Trump is in talks with Russia to end the war

[putnam6]

Meanwhile the profiteers are loving it. All those shells being manufactured! mmmwah!
Slava ukraini! Cmon guys hold it just a little longer!
You can do it!
Meanwhile I am raking it in selling munitions and getting rid of the working age men.  
When it finally ends I can erect Starbucks, Bayer factories, Shell oil platforms, and pump it full of Big Agra chemicals.
All that beautiful black gold dirt to poison and grow GMO wheat on.

Oh and did I mention all the men are gone so all the child-bearing age women are in need of company. 
Same thing happening in Russia.

100% Agree the international MIC isn't ready to give up the bone in Ukraine, still plenty of funds to keep the politicians in line. 
There's a man shortage in both countries. 

Rebuilding Ukraine will be a huge financial boon when they get around to it.

And if these were the Russians' demands, we are a long way from this war being over.

Neither side is even close to a compromise. No wonder Putin didn't show up, he knew there was no way... It's why Trump has washed his hands of negotiations for now. It could be winter before they attempt talks again.

But there is this: it seems Rubio and Lavrov are still talking. 





These 5 get all the benefits, perks, and enrichment opportunities of wartime economy, without the messy downside like dealing with casualties, death, and destruction in thier cities and towns. 




So now Europe pays for American missiles to be made in Europe, INSTEAD of the US donating them, to Ukraine WIN/WIN

[putnam6]

FWIW, as long as channels remain open, there is a chance. Comments in the thread seem rather emotional, which is fine, but they forget Russia doesn't have to negotiate; they can keep going and going. 

brane mijatovic
@brane_mija64426
·10m
 

=#ffffffLavrov and Rubio Talk Istanbul — And History Comes Full Circle In a move that would’ve been unthinkable just two years ago, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Saturday to discuss the Istanbul peace talks and both sides called it a step forward. According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Lavrov praised Washington’s “positive role” in getting Ukraine back to the table. Rubio, for his part, welcomed the initial agreements reached between Moscow and Kiev on Friday, and reaffirmed Trump’s readiness to back a settlement process. Let that land: the same United States that armed Ukraine, funded the war, sabotaged 2022 peace talks, and sent Boris Johnson to blow up the first Istanbul deal… is now publicly aligned with Russia in restarting negotiations. That’s not a pivot, it’s a geopolitical backpedal. This time, Lavrov and Rubio aren’t just talking optics. Both acknowledged that real groundwork has been laid, and both signaled a willingness to coordinate further. As Ukraine’s demands for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire faltered, it was Trump’s pressure that brought Zelensky to the table, after months of insisting on the impossible. Moscow made it clear: talks only work if they address the root causes. Not performative pauses. Not PR ceasefires. And it seems Washington perhaps, finally.... gets it. - If a few dollars were added, they would understand everything

 There's no excuse for the invasion; however, with those percentages, the tension and concerns of ethnic Russians were likely real. 
 

The most reliable data on ethnic demographics for Luhansk (often spelled Lughantz) and the broader Donbas region (encompassing Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts) before the Russian invasion in February 2022 comes from the 2001 Ukrainian census, as no subsequent census was conducted in Ukraine prior to the invasion. Below are the ethnic demographics and percentages for Luhansk Oblast and the Donbas region based on this data, supplemented by relevant historical context.
Luhansk Oblast
According to the 2001 Ukrainian census:

• Ethnic Ukrainians: 58.0% of the population.
  
• Ethnic Russians: 39.0% of the population.
  
• Other ethnic groups: Approximately 3%, including small populations of Belarusians, Tatars, and others.
  

Donetsk Oblast
For Donetsk Oblast, part of the Donbas region, the 2001 census reported:

• Ethnic Ukrainians: 56.9% of the population.
  
• Ethnic Russians: 38.2% of the population.
  
• Other ethnic groups: Around 4.9%, including Greeks, Belarusians, Tatars, and Jews.
  

Donbas Region (Luhansk and Donetsk Combined)
The Donbas region as a whole, based on the 2001 census and historical sources:

• Ethnic Ukrainians: Approximately 56–58% across the region, forming the majority.
  
• Ethnic Russians: Around 38–39%, a significant minority.
  
• Other groups: Roughly 3–5%, with notable communities like Greeks (especially in Mariupol) and others.
  

Key Notes and Context

• Language vs. Ethnicity: Russian was the predominant language in urban areas of Donbas, even among ethnic Ukrainians, due to historical Russification policies during the Soviet era. For example, many ethnic Ukrainians identified Russian as their primary language, which sometimes led to misconceptions about the region’s ethnic composition.
  
  
• Historical Trends: The ethnic Russian population in Donbas grew significantly after World War II due to Soviet industrialization and migration policies. In 1926, ethnic Russians were only about 639,000 in Donbas, with Ukrainians making up 60% of the population. By 1989, 45% of the Donbas population identified as ethnic Russian due to Russification and migration.
  
• Urban vs. Rural Divide: Ethnic Russians were concentrated in urban and industrial centers (e.g., Donetsk, Luhansk, Makiivka), while ethnic Ukrainians dominated rural areas. For instance, cities like Krasnodon (63.3% Russian) and Makiivka (50.8% Russian) had higher Russian populations.
  
• Pre-Invasion Context: The 2001 census data is considered outdated by some analysts due to population changes, emigration, and the 2014 conflict in Donbas, but it remains the most comprehensive source. No significant demographic shifts were documented before the 2022 invasion, though the war likely altered demographics afterward due to displacement and annexation.
  
  

Sources

• 2001 Ukrainian census data, as cited in multiple sources.
  
• Historical demographic trends from Wikipedia and Euromaidan Press.
  
• Urban-rural ethnic distribution details.
  

[Oldcarpy2]

"Comments in the thread seem rather emotional, which is fine, but they forget Russia doesn't have to negotiate; they can keep going and going. "

And normal folk can't get "emotional " about this?

Like, this is just fine?

[UltraBudgie]

And normal folk can't get "emotional " about this?

Like, this is just fine?

yeah gotta admit i'm kind of emotional too about the slaughter house that ukraine was led in to, sucks to be them really and i still can't just be callous and say oh well they let themselves be overthrown they get what the deserve

but true it doesn't change the facts on the ground that putin seem to have the whip hand

[putnam6]

Nowhere did I say, suggest, or infer that those posting comments shouldn't be emotional. It was just a heads up

The source is closer to the situation and seems to have good connections and information, thats why I follow him 
For posts like these 2 examples below, this doesn't equal me agreeing with his position, just this is another source of news posted here to foster the discussion.
 

 

brane mijatovic

@brane_mija64426
·
3h


The New York Times found out what Russian soldiers think about the idea of ​​a ceasefire: Many Russian soldiers say they would see a cease-fire along the current front lines as a failure, hinting at the nationalist discontent the Kremlin could face in accepting a cease-fire.Russian soldiers admit that they are ready to fight until the complete liberation of Russian territory.  “We’re all tired, we want to go home. But we want to take all of the regions, so that we don’t have to struggle for them in the future, Otherwise, have all the guys died in vain?” A total of 11 servicemen were interviewed, all of them rejected the proposal of Ukraine and the West for an unconditional ceasefire. Earlier it was reported that the Russian delegation acting on behalf of the president at the negotiations put forward demands for Ukraine to leave 4 regions that became Russian according to the Constitution. The soldiers noted that any deals by the government would be seen as betrayal of the soldiers fighting and it indicates that pressures with Russia would prevent the Russian government from compromising.  “A million angry killers is a pretty serious problem if they will view our rulers as men who are not on their side.” “If there’s no cease-fire now, we need to keep going until the end,” said Nikolai, a Russian soldier in Ukraine. “Because if we don’t, sooner or later — in five years or in 10 — there will be a war again.”



[Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/175...normal.jpg]
brane mijatovic

@brane_mija64426
·
3h


 Who needs accountability when you can just ‘lose’ $770 mln? Western taxpayers may want to sit down for this one: a cool $770 million 'lost' by Ukraine in arms deals – as the FT put it – actually vanished into well-oiled pockets of Kiev elites, experts say. How it works: a masterclass in ‘resource allocation’  Ghost weapons: Contracts for gear that never existed – but someone got paid anyway  Shell game: Front companies with impressive names but zero delivery  Recycling program: Western-donated hardware ‘scrapped’, then mysteriously resold  The Bulgarian connection: Ammo dealers with alleged cozy ties to the black market Accountability?  Previous corruption cases against political leaders ended with a slap on the wrist—so why break tradition? Meanwhile, Zelensky’s team is learning the hard way that when Western patience wears thin, ‘lost’ weapons become political leverage. It isn’t just about missing money — it’s about who allows it to go missing. Cue the ominous diplomatic music.

[putnam6]

Like this post... this is potential good news. Im encouraged they are still talking 

Rubio and Zelensky will both be there, let's see if Pope Leo can help 

[putnam6]

Well, we will see if the threat of non-veto-proof sanctions can get some progress going

[pianopraze]

UPDATE:


Hope they end this war.

[quintessentone]

UPDATE:
[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/images/Tts.png]

Hope they end this war.

How can they end that war when Putin does not want to end it?

They are just going around in circles ignoring Putin's true goals, those being, to conquer all of Ukraine and other surrounding countries...to Make Russia Great Again.

[pianopraze]

How can they end that war when Putin does not want to end it?

They are just going around in circles ignoring Putin's true goals, those being, to conquer all of Ukraine and other surrounding countries...to Make Russia Great Again.

Know how to tell if a politician is lying?