OK, I'll lead off..... They are morons, in the sense they have no idea what Putin is doing or why. He does not really want Ukraine - he is trying to reach Romania and Poland to plug geographic gaps that have served as routes to invade Russia in the past. The only way we will be able to avoid a war between Russia and NATO (which will invo…
OK, I'll lead off..... They are morons, in the sense they have no idea what Putin is doing or why. He does not really want Ukraine - he is trying to reach Romania and Poland to plug geographic gaps that have served as routes to invade Russia in the past. The only way we will be able to avoid a war between Russia and NATO (which will involve us directly) is to bleed the Russian army dry in Ukraine and eliminate Russia's ability to wage aggressive war on its neighbors for a generation. If Ukraine cannot defend itself, the chance of a general nuclear exchange goes up by an order of magnitude, as the war with NATO will almost certainly follow so Putin can close those gaps. For him, and for Russia, this IS an existential fight. The Europeans thought they had bought off Hitler by sacrificing the Sudetenland and then Czechoslovakia. We know how well that worked out.....
Excellent point! If Ukraine retakes Crimea, they gain all the oil and gas deposits in the Black Sea near Ukraine's southern coast. That would change their chances as a nation vastly for the better. Add to that membership in the EU and NATO, and Ukraine could have a real future - the money from the oil and gas could subsidize larger families to rebuild Ukraine's population, giving it a demographic future as well. It would also rebuild the country to a much higher standard.
Here is the salient point re: Russia's ability to fight against NATO..... We now know that the Russian army can fight only one way - the same mass infantry attacks following crushing massed artillery barrages. In a fight with well-trained NATO troops backed by US troops in Europe and US military intelligence, NATO and the US would wipe the floor with them - hundreds of Russian dead for every western soldier killed. So Putin would have no choice but to use nukes in an attempt to win, or avoid defeat. You can predict how that would end. (Cockroaches seem to be impervious to radiation.)
OK, I'll lead off..... They are morons, in the sense they have no idea what Putin is doing or why. He does not really want Ukraine - he is trying to reach Romania and Poland to plug geographic gaps that have served as routes to invade Russia in the past. The only way we will be able to avoid a war between Russia and NATO (which will involve us directly) is to bleed the Russian army dry in Ukraine and eliminate Russia's ability to wage aggressive war on its neighbors for a generation. If Ukraine cannot defend itself, the chance of a general nuclear exchange goes up by an order of magnitude, as the war with NATO will almost certainly follow so Putin can close those gaps. For him, and for Russia, this IS an existential fight. The Europeans thought they had bought off Hitler by sacrificing the Sudetenland and then Czechoslovakia. We know how well that worked out.....
He also wants Ukraine’s ports and natural resources. Pogom anyone?
Excellent point! If Ukraine retakes Crimea, they gain all the oil and gas deposits in the Black Sea near Ukraine's southern coast. That would change their chances as a nation vastly for the better. Add to that membership in the EU and NATO, and Ukraine could have a real future - the money from the oil and gas could subsidize larger families to rebuild Ukraine's population, giving it a demographic future as well. It would also rebuild the country to a much higher standard.
Here is the salient point re: Russia's ability to fight against NATO..... We now know that the Russian army can fight only one way - the same mass infantry attacks following crushing massed artillery barrages. In a fight with well-trained NATO troops backed by US troops in Europe and US military intelligence, NATO and the US would wipe the floor with them - hundreds of Russian dead for every western soldier killed. So Putin would have no choice but to use nukes in an attempt to win, or avoid defeat. You can predict how that would end. (Cockroaches seem to be impervious to radiation.)
Welcome our new exoskeleton overlords..... :-)