Arnaud Bertrand: This is as close to a smoking gun as I've ever seen on Ukraine.
Posted by sashimi on December 13, 2025, 9:19 am
@RnaudBertrand | Dec 13, 2025 · 3:42 AM UTC https://nitter.net/RnaudBertrand/status/1999686434165522805 Amanda Sloat was Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council under Biden, meaning she was the one directly running Ukraine policy from the White House.
And she now admits that, had Ukraine told Russia before the war or at the Istanbul talks "fine, we won't go into NATO," it "may well have [prevented/stopped the war]" but she (and by extension the White House) "was uncomfortable with the idea of... implicitly giving Russia some sort of sphere of influence or veto power on that."
Now, almost 3 years on, she says "it certainly would have prevented the destruction and the loss of life."
Think about how extraordinary this is.
First of all, she's being dishonest: by definition, neutrality for Ukraine wouldn't have given Russia "some sort of sphere of influence" but would have made it... neutral, i.e. in-between spheres of influence.
Ukraine in Russia's sphere of influence would be Ukraine joining some sort of Warsaw Pact, which is in fact exactly the optionality she's saying SHE wanted to preserve, only with NATO. She's describing her own position and projecting it onto Russia.
Also think about the cost equation. Hundreds of thousands dead, a country in ruins, and the justification is America being "uncomfortable" about not preserving optionality. Not even an actual gain - just the theoretical possibility of one day pulling Ukraine into NATO.
The banality of evil. | | Trita Parsi | @tparsi | Dec 12 Absolut MUST Watch!
Joe Biden's top official for Europe Amanda Sloat casually admitting explosive facts that the Blob not only suppressed for years, but you would have been accused of being a Putin apologist if you ever raised.
Remember the energy expended to silence and DISCREDIT anyone pointing to Nato expansion as ONE of the causes of the war and that if Nato membership for Ukraine was taken off the table, the war could have been avoided/stopped?
At Quincy, we were attacked from every direction for pointing out this reasonable assessment.
And now, Sloat says in an interview that had Ukraine opted for neutrality, it "may well have" prevented the war and the invasion.
Now, after 100,000s dead and many voices in the West who pointed this out at the time silenced or discredited, Sloat asks "Would that [Ukraine neutrality] have been better to do before the war started [or]... in the Istanbul talks (April 2024)? It certainly would have prevented the destruction and the loss of life."
But remember, at the time, arguing that taking the FALSE option of Ukraine NATO membership (since the US had no plan of letting Ukraine into NATO anyways) was met with disdain. The argument was not that it wouldn't work, but rather, "NATO expansion has nothing to do with the war and if you say that it does, you are on Putin's side."
Those who killed the chance to prevent the war should be remembered similarly as those who started this illegal invasion - as well as those who started the illegal invasion of Iraq.
(Vid of Amanda Sloat being "pranked" by Vovan and Lexus)
These people should all be getting banged up for ever but of course nothing happens to them. Iraq? Nothing. Afghanistan? Nothing. Libya? Nothing. And on...The corporate media are complicit in the Gaza genocide. Never forget what they did. Never forgive them for it.
Re: Arnaud Bertrand: This is as close to a smoking gun as I've ever seen on Ukraine.
I agree that Russia was provoked into this war. I was still really disappointed when they invaded Ukraine. I had hoped that they would be the adults in the room and find another way to deal with it.
I see a headline this evening that Russia has attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure today leaving many people without power. I live in a place with a climate similar to Ukraine’s. Deliberately knocking power out in the winter is cruel. War is hell and does it ever solve anything?
Re: Arnaud Bertrand: This is as close to a smoking gun as I've ever seen on Ukraine.
I had hoped that they would be the adults in the room and find another way to deal with it.
Being adults in the room would cost Russian lives in Donbass. One needs to concentrate on what has happened in Donetsk just before Russia started the SMO.
Still, consider what would have happened if the US invaded a territory in their usual Shock and Awe style not leaving a blade of grass alive. We have historical examples, sadly .. Vietnam, Iraq and many others.
Re: Arnaud Bertrand: This is as close to a smoking gun as I've ever seen on Ukraine.
on December 13, 2025, 9:19 am