My understanding is that fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Russia is likely to be quite unpopular, like military mutiny level unpopular. Since Luka relies on the military to maintain his rule you can see the conundrum.
Belarus might be better off in the long term by joining Ukraine. I'm not sure what their public sentiment is on Russia vs Ukraine. People I know from Belarus readily admit that it is a puppet of Russia but they are actually OK with that.
There is little chance now of a nuclear strike. Any time up to now would have been the time to drop it. The earlier the better. But now ? No benefit waiting until all Russian armies are defeated and then dropping one. That's just stupid-lose the war and the peace ?British and American spies believe there is 'credible intelligence' to suggest the Russian president is preparing an attack that will turn the war effort in his favour after coming to the realisation that the war was 'a colossal mistake'...
Putin is understood to be planning land-grab of four regions said to have voted overwhelmingly to join Russia after sham referendums in which residents were marched to the ballot box at gunpoint...
But there is concern that Putin is planning a nuclear attack west of the regions that would create a radiation dead zone and put a halt to Ukraine's so far successful counter-offensives...
Western leaders fear Putin planning deadly nuclear strike
British and American spies believe there is 'credible intelligence' to suggest the Russian president is preparing an attack that will turn the war effort in his favour.www.dailymail.co.uk
Tubes. It's the one thing they have lots of.Meantime Russia's going down the tubes.
No. God no. Not one of us knows where that would lead. In the event that Putin actually uses a tactical nuke, our response should be "robust" but entirely non-nuclear. This is the way diplomacy works. This is the way we keep the high ground. World opinion matters.The US should give UKR several tactical nuclear artillery rounds.
Again, no. Our response has to be measured and proportionate. If we learned anything from the events that led to WWI, it's that tit for tat riding of the escalation ladder leads to a wholesale slaughter no one wants.I saw a retired Air Force officer who was precise-the US would take out the Black Sea Fleet. In about 1/2 hr, he said.That is credible.
Again, no. Our response has to be measured and proportionate. If we learned anything from the events that led to WWI, it's that tit for tat riding of the escalation ladder leads to a wholesale slaughter no one wants.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO
The sign Belarus will actually attack would be them removing their own mines from the border. I haven't seen any reports of that. Ukraine has of course also heavily mined their own side now.
It is a very wide border. How heavily defended would the path to Lviv be?
Heh... I noticed they all look so happy. I guess they'll have their own personal fiefdom to loot... if the partisans don't get them.
If you look again you will see that K1052's reference to history was to WWI.-snip-
BTW, citing WWII is clearly misinformed. The advent there was the opposite of escalation, rather it was littered with compromise and futile concessions . The lesson of WWII is to go hard and fast and be the first to cry victory.
US doesn't have those rounds any more. The were desperation weapons for the Soviet hordes that were expected in WW3. The shells didn't even go far enough to keep the artillery team safe from the fallout.There is little chance now of a nuclear strike. Any time up to now would have been the time to drop it. The earlier the better. But now ? No benefit waiting until all Russian armies are defeated and then dropping one. That's just stupid-lose the war and the peace ?
The US should give UKR several tactical nuclear artillery rounds. Let RU worry about the neighbor with equal skin in the game.That way, the gloves will come off if RU launches, UKR not having to wait on a terrified NATO response.
Best to be prepared but there is no info anywhere on what precisely the US response to a nuke will be. I saw a retired Air Force officer who was precise-the US would take out the Black Sea Fleet. In about 1/2 hr, he said.That is credible. So tell us,what is at stake for Russia exactly ?
Lovely graphic, hope it's prescient:
It is rather sad.Lovely graphic, hope it's prescient:
I don't see those as medals, but symbols of NATO and EU membership in the aftermath.It is rather sad.
Putin defeated,
But country destroyed,
And NATO give her a nice medal for winning,
While the place lies in ruins.
We can do better,
And to be fair the majority of Ukraine is not in ruins.
The orcs were stopped before it came to that.
We definitely need to get Ukraine in NATO. Ukrainians know how to fight and win. That is just self interest.I don't see those as medals, but symbols of NATO and EU membership in the aftermath.
Delusions of grandeur, or simply reaffirming their intent from the beginning?
If they can muster 100-200k men from the north, including Belarus, does Ukraine have enough men and ammo to hold a 3,000 km long line?
Russian state TV: “This is not the last referendum. Kharkiv, Kyiv and Poltava will follow. We are at the beginning. We will bring everyone back to the motherland.”