Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

If you want to change public opinion in a particular direction then it is handy to have opposition in that direction. People will naturally go to the middle of any debate with some on either extreme. People will talk about both sides and the natural expectation will be some compromise will win out with people forgetting there may be a few more sides that should be considered.

'Also, seeing one of his long time peers succumb to Covid probably won't do Putin's paranoia about the virus much good.'

Though I'm not a big believer in polls, since the wording of the questions usually influences the result, the Russian authorities are far more enamoured of 'health' security infrastructure than the Russian people according to the below poll.

As in so many other things, Russia mirrors Ukraine. In both countries only 35-40% of the population have consented to be vaccinated so far. Zelensky is of course a 'health' fanatic and according to some reports wants to amalgamate vaccine passports with other official documents.

We'll give him that. His country is in ruins. But he needs to realise Ireland's army is tiny.

He also needs to acknowledge that the Irish are doing their bit.

What Zelenskiy said today is irrelevant.

He is in the middle of the most stressful period any one person could find themselves. All he sees is a balance sheet of weapons / no weapons. All other considerations are secondary.

Yes Ireland will send aid and take in tens of thousands of refugees, but that's not Zelenskiy's radar and nor should it be right now.

We act with the EU on all matters, we should just keep doing what we're doing and ensure that maximum external pressure is brought to bear on Russia every second of every day, until they implode.

Absolute whataboutery.

They are being invaded and blown to bits, it's his job to keep asking for every type of help and intervention, even if it's a complete stretch or not possible (obviously he knows the limits, e.g. that NATO will never implement a no-fly zone, he has to keep pressing for it), it's important for morale and to keep up the pressure on the international community (who have a habit of losing interest in these things and waning support)

Pressure on the international community is grand but he singled out Ireland for not doing enough.

He said "Ireland, well almost". Not much to go on, but I wouldn't read into it

Which has Britain as one of it's main members, NATO.

I believe what is now evident as everything in a range from demotivation and low morale to desertion, mutiny and murder, will only spread in the Russian forces.

A trooper in a mechanised unit ran over his own Colonel in a tank yesterday in protest. His leg were crushed and he died subsequently.

There are simply not enough troops who believe in Putin's War and they are not trained enough or rewarded enough to fight for him unconditionally. Stories of the levels of death and losses simply cannot be prevented from spreading among the Military and among soldier's families and by consequence, the whole Community back in Russia. State Control of the media and the Internet is useless against that information snowball effect.

Russia may now have new aims, just to secure the northern and Eastern border, but even that is not certain how and the Ukrainians will be emboldened to take back the whole lot now, Crimea, the Donbas, everything. All they need is continued backing of food, fuel and missiles.

Didn't you know they've always been at war with Eastasia?

I think Ukrainian forces are a long way from launching an offensive aiming to retake Crimea. It is arguable whether the same level of international aid and support would be forthcoming for an offensive war to restore pre 2014 borders.