Not sure what would be the purpose - it's not like Putin needs to consolidate power any more, and there's no real election. He just really likes the word escalation.
You need to read between the lines.
He was dispatched there so he do not pose threat in home and will be kept in check in there. He is basically pushed away.
You forgot:
Russia -> Afghanistan
USA&co -> Afghanistan
USA&co -> Iraq
USA - Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Cuba (these are where they did not achieve their goals and had to pull out, sometimes in a haste)
Russia is trying to win this war through pure quantative power ie pouring thousands and thousands of Soldiers - with varying degrees of training- at it. It hopes to overpower UKr by using sheer numbers. So when UKr is confronting Russia it is faded by waves and waves of Russian personnel/soldiers on the front line mainly. This aspect of the Russian war machine NEEDS TO BE TAKEN DOWN/NEUTRALISED in order to free the country of the Russian army. This means that there is going to be as many Russians killed as the UKr army can manage.
so , whether you want to witness this happening or not - even in real time- is one’s choice.
THIS MEATGRINDER ACTIVITY ‘THING ‘GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY . It has to happen if UKr is to win it’s freedom.
Personally wouldn't hold the breath. Sweden has long history of betrayal and making business with regimes. But hey, welcome to the NATO.
Long history? When was their last betrayal? 1800? Can you name a few?
By your logic, we France and Germany is also bad, cos you know, Hitler and Napoleon
Conscription for the middle class ?
What else would you call it, other than bearing witness. Statistics, words and opinions are one thing but visual confirmation, when genuine, is compelling. That's why we have war photographers since WW1.
instead of wasting your breath like a peacock, why don't you just google?
One example - 1941 to 1948 many people from Baltic states were escaping as refugees to Sweden during and after WWII, particularly in the period when SU illegally occupied/annexed Baltic States and started their cleansing by shipping these nations in trainloads to Siberia. Stalin requested these refugees to be returned back, and what did Sweden do (being already known as sympathetic to Nazi regime during war). Sweden returned these back only for these people to end up in Siberia and die. Thanks Sweden!
another example - MS Estonia disaster in 1994. Ever heard of? 852 people died. People from Baltic states, Finland and Sweden. Sweden quickly decided to put the ban on recovery of vessel and bodies despite the outrage of other nations, even suggesting to cover the vessel with concrete. What were they hiding?
another one - current days, kurdish people situation in Sweden vs what Turkey wants.
For:
The first 3 the invader held defacto control over the area for a prolonged period of time. There was insurgency, but it was "managed". IE the invasion was successful and government was overthrown.
For Vietnam, that was a Civil war which the US took a side on, and the South did not hold defacto control over most of the country. But even at that, the Vietnam war was a huge time of political unrest the USA.
I don't think Putin is going to do that, it will only make him look weak and incapable of protecting Russian citizens in the capital when surely he wants to project the opposite idea this close to the sham election
Exactly, the Ukrainians themselves keep saying the Russians have more of everything. Much more weapons needed!
Since the start of this war Russia had outnumbered Ukraine in the following:
Soldiers, tanks, IFV, AA, artillery*, drones, missiles, ships, fighter bombers, ships etc...
*Excluding a few weeks Ukraine shot more artillery than Russia.
It's nothing new. Ukraine has always been outnumbered.
France taking no sh1t it seems
Bloody héll, that's some escalating language. Again I can't imagine this is only the threat of Trump pushing Macron into his more hawkish stance. Presumably as well France's polling quite strong in support for Ukraine that Macron would even suggest the deployment of troops.
Or is the reckoning that if Russia manage either they'd have expended so much of their crack, high tech equipment to do so, France would be confident they could take this weakened Russia alone without too much sacrifice?
Yes and it's making a difference, the Russians are progressing, hence Macron's words (see above) and UK ambassador today also "raising the alarm". Some people here think if they keep saying Russia has lost the war it'll somehow be true, but European politicians are sending a very different message and that's why Europe needs to do much more (and hopefully will)
Just thinking about your comment mentioning Afghanistan. It took 2 years from Trump signing the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban before they left. They had either removed all of their military and other gear, or else donated it to the Afghan Government by the departure date, but it took the 2 years to organize. The collapse of the ANA was what started the panic at the Airport.
I didn't see the objectionable comments you refer to. There was a video that purported to show a Russian military vehicle being blown up. Some Russian soldiers died or were badly injured. I didn't shed a tear. Zero sympathy for them or their families, after 2 years they know full well what they're at. They not fecking stupid enough to not know what they're involved in.
Mod - Posters who choose to talk about other posters instead of the topic are going to be threadbanned as its getting ridiculous now. You know who you are, drop it now, last chance.
And back at you with this ...
"I'm in Kyiv to sound the alarm," British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said
"I am in Kyiv to sound the alarm to the democratic world - we must make sure that Ukraine wins this war. The United Kingdom has done more than ever by providing the largest package of military support to date. Now every nation must do the same and ensure victory freedom over tyranny," Shapps emphasized.
I also mentioned few pages back when this whole France taking action came up .. We are not privy to alot. One wonders have likes of France, NATO, US, UK etc heard or saw some sort of serious escalatory info re Putin, possibly after he is "elected" president again for 6 years soon
New Russian aims
Strange map. Looks like Russia is happy to give up it's land south of Rostov on Don connecting into Crimea on Kerch bridge.
Amatuer hour again in Russia propaganda circles
The blue line is back in Feb 17th, when UAF left Andiivka. So the Russian have progressed 2.4km in 19 days (575km to Kyiv or over 10 years at that pace) . Yes it's progress but to suggest Russia is winning (the opposite of Russia loosing as you claim people suggest) is a little crazy.
Why is every little gain that Ukraine makes dismissed and any little gain the Russian make jumped on as Kyiv gonna fall anytime now?
Because the zeitgeist is fatalistic, within or without he Ukraine war. Populism, climate change, social media amplifying all problems ten fold etc etc; the prevailing western mood is inherently glum and despairing so within this war it's easy to glom onto any russian "success" as somehow indicative that the sky is about to inevitably fall.
I think it's more the worry like the arm wrestle analogy.
Both sides wrestle arms, one guy begins to eventually buckle, and when the arm goes it goes fast. Game over.
Presuming it's the reason for strong words from the French, they wanna stop that buckle from happening.
Nothing might come of it considering it's the Swiss but heres hoping. Maybe they can finally see that hiding all that blood money will be unprofitable in todays world.
I think it's no different than when Russia was advancing on Bakhmut. They took massive losses and did eventually take it. Some people though Ukraine was about to fall.
Then onto Avdiivka, that took even longer for Russia to take. They also lost massive amounts of armor on their advance etc...
And now people say Ukraine is about to fall.
I'm not dismissing the fact that Russia have and are taking towns, but let not kid ourselves that it's been a quick and swift advance for the Russians.
Is the new thing now, predicting when Ukraine will fall/Russia wins? Like a reverse Kyiv in 3 days?
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