For propaganda purposes, geez, do I have to explain everything?
So the Red Lines weren't actually crossed so Putin had to invent this ridiculous lie about Ukraine being Nazi so he could invade? Got it. We agree finally.
My turn.
1. How do I think this will end - slowly, and bloodily. Ukraine will likely have to cede much of the east, although the Ukranian position - quite reasonably - is saying why the *smile* should we hand over even more of our country to this dictator *smile*, and so far they are willing to fight and die to protect their country. But you've never once mentioned the wishes or the agency of the Ukranian people in all of this, so why change now?
2. Do I think the US saying they expect the war to continue til end of 2022 is acceptable? It's probably accurate. You need to rephrase your question - I'll give you a clue, you want to say the US is responsible for the war continuing until the end of 2022 and do I think that is "acceptable", so at least be honest and phrase your question the right way. Try again. By the way, send a message to to poor provoked Mr. Putin - ask him if a war until the end of 2022 is acceptable. He'd say HELL YES.
3. How can Ukraine win? NATO and the US won't intervene militarily. But good for Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, they didn't roll over and cede control of Ukraine to Putin who would have installed a puppet government and then rolled out the same kind of fascist state that exists in Russia. Europe and the West are giving them armaments etc and I fully support this. It means Russia doesn't install the fascist state that would have happened if you got your way, "peace at any cost", which is the abject surrender of Ukraine to Putin. And it means that Russia will get less in any negotiated settlement than they would have if Ukraine just surrended.
4. An armistice? That's up to Russia, Putin, Ukraine and sure, the EU, NATO and the West can encourage movement towards this. Putin has no need or a desire for an armistice right now. It's not Russian citizens dying. Russian soldiers are eminently expendable. What's important to Putin is that now he not lose face, even though Russia will feel the negative effects of this war for decades. So good luck pushing for that "armistice" mate, the poor provoked dictator Putin will tell you to GAGF. But of course none of that is his fault, we boxed him into the corner of one of the biggest and most sparsely populated countries in the world, Russia.
5. Prevent the war? Yep, go back in time, assassinate Putin and install a democratic regime in Russia.
Here's the line from someone who understands Russia far better than you ever will, the current PM of Estonia. You can't appease an expansionist dictator - first rule of history - you know, the history that you think you have a monopoly on.
Kallas said there was a very clear pattern to Russian negotiations and it was best summed up by the former Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko. “He said there are three basic rules of negotiating with the west. First, demand the maximum, do not meekly ask but demand. Second, present ultimatums, and third, do not give one inch of ground because there will always be someone in the west that will offer you something maybe half that you did not previously have. It is so characteristic of how they operate.
Kaja Kallas criticises Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and says gas pipeline to Germany should be scrapped
www.theguardian.com
So now, your turn.
Tell us how you would end the war. What would you give Putin? What will you take away from the Ukranians to make Vladimir feel better? Be specific. What parts of Ukraine will you offer up? What political situation would you force Ukraine to accede to in order to satisfy Putin? What aspects of Ukranian defence will you, DavidSS of Australia, be willing to sacrifice?
Can't wait for your thoughts Mr Statecraft.
