Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy win-win here, and that is let the Russian populated parts go to Russia. Then they can have a clean break from Russia and go their own way. They will never be able to effectively govern these parts anyway.

Russia had those parts and still invaded the entire country anyway.

They sort of had Crimea (Ukraine still claimed it), but not the Donbas.

Crimea's water supply is dependent on the Nova Khakovka dam. Whoever controls that dam can wield a lot of control over Crimea. And right now, Ukraine controls one side, Russia the other.

The other linchpins are the Kerch bridge, already heavily damaged once and I have a feeling not the last time, and the Black Sea Fleet, some of which has been turned into submarines and is now afraid to get within range of Ukrainian shores. And they are dependent on Turkey as to whether they can get any other warships into the Black Sea.

Anonymous wrote:Ukraine is getting the $$$$ - at the top- and American tax payer play da fool.

I don't like the US getting entangled in foreign wars. But time and time again we have sent our money to overseas locations - Iraq ring a bell? - because reasons. We feel we have strategic reasons for wanting to (fill in the blank). I think Putin wants to re establish the former USSR and apparently, our analysts don't think that would be a good idea. I hate that it costs us money but don't you think it's probably a good idea for us to NOT give Putin whatever he wants on a silver platter? What would you just shrug as he invades a sovereign country? What if he turns on another one next? He's killing innocent civilians, you think we should just shrug?

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy win-win here, and that is let the Russian populated parts go to Russia. Then they can have a clean break from Russia and go their own way. They will never be able to effectively govern these parts anyway.

Ukraine governed those parts just fine until 2014. But then Putin's corrupt criminal puppet Yanukovich got tossed out of office and in revenge, Putin employed the "little green men" strategy to saturate the Donbas area with FSB agents, mercenaries and regulars dressed as civilians to try and make it ungovernable by Ukraine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy win-win here, and that is let the Russian populated parts go to Russia. Then they can have a clean break from Russia and go their own way. They will never be able to effectively govern these parts anyway.

Russia had those parts and still invaded the entire country anyway.

They sort of had Crimea (Ukraine still claimed it), but not the Donbas.

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy win-win here, and that is let the Russian populated parts go to Russia. Then they can have a clean break from Russia and go their own way. They will never be able to effectively govern these parts anyway.

Russia had those parts and still invaded the entire country anyway.

There is an easy win-win here, and that is let the Russian populated parts go to Russia. Then they can have a clean break from Russia and go their own way. They will never be able to effectively govern these parts anyway.

Why is the only assumption that Russia must be invaded and bombed into oblivion in order to end the war? Isn't drawing back bloody stumps enough? It was enough to end their Afghan war.

Ukraine is getting the $$$$ - at the top- and American tax payer play da fool.

Yep, we're falling into WW3.

Haha - jinx

I don’t see how they are the bad guy if the bomb Russians - they’ve been bombed relentlessly for almost a year.

I really don’t understand why it would be wrong for Ukraine to bomb Russia. How would that be the fault of Ukraine? Start a war, you might get bombed. Duh.

Invading Russia doesn’t usually end well for the invading force. Plus Ukraine doesn’t *want* more Russians in its borders.

Ukraine’s best bet is to keep bleeding Russia for another season and then negotiate a cease fire under the best terms possible, likely surrendering Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine.

I think the narrative is shifting and soon it will be acceptable for Ukraine to bomb Russia. Everyone will pretend it was totally their own initiative and won’t condemn them (or maybe only formally)

About 6 months into the war; as Russia stalled - I recalled a Ukrainian officer stating that only after Ukraine marched on Moscow would this war be over. Seemed far fetched at the time.

But if you look at history, Russia has been invaded 3 times (Mongols, Napoleon and Hitler) in a major way. Sure Sweden and a few others took their shot but was not much.

As I rewind current history in my armchair quarterback luxury; Ukraine knows that they have one option, and they do not come out the good guy in anyones myopic view of current events.

1) Horde all western weapons, ask for more
2) Lie to their Western supporters as needed to support defense and economy and liberation of their country
3) Prepare for offense with no Western support
4) Occupy Russian western territory at high cost
5) Cede Russian territory to Russia; endure Russia's celebration of repelling NATO invasion
6) Eastern Ukiraine/Crimea become a DMZ

Ukraine will take a serious PR hit and be condemned for crossing the border and using western "defensive" weapons in Russia; but in reality that is their best play other than surrendering their land to Russia.