Anyway, with all this talk of Russia turning the tide they've just taken a city for the first time in what, 18 months, and lost 30,000 men and 2,000 tanks/vehicles doing it. Let's not pretend that they're about to blitzkrieg through the rest of Ukraine.
You are suggesting you have some knowledge on how war works - I’m sorry but given most soldiers are on the battlefield at a younger age than you - when at a top 10 university - needed guidance from your father how to vote - it makes you look a bit silly doesn’t it?
Opening lyrics to WAP?You're an absolute freak. A total creep.
Opening lyrics to WAP?
Opening lyrics to WAP?
Btw , some of us stated very early on this was a war Ukraine could never win .
And they still cannot win
I mean, if you want my considered viewpoint I’d say it depends what you think the aims of the sanctions were. If the aim was to crash the Russian economy and/or effect regime change then they have clearly been unsuccessful. I assume you’d have been extremely opposed to those aims, which is just as well, as it doesn’t appear to have really been the end goal - instead, in terms of slowing down the Russian war effort, isolating Russia on the international stage, and damaging the long-term prospects of the Russian economy to the extent that future Russian expansionism becomes more difficult, they seem to have been relatively successful, if obviously not a knockout. Russia’s near-term GDP prospects are good, thanks to their reserves and the mobilisation of the military industry, but the makeup of their economy looks a lot less sustainable now than it did in 2021, with reserves ticking down, young educated people either leaving the country or going to the frontlines, and their biggest trade partners pivoting more quickly away from fossil fuels. The currency has devalued, infrastructure has suffered, foreign investment has become exponentially more difficult. Ordinary Russians have largely been unaffected (again, I assume you approve of this), and the immediate growth prospects are good, but the difficulties may have been enough to both slow down/interrupt the invasion of Ukraine, and make any future invasions less desirable. The cost borne by ordinary Europeans especially has been horrendous, so you can make a case that the exercise wasn’t worth it (especially if you don’t believe Putin poses a threat to any capitals west of Kyiv). But in such a febrile environment and wild fears of a potent Russian army (some military experts predicted it could take the whole country within two days), a scenario without sanctions may well have ended up with Putin having too much momentum, land and financial power to let Europe feel truly secure, so they decided that was a price worth paying.How effective have those sanctions been in your considered viewpoint
Yeah, but I think we can take that with a pinch of salt. I don't think that is ever going to happen.I see that Zelensky has said there can be no ceasefire until Russia is out of Crimea.
I think he’s out of his depth at this point.You've got to announce the ideal to allow space for the compromise
Yeah, but I think we can take that with a pinch of salt. I don't think that is ever going to happen.
I did think they could take back some of the Donbas, but the Crimea was always a bridge (no pun intended) too far.Russia aren’t going anywhere. The areas they are in control of our now a total wasteland - Russia will only rebuild if they own these territories - it’s clear it’s beyond hope for Ukraine now to achieve their aims (it was never possible) and now it’s time to concede and negotiate
Russian officials refuse to let Navalny's mother see her sons body.
I hope Putin dies a horrible, horrible death.
Emotional irrelevance
Russian officials refuse to let Navalny's mother see her sons body.
I hope Putin dies a horrible, horrible death.
Probably doing her a favour given the likely radioactivity of the body.
If you say so.
Eliminating your enemies is hardly a new thing is it. I remember the death of Georgi Markov. There is something curiously quaint about it in a way. So John Le Carre.
How do you envisage Ukraine winning the war, then? Presumably you're in favour of Western troops joining the fight?So it seems increasingly likely that Ukraine will be at least partly absorbed into Russia at some point. Hopefully the people here who don’t see that as a problem are right and that they don’t voice concerns about any American land grabs in the future.
So it seems increasingly likely that Ukraine will be at least partly absorbed into Russia at some point. Hopefully the people here who don’t see that as a problem are right and that they don’t voice concerns about any American land grabs in the future.
How do you envisage Ukraine winning the war, then? Presumably you're in favour of Western troops joining the fight?
It would need a huge tilting of the scales for sure. I just think it’s a really, really shit state of affairs that we’re going to just write away another country’s right to exist in order to appease a madman.How do you envisage Ukraine winning the war, then? Presumably you're in favour of Western troops joining the fight?
I imagine the failed counter-offensive means that there's scepticism amongst Western countries, even if it's not publicly said. Billions of dollars was put towards weapons for it and it achieved next to nothing; it was supposed to have been the turning point in the war.Just stopping fucking about and providing enough weapons would be a start. And for the millionth time it’s about making Ukraine strong enough to enter a negotiation without losing their entire country. As well as, you know, decimating a belligerent world powers military using what we’ve got down the back of the sofa.
And there’s a good argument “Western” troops have been in a fight since day one.
It would need a huge tilting of the scales for sure. I just think it’s a really, really shit state of affairs that we’re going to just write away another country’s right to exist in order to appease a madman.
How did it turn out in the late 30s?
I imagine the failed counter-offensive means that there's scepticism amongst Western countries, even if it's not publicly said. Billions of dollars was put towards weapons for it and it achieved next to nothing; it was supposed to have been the turning point in the war.
If Joe Biden were comparable to Joe Stalin you’d have a pointWe sided with a madman who was as bad as Hitler
If Joe Biden were comparable to Joe Stalin you’d have a point
Unless he's a big Stalin fan of courseThis may be the first time I’ve seen you say something nice about Biden, knew you’d come round.
Where am I?This may be the first time I’ve seen you say something nice about Biden, knew you’d come round.
If Joe Biden were comparable to Joe Stalin you’d have a point
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