War in Ukraine — Megathread

[Stuart-T]

I have changed my position on this war. I now believe Russia must lose at any cost. Whatever it takes. I am encouraged that opposition in Russia to the war is growing and the frustration of China with Putin's bungled invasion - is good news for Ukraine. I am sure that China would not attack Taiwan unless they thought they could win a quick easy victory. What is happening to Russia right now must be giving them some pause.

 

[ZFire]

I have changed my position on this war. I now believe Russia must lose at any cost. Whatever it takes. I am encouraged that opposition in Russia to the war is growing and the frustration of China with Putin's bungled invasion - is good news for Ukraine. I am sure that China would not attack Taiwan unless they thought they could win a quick easy victory. What is happening to Russia right now must be giving them some pause.

Imagine what alternative timeline we could be living in if things had gone well (for Russia) with this invasion. It would have emboldened both China and Russia. Not only has Putin weakened his own country, he's probably weakened China quite heavily too, by both association and practical comparison now.

 

[Juan]

Putin mobilises army reserves to support Ukraine invasion

According to the Guardian, the Wagner group is recruiting people in Russian prisons to fight on the Ukraine war.

 

[Rockman]

Putin mobilises army reserves to support Ukraine invasion

According to the Guardian, the Wagner group is recruiting people in Russian prisons to fight on the Ukraine war.

Desperation!

 

[Juan]

Desperation!

My personal feeling is Putin will end up using tactical nuclear weapons.

 

[ZFire]

Desperation!

My personal feeling is Putin will end up using tactical nuclear weapons.

@Rockman, what we've learned in this war thus far is that the size of armed forces does not in any way correlate to effectiveness of armed forces (in modern warfare). Mobilization won't do anything other than get thousands more badly armed Russians killed.

@Juan, Putin's not using nuclear weapons. He threatened to use nukes if western nations aided Ukraine in some capacity, but nothing came of it. He's weak, beaten, scared, and pathetic. All the fear mongering stuff people start doing when he speaks is exactly what he wants.

 

[Stuart-T]

Thousands protesting on Russian streets since Putin announced partial mobilisation. I wonder why? I mean who wouldn't want an adventure holiday in Ukraine and a free trip back in a body bag in exchange for an order of Lenin star.

The penny is dropping now that young men who were getting on with their lives in Russia - getting married - hoping for family life etc - are going to be facing Ukrainian tanks and bullets instead.

Sadly though - Putin has the power to crush all domestic opposition.

 

[Lane]

Wagner group is recruiting people in Russian prisons

I believe those "people" in Russian prisons are called prisoners. Lol.

 

[Juan]

I believe those "people" in Russian prisons are called prisoners. Lol.

Sorry for my bad English. We could discuss this in Spanish, si quieres...

 

[Juan]

@Juan, Putin's not using nuclear weapons. He threatened to use nukes if western nations aided Ukraine in some capacity, but nothing came of it. He's weak, beaten, scared, and pathetic. All the fear mongering stuff people start doing when he speaks is exactly what he wants.

In my opinion, if Putin were desperate, then the world would have reasons to be truly scared.

 

[Paul1980]

I am starting to think that part of Putin's aim is to purge some of his population, and dissenters in his military, by sending them into battle. It is a convenient way to gain more control.

In other words, maybe he styles himself after Stalin. He destroys another country, gains some territory, and kills his opposition at the same time. It's a win win for him.

 

[Rockman]

Russian people are leaving in droves, flights are full. They want out.

 

[kingsfan]

I really believed those Russian lawmakers were going to have Putin arrested, but it looks like they have been summoned by police instead?

 

[Paul1980]

Russian people are leaving in droves, flights are full. They want out.

I can't wait to hear the propaganda from Russia about this. Maybe they will say "Our comrades are going to Finland for the sauna season." Or "NATO magnets are pulling the cars over the border. Any Western magnet aggression will be met 100 fold with Russian Magnets, which are more powerful and technically advanced."

I wouldn't drive your car around the Bering Straight right about now.

Or my favorite: McDonald's reintroduced the McRib. Chomp.

 

[Juan]

Russian people are leaving in droves, flights are full. They want out.

Out where?

For instance, the Baltic Republics have said they will close borders to Russian citizens. This is ironic taking into account the Russians laundered in Estonia an amount of money equivalent to 1.5 times the Estonian PIB.

So Estonia wanted Russian money but now they do not want Russians in Estonia.

Lithuania is just making all this bold statements because they are after US money. Lithuania is a small country and they just want 1.000 or 1.500 million USD and that's all, but China reacted to Lithuania's statements on Taiwan and blocked all imports of goods produced in Lithuania, so on that side Lithuanians are screwed.

And the EU must have told Lithuania to just shut up in order not to further anger China, which is completely logical...

 

[Stuart-T]

This move of Putin will cause panic. National service in Russia is bad enough. A lot of young men do their best to get married and have a child as I understand it exempts them from the dreaded national service. Or they pretend not to receive draft papers and just never answer the door. Think how desperate they will be to avoid fighting in Ukraine.

 

[Paul1980]

You can say democracy is BS all you want, but we have never sent our troops around to force people to vote. Crappy democracy is much better than forced oligarchy.

Putin is now giving orders to his generals, and forcing them to defend Kherson. The comrades are expendable. He'll just find another 300k people to throw in there.

He is really trying to make a name for himself. Maybe there will be a documentary about famous war blunders.

Every time he is on TV, it appears he isn't living his best life.

 

[Stuart-T]

You can say democracy is BS all you want, but we have never sent our troops around to force people to vote. Crappy democracy is much better than forced oligarchy.

Putin is now giving orders to his generals, and forcing them to defend Kherson. The comrades are expendable. He'll just find another 300k people to throw in there.

He is really trying to make a name for himself. Maybe there will be a documentary about famous war blunders.

Every time he is on TV, it appears he isn't living his best life.

When you get bored of all the luxury and hookers you can handle - what next? Start a war.

Putin was hoping to go down in history as the man who restored Russia as a world superpower.

The only place his name will be fit to be remembered and uttered is a filthy rat infested toilet in a Syrian hell hole for Assad's murderers.

 

[ZFire]

This latest mobilization from Putin will likely become the next big minefield for the Russian army. They were lacking sheer man power, but now that they have (laughably low quality) troops, not sure if they can actually find officers to lead them. I'm expecting the Russians to act more and more disjointed and disorganized. They'll abandon any semblance of an ordered military force, turn more into a literal barbarian horde, like pre-Roman times. The supposed "Second Army" of the world ladies and gentlemen.

And I'm not looking forward to Putin's speech tomorrow (plans to announce the annexation of specific regions from Ukraine). He has become increasingly deranged and will probably drop in some more nuclear threats towards Ukraine and the west because that's all he got at this point.

 

[Rockman]

So who blew up the pipeline?

 

[Lane]

So who blew up the pipeline?

Who's the sickest man on the planet?

 

[Rockman]

Who's the sickest man on the planet?

Haha nailed it.

 

[Anima]

So who blew up the pipeline?

Who benefits?

 

[Lane]

I hope the Biden administration and NATO allies have as much of a spine as Petraeus assumes they do.

Retired general David Petraeus predicts the US would destroy Russia's military in Ukraine and sink its naval fleet if it used nuclear weapons

• Retired general David Petraeus said Russia is "desperate" after a string of setbacks in Ukraine.
• He said that the US and NATO would retaliate if Russia used nuclear weapons.
• "You have to show that this cannot be accepted in any way," he told ABC News.

"four-star general David Petraeus said that the US and its allies would destroy Russia's military forces in Ukraine and sink its Black Sea fleet if President Vladimir Putin used nuclear weapons...

..."Just to give you a hypothetical, we would respond by leading a NATO, a collective effort that would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black Sea," said Petraeus..."

 

[Juan]

And the war continues...

Explosions rock Kyiv a day after Putin accuses Ukraine of terrorism

First attack on capital in months comes as blasts are reported across the country following Crimea bridge bombing

 

[Stuart-T]

I hope the Biden administration and NATO allies have as much of a spine as Petraeus assumes they do.

Retired general David Petraeus predicts the US would destroy Russia's military in Ukraine and sink its naval fleet if it used nuclear weapons

• Retired general David Petraeus said Russia is "desperate" after a string of setbacks in Ukraine.
• He said that the US and NATO would retaliate if Russia used nuclear weapons.
• "You have to show that this cannot be accepted in any way," he told ABC News.

"four-star general David Petraeus said that the US and its allies would destroy Russia's military forces in Ukraine and sink its Black Sea fleet if President Vladimir Putin used nuclear weapons...

..."Just to give you a hypothetical, we would respond by leading a NATO, a collective effort that would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black Sea," said Petraeus..."

Tha'ts clever - and what do you think Putin's next move will be? Just 1 flattened western city in retaliation. I would think that once the nukes start flying - conventional weapons will be irrelevant. Maybe Putin will put down his marker after all - and say what he wants to end this war. I am not saying it should be given him. But the world is moving in a very dangerous direction.

 

[Lane]

Maybe Putin will put down his marker after all - and say what he wants to end this war. I am not saying it should be given him. But the world is moving in a very dangerous direction.

I think this is where heavy pressure on the Chinese comes in, the one "entity" that has more potential influence over Putin than anything or anyone else. I would like to think there's a LOT of diplomacy going on behind the scenes to get China to get Putin to start coming to his senses. This is where leadership comes in, but I have my doubts Biden is up to the task. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Stuart-T]

I think this is where heavy pressure on the Chinese comes in, the one "entity" that has more potential influence over Putin than anything or anyone else. I would like to think there's a LOT of diplomacy going on behind the scenes to get China to get Putin to start coming to his senses. This is where leadership comes in, but I have my doubts Biden is up to the task. I hope I'm wrong.

I hope the Chinese understand that economic woes in Europe is bad news for China as Western Europe I believe is their largest export market. They think they can support Russia's madness without any cost to themselves?

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

I hope the Chinese understand that economic woes in Europe is bad news for China as Western Europe I believe is their largest export market. They think they can support Russia's madness without any cost to themselves?

Right now China is the only strong country to get Putin to put his toys of destruction away. They can totally put a stop to an uneccesary war. NATO and the US haven't got the backbone to step in and help to stop the murdering of citizens.

 

[Paul1980]

It appears Putin is trying to do his best Hitler impersonation. Always remember - he started this. He could have avoided what appears could lead to his undoing, though I think unlikely.

What a sad man - unrestrained, blatant attacks on civilians. Nobody attacked him. Ideas don't attack and hurt as much as missiles and bombs do.

It's oil oil oil, and grain. He thought he could beat them into submission. He drove a truck down the bridge he built to the country he is trying to steal. It is a bridge of a criminal. The criminal's bridge must fall.