Jan Jørgen de Vries

[Denys Shtilierman @DenShtilierman]

The U.S. has always known that Russia is an empire and that, sooner or later, it would begin to invade Ukraine and other countries. This is not speculation or a conspiracy theory. It is based on their own documents.

In August 2025, the National Security Archive successfully sued the U.S. government to declassify the transcripts of conversations between Bush and Putin, which had been classified for two decades. The release began in late December. Add to that Ambassador Burns’s cable, released by WikiLeaks, and his letter to Secretary of State Rice — and we get the full picture: Washington heard everything, understood everything, and deliberately played along. Let’s go through the timeline.

Ljubljana, June 16, 2001. Bush’s first meeting with Putin. Putin immediately explains his worldview to the new U.S. president:

“What really happened? Soviet good will changed the world, voluntarily. And Russians gave up thousands of square kilometers of territory, voluntarily. Unheard of. Ukraine, part of Russia for centuries, given away. Kazakhstan, given away. The Caucasus, too. Hard to imagine, and done by party bosses.”

Twenty-five years ago. At their very first meeting — and Putin calls Ukraine “given away” Russian territory. He makes no secret of it. And immediately complains:

“But we feel left out of NATO. If Russia is not part of this, of course it feels left out. Why is NATO enlargement needed? In 1954, the Soviet Union applied to join NATO. I have the document.”

“But the real question is how we associate Russia with the rest of the civilized world. The fact is that NATO is enlarging and we have nothing to say about it.”

And now America’s response. After this very meeting, Bush addressed the press and delivered his legendary statement:

“I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy… I was able to get a sense of his soul.”

This man had just told him that Ukraine was “rightfully” Russian territory. A soul, you’ve got to admit.

Kananaskis, June 27, 2002. Bush and Putin discuss Georgia. Here’s the dialogue:

Bush: “Georgia — I know you don't think Georgians can do the job. They are petrified of joint operations.”

Putin: “We will not insist.”

Bush: “They need to go get the killers.”

Putin: “They won't.”

Putin continues: “We will not make any movement on their territory. But if the activities force the terrorists to go to our territory, we will not wait. We will hit them in Georgia. I have issued an order. We are deploying troops to block the border.”

Bush: “We need to develop a plan. One that you know about. We will develop jointly. A plan that will tell the Georgians what to do.”

Putin: “They will not fight, they are linked in drug trafficking.”

Bush: “Let's call Shevardnadze's bluff.”

Read that again. The U.S. president and the Russian dictator are jointly devising a plan “that will tell the Georgians what to do,” discussing Russian strikes on the territory of a sovereign state, and mocking its president behind its back. According to the Archive’s own assessment, Bush expressed “full understanding” of possible Russian strikes on Pankisi. Six years later, the Russian army would invade Georgia.

February 2008. U.S. Ambassador to Moscow William Burns sends a cable to Washington with a title that says it all: “Nyet Means Nyet.” The embassy reports:

“Experts tell us that Russia is particularly worried that the strong divisions in Ukraine over NATO membership, could lead to a major split, involving violence or at worst, civil war. In that eventuality, Russia would have to decide whether to intervene.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry openly threatens: "A a radical new expansion of NATO may bring about a serious political-military shift that will inevitably affect the security interests of Russia" and that Moscow would "have to take appropriate measures."

And on February 8, Burns wrote personally to Rice:

“The next couple months will be among the most consequential in recent US-Russian relations. We face three potential trainwrecks: Kosovo, MAP for Ukraine/Georgia, and missile defense. But it's equally hard to overstate the strategic consequences of a premature MAP offer, especially to Ukraine.”

“Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite. Not just Putin.”

In other words, Washington knew for certain: Moscow considers Ukraine its property and is ready to use force. What conclusion did they draw? Not to restrain the empire. Not to arm potential victims. And not to provoke the Kremlin.

March 2008, a phone call ahead of the Bucharest summit. Bush asks Putin to be a “gentleman” in his remarks at the summit — so that he can come to Sochi for a visit afterward without any trouble. The U.S. president asks the dictator to behave politely because he has a visit planned. How sweet.

Bucharest, April 2–4, 2008. Ukraine and Georgia are denied MAP status. Instead of an action plan — a vague formula: “you will become members someday” — with no date, no mechanism, and no commitments. The Kremlin’s red lines proved more important than the security of two free nations.

Sochi, April 6, 2008. Two days after the summit, Bush is already visiting Putin. And he hears:

“Now I'd like to repeat what I said to Condi and Gates in Moscow on NATO enlargement. It won't be new to you, and I don't expect a response; I just .want to,say it out loud. I'd like to emphasize accession to NATO of a country like Ukraine will create for the long-term a field of conflict for you and us, long-term confrontation.”

Bush: “Why?”

Putin: “Seventeen million Russians live in Ukraine a third of the population. Ukraine is a very complex state. This is not a nation built in a natural manner. It's an artificial country created back in Soviet times. Following World War II Ukraine obtained territory from Poland, Romania and Hungary that's pretty much all of western Ukraine. In the 1920s and 1930s Ukraine obtained territory from Russia -- that's the eastern part of the country. In 1956, the Crimean peninsula was transferred to Ukraine.”

A complete imperial catalog of Ukrainian territory — right in front of the U.S. president. Crimea is mentioned by name, six years before the annexation. Putin, however, as always, got the year wrong — it was actually 1954. And note this: it was precisely these narratives about an “artificially created country” that became the driving force behind the propaganda during the full-scale invasion. It is also important that the dialogue explicitly states: Putin is “repeating what he told Condi and Gates in Moscow.” In other words, the entire top echelon of the U.S. government received this message personally. It gets even more explicit:

“Relying on the anti NATO forces in Ukraine, Russia would be working on stripping NATO of the possibility of enlarging. Russia would be creating problems there all the time.”

“And given the divergent views of areas of the population on NATO membership, the country could just split apart.”

This isn’t analysis. It’s a plan, voiced aloud. Regarding Georgia — they don’t even try to hide it:

“Now with Georgia, they believe with the shield of NATO they can restore their territorial integrity. Is this the right way to go, to spread NATO's military umbrella and let them start military operations in Ankhazia and South Ossetia? Guerilla warfare will start there as in Afghanistan. Will NATO go to war there? Of course not. The people in Georgia should be forced· to resolve their internal problems by other means. They will do it if forced to.”

“Will NATO go to war there? Of course not.” Putin already knew the value of Western guarantees back then. “Force them” — four months before the invasion. He is literally announcing the war to the U.S. president in person. And to complete the picture — his own remark about Chechen militants in Georgia:

“They played soccer with the heads of Georgians.”

And now — Bush’s reaction to everything he heard:

“One of the things I admire about you is you weren't afraid to say it to NATO. That's very admirabie. People listened carefully and had no doubt about your position. It was a good performance.”

The U.S. president had just heard that Ukraine was an “artificial country,” that Russia would “constantly create problems there,” and that Georgia would be “forced” to comply. And he responded with admiration. Four months later, Russian tanks were in Georgia. Six years later — the “little green men” were in Crimea.

Fourteen years later — a full-scale invasion.

Now, about the present. When Washington freezes aid to Kyiv, puts sanctions on hold, sends envoys to Moscow, and pressures us, demanding “compromises” involving the surrender of territories — this is not Trump’s policy. This is a consistent, twenty-five-year-long defense of the Kremlin’s interests. In 2001, Putin was paid a compliment about his character. In 2002, a plan for Georgia was drafted jointly with him. In 2008, Ukraine’s door to NATO was shut, and his threats were called a “good performance.” In 2026, we’re being asked to pay with territory for yet another “settlement.” One line. One pattern. The only difference is that before, this was whispered in Sochi, while Trump says it into a microphone.

The conclusion is simple. For twenty-five years, America chose “not to provoke Moscow” — and ended up with the biggest war in Europe since 1945. Concessions to an empire do not prevent wars — they merely set a date for them.

[UNITED24 @U24_gov_ua]

At just 18 years old, Danylo was detained by russian authorities and sentenced to 12 years in a russian colony for donating 5,200 hryvnia, just over $100, to support Ukraine.

Now Danylo is 21 and has endured 3 years of torture in these conditions. russia tortures children.

[Kate from Kharkiv @BohuslavskaKate]

Rep. McBride: Ambassador, I'm curious why United States is scared to call out and stand up to Putin at United Nations?

Amb. Waltz: United States under this administration has put more pressure on Russia to come to the table.

Rep. McBride: Well, they're now getting more money because of the Strait of Hormuz, but that's neither here nor there. Why did United States vote "no" and refuse to vote to denounce Putin's illegal war in Ukraine?

Amb. Waltz: As many of you know with legislation, there can be specific phrases that we find objectionable or that cross our red lines. The title says one thing and the actual legislation or resolution says another.

Rep. McBride: Apparently the only other countries that objected to any of the specific language in that resolution, at least in February 2025, were Belarus, North Korea, and Russia. So, not very good company.

Amb. Waltz: My memory is we were shifting to a more neutral, mediating position as we try to end this war.

Rep. McBride: A strategy that has not worked.

Amb. Waltz: Has worked a lot better than the last administration's.

Rep. McBride: Well, I don't think that's true.

Amb. Waltz: They're at least in the room talking, which is the art of diplomacy.

Rep. McBride: Well, there was a photo op in Alaska that President gave Putin. And I think these votes, or lack of votes, or "no" votes only send a message that we are treating Putin with kid gloves.

[UNITED24 Media @United24media]

Back in 2002, Putin said he had no problem with Ukraine joining NATO—because, in his own words, Ukraine is a sovereign nation.

[D.Radka, #NAFO 🇨🇿🤝🇺🇦 @DakdaR22]

Sofia was only 23 days old. Her life was cut short by Russian shelling of the village of Shyroka Balka in the Stanislavska community of the Kherson region. She, her parents, and her older brother Artem (11) were in the yard and did not manage to reach the shelter at a neighbor's house in time.💔💔

Whole family died, again💔🙈

such barbarism, again an attack on a civilian area🙈!!🤬

[Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) @adamscochran]

Good time to ask yourself:

-Why would the head of the *domestic* intelligence agency be traveling to Russia?

[Laura Loomer @LauraLoomer]

I did say these things about Ukraine and Zelensky and I am not deleting my posts because I’ve realized, I was wrong.

I was living in a media echo chamber and I was propagandized by Russian media on social media to believe those things.

So I came to Ukraine to see the country for myself. I am going to try to find evidence for the propaganda I’ve been fed, and if I don’t find it, I will let everyone know so they too can come to see the light.

On day one, I’ve already seen photos of dead priests in Bucha murdered by Russia and I saw the mass grave where the bodies of murdered Christians were placed after Russia sent forces from Chechnya to massacre innocent people.

I spoke with officials who rescue POWs and they showed me photos of Ukrainian POWs who had swastikas engraved into their forehead by Russians.

Who are the Nazis? 🤔 I was lied to for years.

I realized Ukraine and @ZelenskyyUa aren’t the jihadi apologists… but Russia and Putin are!

I was wrong! I have a responsibility to correct the record.

Russia is very good at information warfare.

[Ihtesham Ali @ihteshamali]

Palantir sells governments a war room that costs millions a year.

So, a guy named Elie just rebuilt it, put it on GitHub, and gave it away.

It's called World Monitor.

Open it and you get a live 3D globe with 500+ news feeds pouring in across 15 categories, all summarized by AI as they land.

> Military movements.
> Economic shocks.
> Natural disasters.
> Cyber incidents.
> Flight paths.
> Shipping lanes.

+ 56 different map layers you can stack on top of each other.

It scores 31 countries on a stress index and updates the number as things happen.

It watches 29 stock exchanges, commodities, and crypto in one panel.

It runs local AI through Ollama, so you can use the whole thing without a single API key.

Native desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. 25 languages. Works out of the box after one clone.

[UNITED24 @U24_gov_ua]

While adults try to stay calm, children experience every explosion in their own way.

Every explosion takes away a little more of a child's sense of safety. They deserve a childhood filled with love—not fear.

[OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical]

Kotovsk, Tambov Oblast, a Russian Pantsir SAM system accidentally hit a local Wildberries distribution facility with multiple bursts of 30mm cannon fire.

[Montrey @Montrey82631182]

11.11.2014: Girkin demolishes the Kremlin’s “Maidan coup” lie. He admits meeting Aksyonov in Crimea in late January—weeks before Yanukovych fled. On 27 February, armed men seized parliament and installed Aksyonov as “Prime Minister.” The annexation was no spontaneous reaction.

[Montrey @Montrey82631182]

18.07.2014 Luhansk (Ukraine): One day after the downing of civilian flight MH-17 by a Russian BUK air defense system, a BUK is spotted in Russian-occupied Luhansk (48.54583, 39.26435). Moscow is now scrambling to hide evidence related to the downing of MH17.

[The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare @mouw5284]

Audio recordings:
Pro-Russian separatists admitted to shooting down a plane.

„We have just shot down a plane.
That was «Miner's» group.
It fell down outside Grabovo, there is a whole lot of bodies of women and children.“

#Russia is committing war not only against Ukraine but against the entire civilized world.

[Isa Yusibov 🇪🇺 🇳🇱 🇺🇦 @Isa_Yusibov]

Hoofd RU militairen in Oost-Oekraine op 17 juli 2014 half uur nadat MH17 neergeschoten werd: "We hebben net een vliegtuig neergehaald. We hadden gewaarschuwd: niet binnen ons luchtruim vliegen." (later verwijderd)

Nederlandse volidioten: "Oekraine zit achter MH17"

[Alexander Kokcharov @alex_kokcharov]

On this day in 2014 the Russian TV triumphantly reported about the downing of an aircraft over the occupied areas in Donetsk region, east Ukraine. Back at the time they assumed it was a Ukrainian military cargo aircraft and not MH17:

[Es. Sarah🌟 @Es_Sa_da]

Never forget the endless procession of hearses carrying the Dutch victims of #MH17 from Eindhoven Airport to Hilversum for identification 🥹

[Angelica Shalagina🇺🇦 @angelshalagina]

💔💔Barefoot. Terrified. Running for their lives.

A 12-year-old girl filmed herself fleeing explosions in Vyshneve.

She was running in her socks.

Her 8-year-old sister was barefoot.

Behind them, their mother was carrying their 3-year-old brother as the blasts grew closer.

This is what childhood looks like in Ukraine when russia attacks. Just survival. 💔

[Pete @splendid_pete]

A reminder of how Farage campaigned, and won, in Clacton in 2024. Absolutely sickening.

An undercover investigation by Channel 4 News exposed a campaign riddled with extreme racism, homophobia, and even allegations of election spending irregularities.

One Reform UK canvasser was secretly recorded suggesting that army recruits should use migrants arriving on Britain’s beaches for target practice. He also told a paramedic to deny oxygen to migrants in need of medical treatment, described Islam as a “disgusting cult,” and directed racist slurs at then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The toxic rhetoric wasn’t limited to one volunteer. Farage’s events manager and other senior campaign figures were also caught making openly homophobic remarks about a police car displaying a Pride flag, mocking officers and saying they should “dance around like fairies” instead of doing their jobs.

The undercover footage also captured a senior campaigner casually claiming the local campaign had already spent roughly twice the legal election spending limit, a potential criminal offence. Reform UK later dismissed the comments as isolated incidents or jokes, but the footage raised serious questions about the culture within Farage’s Clacton campaign.

[Sergio 🇫🇷 @Seergiot3ck]

🚨 En 2012, la FIFA SUSPENDIÓ POR DOS PARTIDOS al jugador surcoreano Park Jong-woo por mostrar un cartel que decía “Dokdo es nuestro territorio” tras ganarle a Japón.

Usando el mismo criterio, la FIFA debe SANCIONAR a los jugadores argentinos.

[Molly Hudson @M0lly_Writes]

French players were not allowed by FIFA to wear a black armband as a sign of respect for their manager Didier Deschamp’s mum dying, but I’m sure absolutely nothing will be done about this