March 6, 2025

"It's been very clear from the beginning that President Trump views this as a protracted stalemated conflict. And frankly, it's a proxy war..."

"... between nuclear powers — the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia. And it needs to come to an end. And no one has any idea or plan to bring it to an end. The plan of the Ukrainians up to now — and their allies on Capitol Hill and people you talk to in other countries — is let's just keep giving them as much as they need for as long as it takes. That's not a strategy." 

27 comments:

Money Manger said...

The Ukrainians have completely changed the nature of warfare with their ever-developing drone battle execution. A swarm of attack drones costing $10-20mm can likely disable a $12 billion aircraft carrier. While the current stalemate needs to end, and Trump is providing the only plausible pathway, I hope the Defense Department is at least extracting all the information it can about waging 21st Century drone warfare. It also has the potential to make a significant portion of current defense spend obsolete.

RAH said...

I agree with Money Manager. Drone warfare is new arc in military tech . This war has devolved into a stalemate. Russia wanted a land corridor to Crimea and now has it. Ukraine will lose territory in a peace agreement.

Saint Croix said...

Kudos to Rubio for participating in Ash Wednesday. I think it's the first time I've ever seen any prominent person in politics do this.

Rocco said...

Mayor Wu of Boston had the ashes on her forehead in a press conference yesterday, too.

tolkein said...

Yes, I noticed the Ash Wednesday cross. Glad he found the time to attend a service.

Shouting Thomas said...

CIA staged a coup in Ukraine in 2014. The current government is a CIA puppet. Ukraine’s great history as a “sovereign” state is utter bullshit. It’s one of many warlord tribes in the 1000 year history of constantly shifting borders of the Steppes. That Nazi history the U.S. has been trying to suppress by appointing a Jew as its figurehead is true and horrifying. 1918 pogroms murdered over 100,000 Jews. Victoria Nuland selected the puppet government, and admitted to the existence of many “biological research” labs, i.e., biological warfare labs of the Wuhan type, along the Russian border. The Ukraine War has been an utter insanity waged by spooks willing to risk WWIII for the loot from massive money laundering scams. Both parties have been in on this scam.

Eva Marie said...

I understand now why Europeans want the Ukrainians to keep fighting for a year. In Europeans’ view Ukrainians need to be so decimated that they don’t rise up against their European puppet masters. Cities ruined, lives lost, and for what?

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

Give up defending Ukraine for Lent.

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

Reminds me of that time Ted Turner called his ash forehead employees “Jesus freaks”.

From ABC News 2001 (before 9/11): “Outspoken U.S. media mogul Ted Turner apologized Friday for calling Catholic employees "Jesus freaks" for wearing ashes to mark Ash Wednesday.
The comment last week from Turner, who's been dubbed "The Mouth of the South" for his freewheeling remarks over the years, outraged Christian groups.
"I apologize to all Christians for my comment about Catholics wearing ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday,"

MartyH said...

The major European powers do not believe that they are under Russian threat. If they did, their defense budgets would exceed NATO commitments as they geared up to defend themselves. Britain reportedly has 40 operational main battle tanks. That’s not a military force. The President of Poland recently asked why 400 million lion Europeans need 300 million Americans to defend themselves against 140 million Russians. Good question.

Kate said...

It takes two seconds to find pictures of Biden with ashes.

Mica said...

Bravo for Rubio (and Trump)! The only thing not explicitly said: "The lunatics from previous administrations (this includes Trump-I) miscalculated, and we lost this proxy war, now we need to salvage as many lives and as many territories as we can through bribing Russians". Hopefully, whatever is left of Ukraine, will finally get a rest from the last 111 years (at least) of nearly uninterrupted horrors.

AMDG said...

Eva Marie said...
I understand now why Europeans want the Ukrainians to keep fighting for a year. In Europeans’ view Ukrainians need to be so decimated that they don’t rise up against their European puppet masters. Cities ruined, lives lost, and for what?

3/6/25, 6:22 AM
———————————-

The problem here is that the Ukrainians want to keep fighting.

Just an old country lawyer said...

Worshipers don't apply the ashes themselves, you fool. The priest does it. You don't know what you've got until you get to a mirror. Can we assume now that complete ignorance of a subject is no impediment to your bloviating about it?

RideSpaceMountain said...

I came to comment on the ashes because the net absolutely exploded last night with visceral hatred of various administration officials taking part in the Ash Wednesday tradition and I see the usual characters losing their shit here too. Like memeworthy vampires exposed to sunlight...

Narayanan said...

Vibhuti, also known as bhasma or tirunīru, is a sacred ash used in Hinduism. It's made from burnt wood, cow dung, and sometimes cremated bodies

Koot Katmandu said...

Of course it has been a proxy war. Who do you think has been providing the targeting data for the drones and other weapons? Of course it is the US. Are the US/UK special forces actually in Ukraine controlling the drones? - I think probably. Lets stop pretending that Ukraine held off Russia with just material support.

Narayanan said...

In many African tribes, particularly the Mundari people of South Sudan, ash from burned cow dung is commonly used as a natural antiseptic to protect the skin of both people and cattle from insects and the sun, essentially acting as a protective layer, often applied to the body as a cosmetic and with significant cultural meaning signifying purity and humility; it can also be used as a form of insect repellent and even as a toothpaste.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Wikipedia informs me that our Secretary of State is sporting a Greek (or Hellenic) cross which is also used as a national symbol of Greece, Switzerland, and Tonga.

Keith said...

I’m a Torah observant Jew. I was so happy to see the ashes too. Our country is best with more religious people and with more religion. The world too. Glad to see it. I think all religious Jews feel the same.

Peachy said...

The corrupt Democrat Party is War Machine Cheney.

RCOCEAN II said...

Thank God Rubio has come around and seen the light. I thought he was going to be a Cuban Lindsey Graham there for a while.

Just as Alioto was shocked at Roberts/ACB supporting a judicial abuse that may cost taxpayers 2 billion dollars, I've been shocked at the bloodthirsty desire of our Power Elite to "Kill Ruskiees" and destroy Ukraine rather than give up some small oblasts to Russia.

Any negotiated peace will have to recognize reality. Russia has incorporated Crimea and the occupied Donbass into Russia. The current frontline is now the new border between Russia and Ukraine. That isn't going to change.

Nor is Russia going to accept Ukraine membership in NATO or having NATO troops in the Ukraine. But until Jan 2025, the Power Elite position was Russia had to give up all conquered territory or its forever war.

Hopefully, Trump will cut off aid and stop this bloody, useless war.

RCOCEAN II said...

As for Rubio and ashes, why are Protestants so boring? You'd never know Easter even existed if it was up to Protestants. I suppose the Puritans hated it, just like they hated Christmas.

One great thing about Catholics is they center Christ - his birth and his resurrection. And they have lent, etc.

Scott Patton said...

I grew up Catholic in an area with a lot of Catholics. Admittedly, I've been out of the loop since the '80s, but I don't recall ever seeing ashes that size.
The "Catholic Guide to Ashes" calls that one "Father's Revenge"

Eva Marie said...

“The problem here is that the Ukrainians want to keep fighting.”
It’s very hard to tell.
1. The Ukrainians who have left, the majority don’t want to go back, never mind keep fighting.
2. The further away Ukrainians (in Ukraine) are from the fighting, the more they support continuous war. The closer they are to the fighting, the more dispirited they are.
3. Zelensky suspended elections - only one reason for that: fear of getting voted out.
All in hindsight now, but I’m wondering if Ukraine should have stood by as Russia invaded and then fought a guerrilla war. Maybe even hit St Basil’s in Moscow - as psychological a move as downing the World Trade Center.

Wince said...

Perhaps revealingly, the ashes I got on my forehead as a young boy from the priest at my Catholic parish just outside Boston in the 1960s and 1970s resembled more the shape of a fingerprint than a cross.

Eva Marie said...

Ash Fashion

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