Russia-Ukraine War

Because the second even a small tactical nuke is used the game is over, US would simply obliterate Russian forces in Ukraine and over the border as well.

Also Putin doesn't have a button on his desk he just pushes. To use any sort of nuclear weapon would require multiple levels of compliance and clearance and it would overwhelmingly likely end up with Putin being removed/killed.

He can maintain control and obediance to a point because no-one knows when this conflict will end and what a post conflict Russia will look like, and everyone wants to remain in the dictators good books.

Moment he tries to use nuclear weapons all that goes out the window and self preservation swings the other way. A lot of the higher-ups could easily stomach a defeat but the complete destruction of Russia/start of a nuclear exchange is a different thing altogether.

Obviously you can't gamble with these things hence US insistence on limitations on long range weapons and slow feed of equipment.

The aim of the game is to make Russia unable to continue the war due to brutal attrition, internal pressure and facing a sheer unsustainable war that leaves no choice eventually but to withdraw/come to the table.

The US could give Ukraine weaponry that would effectively (if not literally) end the war in a few weeks if it wanted but that would run the risk of nuclear escalation even if said risk remained small for various reasons.

That question raises a good point about this Kursk offensive. Ukraine has made it more obvious to the world that Russia with its nuclear threats to the west is just saber rattling. There should be much less of a fear now by western countries (looking at you, Germany) to donate weapons to the war.

It was obvious before that Russia was sabre rattling.

There wasn’t a hope in hell Russia would have dropped a nuke

A threat that gets less serious with each sinking lol

Should be noted there's no negative news reports allowed in Russia. This is instructed to be repeated abroad by it's actors. So the 45% above says my friends or acquaintances not me personally and it can't say 50% or above as the FSB will be after them. But even the point of the news item put out there, when you go by the pressure that the Kremlin are putting on news agencies with the threat of death, means it may as well be 98% reported.

Ahh so you are also unable to elaborate on these aims … just link dump a twitter post and that's it

You do realise Germany is the biggest donor of weapons to Ukraine after the USA?

No one here in Ireland should tell other countries they should step up … the fuckin hypocrisy wit their Neutral stance

This video has me intrigued, there are noises coming from the Baltic states that they are not willing to stand idly by any longer and are seeking a more direct involvement.

If this happens, Putin has several options. He can just ignore it and keep on fighting and losing and proving he's a toothless coward. Or he could attack the Baltic states and with that, NATO.

Two less likely options are he uses nukes, but I sometimes doubt they have any working ones left. Or he could negotiate for peace, but he's far too deep into this to tuck his tail in, he will never surrender, he'll eat a bullet first or be done away with.

Ireland has feck all it could realistically offer Ukraine militarily. What could it offer? We have a barely-there Defence Forces ourselves. Vast majority of countries our size or smaller have vastly better equipped militaries.

Other Western countries do have equipment, or access to equipment, that would make a meaningful difference.

Not saying personally they should be "stepping up" but I don't see how it's hypocrisy for an Irish person to say they should give more.

I believe the Russians Americans have a comms channel to ensure no nuclear mistakes happen in this regard.

If we were to breach our neutrality (that's debatable) I'd rather we spend the money buying Ukraine AA systems or shells, tanks etc… We don't have to provide it from our own stocks, just buy from defense contractors and deliver to Ukraine.

Maybe we need 1 or 2 radars and AA systems in the future, grand order it and deliver to Ukraine and let them break it in.

Just being inquisitive, but what weaponry could the US give Ukraine that could end the war in a few weeks ?