"Putin honors unit that occupied Bucha" Topic

Russian president signs decree giving 64th Motor Rifle Brigade title of ‘Guards' for defending ‘Motherland and state interests'.

Aljazeera: link

Guards? I thought they were just a bunch of murdering, raping thugs. I guess the Russians have a different concept of what military success actually looks like.

It's three messages.

To his Soldateska, 'Carte blanche'.

To the Ukrainians, "Give up or this will happen to all of you."

To the West, 'I give a about you.'

It's three messages.

To his Soldateska, 'Carte blanche'.

To the Ukrainians, "Give up or this will happen to all of you."

And how well did that turn out when the Nazis in WW2 did that to Russians, Ukrainians and others? Kinda made 'em fight all the harder, didn't it? It's not like the *civilians* of Bucha could put up much of a resistance, and they were brutalized even after the town was taken.

Knowing that surrender is not an option has a way of hardening resolve into a "take as many with me as I can" mentality that leads to larger loss of life and military equipment. The more Putin digs in his heels the more it seems the only way out is when we hear an announcement from the replacement oligarchy that El Presidente passed suddenly from an acute case of virulent COVID…

@SBminisguy

I didn't mean that I thought that it is a good strategy.
I mean, the russians think it is a good strategy.

Putin and his cronies really believe that russia as a culture has a special role to play in the world, but is being held down by everyone, indeed should be wiped out.
Therefore, any means is fine with them to protect their rule and the motherland and to help them to old greatness.

The third Empire.
Our problem is, for them it's not Science Fiction.

And although the population does not approve of every means without further ado and of course prefers to buy furniture at Ikea, eat at McDonalds and sell gas to Germany, the majority of russians agree with Putin's view.

russia breeds paranoia and authoritarian structures out of its history and geostrategic position.
This is a tragedy.
That is, it is inevitable.

Because of our history, we Germans have convinced ourselves that things must and can be done differently with russia, but that was obviously a bad mistake.
The fall of the Soviet Union never changed russia, it only became weaker.

And since they are weaker, they have to fight with what they got at hand.
Terror.

Arjuna!

Very well said, Sir!

TVAG

@SBminisguy

I didn't mean that I thought that it is a good strategy.
I mean, the russians think it is a good strategy.

I agree, I was pointing out the historical irony of Russia acting towards Ukraine as the Nazis did, and forgetting the reaction that created. As for the fantasy Empire map, the reality is that Russia's GDP is:

*Lower than that of Brazil!
*Less than half of the respective economies of Britain, France and Germany.
*1/10the size of the EU
*Less than 1/10th of the US

Russia also doesn't have the people power for Empire -- it is experiencing negative population growth. They have flipped their demography and have an aging population, an inverse pyramid of lots of elderly and fewer youngsters. Its population is on track to decrease by 1/3rd by 2050 – oh, except for the Russian Muslim population which is the only demographic that is growing, to where it may be as much as 1/3rd of the population by 2050 as well.

Yes, that is all correct.
But somehow the russians have missed that.
Which is no wonder when they only surround themselves with yes-men and believe their own lies and fantasies.

And there were more surprises for them.
The same ones as for us.
The EU is united, their 'allies' are not as enthusiastic as they hoped, the US is interfering, the Germans, though hesitant do not completely buckle when threatened to cut off their gas.
And worst of all, the Ukrainians don't cheer their liberators, they just kill them with gusto and without much ado.

They must be stopped in Ukraine, slowly bleeding out.
If not, and they get Ukraine, they will try the next candidate in 15 years.
And that will be a NATO state.
That is, they will be wiped out in a conventional war by U.S. troops and their allies.
And there are only two possible responses for them to that:
Completely humiliated, to leave the world stage forever, or to use nuclear weapons.

Helping Ukrainians will not be the reason for nuclear war.
Helping them will prevent it.

Helping Ukrainians will not be the reason for nuclear war.
Helping them will prevent it.

Well said!

their 'allies' are not as enthusiastic as they hoped

Does Russia have allies? Accomplices seems a better term! Happy to look the other way when there is profit or devilment with the 'West' to be had, but strangely absent when the metaphorical global police wander down the sidewalk twirling their nightsticks.