Russia - threadbanned users in OP

If anyone wades in with the "but America..." line, it would be a good question to ask where they're going with that line of rhetoric. They never really draw many solid conclusions from the point they raise, which makes me suspect it's a weaselly way to try and undermine the moral position of Ukraine by just sowing a bit of doubt.

In any case, Ukraine will take weapons from whoever is supplying them in order to defend their country. The only particulars they can really ponder at this time are the ones which would give them the best strategic outcome. Everything else is going to be for the vast amount of books written about this conflict for years to come.

I try not to as I definitely would not understand all of those complexities.

I would agree there will be no Russian "reparations" in the way you have defined them (like Versailles). My feeling is the UN and all international structures have failed when it comes to this conflict. It is going to be up to US/EU and allies to punish Russia.

In terms of natural justice of making the one who destroyed Ukraine chip in for a reconstruction, the only thing they have left is what Russia owned in these Western countries.

There is an incentive there for them to try and build some kind of collective approach to it among themselves rather than see Russia just sail off free of obligations after this stupid war ends, having wrecked its neighbour.

Vietnam didn't have 300 billion dollars of US assets frozen...

In my view, the really complex piece is what happens when the fighting stops.

Ukraine will need massive help reconstructing itself. Reintegrating all the refugees. But I have every confidence this will happen and that it will enter the Western European economic, social and political sphere for ever. Up to and including eventual EU accession.

It's what happens to Russia that is the most challenging strategic problem. It will still be a nuclear-armed, confrontational, xenophobic dictatorship run by a kleptomaniac (even if, highly unlikely in my view, Putin is deposed or dies - he will be replaced by someone of similar ilk).

How the collective West engages with this rogue state will be an enormous challenge. Ultimately we want Russia to be a force for good in this world...how we get to that point, I have no idea.

I don't know why you waste your time. The Ignore feature is a highly useful one. All you will get from idiots like that one is deflection and sophistry (and you can't beat a fool at their own game, so why bother trying?).

It would be a useful exercise, and we have some smart people on this thread, to imagine some potential answers to these questions:

1. what will be the catalyst for the fighting to stop? Exhaustion of force? Total defeat of one side or another? Nuclear weapon usage?
2. what parts of Ukraine might still be under Russian control when the fighting stops? Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Crimea?
3. what would happen to such Russian-occupied territories? Frozen conflicts such as Nagorno-Karbakh?
4. what would a peace agreement look like?
5. how quickly would Ukraine integrate itself into the EU?
6. how would the West engage with Russia post-conflict? Carrot vs Stick?
7. what changes could happen in Russian political and civil society post-conflict? Will Russia ever democratize?

The natural trend, especially in the information environment of 2023 with our instant access to updates, is to focus on the 'here and now' tactical environment but the real focus should be on the long-term strategic landscape

It's a discussion forum discussing primarily the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

You see there you go again, trying to play the victim. Yet nobody 'demanded' anything of you. You were asked a simple question. Yet you will not engage in this core and relevant point germane to the entire discussion.

That you will not condemn it, and engage in these shenanigans when asked, is now taken by other readers of the thread as proof positive of the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of your position. And the utter hollowness and hypocrisy of any claims you make re: concern for civilian life & the victims of this war when you will take no position on this crucial point.

As I said, your posts on this thread are exercises in intellectual bankruptcy (just asking questions, smokescreens and deflections) and moral bankruptcy (refusal to condemn illegal war and Russian war crimes).

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Wouldn't you be so proud of our home grown EU officials.

You couldn't make it up.

I think it's naiive to expect all 200+ countries on the planet to be forces for good. We have prisons for individuals who can't conform to societal norms; some of them never do and spend most of their life locked away from the rest of society. I see the same happening to Russia. Once they have been kicked out of Ukraine, just isolate them and prevent them from interfering with other countries. Russia will probably implode and degnerate into civil war. But after seeing what they're capable of towards Ukraine, I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep over it.

Another one out the window

It's a question of scale, ultimately.

Russia is geographically enormous, vastly rich in natural resources but most importantly, has a massive stockpile of nukes.

North Korea is containable. Russia is not. We're going to have to reckon with them strategically.