Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

I don't know, how much do you think it would cost? Land border? Who would we need to protect our land border from? The UK? A NATO, nuclear ally?

If I had to guess, a few billion for sure for air and sea as that is exactly where we are needed - we don't need tanks or do we?

I can't understand how people are still advocating we do **** all for our own national defence.

Again with this no money mentality, please back up where we are not financially capable of having the funds for air and sea policing? Has the country suddenly gone broke? It's a nonsense argument.

Where has it been stated we would be dragged into someone else's war? I mean jesus christ, A European country has been attacked and invaded, scratch that, the second largest European country.. We have provided assisstance and accepted their refugees so whether you want to admit or not we are in some way already involved.

How can you say we shouldn't be funding our defence forces to protect everyone that lives on the island? We can remain neutral but we can also be a neutral country that can defend itself.

Are you saying Ireland is adequately funded and adequately capable of defending itself in case of aggression? Keep in mind Russian ships came within 60km of the capital a few days ago.

Stop spending millions on bike sheds and security huts would help.

I remember around May 2022 talking with a chef who stated there was a coup in 2014 and the US has been fomenting a war. Outside this thread, most people I meet recognize things are not black and white.

However, the US has really exposed itself by supporting Israel in its genocide. Hollywood has provided huge diplomatic cover for the US but paying Israel to murder children has seriously tarnished their image. Not only that but people are watching shows from Korea and elsewhere meaning the Hollywood monopoly is in danger.

That's a load of old waffley nonsense.

Zelensky has always made it 100% clear that Crimea is Ukraine, just like every other inch of sovereign territory that was set after the Soviet Union collapse.

What you and the pro kremlin set here want is that Ukraine trades territory for peace.

Some more of the strike on krasnodar!

2014 wasn't a "coup". This has been explained here, to you, multiple times.

I've met a lot of Ukrainians (and I have Ukrainian colleagues), never come across one who claimed something like that.

It's one thing to bring up disinfo in a discussion, it's another thing entirely to ignore explanations and double down on that disinfo. Mentioning "things are not black and white" whilst displaying every hallmark of textbook black and white thinking.

You can call me what you like but I will continue to comment dis-passionately, unbiasedly and objectively on this conflict and let the facts do the talking.

Ukraine is taking steps now reflective of the reality on the battlefield. Recognising Crimea as being a diplomatic pursuit from now on is a small part of the process toward a negotiated settlement that is needed to end the fighting before the Ukrainian frontlines totally collapse.

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-to-pursue-diplomatic-liberation-of-crimea-will-not-acknowledge-occupied-territories-as-russian-zelensky-says/

I want what everyone else wants. I want Russia to be kicked out with the bloodiest nose imaginable. That's just not the situation we're in, sadly.

With the best will in the world there is no prospect of the territory Russia has taken being redeemed by Ukraine. It's getting worse by the day.

My real worry is that we see a total collapse and the Russian gains become such that it makes no logical or practical sense for Putin to stop at that point.

We are on the verge of that point. I think that's why now we're starting to see a bit of a change in the Ukrainian stance on Crimea, for example. The start of trying to clear a path to some sort of settlement.

And they can call it temporary or whatever to help sell it but at least it stops the bleeding.

Putin was talking about the timeline given to him by his generals, in Russian, and the people passing on the msg knew English very well..if that was not enough, do you really think that he could have sold a SMO that would last 3 years??

There is prospect that Ukraine gets territory back. The cracks in the Russian military could turn into fractures. They are just fighting for money. The economy in Russia is "holding on", but the cracks keep showing, the RUB keeps creeping, the news from economic sectors is not good to say the least. That doesn't mean "it's all about to implode", but it's constantly adding pressure. They are on their own clock.

Personally I suspect that Ukraine is ceding territory, especially in Donbas, to preserve it's troops while maximising losses for Russia (at the cost of gradual land losses)

Zelensky has to say he will not give an inch of Ukraine up, it's very important for morale and optics. However what he signals in the public forum I don't take as an absolute. There's a wider chess game being played.

It's difficult for Ukraine, especially now, and the rainy season has taken it's sweet time to kick in. We'll see how things fair during this winter, it will be a tough one for them. No picnic for the Russians either.

Not sure, it looks to my untrained eye like the kind of performative 'retaliation' Iran does when Israel takes out a senior Hezbollah head in Tehran. Putin is seeing to be 'doing something' in response to Biden's granting permission to Ukraine to fire American missiles into Russia but tbh it falls a fair bit short of the 'nuclear option'…

Last tremors of a dieing leader coming, hopefully his general staff have cope on ,then hopefully a new Russia and peace for all .

I fear things will get worse rather than Putin either dying or somebody taking over and everybody more or less living happily ever after .We have being hearing that Russia is on its last legs since shortly after this invasion began but the war is more likely to spread than any peace deal at the moment .Hope I am wrong of course .

There will be an end at some stage but maybe Putin can keep going at some rate as from his view no way can he go into reverse so the question will be whether Ukraine can get enough support to defeat him .I see no end in sight yet unfortunately.

Russia should be an integral part of the European sphere. There should be multiple passenger trains/ planes travelling from the likes of Paris, Munich etc to Moscow full of passengers and sightseers etc every day. There should be un - interrupted trade flows across an invisible border. Borders and division breed economic stagnation. When the poles first came to Ireland in big numbers in the 2000’s I naively could not understand how such a well located country was not doing well. Poland is infinitely better located than Ireland in terms of connection to Central Europe. In the mid 2000’s Russia was completely off the radar as a menacing nation. I fully understand now why Poland has not reached its full potential.