why? Russian defensive lines are in shambles everywhere.
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I think Biden would be fine with Ukraine giving up Crimea and even part of Donbas. It’s a difficult issue that Ukraine’s friends are more than happy to leave to Ukraine.
As far as concerns about Russian escalation, if it’s not this dispute, it will be the one in five years, or the one 10 years after that. Russia needs to learn that having nukes is not a get out of jail free card for bending the world to their will.
spotted on pro-ru telegrams, the new nickname for ukranian nationalists who execute pro-russian civilians is ‘Elves’. 
sounds like ‘orcs’ is hitting a nerve, now that special operation isn’t going well.
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“To yield to nuclear blackmail, however, would be folly. Give in now, and anyone with nuclear weapons will learn that the secret to success in a negotiation is to froth at the mouth, roll up one’s eyes, and threaten a mushroom cloud. To yield to Putin would be, as Churchill said in a different but not entirely dissimilar context, to take “but the first sip from a bitter cup.” What then to do, and to threaten to do, particularly if Russia does indeed detonate one or more nuclear weapons, either as a signal or against some Ukrainian target?”
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If Russia takes what it wants of Ukraine and leaves a rump state that joins NATO, where’s the next domino to fall? Everything else in Europe is in NATO and an invasion would lead to a direct conflict with the US. Those red lines are extremely clear. I don’t see where Russia could possibly go next that wouldn’t immediately lead to direct and open war with the West.
Arguing we were supporting a stalemate was somewhat reasonable in the early summer. Saying it when we specifically gave weapons that allowed Ukraine to break russian supply lines and change the war is fucking stupid. We had this exact kind of discussion months ago. Repeating it now, after we specifically helped ukraine break the stalemate, is a waste of everyone’s time.
We need to move to the next mtracey talking point - that this is bad because we’re risking nuclear war with Russia. We’ve had that discussion too.
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didn’t realize that eastern europe had so many nerds.
Moldova isn’t NATO and has already been threatened as the next target. After them, there are still a number of former Soviet republics that could be taken.
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Russia has already failed to take what it wants in Ukraine and is losing more every day. Russia’s military is already defeated in any conventional sense. They would lose to Poland.
Ukraine should be in NATO and if Russia is concerned about that they can write a strongly worded letter, as with Sweden and Finland. As far as where Russia can go next, they can go back to Russia.
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I’m going by what I hear the experts saying. The Russians should be able to stabilize their defenses. Idk exactly where or when but they are committing significant additional troops and there are natural obstacles. The Ukrainians will have to pause their advances to avoid logistics problems themselves. Support could be reduced at some point. The Russians are not going to regain the initiative but the Ukrainians aren’t going to push them all the way back to Russian either. I call that equilibrium because it’s a stable situation, at least temporarily.
Doesn’t really answer my question. You’re invoking some sort of updated domino theory for why we need to stand up to Russia in Ukraine. I’m pointing out that doesn’t really make any sense because there’s not really anything left for Russia to invade as they’re surrounded by NATO on their eastern border.
Iran refused to recognize the sham referendums. putin is going to be so sad.
So did Belarus. Must not like the precedent.
I’m not invoking a domino theory. Ukraine is a nation itself that wants to live as a free people. That’s enough. Same with Moldova/Transnistria and Serbia. Russia is an incredibly toxic actor in international affairs. They need to understand that they are about as powerful as Spain or Italy and are not a bulwark against “the west”.
I do not want them to lose in Ukraine, I want them to be humiliated, not because of domino theory but because they deserve it.
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FYP.
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This is some wild ass Baghdad Bob level of speaking shit into existence.
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Are ukranian nationalists executing pro-russian civilians?
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And if they react to this humiliation and defeat with nuclear escalation? Hey I guess that’s why pencils have erasers.
I know the perfect place to hash out the borders of a rump Ukrainian state:
I’m not saying that Russia is winning. I’m not even saying that Biden’s strategy is to encourage a costly for Russia stalemate – that’s my intuition and hope at this point, I certainly might be wrong. I’m saying that if Russia does lose decisively some scary shit could go down. Seems to me that the people certain that Putin will handle a humiliating defeat with humble equanimity are the ones speaking shit into existence.