First a short potted recap of relatively recent history.

At the end of WW2, following the defeat of Hitler and Nazi Germany, the three triumphant countries, USA, UK and the then USSR met, and over the course of two conferences, first at Yalta in February 1945, and then in July-August 1945 at Potsdam, drew up plans for the division of post-war Europe and subsequently, at the second conference, finalised them for implementation.

The result of these two meetings was the creation of Eastern and Western Europe, with the Russians gaining control of large tracts of Poland and Germany. The so-called 'Iron Curtain' descended across Europe with a divided Germany and a sectioned Berlin, with its infamous Berlin Wall creating an enclosed area of West Berlin where open Europe had control, while the rest of Berlin and vast tracts of land west of Berlin remained under Soviet control. . This situation lasted some 44 years, before there was the collapse of Soviet Europe, the destruction of the Berlin Wall and a re-united Germany and Poland.

Move to the present day, where USA's president has shown little respect for US allies, but huge admiration for Putin and his regime, culminating these last few days in the deal to buy Russian diesel, cancellation of US sanctions against Russia, and increased contempt for Yeltsin and Ukraine. Trump wants an end to the Ukraine war, and he doesn't care if that means Ukraine, the victim of the Russian attack, losing permanently Ukrainian land to Russia.

Now Trump is proposing a 3-way meenting next month, while at the APEC meeying in China, between himself, Putin and Xi, with the idea of divising a plan to settle the Ukraine conflict, inevitably involving sectioning or even totally allocating Ukraine to Russian ownership and control - effectively another Yalta. The subsequent G20 meeting that follows in the USA to which both Putin and Xi are invited would emulate the equivalent of Potsdam to see the plan finailsed and implemented. 

It may sound like pure speculation and hyothesis, but the nature of Trump and the aspirations of Putin, that Trump somehow seems incapable of either appreciating or understanding, or both, would see such an arrangement precipitate the prospect of war in Europe, as Putin gains control of Ukraine, an outcome that would feed his desire to expand his influence and to re-establish the Soviet Union that was lost over 45 years ago

I'm not sure where this post now goes. Is it just a one-off piece that presents a fearsome scenario, period, or does it hit a nerve that encourages comment and ongoing debate?      

Last edited by Cyclefrance-of-old (Today 10:37 am)