The Politics Thread

[scutty brown]

He is a realist thinker of the geopolitics school, he said back in 2022 the west has led Ukraine down the primrose path by encouraging it to become a western bulwark on Russia's border.

Bollocks, he's a Putin mouthpiece. He's on a par with Lord Hawhaw

[Massagemanmr]

Yes its professor John Mearsheimer, he who lights the ground behind him as he walks. The light from his arsehole is dazzling. 

meanwhile you still believe the times , BBC, telegraph, GB news , the sun etc and then wonder why you're so far behind the curve . 

Don't forget Western media never ever lies , here's the proof
External Link/Members Only

[scutty brown]

where is your source that the Russian 5,459 nukes do not work ?

It's well documented that most of them lacking fuel and corroded

[scutty brown]

France & UK have around 500 nuclear warheads combined, Russia has around 6000, you question Russian weapons, what makes you think ours work and theirs don't? there has not been a nuclear test carried out by UK or France in the 90's. For the record the last two times the UK trident missiles were tested in 2016 & 2024, both tests failed.

The tests didn't fail. It was the diagnostic monitoring system that failed

Unfortunately British intelligence is embarrassingly lying, and have done now about the Ukraine war for four years. Ukrainian MoD claimed since last year that Russian KIA were over 1 million, and looking now they say 1.3 million.
What they don't tell the public, is it is the Ukrainians that have suffered catastrophic losses. Hence why they're dragging men off the streets. External Link/Members Only

You're believing the Putin propaganda again

Well done you have swallowed the propaganda completely. Russia banned convict assault units back in June 2023, but obviously the jackonory still exists.

And that's why they're still recruiting prisoners......of course there aren't as many now as a lot of them got killed

[Massagemanmr]

It's well documented that most of them lacking fuel and corroded

source ?

[maxQ]

It's well documented that most of them lacking fuel and corroded

The Iranian missiles don't work either

[Jerboa]

Bollocks, he's a Putin mouthpiece. He's on a par with Lord Hawhaw

Utter bollocks, he has the wrong opinion so must be another Lord Hawhaw. 

[finn5555]

Anyone who trusts or believes everything GB news say need to give their head a wobble 

[Jerboa]

The tests didn't fail. It was the diagnostic monitoring system that failed Still failed though

You're believing the Putin propaganda again GCHQ stated 500,000 Russian KIA, but this week Ukrainian MoD states 1.35 Million, for years UK MoD has just copy and pasted UKR MoD KIA figures, Medizona a anti Kremlin site with help of BBC Russia claims 220k, where are they pulling those numbers from their arse?

And that's why they're still recruiting prisoners......of course there aren't as many now as a lot of them got killed

So I showed you evidence that Russia banned convict volunteers in 2023, but you're just, trust me bro they're still doing it, while not mentioning Ukraine does it.

It's well documented that most of them lacking fuel and corroded

On Russia/Ukraine it's best if we deal in facts, not the narrative cooked up by western intelligence and politicians. Remember when von der Lying said with a straight face in 2022 that russian soldiers were stealing washing machines and dish washers, to take out the microchips because there was a lack of chips for military weapons? 


So you claim the Russian nuclear triad is knackered, come on it's not 1992 anymore, strategic bomber force, SLBM's & ICBM's not working and out of fuel? Please add some sources, rather that "it's well documented"

[finn5555]

It's well documented that most of them lacking fuel and corroded

Regardless of how many don’t work for any country I am sure there are enough to cause carnage.

Nobody knows the full extent of what the current capability of any countries deterrent/threat is not even the media 

Certainly nobody on this sex forum does 

[Squire Haggard]

meanwhile you still believe the times , BBC, telegraph, GB news , the sun etc and then wonder why you're so far behind the curve . 

Don't forget Western media never ever lies , here's the proof
External Link/Members Only

If I'm behind the curve then you must be in cloud cuckoo land.
Hidden Image/Members Only

[mills_and_bhuna]

Look at it from a Russian point of view....many of the lost people have been the criminals, the mentally ill, the unemployed, the non-Russian nationalities within the Russian Federation. All groups that Putin would like to see shrink to save on government resources.

Where do you get this bollocks from ?
Strangely enough the people who seem to have an inordinate amount of sway in Western government policies have made quite troubling and revealing statements when they get asked tricky questions regarding resources and population.
Peter Thiel. Alex Karp. Elon Musk. Sam Altman. And I don't think these sociopaths would stop at the mentally ill and unemployed.

[mills_and_bhuna]

Interesting video, here is Ray McGovern the G.O.A.T of old school Soviet desk intelligence of the CIA  External Link/Members Only

Glenn Diesen is really good.
I also reccomend Neutrality Studies which he sometimes appears on with Pascal Lottaz.

[mills_and_bhuna]

I think you're spot on with you're analysis and we can see evidence as Russia has stepped up it's attacks .

For Russia this is basically (like you say) the west using Ukraine as a buffer . Should Russia get backed into a corner they will simply nuke Ukraine . So there was never any chance of winning this (can you believe it, we get lies to with the.... just need storm shadows, we just need HIM ARE, just need more tanks etc)

It will be a small token nuke but that "should" be enough to signal Europe to behave.

Then hopefully we can stop feeding our tax payer money into this dead end war and utility prices can come down

The Ukraine war was never meant to be won.
It was only required to be waged.
At least the one that started in 2014 with the CIA backed coup.

[Doc Holliday]

The Ukraine war was never meant to be won.
It was only required to be waged.
At least the one that started in 2014 with the CIA backed coup.

Are you saying Russia invaded with the intention of not winning? His post was all about Russia not the West.

[Jerboa]

Are you saying Russia invaded with the intention of not winning? His post was all about Russia not the West.

Mills is correct, read the RAND corporation Extending Russia 2019 External Link/Members Only
The plan from 2014 was to use Ukraine as a strategic battering ram against Russia. In Feb 2022 Russia invaded with 180k-100k troops, that's not enough to effect a full military invasion of the second largest country in Europe, the plan was to shock Kiev to come to the negotiation table, and if you remember it worked, 48hrs later Zelensky talked about Ukraine could be neutral, and he sent his team to Gomel Belarus and then to Istanbul. by the end of March the peace deal was initialled by both sides in Istanbul, then Washington & London told Zelensky, keep fighting you can beat the Russkies, the west actually believed they could beat Russia not militarily in their back yard, but that the huge sanctions would nuke Russia's economy, and that would precipitate regime change in Moscow, which is the primary target of the neocons since around 2007.

[Jerboa]

Glenn Diesen is really good.
I also reccomend Neutrality Studies which he sometimes appears on with Pascal Lottaz.

Yes I watch both, as well as The Duran and Alexander Mercouris's daily programs.

[RedKettle]

Mills is correct, read the RAND corporation Extending Russia 2019 External Link/Members Only
The plan from 2014 was to use Ukraine as a strategic battering ram against Russia. In Feb 2022 Russia invaded with 180k-100k troops, that's not enough to effect a full military invasion of the second largest country in Europe, the plan was to shock Kiev to come to the negotiation table, and if you remember it worked, 48hrs later Zelensky talked about Ukraine could be neutral, and he sent his team to Gomel Belarus and then to Istanbul. by the end of March the peace deal was initialled by both sides in Istanbul, then Washington & London told Zelensky, keep fighting you can beat the Russkies, the west actually believed they could beat Russia not militarily in their back yard, but that the huge sanctions would nuke Russia's economy, and that would precipitate regime change in Moscow, which is the primary target of the neocons since around 2007.

Whilst Russia did not attack with the 3:1 advantage that convention would say was needed to succeed that was arrogance and incompetance.  It is clear from the forces committed and the plan of attack that they were aiming to take over the country.  One assumption was that a large proporation of the population and perhaps Ukrainian forces would go over to them.

150,000 regular soldiers plus others taking it to 200,000 is sizeable - plus 2800 main battle tanks, several thousand armored vehicles, thousands of rocket launchers and artillery pieces etc etc.  Also of course hundreds of aircraft and helicopters. 

It was a greater force than the Coalition used in Iraq.

Everyone thought they would achieve a total victory but when Putin failed the narrative was re written by Putin fan boys that he never intended to invade.  That is bollocks and the fact you spout that just confirms my view of you.

[Doc Holliday]

Mills is correct, read the RAND corporation Extending Russia 2019 External Link/Members Only
The plan from 2014 was to use Ukraine as a strategic battering ram against Russia. In Feb 2022 Russia invaded with 180k-100k troops, that's not enough to effect a full military invasion of the second largest country in Europe, the plan was to shock Kiev to come to the negotiation table, and if you remember it worked, 48hrs later Zelensky talked about Ukraine could be neutral, and he sent his team to Gomel Belarus and then to Istanbul. by the end of March the peace deal was initialled by both sides in Istanbul, then Washington & London told Zelensky, keep fighting you can beat the Russkies, the west actually believed they could beat Russia not militarily in their back yard, but that the huge sanctions would nuke Russia's economy, and that would precipitate regime change in Moscow, which is the primary target of the neocons since around 2007.

Yes I am aware of all that and it is a valid discussion, but that wasn't my question?

I asked him this simple question. Just to clarify I was referring to 2022

Are you saying Russia invaded with the intention of not winning? His post was all about Russia not the West.

[Jerboa]

Whilst Russia did not attack with the 3:1 advantage that convention would say was needed to succeed that was arrogance and incompetance.  It is clear from the forces committed and the plan of attack that they were aiming to take over the country.  One assumption was that a large proporation of the population and perhaps Ukrainian forces would go over to them.

150,000 regular soldiers plus others taking it to 200,000 is sizeable - plus 2800 main battle tanks, several thousand armored vehicles, thousands of rocket launchers and artillery pieces etc etc.  Also of course hundreds of aircraft and helicopters. 

It was a greater force than the Coalition used in Iraq.

Everyone thought they would achieve a total victory but when Putin failed the narrative was re written by Putin fan boys that he never intended to invade.  That is bollocks and the fact you spout that just confirms my view of you.

I will answer here for Doc and yourself, facts don't care about your feelings, all along since the Minsk agreements of 2015 were not ratified by Kiev, Russia had kept trying to get them and the west to implement the agreement, that would mean peace in the Donbass. It has now come out that Kiev was told by the US not to bother, Merkel & Hollande who's countries were guarantors of Minsk, in 2022 admitted it was a ruse to waste time, so to allow Ukraine to rearm their military.

The 24 Feb invasion was a military shock, the primary objective was get Kiev to the table. Now if the Kiev government had collapsed I'm sure Moscow would have exploited the situation. The most important thing for them was to stop the ongoing war against the Donbass, Ukraine was planning a offensive in early March, and had sent more units and increased artillery fire along the contact line before 24th Feb.

The Istanbul peace agreement proves Russia wasn't after territory, the agreement returned back to Ukraine Kherson, Zaporizhzhia oblasts and that Lughansk & Donetsk would have autonomous status in Ukraine, which was what the Donbass rebels were protesting for in 2014. The main points of Istanbul was Ukraine agreed to neutrality and not to join Nato or allow foreign military on Ukraine soil without agreement with Moscow.

In years to come historians will lament how badly Ukraine handled this situation, and how Ukraine lost so much. 

[Doc Holliday]

I will answer here for Doc

Thanks for your reply, but you cannot answer for M&B. It was him I asked 

[Jerboa]

Thanks for your reply, but you cannot answer for M&B. It was him I asked 

Okay thought you were asking me. 

[Doc Holliday]

Okay thought you were asking me. 

Apologies I probably should have quoted his post first to make it clear.

[mills_and_bhuna]

Are you saying Russia invaded with the intention of not winning? His post was all about Russia not the West.

Why do you think I said 2014 ?
If you believe the media they'll tell you the war, which we must remember to stress, was a totally unprovoked war of aggresssion.
Jerboa pretty much covered what I happen to believe is the case.
Ukraine is a proxy used to extend Russia.
China is the main target.
They call it 'Strategic Sequencing'.

[finn5555]

Why do you think I said 2014 ?
If you believe the media they'll tell you the war, which we must remember to stress, was a totally unprovoked war of aggresssion.
Jerboa pretty much covered what I happen to believe is the case.
Ukraine is a proxy used to extend Russia.
China is the main target.
They call it 'Strategic Sequencing'.

Good god 

[DastardlyDick]

The biggest problem in the Russian/Soviet Military is/was endemic corruption.
Let's say you want anti corrosion stuff for an ICBM the spec may say xyz and cost $1000 per barrel. By the time it gets to the missile it's generic cheap crap costing $100 and a lot of that will be nicked by Officers and NCOs to sell on the black market, as it's still better than what the average citizen can buy for their car if they have one. They have the odd purge every so often, examples are made, all that does is teach the next lot how not to do it.
I'm not saying there is no dodgy stuff going on in Western Armed Forces, but the Russians have taken it to an art form.

[Doc Holliday]

Why do you think I said 2014 ?

Yes I can read. This is what you said.

The Ukraine war was never meant to be won.
It was only required to be waged.
At least the one that started in 2014 with the CIA backed coup.

However and as I have since clarified, I was referring to 2022 onwards which is what the post you quoted was all about.

I think you're spot on with you're analysis and we can see evidence as Russia has stepped up it's attacks .

For Russia this is basically (like you say) the west using Ukraine as a buffer . Should Russia get backed into a corner they will simply nuke Ukraine . So there was never any chance of winning this (can you believe it, we get lies to with the.... just need storm shadows, we just need HIM ARE, just need more tanks etc)

It will be a small token nuke but that "should" be enough to signal Europe to behave.

Then hopefully we can stop feeding our tax payer money into this dead end war and utility prices can come down

So do you think Russia invaded in 2022, not intending to be victorious in the war?

Also, as an aside, I notice you made no comment on the main thrust of his post, including his assertion that Russia will use nuclear weapons

[Doc Holliday]

On another note..

Jerboa pretty much covered what I happen to believe is the case.

Really and yet only ten days ago you said this about him?

You wouldn't know the truth if it smacked you between the eyes.

[Jerboa]

The biggest problem in the Russian/Soviet Military is/was endemic corruption.
Let's say you want anti corrosion stuff for an ICBM the spec may say xyz and cost $1000 per barrel. By the time it gets to the missile it's generic cheap crap costing $100 and a lot of that will be nicked by Officers and NCOs to sell on the black market, as it's still better than what the average citizen can buy for their car if they have one. They have the odd purge every so often, examples are made, all that does is teach the next lot how not to do it.
I'm not saying there is no dodgy stuff going on in Western Armed Forces, but the Russians have taken it to an art form.

Yes Russia still has problems with corruption, after the September 2022 mobilisation of reservists, it was found that some of the regional officers responsible for holding personal combat equipment for mobilised troops, had be selling it off, the stores were bare. Hasten to say some fellas received a all-inclusive package to a penal colony.

[DastardlyDick]

"So do you think Russia invaded in 2022, not intending to be victorious in the war?

Also, as an aside, I notice you made no comment on the main thrust of his post, including his assertion that Russia will use nuclear weapons"

I suppose it depends on what you call an Invasion, there were Russian troops on Ukranian territory covertly assisting  pro Russian separatists before tanks rolled over the border.
As for the use of nukes, , again, it depends on what Putin's motives are - some say he just wanted to install a puppet regime, like he's got in Belarus and re-create the territory of the former USSR. Others say he's after rare earth metals, which, it is said, Ukraine has a lot of. I would suggest that in either case, the use of nuclear Weapons, even small ones would be a bit of an own goal - who wants land that's unusable for  years?

[Massagemanmr]

"So do you think Russia invaded in 2022, not intending to be victorious in the war?

Also, as an aside, I notice you made no comment on the main thrust of his post, including his assertion that Russia will use nuclear weapons"

I suppose it depends on what you call an Invasion, there were Russian troops on Ukranian territory covertly assisting  pro Russian separatists before tanks rolled over the border.
As for the use of nukes, , again, it depends on what Putin's motives are - some say he just wanted to install a puppet regime, like he's got in Belarus and re-create the territory of the former USSR. Others say he's after rare earth metals, which, it is said, Ukraine has a lot of. I would suggest that in either case, the use of nuclear Weapons, even small ones would be a bit of an own goal - who wants land that's unusable for  years?

professor John Mearshimer breaks down why he believes Russia might use Nukes

External Link/Members Only

[Jerboa]

"So do you think Russia invaded in 2022, not intending to be victorious in the war?

Also, as an aside, I notice you made no comment on the main thrust of his post, including his assertion that Russia will use nuclear weapons"

I suppose it depends on what you call an Invasion, there were Russian troops on Ukranian territory covertly assisting  pro Russian separatists before tanks rolled over the border.
As for the use of nukes, , again, it depends on what Putin's motives are - some say he just wanted to install a puppet regime, like he's got in Belarus and re-create the territory of the former USSR. Others say he's after rare earth metals, which, it is said, Ukraine has a lot of. I would suggest that in either case, the use of nuclear Weapons, even small ones would be a bit of an own goal - who wants land that's unusable for  years?

From what I gather Ukraine will no longer be able to take a independent route, they will be another puppet union state like Belarus is. In 2022 Moscow was fine with Ukraine joining the EU, just as long as they were neutral and no Nato.
That is off the table now, from listening to Russian analysts. Nuclear weapons is a last resort for Russia, they have potent conventional weapons that they could hit Ukraine with first, like wiping out Bankova street, the Rada and the presidental palace for starters. If the message isn't taken Russia will strike locations in Europe, again with conventional weapons first, Russia would not be so restrained in using a nuke there as they would in Ukraine, Who believes the USA would trade Philadelphia for Lublin? I just don't think many folk realise how close we are. 

[RandomGuy99]

I think Russia will give up eventually provided the West keeps supplying Ukraine with arms to kep Russia at bay. Ukraine is starting to bing the war home to civilians in Russia and I'm sure plenty of people in Russia are hearing the truth about the war via radio and many will have worked around the internet restrictions in Russia.

Losing 500,000 soldiers is not something you can hide. The Russian people will see the funerals and the cemeteries filling up and the severely injured returners. It's all for nothing

[Jerboa]

I think Russia will give up eventually provided the West keeps supplying Ukraine with arms to kep Russia at bay. Ukraine is starting to bing the war home to civilians in Russia and I'm sure plenty of people in Russia are hearing the truth about the war via radio and many will have worked around the internet restrictions in Russia.

Losing 500,000 soldiers is not something you can hide. The Russian people will see the funerals and the cemeteries filling up and the severely injured returners. It's all for nothing

The west doesn't have the weapons to give or sell to Ukraine. Did you ever hear of the plan from President Pavel of Czechia? He organised a plan to manufacture or buy 155mm shells for Ukraine. This was after they went around every third world nation asking to buy any scrap or old Soviet 152mm shells that were laying about. European manufactures have failed to supply 1 million shells, Ukraine has had to rely on drones rather than heavy artillery.

Losing 500,000 men would be catastrophic, and something you can't hide, it's just not true though, Russia has had casualties, but nowhere close to the figures Ukraine or the west claim. What do you think Ukraine's losses are?
The body exchanges that have taken place have been roughly 1,000 Ukrainians to double digits for Russian bodies.

[Doc Holliday]

Losing 500,000 men would be catastrophic, and something you can't hide, it's just not true though, Russia has had casualties, but nowhere close to the figures Ukraine or the west claim. What do you think Ukraine's losses are?

Only Russia and Ukraine will know a relatively accurate figure for their own respective casualties and neither have been honest. In addition both exaggerate the others losses. To complicate it further I understand Russia no longer release any information on their own?

There are many other sources for estimates of losses, but the estimates vary widely and are also subject to bias. As a result people choose sources that best fits their own bias.

Casualties are significantly large on both sides and ultimately not sustainable for either country.

[Doc Holliday]

I suppose it depends on what you call an Invasion, there were Russian troops on Ukranian territory covertly assisting  pro Russian separatists before tanks rolled over the border.
As for the use of nukes, , again, it depends on what Putin's motives are - some say he just wanted to install a puppet regime, like he's got in Belarus and re-create the territory of the former USSR. Others say he's after rare earth metals, which, it is said, Ukraine has a lot of. I would suggest that in either case, the use of nuclear Weapons, even small ones would be a bit of an own goal - who wants land that's unusable for  years?

This is quite a long read  External Link/Members Only

[Massagemanmr]

I think Russia will give up eventually provided the West keeps supplying Ukraine with arms to kep Russia at bay. Ukraine is starting to bing the war home to civilians in Russia and I'm sure plenty of people in Russia are hearing the truth about the war via radio and many will have worked around the internet restrictions in Russia.

Losing 500,000 soldiers is not something you can hide. The Russian people will see the funerals and the cemeteries filling up and the severely injured returners. It's all for nothing

to keep Russia at bay?

[RandomGuy99]

to keep Russia at bay?

From taking control of Ukraine.

Eventually they should get to the point of accepting a stalemate and decide to give it a rest for 10 to 15 years and Ukraine will join NATO or whatever is left of NATO after Trump.

[Jerboa]

Only Russia and Ukraine will know a relatively accurate figure for their own respective casualties and neither have been honest. In addition both exaggerate the others losses. To complicate it further I understand Russia no longer release any information on their own?

There are many other sources for estimates of losses, but the estimates vary widely and are also subject to bias. As a result people choose sources that best fits their own bias.

Casualties are significantly large on both sides and ultimately not sustainable for either country.

If you remember the Soviet war in Afghanistan, western media influenced by CIA/MI6 reported that the USSR had lost a huge figure, a few years afterwards, when Soviet archives were declassified, it proved the real casualty numbers were only a fraction.

You are correct, we will only learn the gruesome figures after the war is over. Every side lies in war, and they are not going to produce honest casualty figures. What I will say is take a look at both countries, Ukraine from day 1 restricted men aged 18-60 from leaving Ukraine, Russia didn't, there has not been a military draft in Russia, young men do their 12 month national service, but are banned from fighting in the SMO. In Ukraine they have not yet drafted 18-22 year old men yet, some voices in Kiev wants this to happen, go on social media and you see dozens of clips of Ukrainian recruiters dragging men off the streets, this doesn't happen in Russia.

[Jerboa]

This is quite a long read  External Link/Members Only

A interesting read, with some truths, but lots of tropes too, like the ridiculous statement that Russia can't produce enough artillery shells. Rutte previously said that Russia “is producing four times more in ammunition than the whole of NATO is producing in a year.” External Link/Members Only

I could comment on more but would be a long post, he did recognise Mearsheimer's realist postition.

"Putin’s desire is not to recreate the Russian Empire but merely to prevent his country from being encircled by the alliance. This ambition is rather more modest than the Monroe Doctrine of the United States, which claims the entire Western Hemisphere as a military cordon sanitaire. In 2008 the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow described NATO membership for Ukraine as “the brightest of all red lines for the Russian elite,” emphasizing that it was not just Putin who had objections but the entire political class. This message from a very well-informed professional never seems to have made it to Washington."

The simple point is, if China or Russia setup a military alliance with Mexico, and started training the Mexico army, supplying them, and installing missle batteries on the Rio Grande, what do we thin DC would do? 

At the end of the article he mentions the Baltic republics, funny how nobody in Europe ever mentions the civil rights of the minority Russian speakers, if Russia feels that these minorities are being treated badly, they have passed a new law on how they could act, if the chihuahua republics had any sense, they would reverse their anti Russian policies, and practice inclusivity.

A Latvian Alien Passport
Hidden Image/Members Only

[Squire Haggard]

If you remember the Soviet war in Afghanistan, western media influenced by CIA/MI6 reported that the USSR had lost a huge figure, a few years afterwards, when Soviet archives were declassified, it proved the real casualty numbers were only a fraction.

You are correct, we will only learn the gruesome figures after the war is over. Every side lies in war, and they are not going to produce honest casualty figures. What I will say is take a look at both countries, Ukraine from day 1 restricted men aged 18-60 from leaving Ukraine, Russia didn't, there has not been a military draft in Russia, young men do their 12 month national service, but are banned from fighting in the SMO. In Ukraine they have not yet drafted 18-22 year old men yet, some voices in Kiev wants this to happen, go on social media and you see dozens of clips of Ukrainian recruiters dragging men off the streets, this doesn't happen in Russia.

There has been a military draft in Russia.

Looking at the war footage, I dont know how they get people to do it. Many left the country when they first announced conscription. Why should they risk their lives because Putin wants to prove that he is the new Stalin.

External Link/Members Only

[Blackpool Rock]

From what I gather Ukraine will no longer be able to take a independent route, they will be another puppet union state like Belarus is. In 2022 Moscow was fine with Ukraine joining the EU, just as long as they were neutral and no Nato.
That is off the table now, from listening to Russian analysts. Nuclear weapons is a last resort for Russia, they have potent conventional weapons that they could hit Ukraine with first, like wiping out Bankova street, the Rada and the presidental palace for starters. If the message isn't taken Russia will strike locations in Europe, again with conventional weapons first, Russia would not be so restrained in using a nuke there as they would in Ukraine, Who believes the USA would trade Philadelphia for Lublin? I just don't think many folk realise how close we are. 

Baffling why they haven't used them to decisively end the war, I guess it just shows what a great upstanding guy Putin really is "Going easy" on the Ukrainians, oh no silly me I forgot that this isn't actually a war it's a special military operation 

Are these the same or presumably different conventional weapons that has stopped them from winning in over 4 years and dragged the conflict on for longer than Russia fought the Nazi's 
Russia steamrolled into Ukraine and most people thought it would have totally taken over the country quite quickly but their conventional kit and tactics are so shit that they couldn't achieve it, anyone else remember the something like 40 mile queue of tanks and vehicles leading up to Kiev which was largely stuck as it had run out of fuel 

What this conflict has clearly shown is that Russia's conventional capability is basically shite and the only way they haven't been totally destroyed by the West is purely down to the fact that they have Nukes

[Jerboa]

From taking control of Ukraine.

Eventually they should get to the point of accepting a stalemate and decide to give it a rest for 10 to 15 years and Ukraine will join NATO or whatever is left of NATO after Trump.

Your premise is incorrect, there is no stalemate, it is a war of attrition. Just because western media ignores what is going on on the battlefield, because it's bad news for Ukraine, doesn't mean nothing is happening.
For example Russian troops are today 10-15 miles from the Donbass conurbation of Slaviansk & Kramatorsk, the last of the great fortress towns defending this conurbation are falling.

Ukraine will never join Nato, Russia won't have it and some European countries don't want it either. And no nation can join Nato while their is a dispute of it's territory with another nation.

[Jerboa]

There has been a military draft in Russia.

Looking at the war footage, I dont know how they get people to do it. Many left the country when they first announced conscription. Why should they risk their lives because Putin wants to prove that he is the new Stalin.

External Link/Members Only

You do understand none of these national servicemen go to the SMO right? They do their 12 months service in Russia, they can volunteer after their service to be a contract soldier.

[finn5555]

From taking control of Ukraine.

Eventually they should get to the point of accepting a stalemate and decide to give it a rest for 10 to 15 years and Ukraine will join NATO or whatever is left of NATO after Trump.

Totally stalemate and although Russia makes some progress they then get pushed back, maybe they will reach an agreement over land, Ukraine never joining NATO and the senseless loss of life will cease.
We can only hope

[Doc Holliday]

go on social media

No thank you 

If you remember the Soviet war in Afghanistan, western media influenced by CIA/MI6 reported that the USSR had lost a huge figure, a few years afterwards, when Soviet archives were declassified, it proved the real casualty numbers were only a fraction.

Indeed and one day we may know the figures for Ukraine and Russia but not yet. Some (often with the best of intentions to be neutral) go to great lengths to try and establish the numbers now. Have a look at this but just scroll down to the Materials and Methods section. WTF?!!! External Link/Members Only

In relation to conscription etc then it is a numbers game around population. Russia has a huge advantage. Ukraine's population has considerable problems both historically and currently. External Link/Members Only Ukraine cannot sustain losses. Neither can Russia. Peace is needed.

In 2022 I posted on here that Russia would overwhelm Ukraine within weeks and topple the regime. How wrong I was and Russia's military capability as a global superpower has been shown to be severely lacking in so many respects.

[Jerboa]

Baffling why they haven't used them to decisively end the war, I guess it just shows what a great upstanding guy Putin really is "Going easy" on the Ukrainians, oh no silly me I forgot that this isn't actually a war it's a special military operation 

Are these the same or presumably different conventional weapons that has stopped them from winning in over 4 years and dragged the conflict on for longer than Russia fought the Nazi's 
Russia steamrolled into Ukraine and most people thought it would have totally taken over the country quite quickly but their conventional kit and tactics are so shit that they couldn't achieve it, anyone else remember the something like 40 mile queue of tanks and vehicles leading up to Kiev which was largely stuck as it had run out of fuel 

What this conflict has clearly shown is that Russia's conventional capability is basically shite and the only way they haven't been totally destroyed by the West is purely down to the fact that they have Nukes

Well actually you will be shocked to learn that Putin is a MODERATE! Even though the west has demonised him, as they do to every enemy leader. In February 2022 Nato believed Russia would go in hard, in the same way the US did in insert said country here. There are hardliners in Moscow that argue Russia should go in hard. What is likely to happen next is that they will target Ukrainian decision making centres, notice Zelensky shot out of Ukraine and is rattling his bucket around Europe again? They won't target him, as he is actually good news for Russia, he is so corrupt and inept that Moscow will keep him alive for now. But they will likely target his intelligence and command structure, to include Nato personnel in Ukraine, that are imbedded with Ukrainian forces.

[Jerboa]

No thank you 

Indeed and one day we may know the figures for Ukraine and Russia but not yet. Some (often with the best of intentions to be neutral) go to great lengths to try and establish the numbers now. Have a look at this but just scroll down to the Materials and Methods section. WTF?!!! External Link/Members Only

In relation to conscription etc then it is a numbers game around population. Russia has a huge advantage. Ukraine's population has considerable problems both historically and currently. External Link/Members Only Ukraine cannot sustain losses. Neither can Russia. Peace is needed.

In 2022 I posted on here that Russia would overwhelm Ukraine within weeks and topple the regime. How wrong I was and Russia's military capability as a global superpower has been shown to be severely lacking in so many respects.

Russia still hasn't organised a general mobilisation, they have done limited mobilisations of reservists, men who have served as professional contract soldiers. They have been paying high wages to volunteers that they haven't had to do more mobilisations.

You weren't the only one saying in 2022 that Russia would overwhelm Ukraine. The US joint chief of staff and many military analyst thought they would, because they believed Russia would use a conventional war fighting doctrine.

[Doc Holliday]

The simple point is, if China or Russia setup a military alliance with Mexico, and started training the Mexico army, supplying them, and installing missle batteries on the Rio Grande, what do we thin DC would do? 

But that is not 'simple'. Never going to happen. China needs a stable world to trade with.

[Jerboa]

But that is not 'simple'. Never going to happen. China needs a stable world to trade with.

You understand my point right? the US would not stand for a foreign power using Mexico as a proxy against the US, so why wouldn't Russia have the same issue?