this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2026
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[–] Nanowith@lemmy.world 104 points 6 days ago (20 children)

I can't shake the feeling all of this is a Russian master plan.

Not to be conspiritorial, but everything seems to be working out in their favour from Brexit to Trump II.

[–] redditmademedoit@piefed.zip 53 points 6 days ago (10 children)

Consider that Russia has been failing to take over a neighboring country for several years now, for incomprehensible reasons, displaying immense incompetence on every level along the way. It is inherently very unlikely that Russia simultaneously has masterminded the entire fabric of the US and effectively taken over the country through sheer genius.

No doubt that Trump is playing right into Putin's hands, but Putin is also an idiot: not omnipotent.

I think it's more worth considering that the MAGA doomsday cult has a lot of interests that align with Russia, e.g. shifting U.S focus to the Western Hemisphere for resource dominance, as suggested by Aslı Bâli in the latest episode of The Dig (https://thedigradio.com/podcast/maga-empire-w-asli-bali-and-greg-grandin/).

[–] Gathorall@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Putin is an intelligence operative, it does not seems unlikely that a country headed by one for decades would do well clandestine operations and falter in war.

American oligarchs are also greedy, base and overall pretty stupid so I think you overestimate the challenge of manipulating them.

[–] shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

While we can agree Russia has been failing as their initial unsuccessful strategy was to take Kiev in one fell swoop, it's fairly widely agreed upon among Western intelligence agencies that their current strategy is a grinding war of attrition. So we shouldnt perceive them going slow as a sign of weakness. It's their strategy. Whether it's a viable strategy time will tell but it's clear they don't care if they have to put hundreds of thousands in the meat grinder or if it takes a decade, as long as they eventually achieve their goal. Part of their calculus is that democracies are inherently not as good at long term planning as autocracies.

[–] fonix232@fedia.io 4 points 6 days ago

I wouldn't go as far as to call Putin an idiot. Unlike Trump, he's an effective head of state (note I didn't say leader), and while he seems incompetent when it comes to Ukraine or to managing Russia, don't forget that neither are his end goal - he's ready to sacrifice most of Russia just to cleave a bit more off of Europe for himself, and the invasion of Ukraine is actually helping him: while he may be losing soldiers and equipment at an alarming rate, he's got his buddies Xi and Kim providing him more and more for the war efforts, which in turn is creating division in Europe and NATO, while also depleting their resources.

Besides, it's been proven time and again how effective Russian troll farms are at disseminating disinformation and stoking internal tensions of any one grouping, let it be the US, or any European country. Even if Putin was an idiot in other areas, this part is undeniably true.

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Reminds me of this:

Replace Chinese with Russian

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 30 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Well it is.

And it's not a secret either.

Trump is Putin's lapdog and Putin just wants to destabilise US and EU to level the playing field for Russia.

Often Russian campaigns aim to disrupt domestic politics within Europe and the United States in an attempt to weaken the West

Russia seeks to promote American isolationism, border security concerns and racial tensions within the United States through its disinformation campaigns

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_disinformation

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The American mind simply can't comprehend a plan which extends beyond the next weekend, nevermind a 70+ year vision

[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

I bring this up a lot but I still couldn't believe when my friends asked why I wouldn't visit them in the states and I said because of the 51st state rhetoric and they were like: "oh man, we completely forgot about that ages ago"

Well good for you yanks.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 29 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

RT is straight up trying to stoke the fire with even more disinformation.

[–] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 24 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Wow i knew they were propaganda but that's just an easily disprovable headline

Just tell the same lie often enough and people will start to believe it, no matter how obvious.

[–] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago (2 children)

It's based on a kernel of truth - Carney said that Canada would side with the remainder of NATO if the US tries to take Greenland by force - which would mean declaring war on the US if article 5 is invoked.

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[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

It is, but even then there are always the cultists and Black Hundreds eating it all up, eager for a final showdown.

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Russias main goal has been destabilizing the west for quite a while. The scope is immense and Putin must be laughing his ass of how well it is going.

[–] REDACTED@infosec.pub 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

To be fair, Russia is not doing better

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

Indeed, but the West could easily be.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 16 points 6 days ago (1 children)

It's pretty obvious that it is. Trump is truly an idiot except when leading stupid people. All of the smart people on his team are in bed with Russia.

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[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

It's been a very long game they're playing since Khrushchev, the objective being is to destroy Western powers from the inside.

So when they can't use overt means like supporting "national liberation movements", they just use agents of influence on the inside, find weak spots, and start creating the rot in the system. Eventually the Soviets are replaced with mobster plutocrats, and this time they want to break the West so that once the US becomes an empty hole in the ground they can easily move their money around without penalty. A world without laws but theirs.

It started when Obama was elected. The US wasn't quite ready for a black president but he was so great people loved him. Then the Russian disinformation began. Then rage bots were invented. Ai got more and more powerful until now when probably 50% of online comments are not of human origin and NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT. Then n Korea figured out how to do not warfare. Then Iran. Then China.

Until like a shining star on a hill the most manipulable human to ever commit a crime started amplifying the anti American propaganda like a good little boomer and the bots swarmed to support anything he said. It started with the birth certificate 15 years ago. The Republicans couldn't WAIT to stand in line. Then came the Christians. Then the white supremacists. Then the rednecks.. all beating the drum of Russian propaganda.

Putin KNEW Trump would run the country into the ground like he did every business he ever ran. Wait, what was Putin's specialty in the kgb again? Oh yeah... The Destabilazition of international governments through propaganda. His specialty was media control.

IT WAS OBVIOUS FOR DECADES. We KNEW Russia was engaging in a propaganda war against the American people. But the 80 year olds in government couldn't understand any technology more complicated than a 1980's VCR.

I fucking hate everyone for this. It was all so preventable. Another American civil war is almost inevitable. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTS. THE WHOLE PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING WAS TO MANUFACTURE A SCENARIO THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW AND CANCEL ALL ELECTIONS FOREVER. FUCK! CAN'T YOU SEE IT???

a pox on both your houses.

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[–] jeena@piefed.jeena.net 44 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I mean Russia has always felt threatened by NATO since it's inception, obviously they find anything good which might destroy NATO because they can't destroy it themselves.

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 31 points 6 days ago (5 children)

What’re the chances that Russia is the one pushing Trump into this?

After all, if Krasnov controls Greenland and he is under Putin’s thumb . . .

[–] TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.ca 23 points 6 days ago (3 children)

An alignment of multiple interests, I think.

Russia wants to see a weaker NATO, US, and EU. Trump's pedophile technofascist backers want Greenland as a completely unregulated, fresh space for their fascist agenda. Trump pleases all of his handlers by squeezing the EU for Greenland.

I doubt Trump himself cares even a little bit about Greenland. The fucker just wants to loaf around playing golf while eating burgers served on golden platters by people who fawn over him.

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)

On that last point, the characterization may no longer be true.

I think he’s evolved into his ultimate evil. The fucker knows he’s old and gonna move on soon. He wants to leave as massive a historical stain as he can before he kicks the bucket.

[–] TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.ca 11 points 6 days ago

You might be right, but it's hard to tell with all the people lining up to whisper into his orange ears.

[–] Rothe@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago

I doubt Trump himself cares even a little bit about Greenland. The fucker just wants to loaf around playing golf while eating burgers served on golden platters by people who fawn over him.

No, perhaps that was him during his first term, but now he is clearly very intent on using the power he has been handed to whatever he wants.

[–] KnitWit@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

I agree that it’s multiple interests aligning, but I wouldn’t discount Trump wanting it for himself as well. The man puts his name on everything, being able to add a new state as well as a massive chunk of land would be huge to a narcissist like that. I think the other sides you mentioned are playing off of that desire to convince him it is somehow justified.

[–] jeena@piefed.jeena.net 15 points 6 days ago (2 children)

The plot thickens, there have always been rumors that Trump is a Kremlin asset: https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/is-donald-trump-a-russian-asset-05a954

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 18 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yep. That’s why I called him Krasnov. I applaud you for looking it up and linking it.

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[–] nickiwest@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago

I just assumed this was the situation as soon as Dementia Don started talking about Greenland. I'd bet dollars to donuts he didn't know where Greenland was before Putin put the idea into his addled little brain.

[–] Rothe@piefed.social 6 points 6 days ago

I'm pretty sure Trump as a Putin-asset has always been tasked with dismantling NATO. He even took steps in that regard during his first term, but lacked the confidence which he has now.

Everything he has done as ruler has been aligned with Russian interests, which incidentally and unsurprisingly also aligns with the interests of the billionaire oligarchs.

[–] MisterOwl@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

What’re the chances that Russia is the one pushing Trump into this?

100%. Guaranteed.

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[–] Aaron_Davis@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Because of course they are. It's all playing into what Putin wants.

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 16 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Agent Krasnov is a tremendous asset. Huuuuuge.

[–] P1k1e@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago
[–] TheObviousSolution@lemmy.ca 14 points 6 days ago

Europe is a dumbass that has not been paying attention since the start of his term and who they were dealing with.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 20 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Vlad should keynote a marketing conference, because he’s still reaping the rewards from that 2015 Facebook campaign. Homie’s breaking up NATO and western democracies by bidding on shitty social media ads.

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Tell me he's not a Russian asset again, campist. And no, the fact we always had a racism problem isn't proof he isn't.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The way to cut this Gordian knot is to destroy Putin and his oligarchs.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago

Also, Trump and his oligarchs. Actually, let's destroy all oligarchs while we're at it.

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