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[royalan]

Russia is very unlikely to attack Trump. Trump being impeached would be something they could still use to fuel divisions in the US, but they have no reason to try and speed that up.

Tis true.

But once the sanctions bill Congress passed with veto-proof majorities goes into law, any chance Russia had of getting those lifted is officially #GurlBye, which is the thing they ultimately wanted out this presidency.

And outside of allowing Trump to continue screw with the trust of our allies, there's not much Russia can effect here on foreign policy. The Pentagon has pretty much sidelined Trump as much as they can.

Releasing the pee pee tape, if it exists (which I'm sure it does), is the last big card they have to play.

 

[Turbo Killer]

Good, that means Putin is pissed and losing money. Eventually the oligarchs will turn on him because they're not making money either.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Tis true.

But once the sanctions bill Congress passed with veto-proof majorities goes into law, any chance Russia had of getting those lifted is officially #GurlBye, which is the thing they ultimately wanted out this presidency.

And outside of allowing Trump to continue screw with the trust of our allies, there's not much Russia can effect here on foreign policy. The Pentagon has pretty much sidelined Trump as much as they can.

Releasing the pee pee tape, if it exists (which I'm sure it does), is the last big card they have to play.

Russia can gain political capital by having a complete idiot running the US. Already the EU is pissed with the new sanctions. Russia would get nothing good out of anyone else as president. The longer he stays in power the worst the US will be in. Heck, he might actually go to war with NK which Russia would be fine with since it would probably put the US foreign policy on even more pressure.

 

[Prophaniti]

I bet 700 of them are spies

Yup

 

[Dingens]

for some reason english language sources are incredibly lacking...

This move was announced a few days ago and those 755 are only half the "diplomatic staff", which means there are/were actually 1500 people working at the embassy. Therefore around 700 remain

edit: And I'd guess that the US would rather send the real diplomats home and not the spies...

edit2: thinking about it, maybe this was Putin's devilish plan all along! force the US to unmask their own people. clever

Spoiler

(only half-serious about the latter part)

 

[Lime]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

 

[royalan]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

RUSSIA escalated this conflict when they waged cyber warfare on our country

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

Considering what has been going on in the past two years with multiple sources saying the Trump campaign was aided by Russians and the cyber attacks against the US.

 

[MechDX]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

Not a knock on you but I could see this exact comment being Trumps reasoning for vetoing the Russian sanctions bill from Congress

 

[Shoeless]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

Considering how compromised the American government is by Russian interests, I don't think a conflict is actually possible at this point. The fact that Trump isn't blowing up on Twitter about this when he overreacts to even the mildest slight is proof that there's no danger of the US standing up to this.

Trump will probably just blame the Democrats for attacking innocent Russia, and urge a lifting of the sanctions. It's flat out impossible he'll call out Putin on this and make the situation worse. At least, worse for Russia.

 

[MarionCB]

So, which of these are you advocating the US should willingly ignore?
- oligarchs and Putin's proxies laundering billions in the US
- Crimea
- election shenanigans

None of them! My earlier post said we have to be tougher, because of these things. In this post I'm trying to see the play from Russian puppet Trump. You misread me.

 

[Zolo]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

An escalation of conflict is inevitable when the other side has no interests in deescalation.

 

[GTP_Daverytimes]

An escalation of conflict is inevitable when the other side has no interests in deescalation.

Mmm, At what point were they not interested in deescalation? Seems they have been pretty chill the last months hoping that decisions swing their way, obviously the US continues to escalate thus we are finally here. Since the election Russia has been on the deescalation path, maybe because they've gotten what they wanted, but certainly they've not been escalating the situation.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

This is obviously a direct counter to the Russian sanctions bill sent to the White House last Friday. Those sanctions are a response to Russian active measures in a US election, not a response to the unlawful annexation of Crimea that prompted the last round of sanctions.

Trump is not some peacemaker here, he's an ostrich trying to pretend that assault on US democracy never happened.

It's MAB. There's no use discussing facts with them.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Reminder that Trump hasn't signed the sanctions bill yet. He will use it as an excuse not to sign I bet.

 

[Slater]

Mmm, At what point were they not interested in deescalation? Seems they have been pretty chill the last months hoping that decisions swing their way, obviously the US continues to escalate thus we are finally here. Since the election Russia has been on the deescalation path, maybe because they've gotten what they wanted, but certainly they've not been escalating the situation.

They tried to hack Macron to, and have been having there bitch Wikileaks throw shit at Muller. Plus the sanctions are a punishment for the election fuckery anyway, and anyone who says to just let that go without a response is an idiot

 

[Alucrid]

wapo saying us diplomatic missions in russia have to reduce their staff by 755.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...m_term=.da343bb38004&wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1

The U.S. Embassy in Russia has been unable to provide exact numbers on the number of staff it employs in Russia. But according to a 2013 review by the State Department, of 1,200 employees of the American Mission in Moscow, 333 were U.S. nationals and 867 were foreign nationals, many of them probably local Russian support staff, including drivers, electricians, accountants and security guards. That would suggest that the majority of the 755 who must be cut would not be expelled from the country.

 

[Hex]

See? No collusion.
Trump ready to sign sanctions, Russia expelling diplomats and Putin putting on his not happy face.
How could they have ever been colluding?
I am totally convinced.
Of course now the UN and EU are saying hold up with this sanction stuff, and Trump will want to negotiate to get Diplomats back...

 

[epmode]

Reminder that Trump hasn't signed the sanctions bill yet. He will use it as an excuse not to sign I bet.

If he doesn't sign, it goes into effect regardless.

 

[DrSlek]

This. Why the hell are there that many in one country?

If I had to guess, every major city might have a consulate and consulate staff, not to mention the US Embassy and Embassy Staff.

 

[Taker666]

They tried to hack Macron to, and have been having there bitch Wikileaks throw shit at Muller. Plus the sanctions are a punishment for the election fuckery anyway, and anyone who says to just let that go without a response is an idiot

Nope..

...everyone/the US/the CIA rushed to blame Russia ...again..

...but after an actual investigation took place, the head of the French government’s cyber security agency said there was no trace of a Russian hack. ..and says the attack’s simplicity “means that we can imagine that it was a person who did this alone. They could be in any country.”

https://www.apnews.com/fc570e4b400f4c7db3b0d739e9dc5d4d

 

[BoboBrazil]

If he doesn't sign, it goes into effect regardless.

If they decide to push it through after he vetoes it. No guarantee they would though. Also how long can he hold off on signing it without vetoing it?

 

[royalan]

Mmm, At what point were they not interested in deescalation? Seems they have been pretty chill the last months hoping that decisions swing their way, obviously the US continues to escalate thus we are finally here. Since the election Russia has been on the deescalation path, maybe because they've gotten what they wanted, but certainly they've not been escalating the situation.

I'm sorry but...do you hear yourself?

"Ok, so Russia committed an act of cyber warfare by hacking one of our major political parties, stealing their data, and leaking it. Oh and SURE they also attempted to hack the voting data of several states and we have proof of this. But hey! They haven't done anything since then...so why don't we just calm down USA???"

I mean...the fuck?

 

[Slater]

If they decide to push it through after he vetoes it. No guarantee they would though. Also how long can he hold off on signing it without vetoing it?

98-2 in the senate for sanctions. If he vetos it they will overturn easily. And if he doesn't sign it one way or the other after 10 days it becomes law.

 

[Imperfected]

If they decide to push it through after he vetoes it. No guarantee they would though. Also how long can he hold off on signing it without vetoing it?

I'm going to imagine indefinitely, because it seems our entire government pre-Trump was held together with duct-tape and a baseline assumption that everyone involved would try to maintain some pretense of actually trying to govern.

 

[Silent Chief]

There are about 300 US diplomats supported by 1000 staffers in Russia.

I think something is lost in translation here.

It's the total number of people employed by the US Embassy that needs to go down by 755 to match the total employed by the Russian Embassy in the US. Many of those 755 are Russians and are obviously not being expelled.

 

[Silent Chief]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

There's basically one person doing the diplomacy, the ambassador. The others are supports staff like cooks and security guards and administrators helping US citizens in Russia. And spies of course. And probably several Trump-Putin middlemen.

Note that Trump has fired many ambassadors across the world and hasn't replaced most of them yet. There is currently no US ambassador here in Canada. That's not unusual.
The US ambassador to Russia is non-partisan and has remained in place since November 2014.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Absurd number.

This won't work Putin, maybe Trump is dumb enough, but not the rest of America.

 

[BadAss2961]

All this and Trump still can't say shit about Putin and Russia. Runs his mouth about everything and everyone else, including members of his own administration.

I wonder why.

 

[Verano]

Expel the world cup from russia

 

[GTP_Daverytimes]

I'm sorry but...do you hear yourself?

"Ok, so Russia committed an act of cyber warfare by hacking one of our major political parties, stealing their data, and leaking it. Oh and SURE they also attempted to hack the voting data of several states and we have proof of this. But hey! They haven't done anything since then...so why don't we just calm down USA???"

I mean...the fuck?

Don't be so quick to reply that you loose all sight of what's actually being discussed, am replying to someone who claims that Russia is not interested in deescalation. Evidence shows that Russia had suspended many actions in anticipation of better relations, meaning Russia is actually interested in deescalation contrary to what he said. If then you decide that the election hackings was Russia 'escalating' then we can go back to the start of this whole mess, Ukraine. Certainly Russia had no beef with the US until its annexation of Crimea and the US deciding it had to punish Russia. So who escalated first between the United States and Russia?

 

[Alastor3]

I'm sure we'll hear a strong statement from Trump's twitter about such action.

no, he's busy playing golf

 

[Muffin1611]

Don't be so quick to reply that you loose all sight of what's actually being discussed, am replying to someone who claims that Russia is not interested in deescalation. Evidence shows that Russia had suspended many actions in anticipation of better relations, meaning Russia is actually interested in deescalation contrary to what he said. If then you decide that the election hackings was Russia 'escalating' then we can go back to the start of this whole mess, Ukraine. Certainly Russia had no beef with the US until its annexation of Crimea and the US deciding it had to punish Russia. So who escalated first between the United States and Russia?

...Russia by annexing Crimea???

 

[CrimzonSamurai]

Not to mention unabashed support for the Assad regime, and them bombing the shit out of the rebel forces instead of ISIS.

 

[Netherscourge]

Until Putin pulls his little green men out of Crimea and the Ukraine, there will be no relationship with the US and Russia.

They may as well just close the US embassy there and pull all their diplomats and ambassadors out. Same with the Russian ones here.

Putin fucked this all up with Crimea. It's all on him.

 

[Abinash117]

Pretty limited if you ask me in comparison to the new sanctions. Not much the Russian government can really do actually, I guess.

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

The US had enough diplomats over there to start a sports league.

 

[Earthstrike]

Mmm, At what point were they not interested in deescalation? Seems they have been pretty chill the last months hoping that decisions swing their way, obviously the US continues to escalate thus we are finally here. Since the election Russia has been on the deescalation path, maybe because they've gotten what they wanted, but certainly they've not been escalating the situation.

Relations reset failed because of russia. Russia has no interest in diplomacy.

 

[GTP_Daverytimes]

...Russia by annexing Crimea???

Was Crimea part of the United States? Was Ukraine even an ally of the US. Would you agree that by sanctioning Russia for its actions in Ukraine the United States escalated tensions between itself and Russia?

Relations reset failed because of russia. Russia has no interest in diplomacy.

Relations reset failed because of Russia? Mmm, am pretty sure both the US and Russia are the reason the reset failed, unless we are in revisionist territory.

 

[TheLaughingStock]

It's weird seeing people on the left cheering this. A lack of diplomacy can result in escalation of conflict.

Why is it weird? If people talk tough, then they have to follow through and deal with whatever comes next. Otherwise, what's the point of all the huffing and puffing if at the end the day you're going to let it go?

 

[Earthstrike]

Was Crimea part of the United States? Was Ukraine even an ally of the US. Would you agree that by sanctioning Russia for its actions in Ukraine the United States escalated tensions between itself and Russia?



Relations reset failed because of Russia? Mmm, am pretty sure both the US and Russia are the reason the reset failed, unless we are in revisionist territory.

Here is an article from the Heritage foundation.
http://www.heritage.org/arms-control/commentary/russian-reset-resounding-failure

There's no way you can argue this is spun in a way that favours the democrats.

From the article:

U.S.A proposed the relations reset
We dismantled some missile defense plans for central europe and signed the new strategic arms reduction treaty.
Then Russia got involved in ukraine and syria in a way that harmed U.S. interests.

People just want to spin.

 

[bengraven]

Jesus I need to step up my Civiliazation game.

I usually only have one, maybe two, in each country.

 

[Armaros]

Was Crimea part of the United States? Was Ukraine even an ally of the US. Would you agree that by sanctioning Russia for its actions in Ukraine the United States escalated tensions between itself and Russia?



Relations reset failed because of Russia? Mmm, am pretty sure both the US and Russia are the reason the reset failed, unless we are in revisionist territory.

Are you deliberately being obtuse or what?

 

[dofry]

I really wish we would do the same here, but Trump won't. I feel like there's no point to having any real diplomatic ties between the two countries anymore.

You only need to expel one, Trump.

 

[GTP_Daverytimes]

Are you deliberately being obtuse or what?

Well, when one can't answer something they often resort to spewing rubbish like you are doing now.

 

[EUA]

Was Crimea part of the United States? Was Ukraine even an ally of the US. Would you agree that by sanctioning Russia for its actions in Ukraine the United States escalated tensions between itself and Russia?

Would you agree that by getting involved in WW2 the U.S. deliberately escalated tensions between itself and Nazi Germany?

 

[Valhelm]

This is a really troubling sign.

Trump is stupid enough to go to war with Russia.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Was Crimea part of the United States? Was Ukraine even an ally of the US. Would you agree that by sanctioning Russia for its actions in Ukraine the United States escalated tensions between itself and Russia?



Relations reset failed because of Russia? Mmm, am pretty sure both the US and Russia are the reason the reset failed, unless we are in revisionist territory.

Russia invaded a country and the world responded. Russia is the cause of the escalation. Russia would not be sanctioned as badly if they didn't invade Ukraine. Do you think invading and taking over a country's land is no big deal?

United States tried so hard to make it work. Russia is too corrupt and conservative for there to be any reset. Russia dug its own grave.

 

[GTP_Daverytimes]

Would you agree that by getting involved in WW2 the U.S. deliberately escalated tensions between itself and Nazi Germany?

Lol, Christ almighty. Am tìrẹ How did we get here?

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Lol, Christ almighty. Am tìrẹ How did we get here?

You said the United States escalated things with Russia when Russia invade Ukraine.

You started it.