Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

My point would be that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia makes things much, much worse for pro-Russian people and Russian separatists. They will have to live for decades with the knowledge that they backed a fascist invasion of Ukraine. Life can never be 'normal' for them, they will be living with the consequences of 2022 long after Putin is dead (witness what happened to the people of Sudetenland after WW2...throwing their weight behind Hitler and wishing to live under his rule turned out to be an utter catastrophe for them).

See? No favouritism.

Don't know why you're complaining.

It would be interesting to see support for joining/staying with Russia in Dombas and Crimea when they see billions in western aid pouring in to rebuild Ukraine and they could be part of a crippled Russian federation which neglected its outer regions even when it was relatively prosperous.

Much larger, and much more significant than the Balkans.

Not quite as large as the edgy contrarian attempts in this thread though.

A lot of stuff is news to you. Russia barred the OCSE from entering Crimea. The OSCE were invited to Ukraine, and they went to Ukraine.

No contradictions there.

Larger.

Every petty pedantic inch, it's incredible.

A very sure sign that Russia is having serious tank resupply issues, T64's spotted again

Another one indeed.

More power to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Alas, it won't be enough to deter the murderous russian war on civilians in Ukraine.

An opinion piece in The Observer yesterday was very hard-hitting about the mediocre Western support for Ukraine, essentially saying that the west is "hoping for some form of shabby compromise..." allowing Putin "to accept territory and immunity in return for halting the horror".

This could well be the hideous outcome of the terrible war, as others in the thread have forecast.

Looking at the map of Ukraine which are now under russian military occupation, it is hard to see them giving up this land grab. A bit pessimistic I know, but the omens are not good.

STOP. These are all LIES. At this stage, I will report you again for support of illegal annexation and denial of facts.

Russia militarily occupied Crimea using soldiers without insignia and then collaborators organised "a referendum".

Using military units without insignia (especially when operating on a foreign territory) is banned by the Geneva Convention, by the way.

To make it look valid the Kremlin paid about 50 lunatics from Europe to act as "International observers". They were simply paid for acting just like you would pay the crowd in a film. They were no observers, specialists, experts, reputed or genuine representatives of the countries. They were all fringe irrelevant "politicians" from various extremists, fascist, authoritarian or populist movements/parties.

"Fake referendum at a gunpoint" is the most accurate description of this situation. It's as valid as a referendum staged by Mugabe, Hitler or other tinpot dictator.

You're talking nonsense and everyone knows it.

I'm sorry but that's ridiculous.

That's why I asked here if someone at least has been to Ukraine: there are no such road signs in Ukraine!

This is also ridiculous how you freely believe that the Russian army is poor and doesn't have a military. Just to be fair: the Russian military is the most modern in the world at the moment. Putin invested 2 trillion dollars in the Russian military in just recent times!

How do you imagine they could stand for so long if the West sends tons of weapons to Ukraine? Just because Russians are so smart and they're managing to stand with old tanks and weapons?..

It's funny already, isn't it?

So how in the world do you trust all these sources?!

Check all the sources before you trust them!

Yep, China is going to be the winner here.

Unless Russia is totally defeated and/or launches a nuclear/chemical warfare then China ends up with a vassal that it can internationally defend and support publicly (by lying if course).

Chinese cultural and economic influence will increase significantly in Siberian Russia. Lots of cheap resources available. They will build additional infrastructure to ship them as they do in East/South East Asia and East Africa. Siberian Russia becomes a Chinese puppet colony.