Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

Yes. that about sums it up all right. As to what will happen with Russia post Putin, that's the 6 million dollar question ( or even trillion dollar) The positive signs emerging is that financially, they're not in a good place. and it's getting worse. Economically, whoever comes after Putin, will have financial basket case on his hands. And will not be in any position to make any demands on the EU, UK or US. And despite all the bluster and talk, militarily, they're not too good either.. This is not to say that there neaten, far from it, but to continue to fight at the rate that this war is shaping up to, I doubt that they can continue for more than 6-8 mth's or so. We will see.

Edit: waffle + thoughts below:

Am also pessimistic about anyone "better" (for Ukraine and the West) taking over after him.

For a while I have believed the best approach given Ukraine are fighting very hard to stay independent + survive and Russia is weaker than expected is to swallow fears of escalations, give Ukraine what they ask for weapons-wise, and hope they can shatter Russia's military and run it out of most /all of the post Feb 2022 occupied territories, on a rail.

There is a decent chance IMO that Putin would be removed after such a collapse, once it is big & obvious, can't be glossed over and he also cannot mollify or bully those under him any longer. They may be jostling for position if we see personal criticisms of him appearing in public from an ally like Prighozin. I don't think that is all just for show, or faked. In any case Putin won't last forever, see below article/interview on it from a few weeks ago:

The successor may be another warmonger who despises Ukraine/ & the US/EU/West, but if the state finanaces are quite bad and he has little military tools left to go on the offensive post a large setback in Ukraine, I think it possible he (almost certainly he?!) will just put all the blame on Putin for the war's failure and then retrench somewhat. If there's no agreement ending the war, it could devolve into a hotter "North Korea" type situation at Ukraine's defacto borders with oscillating levels of tension, Russia firing salvos of missiles etc. into Ukraine on a semi-regular basis or doing cross border raids.

Unfortunately it means the Western stance towards Russia has to be kept as is until there is significant political change, the sanctions will stay in place indefinitely (hopefully they can be increased) and Europe will have to rearm back close to the Cold War levels, maintain a Ukraine armed to the teeth and keep deterring a weakened but very angry and hostile Russian leadership from taking more military actions. I feel people in several key countries are likely going to have to get used to stuff like possibly bringing back conscription and very large (vs last 30 years) military budgets once again to get through this successfully.

I don't know how that is going to go down with joe public (not well probably, on top of all the other problems we have). When I think about it + the grim likely future ahead I just start to get (even more) f-cking enraged with Putin and all those who are forcing this utter idiocy on everyone. They are a bunch of evil f-ucking **** who should be loaded up on a rocket and fired into the sun.

100 Western tanks mostly older variants ,100 or so modern IFVs a few months nato training,no aircover,not enough artillery and missles systems and some Storm shadows missles was never going to defeat the Russians behind multiple lines of defenses and fortifications and still has its aircraft and helicopters intact and still heavily outgun the Ukrainans in artillery,

They have depleted the Russians and done some serious damage to the Russian military,but they have not been given the tools to defeat the Russians, Ukraine were promised 1 million artillery shells in the new year and we are now heading to July 7 months in and guess they are still only discussing about the 1 million artillery shells, that they haven't delivered,nato stocks are now running low ,so decisions are going to be need to be made, keeping pumping all the can into ukraine and hope nothing else kicks off or get involved directly in the war and finish the Russians sparking a wider conflict

There was no "civil war", Russia proxy invaded Eastern Ukraine.

Incredibly the second sentence is actually true, well done.

It wasn't a civil war it was the initial invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces

Even after Girkin admitting responsibility for shooting and shelling in Dunbass, and blaming it on the Ukrainians. Very same formula Putin used before, when he blew up the Moscow apartment's. Killing 300 people and injuring many more, then blaming it on the Chechens and using it as justification for attacking and levelling Grozny. The leopard does not change his spots!!!!

I have directly accused you of posting Russian lies without subjecting them to scrutiny. If you believe them thats on you. The sites you are relying on are anti American, only too eager to lap up whatever propaganda Russia dumps. They are not objective arbiters.

You falsely presented the 14.000 deaths as all being Ukranian responsibility. Without merit. Without foundation. If Russia interfered and you knew that, it makes your earlier claims look even worse.

Noted you ran away from the question about Budapest. OF course it is to be expected it woudnt lead you to doubt the sources you seem to rely on?

How does Mearsheimer describe Russias actions where it violated its sovereign treaty with Ukraine to interefere in its independence by threatening economic warfare if Ukraine signed a treaty with the EU?

What does he suggest Ukraine should have done and how can you reconcile that with any sense of freedom, human rights, democracy or basic morality?

So how would you describe it?

Not so quick to throw out labels now I suspect?

Well? Thats another question no doubt you will run away from in another example of the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of your position.

You are posting Russian lies. Whether you believe them is on you.

You earlier falsely assigned all responsibility for the 14000 deaths pre 2022 to Ukraine. You did this despite being aware of Russias involvement. Those two statements cannot be reconciled.

So you have no answer to the questions put to you on Budapest. You are quick to throw out labels like coup but when asked to comment on Russias interference in Ukraine you have no such words. You call yourself an anti Imperialist but are here defending Russias imperialism in Ukraine. A morally bankrupt position. That is not the position of anyone who values freedom, democracy or the right of Ukraine to decide its own fate. It is the position of an imperialist. Look in the mirror.

Russia interfered in Ukraine and violated Budapest when Ukraine wanted to sign treaty with EU. Not NATO. The EU.

Fact.

You keep running away from this point with nonsense about NATO and but but but Mearsheimer. As if he is some moral objective arbiter when instead he justifies might is right, he justifies imperialism.

So you get your facts straight. Because where you are getting them from is feeding you lies and imperilst propaganda.

You are the defender of Imperialism here.

Or do you accept that Ukraine has the right as a sovereign state to join the EU without Russian interference? As is provided for in the Budapest and Helsinki accords Russia signed either in its own right or as USSR?

Yes or no?