More ignorant blather 

Former US ambassador to the Soviet Union:

Quote:Why the US must press for a ceasefire in Ukraine
As a key player in Kyiv’s defense and the leader of sanctions against Russia, Washington is obligated to help find a way out.

[...]

The war might have been prevented — probably would have been prevented — if Ukraine had been willing to abide by the Minsk agreement, recognize the Donbas as an autonomous entity within Ukraine, avoid NATO military advisors, and pledge not to enter NATO. Nevertheless, what was possible even as late as January 2022 may not be possible now. The Russian annexation of additional territory raises the stakes. But the longer the war continues the harder it is going to be to avoid the utter destruction of Ukraine.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/1...a-way-out/

Again who cares. He's an EX Ambassador who knows nothing more about what's going on than anyone in this forum. So his opinion is simply an opinion. Also this guy has some seriously loopy ideas.....

https://usrussiaaccord.org/acura-viewpoi...r-ukraine/


Also all the Russian bootlicking (seriously I'm seeing a theme )

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...story.html

The mayor of Yakutsk says the families of men mobilised in the city are entitled to a free bag of vegetables

(October 17, 2022 at 8:20 pm)Belacqua Wrote: Former US ambassador to the Soviet Union:

Quote:Why the US must press for a ceasefire in Ukraine
As a key player in Kyiv’s defense and the leader of sanctions against Russia, Washington is obligated to help find a way out.

[...]

The war might have been prevented — probably would have been prevented — if Ukraine had been willing to abide by the Minsk agreement, recognize the Donbas as an autonomous entity within Ukraine, avoid NATO military advisors, and pledge not to enter NATO. Nevertheless, what was possible even as late as January 2022 may not be possible now. The Russian annexation of additional territory raises the stakes. But the longer the war continues the harder it is going to be to avoid the utter destruction of Ukraine.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/1...a-way-out/

What's clearly not possible is Russia walking away victorious. Even a clear battlefield victory over the Ukrainian Army leaves the Russians involved in a costly and sapping insurgency. It's almost like they've never read about Vietnam or either war in Afghanistan -- one of which saw themselves evicted after eight years of it, and led to the dissolution of the USSR -- a fact which cannot be far from Putin's attention.

As for the Minsk Agreements, they would not have been needed had not the Russians attacked then. You're advocating appeasement, and probably in cause of an agenda.

(October 17, 2022 at 10:54 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(October 17, 2022 at 8:20 pm)Belacqua Wrote: Former US ambassador to the Soviet Union:


https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/1...a-way-out/

What's clearly not possible is Russia walking away victorious. Even a clear battlefield victory over the Ukrainian Army leaves the Russians involved in a costly and sapping insurgency. It's almost like they've never read about Vietnam or either war in Afghanistan -- one of which saw themselves evicted after eight years of it, and led to the dissolution of the USSR -- a fact which cannot be far from Putin's attention.

As for the Minsk Agreements, they would not have been needed had not the Russians attacked then. You're advocating appeasement, and probably in cause of an agenda.

Not to mention Ukraine can join NATO if it wants to. Russia gets no say in the matter. And the Donbas is part of Ukraine and doesn't get any autonomy no nation would put up with such a loss of autonomy. As I said this ambassador has some loopy ideas and is essentially the modern Chamberlain.

And I repeat the question . Didn't Bel say he was done with this thread?

Literally hours after Putin declared “No more massive airstrikes,” he launches a new wave of airstrikes. It is impossible to negotiate with somebody who lies so routinely and deliberately



https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63255617

Quote:A fratricidal altercation between mobilized servicemen at a training ground in Belgorod Oblast on October 15 is likely a consequence of the Kremlin’s continual reliance on ethnic minority communities to bear the burden of mobilization in the Russian Federation. Russian sources reported that the shooting took place after mobilized servicemen from Dagestan, Azerbaijan, and Adyghe complained to their commander that the war in Ukraine is not their war to fight, to which the commander responded that they are fighting a “holy war” and called Allah a “coward,” causing a fight to break out between Muslim and non-Muslim servicemen.[7] Russian sources then claimed that three mobilized Tajik servicemen opened fire at the training ground, killing the commander and both contract and mobilized soldiers.[8] Eyewitnesses claimed that the shooters told Muslim servicemen to stand aside as they opened fire.[9] The Russian information space immediately responded to the incident with racialized rhetoric against Central Asians and called for the introduction of a visa regime in Russia.[10]

Much of the Kremlin’s campaign to avoid general mobilization has fallen along distinct ethnic lines, and ethnic minority enclaves have largely borne the brunt of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s force generation efforts.[11] ISW previously reported on the prevalence of volunteer battalions formed in non-Russian ethnic minority communities, many of which suffered substantial losses upon deployment to Ukraine.[12] This trend continued following Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization, after which authorities continued to deliberately target minority communities to fulfill mobilization orders.[13] ISW also previously noted that the asymmetric distribution of mobilization responsibilities along ethnic lines led to the creation of localized and ethnically based resistance movements, which ISW forecasted could cause domestic ramifications as the war continues.[14] The Belgorod shooting is likely a manifestation of exactly such domestic ramifications. Ethnic minorities that have been targeted and forced into fighting a war defined by Russian imperial goals and shaped by Russian Orthodox nationalism will likely continue to feel alienation, which will create feed-back loops of discontent leading to resistance followed by crackdowns on minority enclaves.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgro...ct-updates

It brings to mind the treatment of American blacks in Vietnam.

(October 18, 2022 at 9:27 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

Quote:A fratricidal altercation between mobilized servicemen at a training ground in Belgorod Oblast on October 15 is likely a consequence of the Kremlin’s continual reliance on ethnic minority communities to bear the burden of mobilization in the Russian Federation. Russian sources reported that the shooting took place after mobilized servicemen from Dagestan, Azerbaijan, and Adyghe complained to their commander that the war in Ukraine is not their war to fight, to which the commander responded that they are fighting a “holy war” and called Allah a “coward,” causing a fight to break out between Muslim and non-Muslim servicemen.[7] Russian sources then claimed that three mobilized Tajik servicemen opened fire at the training ground, killing the commander and both contract and mobilized soldiers.[8] Eyewitnesses claimed that the shooters told Muslim servicemen to stand aside as they opened fire.[9] The Russian information space immediately responded to the incident with racialized rhetoric against Central Asians and called for the introduction of a visa regime in Russia.[10]

Much of the Kremlin’s campaign to avoid general mobilization has fallen along distinct ethnic lines, and ethnic minority enclaves have largely borne the brunt of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s force generation efforts.[11] ISW previously reported on the prevalence of volunteer battalions formed in non-Russian ethnic minority communities, many of which suffered substantial losses upon deployment to Ukraine.[12] This trend continued following Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization, after which authorities continued to deliberately target minority communities to fulfill mobilization orders.[13] ISW also previously noted that the asymmetric distribution of mobilization responsibilities along ethnic lines led to the creation of localized and ethnically based resistance movements, which ISW forecasted could cause domestic ramifications as the war continues.[14] The Belgorod shooting is likely a manifestation of exactly such domestic ramifications. Ethnic minorities that have been targeted and forced into fighting a war defined by Russian imperial goals and shaped by Russian Orthodox nationalism will likely continue to feel alienation, which will create feed-back loops of discontent leading to resistance followed by crackdowns on minority enclaves.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgro...ct-updates

It brings to mind the treatment of American blacks in Vietnam.

Win/win scenario for Putin:

#1 Russia wins
#2 Russia loses, aka. less minorities to have to take care of

Age old procedure.