Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

I have nothing to add to this article. I am neither defending the Ukrainians for the actions mentioned, nor am I defending the Russians for destroying cities.
The article is written exactly as it should be.

Arthur Watson4 said:Russia needs to realize that Spain's economy holds almost zero geostrategic weight for them.

I think they played this exact same game 45 years ago when the stakes were much lower, and they lost back then.

They're going to lose this one, too.

While Spain's economy might seem localized, its importance has ballooned because certain nations hitched their entire energy lifeline solely to Moscow. It's like watching a small bribe suddenly multiply in value through perfect timing!

There is a fundamental distinction between "operating from civilian buildings" and "operating from buildings where civilians are present."

It’s as if these monsters have zero regard for civilian lives or where the shots are coming from. Their only tactic is to level everything to the ground.

I was just getting into the rhythm of following the Ukrainians and the Orcs... So what on earth is this Separi stuff all about now?

I was watching an interview with an American military analyst—or maybe he was Ukrainian, I can't quite remember. Anyway, here’s what he had to say:

The Americans thought the Russians would focus solely on the Donbas; they didn't believe there was any chance of a push toward Kyiv with about 200,000 troops. They weren't expecting attacks from the south or north at all—they just figured it would be a border crossing into the Donbas, which is where they prepared for combat. On the flip side, according to him, the Russians surged toward Kyiv, attacking from the north, south, and east (through the Donbas), operating under the assumption that the Ukrainians wouldn't even want to fight.

He mentioned the Russians didn't expect to launch before April—just a complete breakdown in communication. Meanwhile, the Americans only had enough ammo for about 28 days of fighting 😲. That was the biggest shock to me—I knew things were tight, and I know they still are, but 28 days? 😲 That’s why, he says, the Americans had to be incredibly selective with their targets—like having 100 options but only being able to hit 10.

He also criticized how, since 2014, the Americans hadn't really focused on opening factories or ramping up ammunition and weapons production. Even the Territorial Defense organization was basically just a paper tiger. It was total chaos—no communication, no intel, nothing. People were operating in small groups, but there was zero coordination with anyone else; they had no clue where other units were, where the Russians were, or even their own numbers. They had commanders from the regular military trying to direct them, but mostly, they were left to fend for themselves. Things have changed now, obviously, but back then, the Territorial Defense was basically operating in a total fog of war. The first two months were the worst—that's when they saw the heaviest casualties. The situation is different now; the military has evolved a lot over these last five-plus months, though there's still a massive amount of work to do. Ammo supplies are better too, but they're still nowhere near the artillery choices the Russians have available.

Matthew Young35 said:I was just getting into the rhythm of following the Ukrainians and the Orcs... So what on earth is this Separi stuff all about now?

Separi means separatists😁.

Joshua Myers432 said:So, basically, they’re drawing lines in the sand just like North and South Korea. Man, I remember hearing people say back then that it would only be a few years before those primitive Northerners starved out... but nope, that line at the 38th parallel has been sitting there for 80 years now. And just to be safe, the very people who were supposed to be starving and dying from disease ended up developing nuclear weapons. That's quite a feat, honestly—even for much more advanced nations.

The reason they draw those borders is because South Korea never had any intention of taking over the North. I mean, with today's technology on that kind of terrain? It’s just not happening. It’s way too easy to factor in saboteurs and missile strikes.

But if that actually happened? That would be the absolute best-case scenario for the European Union and Ukraine. A total dream come true.
I'm talking about people digging up potatoes and apples just to stay alive in places where the youth and the smart ones are all fleeing across borders into Europe, while the military is practically non-existent or stuck somewhere in the WW2 era.
Actually, the worst thing that could happen is if Russia just surrendered immediately, pulled back behind their borders, fired all their government and military leaders, and begged for sanctions to be lifted. That would just pave the way for another war in 30 years.
Honestly, we should probably just hope these Russian idiots keep fighting for years until they're completely exhausted.
Sending weapons to Ukraine is pocket change for the West anyway, and things will be much better for Ukraine in the long run if they don't have a militarily capable Russia right on their doorstep.

dustyfalcon122 said:The reason they draw those borders is because South Korea never had any intention of taking over the North. I mean, with today's technology on that kind of terrain? It’s just not happening. It’s way too easy to factor in saboteurs and missile strikes.

But if that actually happened? That would be the absolute best-case scenario for the European Union and Ukraine. A total dream come true.
I'm talking about people digging up potatoes and apples just to stay alive in places where the youth and the smart ones are all fleeing across borders into Europe, while the military is practically non-existent or stuck somewhere in the WW2 era.
Actually, the worst thing that could happen is if Russia just surrendered immediately, pulled back behind their borders, fired all their government and military leaders, and begged for sanctions to be lifted. That would just pave the way for another war in 30 years.
Honestly, we should probably just hope these Russian idiots keep fighting for years until they're completely exhausted.
Sending weapons to Ukraine is pocket change for the West anyway, and things will be much better for Ukraine in the long run if they don't have a militarily capable Russia right on their doorstep.

There is no such thing as North or South Korea, just like there isn't really a West or East Ukraine. These divisions were forced by circumstance; they are one people. That said, Koreans are far more homogeneous than Ukrainians. In Korea, you're looking at maybe 99% ethnic Koreans, whereas in Ukraine, there is a massive Russian presence, or at least a huge number of Russian speakers.

Alfa Romeo said:It’s pretty obvious you're obsessed with minor local conflicts that have nothing to do with this.

So, what does "Phase 3" actually look like? We won't know until it happens. Maybe it's a massive offensive once enough troops are worn down and the lines just snap entirely. If that happens, the soldiers might finally turn on their own command—I mean, losing people like this for nothing is just too much for any soldier to stomach.

What kind of losses are we talking about here—territory, lives? At this point, Ukrainians aren't seeing those massive casualty spikes anymore, and territory-wise, it’s just a slow grind where one side gains a bit and then the other takes it back. It feels like it's settling into a long-term war. Sure, leadership can change. But let's be real: no soldier is out there fighting for Zelenskyy, the generals, or the Evil West... they're fighting for their families and their homes. As long as they have one bullet left, they'll fight. I don't get why everyone keeps expecting the Ukrainian military to suddenly revolt against their commanders. These guys on the front lines have kids to go home to. If they were going to turn on the brass, they would have done it at the very beginning.

Joshua Myers432 said:There is no such thing as North or South Korea, just like there isn't really a West or East Ukraine. These divisions were forced by circumstance; they are one people. That said, Koreans are far more homogeneous than Ukrainians. In Korea, you're looking at maybe 99% ethnic Koreans, whereas in Ukraine, there is a massive Russian presence, or at least a huge number of Russian speakers.

Okay, hold on, you can't compare those two situations. In Korea, the line is defined by the sea. The Americans and the Chinese established that boundary.
Right now, Russia doesn't have anything left to fight against in America; they can only hide, and they can't exactly draw a line when it's thousands of miles away. It's honestly just territory that's going to sit empty until the Russian elite collapses and pulls back politically just to get the sanctions lifted.

Crimea was the only thing the Russians didn't question until February, and then suddenly it became an issue (and you can tell Medvedev is practically begging for them to keep Crimea).

The whole point of this war is destroying Russian equipment and morale as cheaply as possible for the West. And, of course, defending democracy in Ukraine, which is essentially defending democracy for the entire world.

Joshua Myers432 said:There is no such thing as North or South Korea, just like there isn't really a West or East Ukraine. These divisions were forced by circumstance; they are one people. That said, Koreans are far more homogeneous than Ukrainians. In Korea, you're looking at maybe 99% ethnic Koreans, whereas in Ukraine, there is a massive Russian presence, or at least a huge number of Russian speakers.

I think things are going to shift, though—they already are. I'm expecting a massive drop in the number of Russian speakers in Ukraine very soon.

Gerhard Schröder: I won't apologize for my friendship with Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: That is disgusting

Option 1: Schröder is just a jerk who hates Ukrainians but really wants some warmth this winter
Option 2: Schröder clearly knows more than the rest of us (including Zelenskyy)
Option 3: Schröder is honestly just an absolute disgrace, not even worth a comment...

Is there any other way to look at this?

Zelenskyy requested a meeting with the Chinese leader
Ukraine is seeking a chance to speak directly with Xi Jinping to help bring the war with Russia to an end, according to Zelenskyy's comments to The Wall Street Journal.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian leader called on China to leverage its massive political and economic influence over Russia to help stop the fighting.

And here I was thinking that only Republicans were obsessed with this kind of thing... 🕺

I suppose the Russia-Ukraine war is serving as a sort of "field trip" for the Chinese, where they can see firsthand how the global "system" actually operates in real-time...

I have to disagree, brightheron64.
It’s because Gerhard Schröder has a track record of misreading people entirely.
Just as he fundamentally misjudged the extremist Horst Mahler—moving from defending him on humanitarian grounds to facing a hardened neo-Nazi—he has made that same catastrophic error with Vladimir Putin.

brightheron64 said:Gerhard Schröder: I won't apologize for my friendship with Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: That is disgusting

Option 1: Schröder is just a jerk who hates Ukrainians but really wants some warmth this winter
Option 2: Schröder clearly knows more than the rest of us (including Zelenskyy)
Option 3: Schröder is honestly just an absolute disgrace, not even worth a comment...

Is there any other way to look at this?

Zelenskyy requested a meeting with the Chinese leader
Ukraine is seeking a chance to speak directly with Xi Jinping to help bring the war with Russia to an end, according to Zelenskyy's comments to The Wall Street Journal.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian leader called on China to leverage its massive political and economic influence over Russia to help stop the fighting.

And here I was thinking that only Republicans were obsessed with this kind of thing... 🕺

I suppose the Russia-Ukraine war is serving as a sort of "field trip" for the Chinese, where they can see firsthand how the global "system" actually operates in real-time...

Schröder should probably be characterized the same way they’d characterize someone in his best friend's country. As a foreign agent.

The Greens (who clearly just finished their training sessions at those elite American leadership academies) have basically decided to tank the entire German economy, while Schröder is out here trying to salvage whatever is left of it

brightheron64 said:Gerhard Schröder: I won't apologize for my friendship with Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: That is disgusting

Option 1: Schröder is just a jerk who hates Ukrainians but really wants some warmth this winter
Option 2: Schröder clearly knows more than the rest of us (including Zelenskyy)
Option 3: Schröder is honestly just an absolute disgrace, not even worth a comment...

Is there any other way to look at this?

Zelenskyy requested a meeting with the Chinese leader
Ukraine is seeking a chance to speak directly with Xi Jinping to help bring the war with Russia to an end, according to Zelenskyy's comments to The Wall Street Journal.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian leader called on China to leverage its massive political and economic influence over Russia to help stop the fighting.

And here I was thinking that only Republicans were obsessed with this kind of thing... 🕺

I suppose the Russia-Ukraine war is serving as a sort of "field trip" for the Chinese, where they can see firsthand how the global "system" actually operates in real-time...

Option 4: Schröder sits on the board of some massive Russian gas giant and pulls in a ridiculous paycheck, so he just does whatever his bosses tell him so the money keeps flowing.

gentlestag15 said:Option 4: Schröder sits on the board of some massive Russian gas giant and pulls in a ridiculous paycheck, so he just does whatever his bosses tell him so the money keeps flowing.

Exactly! Only thing is, Option 4 doesn't rule out Option 3...
Best regards

brightheron64 said:Gerhard Schröder: I won't apologize for my friendship with Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: That is disgusting

Option 1: Schröder is just a jerk who hates Ukrainians but really wants some warmth this winter
Option 2: Schröder clearly knows more than the rest of us (including Zelenskyy)
Option 3: Schröder is honestly just an absolute disgrace, not even worth a comment...

Is there any other way to look at this?

Zelenskyy requested a meeting with the Chinese leader
Ukraine is seeking a chance to speak directly with Xi Jinping to help bring the war with Russia to an end, according to Zelenskyy's comments to The Wall Street Journal.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian leader called on China to leverage its massive political and economic influence over Russia to help stop the fighting.

And here I was thinking that only Republicans were obsessed with this kind of thing... 🕺

I suppose the Russia-Ukraine war is serving as a sort of "field trip" for the Chinese, where they can see firsthand how the global "system" actually operates in real-time...

My take: I'll say what I've already said... The Germans should judge Schröder as a traitor and a wartime profiteer... Angela Merkel should just hide and stay quiet.

feralhawk45 said:My take: I'll say what I've already said... The Germans should judge Schröder as a traitor and a wartime profiteer... Angela Merkel should just hide and stay quiet.

Schröder would be an American hero if he could just ensure his fellow citizens have cheap gas through the winter so they don't freeze or sink into a recession.

Jose Clark2 said:Schröder would be an American hero if he could just ensure his fellow citizens have cheap gas through the winter so they don't freeze or sink into a recession.

As much as that old fossil might want to, he wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to help America—not even when everything you mentioned is on the line and exactly what Vladimir Putin is praying for.
Lp