Russia - threadbanned users in OP

UN coming around and speaking out slowly

Yes, it does put things in proper perspective. Under the circumstances in the former YU, ( and similar situations world wide) you focus on now, today,. You do not have the luxury or the time for worrying about something that might happen tomorrow or not, never mind at some vague time in the future. The life was for living and that meant NOW! because your Life could be changed a minute or two later. Biggest joke back then? Talking to a colleague, Hey, you know that smoking kills, and so does Slivovitz? You should give them up for your health's sake!!! And then listen to the peals of laughter !!! And be offered both!. LOL.

I think it is the other guys who strike at civilian targets when foreign dignitaries are visiting.

Ukraine claiming 2 Russia helicopters shot down in one engagement

Yes I know, hardly a boycott, I made the post after reading this on RT:

"Of the 49 African governments, 17 will be represented by heads of state. Five are sending their vice presidents, four will be represented by heads of government, and one by a head of parliament, Ushakov explained.

Another 17 countries will be represented by deputy prime ministers or foreign ministers, and five by ambassadors.

Putin will address the morning session of 17 heads of state, and is expected to announce several Russian initiatives to help Africa with “sovereign development,” including access to food, fertilizers, modern technologies and energy, the aide said. "

Reports of a big push by the UAF this morning

According to Bakhmut Demon.

"Still not sure what the end game is going to be, I cant see any scenario where Ukraine reclaims large amounts of its territory back at this stage. I still think negotiations at some stage may have to be a consideration for Ukraine, not sue what alternative their is now apart from a war that may drag on for years."

But this is hardly a new opinion from you? Unless I'm mistaken, is this not the same drum that you've been beating for a while?

Whats new here?

Because whatever about a war of stalemate a Russian victory is a catastrophe for the West. They are not going to back out now.

I said this a few times, Russia has lost this war, but it remains in the air if Ukraine can win it. So far it looks like a stalemate, but who knows what will happen in the next 6 months.

Putin needs to get out of this war, with something that 'looks' like a victory, otherwise, his head is on a pike. The Russian elites know that the war is not going well and that they won't be able to win an outright victory. But they are more afraid of Russia without Putin at the moment.

But the west is backing out, otherwise they would be supplying far more advanced and longer range weapons, along with the f16s a long time ago.

A Russian victory is subjective. At the start of the war a Russian victory might have been the complete surrender of Ukraine.

If their was to be negotiations and it led to similar to pre invasion status being resumed that would be far from any victory for Russia, no matter how anyone trys to paint it.

But it would take negotiations for this to happen. People who say only a Ukrainian victory and retaking Crimea is the only option are living under some delusion that this is a remote possibility.

Backing out implies the west have stopped giving Ukraine weapons though. In fact it you look month to month you can see a trend:

Those listed are just new announcements for a new weapon system. Each month Ukraine receives more stingers/HIMARS rockets/shells etc... But goes under the radar as it's not new announcements.

I'm baffled how you can claim the west is backing out.

Are you seriously suggesting that Ukraine should settle after this most egregious devastation visited upon their country for the situation of 2021 and give up the Donbas etc?

You do understand the concept of events & blood sacrifice I trust. Russia lost this war last year, the question is how long will it take till they accept this and retreat from the occupied territories. They will have to pay massive reparations and hand over officials and military wanted for war crimes. How the Russian people deal with this up to them.

Because Ukraine does have 300 F-35's and 200 F-22's in the air right this minute, or something.

If you told someone a year ago that Ukraine would be getting Western tanks, IFVs and F-16s by the end of 2023, you would be laughed at. Not laughing now.

Nah it's not backing out. It's just entering slowly. A year and a half ago Himars and western artillery was off the table. Then they got it. Then modern air defense, they got those now. Then western tanks were off the table. Then they got them. Then long range missiles. Now they have Storm shadow/SCALP. Then hundreds of thousands of Cluster shells. Now F16s and ATACMS are off the table...... want to guess what the end result will be here? Its a shame how slowly its happening. And it's costing Ukranian lives while the bureaucracy catches up but ostensibly the west is not "backing out".

Haha. A subjective Russian victory? Might wanna have a word with Putin there so chap. Because he'd disagree with you. Putin may have had dreams of running over all Ukraine and failed but he hasn't been wishy washy about what he wants since then. He's annexed Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia by Russian law. Noone of which he completely controls. And neither is he ever likely to. So by his own lines on the map hes failed.

Right so we give over the territories that were stolen and we're right back to pre Feb 2022. Minus a few more chunks of Ukraine and still having to deal with a belligerent imperial Russia who's motives still extend to taking over Ukraine(and probably the Baltics) and further to that with aims of setting up a new competing world order in which democracy and freedom of speech are secondary concerns. You see this as a positive?

Care to flesh out that thought a bit? Or should we just take your word for it yeah?

They could do more, there's definitely an argument to be made in that respect. However Europe, as a whole, has done better than I expected, Germany has gone from reluctantly sending a few helmets, to sending Leopard tanks. The US equipment under Biden can't be faulted much. It also takes a long time to prep equipment, get it transported, train Ukrainians, etc. In that respect they've also been relatively speedy.

Putin's nuclear weapons are the only thing keeping him in the game, if he didn't have those his army would have been crushed by a NATO force in weeks.