Russia - threadbanned users in OP

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There's been quite a few times over the last 125 years or so you could have said that :)

They do seem to have a high baseline of 'crazy' when it comes to politics.

Sure does now.

"Those whom the gods would destroy.... " and all that.

Didn't Marx also predict they would collapse under the weight of their own contradictions?

Yep, apathetic is the word. I'm surprised the Russian Mammys aren't up in arms. Notwithstanding that women can be cheerleaders at times for war, the hard reality of missing sons & neighbours missing sons, body bags coming back - must be wreaking a toll on them. Putin might yet well fear the Russian Mammys.

I watched a interview with Putin today and he seemed to be hanging onto the table for dear life.

With some of these comments today and the exercises in the black sea i do wonder if he's completely losing his mind.

He is a pathetic old rat ****, his actions and words suggest a man who has lost touch with reality, hopefully not long until he is liquidated, though I would like to see him caged and humiliated.

Why is this still only being discussed?

Vast swathes of the occupied south of Ukraine are almost entirely out of range for Ukraine. As of this moment, Russia has 10x the capability to bomb Odesa than Ukraine has to bomb airfields and ports in Crimea. Planes, drones, helicopters, missiles have continued to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure for months now. Ukraine can only respond with a fraction of what is thrown at it.

The ability to hit the Russian fleet at Sevastopol and the air bases in Crimea would hugely reduce the ability of the Russians to launch drones and missiles in the first place. The obvious solution is to remove the threat at source. The current threat occupies Ukrainian territory - it's fair game.

The whole thing is a joke. The west spent 6 months arguing amongst itself about sending Leopards to Ukraine. Now they are there, no one gives a ****. We're arguing a year about sending ATACMS. I think it will come, eventually. But unfortunately long after it should have. Just like with Leopard, the supposed fear of escalation with the Russians. It will prove to be inconsequential.

What's the delay?

Sending ATACMS is a just response to the Odessa grain facility attach.

Worry here is longer range gives more time to intercept US only has 4k, not making anymore replacing them with PRSM in 2025

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I don't think those who survive WW3 (with nukes) would really care who started it.

I think publicly these counties act like they're terrified of Russia but behind closed doors they're not. Especially America. They conveniently use this narrative as an excuse why they're afraid to support publicly.

But in reality I suspect they drip feed the weapons for two reasons. The main one it prolongs the war. They sacrifice Ukraine to inflict maximum damage on Russia. Cripple them as a threat for decades to come. Maybe even cause a break up of the union although unlikely.

The second is the slower they deliver weapons the longer they have to ramp up production again and train Ukrainians on the equipment.

This podcast episode is very good. But fairly depressing.

"It is vitally important to convince Putin that his regime will not be able to outlast Ukraine and all of its supporters"

The importance of this can't be overstated. Every time someone calls for negotiations, or says it's time for Ukraine to start thinking about trading land for peace, no matter their intentions or their saying they fully support Ukraine, what they are really doing is helping to prolong the war and giving succour to Putin and Russia.

America are the ones keeping Ukraine in the game.

The people who ignore Ukrainian self determination also believe NATO expanded to Russia's borders, while the fact is instead that everyone who joined since the '90s did so willingly and independently.