Kind of a weird post, because basically you are saying that until 10 years ago we were no better than Ukraine, and making my point that all countries have complicated pasts. Different countries come to terms with their past at different speeds. Turkey still hasn’t apologized for the Armenian genocide, and they’re an ally technically, and we’re a strong ally for many years. Heck we only recognized the genocide recently. As for Bandera, simply pointing out his faults without mentioning why he was actually honored is disingenuous. For all his faults (and few dispute them), he is seen as a founder of Ukraine. He was the first to declare an independent state, and was actually killed by the KGB. So I wonder what symbolic significance he might have? Here’s an unbiased article on him, good and bad. Stepan Bandera: Hero or Nazi collaborator? – DW – 05/22/2022
Your point of complicated pasts is well taken and it is not our task to remove the complications of other nations.
The Ukrainian government is hopeless and if you think for one minute Zelenski is going to step down after this is over with more power to you.
Pure isolationism is at least a defensible position. But time and again we have learned it isn’t practical, including twice already on that continent. It’s stop Putin now (or at least give him serious pause on his next escapade) or deal with a more powerful Putin later on our doorstep. And I will say again, the value that we have gotten for what we have spent relative to our budget, with no troops being sent, is among the best military bargains in US history. There really hasn’t been a downside for us in this war to this point. Nor have the calamitous predictions over gas prices breaking the coalition, the collapse of the dollar, nuclear war, or any others come to pass.
Odd take. You assume Zelensky, if he even survives the Russian attempts to assassinate him for another year, wants to be dictator for life??? So because of this, we should just throw our hands up and let the Russians decapitate the Ukraine govt… and see an actual war criminal and dictator for life Putin take over the country? I assume if Ukraine can survive or even repel Russia, Zelensky would be seen as a hero figure and of course the west would likely prefer him to stay in office, to keep some stability there (it’s not like even a “defeated” Russia won’t try to destabilize the future political situation with or without Zelensky). Not sure I buy he is setting himself up to be a dictator. For all we know he may be happy just to see this through. You are simply making an assumption to justify your own bizarro takes.
Yeah, let's wait until they are the gates of San Diego before we try to check them. It would be too late if that were ever come to pass.
And I'm sure they appreciate the support from Pootie Pie! Everyone of them should be checked for Russian donations.
Wow another Russian apologist appears. seriously why do people think the us can just stay quietly in our bubble and ignore the world? smdh…
Another “Russian apologist”- Gen. Harald Kujat (ret.) and former advisor to Angela Merkel is angry. Bullet points ... *Russia has its reasons *peace was a present possibility *there were people in the West who did not want peace *Boris Johnson torpedoed negotiations in March *the war is going very badly for Ukraine *US pressing Germany to arm Ukraine so as to destroy prospects for any future rapprochement with Russia *the West can not possibly provide enough weapons to blunt Russian objectives Nr. 1 vom 18. Januar 2023 - Zeitgeschehen im Fokus
Sounds like it is about to be outsourced. Bid or negotiation is unknown. Thoughts? The US is scrambling to find what experts say may be the 'most important' hardware Ukraine needs to hold off Russia in 2023 This month, the Army is conducting an Industry Day to "inform the industrial base of the potential U.S. Army requirements to accelerate the production and delivery of 155-mm Projectiles and ancillary equipment and the need to expand the industrial base capability." This includes not just the shell itself but all necessary components such as propellant, fuses, and packing materials.
This is big. I suspect Wagner head to help Putin find peace soon. Naming him as head of criminal enterprise may give other oligarghs or FSB sr staff against him as successor. US to designate Russia's Wagner mercenary group as a 'transnational criminal organization' | CNN Politics
but if Pregoshin is declared an international criminal, it will make it almost imposssible for Russia to ever be able to return the int'l stage. I would think that most in Russia would prefer to move on after Putin and Pregoshin will not offer that option as head of a designated international criminal syndicate.
Russia itself is basically a criminal gangster state. Even before the war and all the related sanctions there was limited international investment in Russia because their rule of law is shit. Poisoning and murdering business leaders tends to chill economic development. Who’d a thunk it.
Our military is hardly being dragged into anything. They are acting as advisors in and around Ukraine. How many of them have been injured or killed so far? Yes, we are supplying weapons, and we are not necessarily morally or contractually obligated to do so (other than it is a self-governing country that values its freedom). It is in the world's best interest to stop Putin now, because if Russia gets control of Ukraine, they will weaponize the agricultural output of one of the world's largest exporters of food. Millions will starve, and there will be wars breaking out almost daily throughout Africa and the Middle East (yes, wars do get started over starvation--people don't go to the grave quietly). Do you want us to spend billions trying to feed the world, or would you rather Ukraine do it? For such an allegedly corrupt nation, they actually do something positive for the world. How about that? (Also, do you want the U.S. getting involved trying to maintain peace in all of the starving countries? Because some of them will spawn terror organizations like Al Qaeda and ISIS, and they may try to strike us again.) As far as the cost of supplying weapons and ammunition, how much do you think we spend every year on the military? How much of that spending would we NOT need to have if Russia and China did not have functioning/dangerous and over-sized militaries? 80%? 90%? This is the cheapest way to degrade the military of one of our largest adversaries, and make the world a safer place. What did the U.S. do with military spending after the USSR collapsed? We cut it severely. Because we could. Their military collapsed along with their economy. Do you like spending trillions on the military, having troops on hair-trigger alert all the time? Because that's what you're advocating for. Helping Ukraine fight off the Russians is the best bang we can possibly get for our military spending. Ukraine's troops are an effective fighting force, and are using the weapons and ammo not for training, but for eliminating Russian troops and weapons, bankrupting and neutering one of the world's most dangerous and hostile militaries. Ukraine is not dragging the U.S. into the fight; supporting them is a smart investment. Letting them die would be both immoral and incredibly foolish. As to whether Ukraine is "hopeless" in its corruption, sometimes a major event such as a war for survival can create an impetus to clean up bad practices like corruption. If Ukraine wins, they will almost certainly need foreign assistance to rebuild. That will give us some leverage over their policies. No reduction in corruption = no increase in aid. Countries can change. The U.S. certainly did. Standard Oil bought out (or intimidated) most of the other oil companies in the late-1800's to get a monopoly on oil, but was forced to divest when Taft and T.R. passed anti-Trust legislation and enforced it.
