What boggles my mind is that, if I remember, Georgia also resisted Russia's takeover, with an insurgency that lasted ten years - and it's a far smaller country. In the fullness of time, as HM would say, the grinding war of attrition succeeded and a puppet Russian government was installed. This, in my view, is what is in store for Ukraine, but on a far grander scale.
In other words, there is previous here. Why would the West expect anything else to occur in Ukraine, only far bloodier, more costly to Western governments (which is to say its taxpayers), yet likely to end the same way.
This invasion presented an opportunity to weaken, perhaps fatally, a major problem for the West. All it had to do was ensure that Ukraine was plentifully armed and supported, starting before. If the West had done that in the window of time available, and continued to do so no matter what Putin said, the Ukraine might have actually succeeded where Georgia, after ten years, finally failed.
I do not understand the failure to recognise what a fantastic opportunity this invasion would have been with Ukraine ready to lay it all on the line. Not to mention what it would have cost Putin with regard to his relationship with a now heartily contemptuous China.
And if Putin finally succeeds with a grinding war of attrition, no Marshall Plan would fly to rebuild a valuable asset under Putin's control.
The approach taken guarantees a No Winner scenario - including the West, which has only "won" a reprieve from proving it believes its own press. TC
Ladies and gentlemen people of Australia thank you. Mia in English means dream. We have always been proud of our dream.they are killing our people and civilians, they are taking our children they are taking to our territories. We can say Russia tried to destroy our dream but they have not won .
(I could not keep up typing but mention made of our close proximity to China. )
Very well received address. We have entered an era of greater volatility.
Peace talks in Turkey: were you spot on EL, "From what I can see, Ukraine is buying time for the West to deliver aid and to grow a backbone, while Russia is pretending to consider the proposals to regroup and recruit expendable Syrian soldiers" ? Journalist, Barbara Miller stated that ceasefire a distant hope, as Russia contiues attack. Peacetalks extinguished after second day. More than 100,000 civilians trapped in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol. Ukraine thinks pledge could be designed to mislead its forces and the army will maintain its line of defence. A Ukraian general declared:" We are doing our job, we are liberating our country and we are confident we will win." People are clinging to this hope as Ukraine regains territory.
There is much to try and comprehend and fathom how genuine is a 'ceasefire'. Your statement that Russia is wanting to create a humanitarian crisis made me think of an extremely bleak documentary about the despair felt daily and now for a number of years, by refugees in Syria who search over and over again, for places to settle thinking the world is not listening. Turkey has closed its borders because it doesn't want anymore refugees. Only a monster, aware of his part in Syria's situation, would consider a humanitarian crisis an acceptable tactic!
Thank you again to EL. While the "peace" talks continue the city of Khariv has been destroyed. I note that the Kremlin considers Crimea as part of the Russian Federation and as such is not negotiable for debate and/or modification. Putin got away with that and thought the remainder of Ukraine would be just as easy as that was. Somehow the KGB officer must be stopped.
The US as guarantor? If I'm Zelenskyy, I'm going to be thinking back to the Budapest Memorandum, and remembering that the US has already betrayed them twice.
@EL - this afternoon, Russia stated that no new breakthroughs had been made, and bombed a Red Cross Centre. I believe that when NATO and the West state they are acting in their own countries' best interests, what they really mean is the CBI sorts' interests. They cannot seriously put it out there that allowing Putin to get away with this is in the longer-term best interests of the West. A child could see through that - it would be like saying, Let's let the schoolyard bully beat the proverbial out of a few kids, in hopes that the bully will think better of it when nobody will sit with him at lunch or invite him to birthday parties. TC
What boggles my mind is that, if I remember, Georgia also resisted Russia's takeover, with an insurgency that lasted ten years - and it's a far smaller country. In the fullness of time, as HM would say, the grinding war of attrition succeeded and a puppet Russian government was installed. This, in my view, is what is in store for Ukraine, but on a far grander scale.
In other words, there is previous here. Why would the West expect anything else to occur in Ukraine, only far bloodier, more costly to Western governments (which is to say its taxpayers), yet likely to end the same way.
This invasion presented an opportunity to weaken, perhaps fatally, a major problem for the West. All it had to do was ensure that Ukraine was plentifully armed and supported, starting before. If the West had done that in the window of time available, and continued to do so no matter what Putin said, the Ukraine might have actually succeeded where Georgia, after ten years, finally failed.
I do not understand the failure to recognise what a fantastic opportunity this invasion would have been with Ukraine ready to lay it all on the line. Not to mention what it would have cost Putin with regard to his relationship with a now heartily contemptuous China.
And if Putin finally succeeds with a grinding war of attrition, no Marshall Plan would fly to rebuild a valuable asset under Putin's control.
The approach taken guarantees a No Winner scenario - including the West, which has only "won" a reprieve from proving it believes its own press. TC
Ladies and gentlemen people of Australia thank you. Mia in English means dream. We have always been proud of our dream.they are killing our people and civilians, they are taking our children they are taking to our territories. We can say Russia tried to destroy our dream but they have not won .
(I could not keep up typing but mention made of our close proximity to China. )
Very well received address. We have entered an era of greater volatility.
Zelensky address to Australia up and running. Speeches from our prime minister and deputy prime minister. Will update ...,
Peace talks in Turkey: were you spot on EL, "From what I can see, Ukraine is buying time for the West to deliver aid and to grow a backbone, while Russia is pretending to consider the proposals to regroup and recruit expendable Syrian soldiers" ? Journalist, Barbara Miller stated that ceasefire a distant hope, as Russia contiues attack. Peacetalks extinguished after second day. More than 100,000 civilians trapped in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol. Ukraine thinks pledge could be designed to mislead its forces and the army will maintain its line of defence. A Ukraian general declared:" We are doing our job, we are liberating our country and we are confident we will win." People are clinging to this hope as Ukraine regains territory.
Is Zelensky showing us that he is inexperienced, nevertheless, has the qualities ofa statesman?
There is much to try and comprehend and fathom how genuine is a 'ceasefire'. Your statement that Russia is wanting to create a humanitarian crisis made me think of an extremely bleak documentary about the despair felt daily and now for a number of years, by refugees in Syria who search over and over again, for places to settle thinking the world is not listening. Turkey has closed its borders because it doesn't want anymore refugees. Only a monster, aware of his part in Syria's situation, would consider a humanitarian crisis an acceptable tactic!
Thank you again to EL. While the "peace" talks continue the city of Khariv has been destroyed. I note that the Kremlin considers Crimea as part of the Russian Federation and as such is not negotiable for debate and/or modification. Putin got away with that and thought the remainder of Ukraine would be just as easy as that was. Somehow the KGB officer must be stopped.
The US as guarantor? If I'm Zelenskyy, I'm going to be thinking back to the Budapest Memorandum, and remembering that the US has already betrayed them twice.
@EL - this afternoon, Russia stated that no new breakthroughs had been made, and bombed a Red Cross Centre. I believe that when NATO and the West state they are acting in their own countries' best interests, what they really mean is the CBI sorts' interests. They cannot seriously put it out there that allowing Putin to get away with this is in the longer-term best interests of the West. A child could see through that - it would be like saying, Let's let the schoolyard bully beat the proverbial out of a few kids, in hopes that the bully will think better of it when nobody will sit with him at lunch or invite him to birthday parties. TC