Russia and Ukraine

[Deesse23]

Where is the frontline currently, and how much has it moved in the past 3 months?

If this graphic from Wikipedia is any indication, it doesn't seem to have moved much  in the last couple months, and what little seems to have moved is Russia inching forward.

If this is the result of a minor country resisting a "superpower", then IA is soundly refuted (as if he wasnt beforehand, one day after the invasion started).

By the way: Vietnam was even more of a small country and USA was even more of a superpower. Same for Afghanistan, Somalia, etc. While Ukraine is not fighting an asymetric war like the above mentioned, we may as well are currently witnessing just another approach to this, one that seems to work: Be defensive, focus on resisting in big population centers in order to avoid Blitzkrieg (as if russia didnt already learn this lesson some 80y ago). Iow: bog down your enemy in order to fight his (and his populations ) morale, since you know your own morale "supply" is higher. Refuse open battle. Go after logistics (amateurs talk tactics, pros are talking logistics), ammo dumps etc.
AND
We may just simply found out that the russian army is much less of a fighting force a (military) superpower wants to have than we thought and ignoramuses like IA still think. The over emphasis of artillery, lack of manpower, terrible morale, corruption and incompetent leadership, all of this (and more) does not indicate to me anyone should shit his proverbial pants too much when Putin is posing.
After all it wasnt much different in 09/1939 and 05/1941 (there you go, Godwins law again). Everybody shit his pants just because Adolf was shouting, when they shouldnt.

IA is so full of shit, on every scale, from every single conceivable angle 

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

What’s intriguing about this conflict is that Ukraine doesn’t have to win the battles to win the war - the longer it goes on, the worse it’s going to get for Russia.

Regarding specious comments made about the peace proposals: why in the world would Ukraine agree to cede territory to end the war? Russia didn’t stop at Crimea, what makes anyone think they’ll stop at the Donbas? Or eastern Ukraine? Or Poland? Or the Baltic states?

 Putin has made it very clear that he feels Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign state. While the thousands of dead Ukrainians can certainly be viewed as tragic, the hundreds of thousands of ethically cleansed Ukrainians and millions of enslaved Ukrainians would be even more so.

It always makes more sense to give the bully a broken nose that to keep giving him your lunch money.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

 Putin has made it very clear that he feels Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign state. While the thousands of dead Ukrainians can certainly be viewed as tragic, the hundreds of thousands of ethically cleansed Ukrainians and millions of enslaved Ukrainians would be even more so.

It always makes more sense to give the bully a broken nose that to keep giving him your lunch money.

Boru

There's no "would be" here..either.  Russian filtration camps are hard at work doing exactly that in all occupied territories - have been for years. Ukraine has a simpler and more accurate description of what they're up to. Kidnapping.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

 Putin has made it very clear that he feels Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign state. While the thousands of dead Ukrainians can certainly be viewed as tragic, the hundreds of thousands of ethically cleansed Ukrainians and millions of enslaved Ukrainians would be even more so.

It always makes more sense to give the bully a broken nose that to keep giving him your lunch money.

Boru

There's no "would be" here..either.  Russian filtration camps are hard at work doing exactly that in all occupied territories - have been for years.  Ukraine has a simpler and more accurate description of what they're up to.  Kidnapping.

Granted, but it’s an issue of scale.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

True, they've only managed to forcibly relocate a million or so people thusfar. There's still room for it to be worse.

[The Architect Of Fate]

And the bit of sanctions really begin 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...port-warns

[pocaracas]

What’s intriguing about this conflict is that Ukraine doesn’t have to win the battles to win the war - the longer it goes on, the worse it’s going to get for Russia.

... for everyone.

Regarding specious comments made about the peace proposals: why in the world would Ukraine agree to cede territory to end the war?

Precisely.... to end the war.

Russia didn’t stop at Crimea, what makes anyone think they’ll stop at the Donbas? Or eastern Ukraine? Or Poland? Or the Baltic states?

That would have to be agreed at the same time and any failure by Russia to abide by that deal, would result in some greater action by NATO. Hopefully, other large nations would also commit to keeping Russia in check.

 Putin has made it very clear that he feels Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign state.

That is probably propaganda to keep their morale up and instill fear in Ukrainian forces, don't you think?

It always makes more sense to give the bully a broken nose that to keep giving him your lunch money.

What if the bully then breaks your bones?



I think that, if we are to ever see this war to end, some concessions must be given on both sides.
Russia claims to want their Russian speaking peoples in Donbas and Crimea to not be under the yoke of a western leaning government, along with wanting a buffer nation between it and NATO. Belarus is one and Ukraine should be the other.
From my point of view, this war is the wrong way to accomplipshing either of these goals, but what do I know?

- Concerning the Russian speaking people, simply giving them a Russian passport, housing and jobs in present day (ahem, 2021) Russia would have been far far cheaper in both currency and human life.
- Concerning the buffer to NATO, Russia would just need to be a friendly nation towards Ukraine... and the Oligarch-based society should have appealed to the Ukrainian Oligarchy, but maybe the greater market of the EU appealed more to them... I don't know. Either way, the Russian way of doing things was clearly steering Ukraine away from them, hinting that they were doing things the wrong way. And so, like children, Putin&co. resort to violence.


To end the war, Russia would give Ukraine some peace; Ukraine would give Russia some land.
The western world could ease back on some sanctions, but I think they should mostly be kept - it's that bloody nose you talked about.
Yes, Europe will suffer a bit with the lack of gas for a while, but that will provide a good incentive to invest in renewables/nuclear and further independence from the very geographically localized fossil fuels and the dodgy regimes that control them around the world (yes, this includes the US).
China and India would rub their hands in glee as they get cheaper oil and gas from Russia that they can't sell to Europe... but that's going to happen even if the war goes on indefinitely.

[The Grand Nudger]

I've got a better idea. Russia can have some land wherever you're from.

[The Architect Of Fate]

I have a better idea. Russia gets nothing and is forced to pay Ukraine damages for the war they started.

[The Architect Of Fate]

All this nonsense that Ukraine needs to appease Russia in any way shape or form is utter bullshit.....