Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Who do you think will last the longest Putin or lukashenko? On paper you would day Putin however lukashenko is a wily operator he did not accede to Russian pressure to join the war early on. He is more like Franco getting as much as he can from Putin with the least commitment

I believe Putins thinking is that the launching of attacks on Russia from Ukraine would be a declaration of war by Ukraine.

Because as we all been told - Putins "special operation" isn't a war

So by Putins bizarre up his own end thinking - he's doing nothing wrong bombing the shite out of Ukraine from Russia and murdering Ukrainian civilians, but if the Ukrainians bomb Russia even if it's military sites responsible for bombing Ukraine - that's justification for anything Putin can come up with.

The fact that some other countries are playing along with Putins mind games is just one of the crazy parts of the illegal invasion, ethnic cleansing and destruction of a neighbouring country by Russias armed forces under Putin

Thing is this won't end until Putin is taken out. And that has to be sooner than later in view of the barbaric war crimes Putin is perpetrating against the Ukrainian people.

The neighbours wouldn't sit around and scratch their heads as the local thug repeatedly beat up the family next door and refuse to do anything because everyone is afraid of the local thug's big stick. And yet Putin not only able to do this, he has asshats like Macron who state that the local thug should not only get what he wants, but he shouldn't be embarrassed by others once he's finished beating up his neighbours, thrashing their house, taking their kids and a portion or all of the garden because he's decided its now all his.

Its not like despots haven't been taken out previously. If not by his own then its going have to be someone else imho.

Which is all rather pathetic - we can do what we want to you but if you attack Russian soil you are declaring war and gives them any excuse to do what they want

Doesn't seem very likely that Ukraine would just randomly bomb Russian cities. There are plenty of targets inside their own borders, munitions are limited and there would be very little to gain. Targeting artillery sites or fuel depots - maybe, if they happen to be in range.

This is a discussion board. People post up links to others Twitter feed or videos as discussion points. That's what it's for.

You labeling people as mercenaries because they thanked someone else's post is contrarian and childish to be honest.

It's just an opinion and you have one too. I understand why he does it just as I understand that geopolitics at times rarely squares with personal mores nor illusory views of what the world should be but it really does not make him nor anyone else who suggests it the bad guy. Not sure why you are linking to rest of this stuff, it's just a bunch of links to people who agree with you.

No, an interest in discussion and negotiations requires compromise diplomacy is what keeps the lines of communication open, sometimes to no avail. Macron is just stating an opinion and in light of the unknown condition of Putin's mind probably a sensible one. Peace is made between enemies and any half gesture that might encourage them to cease is worth pursuing.

Giving the impression but all sides know that no one is currently interested in that impression.

Russia is acting in a way that is verging on an existential threat to Western Europe.

Whether it is humiliated or not is irrelevant, the most important strategic outcome for Europe is that it no longer has a functional army after this and that it cannot blockade the black sea.

No one likes a sycophant.

1 General down,1Aircraft down,1Helicopter down,lots of chechens down on the streets of Severodonetsk,Russian invaders retreating back to the woods.They will come again this week but with nothing new or better.The tide is turning.

Isn't that the 'Neville Chamberlain' approach though? There should always be time for the sort of diplomacy you describe and many people made efforts before Feb 24th, including Macron.

But once Putin threw that away and crossed the Rubicon, he set in motion a set of events that will lead to his downfall one way or another. He's yesterdays man, Ukraine may suffer terribly but so will the Russian economy and their status in the world. He could end it all tomorrow by withdrawing completely from Ukraine territory and paying massive reparations but he'd be finished too in that scenario.

Attempting to allow Putin to save face now is just compounding one mistake with another.

another sad day for Commanders all over Russia