Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Yep, the Nuclear scenario is a case of not being able to be a little-bit-pregnant. It changes everything, forever. Therfore, any current powerful "friends" of Russia would absolutely not support it, or have anything to gain.

Although the prospect is terrifying, I believe thankfully it's unlikely to happen.

They don't need to take back Crimea, all they need to take is Nova Kakhovka where the Crimea Canal joins the Dnieper. That will curtail any development of the peninsula. I don't understand why the Kherson Bridge design didn't include a big f off water pipe from the Krasnodar side. The Russians do know how to pipe stuff in fairness to them.

It is possible to agree with a person on some things and deeply disagree with them on others. Chomsky taking this stance shouldn't necessarily invalidate every single thing he's ever said in the eyes of anyone in particular. I think you have to assess each thing individually.

Anyway, Crimea being off the table is realistically true and maybe something could be worked out with the Donbas. The thing that Chomsky seems to be missing or downplaying is that Russia isn't for listening at the moment, and if you offered a deal in the Donbas, Russia (or Putin, more specifically) would take it as a sign that more can be taken; that Ukraine is weak and getting weaker. It's also ignoring that weaker sides in a conflict can get to a favourable negotiated peace after a period of protracted conflict, for such reasons as the conflict becoming politically and financially damaging to the larger side. We saw this with the USA in Vietnam and we saw it with the USSR in Afghanistan, for example. In both cases, the invaders had enough raw firepower to leave each country as a lifeless desert if they so chose to deploy it, but they did not deploy it, probably because doing so comes with a lot of potential global ramifications. And referring to the hurricane analogy, the Ukrainians built shelters, got supplied and are weathering the storm.

I don't think Ukraine getting Crimea back is realistic at all, and ide say the Ukrainian side well know this, but as pointed out above they are not going to admit that point yet.

Their is a long way to go on peace negotiations and Russia will need to be given a far more bloody nose than has been inflicted on them so far to bring any serious negotiations out of them.

IMO The main crux is going to be the Donbass region and I think its going to be a mess what ever gets agreed, if agreement does happen.

Used to be a fan and have read his books, but tired of defending him over the years, ultimately he's a far-left broken clock stuck in 2003 far from reality, just an articulate one. Reading an interview from 2 days ago, it's obvious he trusts the Putin administration more than the Ukrainian one. He's just a calmer version of George Galloway.

Why would we assume that 'Putin's death or removal' suddenly fixes everything? The most likely successor would also come from inside the power vertical and be of a similar mindset.

I'm reading some interesting discussions of hundreds of Russian officers and soldiers in Ukraine simply resigning their posts and asking to be returned home - and there is not a damned thing the authorities can do about it. The country claims not to be at war, there is no martial law back in Russia or any type of emergency legislation in place. Therefore the men can resign quite legally and there is nothing the army can do about it.

Some booby traps found in Ukraine.

Also pictured in the thread is this one which people are questioning it's viability.

A grenade in a glass in a press. (cabinet)

There is also A reply in thread says

"When I did my military service, we were still trained in setting up such booby traps (and, of course in finding and disarming them).

Today, the German #Bundeswehr doesn't do that any more. It is prohibited by the Ottawa Treaty of 1997" .

So silly question does that mean they don't train to disarm now?

Probably not what you are looking for but the best source I have found is the Ukraine armed forces own telegram channel. Lots of detail on far more things than are picked up by normal media, such as the large problem they are having with criminal gangs, secret infiltration groups and local officials like mayors, who are all being used to try and find and organise traitors to stab Ukraine in the back and sabotage from within. There's a disturbing amount of that going on.

I wouldn't agree with that at all. If the Ukrainians are forced to keep fighting Russia, they will bleed their military to ruin and taking back all former territories would be a piece of cake compared to what has gone before and their national rage and hatred of Russia would ensure it. The only way for Russia to retain those is to capitulate under the guise of 'peace talks' and have holding onto them a condition - which has to happen right now. If they wait until after the looming great battle in the east has mostly played out, it will be too late. I don't see Putin being smart enough to see that. He's sick and anything but sharp.

Regarding one of the intercepted phone calls that some couldn't believe were real, one investigation discovered and confirmed the identities of the two people in one particular phone call