Your assessment about Russia may be right on the money. I am not sure how much longer Putin is going to be able to hold it together without the economy crashing or the people revolting - probably both. That in turn will cause unrest in the satellite ethnic regions like Chechnya that will try to break away. The only reason they have not so far is because they have been getting paid by the Kremlin in exchange for their alliance. Putin is already losing Transnistria that is in the process of uniting with Moldova. Russia has not been able to keep supporting Transnistria any longer and they have essentially been cut off. Moldova in turn is in the process of integrating with Romania which is part of the EU and a member of NATO. 1500 Russian soldiers are now essentially landlocked and trapped in Transnistria with no way to extract them. With Transnistria off the table, Ukraine no longer has to worry about it's southwestern border. Putin's dream of a revived Russian Soviet Empire are quickly evaporating.
The revived Soviet empire has been off the table for quite some time. Putin is on a mission. Ukraine is DS/Nazi central. The US couldn’t go to war with Ukraine, so Russia had to. Plus they needed to rescue the ethnic Russians.
I appreciate your opinions and this forum is an avenue for expressing those opinions - hopefully in a respectful and intelligent manner. As you have done. If not, we just become another echo chamber in a sea of differing positions.
My opinion is that both sides in this conflict are corrupt as hell with long histories of corruption and abuse. There is no good guy/bad guy in this scenario. It always boils down to a lesser of two evils. Like always, the people of each country are the ones that suffer the most from the effects of those that use them in their propaganda war against each other to promote their own agendas. The truth is buried in there somewhere.
I don't buy the narratives of either Ukraine or Russia. Putin is not as noble as some make him out to be and that is coming from actual Russians. Putin is a very intelligent man and an excellent communicator, but at the same time, a very calculating manipulator. He has changed over the years, and along with that, so have his goals.
I have my own personal family history dealing with Russia. But at the same time, I certainly don't think that Zelensky is an angel either, and I have a family history rooted in the Ukraine as well. Both men are surrounded by self serving corrupt oligarch types that are only interested in money. Both men have as a main objective to stay in power and maintain control. Putin obviously, has a much longer history of doing just that.
Although Putin has not officially assimilated other satellite areas into what could be considered a revived Soviet empire, however, the map tells a different story. What has most likely driven his rationale for his alliance expansion over the years is the encroachment of NATO - which also does not get a pass here. We have just as much dirty dealing within our own rogue operations under several administrations that have brought us to this point in history. Hence, why Trump at times has had to flip the global chessboard completely over in an attempt to right the ship. Global alliances are shifting and are fluid.
My assessments are based upon what I see on the ground, past and present, along with what I hear from natives that know their own countries and their history. I could care less about what either of them try to spin for public consumption or what is published in the press that tries to get their respective domestic, as well as the wider global audience, to choose a side. Geopolitics is never that black and white, but more shades of grey.
You are totally solid. A lot of good people are paying the price in Ukraine to prevent WWWIII. Even when the war ends there, there will be a lot more sorting out to do.
Ah yes, Cuba. Lots of eyes on for sure - especially China. They will not be happy about losing their radar spy stations so close to American shores. Trump is most certainly making things interesting.
Your assessment about Russia may be right on the money. I am not sure how much longer Putin is going to be able to hold it together without the economy crashing or the people revolting - probably both. That in turn will cause unrest in the satellite ethnic regions like Chechnya that will try to break away. The only reason they have not so far is because they have been getting paid by the Kremlin in exchange for their alliance. Putin is already losing Transnistria that is in the process of uniting with Moldova. Russia has not been able to keep supporting Transnistria any longer and they have essentially been cut off. Moldova in turn is in the process of integrating with Romania which is part of the EU and a member of NATO. 1500 Russian soldiers are now essentially landlocked and trapped in Transnistria with no way to extract them. With Transnistria off the table, Ukraine no longer has to worry about it's southwestern border. Putin's dream of a revived Russian Soviet Empire are quickly evaporating.
The revived Soviet empire has been off the table for quite some time. Putin is on a mission. Ukraine is DS/Nazi central. The US couldn’t go to war with Ukraine, so Russia had to. Plus they needed to rescue the ethnic Russians.
I appreciate your opinions and this forum is an avenue for expressing those opinions - hopefully in a respectful and intelligent manner. As you have done. If not, we just become another echo chamber in a sea of differing positions.
My opinion is that both sides in this conflict are corrupt as hell with long histories of corruption and abuse. There is no good guy/bad guy in this scenario. It always boils down to a lesser of two evils. Like always, the people of each country are the ones that suffer the most from the effects of those that use them in their propaganda war against each other to promote their own agendas. The truth is buried in there somewhere.
I don't buy the narratives of either Ukraine or Russia. Putin is not as noble as some make him out to be and that is coming from actual Russians. Putin is a very intelligent man and an excellent communicator, but at the same time, a very calculating manipulator. He has changed over the years, and along with that, so have his goals.
I have my own personal family history dealing with Russia. But at the same time, I certainly don't think that Zelensky is an angel either, and I have a family history rooted in the Ukraine as well. Both men are surrounded by self serving corrupt oligarch types that are only interested in money. Both men have as a main objective to stay in power and maintain control. Putin obviously, has a much longer history of doing just that.
Although Putin has not officially assimilated other satellite areas into what could be considered a revived Soviet empire, however, the map tells a different story. What has most likely driven his rationale for his alliance expansion over the years is the encroachment of NATO - which also does not get a pass here. We have just as much dirty dealing within our own rogue operations under several administrations that have brought us to this point in history. Hence, why Trump at times has had to flip the global chessboard completely over in an attempt to right the ship. Global alliances are shifting and are fluid.
My assessments are based upon what I see on the ground, past and present, along with what I hear from natives that know their own countries and their history. I could care less about what either of them try to spin for public consumption or what is published in the press that tries to get their respective domestic, as well as the wider global audience, to choose a side. Geopolitics is never that black and white, but more shades of grey.
You are totally solid. A lot of good people are paying the price in Ukraine to prevent WWWIII. Even when the war ends there, there will be a lot more sorting out to do.
And we haven’t even gotten to Cuba yet. 😁😁
Ah yes, Cuba. Lots of eyes on for sure - especially China. They will not be happy about losing their radar spy stations so close to American shores. Trump is most certainly making things interesting.