I cannot remember where I read/heard but I think Russia withdrew from something excluding them from trails in The Hague, so if we see trials it will be the 'show' trials your speaking of to generate positive press.
I think a saw a headline somewhere where govt officials were speculating that regardless Ukraine will loose some of their country if the war is to stop, Russia will never just back out and concede defeat it would totally destroy any of their reputation as a super power. \
But I would agree they have to decide something soon, I would hope this conflict doesn't last until the end of the year. The global stress it is causing will get worse. Nevermind the loss of life on both sides. All I have to say is that the military planners for Russia definitely did not do their jobs 😉 Russia after the first week must have thought shit this is bad but we are committed we cannot stop now. And that is definitely where they are at, saving face now.
They say getting rid of Putin might not change anything as the ideology run pretty deep in the Kremlin, but even if he did disappear into a sanatorium, it might not change much.
I get the feeling that we might end up with some sort of DMZ like Korea and if that happens then we maybe in for a bigger war in about 10 to 15 years. When the Russians have rebuilt their military and reorganised their economy.
Getting rid of Putin would be a bad idea. His two most likely successors are a hothead and a hardliner. This may be a case of better to deal with the devil you know.
Getting rid of Putin would be a bad idea. His two most likely successors are a hothead and a hardliner. This may be a case of better to deal with the devil you know.
I agree with this thought, as it is right now its better to deal with someone we think is predictable.... thats why countries of the world kinda didn't mess with Trump much because he wasn't really expected to win and he was never a politician so he was a unknown to all the country leaders so no one tested him... So I think changing leaders at this point during a war might be a bad thing. I think if Putin really was 'crazy' that the leadership would overthrow him if they thought their country was in danger.
There is differences between threats and actions.... NK has been threatening world destruction for decades now 😉
What is concerning is Russia is advancing further and slowly taken more ground.
Perhaps... perhaps not. A hardliner with a dose of pragmatism might be preferable.
But I'm no expert, when it comes to geopolitical stuff, warfare, and diplomacy.
Cody, I wouldn't call myself an expert, but a hardliner with a dose of pragmatism? My friend, based on whose reality? Putin believes he is being pragmatic, and from his point of view, he is, from ours he is not. His likely successors don't understand why Russia is still only using a portion of their peace time army and why they are using a kid-gloves approach, their pragmatism in other words is to hit Ukraine harder and be done with it.
Also keep in mind we get the media version of events, our own DoD has a far different assessment of that entire situation , and that assessment is not for public dissemination.
I agree with this thought, as it is right now its better to deal with someone we think is predictable.... thats why countries of the world kinda didn't mess with Trump much because he wasn't really expected to win and he was never a politician so he was a unknown to all the country leaders so no one tested him... So I think changing leaders at this point during a war might be a bad thing. I think if Putin really was 'crazy' that the leadership would overthrow him if they thought their country was in danger.
There is differences between threats and actions.... NK has been threatening world destruction for decades now
What is concerning is Russia is advancing further and slowly taken more ground.
Yes D1, Trump was hard to figure out and too many thought that his TV persona was what he was really about. Trump, in a board meeting behind closed doors, is far more eloquent, serious, and soft spoken than most imagine. I followed his campaign as I had met him in the 80s, do you know when I realized he had a chance to win? As soon as I saw him wearing a suit with that dopey red baseball cap, I knew he had just picked up millions of votes without saying a word. For all his faults, the man is not stupid.
Russia advancing was inevitable imo, had our own media here been a bit more straightforward about reporting events there, then it would have been expected by a lot of people.
I have some people close to me in occupied Ukraine, at least they let me know that the Russians aren't acting like Orcs to the civilians, quite the opposite. This is good on a personal level as I worry about them, but the bad part is that it makes it obvious that Russia isn't planning on giving up any territory they hold.
This needs to end quickly, it would be better for all concerned and the world in general.
This needs to end quickly, it would be better for all concerned and the world in general.
100%
World economies are going to shit and everyone that is not rich is suffering. You might be right about expecting something to happen in the world in general this is really the longest period in the last 100+ yrs that we haven't had a world war. I know the govts of the world are trying to press everyone into one because it will provide a escape plan for all the govt failed policies that have trashed our countries in general.
I do hope that the conflict stops soon and people can start to rebuild their lives.
A shocking stat I read just the other day that surprised me was that 66% of small businesses that were around in 2019 are no longer in business today. That is huge issue, I mean govts just basically wiped out the middle class.... war, resource and food shortages will only make this worse if this continues.
I try to not go the conspiracy route most of the time.... but there is just too many things going wrong at the same time to be a fluke?
Yes D1, we in the west are getting hit real hard. Covid (and the policies to deal with it),disrupted supply chains word-wide. Our own Gov't printing cash like mad stoked inflation, and now this.
The middle class was vibrant when I was a kid, with 9 out of 10 jobs paying enough to allow a single earner household, that's reversed now. Small business...man I know what you mean and it's happening in Europe as well.
I try to not go the conspiracy route most of the time.... but there is just too many things going wrong at the same time to be a fluke?
Yeah...I try not to go that route myself, but it's hard to believe that our Governments and administrations are this clueless by accident, you know what they say...Sometimes the difference between a conspiracy theory and a conspiracy is about six months time.
All I can say, to all of you, is be prepared for the fall, I think by then we may be in full blown economic crisis. I hope not, but better to be cautious than caught un-prepared.
Russia advancing was inevitable imo, had our own media here been a bit more straightforward about reporting events there, then it would have been expected by a lot of people.
Granted a lot of the Western media has been doing a lot of screaming, first month it was refugees and dead kiddies, second month it was war crimes and third month, the food crisis.
Every time Putin mentions nukes or another country they seem to think he going to start world war 3 or invade some where else.
But at the end of the day what ever Victory Putin claims it's going to be a pyrrhic victory, then you add in the huge strategic blunder and the economic impact on the Russian economy and it all adds upto one of the greatest missteps in history.
But at the end of the day what ever Victory Putin claims it's going to be a pyrrhic victory, then you add in the huge strategic blunder and the economic impact on the Russian economy and it all adds upto one of the greatest missteps in history.
I don't know my friend, we're feeling the economic impact as well while the Ruble is the best performing currency of the year, I think more thought should have gone into our economic response so as to damage them and not us. I do agree it was a misstep, but perhaps for different reasons. I think his side could have gained more by doing nothing, just waiting.
If Ukraine reconciled with the east, great, if Ukraine invaded then he could have responded without looking like the clear cut aggressor. Of course I have the luxury of being a Monday morning quarterback in all things.
Could very well come down to the economics and who blinks first, we have some cracks appearing in Europe with the Germans, French and Italians, talking about peace negotiations.
And as the French and Germans maybe in Kiev later this week we will see what they have to say for themselves, and in the light of Putin, Peter the Great comments.
We are definitely going to see in the next few months as winter gets closer and closer .... from what I have read most of europe gets Natural Gas from Russia directly via pipeline and until europe either has alternative methods or the war calms Russia technically has europe by the balls when it comes to energy in some fashion.... is europe crippled no but the financial impact on the citizens will be huge if this isn't resolved soon.
Like in the states paying $600 for 100gal of heating oil hurts a little especially last year I was paying $245 for the same amount.... and our govt just doesn't care they could let the oil companies pump oil but they don't let them go crazy...
Sometimes I think our govts are purposely causing this pain on the populous just to get us to break and agree with any policies they have just to make the financial pain stop. Until I did some reading I didn't have much insight as to what Ukraine and Russia provide to the world.... with our govts knowing what they provide to the world... why aren't they better planned for the situation I mean this is why we vote for them for them to have our best interests in mind right? 😉
Then we have Lithuania holding their ground against Russia and not allowing them to use their country or airspace to get to Kaliningrad... going to be a interesting summer... but like I mentioned I hope this ends soon because the winter months will be brutal for millions of people if this supplychain and energy resources are not addressed soon.
Yup the Germans and the rest of them were told not to relay on a flaky Russian pipe line but they took no notice, Merkel seem to think she had the measure of Putin.
Not much the Russians can do about Kaliningrad, most of the noise coming from them about it seems to be directed at their domestic audience.
I laughed when I read this... the only thing this general has been ordering around is the waiters at the all your can eat buffet table.... 😉 President Putin must not like him because he is a big target for the Ukrainian Snipers hahaha
I laughed when I read this... the only thing this general has been ordering around is the waiters at the all your can eat buffet table.... 😉 President Putin must not like him because he is a big target for the Ukrainian Snipers hahaha
Looks like NATO is gearing up. Can't help but wonder what would be happening if Trump was still POTUS.
I don't think Putin would have went into Ukraine if Trump was in office now, like I mentioned before Trump is not predictable .... Putin knew full well that Biden doesn't have the fortitude for this. China, Russia and NK all were not really an issue during 4yrs of Trump.... Do I think Trump will get elected again... not sure...? the FL governor if he runs he will be a strong candidate and the press has beating Trump up in the news a lot lately.
But I have read that there is now over 100k troops in Europe, which personally is more than enough to handle a war with Russia (that don't involve Nukes) after what I have read and observed in the news there is no way Russia could fight NATO alone. This is all politics.... I doubt highly we will go to war... not when the govts can use this event to reset our economic system that is failing and strip all the wealth from the people 😉
NATO have gone from 40,000 to 300,000 troops on their response force, it will give the Russian a real problem as their will have to keep a similar size force on their western border.
