Eagle Sauce: The 055 destroyer was launched into the sea just after the founding of the country?

These remarks, which were clearly discriminatory, immediately triggered another wave of controversy.

Khrushchev stood up in a rage.

"Such chauvinistic remarks are a blasphemy against the Red Front! In the Red Front's philosophy, there should be no national boundaries and no racial distinctions!"

“Longguo people, like us, are part of the liberation struggle of the exploited class!”

Ponomarenko, a normally quiet alternate member of the Politburo, unexpectedly expressed strong views at this time.

"History will prove that if we do not negotiate with Longguo now, it will be the most serious strategic mistake in the history of the Russian Bear!"

“When NATO tanks roll into Moscow and our country is torn apart, we will regret it!”

"Traitor!" Beria said coldly, his eyes staring at Ponomarenko like a venomous snake. "Only someone who betrays his country would say such a thing. Perhaps the Ministry of Security should investigate your relationship with the Eagle Sauce."

This blatant threat instantly brought the atmosphere in the conference room to a freezing point.

Everyone knew what it meant to be "investigated" by Beria's security department.

Joseph knocked on the table lightly, signaling everyone to calm down.

His eyes swept over everyone in the room, his face revealing no inclination.

“Go on, comrades. I want to hear more diverse opinions.”

Malik, the deputy foreign minister, proposed a compromise.

"Perhaps we can adopt a gradual negotiation strategy. We can first reach an agreement with the Dragon Nation on a small-scale troop withdrawal to test their true intentions."

"If they truly only want to help the Red Front resist imperialism, they will agree to reasonable terms; if they have ulterior motives, we can also cut our losses in time."

Voznesensky, Chairman of the Planning Committee, expressed his concerns from an economic perspective.

"We cannot ignore the importance of the Far East to the overall economy of the Bear State. There are rich mineral resources, forest resources and strategic materials there. If these areas fall into the hands of the Dragon State, our economy will suffer an irreversible blow."

"And if NATO occupies Moscow and the central region, our economy will be completely destroyed!" Mikoyan retorted. "Everything is secondary to survival!"

The debate became increasingly heated, and the positions of the two factions became increasingly clear.

The party supporting the negotiations emphasized the concept of real red front unity, believing that only by uniting the Dragon Kingdom can we resist imperialist aggression.

Those who oppose the negotiations emphasize nationalism and historical experience, and firmly believe that the Dragon Country cannot be trusted and will take advantage of the Bear Country's predicament for selfish gains.

The atmosphere became increasingly tense, and some people even began banging their fists on the table to emphasize their points.

The quarrel between Serdyukov and Khrushchev has escalated from a political level to personal attacks.

"You coward! Traitor!" Serdyukov roared.

"And you are a blind chauvinist!"

Hruf's face flushed crimson, and steam practically blew out of his ears.

When the verbal conflict between the two was about to escalate into a physical conflict, Joseph suddenly slammed the table hard, and the entire conference room immediately fell silent.

"Enough, comrades!" His voice was soft, but it carried unquestionable authority. "This is not a quarrel in the market, but a major decision concerning the fate of the Russian bear. We need to analyze the problem calmly and rationally."

He looked around the conference room with a serious expression.

"Both the negotiators and the holdouts have put forward their own arguments, which I will take into consideration. But the final decision is mine, and I will make my judgment after weighing all the factors."

“Before that, I hope the military and diplomatic departments can provide more detailed analysis and possible options. This meeting ends here.”

People filed out of the meeting room, but the tense atmosphere remained.

In the corridors of the Kremlin, officials from both factions were still arguing in low voices, and neither side could convince the other.

The Russian Empire is facing the most difficult choice since its founding.

Should we continue to uphold the principle of territorial integrity at the risk of defeat?

Or seek cooperation with Longguo to preserve the core of the country at the cost of sacrificing some interests?

That night after the meeting, Joseph paced alone in his Kremlin office.

Moscow outside the window was covered in a heavy snowfall, with white snowflakes dancing in the darkness, as if countless cold eyes were staring at this world-famous steel-like leader.

Joseph stood by the window, holding an unlit pipe in his hand, his eyes deep and complex.

The empire is facing an unprecedented crisis.

On the Western Front, NATO's iron hoof has trampled on Warsaw, Budapest and Prague.

In the east, the Dragon Kingdom’s army surrounded the Russian Far East troops, like a sharp knife at their throat.

Being attacked on two fronts and being hit from both sides is a situation that no strategist can bear.

Joseph spread out the latest battle report prepared by the staff on the table.

The numbers on paper were cold and cruel: more than half of the defensive forces on the Western Front had been lost, weapons and ammunition reserves were insufficient to support a month of fighting, and industrial production capacity had dropped by 60% due to war damage and worker conscription.

The army besieged in the Far East by the Dragon Kingdom includes one-third of the Soviet Union's tank forces, nearly half of its air force and the most elite infantry divisions.

If these Far Eastern troops could be withdrawn to reinforce the Western Front, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

Joseph took a deep breath, and a map of the Russian Empire seemed to appear before his eyes.

The vast territory spans two continents, Europe and Asia, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific coast.

However, this seemingly powerful and vast territory has now become a strategic burden.

"Europe is our heart," Joseph muttered to himself, a rare exhaustion in his voice. "From Peter the Great to Catherine, from the previous leader to me, the power of the Russian bear has always been rooted in Europe."

"Here are more than 90% of our population, all of our heavy industrial bases, the most fertile black soil, and the cultural, scientific, and military centers of the empire."

He ran his finger lightly over the Far East on the map.

It is vast and desolate, sparsely populated, and although it has rich natural resources, it is extremely underdeveloped.

According to the latest census, the residents of the entire Far East region account for less than 1% of the total population of Russia, and most of them are concentrated in a few major cities.

"Rich in resources but sparsely populated, strategically valuable but difficult to develop..." Joseph fell into deep thought. "For us, the Far East is more like a future promise than a present reality."

"And what we need now is to preserve the foundations of the empire, to preserve the industrial and population centers of Europe."

The decision was made. Joseph picked up the phone and gave a brief order.

"Call all members of the Politburo and the Military Commission to my office immediately."

Half an hour later, the top leadership of the Maoxiong Group gathered in Joseph's office again.

Unlike the heated debate earlier, the atmosphere at this moment was solemn and depressing.

Everyone could read from Joseph's expression that a major decision had been made.

"Comrades," Joseph's voice was calm and firm, "I have decided that we will initiate peace talks with the Dragon Kingdom to lift the siege on our Far Eastern Force and enable it to return to the Western Front."

As soon as the words fell, exclamations and discussions suddenly rang out in the conference room.

Those who supported the negotiations looked happy, while those who strongly opposed them were shocked and dissatisfied.

Beria couldn't help but break the silence: "Comrade Joseph, are you saying... we should bow to the Dragon Kingdom?"