Cav's Place

I wonder if Russia shutting down gas flows through Nord Stream 1 indefinitely and then even spelling out the terms of the blackmail, not that such a statement was needed, right after Ukraine began its counteroffensive is a sign of how worried they are, possibly thinking that they will no longer be in a position to make demands by November, when they were probably expecting the European Union to completely give in to the blackmail and stop supporting Ukraine or even force it to accept Russia’s terms. If so, it would be a piece of good news, but the outcome relies on Ukraine’s ability to gain some major victories within a month and a half or so, and even that may be stretching it, so it more exactly relies on the support it will receive, which needs to be immediate, more massive and more direct than it has been so far.
A reason for concern is Erdogan again showing his true colors, considering the impact the Turkish drones had so far. But relying on that guy for anything is as unwise as relying on Putin, and the sooner that’s finally understood, the better it will be. These are people who should simply not be seen as potential partners, not even for negotiations, instead needing to be isolated and then removed from power as soon as possible, preferably by aiding and empowering the better groups who oppose them internally… Though that may only work for Erdogan, the situation in Russia being different and likely calling for complete isolation and tightening the screw on all citizens who didn’t and aren’t fleeing the country in order to escape the regime, a positive change from within not seeming to be a plausible scenario… Not that it seems plausible in Turkey either, especially considering the attitude of the countries and organizations who should be pushing for it.