Russia - threadbanned users in OP

We, the readers and contributors to this thread, would be punished for stealing a loaf of bread, not having a TV licence or parking on a double yellow.

Putin, however, is being allowed level cities with impunity. It is obvious that under his unevolved regime, lives don't matter.

Tarred, feathered, put on display in a cage in central Kiev and fed rotted scraps.

Not very geopolitical of me ?

I regard geopolitics as the long term projection of identifiable trends regarding the proliferation of any particular ideology.

Eh?

"A civilised arrangement may be possible"? It's already evident that Putin spits in the face of the wests idea of "civilised"

Macron is suggesting that Ukraine hand over large parts of its territory to appease Putin this time, so that Putin is not humiliated. I mean seriously Wtf? Ukraine may not be WW2, but Putin is certainly a doppelganger for Hitler without doubt.

Appeasement was tried with Hitler prior to the start of WW2 and from history we know how that went. Do you honestly believe that Hitler would have desisted because that "civilised" agreement meant that he wasn't "humiliated" and if only everyone was nicer to him? And everything was all lovely afterwards?

What alternative universe are we living in?

Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust

And another one gone and another one gone

Another one bites the dust

Russian Generals are in short supply, someone is trying to send Putin a message or two methinks. :)

I wonder does Macron have a point in some ways about not humiliating Putin?

I like many other posters here would love to see Ukraine give Russia a bloody nose and see the Russian troops pushed right back over the border.

But we haven't seen Putin use the nuclear card yet, is it possible that if Russia is humiliated and pushed back to such an extent that Putin just says f**ck it and sends one nuclear war head to a random Ukrainian city as a warning to surrender then if that doesn't work decides to target Kyiv and so on, could he be that mad and get away with turning Ukraine into a nuclear wasteland?

I would love to see Putin and Russia humiliated, but there is always that nuclear threat in the background which would worry me.

I think it's universally agreed that they will be no Nuke used by Russia. Putin does not have the support from all the necessary people in Moscow to fire them. All he does is bluster like a school yard tug. The biggest threat would come from Russian sponsored terror attacks which could include dirty bombs. Lucky for us, Putin's army of henchmen are now dead so the foot soldiers for that are in short supply.

None of us really know what state of mind Putin really is in, so we can all only guess at this point. However, Putin likely knows that the nukes are the last ace he has up his sleeve. They are currently his most valuable asset because his possession of such weapons provides him with a degree of impunity. Once he starts using them, they lose this value.

Whilst the Kremlin likely doesn’t care about the optics of becoming the First Nation since WW2 to use nukes in anger, such a move will likely galvanise even some of the more hesitant countries into action, particularly France and Germany, who both have a lot to lose from this war going nuclear. As such, the Russian nuclear arsenal will lose its deterrent value and the west will likely engage Russia on a much broader front than we’re seeing currently. It is also likely to spur China into action as an irrational neighbour lobbing nukes around is likely not in Beijing’s interest. In short, he would massively weaken his own position by using them.

Given the above, and with the aforementioned caveat about Putins state of mind, I doubt that he is going to launch nukes unless the war really turns against him and the core territory of Russia is threatened. He’s not going to throw away his “get-out-of-jail” card, at least if he is somewhat rational.

Now, if he’s at the “Bunker in Berlin, April 1945” stage, then all bets are off naturally.

Agree completely. The same way the West helping Ukraine merely defend itself is labelled a "provocation" by Russia. The double standards are nauseating. But that's what nuclear weapons are worth

It strikes me that Putin is pursuing the war for purely political reasons and for the optics with the domestic audience. Which is why many of the Russian military analysts and observers are becoming depressed and asking "what the hell are we even doing there?". Seems to be no chance of a military success for the remainder of 2022, which begs the question as to what sort of a "liberation" it is, where the place becomes a permanent war zone and uninhabitable.

There is conflicting information coming out. I see some Ukrainian sources now saying that gains in severodonetsk did not happen. That info was put out as Zelensky was visiting the region. Hard to know what is true.

No time for tea break

At first Russian forces first pushed Ukraine forces back with a huge amount of reserve troops,LNR and DNR.Ukraine retreated to the industrial area and hid.Russia had all of the city and were very confident in their victory.Ukraine forces then hit them with Artillery and counter attacked(this may have been a plan/trap).Ukraine forces took 80% of the city.

Russia attacked again today with their reserves/cannon fodder and its 50/50 now with a no-mans land in the city centre which is under heavy Artillery fire.Ukraine forces tried to get closer in an attempt to stop the Artillery fire but Russia kept firing and hit their own men.

This battle is constantly changing.Other reports suggest that the private mercenaries,wagner and VDV have take 60% losses in Ukraine....losses=injured+dead

I don't think Macron is that stupid. "Macroning" might be a smoke screen, while sending weapons in the background....

food war!