Russia - threadbanned users in OP

The west just needs to ride out the next 9 months, especially the winter. After that each winter will get easier as energy supply chains re-order in the West where Russian energy is ommitted from Western markets.

The west wont make the same mistake twice, so this is really if for Russia. They have one shot at it this winter and I cant see the West giving up the ghost.

@EOQRTL does have a point. The masses fed on the deluge of lies from the Kremlin know no better. They are being emboldened. If Russia is blaming the West for any hardship then that's who they'll blame.

The voices of dissent continue to operate in the shadows of course or flee the country but I'm not seeing a ground swell of dissent yet. I've written off the general populace off as a whole TBH. They will believe what they are told or simply chose to ignore their country's atrocities. Who's taking in the kidnapped children? Are they not asking questions?

A crude example to consider would be the Brits (or insert any other imperialist power from the past). It's well documented the atrocities they inflicted on many native peoples but it was always far enough from their shores to ever result in a national revolt. Did the Germans rise up? People happily consumed the latest daily digest with a paragraph or two of the latest conquest in far flung lands, all for the good of the empire and then went about their own business.

Russia needs to be kicked out of Ukraine and roundly defeated. I care very little for what happens within its own borders at this point. They've brought it on themselves. I would like to see justice served and people like Navalny released but these feelings are very much secondary to my main hope for Ukraine.

Completely different.

The West won the inital war in Afghanistan but the new government lacked the will to fight for it, and keep it, despite all the billions put into it.

Ukraine is totally different. They passed the test so to speak that they are willing to fight for their country. Now they need Western support and arms to finish the job.

Also on the Republican things, that is overblown, as the right in the US will not want to seem weak when it comes to Russia.

Funny how people in Europe were always laughing on Americans, how dumb they are. Until ruSSians came and showed a next level of dumb. Now ruSSians are oficially the dumbest nation on this planet. 🤡

So the pope Said he's saddened by the death of young innocent dugina who's an innocent victim of war .

Jesus Christ what are these idiots smoking

The extraordinary thing is that they mostly want whatever Putin wants. If he had announced at the start of the year that he wanted Russia to join NATO and the European Union, they would have gone along with this too. It's a nation of serfs incapable of thinking for themselves.

It's fine being an autocrat when the economy performs well enough to line the pockets of the chekisty regime but when you can't import important technology to sustain the alleged, but non-existent, catch up to the West, when you burn through all of your foreign currency reserves fighting a war you can't ever win, when you force anyone with talent to leave, when you embarrass the military and intelligence services competence then eventually your hair brained schemes will anger those who can actually enact change in Russia.

Putin's popularity amongst the public is pretty meaningless as they won't be deciding who the next Russian autocrat is. The duma is nothing short of a charade. The public don't get a say. The Eurasian North Korea.

On August 27, military exercises of reservists and conscripts will be held in the Republic of Belarus - Reuters, citing the Ministry of Defense

there is a lot of nonsense bandied around about the war, but now it looks like Belarus ground forces are about to join the Axis effort

It was announced at least 2 years before they actually left that they were planning on leaving, and this was all started during Trumps presidency ( elections looming would have a lot to do with it, I think...the "Bring the US Troops home " platform) And Biden was left holding the can of worms that the actual dynamics of the leaving would bring. And at the time, they had guarantees from the Taliban etc. about peace and security. But no one foresaw the utter collapse of the Afghan govt and defense, and from the security viewpoint the amount of weaponry the Taliban inherited was a colossal mistake. But what could have been done to ease the eventual day of departure? Say they announced 2/3 mths in advance the actual departure date, what would have happened? When the Russians left, the Afghan response was Good Riddance, and don't even think about coming back. With the American departure, most of Afghanistan wanted to leave with them. Sure it was a disaster ( and still unfolding, with Talib hunting down any Afghans who worked with the "foreigners") the sight of poor Afghans falling out of the wheel wells of the departing planes will never be forgotten.