lotusmars

And Germans and Americans are waiting for war fatigue to catch on to start pumping billions into Russian economy and joint companies with Putin. Traitors.

The sheer size of Russia combined with hyper centralization in Moscow is not sustainable.

Russian Federation is RSFSR left intact with its borders and regional partition.

Crushing parliament with tanks in 1993 left the country without any checks to presidential power.

Yeltsin constitution gave enormous power to president. For example he can introduce general attorney (the only one who can open investigation on president). Or judges of supreme and costitutional courts (that can introduce changes to constitution itself). Once you've got a puppet parliament, you're free to go, unchecked power.

All regions besides Moscow (or hyper loyal enclaves like Chechnya) are ruled by capital as colonies.

It's evident not only in Russian regions but also occupied territories of Ukraine and Crimea. The assets are quickly divided between Moscow, Chechen and local gangs. Dissent is crushed and voices are forever silenced.

This should be the top comment. As a Russian myself I totally agree.

The USSR should've been broken up until a number of sustainably small republics left. Let Islamic regions go that themselves wanted out (and Russians wanted and still want them out as well) and which resulted in bloody wars on Caucausus.

What actually happened is a quiet takeover by party apparatchiks. The "dissolution" of USSR was performed by three major communist party members so that most important asset Russia (de facto RSFSR left intact) was not broken up.

The power was still centralized in Kremlin as well. The first and last actually elected parliament (elected back under Gorbachev) was crushed in 1993 by Kremlin.

KGB was allowed to regroup as FSB, hide a lot of crimes and then run for power in 1999.

Yet it is still valid for their strategy during the invasion of Ukraine.

They don’t need sophisticated weaponry or artillery. Just a slow push until the opponent is exhausted.

Losses are irrelevant: they can always be hidden or denied because you control media.

There is a quote attributed to Zhukov, Stalin’s army general:

“No sparing soldiers, women will give birth to more of them!”

Odessa clashes was Russian and pro-Russian gangs attacking an unarmed Ukrainian football fan march with firearms.

They then retreated to the House of Unions where pro-Russian opposition was based. Basically taking them as hostages.

The house was set on fire and multiple people died a horrific death.

While immensely tragic, don’t “both sides” this and spread Russian propaganda. The skirmishes were all captured on long live streams.

Afterwards Russian TV used it to further spread anti-Ukrainian hatred.

Yes Ukrainian people is the bastion and are fighting bravely.

Feels like Europeans (namely Germany and France) will provide as little weapons as possible to exhaust Ukrainians so they get tired and surrender themselves.

Once Ukrainian public is ready, Biden will pressure Zelinsky. Biden has already said “we told him but he didn’t want to listen” hinting that he can throw Zelinsky under the bus if he doesn’t behave.

Surrender (“peace”) would be an awful option for Ukraine because Putin will regroup and in a couple of years launch a new assault on the remaining part of the country.

There won’t be mercy from him, judging by executions on occupied territory.

Yes Polish people have shown a lot of resilience and deserve great respect in this situation. Batlic states as well of course. Hope they won’t allow Germany sweep Ukraine under the rug.

Most of the country was miserable, malnourished and in poverty for years anyway. It’s not like Putin’s elites care. It’s basically a serfdom. As long as people obey, and Putin’s clique can build palaces, it can go on for decades.

Crimea is closer to a regular Russian region. Criminal groups affiliated to state and police rule. All dissent is suppressed and you’ll more likely to be harassed than murdered or disappear. DNR and LNR are more brutal, severe and chaotic.

Europeans will force it to, unfortunately.

Listen to recordings of calls to Russian soldiers’s mothers. The families fully support invasion. They are glued to TV and Telegram which explain that Ukrainians bomb themselves and Russian soldiers are brave liberators fighting against gay Nazi Americans.

Besides that soldiers send a lot of stolen goods back home. There was an infamous video from the office of a transport company with dozens of soldiers sending loot like washing machines.

Not a critically high price anyway. Gas prices cover everything and complicit German politicians don’t consider stopping paying. Looks like Putin’s gamble played well once again, he knows his European counterparts well.

There is no need in sophisticated weaponry or even artillery when you have endless literal cannon fodder. Hide or deny losses and drag on just enough to exhaust your opponent.

A year of slow territorial gains? Two? More? Not a problem as long as economy is propped by European money, Germans don’t bother sending enough weapons and Western media is tired of war and looks elsewhere.