Diplomacy only works when both sides come to the table and are prepared to meet some of the others demands and arrange a mutually beneficial outcome. I doubt Putin is at that stage at this point.
Spot on Poshman. "Walk softly but carry a big stick" is the old diplomatic/strategic truism. Putin started this a loooong time ago, and yes, the West has been weak in dealing with his aggressive expansionism.
He's already taken the Crimea. He's already nibbled off parts of Georgia. Russia is weak, and he's a good bluffer - so he goes all in on every conflict and we just give way. NATO did nothing on Crimea, we did nothing we he used chemical weapons in Syria despite Obama saying we would. No red lines were crossed but he still moved in.
DavidSS, you want the war to end, so do we all. But when does it stop? He'll take Donbas and the east. He'll continue to destabilise Georgia and may take more of that country too. Belarus is already a proxy state. The Finns and Swedes have already started stockpiling fuel and food because they know Russia will mount cyber-attacks on their infrastructure.
For those interested, this podcast - Arthur Snell interviewing Jason Pack - is good on how successful Putin has been at bluffing the west, and why he knows he can continue to do so - and we have well-meaning people who want to end violence and the war who just play into his hands every time.
Show Doomsday Watch with Arthur Snell, Ep Putin’s High Stakes Game - 28 Apr 2022
podcasts.apple.com
If you prefer to read not listen, the Jason Pack article is here.
The West must understand the high-stakes game Russia is engaging in, and use calculated aggression to expose the Kremlin's weak hand.
foreignpolicy.com
Explains perfectly why asking Putin "what he wants" is totally the wrong approach. It's naive and has failed time and time again. As I've said before, the only thing Putin understands is strength, and giving him "what he wants" only leads to more suffering and misery.