The Russians have gone in

[Der Verminator]

Actually, yes - we do know, from the Kremlin.

Andrei Fedorov, former deputy Russian foreign minister, has told Al Jazeera the next few days are key in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin’s initial order was to “complete the military operation with a victory by March 2”.

Russian ex-official: Putin’s plan is full victory by March 2 | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Then there are those who study war:

Eleven weeks after the Feb. 24 invasion it is clear that Vladimir Putin’s initial plan has failed. What is less clear is what exactly went wrong and why. We have scoured dozens of commentaries and interviews by experts—mostly military and mostly Western, but also Russian, Ukrainian and Asian—in search of answers. Of the flaws in planning and execution identified by experts, several categories stand out, in our view:

-Underestimating the Ukrainian leaders’, military’s and public’s will and ability to resist;
-Underestimating the collective West’s will and capability to aid Ukraine;
-Poor planning of the military campaign, calling for simultaneous achievement of multiple objectives along several axes, unachievable with resources committed to attaining these objectives;
-Failure to establish a single chain of command for the operation, to ensure that advancing units have adequate and timely protection and supplies and to achieve air superiority.

More detailed descriptions of these and other miscalculations in Russia’s campaign are below, from both experts and journalists. But the longish list does not mean that either Russian defeat or continued Western unity in support of Ukraine is a done deal.

What Went Wrong With Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine? | Russia Matters

Your source is Al Jazeera and a disgruntled former employee and some experts who are all just guessing and propagandizing.

As I said........unless you are a psychic you can't claim to read Putin's mind--and neither can they.

All are guessing.......except Putin.

 

[biku324]

And your sources?

 

[Der Verminator]

And your sources?

You made the claim that Putin "Putin planned a one-week takeover of 43 million people......"

I pointed out that you have no way of knowing what Putin planned.......even if you talked to him I doubt he'd share his plan with you.

I made no such claims, nor would I.

I said we don't know and my guess would be a far more long-term plan.......note the word guess.

Whatever I say is guesswork........just like you.

Right now both sides appear to be losing.......along with the American tax payer (biggest loser of all).

Winners? The weapons manufacturers.

A quick ending would cut our losses, but they are still huge.

And I can't see a quick ending in sight.

Our losses will probably be in the trillions of dollars.

And Putin will probably end up owning the huge Black Sea oil and gas reserves.........a gain of trillions of dollars.

Run those numbers to locate winners and losers.

 

[John Patrick]

You made the claim that Putin "Putin planned a one-week takeover of 43 million people......"

I pointed out that you have no way of knowing what Putin planned.......even if you talked to him I doubt he'd share his plan with you.

I made no such claims, nor would I.

I said we don't know and my guess would be a far more long-term plan.......note the word guess.

Whatever I say is guesswork........just like you.

Right now both sides appear to be losing.......along with the American tax payer (biggest loser of all).

Winners? The weapons manufacturers.

A quick ending would cut our losses, but they are still huge.

And I can't see a quick ending in sight.

Our losses will probably be in the trillions of dollars.

And Putin will probably end up owning the huge Black Sea oil and gas reserves.........a gain of trillions of dollars.

Run those numbers to locate winners and losers.

Ukraine besting or “tying” the Russians is a huge US victory, worth every dollar to the US taxpayers. Because the alternative is far more expensive.

For example either defending or losing Taiwan would be hugely more expensive either way.

A defeated or even stalemated Russia is giving Xi pause. If Russia had been able to, and permitted to roll through Ukraine Xi would already have invaded Taiwan.

 

[UncleEd]

Der Verminator,

I'm with you. Let Putin have everything
he wants as it'll just cost too many dollars
to stop him.

He can have Ukraine, Poland, his whole
Soviet empire back.

In fact, he can take lots of other places
in Africa, Latin America.

Americans and Europe should save its
tax dollars.

Freedom is no bargain so who needs it?

 

[Der Verminator]

Ukraine besting or “tying” the Russians is a huge US victory, worth every dollar to the US taxpayers. Because the alternative is far more expensive.

For example either defending or losing Taiwan would be hugely more expensive either way.

A defeated or even stalemated Russia is giving Xi pause. If Russia had been able to, and permitted to roll through Ukraine Xi would already have invaded Taiwan.

China is not going to invade Taiwan.

We are their best customer and they will not risk our trillions in trade for one small island.

So what are us taxpayers getting for our trillions of dollars in weapons sent to Ukraine?

I can't think of a thing.

 

[Der Verminator]

Der Verminator,

I'm with you. Let Putin have everything
he wants as it'll just cost too many dollars
to stop him.

He can have Ukraine, Poland, his whole
Soviet empire back.

In fact, he can take lots of other places
in Africa, Latin America.

Americans and Europe should save its
tax dollars.

Freedom is no bargain so who needs it?

LOL!

That was a joke, right?

Russia couldn't keep that empire in the past and they sure can't take it again now...........they are having all they can do to carve out a little crescent around the east and south of Ukraine to get the Black Sea oil and gas.

 

[UncleEd]

And Putin will probably end up owning the huge Black Sea oil and gas reserves.........a gain of trillions of dollars.

Run those numbers to locate winners and losers.

Why "probably end up owning?"

If he doesn't then those trillions of
dollars will remain in the West, correct?

 

[Der Verminator]

Why "probably end up owning?"

If he doesn't then those trillions of
dollars will remain in the West, correct?

Wait a minute.

Are you saying that us taxpayers should pay trillions so American oil companies can make trillions off the Black Sea oil and gas?

This after American weapons manufacturers have made trillions of dollars off us taxpayers due to us giving weapons to Ukraine?

Who do you work for?

In other words.......does it make a difference to me, a U.S. taxpayer, whether Putin or the U.S. oil companies get trillions of dollars in energy reserves under the Black Sea?

I WILL pay the trillions in taxes........I will not get any money from the Black Sea oil........no matter WHO ends up owning it.

 

[biku324]

China is not going to invade Taiwan.

We are their best customer and they will not risk our trillions in trade for one small island.

So what are us taxpayers getting for our trillions of dollars in weapons sent to Ukraine?

I can't think of a thing.

Gosh, that sounds like guessing!

 

[Der Verminator]

Gosh, that sounds like guessing!

That is guessing.

We're all guessing.

 

[UncleEd]

Actually, the Black Sea oil and
gas reserves are all interrelated
of what goes on with Turkey, Georgia,
Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and
yes, even Russia and the Mideast
nations.

It's not so simple as West/NATO
vs.Russia and Chinese influence.

 

[biku324]

Der Verminator,

I'm with you. Let Putin have everything
he wants as it'll just cost too many dollars
to stop him.

He can have Ukraine, Poland, his whole
Soviet empire back.

In fact, he can take lots of other places
in Africa, Latin America.

Americans and Europe should save its
tax dollars.

Freedom is no bargain so who needs it?

NATO has already won, with Finland and Sweden off neutral and in the Organization ( Finland & Sweden Accession | NATO PA ); we as a NATO member have won because we've watched Ukraine battle-test the Russian military and find it wanting; the cause of freedom has won because Ukraine will die rather than submit.

We should've done this in 2008, when Putin grabbed South Ossetia, or 2014 when he grabbed Crimea. The Ukrainians are where they are now because of isolationism and appeasement by the West.

By the way, we, the Brits and the Russians guaranteed Ukraine's borders in 1994. Ukraine′s forgotten security guarantee: The Budapest Memorandum | Europe | News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 05.12.2014

 

[Rpg]

It’s easy to be confused by large numbers: to imagine that billions are the same as trillions.

We’ve spent $10.2 billion on aid to Ukraine including weapons as of the most recent traunch of aide. Congress has authorized a total of $40 billion in aide for this fiscal year.

That’s more than walking around money, but is only a tiny, trivial fraction of a trillion dollars.

Wild numeric exaggerations aren’t persuasive.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Just for perspective.

 

[biku324]

And if the stories of Rasputin's demise are true, it might take more than a car bomb to dispose of Dugin

According to a BBC article, , "The pair were due to leave the venue in the same car, before Mr Dugin reportedly made a decision at the last minute to travel separately."

The Russian Resistance winds up.

On Sunday evening, a former Russian state deputy said the country's National Republic Army (NRA) was responsible.

"This action (the murder of Dugina - ed.), like many other direct action partisan actions carried out on the territory of Russia in recent months, was carried out by the National Republic Army," former deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Ilya Ponomaryov said in a speech. "We connected with its fighters with the help of our resource Rospartyzan, which highlights the rising tide of resistance in Russia. NRA fighters authorized me to read their manifesto today."

The manifesto, published by Ukrainian media outlet Pravda, states the National Republic Army outlaws "warmongers, robbers and oppressors of the peoples of Russia!"

"We declare President Putin a usurper of power and a war criminal who amended the Constitution, unleashed a fratricidal war between the Slavic peoples and sent Russian soldiers to certain and senseless death," the manifesto reads on the NRA's Telegram page. "Poverty and coffins for some, palaces for others - the essence of his policy."

The NRA says "disenfranchised people have the right to rebel against tyrants." Alexander Dugin's Daughter Killed by Anti-War Russians: Former State Deputy

 

[biku324]

C'mon, you're just guessing.

Just for perspective.

 

[Der Verminator]

It’s easy to be confused by large numbers: to imagine that billions are the same as trillions.

We’ve spent $10.2 billion on aid to Ukraine including weapons as of the most recent traunch of aide. Congress has authorized a total of $40 billion in aide for this fiscal year.

That’s more than walking around money, but is only a tiny, trivial fraction of a trillion dollars.

Wild numeric exaggerations aren’t persuasive.

By the time this war is over........will it be trillions?

Perhaps not such a wild possibility.

After all.......we didn't know how much we'd spend in Afghanistan.

 

[ddixie884]

If the USA stays the course with Ukraine to the end. I don't think Zelensky will take a few million and catch a plane in a week or two. That is better than our recent involvements in foreign intrigue. I would rather send aid to a willing local foreign army than my neighbor's son to die in a strange land. We are still way ahead of some of our foreign involvements. JMHO-YMMV............

 

[UncleEd]

Meanwhile:

U.S. must keep its watch on Russian
troops (advisers) in Venezuela along the
Colombia border. Toss in some
Iranian assistance to Venezuela
as well.

And now, back to Ukraine.