Wait....it will actually take them that long? The supporting beams must have gotten a really bad whack by that explosion and need to be torn down and set in again. There's also that railbridge that might have melted a bit and needs swapping out.
Oh, that's going to be fun for them to fix. Would be an awful shame if...most of the equipment they needed for that was out of reach due to sanctions...or even blown to bits by long range smart-munitions. Would be a shame....
By July but according to some on here the damage was minimal and the bridge was open again
I don't think either side is coming out of this happy to be fair, its a "least bad" situation that ends it probably. At some point western governments will start to turn off the spigot, likely when UKR has recovered its major cities lost so far but before Crimea i feel.
Russia’s nuclear deterrent has been fairly ineffective, in that the West is going to keep arming Ukraine regardless. If Russia does use nuclear weapons they’ll be comprehensively defeated, they know that.
Putin is 70 and I think he must realise that little is going to come of his imperial ambitions in his lifetime. Mobilisation has been a disaster for him, I think he’ll be really hoping for some kind of peace that he can spin as at least not being a defeat. If he can’t pull back his days are numbered, the war is unwinnable now.
Mayne if he’d just focused on the Donbas he could have succeeded.
I suppose most people are already aware, but the area of Ukraine that Russia currently occupy (>90,000 km2) is larger than the island of Ireland (84,000 km2.)
To refer to it, and all the people that live there, as just "a bit of land" is highly disingenuous.
Moscow orders Crimea bridge repairs to be completed by July 2023
Breaking Putin has signed a decree for the Kerch Bridge to be repaired ASAP
I think Real Donald should go back to his "Slating Landlords" thread and try to take control of their properties ; )
I think if Russia are left with Crimea, and Ukraine holding the territories controlling the water, Crimea loses any claim to resources in its adjacent waters as reparations.
But it will be a bitter pill for Ukraine.
And the white apparently symbolises peace...
Throw in the Six Counties as well - that'll seal the deal and sort out the 'Irish' question once and for all!! Win, win.
Your missing the point, Russia can never be fully defeated unless you are contemplating nuclear wipeout, thus there will never be reparations etc, they will just give the finger from behind their nuclear protected borders.
Russia might just not have a whole load of choice when it comes to an eventual settlement. That's if they keep heading down the road they're set on. Losers take terms and accept them, not set them.
In theory that all sounds good but in the real world thats not going to happen, not a chance any Russian President is going to sign up to that, Putin or otherwise, lets be realistic.
Crimea with water flowing perhaps will be the golden bridge that allows him to say job done. Ukraine wont rest until Mariupol is back in their hands after the Azov defenders stuff of legends. I think once Mariupol and Kherson are back in UKR hands the international pressure to negotiate will be too hard to resist.
Afterwards, support to arm themselves to the teeth and maybe a defensive league of eastern EU states, a mini NATO perhaps, if they are not let into NATO, so the Russian scum cannot come back a few years later will be order of the day.
This inspired me to look up the actual Russian National Anthem in English - spoiler alert, a complete dirge.
I also looked up the meaning of the colours on the Russian flag... the BLUE stands for HONESTY
It was a facetious reply to a ridiculous suggestion, highlighting the simple fact that a "negotiated settlement" is really a code word for Ukrainian capitulation and Russian reward, and turning that on its head. But you knew that.
Musk is talking out of two sides of his mouth..
Musk threatening to pull Starlink out of Ukraine unless the pentagon picks up the bill - company can no longer afford to supply terminals and service to Ukraine free of charge.
Could just be Musk throwing the toys out of the pram after the abuse he got from Ukrainian officials
You assume that they care about any threats to Moscow itself. I'm sure they're on the priority list for Moscow's deepest bunkers.
Im waiting for the fairy dust .....
Im happy you wont be anywhere near a negotiation table
I think the West has slowly learned that. I don't hear many voices calling for talks with him anymore, only the likes of Wallace and Daly would call for an end to sanctions despite the economic pain to Europe, even the nuclear sabre rattling isn't leading to any push to appease Putin. Better late than never, it is now understood that he needs to be stopped, not accommodated.
Railway damaged in Novy Oskol district after missile hit
Anyone who suggests appeasing Putin, really needs to understand that he does not fundamentally respect anyone pushing for peace. It is weakness to him.
He only understands strength. If you give him an sort of appeasement, he will keep pushing. Whether it's now or in a year, it has to be addressed.
"Peace in our time" didn't work the last time and they had punier weapons.
Why would have any expectations that Belarus' military is in better shape than RuSSia's? All they do is suppress protestors, my guess is there's a whole bunch of military kit that's supposed to be in service there that ended up paying for mansions in Italy and yachts. Plus, I think the Belarussians are more savvy to what's going in Ukraine and even less likely to want to go over the border than the RuSSians.
Im pretty sure Russia can covertly move a few nukes around their own country at this stage, might even have a few close to the border since the 2014 invasion just in case
Fake news
While their propagandists should be treated as the jokes they are, I feel the Russian media and their associated political hacks are getting entirely too comfortable threatening the west with Nuclear weapons. Even recently wanting to fire a Sarmat at NATO defence ministers.
They never seem to really discuss the next part of that conversation, which is Moscow being turned to glass should the proceed with that action. I fully expect more of this in the lead up to their nuclear drills in October.
Yes, it is fair, a good start and a good end too.
Personally, I think the fear of a first strike should be instilled in the Russians because I suspect they're spoofing and it might put manners on them either way.
Putin would simply utilise any negotiations to his own advantage, to consider trusting him is laughable.
The worst I will do tomorrow is park illegally, Putin will cause the death, maiming, torturing and rape of countless people. The destruction & homelessness is secondary.
Make no mistake, he WILL be stopped.
I only just learned the Irish version, now I have to learn this:-
Мы споем песню, солдатскую песню
С ликующим, воодушевляющим хором
Как вокруг наших пылающих огней мы толпимся
Звездное небо над нами
С нетерпением жду предстоящего боя
И пока мы ждем утреннего света
Здесь, в ночной тишине
Мы будем петь солдатскую песню
And that's just the first verse, FFS.
I actually think you're right. The peace deal should include (but not be limited to):
In return, Ukraine should:
That sounds like a very fair peace deal to me.
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