The only success from a military perspective is winning a war. Hell of track record we have of late isn't it?
so you would have just ceded Ukraine to Russia? What makes you think Russia would have stopped there? How much of non-nato Europe should we allow Russia to take by force?
What means of production are going to cease? The US will be no better off and much worse supporting this war.
Dispassionately, the jury will be out on that one until the conflict is fully resolved. If Russia ends up with a settlement that officially grants them Crimea and the Donbas (and anything more than that), then yes it will be a strategic victory, regardless of the losses taken over the last year. Russia will be able to say they beat not only Ukraine but also NATO, and we will be the ones asking the hard questions about whether our aid was worth it in all matters except morally. I really don’t want to see that happen. I think Russia needs to be beaten in terms they can’t hide or excuse away.
they are bombing civilian targets and have been since the beginning of the war. not sure if you are just being disingenuous or are that poorly informed. they just sent a fairly accurate hypersonic cruise missile meant to sink carriers into an apartment building. they are raping women and children in an approved strategy. how you can even begin to defend this barbarism is beyond me
I didn't cede Ukraine any more than I ceded territories / nations that have been taken in the past. I believe we can all agree Ukraine is not prepared nor is Ukraine capable of taking Russia or any part of Russian soil for their own. That said this is a European problem not a NATO problem.
well either Ukraine gets western help or they get overrun and subjugated by Russia. Those are the two options. It appears that you would choose to let Russia overrun and subjugate Ukraine and not offer western aid to stop it. Is that incorrect? What makes you think Russia would stop there? When has appeasement ever worked?
That's your tale yet there are two sides to this story. The one you choose to believe or the reports from both sides of the fence. Understand this article is from March 2022 What to know about hypersonic missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine Essentially, all missiles are hypersonic – which means they travel at least five times the speed of sound. Almost any warhead released from a rocket miles in the atmosphere will reach this speed heading to its target. It is not a new technology.
Thank you and I agree with all with one exception: Putin very well may wind up in possession of the Crimea and Donbas. But I believe that the Czars time table for that is what - about 10 months behind schedule now? And lord knows how many rubles have been "over-spent". One thing CAN'T be argued - That Ukraine rolled over and accepted the Cause Beli of the Russian invasion.
Until Putin and Zelensky come to the table you cannot make the assumption that Ukraine will lose all of it's territory.
China and Russia can coexist as long as the US and the western world order exists. If it was just the two of them their expanding spheres of influence would inevitable collide. Because the US and the western world order exists, there is a reason for Russia and China to have an understanding between the two even if there are some collisions in their spheres of influence. Because it is in their best interests to work together instead of against each other. Take away the enormous influence of the western world order, most significantly the US, and that understanding is no longer necessary. How can this possibly be lost on you?
Also - and this is critical - if the powers that be give even TACIT approval of this kind of aggression towards a legally recognized nation, it will be the first, and not the last, attempt by a neighboring power to claim territory controlled by another. Essentially, allowing this kind of action completely destroys the current, mostly peaceful, world order. And you'd be and idiot to say what happens in Europe only matters in Europe. That shit effects us ALL. We already know this from tough experience.
Emotionally, I agree. I’m very pleased that Ukraine has fought as hard as they did and Russia has suffered for its actions. As a military professional, though, nothing matters to me but the victory. I think we can all agree, for instance, that Tecumseh put up a spirited resistance against the U.S. government, but in the end it was literally all for nothing, looking at it dispassionately. I don’t want to thump my chest as an old man, talking about the former Ukraine’s brave but ultimately futile stand against the Russians all of those years ago. I want Ukraine to win in concrete, undeniable terms.
As if we didn't expand our own spheres of influence and insert ourselves in other nations? Let's not be lopsided in that reality. I agree best interests are a driving factor concerning all international trade politics aside. That trade was going full force until COVID struck and now a Russian / Ukraine war. On that note what influence are you taking away? The US will continue to influence other nations to their bidding as will China and Russia. This is what happens when you have super powers in the world. Even so there has never been a nation that has conquered the globe. What should be the height of irony is ever since 2016 all roads lead to Ukraine.
Well lets get that NATO armor moving in the right direction! That just may be the ticket to Ukrainian victory.
It is victory that is the object of all military endeavors regardless of the side one finds themselves on. There will be losers and there will be winners. Here of late there is not much for Americans to thump their chests about period.
No one is asking the US to conquer the globe - but democratic capitalism survives like it does today because of global free trade. There are countries, China and Russia included, that would like to CONTROL trade, and not just allow free trade. For the US to continue to exist as we have all enjoyed post WW2, that type of system cannot be allowed to expand. It's diametrically opposed to the entire framework that allows for our plentitude. It's not even arguable.
