NATO countries think it’s unlikely Ukraine will be able to hold territory in Russia’s Kursk Oblast even if it takes weeks for Russian forces to drive the Ukrainians out, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing a Western intelligence official.
Despite that assessment, the report said NATO doesn’t “harbor reservations” about Ukraine’s invasion of Russian territory, which the US and NATO claim they were unaware of until the attack started. Another NATO official told Bloomberg that the incursion shows Ukraine can challenge Russia.
Heavy fighting has been raging in Kursk since over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles, including many provided by the US, entered Russian territory last Tuesday. While Ukrainian forces have captured dozens of villages, they are also taking heavy losses.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that in the past day, Ukraine lost 420 soldiers and said it had lost over 2,000 since the invasion started, although the numbers are not confirmed since Kyiv doesn’t release information on its casualties.
The invasion is seen as an attempt by Ukraine to gain leverage in future negotiations. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said Tuesday that Ukraine was not interested in “taking over” Russian territory. “The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace… the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defenses forces into Russia will stop,” he said.
While the US claims it was unaware of Ukraine’s plans to invade Kursk, it is also strongly backing the invasion by allowing Ukrainian forces to use US weapons. President Biden was asked about the offensive on Tuesday and said it was a “real dilemma” for Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The US-backed operation, which is the largest invasion of Russia since World War II, marks a significant escalation of the proxy war and risks a major Russian response. Putin has said he views the incursion as the West using Ukrainians to attack Russia.
I would imagine eventually Russia will get its shit together and crush them. Awfully embarrassing in the meantime though.
Yup, they haven't gotten themselves together in the past 2 1/2 years, but they'll do it now!
NATO may be brazen enough to operate within Ukrainian territory, but knowingly putting any of its "advisors" in Russian Federation territory (held by Ukraine for a while or not) is entirely cause for war against NATO countries.
Anything is “entirely cause for war” if the people who want war decide it is “entirely cause for war.”
The war in Ukraine is a case of two declining empires thrashing around like dinosaurs whose pea brains haven’t yet received the signal from the rest of their bodies that they’re mortally wounded.
BRICS and the move towards multipolarity that is taking place in the world, which Russia endorses and the US opposes, qualifies as the thrashing about of a declining empire? A new world organization is being born and you haven't noticed?
I’ve noticed BRICS.
There’s no need for a “move towards multipolarity,” since the world already is and always has been multipolar.
BRICS seems mostly like an attempt by the dying Russian empire to hitch its wagon to China’s and India’s stars … and those stars don’t really seem quite so ascendant as advertised.
Yeah BRICS is quite unusual
They think theyre all that
Sounds like a quote from the US State Department.
Who are you actually working for? Using provocateurs is an old statist trick.
Who are YOU actually working for?
I don't have anything AGAINST BRICS. Hope it works out for them, though I expect that if it survives it just becomes an imperialist grift like NATO, the EU, CSTO, etc., dominated by one of the largr members (most likely China, since Russia is in terminal decline and India lags).
If you're looking for a quote from the US State Department, look for claims that there is, or ever has been, a unipolar world. That's been the US position since the Soviet Union fell ("we're the only remaining superpower"), and it's always been bullshit.
Watch the warmongering media for indirect, directed scripts from the US State Department.
BRICS is kinda stupid being completely honest
BRICS continues to be a joke and the Ruble seems to be worth about, I don’t know, the deposit on three empty bottles?
No too generous probably some dirt
The big difference is the US “empire” is in a much better position to assist in dismantling the Russian “empire”.
The miscalculation (both of the Ukrainian desire to resist and the US resolve to support that desire) is Putin’s and Putin’s alone.
Why is the US sticking it's empire-seeking nose into that squabble?
The big difference is that the American "empire" has heard of the word democracy lol
The tankies have been VERY agitated the last few days!
Yeah its quite scary
Yep. They’ve been trying to hard-sell the “Ukraine can’t win” narrative and the Ukes pulled this rabbit-out-of-their-hat.
Yeah
The Tankies are having acute russophilia
They’ll deny it though!
Wars R Us is legit antiwar. (He’s just misguided. Sorry, Wars.)
Many of the other ones are “antiwar” unless it’s Russia, China, etc. warring against the evil US empire. Then they’re all in on destruction and mayhem! Putin is the savior of the world!
Exactly! Curse the Zionists but Putin and Xi…. uhmmm…. I kinda like them…
Exactly!
I use a very simple approach: who started this s**t? Well, f**k them then!
I also have the ability to see a bigger picture (be it historical, economical, or political). I make my judgement after I evaluate the REAL information — always looking out for propaganda.
I also can determine if the US has done some stupid, wrong-headed s**t (Vietnam, Iraq, blind support for Israel, etc.) and differentiate that from when the US does something good and supports the defense of free people.
Yeah
Where are those "free people"? The Arctic?
Realistic is the word I like to use. It's not hard to figure out that Ukraine will lose a war of attrition IF they are left to fend for themselves. And I'm no longer anti-war. I lost my card by virtue of what I want done to Israel.
Ukraine won’t be left to fend for themselves.
As far as your position regarding Israel, I can understand your rage.
hah
They'll win a war of attrition? With no help?
Well Russia isn’t what one might call “winning” either
If Ukraine is left to fend for themselves, they'll lose a war of attrition to Russia. It's that simple.
If Ukraine is left to fend for themselves, the regime's conventional forces will certainly lose a war of attrition to Russia … which will in turn mean years of insurgency before the Russians withdraw.
I doubt that. I would expect any insurgency in parts of the east would not be on the level that would make Russia withdraw. This isn't Afghanistan.
The Russians can probably keep Luhansk, and secure Donetsk to make it keepable.
The only question regarding Kherson and Zaporzhzhia is how long they want to bleed before abandoning those two oblasts with the POSSIBLE exception of a very narrow corridor along the Azov coast connecting Russia to Crimea.
CAN they drag that out for 10 years, 20 years? Sure. But yes, if the Ukrainian regime’s conventional forces fold, it will still be Afghanistan.
I don't disagree with your first two paragraphs, but you didn't say that in the comment I replied to. I thought you meant ALL of Ukraine.
I'm not sure if you mean it will still be like Afghanistan regarding Luhansk and Donetsk. If you include them, I disagree.
I suspect that Donetsk/Luhansk, like Chechnya, will be re-absorbed into the Russian empire on a long-term basis. But it’s possible there will be long-term “frozen conflict” at their borders a la the Korean DMZ.
Two stankie tankies posting now.
yup you
UH oh – ok Stankie. You just gave your ID away Stankie.
Russian response is the same. Ukrainian capacity to resist is deteriorating as the frontline became longer and the best Ukrainian reserves used in Kursk. Besides, the number of Russian volunteers increased sharply while Ukrainian army is reducing both in numbers and quality.
I don't know who is gullible enough to actually believe that the US was unaware of Ukraine's plans to invade Kursk, but please let me know who you are. I have a whole lot of magic beans on sale.
Of course the US knew. It’s called “plausible deniability”.
Having said that, what’s Russia gonna do about it?
Probably what NATO (read US) fears it is going to do. But indeed it is a NATO invasion inside Russia. It is another superfluous but very serious validation of the security concerns that Russia had about Ukraine becoming a NATO bulwark on its borders.
Russia ain’t gonna do d**k. STFU.
They don't?
NATO has underestimated the Ukrainian Army this entire war! They thought Kyiv would fall before March was over! They probably thought Ukraine would capitulate by Christmas!
But no, the brave men proved NATO wrong! Knowing NATO's lack of knowledge about the matter, that is probably quite conservative especially considering the force composition of the Russians responding to the invasion
NATO couldn't have underestimated Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian forces only exist from the start of this war because NATO has been arming, equipping, guiding, funding, and encouraging them as a proxy.
Remove NATO from the entire calculation and the Russian Federation special military op would have been in & done a year ago. And Ukraine would actually be in a better place now, than it is or will be – with FAR fewer dead & traumatised.
Never mind about inconvenient facts.
C’mon, Wars! Where’s your call for the Russians to concede their territory in Kursk to “save lives”?
I expect consistency from you, my friend…
What does that have to do with anything? The "inconvenient facts" in my reply were about Uncle Sapien pointing out that Ukraine isn't doing this without NATO/US participation.
If you're implying that I want Ukraine to concede territory you're wrong. My comments are based on what I believe to be reality. Ukraine, without direct help from NATO/US cannot defeat Russia. And the only thing that is going to extract Russia from all of Ukraine is WW3. I'd like to see 1991 borders and 1991 NATO. Start from there.
Well, sure, Ukraine isn’t doing this without NATO/US participation. And if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.
I don't get your smart-ass remark. Are you saying Ukraine is doing this on their own?
"I don't get your smart-ass remark."
daaah…but tommy made a funny!…daaaah…
I didn’t say you “wanted” Ukraine to concede territory but you suggested that would be prudent. I just want you to be consistent and now suggest Russia do the same. That would — at least — be consistent.
And — currently — Ukraine IS defeating Russia in the Kursk region.
1991 borders will never be a realistic goal.
I guess if I thought Russia conceding Kursk would hasten the war's end, I'd probably suggest that. As is, I'm doubtful it would. I keep repeating this I know, but Ukraine cannot defeat Russia without direct help from NATO/US.
I know the '91 borders aren't realistic. I just like to link the '91 borders and '91 NATO membership as a reminder of why we are where we are.
Double standard. Got it.
How so? I plainly said if the circumstances were the same for both sides then I would think it would be "prudent" for Russia to concede their territory.
Ukraine cannot win without resources extracted from the majority of Americans against their will.
I'll "see" your 1991 borders and "raise" you 1948 NATO.
"But NATO didn't exist until…ohhhhhh."
Ukraine has no historical claim to Kursk.
Not true they had an army
I hate when people say “If only Ukraine agreed to a ceasfire! So much death would be avoided!” because Ukraine DIDNT START THE DEATH
They are being punished for something they didn’t want
And Ukraine had an army before NATO, they didn’t use sticks in Kyiv
Ukraine did start the death in 2014 when the democratically elected government was overthrown and started "killing his own people" in Eastern Ukraine because they spoke Russian and still valued democracy.
The Ukrainian PEOPLE wanted to move toward Europe and their sh**tbag president wanted to give Putin a handy. (That has a tendency to make the PEOPLE angry!) They protested, the secret police killed protestors, and the president had to abdicate and f**k off to Moscow.
Try to keep up, jaggoff.
SOME of the Ukrainian people wanted to move toward Western Europe. Others looked. Eastward. Election results in Ukraine since the 1990's showed clearly that Ukraine wasn't a united country. It was, essentially, two countries. The attempt by ethnic Ukrainians to cleanse ethnic Russians, supported by Victoria Nuland and her neo-con cabal was not popular in Ukraine even in most of Western Ukraine. However, with substantial infusions of Western cash and bribes the ethnic Ukrainian nationalists became dominant. Zelensky, who ran on a widely popular program of national reconciliation, was thought to be the answer. That turned out to be fraudulent when he reversed his positions encouraged by incentives or pressures originating from Western states.
"SOME of the Ukrainian people wanted to move toward Western Europe."
Correct. And some 7 million of them took the opportunity to move to Europe as refugees when the current war began. Shows how much of a future they thought post-Maidan Ukraine offered them.
Along with a s**t-ton of Russians who left Russia because they didn’t want to be sent in meatwaves to their death in Ukraine (and now Kursk).
All you just said is wrong.
some? MOST
That didn’t show up in multiple elections in Ukraine. The USA/NATO overthrew the Ukraine government even though a deal had been made for Viktor Yanukovych to leave office in a few months with elections in a few months after that. So….. why the rush? Simple. The upcoming elections was very likely to result in a neutral or even pro Russian candidate winning.
Regardless, it was obvious that the Eastern and Southern parts of Ukraine weren’t buying the EU fascist superstate propaganda. Heck, even the people IN the EU are increasingly resistant to their rule by those that do not represent their values.
The EU is not a “fascist superstate” and if there were another election in 2015 Mr. Yanukovych would have lost
Conjecture on your part. He might have lost and then he might have won based on his massive support in the eastern half of the then-Ukraine. At least he had agreed to elections unlike the installed regime in Kiev now.
Its a war its unusual to have election during war.
Sure, Russia had “election” but it was still rigged by like 20%²
²: Albeit to be fare even subtracting the 20 percent I am genuinley shocked about how the Russians still voted him in.
We did in all of our "wars".
The Germans and Japs didnt take zLos angeles and San Francisco or Seattle and Miami
The installed Kiev Regime wouldn't let the breakaway provinces vote anyway.
We would and out régime is not “installed”
Yanukovych wasn’t going to run. But you failed to answer the question “why the rush”. If the election was going to be won by the anti Russian candidate in a few months and Yanukovych was going to leave office before that election would be held…….
Yeah Yanukovych was too busy cuddling up to Putin and Medvedev
Well its a few months until your elections in America, so why did the Trump assassin “rush” killing him? Why didn’t je just wait till after november?
A non sequitur.
Ok
Yeah!
The Ukrainian people were split between the West and the East and the government elected when ALL of the former Ukraine voted, chose the direction that you don't like.
The AZOV battalions killed more protesters than the government did.
You have NO idea how much us Ukrainians have fought for ourselves… Us as a nation was borne with post-Soviet corruption and scandals, and Mr. Yanukovych only exasperated our problems. If you know anything about Ukrainian history, then it would become obvious that during the Euromaidan Riots, Mr. Yanukovych clearly went against the “Will of the People” you hold so dearly and signed the association agreement with Russia not the EU that NONE OF US WANTED!!! So before you come to this site claiming to be anti-War, look through a Ukrainian history textbook. We have put so much effort into becoming a better place than we were in the 2000’s and 2010’s. Sure, he was “democratically” elected, but his régime was repugnant at best and nobody would reelect him again.
And in case your wondering, Mr. Yanukovych is now in Russia as very close friends to Vladimir Putin, so please stop
You did nothing, without American/NATO backing and you're still in begging mode and still one of the most corrupt installed regimes on the planet.
We did it on our own maybe pick up a Ukrainian textbook
And we are much less corrupt nowadays due to our revolt
If you came to Ukraine and spouted this stuff you wouldn’t last a day
Real paragon of a a free democracy with free speech there, Heinrich.
Heinrich is wild
A Ukrainian textbook full of Ukrainians' version of history. We can trust impartiality HOW ?
And in Russia, the children will get expelled for not learning their brainwashed version of history, unusually named “Important Conversations.” Its quite funny from a Ukrainian perspective
Dang, It Takes A Vila To Raise A Child, you and Mikhailovich should talk. According to HIM, an obscure Russian mathematician, a Soviet boy who ratted out his dad to the State, and Sir Isaac Newton from ~375 years ago, all agree that humans have been counting years wrong, that the Roman Empire existed until 1185 CE or so, that NONE of the Christian Crusades actually happened (and Islam is going along with "the lie" of the Crusades, for Reasons) and that the Catholic Church invented all of history 400 years ago.
Nothing YOU have said has veered even close to "unsupported bullsh*t" territory, but, you might enjoy a detour into his fantasyland if you're inclined to talk propagandism and selective perception!
In Russia they have to learn brainwahsed ethnonationalist and militaristic lessons
A Russian and an American get on a plane in Moscow and get to talking. The Russian says he works for the Kremlin and he's on his way to go learn American propaganda techniques.
"What American propaganda techniques?" asks the American.
"Exactly," the Russian replies.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1f3728b8bb921bd6835dc2aa54587f3cc7121be4776ce2ebc157c0c30c66159d.png I just cant believe how good it's working on you
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93ff94e17c6eefb8fb52dca458e61451da3238ae29757521913375945967bf83.png
No, the US global hegemony / Empire started the process in 1991 and continued to present.
Empire orchestrated 2014 regime change, and the bogus Minsk accords, as attested by former Chancellor Merkel and Zelensky's pogrom in eastern Russian majority lands intentionally erasing Russian language/identity, Orthodoxy, etc. were all 'peaceful' intentions, right?
There never was ANY intent for peace. The Empire directed $hit-show represented by ambassador-extraordinaire Johnson sealed the deal.
And of course Ukraine had an army in 2022; the Minsk accords' main intent (per Merkel) were to 'buy time' and bolster Ukraine defences as well as offensive preparations as directed by the Empire.
In the end this is another orchestrated regime change that will end badly for Ukraine.
Remember, the Empire does not give a $hit about the people of Ukraine, Europe, etc. They are only viewed as an investment opportunity. "F*ck the EU", was a beautiful example of Empire led diplomacy.
It's rhetorical to discuss the failures of pretty well all post-WWII US economic, political and military interventions and strategically setting up global proxies to protect the hegemony.
The Empire has been enjoying the ride since 1991 but is not liking the fact that the new world order is and will become truly multi-polar and they will have to adjust their domestic (especially production) and foreign policies because China, India and Russia have a lot to negotiate with.
Having a militarized economy is not a good model and tariff wars have started.
Let's all hope for the best; at least for our childrens' sake.
Mr Čar I hold you up to a standard cmon
That's taking a selective view, Vila In Tuscany. Ukraine had an army, sure. Not one that had HIMARS, F-16's, access to NATO satellites, cluster munitions, Abrahms tanks, DU shells, of course. Or money to keep on losing.
I own a sword. I can't wage a war against even San Marino. But load me up with NATO's Finest Spare Toys and watch how far I can go.
it's not that Ukraine "wanted" this. The Russian Federation is punishing them for what they DID; murder, ethnic violence, and overt racism against ethnic Russians in Ukraine's east. The Responsibility 2 Protect doctrine door was opened years ago; anyone's allowed to walk through if they carry moral and ethical cause.
If Ukraine didn't start the war, they've always been able to end it. In fact they have shrugged off opportunities to do so.
So has Russia
They have not made secret their ambitions to ahem
Annihilate
Liquidate
Remove
Make the idea of sic disappear
Wipe off the face of the earth
to Ukraine
What the Russian Federation HAS actually made clear is :
To protect ethnic Russians under physical and racial assault in the Donbasi'i.
To create a neutral, non-NATO state in Ukraine to provide a buffer between the RF and an expansionist NATO
To de-Nazify Ukraine, in particular those neo-Nazis in power in Kiev and those infesting the more capable elements of Ukraine's military.
All of these are facts in evidence. If you are new to this website, this site has published evidence demonstrating these as the RF's stated intentions.
The only goal now in question is if the RF could actually de-Nazify Ukraine; it nay be too ambitious a goal when that ideology is so deeply entrenched in many holding power.
1. What the Ukrainians have done to the Russians in our land is no comparison to what they do to our brothers in their land
2. As the great Estonian PM Kaja Källas put it… “NATO expansion doesn’t threaten Russian security… it threatens Russian imperialism”
3. Us Ukrainians, we aren’t really Nazis, I know it would be cool if we were so you could make fun of us, but we aren’t Nazis. There are a few of course, as there are a few everywhere, but Russia has more than us, especially considering Putins party is far-Right, ultra-nationalist², militaristic, revanchist, expansionist, and imperialist.
²: Of course, nationalism is good, but there is a difference between *organic* nationalism and *ethnic* nationalism, which is what Putin preaches.
You're biasd because you're western Ukrainian? Set your eastern Ukrainians free from your installed regime.
Installed regime? He was voted in democratically, and he will”set our peopel free” more than control under putin
1. An assertion, nothing more.
2. One statement from a PM in a pipsqueak freeloader nation in NATO. Color me wildly unconvinced. In the meantime, antiwar.com has dozens of statements and quotes from political experts and Western politicians themselves demonstrating that NATO knows its expansion is a direct threat to the Russian Federation and is viewed as such by the Russians.
3. Not all socialists are communists. And not all Ukrainians are neo-Nazis. But Ukraine is the ONLY COUNTRY ON EARTH to field an openly neo-Nazi battalion / regiment within its official military forces. That's a HUGE f**king problem. And that neo-Nazis have been the most prominent and effective forces against Russian invaders AND in enacting racist policies against ethnic Russians in east Ukraine is ALSO a huge concern. AND their ideology is tied up in their nationalism.
Because when all this is done, those same Aryan supremacists are going to expect and demand power and authority in exchange for their efforts. If they survive they will thrive. And that's a HUGE problem too.
1. Not an assertion, a proven fact.
2. No, the Russians pulled that out of their arse. Back in the early 2000’s, Putin actually liked NATO
3. The Asov Bataljon is nowadays mostly unpoliticised, so that falls apart
Your lying has gotten tiresome. I'm done with this conversation.
You remind me of a conversation I had with my toilet.
Correct. The USA and NATO started the war in 2014 when the Ukrainian elected government was overthrown.
The president in 2014, Mr. Yanukovych, went against the will of the populace and didn’t sight his promised association agreement with the EU, instead giving us closer ties to Putin. Yes, it was overthrown, and he completely deserved it.
So, by your “logic” since the majority of the American people disagree with sending massive resources to the Kiev regime, and “went against the will of the populace” the government of the USA deserves to be overthrown?
Just curious, since you use the word “us”, you seem to be claiming to be Ukrainian. Are you?
Most Americans actually don’t disagree with sending aid
And yes, I am Ukrainian
Perhaps you should consider that the purpose of this conflict is to reduce the male population in Ukraine. So much easier for your oligarchs, along with globalist corporations, to control whatever is left of Ukraine without the male population that might object.
The idea that the EU or American elites care one wit about the Ukrainian people is naive. Neither does "your" government care about the people of Ukraine.
You're being conned. Just like many other countries that have been wrecked by the same bunch of opportunists.
I hope you live in North America or western Europe; I very much want you to be safe and prosperous, and not be put in harm's way..!
I like in Lviv, and I am too young for conscription, but when I get to that age, I will want to join, but I am pursuing what Ukrainian law calls a “scientific career” and and excluded from conscription. Kinda melancholy for me. Would like to help my brothers
"I hate when people say 'If only Ukraine agreed to a ceasfire! So much death would be avoided!'"
Oh well let's rephrase to make it less objectionable to you:
'If only Ukraine had not caved to western pressure to ditch its tentative settlement with Russia in spring 22! So much death would be avoided!'
No they didn't. That was a feint by Russia and their tanks, troops near Kiev were withdrawn when it appeared Kiev was ready to sign a peace accord. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of dead could have been avoided, if our poodle Boris Johnson had not traveled to Kiev to demand Zelensky not agree to anything of the sort.
Sure, son. Keep telling yourself that!
At my age, you're probably young enough to be my grandson. Now scram, sonny. (lol).
You can’t “feint” your way out of this
"They thought Kyiv would fall before March was over!"
I see this propaganda spouted often, but I've never seen a name. It's always "they". I can't recall anyone outside the media propagandists saying that.
The Ukrainian army was three times larger than the Russian force that intervened to show Putin was serious.
I guess it depends on who the “they” in question is.
Personally, I thought at the time that the move on Kyiv was a strategic feint to tie down Ukrainian troops so those troops couldn’t be used in the Donbas, but certain people here assured me that Kyiv would fall before March was over. And then before April was over. And then before summer ended. And then before 2022 ended. And then … well, someday.
"certain people HERE"
IOWs, nobody with any business speaking for Russia. Thanks for playing.
There’s nobody on earth who has any business speaking for Russia. Or for any other large population/land mass. Being a relatively successful overgrown street gang doesn’t actually translate into a mandate to speak for people who may or may not approve of what you’re doing to them, just because you’ve claimed where they live as part of your turf.
Well our NATO allies(?) speak for the US after being told what to say and we're a large land mass. NATO is to the US what the Warsaw Pact was to Moscow, e.g., do as we say or it could be trouble for you.
That was a costly feint. In addition to the troops lost and equipment lost by Russia, they lost the PR war. It appeared to West that Russia intended to remove the government of Ukraine and take over all of Ukraine. If Russia kept their attacks just to the Donbas area, perhaps the West response would not have been so strong.
Well, I could be wrong. If it WAS a feint, it failed to achieve the objective (letting the Russians secure the Donbas in a timely manner before US/EU/NATO aid could slow them down). Not a bad idea, if they had been able to pull it off.
I suppose it’s POSSIBLE that the actual intent was to take Kyiv. But the way things rolled out it doesn’t look like that was the case.
They didn't "attack" Kiev.
For a while the RF did poke at Ukrainian power infrastructure (as I recall, to disrupt electric-train power that was used for military purposes) but backed off on that; I think to keep the burden off civilians (as winter approached).
Many power or gas companies in North America don't do "winter disconnects" for unpaid bills. Customers frozen to death over a missed payment or ten are not worth the bad press.
I think the RF desires a continued relationship with its "Ukrainian cousins" in the future, and is showing restraint.
"If Russia kept their attacks just to the Donbas area, perhaps the West response would not have been so strong."
The West's (US) response would have been the same. Russia took the bait, and the West (US) didn't care where, why or anything else. All Russia had to do was invade and the game was on. Finally, Russia took the bait. Over 30 years of hard work paid off.
It was a very unusual feint in my opinion
1/ [NATO] thought Kyiv would fall before March was over!"
That's what NATO "thought"? Advance thanks for supporting an otherwise worthless claim.
2/ "They probably thought Ukraine would capitulate by Christmas!"
Oh is that why NATO's Johnson pressured Ukraine to ditch its tentative settlement with Russia in Spring 22? So it would not "probably" be defeated by Christmas…
Another NATO official told Bloomberg that the incursion shows Ukraine can challenge Russia.
And yet:
dozens of armored vehicles, including many provided by the US,
it is also strongly backing the invasion by allowing US forces (must have meant Ukrainian) to use US weapons.
The US-backed operation
Sure, let's say Ukraine can challenge Russia.
Let's kill even more Russian and Ukrainian kids. Because that's "good" for the US and NATO.
You must have meant the shareholders of the MIC?
ROSA LUXEMBURG
In war profits go up and people go down.
I LOVE ROSA LUXEMBOURG DONT BULLY HER
I’ve got a cat named for her. The cat’s brother is named after Karl Liebknecht.
Aw
"I LOVE ROSA LUXEMBOURG DONT BULLY HER"
The poster was approvingly quoting Luxemburg, dumbass.
no bullying here
"no bullying here"
except if you 'like' it – then it's fine:
"Try to keep up, jaggoff"
i do not ‘like’ bullying
"i do not 'like' bullying"
you 'liked' "Try to keep up, jaggoff"
sory
Confederate General Robert E. Lee made the same mistake at Gettysburg.
If I had to guess, the Russian goal is not to drive the invading Ukrainians out, but rather to destroy them utterly. Why allow the elite Ukrainians another shot at border crossings elsewhere?
I am increasingly convinced that the western nations will be forced into a direct war with the Russian Federation as it becomes more obvious that their proxy is headed for destruction.