[OutsiderFan]

All I can think of when I see these images of Russian trenches is "man, sure would be nice to give Ukraine some B-52s." Again, the support Ukraine has received is great, but there is soooo much more that can be given to actually accomplish the objective. It's infuriating to me how the West is basically saying "we are more concerned about our own butts not getting into a war with Russia than we care about the lives of Ukrainian soldiers." They are being asked to sacrifice their lives on a scale that isn't necessary. A Ukrainian soldier life is not worth any less than any American's life, but it is clear our decision makers see them as less valuable. Just disgusting.

I don't understand this paragraph. The Ukrainians are fighting to save their country. It's not our country, or a NATO country. They're fighting against our implacable foe and we're aiding them on that basis, but we absolutely do not want to get into a broader conflict with Russia that turns the planet into a cinder.

The West wouldn't be aiding Ukraine if it wasn't strategically important to do so. There are other more effective weapon systems Ukraine could be given that would make achieving the objective of forcing Russians out of the country faster and easier. And NATO countries could have joined the fight, maybe not as NATO, but as individual member countries on their own outside of NATO, and even put together PMCs to help out.

What are people going to say when ZNPP melts down and radioactive fallout contaminates NATO countries? I'll bet Putin doesn't fear a NATO reaction from that either, and that's why it looks more and more likely to happen. If NATO came out and said, "blow up that plant, and we liquidate Moscow," we'd not be seeing that facility mined and ready to melt down. I just for the life of me don't understand why people live in fear of the nuclear war bogeyman. You really, I mean REALLY think Russia is going to start a nuclear war as a first strike?  Really?  Keep in mind Putin and others in the Russian hierarchy wet their pants with a Wagner coup attempt. They would rapidly change course on the ZNPP if NATO threw high and tight on Putin. Even worse, Russia is planning to scare the world into not supporting Ukraine anymore by causing a radioactive material release. See how this works?

Bullies and dictators are at their root, cowards. The uneducated might not know Adolf Hitler was the first to flee when he was faced with resistance when leading an uprising. The dude also had millions of people executed and ultimately killed himself, the ultimate acts of cowardice. ALL dictators and authoritarians are cut from the same cloth. They always back down when the going gets tough because people aren't intimidated by their threats.

The ONLY reason Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 was because he knew NATO didn't have the balls to stand up to him after the West didn't make the consequences large enough for invading Crimea in 2014. Obama's "we'll expel some diplomats" was feckless and laughably weak. Putin understands one thing - power and force. If you don't use it on him, he will keep pushing. I'll bet he laughs all the time about how afraid the West is of nuclear war he won't ever start, and how much power he derives from the empty threat.

[OutsiderFan]

All I can think of when I see these images of Russian trenches is "man, sure would be nice to give Ukraine some B-52s." Again, the support Ukraine has received is great, but there is soooo much more that can be given to actually accomplish the objective. It's infuriating to me how the West is basically saying "we are more concerned about our own butts not getting into a war with Russia than we care about the lives of Ukrainian soldiers." They are being asked to sacrifice their lives on a scale that isn't necessary. A Ukrainian soldier life is not worth any less than any American's life, but it is clear our decision makers see them as less valuable. Just disgusting.

I don't understand this paragraph. The Ukrainians are fighting to save their country. It's not our country, or a NATO country. They're fighting against our implacable foe and we're aiding them on that basis, but we absolutely do not want to get into a broader conflict with Russia that turns the planet into a cinder.

The West wouldn't be aiding Ukraine if it wasn't strategically important to do so. There are other more effective weapon systems Ukraine could be given that would make achieving the objective of forcing Russians out of the country faster and easier. And NATO countries could have joined the fight, maybe not as NATO, but as individual member countries on their own outside of NATO, and even put together PMCs to help out.

What are people going to say when ZNPP melts down and radioactive fallout contaminates NATO countries? I'll bet Putin doesn't fear a NATO reaction from that either, and that's why it looks more and more likely to happen. If NATO came out and said, "blow up that plant, and we liquidate Moscow," we'd not be seeing that facility mined and ready to melt down. I just for the life of me don't understand why people live in fear of the nuclear war bogeyman. You really, I mean REALLY think Russia is going to start a nuclear war as a first strike?  Really?  Keep in mind Putin and others in the Russian hierarchy wet their pants with a Wagner coup attempt. They would rapidly change course on the ZNPP if NATO threw high and tight on Putin. Even worse, Russia is planning to scare the world into not supporting Ukraine anymore by causing a radioactive material release. See how this works?

Bullies and dictators are at their root, cowards. The uneducated might not know Adolf Hitler was the first to flee when he was faced with resistance when leading an uprising. The dude also had millions of people executed and ultimately killed himself, the ultimate acts of cowardice. ALL dictators and authoritarians are cut from the same cloth. They always back down when the going gets tough because people aren't intimidated by their threats.

The ONLY reason Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 was because he knew NATO didn't have the balls to stand up to him after the West didn't make the consequences large enough for invading Crimea in 2014. Obama's "we'll expel some diplomats" was feckless and laughably weak. Putin understands one thing - power and force. If you don't use it on him, he will keep pushing. I'll bet he laughs all the time about how afraid the West is of nuclear war he won't ever start, and how much power he derives from the empty threat.