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The best case scenario (other than a clear Ukrainian victory) would have been a Russian victory in 2023. By then, they would have taken enough damage to dissuade them from further adventures, but hundreds of thousands of men wouldn't have been slaughtered.
The longer this war goes on, the more screwed Ukraine is demographically.
The people who I hate the most are those who view this war as a way to test new drone technology with real live meat puppets, or who put the strategic goal of "weakening Russia" above the lives of real people.
Yes, it's all Russia's fault, but at this point the Ukrainian state is an active impediment to the happiness of the Ukrainian people. Conscription in this forever war is little better than slavery. And the women who fled to Germany are going to find husbands there and never come back. Who is being saved?
Funny, the people I hate the most are those who started the war.
Although Americans whining about Ukraine not giving up faster as if they cared about the Ukranians, come a close second.
A person who would sacrifice every Ukrainian for the sake of Ukraine is no friend.
Ukrainians: I would like to fight.
Allies: We can support you in that effort
Porkpiehat: EXCUSE ME, isn't there someone you forgot to ask?
My brother, the Ukrainians have, with a massive majority, chosen to fight. The only opposition to Zelensky comes from a position of wanting more efforts to fight, based around those who have other ideas on how to fight. They really, honestly, truly, want to do it, I promise you from personal experience. Zelensky isn't forcing them to against their will, he's riding a tiger and likely to be voted out post war for his failings here. Some have left the country, some will return, but those who remain strongly think the best future for Ukraine is by breaking Russia, and truly think they can.
Kind of based. I'm confused by those who can't see that.
You're confused because you're not living in reality.
The generally accepted number is that 75% of Ukraine's soldiers are conscripts, although we'll never know the exact number because it's a state secret.
Pork, I know Ukrainians, I have relatives fighting, and the poem "The beginnings" applies to all of them. I'm British but the force of the Ukrainian's fury would impress Kipling, and I would not want to be a Russian over the next few decades after their sowing of the wind.
As per reality, I can strongly predict reality based upon all of what I posted, for example the pro/anti war/Russia direction of Zelensky's future challenger. Would you make a prediction there?
The UK had a similar level of conscription in WW2, what does that prove? Did you think that after Coventry and London that we wanted peace? Gently, where is any of what you are saying coming from other than vibes?
Trust me bro!
Polling suggests otherwise
The most recent data does show Ukrainians have largely given up on outright military victory and want a negotiated end, but they overwhelmingly reject terms that amount to capitulation. The dominant position is a third option: freeze the war on roughly the current line, without legally giving up territory or disarming, still fighting. All of those require fighting Russia to a standstill, and are based on the assumption that is the correct thing for Ukraine. I am perfectly aware of the polls, they match my descriptions above, and Zelensky's challengers are attacking him from that position, there is no popular capitulation position. What's your "trust me bro" information I'm missing?
So basically, it cost a few million lives for Russia to annex the part of Ukraine [that observably were unconcerned with who governed them] just because some old decrepit dulce-bag halfway across the country couldn't fucking let it go.
The complete and utter lack of unionist-on-separatist violence in the areas currently occupied isn't helping my assessment; lots of rooftops, lots of angles, lots of opportunity for novel autonomous weapons systems placed in book suppositories. They had nearly a decade and not once did "devise a way for a Kiev-friendly operative to deniably deliver an explosive device straight up a separatist's ass, or buy that from a sympathetic nation" cross their minds? Kind of painting a picture there- they're not a serious country either, but at least they'll have fun playing with the West's cool toys that we were just about to send to the boneyard.
Who knew that World War III was mostly going to be a non-nuclear redux of trench warfare, just with loitering mortar shells? I sure didn't have that on my
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