Russia - threadbanned users in OP

A simple truth is that Putin has already failed. From the FT.

“It is certainly true that Russia has done far worse in this conflict — and Ukraine far better — than most analysts dared to hope in February 2022 when the full-scale invasion began. The Russians were humiliatingly defeated in the battle for Kyiv. Putin has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives for minor territorial gains. And Russia — for the first time in centuries — has virtually no allies on the European continent.

Ukraine, by contrast, now enjoys an unprecedented level of international support and respect. The country has also paid a terrible price in this war. But its status as an independent nation — with its own proud culture and identity — will never be erased again. In the great sweep of history, that is a victory that will really count.”

That may be true from the point of view of the soldier on the ground. But other sources say that disproportionately larger Russian forces are being destroyed on the left back of Dnipro trying to eliminate the Ukrainian bridgehead. Ukrainian generals must send their troops to fight and, unfortunately, die. It is a cruel math of war.

That does not surprise me at all. Just another aspect of our refusal to properly fund a legitimate defense and security capability for the country which obviously should include cybersecurity. Does not change the fact though that we were attacked by Russia vis that cyberattack on the HSE.

As a student in 1989, he gave a speech lauding them and demanding Soviet troops leave Hungary. I would imagine that the Orban of today though, in his heart of hearts, would think of them as fools for wasting their lives on idealism like that. Far better, in his mind, to work within the system and bend it toward your own advantage. That's how he operates so I'd imagine that's how he thinks too.

He has cynically dismantled the democratic institutions and free media within state, from the inside, in order to make it easier for him to continue to stay in power. At the same time he rants and rails against the majority values of the EU while enriching his inner circle (and no doubt himself) with EU money. Himself and his party continuously use antisemitic tropes to attack their enemies (especially George Soros) whilst also being staunch supporters of Israel.

He's a typical cynical demagogue who sows fear and division while ultimately only believing in his own power and enrichment.

One comment in the last 12 hours since I last read the forum. Once it was about 200 entries every 12 hours day and night. What has changed.

Christmas 🎄 .celebrations, winding down staff nights out ,days out shopping ,people busy with the last of work order's etc .

I check daily to see what's reported and other news sites/ media as well. The Ukrainian situation is less reported everywhere at the moment. However that doesn't mean there isn't important work being done in the background all the time. Europe is heavily invested already in this war, even if not directly involved. We have all, every citizen taken a hit. And invested therefore in seeing matters righted.

Much like their other pro-Russian posts, that little question was designed to seed doubt in supporting Ukraine. That's the entire objective of posts like that, and I fully expect them to return to try it again in a couple of days.

If the Kremlin aren't paying them for this, they are missing a trick I feel.

Also putin's forces killing and injuring innocent civilians in their poorly targeted long range attacks with missiles and suicide drones and the continued chewing up of his military by Ukraine's armed forces is becoming routine so not being as amplified in the media from what I can see. I don't think this is nothing as putin will see his options in Ukraine become more and more limited with each day he allows his army get destroyed.

Russia has no chance against NATO but it now has a chance against Ukraine. Thanks to a deliberate policy of starving Ukraine of weaponry.

Many of the armies of western Europe are so run down and depleted that they are only fit to fight short wars.

China will have taken alot of reassurance that in any standoff with America over Taiwan that Western Europe will still be talking about a tiny million artillery shells for Ukraine being a few more years away.

2 weeks artillery shells in an offensice and the Eu are flumoxxed.

Ukraine are being asked to attack deeply fortified positions with no sir superiority. A shortage of artillery and only a fraction of the missiles and rockets needed.

A Russian win is now holding what they have.

Much of Western Europe's leadership will accept that but it will be a long term mistake and embolden every bad actor out there.

Political leaders can also use Hungary as an excuse, for not equipping Ukraine properly, there are no Hungarian leaders or Ministers of Defense outside of Budapest.

No one is stopping the transfer of weapons from individual countries but the leadership of those countries.

Fu78 Hungary but let's not pretend that this one blocking move is enough to curtail aid. It curtails one path of aid, that's all.

The defence spending of Western Europe remains at levels barely fit for purpose after years of cuts.

Hungary are an excuse.

It's not looking great for him at all

The hypocrisy is so thick you would walk on it

Even though what Russians see and hear is tightly controlled, in this day and age, it's impossible to seal off the country 100% from what's happening. Som for sure Russians know what's happening to a greater or lesser degree. And the daily living is telling them in no uncertain terms that something very bad is happening. Falling value of the Ruble, food shortages, and with President Putin having to go on State TV and apologize for the shortage of eggs. Not a normal society at all.Even before Putin's invasion in Feb 2022, Russia has one of the largest Nr of expatriates' living outside Russia at 3 million. I'm not saying that all of these Russians were living abroad because of Putin's misdeeds, but you can be sure that a good % were. Now you can add a further 2.5- 3 million who have left since the war started. Russians leaving (or trying to) has gotten so bad, that Putin has taken the really extreme step of confiscating passports of everyone of Military age, including serving personnel, even FSB members (one of them from Putin's personal contingent fled, taking valuable information with him) So that will give you an idea about how Russians feel about Putin and his Russia. As for the ones who cannot leave, Putin's iron grip ensures that if you have anti-Putin feelings, you keep them to yourself, or discuss only with family or lifelong trusted friends, or else! It's a society where teachers in children's schools encourage the kids to talk about what their parents are saying at home, and this has led to the parents being arrested after saying something bad about the war, or the economy. Having said that, there's no doubt that there is a hard core of Putin supporters as well (but far from the Putin inspired poll figures up in the 80-90's %.) Bottom line is that there's an anti-war sentiment that is growing, which is why Putin has had to resort to these desperate measures. Its growing mainly in the Republics where up to now, Putin has drawn most of his conscripts from to date, and who have the largest Nr of dead to show for it, but now he is having to take conscripts from St. Petersburg, and Moscow. And in St. Petersburg, posters have appeared with an innocuous heading but with QR codes which when translated say " A Russia without Putin". This is a serious grassroots escalation in the anti-Putin propaganda. I would not like to be any person caught sticking these up.

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