Dreadful Day For Russia

[ichkeria]

Massive drone attacks in their territory.

Government troops put to flight in Belgorod in clashes with rebel militia.

An IL 76 crashes another Su-27 downed - in Russia 

And the first significant military aid from the US since December 

Tide turning? Well maybe maybe not ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68541911

[Old_Geezer]

Surely the compromise is that if Russia withdrawals back to their pre-Putin border border then Ukraine will refrain from doing to their towns/cities what the Russians have been doing to the Ukrainian towns/cities.

[ichkeria]

Dead right OG

[Khandro]

ichi // you speak for the peoples of Donbas as if you understand their outlook, but for many it seems they don't care which side they belong as long as their standard of living is better and there has been an historic grudge from the miners and factory workers against Kviv plundering their assets and fruits of their labours, as this re-issued book from 2015 attests.

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendationref=sr_aod_dp_ttl

 

For centuries Ukraine has been a borderland, & the Donbas region is a borderland of a borderland. 

OG, It seems to me that your hopes that everything will return to the status quo pre Russian invasion (which I would love to see) is I'm afraid now a pipe-dream. 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/17/russia-wants-recognize-independence-two-eastern-ukraine-republics-what-do-people-there-think/

[tomus42]

//I don't think Trump would simply cut off weapons, that would lead to a bloodbath of epic proportions. He would get both sides together, probably personally, and hammer out a settlement, just like he would if it was a business deal.//

So naive. At some point you'll need to pick a side Khandro. 

Trump/Putin/Orban/Kim etc, or democracy and civilisation.

[ichkeria]

Well said tomus. There are wider issues at stake here,

As for Donbas more nonsense has been talked about that than most. Sure there were more  Russian connections in that region than in some (but not all) other parts of Ukraine but the area voted overwhelmingly for independence in 1991 and the so called separatists of 2014 were a complete Russian fabrication

[Gromit]

Putin, same as Netanyahu, is using war as a distraction and a false flag to support power and votes at home. They block all routes to peace because they know that will hasten their personal demise. May they both rot for eternity in hell.

[Khandro]

tomus //So naive. At some point you'll need to pick a side Khandro. //

'Naive' - moi ? As I've said above at 22:41, I would personally love to see Russia pushed back & Crimea returned to Ukraine, but I can't see that happening. 

There's going to have to be compromise and the sooner the better and the death toll can end. Perhaps Trump can facilitate that, otherwise this war could drag on for years of misery.

 

 

[ichkeria]

The point is, even if it were advisable, which it isn't, it can't happen now.

"Why would I negotiate with Ukraine when it is running out of ammunition" said Putin a day or so ago in an interview, thereby confirming what we all know and what I said above.

[ichkeria]

Macron is to make an "urgent address" to the French nation at 1900 GMT. Thought to be mainly about Ukraine 

Meanwhile Russia is again refusing to evacuate citizens as civil war rages in Belgord