Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

At this stage, you'd have to factor in the "six degrees of separation" effect too. There can't be many Russian men of draftable age left who don't know at least one close friend or family member who has been sacrificed for Putin's Folly, and how many of their kin have actually received the millions of roubles promised?

So are they going to willingly allow themselves to be drafted when their time comes? Especially as the Great And Mighty Putin seems increasingly unable to stop the Ukrainians from making life worse for ordinary Russians. What kind of a strongman lets the petrol stations run dry, or the lights go out?

Then again, I can't get my head around these feckers being willing to spend their own money on fuel and other supplies to get themselves to the frontline, so who knows what kind of deranged logic they follow.

Makes sense while Russia is distracted

OPEC have done Russia a favour by pausing production increases.

The former deputy defence minister of Ukraine calling for the order to withdraw to be given. Very contrasting information on what is the going on in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd at the moment. No doubt more footage will come out shortly.

Deep state woke up a little over the weekend but an article in the Ukrainian media stated that most of the grey zone is indeed under Russian control which is what many reliable neutral outfits are showing. The main fighting is just taking place in a high rise section in the North east of Pokrovsk.

A big meeting in Madrid set to take place in the next couple of days with the coalition of the willing to finalise the ceasefire proposal.

The former deputy defence minister of Ukraine.

You might need to buy some more BlyatGPT credits to get some better sources….

You'd imagine Ukraine isn't going to let this city fall. Hopefully another counter attack soon to completely cut them off unless they're happy with them being funnelled through a narrow channel.

I refuse to believe Ukraine will lose this city in this manner. In other news Putin ordered the Donbass captured by February. Expect the endless meat waves to continue.

For that to happen, in the normal or morally acceptable course, the West would need to absolutely choke the life out of Russia economically. I mean really hammer them with tariffs, seize property, make their foreign elites persona-non-grata. In a REAL, MEANINGFUL way. Which of course would require the US and EU to be in lockstep, and for proper pressure to be brought to bear on the likes of India, Brazil and China.

This, is the alternative to direct military intervention by the West. And there's a very good argument for direct military intervention to rid Ukraine of hostile foreign armed forces and securing its borders. So the alternative to boots and bullets is the economic thumb-screw.

Russia can't be allowed come to the table on its own terms, demanding Ukrainian territory without consequences. It should be made to feel the price for those demands. Yes, we'll facilitate peace talks. Yes, you can insist on keeping what you hold - but be aware that if you do, while we might facilitate a ceasefire and end to the killing of tens of thousands of Russians - we will keep your economy crippled.

I don't see any of the above happening tbh, as long as TACO and his oddly camp henchmen of Vance and Hegseth are on the pitch. So Russia continues to think it can push home an advantage. That's the background against which all these talks of "peace" need to be read against. A completely unbalanced playing field.

Putin has certainly cemented his reputation as one of the most odious leaders of the last 125 years.

Basically a round of Putin and what he has done to Russia.

Unfortunately I'd take that with a pinch of salt. Would love it to be as dramatic as made out in that clip, and undoubtedly there's a lot of fact in it (19 generals arrested etc) but it smacks of somebody putting 1+1 together and getting 3.

Time will tell, as our resident apologist for rape and targeting of schools might put it.

Let's say Putin decides he wants a ceasefire at the end of summer 2026 or even 2027. And Trump plays along.

Ukraine Will need the backing of the EU to last another 1/2 years until the next US election. Trump if he sees his term ending and knows he has no chance of getting Ukraine to agree will just give up and pretend he doesn't care.

it comes down to who has the best window guy.