Russia - threadbanned users in OP

The lack of them plus the time to do it also even if they have them they need to get them to where the break through happened

The small gains Ukraine have made have come at a horrific cost to them unfortunately.

Gains are not measured in territory alone. The Russians have taken a huge hit.

The King of Sweden indicated he wouldnt be attending if Russia attended.

Agreed, it would take a seismic shift to completely remove support from all of the EU / NATO. But that won’t stop Russia’s supporters from doing what they can to try to frame Ukraine’s efforts failures and their goal as “impossible”. It’s the only hope they believe that they realistically have of turning the tide.

Russia & their fans would be better served contemplating a way to withdraw as soon as they can and wrangle the least punitive deal they can in exchange for being taking back in from the cold by the West. Mucking about with a smattering of old Soviet partners and with tin-pot dictators in The Sahel isn’t going to make up for what they’ve lost. Russia’s only realistic hope is to find a way out of this war with some clothes remaining on their back.

(on the tin pot dictators) I predict it's not going to go well for African countries that look to Russia or Wagner or whatever for help with their security and tell the US/French or the UN etc. to completely clear off.

I wonder if (eventually, over time) jihadis and assorted agents of chaos in some of these countries could be much more than Wagner/rebadged Russian mercenaries can handle - esp. given how busy Russia is right now.

The juntas/rulers could be left with no pants swimming trunks on and the tide gone out, as another clothing related saying goes.

These Ruskies couldn't even come up with an original movie plot. Must have watched all but the last 30mins of inglorious basterds before setting about their knock off.

I do want to know if the new flick is better than The Crimean Bridge (a rom-com).

200 million ruble budget (which most likely includes 10 for the actual film, and 190 stolen by the director).

Support Ukraine. If he is allowed to succeed, it won't end there.

Putin yes, he's old and unwell, and probably not long for this world; and yes, the visage of his military being some mighty, unstoppable juggernaut has been well and truly shattered. But there are others there who will have noted the mistakes and be keen to correct them.

Can Russia ever be trusted again? As long as the corrupt bastards in charge remain, it will be a beast that needs to be permanently shackled. Otherwise they will keep trying this sh it again and again for the next fifty years.

Glory to Ukraine

Ah the old telling the truth is "pro-Russia".

Absolute nonsense. I look at this conflict entirely dispassionately and will continue to tell things as they are and will not mindlessly parrot the propaganda of either side.

If/when Ukraine starts making some game changing progress I'll say it. Until then it is what it is.

Russia is dug in on it's occupied territories and the way things are right now, like it or not, those territories will be partitioned. The progress and momentum Ukraine needed has not happened. The sum of gains since the start of their offensive has been way too small, way too slow, and as has been correctly pointed out they can far less afford the losses they have taken for such small battlefield gains than Russia can.

It's not only man-power, it's also production. Russia has over 10 times the war-time production capacity of Ukraine.

Ukraine understandably tries to convince Western populations that they've closed the gap somehow or there is some evenness in this fight. There isn't. It's not close.

We, collectively in Western Europe, are going to have serious decisions to make after this war especially if it turns out as I think it will with large parts of Eastern Ukraine adsorbed as part of the Russian Federation.

I know governments are preparing for that reality if it happens. I'm not sure the public outside Ukraine are prepared though.

Like I say if Ukraine has some big success I'll be here saying it. It hasn't happened yet.

That will make a definite box office smash hit.....where did the money go, and how was it done?

"I look at this conflict entirely dispassionately" and then spout pure shte based on nothing but your own fantasy.

"You know governments are preparing for this" are you some sort of government insider ?

Aren't you the fella who every few months came on the Brexit thread to warn of "next weeks" impending "EU selling Ireland down the river" to appease the big mighty UK. And then disappear for months with your tail between your legs.