Russian invasion of Ukraine

[YUPPIE]

Putin isn’t coming off as very “strong” right now.

doesn't matter to the right-wingers abroad, he has the money. We can never know how it feels though, to have someone bribing you millions to sow disinformation in your homeland.

[Iliena]

not just the US. The majority of the world's right-wing.

No it's not, you really do need to get off Reddit and look at other sources, you totally lack perspective.

[Belize]

Judging from speculation, there are plenty of military experts that don't believe there will be a 200k man assault on Kyiv.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/5845

Yuppie is the top expert on the war in Ukraine. When has he ever been wrong?

[Calfredd]

Yuppie is the top expert on the war in Ukraine. When has he ever been wrong?

Except for those times he was always wrong, he's never been wrong!

[Xyonai]

but that makes them a threat; they're killing another country's civilians indiscriminately and often deliberately.

Oh for sure, they'd be absolutely abhorrent monsters just like Russia's being.

They just lack the capacity to launch a land war against Ukraine unless they wanna get skullfucked by the neighboring countries who hate them or leave themselves vulnerable to the citizen uprising that started because Iran cannot stop raping and murdering its citizens over taking offense to how they wear their headwear.

And even if they wanted ot directly start shooting civilians... that doesn't mean we should just cow-tow to their saber rattling and scare-mongering. You don't give these cruel dictatorships an inch, you punch them in the fucking nose and remind them that they exist because obliterating their sorry asses isn't worth our time.

[YUPPIE]

Putin increasingly angered by the fact Biden and Zelensky are apparently completely ignoring him.

MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Thursday (Dec 22) accused Kyiv and Washington of turning a deaf ear to its concerns and charged the United States was using Ukraine as a battleground to weaken Russia.
It came as President Vladimir Putin insisted Russia was aiming for a speedy end to the fighting.

"Our goal is ... to end this conflict. We are striving for this", he told reporters. "We will seek to make sure that it all ends, and the sooner, the better".

"All conflicts end, some way or another, with talks ... The faster our adversaries (in Kyiv) understand that, the better it will be," Putin said.

Moscow's military chief has said Russian forces are now concentrated on wresting control of the eastern Donetsk region where the battered city of Bakhmut has become an epicentre of fighting.

Officials in Moscow have repeatedly said in recent months that they have not ruled out talks with Ukraine.

They blamed the closure of diplomatic channels on President Zelenskyy, who has said he will not negotiate while Putin is in power.

[zealo]

Pootie upset his attempts at getting Ukraine to surrender by terror bombing civilians isn't working.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

They blamed the closure of diplomatic channels on President Zelenskyy, who has said he will not negotiate while Putin is in power.

Pretty sure diplomatic channels were closed the moment Putin started committting warcrimes in Ukraine.

[Corvus]

Ukraine has been very upfront and reasonable about what it would take to get talks going again. Only pootie is making unreasonable demands in that regards preventing it. Basically they say Ukraine has to accept russias illegal annexation of the 4 oblasts, even though they don't control most of it, for talks to happen.

[Gabriel]

so I just want to bring it up again since it's close and Ukraine just received Patriot missiles:

How do you think Russia's January - February 200k (estimated) man assault on Kyiv will play out? Judging from speculation, just think of the way they assaulted Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion - renewed, but with more numbers.

More attackers with worse equipment than last time = s lot more dead invaders.

[YUPPIE]

In short (12/23/2022):

Wagner has just received fresh weapons and missiles from North Korea, illustrating the latter is still in this and an important ally to Russia. Considering North Korea is kept on a leash by China, does that in any way mean China is involved by proxy?

[Shadowferal]

In short (12/23/2022): Wagner has just received fresh weapons and missiles from North Korea, illustrating the latter is still in this and an important ally to Russia

I'm sure Putin feels all kinds of reassured...almost a year into this 3 day war.

[Gorsameth]

More attackers with worse equipment than last time = s lot more dead invaders.

Every Yuppie brings up a new attack on Kyiv I just think about what would have happened to that 70km convoy if Ukraine had all the Western equipment they have now back then and then smile a little on the inside at the utter carnage.

[YUPPIE]

I'm sure Putin feels all kinds of reassured...almost a year into this 3 day war.

considering he's now said he's gonna take this for "as long as it takes" it is probably reassuring to him; the last we heard of Russian logistics, it was about how they're running out of shit and very badly.

But as evident from that last page and this new development, Iran and NK are there for Russia.

[Gorsameth]

There is only so much NK can do for Russia. They are not an industrial powerhouse.

I will take the entirety of the Western world over Iran and NK every day of the week.

[Huehuecoyotl]

"All conflicts end, some way or another, with talks ... The faster our adversaries (in Kyiv) understand that, the better it will be," Putin said.

And sometimes those "talks" involve one side saying "you're going to sign this peace deal, despite it being objectively terrible for you."

That's what happens when one side is losing to such an extent. Russia has no leverage here; they either continue to fight a war that the US is happy to fund (because it's costing them relative pennies to utterly destroy Russia as military threat) or they give up. Giving up would involve, I believe, them pulling out of the entire Ukraine (including Crimea) and Ukraine having the right to join NATO (which they would, because nobody trusts Russia not to go back on any deal they sign).

The only thing they might get out of this deal is getting some of their frozen assets back. While the rest of them go towards rebuilding the damage they've done to Ukraine. That might be a small carrot alongside a whole swathe of sticks.

First step will be getting Putin out of power. That guy has gone full Zapp Brannigan. He won't give up as long as there is meat he can throw in the grinder. Once he's replaced, his successor can start rewriting history 1984 style.

[Dontrike]

considering he's now said he's gonna take this for "as long as it takes" it is probably reassuring to him; the last we heard of Russian logistics, it was about how they're running out of shit and very badly.

But as evident from that last page and this new development, Iran and NK are there for Russia.

Problem is "as long as it takes" doesn't take into account that they are running out of able bodied soldiers, and the longer this goes on the worse morale gets which leads to more dying and morale plummeting further. There are multiple clocks ticking on this war from morale that might lead to a coup in Russia to oust/kill him, enough soldiers to put up any front or fight whatsoever, enough money and equipment to do it, and more.

Even IF Russia happens to win this they will still lose. Their only "win" is to surrender and lose.

[YUPPIE]

Problem is "as long as it takes" doesn't take into account that they are running out of able bodied soldiers

I mean they say Wagner is reportedly losing hundreds by the day like a slaughterhouse, and reports from both Russian and Ukrainian officials said Russia still has a 1.5 million reserve force.

That's huge.

[Dontrike]

I mean they say Wagner is reportedly losing hundreds by the day like a slaughterhouse, and reports from both Russian and Ukrainian officials said Russia still has a 1.5 million reserve force.

That's huge.

We've see how "prepared" all of those soldiers have been, and it hasn't been all that much, which is why they keep losing soldiers by the hundreds. We're way past B string and into G at this point.

[Gabriel]

Every Yuppie brings up a new attack on Kyiv I just think about what would have happened to that 70km convoy if Ukraine had all the Western equipment they have now back then and then smile a little on the inside at the utter carnage.

The HIMARS crews are going to need to have several new pairs of pants issued to them if russia tries again.