…Nothing in that article says Russia supports the coup government. It doesn’t mention a Russian stance at all; it just says the coup government has asked Wagner for support (which it does not say has been given).

You’ve now ignored for a second time how stupid it is to think Russia engineered this, then simultaneously tried to hide it/paid locals to wave Russian flags around.

I asked you what your theory is on the situation and you responded by putting words in my mouth.

Again, do you think Russia engineered this, only to deny it, only to pay people to waive Russian flags around?

On attempting to enter Russia on July 29, the group of Chinese citizens was “repeatedly” questioned for “up to 4 hours,” according to the statement. They had their tourist visas canceled and were refused entry, it said.

Yawn

So your theory is:

1. Russia sponsors a coup, but
2. Denies involvement, only to
3. Supply locals with Russia flags and presumably pay them to wave them around?

Even Russia has shown itself to be more of a minnow than we thought…

Russia is currently stalemated in a limited war against a substantial (but similarly limited) chunk of the NATO arsenal. As a point of comparison, in the last 20 years the U.S. has lost two wars against non-state actors where it used everything but nukes.

The U.S. hasn’t fought a war like the Russian-Ukranian War since Vietnam or Korea, and the results there weren’t a lot better than what Russia is seeing now (despite the U.S. doing far more indiscriminate strategic bombing).

Not to mention, the reasoning for the war has changed dramatically

• Refuses to read Russia’s official justification for war
• Claims not only to know Russia’s justification, but that it’s repeatedly changed

Is this sarcasm or an honest question?

Any attempt to overthrow a lawful government must be opposed

A totally ridiculous statement right out of the gate. Either actions against lawful governments are sometimes justified (how many Americans would say they would have opposed rebelling against the lawful British rule of the colonies?), or you redefine “lawful” to support whatever revolutions you want, making this statement empty.

If you believe anything the U.S. has to say about fighting Islamic extremists after Iraq and Afghanistan…

After the U.S. spent the last 20 years indiscriminately killing hundreds of thousands of people (at minimum!) throughout the world under the guise of fighting Islamic extremists, it’s disgusting to trot out concern for lives as a defense of continuing the same failed policies.

I won’t disagree that the US has short-sightedly funded a lot of mujahideen fighters including recently some questionable groups in Syria, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re directly opposed to the Islamists in Saharan Africa.

“This time it’s different, I swear, just give me one more undeclared forever war”

Ukraine has liberated 74,443 km² or 28,743 square miles since the start of the invasion

The front lines have remained basically static since Fall '22.