i was considering the deadline of Oct 1st for Russia to "do something", and I hasten to remind you all that this predicted date for the end of the SMO is months old now, and it came from Orban after he visited with Putin. The facts on the ground are that Russia is still rolling over Ukraine slowly and effectively.
Even if Russia doesn't end the war quickly with a massive, legendary, explosive, knockout punch they will still win.
A slow grind may not be news-worthy to Americans because the culture is built to expect big plays and big wins, but it doesn't mean nothing is happening.
Does this mean that it will be interpreted as weakness by the West? Yes. Zelensky has also been crying for long-range missiles for months. Talk is cheap; battlefield results aren't.
@DoubleD And how do you think that slow grind will work out when Russia is being hit with missiles and possibly eventually nukes?
Ukraine doesn't matter and the war isn't going to be decided by economics.
When restraint only leads to further escalation, only cowards (or traitors) choose inaction.
So which one is Putin, a coward or a Jew?
Russians will find out the hard way when their leader's decisions get them blown up. Seems Chabad Lubavitch was right, Putin will be very bad for Russians.
@DoubleD I don't know the future either, but you can see that the West isn't going down without a fight. Whether they're committing suicide out of sheer stupidity, or because they've been ordered to, they are clearly not backing down, economics be damned. This is unlike most wars we've seen, suicidal superpowers with nukes are a new thing.
By not threatening Israel, Putin has ensured further escalation and Russians will be targeted because of it. That much is clear without a crystal ball.
@Based_Accelerationist Suicidal superpowers with nukes are a new thing, yes. Because we're in new territory, I am personally not willing to say one way or the other which way things will go, not without significant escalations. The invasion of Russia was significant, but ineffective, which is why I am not surprised that Russia responded the way it did. Had it been more effective, I'd expect there to have been a significant strike back.
@Based_Accelerationist Putin has assured the threat of further escalation, and we're hearing about it now. Russians are already being targeted. Ukraine has been hitting civilians in Russian towns along the border already.
@DoubleD That's right, Russian lives will be lost because Putin refused to let Israel have it. And it will only get worse. He literally has nothing to lose by letting Iran, or one of their proxies, send the "regime" a message. But he hasn't done it. As much as Putin pretends Nazis are the big deal, they're not the ones responsible for this war. In fact, there are photos of the Azov leaders praying at the wall in Israel.
If I was in Russia, I'd be asking myself, is Putin a coward or a traitor?
@Based_Accelerationist
First, "when Russia is being hit with missiles and possibly eventually nukes" is an "if". You cannot see the future.
Wars are decided by economics. I encourage you to read about the wars of Augustus and Sun Tzu's work for examples.
I never claimed that Putin's actions are restrained.
I don't know Putin's character or his genetics.
"Russians will find out the hard way when their..." Again, you're treating this like a certainty.