Yes, Ukraine is suffering. And obviously, they want the killing to stop. But Russia’s negotiating position here is absurd. Their talking points are just being parroted by U.S. stooges. But - no serious minded person thinks Russia is likely to abide by any agreement anyways, especially one without HARD security guarantees for Ukraine’s sovreignty. U.S. and Russian pressure to sign a bad deal seems on it’s face desperate, given their obvious original war aims of complete national conquest and annhiliation of Ukrainian society.
Russia only neogtiates when they think they can’t simply seize more by force. They appear to be at that point, and post-war russia is going to be a chaotic mess. The reward of Donbas and Crimea, territory they’ve already essentially controlled for a decade, hardly seems worth all the losses they’ve taken militarily, economnically, politically and demographically
So what should Ukraine do? If they care about a lasting peace - stalling and continuing to bleed the Russian army might be the better option. These are not good peace terms. Yet.
imo, putin doesn’t seriously think any of these offers will be accepted, he’s just taking every opportunity he can to show how much of a joke the US is on the international stage
Other than the lolz, what does he gain from that. His most useful asset Trump is an obese octogenarian with the vitals of a diabetic house cat. He has to get something before he croaks, or is neutered politcally in midterms next year. Or - in the violent insurrection that follows if he tries to void those elections.
every time trump is allowed to embarass himself and the country it lowers the US’s relevance on the world-stage. showing just how incredibly incompetent the rest of the US government appartus is
everyone is coping on the idea shit is going to “return to normal” when he croaks…imo, it won’t. and “normal” in that instance is unsustainable ratfuckery to the detriment of everything else
He’s caused generational trauma to the entire political system. To the entire culture, really. Don’t think an instant return to normal is what most serious minded people think…but…Looking forward to literally whatever follows. It’s going to take time, but it’s hard to picture anyone stupider, more capricious or less qualified to lead a dignified office.
They say that you shouldn’t celebrate anyone’s death…but there are a few obituaries I’m looking forward to reading.
Even though I’m not a fan of Putin, I have to concede to him that Trump was his greatest achievement ever. No one ever thought that an external force could completely destroy the US this far. No one could even think of the idea of the US President actively trying to kill the country. Not even nukes have this level of destruction.
Sowing even more distrust
The fact he is old is actually more dangerous to US democracy than if there was decades ahead of him.
When time passes, a dictator is caught up by politics, and his power decrease because other factions will have consolidated their power so an equilibrium that satisfies all factions is necessary, and is thus more complex than a dictatorship.
If it’s too soon after the start of the dictatorship, then the chaos still reign, and power still fall in the hand of the one who controls armed forces. Which is usually the last dictator alive after the succession war.
Everything goes down to what your army will be loyal to.