavel Gubarev, Alexander Zakharchenko, Denis Pushilin, Vladimir Makovych, Alexander Ananchenko, Valery Bolotov, Aleksey Mozgovoy, Mikhail Tolstykh, Dmitry Trapeznikov.