Ukraine

Russia is governed the way Trump wanted the US to be.

 

Russia is governed the way Trump & the GOP wanted want the US to be and plan to do ASAP

 

This Mariupol situation is beyond horrific. Everyone knows you cannot trust putin but this situation has to be made peaceful soon or the body count is going to get genocidal.

 

How do you do that without going in with force and kicking Putin out?????

I mean - if we aren't doing that, it is going to be years.

DD

 

I have no idea but I bet the military loses are enough where Putin would take an out if given one. Putin is piling up bodies as punishment for military loses. That isn't a good trade. The blockade for weapons and support will starve an entire city to death.

 

I would like to think that he would take an out. I have never seen anything from Putin ever that indicates that he would.

 

This. You basically have to keep beating this MF until he goes away. Easy for me to say but I don't think the Ukrainians feel too much differently despite the horror

 

I don't think we can expect Putin to take an easy out and it's clear that this war isn't going to end soon. For the Ukrainians I fully understand why they keep on fighting and don't expect Putin to take a way out. The problem though is that while the Ukrainians have made fought much better than most expected the odds still are against them. The Russia military although they are proving inept are still largely numerically superior and if determined can keep on throwing in troops, tanks and planes into the conflict. The Ukrainians can't and one bad battle for the Ukrainians could cripple their ability to sustain resistance to Russia.

At the moment while Russia has been beaten back in several places and taken severe losses their will hasn't been broken and they are still willing to commit big resources to the war. Even with lots of aid it's unclear how long Ukraine can continue to fight.

The challenge for Zelensky isn't whether Putin takes an off out but is there a point that Ukraine has to take an out and agree to terms that aren't favorable but at least preserve much of Ukraine.

 

I think that we need to start increasing funding, supplying, and encouraging separatists from other areas in Russia. Force Russia to further dilute their forces and resources.

That will help the Ukrainians and also motivate Russia to reassess their priorities. It will also more stress between Putin and the Oligarchs that have supported him.

The other aspect is that it is a proactive move. Simply reacting should not be the only strategy.

 

Send weapons to Georgia?

DD

 

To groups in Georgia among others.

 

So start arming Finland, Sweden, Estonia etc.....any former Soviet block with a democratically elected government.

ironically Belurus has an elected government in exile I believe.

DD

 

Zelensky will eventually have to make concessions so Putin can declare victory.

Putin only cares about Putin - a million Russians can die and he will not budge in getting some kind of victory. He'll keep attacking and bombarding to the end until Ukraine finally tires and gives in. There is no amount of loss of life on either side that will change his mind. No amount of sanctions or suffering on either side.

 

Nobody should care what Putin thinks. This war only ends with his death. Period.

 

Unfortunately here in the US the current GOP presidential frontrunner does very much care and values what Putin thinks/wants.