Russia - threadbanned users in OP

More cracks appearing daily. Putin and co purging generals after the Prigozhin scare.

On the whole 'Western support may crumble' theme, I offer one word in rebuttal: Italy.

If any country was going to pull back in support, it was this one when the rightist Meloni government, many of whom have longstanding pro-Russian ties, took power.

Instead the opposite happened.

Russian ammo burns

I hope so, and what gives me hope is that I can't remember a war that was won by an army in as much of a mess with regard to motivation, training, logisitics and unity of command as is the case with the Russians.

Hungary are also buying two nuclear reactors from Rosatom, so they'll be staying in the cheap Russian energy boat for a long time, even when the rest of Europe decided it's not a good idea. That's one of the reasons Orban wants to appease Putin.

But it's true - all the talk of negotiations is just Russian propaganda. Russia would love a ceasefire in order to build up their troops and have another go after that. All this talk of "sparing Ukrainian lives and ending suffering" is lies - Ukraine will suffer a lot more if they are forced into "negotiations" with Russia. And everyone knows this, it's just that some people lie about it.

So who foots the bill when the war eventually ends?

Can't see Russia paying reparations so will it end up being the EU paying to rebuild Ukraine?

I wonder what the capacity for Russian mine production is. The production of mines itself seems to be the only limiting factor in the Russians continuing to mine rear areas should they need to retreat.

I never said that. I repeat, it would not have been anyone's choice, it would be by default. This is a fact. You can deny gravity all you like.

Euro federalists don't like reality as it gets in the way of their delusions.

And it may still happen. We are dependent on British good faith ultimately.

Leaving the EU can't happen "by default" - a decision has to be made to do so. Look at what was involved with getting the UK out, and they were hell-bent on it. I don't believe you analyse these things at all, I think your positions are contrarian for the sake of it, and when confronted with awkward facts, instead of revising you double down. So far you appear to have a "reverse-Cassandra effect" - whatever you predict, it's probably a good idea for someone to log on to Paddy Power and put their money on the opposite.

Russian oligarch money is set aside for rebuilding and funding the war.

He's an absolute fucken idiot. A budget Michael Clarke. Who's just brought on to state the obvious. Which he's fine at doing. Unfortunately when he starts giving his own opinion on the issue its patently clear how little he really understands.