The CIA Thought Putin Would Quickly Conquer Ukraine. Why Did They Get It So Wrong? High-tech surveillance may have blinded the U.S. to how corruption has weakened the Russian military. The U.S. intelligence community’s stunning failure at the beginning of the war to recognize the fundamental weaknesses in the Russian system mirrors its blindness to the military and economic weaknesses of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, when Washington failed to predict the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. While not all U.S. intelligence analysts underestimated the Ukrainian will to fight, the community’s missteps in Ukraine came just months after American intelligence gravely underestimated how fast the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan would collapse in 2021, leading to a rapid takeover by the Taliban.
Add to the Pentagon’s calling for negotiations, probably too late. Russia now looking to dismantle Ukraine altogether ...
So I’m overestimating Putin, because I said he would never achieve vassal states to reconstitute the Soviet Union? Interesting.
I am wondering is this post of mine a violation of calling someone names. Calling Carpevitas Neville is an obvious illusion to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who tried to get peace by trading land. If it is a violation I will happily spell out what I meant without the illusion. Something along the lines of Carpe your posting remind me of Neville Chamberlain’s peace in out time statements.
Your assessment of 130,000 does not agree with U.S. estimates but is closer to what Russia is trying to say now. But let’s say 130K is closer to correct. Why not attack with overwhelming force if you have the means to do so? I don’t know the answer to that question, but my professional estimate is that it probably comes down to logistical limitations; Russia simply cannot sustain anything greater in the field. Russia is struggling with its current strength in the field. Trying to support the size army they need to take, hold, and pacify ground under circumstances where, at best, the general population is lukewarm to the war effort would be ludicrous.
How delusional and/or misinformed do you have to be to think you can waltz into Kyiv in less than a week, have the gov't capitulate, and the entire nation of Ukraine just rolls over and accepts their fate?
Why is likening someone to a historical figure who prefers appeasement to fighting “name calling”? Particularly if that someone is advocating something a lot like appeasement and in its best light is isolationist?
Air dominance seemed to be one of the bigger areas Russia didn’t meet expectations. Maybe everyone bought into their propaganda of their military strength. “Meanwhile, one of the biggest mysteries for U.S. analysts has been Russia’s failure to gain control of Ukraine’s skies, despite having a far larger air force. Aircraft design flaws, poor pilot training, and gaps in aircraft maintenance have left Russian aircraft vulnerable to Ukraine’s air defenses, which have been bolstered with Stinger missiles and other Western air defense systems.”
We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves. Americans are no different. To the political left, it’s laughably obvious when the right is lying to itself. To the political right, the opposite is equally true.
You see it as appeasment. I see it as buying time to strenghten our hand. Europe has now learned the lesson of their folly. Correcting the mistakes before heading into a war that is detrimental to all would be prudent. As is the die has been cast. If you think the rest of the globe is going to forego energy supplys to satisfy Europe's needs for a war between Russia and Ukraine good luck with that one.
A mutual defense agreement signed voluntarily is not the same thing as "imperialism." That would be attempting to annex territory through the use of military force.
He’s such a doofus that he’s added to Russia while demilitarizing NATO. Germany has just declared that it has enough weapons to fight for 2 days.
