7 ms·

It has hardly failed. Ukraine is busy getting stomped. The end goals and milestones of Russia seem mysterious right now though.

matthewaveryusa 5y ago
Seems pretty clear to me that Russia wants the east and the entire black sea coast to deny europe an easy alternative to Russian energy.
- hypertele-Xii 5y ago
  And yet this action has provoked precisely the opposite reaction - a desire across Europe to entirely cease dependence on Russian energy altogether.
- google234123 5y ago
  That definitely wasn’t their initial goal.
- bloak 5y ago
  What's the connection between the Black Sea coast and energy supplies to Europe?
  - FooBarBizBazz 5y ago
    LNG tankers, I'm guessing?
- aurizon 5y ago
  That is the end game for Russia - what level of destruction will Ukraine tolerate? Ukraine needs sea access vitally for ocean freight. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/3/why-capturing-ukraine-kherson-important-for-russia https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/3/why-capturing-ukrain... What remaining access will Ukraine fight to the end for? Russia has access and can get by without it = just greedy. The UN/Turkey can close the Dardanelles to Russian ships. (already have forbidden russian warships exiting, but allow commerce) Can Turkey stand up to Russia plus the UN? Will Russia/China Veto any of this leaving Turkey alone? It has a higher GNP, but fewer people than Russia. One hopes NATO unity plus many others will make the sanction cut deeply. If China/India support Russia will they also be sanctioned = huge hurt for them and will that curb Russia? https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-purchasing-power-parity/country-comparison/ https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-purcha...
aurizon 5y ago
The truth is Russia is bombarding from afar. Whenever their conscripts faced skilled and battle hardened vets they fled/folded/died. The magnitude of Russia's forces tell me they will, in time have a chance to stomp Ukraine - as long as they have any feet left!! Do you know Russia maintains an army cohort called sort of Battle Police to keep conscripts from desertion? The USA/UK have no such force or need. Russian conscripts know they are like dirt to the elites and only battle police make them advance - lesser of two evils is the conscript's choice.
- bloak 5y ago
  The UK hasn't used conscripts in a conflict in which they were at serious risk of getting killed since 1951 (Korean War), I think, though I could be wrong. In any case, there have been no conscripts in the armed services after 1963. When did the USA last put conscripts into serious danger? Vietnam, 1975?
- imwillofficial 5y ago
  “The truth is Russia is bombarding from afar.” I’ve been following this situation closely, and this most certainly is not the case outside of a few outliers. The Nazi Azov battalion has impressed me with the ferocity of their fighting. Less so with their war crimes against prisoners.
  - aurizon 5y ago
    All artillery and long range rocket attacks are from afar - you a Russian sympathiser?

matthewaveryusa 5y ago

Seems pretty clear to me that Russia wants the east and the entire black sea coast to deny europe an easy alternative to Russian energy.

hypertele-Xii 5y ago
And yet this action has provoked precisely the opposite reaction - a desire across Europe to entirely cease dependence on Russian energy altogether.
google234123 5y ago
That definitely wasn’t their initial goal.
bloak 5y ago
What's the connection between the Black Sea coast and energy supplies to Europe?
- FooBarBizBazz 5y ago
  LNG tankers, I'm guessing?
aurizon 5y ago
That is the end game for Russia - what level of destruction will Ukraine tolerate? Ukraine needs sea access vitally for ocean freight. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/3/why-capturing-ukraine-kherson-important-for-russia https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/3/why-capturing-ukrain... What remaining access will Ukraine fight to the end for? Russia has access and can get by without it = just greedy. The UN/Turkey can close the Dardanelles to Russian ships. (already have forbidden russian warships exiting, but allow commerce) Can Turkey stand up to Russia plus the UN? Will Russia/China Veto any of this leaving Turkey alone? It has a higher GNP, but fewer people than Russia. One hopes NATO unity plus many others will make the sanction cut deeply. If China/India support Russia will they also be sanctioned = huge hurt for them and will that curb Russia? https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-purchasing-power-parity/country-comparison/ https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-purcha...

aurizon 5y ago

The truth is Russia is bombarding from afar. Whenever their conscripts faced skilled and battle hardened vets they fled/folded/died. The magnitude of Russia's forces tell me they will, in time have a chance to stomp Ukraine - as long as they have any feet left!! Do you know Russia maintains an army cohort called sort of Battle Police to keep conscripts from desertion? The USA/UK have no such force or need. Russian conscripts know they are like dirt to the elites and only battle police make them advance - lesser of two evils is the conscript's choice.

bloak 5y ago
The UK hasn't used conscripts in a conflict in which they were at serious risk of getting killed since 1951 (Korean War), I think, though I could be wrong. In any case, there have been no conscripts in the armed services after 1963. When did the USA last put conscripts into serious danger? Vietnam, 1975?
imwillofficial 5y ago
“The truth is Russia is bombarding from afar.” I’ve been following this situation closely, and this most certainly is not the case outside of a few outliers. The Nazi Azov battalion has impressed me with the ferocity of their fighting. Less so with their war crimes against prisoners.
- aurizon 5y ago
  All artillery and long range rocket attacks are from afar - you a Russian sympathiser?